Walle ((WAHL-ee), a 4-year-old mutt from Chico, Calif., who entered at the last minute, was judged most unsightly of 30 dogs at Friday's Northern California competition. It's been dominated in recent years by nearly hairless Chihuahuas, Chinese cresteds, or combinations of the two.
Judges said they were especially impressed by Walle's bizarre waddle of a walk.
Walle wins $1,500 and will make several network TV appearances next week.
The contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds gets worldwide attention, with media from around the world traveling to Petaluma, about 40 miles north of San Francisco.
Organizers say the dogs are judged for their "natural ugliness in both pedigree and mutt classes."
