Awww, congratulations, little guy!
A 2-year-old toothy-looking white and brown mutt named Peanut, who is believed to be a Chihuahua and shih-tzu mix, has won the annual World's Ugliest Dog contest. His owner, Holly Chandler of Greenville, North Carolina, took home the $1,500 prize on his behalf at the 2014 competition in Petaluma, California on Friday, June 20.
The World's Ugliest Dog contest began 25 years ago and honors dogs deemed physically unattractive, due to attributes such as bulging eyes, abnormally large heads, overbites and underbites, but who also sport winning personalities!
But Peanut's looks aren't solely due to genetics. The poor pooch was abused by a previous owner. He suffered serious burns as a puppy that left him with bald patches.
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"A friend at an animal rescue forwarded me a photo of little Peanut," reads the owner's description on the contest's website. "He had been at an animal hospital for over nine months and was ready for a new home. While his face scared away many, it melted my heart. They named him Opossum – which was pretty fitting. Don't let his teeth scare you! He isn't growling. He is smiling! Because of his hardships as a puppy, his lips and eyelids are deformed. He no longer has hair on much of his body including his tail, legs, feet, and face."
"He has helped me raise awareness for Animal Cruelty by allowing me to share his story," it says. "He has been the greatest thing to happen to me! His hobbies are curling up on plushy dog beds, playing with all of his toys at one time, and trying to beat up his Pomeranian brother, Tucker."
Chandler plans to donate the winnings to fund other pets' vet bills and hopes Peanut's win will help raise awareness about animal abuse, reports say.
Check out a video of the World's Ugliest Dog contest, courtest of the Today show, below.
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