A 10-year-old pit bull-Dutch shepherd mix, Quasi Modo, from Loxahatchee, Florida, won the title of "World's Ugliest Dog" on Friday at a competition in Petuluma, California. Quasi Modo is named for the hunchbacked hero of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
Once abandoned at an animal shelter because of her strange looks, Quasi Modo found a home with one of the veterinarians who worked there, who "saw the sparkle in my eyes and took me home," Quasi Modo says in her bio.
Why does Quasi Modo look so unique? She writes in her bio:
I have multiple birth defects to my spine. My back is too short for the rest of my body and the parts went together in the worst possible way. In spite of this I still run, play and enjoy life to the fullest. My appearance can be a little unsettling to some (I have had grown men jump on top of their cars to get away from me because they thought I was a hyena or Tasmanian devil) but once they get to know me I win them over with my bubbly personality.
Quasi Modo added that she loves to meet new people and teach them about diversity: "I have become a great ambassador for teaching people about acceptance and tolerance for things that are different."
It's a big message for the little dog, who is now famous all over the world. "You should never judge a book by its cover! Just because an animal or person looks different doesn't mean they're any less deserving of love."
You are so beautiful to us, Quasi Modo.
