"From the second he sits his hairless little booty and backward legs on your lap, you feel his warm, huggable power to change the meaning of the word 'ugly.'" The hairless booty in question belongs to a pooch named Scooter, and the description comes via a judge in the World's Ugliest Dog contest who helped wee Scooter win the perhaps-dubious title. As NPR reports, Scooter is a nearly bald 7-year-old Chinese crested (a breed that seems to be quite successful at the contest) with aforementioned reversed hind legs, and a tongue that doesn't quite pack itself all the way into his mouth. But he does have the rather extraordinary ability to walk upright on his front legs.
Scooter was surrendered as a puppy by his breeder because of his deformity; at one point, he faced euthanasia; ABC7 notes that he now zips around in a cart, and along with his new title, he also took home a $1,500 prize. Saying she's "overjoyed and incredibly proud," owner Linda Elmquist adds that, "despite the challenges he has faced ... Scooter has defied all odds and shown us the true meaning of resilience and determination." NPR notes that the World's Ugliest Dog contest, now nearing the half-century mark, is meant to highlight "the imperfections that make all dogs special" and push for animal adoption. (More world's ugliest dog stories.)
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