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What a monstrous mutt! The World's Ugliest Dog contest was full of stiff competition this year, but that didn't stop Martha -- a 125 lb. Neapolitan Mastiff -- from being crowned the absolute ugliest!

And the World's Ugliest Dog of 2015 is...Martha, a Neapolitan Mastiff. In a competition usually comprised of tiny dogs, the 3-year-old, 125-pound dog beat out 13 other pups to take home the top honor of being dubbed "The Ugliest Dog in the World" at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif on Friday. Not every lady would like this as a bio, but the trophy-winning champ's short description on the contest's website lists: "125 pounds of drooling, snoring, gassy, loud and silly girl."  The dog's owner, Shirley Zindler, rescued the big girl, who went nearly blind from neglect, from a California rescue group. Since being taken in, Martha has undergone surgery and her...

The top dog at this year's World's Ugliest Dog contest was also huge -- a 125 lb. Neapolitan Mastiff named Martha ... but she had some tough competition. The 29th annual contest held in Petaluma, CA featured 14 of the world's ugliest canines, who competed for a trophy and a $1,500 prize. Now that Martha's the winner ... expect to see her on all the morning talk shows. Martha stood out from the crowd of older smaller dogs who normally...

Quasi Modo might be the World's Ugliest Dog of 2015, but she's beautiful in her own way. Not everyone sees it this way, though, and on Wednesday's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the late-night host enlisted Carson Kressley to give Ms. Modo a "full celebrity makeover." Quasi's makeover began with a trip to the spa—"to get her in the right mood," Carson explained. The pampered pooch was treated to a massage followed by a hot pink mani-pedi. Next, she had some fun with what her stylist described as "a whole array of amazing wiggery." Quasi tried out a handful of hairstyles and hues, but Carson was quick to remind her, "You know what they say—blondes get more...

And the World's Ugliest Dog of 2015 is...Quasi Modo. A 10-year old pit bull and Dutch shepherd mix who was born with spinal defects, giving her an appearance of a hunchback, won his owner the top $1,500 prize at the annual competition, which "applauds imperfection." The contest took place at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California on Friday. Quasi Modo had come in second place in 2014. "I was abandoned at an animal shelter and because of my strange looks life was looking pretty grim," reads the dog's bio, listed on the event's website. "Luckily, one of the veterinarians there saw the sparkle in my eyes and took me home. "I have multiple birth defects to my spine. My back is...

It's impossible not to stare at Kim Dillenbeck's dog, Pig. Born in Atlanta with severe deformities and adopted by the Alabama woman, the 8-month-old mutt has gangly legs, a body that appears to have been chopped in half and no neck. Pig looks like one of those fake animals created with Photoshop to draw clicks on websites, yet she's real. "The whole clinic loves her. She comes in and she's a rock star here," said Dr. Rachael Hudson-Breland, a veterinarian who treats Pig. The friendly little animal hops like a frog to stand up and walks with a high-shouldered gait that resembles a gorilla.

It's that time of year again when dogs with unusually large heads, hairless bodies and other oddities compete to be the World's Ugliest Dog. This year's winner? A 2-year-old mutt named Peanut, whose wild white and brown hair, bulging eyes and protruding teeth belie his sweet, energetic personality. Although Peanut is healthy now, his owner, Holly Chandler of Greenville, North Carolina, says he was seriously burned as a puppy, resulting in bald patches all over his body. Chandler hopes Peanut's victory will help raise awareness about animal abuse. "We're trying to use him as a poster child for what can...

Toss him the ugly stick! A beagle/basset/boxer mix named Walle ran off with the top prize at Friday's 25th annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest, the marquee event at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif. The 4-year-old dog's unusually large head, hump back, and duck-like waddle - courtesy of extremely short legs - all helped him nab the coveted title, which includes $1,500 and a trophy. Did we mention he runs sideways? The dog's owner, Tammie Barbee, a hairdresser from Chico, Calif., adopted the pooch four years ago from a friend whose dog had a litter of puppies - puppies who all picked on Walle,...

For 364 days a year, contestants in a very special beauty pageant are the subject of snickers and insults. But on Friday, the dozens of pups vying for the title of the World's Ugliest Dog get to feel like the prettiest pooch at the ball.

The contest, held every summer for the past 25 years, takes place during the Dog Lover's Festival in Petaluma, Calif., on June 21. The winner of the contest earns prestige, of course, as well as $1,500, a trophy, a professional photo session and a catered dinner for both winner and owner at a luxury hotel, according to CBS Sf Bay Area.

Between 25 and 30 dogs are expected to compete, according to CBS. Dogs entered so far include combinations of Chihuahua, Chinese crested, boxer, terrier, poodle and Peruvian.

“It started as a homegrown kind of contest -- very small and quirky,” contest organizer Vicki DeArmon told Today.com. “But the whole...

A British dog has been crowned the ugliest in the world at a contest in California. Mugly, owned by Bev Nicholson, received the award at the 24th annual World's Ugliest Dog contest in Petaluma. The 8-year-old rescue dog won $$1,000 (£641) and a year's supply of dog cookies, as well as a VIP star at a Sheraton hotel. Mugly beat off strong competition from 28 other contenders, including Handsome Hector, Rue, Icky, Spam-o-Rama and Mouse. Owner (more)...

Her belly may be growing fast, but Kristin Cavallari is keeping the rest of her body trim! The reality star, who is expecting her first child with fiancé Jay Cutler, got some cardio into her Wednesday workout in West Hollywood with a little help from her trusty canine companion, Bardot. Bardot (so beloved that Cavallari named her first shoe design after the dog) took the lead on the walk. Cavallari, who sported a little pre-St. Patrick's Day spirit with the green in her workout gear, stayed behind and frequently checked her phone. Can't get enough pet news? See more on...

More and more British pet owners treat their dog like a person, despite the harm it can cause, according to a survey conducted by Twentieth Century Fox to mark the DVD release of Family Guy Season 11.

In a poll of 2,000 UK dog owners, 62 per cent admitted they treat their dogs more like humans, with one in four taking it as far as dressing them in clothes and 64 per cent regularly feeding them human food and drink. 

A quarter of Brits cook specially prepared food for their dogs, with over 50 per cent accepting that they over-indulge or pamper their four-legged friends. And despite the economic climate, 10 per cent spend over £250 a month to keep their dogs happy.

More than one third let their dogs sleep in their bed, with many stating loneliness as a factor, while 13 per cent allow them to sit at the dinner table to eat and one in...

The first thing the title Worst in Show brings to mind is the 2000 Christopher Guest mockumentary Best in Show. Like that award-winning entry from the Waiting for Guffman crew, Worst in Show by filmmakers John Beck and Don Lewis is less interesting for the contestants than for the people who actually own the dogs. The documentary, which will have a special benefit screening in Austin this weekend, focuses largely on the officially trademarked World's Ugliest Dog contest hosted by the Sonoma-Marin Fair each year in Petaluma, California. There, the internet sensation Sam (pictured at right), owned by Susie Tautrim, won from 2003-2005.

Mai Tai, Chi Chi, Miss Ellie, Elwood -- all huge names in the ugly dog world (and now all deceased). They are all Chinese Crested, the dog breed you would least want to be reincarnated as. We're talking the Steve Buscemi of dogs, so ugly even John Waters...

Worst in Show is a documentary about the World's Ugliest Dog Contest. The hour-long film takes us to Petaluma, California, for the 2010 competition of hideous canines (you've no doubt heard of Sam, the undefeated pooch who put the contest on the map). But it's not Animal Planet fluff. And the real freak show is with the owners. I'm not necessarily saying some of them are ugly -- though what they say about pets and their owners looking alike is validated here -- so much as they're just amazingly odd (but not mocked or exploited as such). Christopher Guest could not make up characters better than what you find here.

Read the Rest of the Review at Christopher Campbell's Documentary Blog, Nothing But the Doc.