June 25: Kathleen Francis clutches her purebred Chihuahua "Princess Abby" after winning the World's Ugliest Dog Contest in Petaluma, Calif. (AP)
PETALUMA, Calif. -- A rescue dog believed to be a Chihuahua mix has won the World's Ugliest Dog contest.
Princess Abby (Abigail) Francis, a dog with a gray, brown and black coat was shivering in the cool breeze Friday night as her owner, Kathleen Francis, accepted a $1,000 check and applause from the crowd at the 22nd annual contest held at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma.
The four-year-old dog beat a rough-looking slate of candidates for the prize, including Pabst, the teeth-bearing boxer mix who won last year.
Francis says she rescued Princess Abby from her veterinarian about five months ago.
Celebrity vet Karen "Doc" Halligan, one of the contest's three judges, says the dog's oddly curved back and legs and closed up left eye may be due to being inbred.
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