World’s Ugliest Dog 2013 Surprise Winner Crowned

The World’s Ugliest Dog® Contest has picked a 2013 winner from among 30 contenders for the highly coveted title of World’s Ugliest Dog. The event was the 25th anniversary of the contest held each year in Petaluma, California.

The anti-beauty contest featured some amazingly hideous and heinous dogs, which you can inspect on the World’s Ugliest Dog official Facebook page. We also featured some photographs of the competitors for the crown here and here.

Parade Magazine posted a huge slideshow of past winners of the contest. In the past, the Chinese crested — an exceptionally ugly breed overall — has often dominated the playing field.

One Chinese crested, Sam, actually took the title for three straight years in a row running from 2003-2005. However, this year’s winner would turn out to be a surprise.

On Friday afternoon, the winner was selected, and he’s what you can only call a Heinz 57 classic mutt. We didn’t spotlight the 4-year-old beagle, bassett, and boxer mix in the run-up to the contest because we didn’t know about him.

Apparently, no one did. The World’s Ugliest Dog organizers explained that Walle was a last-minute entry, arriving just minutes before the contest closed.

Proud owner Tammie Barbee has owned the hump-backed, duck-waddling weirdo dog since he was a three-month old puppy. “People come up to me and say that dog is not right, but I love him,” she said.

Contest judges said, “This is a dog you have to see move to appreciate his ugly dog status.”

Apparently, his wacky waddling walk is truly unique.

Maybe we’ll see him in a YouTube viral video one day soon. As the winner, he has also earned the right to appear on the Weekend Today Show in New York City on Sunday.

His owner will also cash a $1,500 prize.

Congratulations to mixed-breed muff Walle, the sleeper entry who slipped out of Chico, California to become 2013’s World’s Ugliest Dog.

[World’s Ugliest Dog 2013 photo via World’s Ugliest Dog Facebook page]