Contest seeks to crown world's ugliest dog

PETALUMA, Calif., June 26 (UPI) -- Organizers of this year's World's Ugliest Dog Contest in California said this year's entries include 15 aesthetically challenged canines.

The contestants include 2002 champion Rascal, a purebred Chinese Crested from Sunnyvale, Calif., and other returning contenders Princess Chelsea of Fairfield, Calif., and Reggie and Veronica of Phoenix.

Newcomers to the contest include a Pleasanton, Calif., Shar Pei named Mojo; a boxer named Pabst from Citrus Heights, Calif; a Santa Rosa, Calif., German shepherd mix named Winston; and a Chinese Pug named Kaiya from Santa Rosa.

The winner of the contest, which begins at 6 p.m. Friday in Petaluma, will go home with a $1,000 prize, a trophy, a prize package of canine accessories and a one year modeling contract with high-end retailer House of Dog. The contest will be filmed by cable network Animal Planet for its "Dogs 101" segment.