Ugliness is in the eye of the beholder.
Scooter, a 7-year-old hairless Chinese Crested pup who won the 2023 World’s Ugliest Dog contest last week in Petaluma, California, stopped by TODAY on June 26.
Scooter has deformed back legs, which actually point backward, but his owner, Linda Celeste Elmquist, says he doesn’t let that deter him.
“He has no idea that he has a defect and he was born that way and he is full of self-confidence,” she told TODAY. “He stands up to the bigger dogs where he could easily get beat up.”
Elmquist, who says those bigger dogs “back off” Scooter, also says he is a joy to be around.
“He’s full of self-confidence and he loves everybody,” she said. “He just has a really good heart. He’s a good doggie.”
Elmquist, who is from Tucson, Arizona, is part of a rescue organization called Saving Animals From Euthanasia that got Scooter when he was brought in to be euthanized. He was initially adopted by someone in the group, but after they could no longer take care of him, Elmquist became his owner and has been for seven months.
Elmquist was beaming when Scooter, who walks on his front legs, was officially named the winner of this year's World’s Ugliest Dog contest, where NBC News’ Gadi Schwartz served as a judge. She knows the competition is about more than just crowning the most hideous dog around.
“I was so happy. I was just so happy because I know he will represent really well the undertrodden, the ugly, the blemished,” she said on TODAY while recounting the moment.
“This contest is not about making fun of … or laughing at or just taking advantage of their ugliness. It’s about bringing forward all of the beauty.”
Elmquist says she entered him into the contest to call out what kind of a dog he really is.
"Scooter, obviously, has some issues that really aren't considered beautiful. I think he's beautiful," she told the 3rd hour of TODAY.