Rascal unseated as World's Ugliest Dog

Of course you remember how the Chinese crested pup who has single-handedly raised the bar for, er, canine inverse beauty by dominating the World's Ugliest Dog contest for the past few years. I honestly thought these guys would reign for years in the World's Ugliest Dog pageant. I was wrong!

Pabst, a boxer mix, edged out Rascal in the 2009 event, whose results were announced yesterday. Pabst and his hooman, Dane Andrew, get some bling:

Egstad won $1,600 from the Sonoma-Marin Fair for sweeping all three rounds ($100 for mutt class, $500 for runoff with the pedigree class winner, and $1,000 for World’s Ugliest Dog). This year sponsor House Of Dog upped the ante with another $1,000 in prize money, a table of “bling” that included collars, leashes, and bowls plus a year-round modeling contract that Pabst signed with his paw. Event Photographer Grace Chon included a professional photo shoot.

Here's a video wrap, courtesy of the Sonoma-Marin Fair (where the event's been held for the past 7 years):

Animal Planet also has some fun coverage, and will broadcast the show later this year.