Yoda's short tufts of hair, protruding tongue, and long, seemingly hairless legs were enough to earn it the World's Ugliest Dog title at a Northern California fair.

The 14-year-old Chinese crested and Chihuahua mix won the honor Friday night at the 23rd annual contest at the Sonoma Marin Fair.

Owner Terry Schumacher of Hanford, Calif., said the 2-pound dog had come a long way since she was found abandoned behind an apartment building.

Schumacher said she first thought the pooch was a rat.

Yoda's distinction comes a year after a one-eyed Chihuahua named Princess Abby claimed victory.

A pedigree Chinese crested won in 2008 and another Chinese crested and Chihuahua mix was the ugliest in 2007.

In past years, the winner's owner has received a $1,000 check.

World's ugliest pooch goes to ugly doggie heaven

Yoda, the Chinese-crested-Chihuahua mix who won the title of World's Ugliest Dog last year, has died at the age of 15. Life wasn't easy for the pooch in our looks-obsessed culture thanks to her tufts of patchy hair, spindly legs, floppy tongue, googly eyes and ... really, the list of imperfections can go on and on. But she had a good life with owner Terry Schumacher, who found her abandoned behind an apartment building and initially mistook her for a rat. In winning the title, Yoda earned $1,000, took home a trophy 15 times her size and enjoyed some celebrity status thanks to several national TV appearances.

8-year-old 'Mugly' wins World's Ugliest Dog title

A Chinese crested's short snout, beady eyes and white whiskers earned it the title of World's Ugliest Dog at the annual contest in Northern California on Friday.

Competing for fame, $1,000 and a year's worth of dog cookies, Mugly won the honor by beating out 28 other ugly dogs from around the world.

The 8-year-old rescue dog from the United Kingdom will also be invited for a photo shoot and will receive a VIP stay at the local Sheraton.

"I couldn't speak when they announced Mugly's name," said Bev Nicholson, the dog's owner. "I didn't know which way to look. I was shaking as much as the dog."

It's not the first time Mugly has been recognized for his unattractiveness. Nicholson said he was named Britain's ugliest dog in 2005.

The contest at the Marin-Sonoma Fairgrounds gets worldwide attention, with reporters and camera crews from around the world traveling to Petaluma, about 40 miles north of San Francisco.

Organizers say the competing dogs are judged for what they term their "natural ugliness in both pedigree and mutt classes."

Mugly's victory was the latest for a Chinese crested. Last year's winner, Yoda, was a Chinese crested and Chihuahua mix.