FALMOUTH, Maine — Tostito Kevin might be the ugliest dog you've ever seen and his Maine owner is certainly hoping so.
Tiny Tostito as his owner Molly Horgan lovingly calls him is hoping that her miniature pet will get enough money from a crowd fundraising site to send him to California for the World's Ugliest Dog Contest.
It's an award that might be insulting to some but Molly says she is honored.
"It's all about celebrating that every dog is really beautiful," Horgan said. "It's not offensive at all."
Tostito was accepted as one of nine contestants vying for the title. The contest that has been happening for almost 30 years aims at promoting the adoption of unique looking dogs saying "the pedigree does not define the pet" rather than making fun of them. The contest frequently highlights dogs who have been rescued or saved from puppy mills.
"There's red carpet that we get to walk down and there will be celebrity judges," Horgan said. "We are so excited."
Horgan rescued Tostito and she says it was love at first sight.
"I saw his face and I knew I just had to have him right away." Horgan said.
But Tostito was not always as loved as he is now by Horgan. Tostito looks the way he does because he was severely neglected to the point his lost his lower jaw when it rotted away.
"He's just unique," Molly's friend Sami Gardner said. "And being ugly doesn't mean you don't deserve to be loved."
Tostito even has his own Facebook page.
The World's Ugliest Dog Contest is held in Petaluma, California, this year on June 21 as part of the Sonoma-Marin Fair. The winner gets $1,500, a trophy and a free trip to New York.