This past weekend CNN was reporting on the World's Ugliest Dog Contest. The dogs are scored on first impressions, unusual attributes, natural ugliness, personality and audience impression. Most of the dogs come from shelters and the contest hopes to encourage people to look to shelters and rescues when they are thinking of getting a dog.

This years winner is Quasi Modo a mix from Florida. She is a 10 year old Pit Bull mix who was adopted from a shelter. Quasi has some birth defects which is one of the reasons she probably ended up at a shelter. Her spine is missing some vertebrae and that's why she looks like a hyena, but she still loves to run and play just like any other dog.

This contest teaches us that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Beauty comes from within.