Yoda, the world's ugliest dog, died in her sleep at her home in Hanford, Calif. last Saturday. She was 15.
The Chinese crested-Chihuahua mix, according to the Telegraph, won the 2011 World's Ugliest Dog contest at the Sonoma Marin Fair for her short tufts of hair, her bulging eyes, and her tongue, which hung lazily out of her mouth at all times.
Her owner, Terry Schumaker, found the less than two-pound dog abandoned behind an apartment building and mistook her for a rat, reported the Associated Press.
She quickly adopted the abandoned animal.
A rough start to life, Yoda achieved fame and fortune after the contest with numerous TV appearances, photo shoots and a prize worth $1000.
Yoda was even featured on a makeover show for dogs, said the BBC.
According to the Hanford Sentinel, Schumaker wrote in an email, "Say a prayer today 4 my YODA…rest in peace 3-10-12. I will miss her funny little ways!"
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!