It DOES look like Yoda.
N.J. Dog Crowned World's Ugliest
Jun 23, 12:37 AM (ET)
PETALUMA, Calif. (AP) - Elwood, a 2-year-old Chinese Crested and Chihuahua mix, was crowned the world's ugliest dog Friday, a distinction that delighted the New Jersey mutt's owners.
Elwood, dark colored and hairless - save for a mohawk-like puff of white fur on his head - is often referred to as "Yoda," or "ET," for his resemblance to those famous science fiction characters.
"I think he's the cutest thing that ever lived," said Elwood's owner, Karen Quigley, a resident of Sewell, New Jersey.
Quigley brought Elwood out to compete for the second year at the annual ugly dog contest at the Marin-Sonoma County Fair. Elwood placed second last year.
Most of the competing canines were also Chinese Crested, a breed that features a mohawk, bug eyes and a long, wagging tongue.
Quigley said she rescued Elwood two years ago. "The breeder was going to euthanize him because she thought he was too ugly to sell," said Quigley.
"So ha ha, now Elwood's all over the Internet and people love him and adore him."
Beyond the regal title of ugliest dog, Elwood also earned a $1,000 reward for his owner.
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Black Lab Drives Owner's Car Into River
Jun 22, 11:15 PM (ET)
SAGLE, Idaho (AP) - Bad dog. Charlie the black lab drove his owner's car into the Pend Oreille River. As Mark Ewing walked home Wednesday evening after returning from picking up a pizza, Charlie jumped into the car through an open window, and apparently knocked the vehicle into gear.
"He somehow got the car into neutral," Ewing said. "My car just went boom, down an incline and into the drink."
Ewing could only watch as his Chevy Impala sank into the river. No dummy, Charlie jumped out of the window as the car went downhill.
"There's nothing weirder than looking at your car cruising down your driveway when you're not in it and seeing your dog jump out and then watching your car go splash," Ewing said.
Actually, things got a little weirder when the tow truck driver showed up.
Before the driver dove into the water to hook the car up to his truck, he asked Ewing to hold his dentures.
"My car's in the drink, I've got dentures in my hand and this guy Keith ... goes swimming," Ewing noted.
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Vote Protest Puts Woman in Doghouse
Jun 22, 7:13 PM (ET)
SEATTLE (AP) - Duncan M. MacDonald can't vote, which could be a relief to politicians who otherwise might have to outline their positions on chew toys, postal carriers and squirrels.
Jane Balogh, the owner of the Australian shepherd-terrier, is in trouble for submitting voided ballots in his name in three elections. One tipoff for authorities: One of the envelopes was signed with a picture of a paw print.
Balogh said she was protesting a 2005 state law that she says makes it too easy for non-citizens to vote. She put her phone bill in Duncan's name, then used the phone bill as identification to register him as a voter.
"I wasn't trying to do anything fraudulent. I was trying to prove that our system is flawed. So I got myself in trouble," she says.
Prosecutors have offered the grandmother and Army veteran a deal: plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of making a false statement to a public official and they will not file a felony charge of providing false information on a voter-registration application.
Balogh said she doesn't plan to contest the charge because "I know I'm guilty." She said she submitted ballots in the dog's name in the September and November 2006 and May 2007 elections. She wrote "VOID" on the ballots and didn't cast any votes.
Prosecutors said they would recommend she be sentenced to 10 hours of community service, pay a $250 fine and commit no other crimes for a year.
Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said his office "can't simply look the other way. They say you should let sleeping dogs lie, but you can't let voting dogs vote."
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Man's Nose Partially Bitten Off in Fight
Jun 22, 4:47 PM (ET)
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) - It took a taser gun to subdue a man accused of biting off part of a man's nose and attempting to gouge out his eyeball during a bar fight. Plastic surgeons grafted skin to repair Edgar D. Hellar's nose, according to the Marshall County Sheriff's Department.
Hellar's cornea also was scratched when his attacker tried to stick a finger behind Hellar's eye during the fight at the Travelers bar in Marshall County.
The Marshall County Sheriff's Department charged Michael Brant Tustin, 34, of Cameron, with felony malicious assault on Tuesday.
Deputy J.A. Matthews said that when he arrived at the bar last week, he saw a man on top of Hellar beating him. After ordering the attacker to stop Matthews said he used a taser gun to force him to comply.
No hearing date has been set, according to the magistrate clerk's office.
that's so cool!
