It's that time of year again when dogs with unusually large heads, hairless bodies and other oddities compete to be the World's Ugliest Dog. This year's winner? A 2-year-old mutt named Peanut, whose wild white and brown hair, bulging eyes and protruding teeth belie his sweet, energetic personality. Peanut's owner, Holly Chandler of Greenville, North Carolina, says he was seriously burned as a puppy and she wants to use her pet to raise awareness about animal abuse. She plans to use the $1,500 prize to pay for other animals' veterinary bills. The contest, held at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma, California, is in its 26 year. The dogs are scored by a three-judge panel in several categories, including special or unusual attributes, personality and natural ugliness.

A one month old Turquoise colored Green Veiled Chameleon perches on a finger in the Cardin's Chameleons boothat Repticon 2014 Sunday, August 3, 2014 in Jacksonville, Fla. The vendor specializes in captive bred and born Veiled Chameleons and this particular specimen cost $40.00. The Repticon reptile and Exotic Animal show made its stop in Jacksonville over Saturday and Sunday offering a variety of cold blooded critters and related supplies for sale at the University Center on the University of North Florida campus. The show, which travels nationally stops in Jacksonville several times a year according to event vendor team leader Patty Healey. (Photo by Bob Self/AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union)

A handout photograph provided by Brian Kubicki of Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center on 26 April 2016 shows a “Crystal frog”, Hyalinobatrachium dianae (H. diane). This frog was discovered by US biologist Brian Kubicki and Costa Ricans Stanley Salazar and Robert Puschendorf in a rainy forest of Costa Rican caribbean after 40 years without notice of any new example of this kind. (Photo by Brian Kubicki/EPA/Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center)

A pigeon rests on a wild iguana in a tree inside Seminario Park in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Thursday, April 3, 2014. Pigeons coexist with the wild iguanas at this park in the middle of the city surrounded by savannah. (Photo by Dolores Ochoa/AP Photo)

This tiny hedgehog is in a prickly position as hes unable to grow spikes, leaving him needing round-the-clock care. The woodland critter was found with no spikes and has been taken in by a family hoping to nurse him back to health so he can be released into the wild. Named Mr Prickleless, the hedgehog was rescued by Dina Nixon and her daughter Jennifer, 25, after being taken into a rescue centre in December last year. It is not known what happened to his spikes, but Dina has vowed that if they ever do return he will be returned to the wild. But for now the hedgehog has taken shelter in a rabbit hutch in her garden. (Photo by Caters News Agency)

A lioness bares its teeth inside an enclosure after a raid at a zoo-like house on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand Monday, June 10, 2013. Thai police and forestry officials searched and seized a number of imported and endangered animals including 14 lions from Africa and arrested the house's owner. (Photo by Apichart Weerawong/AP Photo)

Locals sort through garbage at a roadside dump in New Delhi on January 10, 2017 The national capital has been reeling under tonnes of garbage after sanitation workers went on a strike demanding payment of pending salaries. (Photo by Chandan Khanna/AFP Photo)

Damir Sagolj has won Reuters photojournalist of the year for his 2016 work, which included documenting the deadly Philippine drug war and the North Korea congress. Here: A 17 year old girl lays dead next to her doll after she and her friend were killed by unknown motorcycle-riding gunmen, in an alley in Manila, Philippines early October 26, 2016. According to the police, a sign on a cardboard reading “Tulak ka, hayop ka”, which translates to “You are a (drug) pusher, you are an animal” was found with the body of girl's friend. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)