Dane Andrew doesn't think his toothless, hairless, bug-eyed dog Rascal ---- a scrawny creature with a punky, winter-white mohawk, splotchy, warted skin, rat tail and lazy, dangling tongue ---- is ugly.

"I think he's the most handsome dog I've ever seen," the Sunnyvale resident said Sunday about an hour before Rascal, his 7-year-old African sand dog, was selected the Ugliest Dog at the 15th annual Ugly Dog Contest at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. "People just say, ‘Your dog is ugly.' So we just go with it and have fun with it. He's the best at what he does, I guess. He's ugly."

Rascal, a first-time competitor in Del Mar's contest, has snagged more Ugly Dog awards than Andrew could name.

"We do this all the time," he said of his dog, who's starred in several films and been a guest on "The View" with Barbara Walters and "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. Rascal, a sweet dog with a lot of personality, has been known to "lift his leg on judges," Andrew said.

An annual event sponsored by the Del Mar Kiwanis Club to raise money for local animal charities, Sunday's contest was moved indoors because of rain. Organizers said the turnout made Sunday's event a success, as hundreds of dog lovers and their pets crowded into one of the fairground's showrooms.

Not every dog was an ugly candidate. Categories included cutest dog, best mutt, most unusual markings, most handsome, most beautiful, best costume, and dog who looks the most like its owner. Five dogs vied for the title of ugliest, including last year's winner, a heavy-tongued, tight-faced mutt named Chomper, who took third place this year.

Attendees said the annual event is a good opportunity for dogs to get out and strut their stuff.

"I just liked getting her out in a costume, getting her out to socialize," said Monica Piechel of San Diego, who dressed her pit bull mix Dottie in a glittering gold cape as a "Pot of Gold at the end of a rainbow" for the St. Patrick's Day costume category. "This was just our first time here, so it was fun. We didn't win."

Rina, a golden Labrador retriever mix, won that contest, dressed in a sparkling leprechaun outfit that owner Jugy Fridano made in her Escondido home. "They don't make costumes for big dogs, so I always have to make hers."

For Halloween, Rina was a 'swine floosy,' dressed in a lacy bustier and garter belt with a pig nose, Fridano said. "I have so much fun with this. She's so great at wearing costumes," Fridano said.

While the event is fun for many, local animal rescue organizations use the event to showcase dogs that need homes. Even last year's ugly dog winner, Chomper, the mascot of San Diego Animal Rescue, still needs a home, volunteers of the Santee-based organization said.

While mutts are commonplace in animal shelters, Chihuahuas are having a tough time lately, according to Lynn McCoy, a volunteer with the San Diego-based Chihuahua Rescue. McCoy brought Humphrey, a furry cup-sized half-Chihuahua, half-terrier mix, in hopes of finding him a home.

"Everyone says, ‘Oh, Chihuahuas are so cute and so tiny.' But people don't realize that they are a lot of work, just like any dog. They figure this out and they get rid of them," she said. "We blame TV shows and movies."

For information about next year's contest, visit www.uglydogcontest.org.