File photo of Quasi Modo, who's currently leading this year's World's Ugliest Dog competition. Associated Press Associated Press

HE’S OVERWEIGHT AND has a birth defect that left him a bit hunchbacked.

Quasi Modo (above) is a 10-year-old pit bull-Dutch shepherd mix who was leading the World’s Ugliest Dog contest, with nearly 10,000 votes by today.

Resembling a hyena or Tasmanian devil, he can unsettle some people, but he makes up for it with a bubbly personality, his biography says.

Quasi Modo was far ahead of No. 2 Morris, a mutt who looks a little like a pig with a spiky haircut and has garnered more than 5,000 votes.

The two are among 27 dogs vying for the title of homeliest hound, which has been given to a pooch in the small California coastal town of Petaluma for decades.

File photo of reigning World's Ugliest Dog Peanut. Associated Press Associated Press

Dogs have arrived from as far as Florida, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona to compete in a contest that applauds imperfections.

The winner will receive $1,500 tonight at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds.

Several of the competitors have been rescued from shelters, puppy mills or abusive homes.

This year features a new “spirit award,” honouring a dog and owner who have overcome obstacles or are providing service to the community.

Contains reporting by the Associated Press.

Read: Meet Peanut, officially the ugliest dog in the world>