World's Ugliest Dog Crowned and Scamp the Tramp Becomes Scamp the Champ

Nineteen very good boys and girls duked it out to see who could really make the crowd say "Woof" ... and in the end, a mangy mutt was crowned World's Ugliest Dog.

The competition was held Friday night at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds & Event Center, and this year's winner is a former stray pooch who goes by the name Scamp the Tramp ... and he was runner-up last year!

According to his bio ... "no amount of conditioner can calm" Scamp's matted and messy fur. His owner says she rescued him at the "last hour" from an L.A. animal shelter, and it's been a match made in heaven.

Scamp has been a pet therapist at a senior center for 7 years, and also listens to first graders read stories on a weekly basis. Now, he can add celebrity status to his bio too -- he appeared on the "Today" show Monday morn.

In addition to his new title, Scamp took home a trophy and $1,500 ... which will be matched in a donation split between the Humane Society of Sonoma County, Angels Fund, and Compassion Without Borders.

As for the other dogs ... there was a lot of cute and ugly to go around. A 3-year-old Pekingese with a wild tongue aptly named Wild Thang took second place, and a rescue pup named Tostito -- who's missing his lower jaw -- came in third.