LOVABLE dogs lacking the pedigree of expensive breeds will be placed under the spotlight in a new awards ceremony.

The RSPCA’s Ruffs prioritises looks over welfare with its rival to Crufts, an upmarket dog show which celebrates top of the range four-legged friends.

This year, Todd from York is one of the finalists in the RSPCA Rescue Dog category.

His heartwarming story touched the hearts of the judges and now it is up to the public to decide whether he will be crowned the winner.

Violet Owens, organiser of RSPCA Ruffs, said: “Todd was rescued from a travellers’ site and taken to York and District RSPCA.

“He was severely underweight, full of worms and his fur was so matted it had to be completely shaved off.

“Todd was very sad for the first few weeks and spent most of his time curled up in his bed but after a few weeks and with a regular belly full of food and the kind words he’d never know, he began to show more of an interest in the world around him.

“It was then that volunteer dog walker Amanda Jones met Todd, fell in love with him and took him home.

“Todd had no basic training when he was adopted but now he’s gaining his Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) Good Companion Foundation Award.”

York Press:

To challenge the traditional-beauty-pageant style dog shows, which judge dogs primarily on looks, Ruffs celebrates them for their welfare and happiness, whether they are pedigrees or crossbreeds. or rescues.

Last year was the RSPCA’s first ever Ruffs and organisers say the public’s response was overwhelming – with hundreds of thousands of people voting throughout the week.

Voting is now open for the six categories and pictures of the contestants for each category are now in an album which you can view on the RSPCA's Official Facebook page.

Votes will be counted by ‘Liking’ pictures on the charity’s Facebook page. with A new winner will be announced every day until Sunday, when the Ruffs 2015 overall winner will be revealed.