Inaugural Wiener Dog Races held at Fair
The Animal Rescue League in Laurel is proud to announce the first-ever dachshund races to be held during the South Mississippi Fair on Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. These races pit doxies against each other on a 35-ft track where the dogs will race from one human to another – and if you know weiner dogs, a treat or ball will be enough to get them to boogie down the track.
This is a fun event – no professional racing here – just family pets running towards their owners. Admission to the fair gets you into the race and fun t-shirts will be on sale to commemorate the event. All proceeds will go to the Animal Rescue as it celebrates its 30th Anniversary.
There is a $15 per dog entry fee ($10 for additional dogs) Please pre-register by emailing laureldoxieraces@gmail.com for information and a form. There will be entry forms at the Animal Rescue League at 2511 Moose Drive in Laurel (across from Dixie Golf Club) or at PetSense in the Roses Shopping Center on Hwy 15 in Laurel.
'Wiener Race' promises fun, helps animal causes
A gaggle of Dachshunds (also known as "wiener dogs") will convene at the corner of North Church Street and East Center Avenue in downtown Mooresville for the annual Mooresville Wiener Race on Oct. 8. Organized by the Mooresville Downtown Commission and volunteer Tom Kilroe, the wiener race will be entertainment with a purpose. Its mission is to raise money for two nonprofits: Friends of the Animals-Iredell County Inc. and the Humane Society of Iredell County Inc. Kilroe, 59, a retired real estate project manager, lives and owns property in downtown Mooresville. The downtown commission is made up mostly of downtown property owners, and Kilroe said their job is to make sure things are happening there and to inform the public of them. The Halloween Trick-or-Treating and Cruise-In events are examples of the commission's work. The commission also likes to help as many advocates of animals as it can; hence its leadership of the Wiener Race. Mooresville resident Roberta Roberts started the annual Mooresville Wiener Race in 2005. It has been sponsored since then by various animal groups, until the downtown commission took it over this year. When he pulled up a YouTube video of other wiener dog races around the country, animal lover Kilroe said, he understood why they are gaining popularity. "How could you not like them?" he said. Check-in for the race will begins at 9:30 a.m., and the first heat will start at 11 a.m. This year, there is room for 180 Dachshunds to participate. Kilroe said people must register their pets early, as proof of vaccination is required upon registration and there is a $25 entry fee. There are four categories for the dachshunds: puppies (ages 4 months to 1 year) and seniors (dogs age 10 and older) run a 25-foot course, and juniors (ages 1-5) and adults (ages 5-10) run a 35-foot course. Prizes also will be given to the "cutest" and "best dressed" wiener dogs in attendance. Winners of each category will get trophies. Dennis Cowardin, another downtown commission volunteer, will be the "Wiener Screamer," or emcee of the event. Besides the main attraction, vendors will be selling barbecue, funnel cakes, slushies, pet insurance, Scentsy scented candles and more. Vendors donate items or services for a raffle, which is another way the event raises money. The best Mooresville Wiener Race souvenir is the T-shirt, which features artwork commissioned from cartoonist Michael Gallagher. T-shirts can be bought on race day or ordered beforehand. Kilroe is looking forward to the event as another way to bring downtown Mooresville together. He said the downtown commission "is a cohesive group, and a lot of folks roll up their sleeves and pitch in.
Some of the descriptions are interesting. For instance, a miniature Dachshund named Buster is touted as “…a loveable beach wiener that would make a perfect canine ambassador… Move over cool dogs… a hotdog is movin' in.” Another entrant, Crazy Sadie,
But it seems Queen Elizabeth is not alone in her fondness for the short-legged, happy-looking dogs - the internet has gone corgi crazy! There are cute corgi videos, corgi t-shirts, corgi games, corgi blogs and, of course, corgi Facebook pages. The dogs
