Ladies and gentlemen: 'Start your Dachshunds'

Wiener dogs take to the track Oct. 1

— In it’s five-year history, one local event has developed a huge following. And some of the followers come armed with leashes, treats and pooper scoopers.

On Oct. 1, the fifth annual Bella Vista Wiener Dog Races will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Loch Lomond Park softball field on Glasgow Road.

Since there’s nothing like it in the state, the staff of the Bella Vista Animal Shelter are declaring their race the state championship, “Wiener Take All.”

In case of rain, the event will be held on Oct. 8.

It was board member Ron Krolikowski who brought the idea to the board, Executive Director Deidre Knight said. Krolikowski based his idea on a similar event he saw in Savannah, Ga.

The first time he suggested the race, “the board looked at me as if I might need some medical or psychological help in the near future,” he wrote for “Nibbles News,” the shelter’s newsletter.

The second time he suggested it, they gave it a try, and 32 wiener dogs competed. Last year, there were 72 racers and dozens of canine observers, along with a human audience of about 500.

Dachshund mixes are allowed, but only if they look like and are built like a wiener dog, Knight said. But there’s always one “Wiener-Want-To-Be” race for other dogs, although they won’t beeligible for the grand championship, “Wiener Take All Race.”

All breeds are encouraged to enter a costume contest, Knight said.

Spectators get in free and are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. There will be entertainment from Stage One Entertainment and food, including hot dogs, of course.

Local vendors will display their animal-related products, and several rescue groups and the shelter will have adoptable animals there. Lowcost pet microchipping will be available.

The races don’t always go smoothly, Knight said.

“It comes down to how well your dog listens to you,” she said, explaining that owners are positioned at the finish line where they can call their dogs and even tempt them with a favorite toy. She knows that some veteran racers are already enrolled in a pre-race training program.

This year there will be a special “grudge match” between members of theBrown family, who own several wiener dogs. The Brown Family Feud will not be a qualifier for the grand championship, Knight said.

The dogs are grouped by age, and the younger age groups are often the most entertaining, she said.

The event is the shelter’s main fundraiser. Organizers hope to raise $10,000 this year. In the past, thanks to corporate sponsors, the event has brought in up to $16,000, but the economy is making corporate sponsors harder to find, Knight said.

Besides the sponsorships sold before the race, many of the racers raise money to donate to the shelter. The top fundraisers are named the King and Queen of the Wiener Races and get to lead the traditional race parade in a decorated float.

Racers must be preregistered to compete, and that deadline was Sept. 19.

For more information, call the shelter at 855-6020.

Area, Pages 23 on 09/28/2011