LOS ANGELES, July 22 (Xinhua) -- More than 10,000 dog lovers participated in a dachshund racing contest Saturday night in Los Alamitos City in the western U.S. state of California.
The 23rd Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals at the Race Course of Los Alamitos City, Orange County, may not be a suspenseful race, but definitely a cute one as over 100 dogs donned colored racing vests, dashed out the starting box and ran to their waiting owners at the finish line.
A total of 10 trial heats were contested, and the winner turned out to be a two-and-a-half-year-old dog called Baby Bo, who defeated nine other rivals in a 50-yard final. Viewers and dog owners cheered for the little athletes.
"I've done it (this event) before with my other wiener dog ... We adopted this one last year, and we brought his toy here to cheer him up," said a woman who only gave her name as Rebecca, holding her dog.
Most training tricks seemed to involve a dog's favorite toys or treats while some coaches themselves are the attraction.
"The daddy is going to wear a big furry costume to attract the dog at the other end, just something big for him to see," said a dog's owner, who only identified himself as Nestor.
For many Angelenos, dogs are not only their pets, but also considered as friends or family members. As the event is growing in popularity, the race will also be hosted in the cities of Sacramento and Santa Clara, California on July 28 and Aug. 5, respectively.