Dachshunds Get Wet in the News

Hundreds of dachshunds and friends descended on Danville, Illinois on Saturday for the 11th Annual Midwest Dachshund Festival. It rained and rained and rained. Your 'Long and Short of it All' hosts, Joey and Maggie, can attest to the downpour, the first time it rained at the event in 11 years. All things considered, the doxies still had a great time. Photos courtesy Chicago Dachshund Lovers. Excerpt from Commercial-News: Hundreds of little legs ran as fast as they could Saturday as a drizzle turned into a downpour at Lincoln Park.
The annual Midwest Dachshund Festival moved into the park’s pavilion, but many of the pint-sized participants and their parents packed up and headed for home.
The annual event seeks to publicize the plight of abandoned dachsies. Previously called Dachsiefest and held at Kickapoo State Park until this year, more than 300 dogs and their owners were expected to attend. But as with any outdoor event, weather plays an important role. This year, Mother Nature cut the festivities short, as short as the little dogs’ legs.
Neil Cortus served as the event’s emcee. He said as soon as the lightning started, he had to shut down all his electrical equipment and cover it up.
“It’s been a tough one today,” Cortus said, as he and his wife loaded their nine dachshunds and all their supplies into their camper.
“Once the weather got really bad, we moved into the pavilion. We still had a few events, and the people who stayed had fun.”
Those events included contests for: the farthest travel to the festival — dog and owner from Washington state; most dachsies brought to the event — 13; oldest dog — 20-years-old; and everyone’s favorite, the costume parade.
Although Jill Blasdel-Cortus, president and founder of Dachshund Rescue of North America, felt disappointed that the weather interfered with the event her group sponsored, she and her husband Neil remained optimistic.
“We spoke with the mayor (Scott Eisenhauer) right before things got really bad,” Neil Cortus said. “He said he’ll help us find an indoor venue for next year.” Read the rest.
More information on dachshund rescue and an event calendar for Dachshund Rescue of North America can be found at DRNA.