Belfast celebrates all things Dachshund at Wienerfest

BELFAST, Maine (WABI) - Maine may be well-known for red hot dogs, but in Belfast, they celebrated a different kind of wiener at the 18th annual Wienerfest on Sunday.

“We’ve been coming out here and celebrating all things Doxie for 18 years on the waterfront,” says PAWS Animal Adoption Center Executive Director Shelly Butler about the Dachshund-centric event.

Dachshunds dominated Steamboat Landing Park, with plenty of other breeds taking part in the wiener dog fun.

“We have the parade of Doxies, the Grand Parade of Doxies, which gets everybody out there, all dogs, all people will parade around the park,” explains Butler of the scheduled events. “The costumer contest, followed by that are the Doxie Derby. We have several heats for the standard, the Mini, and the wannabe Doxies and we will crown another Doxie champion for 2023.”

Pups and owners alike had a great time on the waterfront, making friends, dressing up, and giving and receiving all the wiener dog love.

Rowe brought along their Chi-Weenie Huckleberry and Dachshund Watermelon, saying, “I love wiener dogs and I highly suggest them as a first pet. [Huckleberry’s] been with me through some rough times, I can’t imagine it without him.”

The best part? All proceeds go to PAWS.

“PAWS Animal Adoption Center has been in the community for 49 years,” says Butler. “We are a pound based in Camden but we serve communities all the way above Belfast and down to Rockland who provide animal welfare services, affordable veterinary care, animal adoptions, and a food pantry, and anything else we can do to support our animal-owning community.”

For more information on PAWS, visit their website.

If you’re already planning on attending the 19th Wienerfest next year, follow their Facebook page for the latest updates.

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