Alaina Martin’s nickname for her wiener dog proved prescient.
“I always refer to him as a ‘Bullet’ because he’s so fast,” the 28-year-old Oakland native said about her dachshund, Koda.
Sure enough, 3-year-old Koda shot past about 70 other wiener dogs for a photo finish in a race Saturday at Sutro Heights Park.
Martin was one of dozens of people from throughout the Bay Area to enter their canine companions in the race hosted by SF Ween for the group’s eighth anniversary.
Sunset District resident Caroline Thrush, 31, said she’s been bringing her 3-year-old wiener dog, Penny, to the SF Ween meetups since she was a puppy.
“I think there’s something special about wiener dogs getting together: They all just love each other and get along,” she said.
That’s what inspired SF Ween to form in the first place in 2016, said one of the group’s organizers, Em Burgos, who recalls just nine dogs showing up to the first gathering. Thanks to Instagram, the group has grown into a regional draw that hosts monthly meetups in addition to other events.
But the wiener dog race was a first for the ever-expanding cohort of dachshund enthusiasts. And seeing how many people came out for the inaugural dash, organizers will try to see to it that it’s not the last.
