‘Fastest Wiener in the West’ to be decided in Seal Beach shelter benefit race

Sisi, a 14-year-old dachshund from Seal Beach, might not be a favorite to win, but she’s a fan favorite in the races to determine the “Fastest Wiener in the West.”

Last year, Sisi drew more than 50 fans to the races, with all of their ticket sales going to the Seal Beach Animal Center, a no-kill shelter that benefits from the annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals hosted each July at the Los Alamitos Race Course.

Sisi will race against nine other dachshunds in her division on Saturday, July 12, when more than 100 wiener dogs are expected to run in 14 categories.

This is Sisi’s third year racing, but owner Kiley Majeski said she isn’t expecting her senior athlete to win — even in her Long in the Tail division for dogs ages six and older, Sisi will be the oldest —  but she knows Sisi will win hearts.

Majeski also hopes that by bringing Sisi to the race, she can show that even old dogs can learn new tricks, she said.

“We want to show people that senior dogs have a lot of life, and a lot of value,” Majeski said. “We know she’s not the fastest, we know she’s old, and we know that she’s probably not going to win. But we have a bigger cause and a bigger win.”

Majeski attended the wiener dog races long before she adopted a dachshund of her own. She called racing with Sisi a dream come true and said she feels lucky for all the time she can spend with her four-legged friend.

“Having an old dog really does teach you to appreciate every day, because you’re not guaranteed tomorrow and you’re very aware of that when you have a 14-year-old dog,” Majeski said.

The races are in their 28th year.

Ana Valencia’s 2-year-old wiener dog, Alvin, will compete in the Diaper Dash, a race for dogs younger than 1 year old. She says Alvin dislikes her husband, so her strategy is for him to take Alvin to the starting line so the pup will be quick to find her at the finish line.

Five-month-old Franklin will also compete in the Diaper Dash. Owner Emily Rodas drove in from Riverside to the track on Monday to have Franklin practice racing before the big day.

Rodas says she has been training Franklin at home with a cardboard box cut out to mimic the starting gate. She hopes to see him win, but said that most of all, she hopes he has fun.

It will be Orlando Gutierrez, who started out as an assistant for the races, who will be judging the race at the finish line, seeing which dog crosses first.

“There are so many noses coming in at the same time. Hopefully we get eight noses all hitting the finish line at the same time, that would be a great race,” Gutierrez said.

Most owners use toys or treats to get their dogs to the finish line. Some try to use a high-pitched call to attract their dog’s attention over the chorus of names being called. Gutierrez said former champions have even thrown a beach ball, getting their dog to chase it past the finish line.

More than 2,000 wiener dogs have raced since the start of the event, some having traveled from Florida, Texas and even Canada, according to Gutierrez.

The winner receives a cash prize and a custom Wienerschnitzel dog house. All proceeds from the event will go to the Seal Beach Animal Care Center.

The no-kill shelter is mostly run by volunteers and has saved more than 21,000 animals since the operation started almost 40 years ago, according to Cathy Winans, a shelter representative. The funds raised help with the keeping of animals looking for homes and for medical care.

“We go the extra mile for our dogs and cats. If we see that an animal’s life can be much improved, with an operation, like fixing their back legs, we will take that challenge on,” Winans said. “We fundraise specifically for that. We will do whatever we can if we can see that that animal has a chance at a higher quality of life.”

Last year, the center raised around $7,000 to help with the roughly 400 animals in their care. Since its founding almost 30 years ago, the dog races have raised more than $300,000 for the center, according to race officials.

“We’re very very grateful for all the people who support us because it allows us to make those kinds of choices which are so important,” Winans said.

The races will take place between the usual horse races on the track at the Los Alamitos Race Course on July 12.