Julie DeVito
New York might be known for its hot dogs, but a different type of wiener dog took over Washington Square Park on Saturday.
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Dachshund owners brought their four-legged friends to Washington Square Park on Saturday as part of the 20th annual Dachshund Oktoberfest.
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Dozens of dachshunds were brought to the park as part of the 20th annual Dachshund Oktoberfest, which was sponsored by the Dachshund Friendship Clup of New York, a non-profit organization.
"We do it twice a year as a social gathering for owners and dogs to interact and also see all the different varieties of dachshund, such as wire, smooth and long-haired," said Adrian Milton, who manages the event as part of the Dachshund Friendship Club.
At 1 p.m., the group joined together to sing "Dachs Song" by Paul de Vries, a song that encompasses all things loved by dachshund owners. The final lines read "Dachsie, meine dachsie, the best canine under the sun, called 'wiener' or 'sausage' or 'hot dog,' we know that you're number one."
For dachshund owner Rags Watkins, his 6-1/2-year-old dachshund named Henry is his number one.
"Dachshunds are humorous, affectionate, heart-warming and sweet," Watkins said. "I see this event as a happy celebration of the dogs. They even seem to recognize and know each other."
Christa Avampato, who rescued a dachshund two weeks ago after she had to put down her old family dachshund, said the breed makes for great city dogs.
"Coming from the Upper West Side today, mine took her first subway ride," Avampato said.
And for those who wanted to remember the day, Karen Hudson and her husband sold t-shirts showing a dachshund under the Washington Square Arch. Hudson said they donate 10 percent of their earnings to dachshund rescue.
