Ten-month-old weiner dog ‘Oakley McQueen Vanderhorst’ is set to prove that these little legs were made for running at the 26th annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals on July 15. 

Oakley is ready to prove that his middle name is no mistake at the Los Alamitos Race Course later this month. 

“He loves to run and he’s super fast,” said his owner Rylee Vanderhorst. “His little ears flop all over the place and he just loves it.”

Rylee and her husband are both Santa Clarita natives who recently moved back to the city and were eager to have animals. The couple adopted two cats and eventually Oakley. Neither Rylee or her husband had planned on becoming part of the world of dog racing competitions.

It was totally  spur of the moment and on a whim. My husband one day decided to look up weiner dog races and found the Los Alamitos one,” explained Rylee.

The couple knew the races were something Oakley would enjoy. 

“When we got him, he had been born and raised on a farm. Being on a farm, he had free range and was running around all the time,” said Rylee. She also explained that participating in competitions and being around other people and dogs has helped Oakley become more socialized. 

Now ahead of the big race, the team practices with Oakley every night at a replica course built by her husband.  

“We’ll go outside every night for an hour and half and have him run around. We try to think of ways for him to run faster,” said Rylee. “Right now I’m the one who opens the box for him to run out and his dad is at the end of the course.” 

The Los Alamitos Race is a nationally televised event to benefit the Seal Beach Animal Care Center, a non-kill animal shelter based in Orange County.

“It’s important to us because we adopted our kittens from a no-kill shelter,” said Rylee. “Rescuing them from unfortunate circumstances and being able to raise money is just rewarding in itself.”  

Oakley is the only weiner dog out of 100 competitors representing Santa Clarita at the Los Alamitos Race Course. Dogs come from all around Southern California and his owners hope Oakley is a good representation of their hometown. 

The event is set to be televised so spectators can cheer on the local talent.

 

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