Knollwood resident Pat France has worn many hats around town, with roles in the Towson Chamber of Commerce, Knollwood Donnybrook Citizens on Patrol, Towson Communities Alliance, Police & Community Relations Council, Tiny Toppers of Maryland, Student Support Network, Maryland Senior Resource Network, among others. France’s devotion to our community earned her the Fifth District Citizen of the Year award in 2013 and continues to drive her to do great things for Towson every day.
It’s France’s fondness for dachshunds, however, that caught my attention last year and resulted in a column that garnered much interest. Wiener Walk Towson is back, and she’s hoping it will be larger than ever. France and the other Wiener Walk Towson committee members (Jennifer Balzano, of Towson; Cheryl Boone, of Lutherville; and Laura Schein, of Baltimore) found inspiration for the event after seeing adorable photos and videos of a similar event held in England.
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“In London a few years ago, three young ladies had an idea to gather together as many dachshunds and their humans as they could. They call it The Sausage Walk,” France said. “The first time they had around 20; now they have thousands. People from surrounding cities and countries attend.”
The inaugural Wiener Walk Towson in 2021 gathered 26 pups from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Washington, so who knows how much bigger this thing can get.
“WWT 2021 had short hair, long hair, minis and standard dachshunds as well as a dachshund mix,” France said. “It was delightful.”
Wiener Walk Towson 2022 is calling all dachshunds and their loyal humans on May 15 (no rain date) from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Towson Patriot Plaza behind the courthouse in downtown Towson. Check-in begins at 1:30 p.m. and the stroll around the plaza will begin at 2 p.m.
Dachshunds or dachshund mix breeds are invited to join in and walk the loop together while raising funds for Little Paws Dachshund Rescue, a Maryland-based nonprofit operation staffed by volunteers deeply devoted to the dachshund breed.
A suggested minimum donation of $10 per walker is encouraged. The first Wiener Walk Towson raised more than $400 for Little Paws, and many of the pups in attendance were once rescues there. Interested dachshund owners can reach out to TapEcnarf@gmail.com with questions or to register. Upon registration you will receive more detail on the ground rules that will help make this a fun event for all. Ample parking is available on surrounding streets and parking garages.
“So... get your [hot dog] buns off the couch and let us know you are walking with us,” France said. “Can’t wait to see you and your wiener on May 15!”