The Long and the Short of It.

January 3, 2020













The Long and the Short of It.

One of the most unique and interesting annual events in Key West is held the last day of every year, at noon on the 31^st of December, the Key West Dachshund Walk. This year marked the fifteenth annual gathering of wiener dogs and their owners, many dressed in their holiday finery for a short parade that has become one of the most popular, fun and unique events that happen in Key West to celebrate New Year’s Eve.











Key West is one of the top destinations in the United States to celebrate the New Year and the week between Christmas and New Year’s is the most popular, crowded and expensive times to be in Key West. This year was no exception as thousands of tourists, visitors and snowbirds all pack the island for the many events and excitement that the holiday brings.











The Wiener Walk and more recently the Chihuahua Flash Mob that follows along just after the dachshunds has become an annual fixture that brings out hundreds of dogs and their owners to participate and even greater numbers of people who line the short parade route that begins each year at the Monroe County Courthouse where the parade starts.













My friend Ruth was the original organizer and founder of the event and asked me to take photographs of the initial event when she first started. Back then the crowd of pets was such that I was able to actually take a group photo of the original participants, that would be an impossibility today as the numbers and popularity of the event have skyrocked in the years since that time.











I have been back photographing every year in the fifteen events that have been held since that first event and I still enjoy it, though I joke that I could probably just send in the photos from just about any previous year and claim they were from this year and no one would notice.













I still like to arrive early as the pet parade participants are massing and making the final preparations on their festive costumes and interacting with the other early arrivals. Everyone is in a festive spirit and for the most part the dogs (and one cat this year) are happy and excited to be there. I always run into a lot of friends, both pet owners and in the crowd watching the parade and it is really a fun and enjoyable and fairly quick event.











The parade itself only lasts four blocks, dachshunds have tiny short legs after all and it must seem like an eternity to them. Thankfully the weather was once again about perfect, warm and sunny but not too hot for the animals. Tons of families watch and participate, meaning that younger kids can enjoy part of the Key West New Year traditions without being downtown 12 hours late when midnight hits and the craziness of Duval Street is in full swing.

Jim and Joanna







There were a lot of terrific entries in this year’s parade, I hope these photos help capture some of the fun and excitement that such a large gathering of wiener dogs, Chihuahuas and sundry wannabe pets created. There is something about dachshund owners that is just different from the typical pet owner, they seem to take an additional measure of pride and interest in their pets that goes above and beyond. This year’s Dachshund Parade is just another example.