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Hundreds of dachshunds and their owners descended upon Budapest City Park, vying for a national record in a mass dog walk dedicated to the stubby-legged breed.
Under the watchful eye of the Hungarian Records Association on Thursday, the long procession of pups and people wound its way through the park in the spring sunshine.
The event aimed to establish a new record for the largest single-breed dog walk in Hungary. István Sebestyén, registrar and president of the Hungarian Records Association, acknowledged the challenge of accurately counting the number of participants.
"We don’t usually take dachshunds on walks in droves, so this experiment has to correspond to our system of rules," he explained.
Dachshunds, originally bred in Germany, remain a beloved breed in Hungary, known for their short legs and muscular build.
The cheerful gathering in Budapest City Park served as a testament to the breed's enduring popularity.
Also known as “wiener dogs” or “sausage dogs” for their long, low-slung bodies, they were initially bred for hunting badgers and other burrowing creatures. But their loyal, curious and playful nature has also made them popular as family pets.
In Munich, Germany in 1972, a rainbow-colored dachshund named Waldi became the first official mascot in the history of the Olympic Summer Games.
Last September, the German city of Regensburg set the current world record for the largest dachshund dog walk as hundreds of the breed paraded through the medieval town centre.
While some counts from Regensburg put the number of dogs at 1,175, Guinness World Records could only confirm 897.
On Thursday, Lili Horváth and her 1-year-old dachshund Zabos participated in the walk in Budapest. She said her furry friend "has very deeply human qualities and is very loyal, he’s really a love bomb.”
Valeria Fábián, who was walking her dachshund Zsebi, saw it differently.
“Few people are capable of giving this kind of selflessness, because people don’t have as much love and self-sacrifice as a dog can give a human,” she said.
By the end of the record-seeking walk, the Hungarian Records Association determined that 500 dachshunds had been present — enough to set a Hungarian record, but still short of the Guinness mark set in Regensburg.
Organisers, undeterred, vowed to try again next year — giving them plenty of time to muster more mutts for another shot at the title.
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