iStockphoto
Puck on a hockey rink next to a dachshund
Many sports teams have taken advantage of the entertainment factor that comes with watching a bunch of dogs race on the playing surface. However, a hockey team in Canada is reevaluating a race involving wiener dogs after a group raised some concerns over the safety of the animals at the center of what has become a beloved yearly tradition.
The game itself is somewhat obviously the main attraction for people who decided to attend a sporting event in person, but teams usually go out of their way to provide alternative forms of entertainment to keep spectators engaged during breaks in the action.
That includes distractions as simple as a shell game on the Jumbotron or a fan being tapped to answer some trivia questions to try to win some swag, but there are also some slightly more elaborate sideshows.
That includes the dog races that have become all the rage at a wide variety of venues in recent years, especially those involving the corgis that have emerged as the most popular breed to partake in one of those showdowns.
Banana wins the Seahawks Corgi Cup with a savage look back! 🐾 https://t.co/HDHdpOSFQr
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) October 5, 2026
He may not have won this year’s Corgi race, but Yummy certainly won his way into our hearts ❤️ https://t.co/yNzzc6wjE7
— Jack Allen KATV (@JackAllenTV) March 8, 2025
One hockey team in Canada has opted to invite dachshunds to dash across its rink, but things may look different the next time they face off after a rescue group voiced some reservations about the current format.
The Halifax Mooseheads are working with a wiener dog rescue group to address concerns about its annual race
The Halifax Mooseheads are a Nova Scotia-based club that’s been competing in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League for more than three decades, and they’ve been organizing an annual wiener dog race since 2023.
This year’s edition was held when they hosted the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday, November 2nd, and a dachshund named Dolce defended its crowd by securing a victory for the second year in a row to win a hot dog-shaped trophy and a $1,000 dog food voucher.
However, the CBC reports the race has attracted the attention of Atlantic Canadian Dachshund Rescue, which objected to ice-based races while citing the breed’s predisposition for Intervertebral Disc Disease and asserting “a slippery surface, running, excitement and the possibility of falls” are cause for “legitimate concerns about the potential for injury.”
The group notes any races it oversees are done on grass or artificial turf, and to their credit, the Mooseheads have taken the feedback in stride.
Scott MacIntosh, who handles media relations for the team, said they’ve engaged in conversations with the group about a potential partnership. He noted Halifax was already concerned about the safety of the dogs, as the races have been purposefully held on rough ice at the end of the period and before the Zamboni comes out, comparing the ungroomed surface to “hardwood or laminate floor.”
However, it sounds like some changes could be in store, as MacIntosh added:
The Mooseheads plan to discuss the potential necessity of mats being used in the future and what that would look like for our event.
Safety of the animals will always be paramount and in no way would anyone ever want to see one get hurt.”
I guess we’ll have to wait and see.