BOSSIER CITY, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Louisiana Downs kicked off the Labor Day holiday with a fundraiser for furry friends in the area.

Attendees celebrated the day with cold drinks, hot dogs, and – wiener dogs.

“I came here with my friends. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” Jasmyn, a race attendee said.

Wiener dogs get the chance to race down the sand at Louisiana Downs racetrack every year at the annual wiener dog races.

The Downs Horseracing Ambassador Roxanne Tanner said that these races are a Labor Day tradition.

“The end of summer. Always marks the great wiener dog competitions that we host here year in and year out. We’ve had a lot of success so .. why not keep it on Labor Day,” Tanner said.

Tanner said that by having people bet on the wiener dog races, they raise money for the Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana and the K9 karma service dogs

“Its so exciting. I mean everyone is so generous. They’re generous with their money, they’re generous with their time. And to see that they would come out and support our dogs is fabulous,” Debbie Thomas with the Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana said.

One wiener dog crew, Team Babushka, garnered a lot of support. This crew raced in New Orleans earlier in the year.

“It’s awesome just to get em out to the track and get people to come out here. I mean who doesn’t love a wiener dog,” Team Babushka manager said.

Wiener dogs weren’t the only lucky ones; kids had the opportunity to race one another down the racetrack between dog races.

Race watchers and betters got to take home some 2023 Wiener Race and Humane Society T-shirts as goodies.