Dachshunds from across west London braved the cold on Parsons Green yesterday for the area’s first sausage dog social meetup.
Sausage dogs of all shapes of sizes were in attendance at the event, which included a walk in the South Park, Fulham, followed by a visit to the White Horse pub.
The event was organised by 33-year-old Annabelle Bent, who works in property and is the proud owner of dachshund Reginald Sausage.
“You build really nice relationships with other sausage dog owners,” she said.
“There’s kind of an innate connection between you and other people who have the dog – they understand what it’s like!”
The event came about through Annabelle speaking to other dachshund owners in the area, who expressed an interest in a local meetup.
Though she only expected around 20 or 30 sausage dogs to come, she was pleased to see the number was close to 100.
“There’s a lot more people than I was expecting and we’re really happy with the turnout,” she said.
In addition to his offline presence, nine-month-old Reginald has over 7,000 Instagram followers, with many of the attendees finding out about the event through his social media pages.
“His following is growing rapidly, at around 1,000 followers a month on average,” Annabelle explained.
“It’s all relative, and there are a lot of dogs with a lot more followers than Reggie, but he’s quite a local celebrity.”
Today I had the great pleasure of covering the #sausagedogsocial at Parsons Green for @SW_Londoner. Full report to come, but for now, here is the adorable content you desire on a rainy Sunday. #sausagedogs pic.twitter.com/iwkDScvkzr
— Helen Meriel Thomas (@IAmHelenThomas) March 4, 2018
Other waggy-tailed social media personalities were also in attendance at the event, with ‘Delilah the mini daxie’ and her owner, 52-year-old interior designer Sophia Wadsworth, travelling from Kent just for the sausage social.
“She hasn’t really met any other sausages before, so she’s very excited,” said Mrs Wadsworth.
Sophia’s daughter, Georgie, added: “Most of my Instagram feed is sausage dogs; I’ve always been obsessed and I made my parents obsessed as well.”
This was the second sausage dog social event for personal trainer Annie Buckland, 26, and her dachshund Frank.
“We get together, have some fun, and they look hilarious when they’re all walking around,” she said.
“This is our first dog, and it’s reassuring to know that what you go through, other people go through as well.
“It’s a really nice community for everyone.”
For some attendees, the event could bring more than just friendship.
“One of my friends who has come who doesn’t have a dog has just met one who does have a dog and they’re going to go on a date,” said Annabelle.
“This might be the first sausage romance! You never know.”
As for Reggie?
“It was love at first sight.
“He’s changed our lives – my husband and I spend a lot more quality time together instead of being stuck behind an iPhone – though I take a lot of photos of him!”
Following the success of their first meetup, the sausage dog social plans to meet in the Parsons Green area once a month in future.
For updates on the next Sausage Dog Social, follow @sausagesociallondon on Instagram. Dog owners and non-owners alike are welcome.
