Thirty of the toughest wiener dogs in the province will shoot the cute-factor high through the summer sky next Friday night at Grand River Raceway.

The second annual Ren’s Pets Depot Wiener Dog Races at Grand River Raceway is set for Friday, July 8. Dachshund registration opened June 6, and the 30 spots sold-out in five days.

The evening offers spectators four dog races and 10 horse races. The Diamonds In The Ruff will also offer an agility course for participating pooches prior to their races.

The event is title-sponsored by Ren’s Pets Depot, and is also supported by Loyall Premium Pet Food and the OLG Slots at Grand River Raceway. Members from Cheer Sport Sharks Cambridge will join the festivities as the official cheerleaders.

The horse races begin at 6:30 p.m. on July 8. The three qualifying heats of wiener dog races will be contested consecutively starting after horse race #5 (approximately 8:00 p.m.) The top three finishers from each dash will advance to the race final, after horse race #7 (approximately 8:45 p.m.) All races are 20 meters in length. Trophy presentations to the top three finishers will take place after horse race #8 (approximately 9:00 p.m.)

All participating dogs will receive a swag bag compliments of the event sponsors. All winners of the qualifying heats receive a small gift basket. The runner-up and third-place finisher in the race final receive a $50 gift card for Ren’s Pets Depot. The champion wins a custom trophy and more than $300 in prizes compliments of the sponsors. All dogs will be profiled in the evening’s race program and on the TV broadcast.

The 2015 champion Junebug returns to defend her title for proud owner Shawn McFalls. Popular Grand River Raceway harness racing drivers Billy Davis Jr. and James MacDonald also have returning contenders Alley and Tank (respectively).

Check out the Grand River Raceway website for bios and photos of the 30 competitors.

(with files from Grand River)