This year’s annual “Tri-Pawed Picnic” meetup for three-legged dogs hopes to unleash an all-time record, as the event is gearing up to set the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of three-legged dogs ever in one place.
When San Francisco's annual three-legged dog picnic known as the “Tri-Pawed Picnic” had its first-ever iteration back in 2009, the turnout was not all that impressive. “The first picnic I got one dog,” organizer Franny Corsick tells SFist. “But he was so excited and supportive that I went ahead and held another one.”
She adds that “Over the years as it has grown, and the community has shown itself to be incredibly diverse.”
The event has grown alright, and the 2023 Tri-Pawed Picnic drew nearly 50 three-legged dogs. Now the event is going for the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of three-legged dogs ever in one place when the 14th Annual Tri-Pawed Dog Picnic returns on Sunday, June 23. This year it will be held at Little Marina Green (also knowns as Marina Green West), to accommodate the much larger pack of pups than previous years’ picnics.
“The record is 75 and we are going for 103,” according to Corsick. “As of today, we have 50 [dogs] registered.”
There are enormous logistical challenges to setting up the largest gathering of three-legged dogs in history. “Our costs are much larger this year. We are working closely with SF Rec and Parks, and we love their support,” she says. “Some of our costs outside of the location are fencing, radios, insurance, website and website support, banners, the production team, and all the little details that come up.”
So to that end, they are of course turning to a GoFundMe campaign for the three-legged dog picnic. There are significant costs not only in throwing the giant dog party safely, but the logistics of Guinness World Record verification too.
“What we are working on now is sending in our plan for the location at Little Marina Green and how we will capture evidence,” Corsick explains. “This is a very detailed plan that includes how we count the dogs, registration, what the public park area looks like, and how it will contain the group.”
“For the day we need to have a veterinarian on site to make sure the animals are in good health. Witness Testimony, photographic evidence, video evidence, and more. This all needs to be precisely documented with all the i's dotted and t's crossed.”
All dogs are welcome at this free event, but human companions with three-legged dogs are highly encouraged to register in advance. “If you just show up with your pup, you may not be able to join in the fun, because there are specific rules for the handler and dogs for the World Record,” Corsick says. “We highly encourage registering your pup so that info can be easily shared through the registration process.”
And if you do donate to the three-legged dog picnic’s world record attempt, you can even write that donation off on your taxes! “We have a tax ID number for those who wish to donate and use that for their tax purposes,” Corsick points out, citing the EIN number for the 501(c)(3 nonprofit InterCulture Foundation (which is EIN # 26-2224221).
The 2024 Tri-Pawed Picnic is Sunday, June 23 from 11 am-2 pm at Little Marina Green 110 Yacht Road. Register here.
Related: Photos: Three-Legged Dogs Again Take Over Duboce Park For Annual Three-Legged Dog Picnic [SFist]
Images: Joe Kukura, SFist
