Toni Gossard, Our Founder

Our Founder, the late Toni Gossard, lost her fight against P.K.D. (Polycystic Kidney Disease) October 11th, 2013. We are doing our best to fill her shoes and continue her mission. You can read a little on why she started The National Dachshund Races and the Circuit under “Circuit Info”

The following is her story…

Hello, my name is Toni Gossard.

I am being encouraged to share my life with all of you, and why I started the National Dachshund Races. I have Poly­cystic Kidney Disease or P.K.D., a genetic disorder. Unfortunately there is no cure or treatment for this disease, just hope.

It all started…when I was put on a special plane complete with a nurse to take me from Findlay, Ohio to the Mayo Hospital for a liver bisection by Dr. David Nagormey. After several days, I finally woke from the surgery. During this time, there was someone with me 24 hours a day. It was a long recovery for me, and the liver bisection was on my mind, more than the 2 brain Aneurysms I had recovered from a few years earlier at the University of Colorado Science Center Hospital by Dr. Robert Breeze.

Fortunately. I was able to be nursed back to health by my oldest sister, Connie Miller, and spent a long recuperation period at her home.  Unfortunately, my dachshunds, Cuddles (red short hair) and Chloe (black and tan) were not with me.  I missed them so and often wished they could lay by me while I recovered.  One day during my recuperation period, I was laying and watching television (which I was getting good at doing), I was surfing through the channels and tuned into “The Best of the Breed”: they were showing a Dachshund race. At that point, I knew what I need do when I got home: I was determined to start a Dachshund race in my area, both for fun and to help raise money for animal shelters and for PKD and to build awareness for this disease.  Over the years, much to my surprise this event has grown and grown and received countless write-ups, along with national press coverage.

… UPDATE 2013…
This past winter I have been very ill.
As most of you know I was born with P.K.D.  At the present time I’m being tested to be put on the Kidney/Liver transplant list.  The testing takes a long time and after the tests are completed the Liver team and the Kidney team will meet and decide if I am a good candidate for the transplant.
Then, the wait begins…
Until then, I have dialysis 3 times a week and I am living day-to-day on oxgen and pain medication.
I’m so glad that I have Max and Harley with me.  My family, friends and doxies are very important to me.

Toni lost her fight against P.K.D. (Polycystic Kidney Disease) October 11th 2013.