Riga hosts annual gathering of royal corgis

On Friday, September 11, the streets of Riga filled with dozens of corgis and their owners taking part in the city's fourth annual royal corgi walk, organized by the association "Latvijas korgiju draugi" (Latvia's Corgi Friends). Last year's event set a record with 198 corgis and around 600 people attending, and organizers hoped to beat that number again this year.

From 50 dogs to record crowds

Gerda Pulkstene, the event's founder, chair of the association's board, and owner of a corgi named Floki, said the very first walk four years ago drew about 50 corgis. Since then the gathering has grown so much that, according to Pulkstene, no similar event in neighboring countries — or even in London, despite the British royal family's well-known association with the breed — has attracted as many corgis at once.

Spotlight on seniors and donations

This year organizers used the event to draw attention to elderly and lonely pet owners, for whom a dog is often their only companion but who may lack the financial means to provide necessary veterinary care. Donations were collected during the walk to support such seniors and their pets.

From a small idea to a beloved tradition

Pulkstene recalled that four years ago the event began simply as a dream of holding a walk in memory of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Since then it has become a shared, eagerly anticipated tradition, bringing together many cheerful, dressed-up corgis and their owners in the heart of Riga.