I say go for a Canon I took these with my Canon Powershot A60. I'm not sure how much the newer canons are going for but I've seen a lot of the older Powershot models being sold in ads. I got my Canon Powershot A75 (used) for $200 CDN last year.

Here are a few action shots..

(Without flash) -- They were going REALLY fast





(With flash)

Both dogs in the air..