California animal shelters' plague: Not a rain of frogs, but a rain of Chihuahuas

Representatives from a half-dozen Bay Area animal shelters and rescue groups joined forces at a press conference Wednesday to draw attention to an increasingly large problem facing a tiny breed of dog: the humble Chihuahua. 

According to the group, the Chihuahua conundrum -- a shocking surplus of them flooding the state's stretched-thin shelters -- has gotten out of control.  They place the blame, or at least a large part of it, on the breed's strange status as a pop-culture icon. Famous Chihuahuas -- from Paris Hilton's Tinkerbell to Bruiser, the pink-clad accessory of Reese Witherspoon's "Legally Blonde" character, from the recently departed Taco Bell Mascot, Gidget, to Chloe, the star of last year's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" -- are everywhere.  And their high profile means an increase in the number of puppies being bred for the pet market, many by breeders either unscrupulous or simply ill-prepared.

It's a recipe for disaster, and the disaster is now coming to fruition. "All the shelters in California are seeing an upswing in Chihuahua impounds," Deb Campbell, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco animal care and control department, told our colleague Maria L. La Ganga in an interview. "It's been a slow and steady climb... We call it the Paris Hilton syndrome." 

Here in L.A., shelter staffers agree that the number of owners surrendering their Chihuahuas has reached a fever pitch.  It "stands to reason we would see higher numbers of [Chihuahuas] in our two pet adoption centers," spcaLA president Madeline Bernstein notes, because the breed is L.A.'s most popular (at least according to statistics available from license registrations in the city).  "What’s alarming is how quickly the numbers are rising; about 100 more Chihuahuas came through our doors this year than last."

In Northern California, the numbers are just as staggering, if not more so; currently, a third of San Francisco's canine shelter residents are either Chihuahuas or Chihuahua mixes.  Officials fear that that number could quickly increase to 50% of impounds if things don't change over the next few months.  At San Mateo's Peninsula Humane Society, "the number of Chihuahuas has eclipsed pit bulls as the most common breed," Senior Vice President Scott Delucchi told La Ganga.  

California's Chihuahua glut is far from the rest of the country's norm; "bully breeds," which also make up a sizable chunk of California shelter populations, far outnumber the tiny breeds in most U.S. shelters.  "I want your problem," Gail Buchwald, senior vice president of the ASPCA in New York City, told the San Francisco Gate. "If you want to pack up a box of Chihuahuas and ship them here, I'd be thrilled."

Recently, a large financial contribution from a Hollywood star made just such an idea possible for 25 Chihuahuas from L.A.'s city shelters. Katharine Heigl, whose Jason Debus Heigl Foundation (named for her late brother) rescues dogs in danger of euthanasia, ponied up $25,000 to fly the little dogs from L.A. to the Humane Society for Greater Nashua (HSGN) in New Hampshire.

"The response has been phenomenal," HSGN executive director Karen Bill told PeoplePets of the "imported" Chihuahuas. "We had more than 40 voicemails [the morning after the dogs arrived in New Hampshire] from families inquiring about these dogs."  

-- Lindsay Barnett

Top photo: Dog owners and animal control workers show off Chihuahuas that have deluged the Bay Area's animal shelters at the Animal Control and Care center in San Francisco on Wednesday.  Credit: Russel A. Daniels / Associated Press

Bottom photo: Bailey (ID# A1077397), a 5-year-old male Chihuahua, is just one of the many adoptable Chihuahuas at L.A.'s municipal animal shelters awaiting homes.  Meet him in person at the North Central shelter, 3201 Lacy St., Los Angeles (off the 5 Freeway in Lincoln Heights), or call 888-4LAPET1 with his ID number for more information.  Credit: Los Angeles Department of Animal Services

Comments

[Devin Rachles]

Lindsay Barnett
Hello, I am a college student currently enrolled in Human and Animal relations, at Florida Gulf Coast University, and your article on the relinquishment rates of Chihuahuas in L.A. had a personal interest to me because my Aunts run a small dog rescue here in Florida. One of the topics we discussed in my course was the topic of euthanasia in shelters and the stress of relinquishment on both owners and shelter workers. I was wondering if there was any notice of this in this scenario.
High shelter populations are already a problem we are searching to deal with before something like a Chihuahua influx hits L.A. There is only a small herd, 15-20, of foster dogs living at my Aunts house awaiting homes. Unlike the poor east coast dogs though they have no worries of euthanasia. Canine Castaways is the name of the organization and the motto is “Saving one dog doesn’t change the world, but it changes the world for that dog.” And could it be any truer?
People perceive these dogs as fashion statements and status ornaments and then after they get old or now that they are not so popular people are just dumping them off. Where do their emotional attachments to these animals go? We learned about blame displacement strategies used by people to help dismiss these feelings like blaming others or blaming the animal, and I would like to know what these forfeiters would describe as the reasons for the relinquishments.
As a reporter I would think maybe you would be interested in writing a follow up story on the topic, and I love to see one.

[Paul Martin]

The problem with Chihuahuas is very much a cultural one, but has very little to do with the couple movies or Hollywood 'celebrities' that carry Chihuahuas as accessories.
'
If it was due to the movies & Paris Hilton types, the resulting problem with Chihuahuas at shelters would be nationwide.

Here's the brutally honest (but politically-incorrect) reason this problem is so far limited to California:

There is a very large number of Mexicans that live in this state. They like Chihuahuas because it's a Mexican breed. They get Chihuahuas from friends or neighbors, or some backyard breeder selling them at a flea market, so there's little financial investment, let alone much consideration into whether they truly have the resources to care for the dog for its life. They don't know how to train the dog, nor do they bother looking into it. If the dog doesn't somehow learn by being yelled at or hit, then the dog ends up being banished to the outside of the home, or if they live in an apartment, they dump the dog at the shelter or two some other person.

When they get tired of the dog, or the dog gets sick, or a broken leg from being trampled by one of the young children in the home & they don't want to pay for medical attention, or the dog bites them one time too many, they dump the dog at the shelter & have no emotions about it, since of course it's the dog's fault.

I work at a California shelter and over the years have realized that there are some cultural stereotypes that are unfortunately quite accurate when it comes to people who surrender dogs for behavioral or financial reasons -- especially Pit-Bull Terriers & Chihuahuas. The only nice thing I have to say about them is that at least they bothered to bring the dog to the shelter instead of giving it to some other ignorant person or just letting it go stray.

I am happy to risk my safety and put in the time to work with these often aggressive dogs in order to try to save their lives, but the cruel reality is that with shelters being overwhelmed even with perfectly friendly & trained animals, shelter management doesn't spend a lot of resources on the problematic ones before they're killed.

It's enough to make you wish we could spay, neuter & 'euthanize' humans.

[SUMMER]

HOW CAN WE GET TWO FEMALES ARE WILLING TO PAY TO HAVE THEM FIXED...WE HAD TWO FEMALES ONE PAST AWAY OF OLD AGE AND THE OTHER IS YOUNG AND WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOME NEW SISTERS...SO IF THERE IS ANY WAY WE CAN GET TO THEY WILL BE COMING TO A WONDERFUL HOME AND OUR CHIHUAHUA YUMMY WOULD LOVING HAVING THEM AROUND JUST AS WELL US...PLEASE RESPOND BACK..THANK YOU

[Louise Cook]

I so agree with Paul Martin's last statement. That being said, I agonize over the descriptions of Chihuahuas as a breed; nervous, yappy, difficult. Who would want to adopt a dog of that description. I have had two rescues for 7 years now, both Chihuahuas, and they are anything but... They are bright, loving, obedient, a joy to have around. And I did nothing but love them. When I first called a friend to find me a dog, I was thinking of a large dog since they are hard to place usually. I believe I worded it as 'a dog at death's door', one slated to be put to sleep. There was one, according to my friend, that was brought in from a puppy mill, in bad phyical shape, not house trained, unused to human contact and unadoptable because of her age. (This gal will never make it in sales.) Oh, and she bites. I said, fine, I'll take her. When I found out she was a Chihuahua, that's when I bulked because of their reputation as yippy, nervous, etc. Took a weekend to fall in love with her bright mind, strong personality, and just total assertive self. Nine months later, same gal calls with two other Chihuahuas that were in need of a home and I didn't hesitate for a second. Sugar, unfortunately, had been on the road too long and died after 9 months of heart failure. Still cry whenever I think of him, but the little girl, Autumn, is till with me. They are now 15 years old each, everyone who meets them adores them. We have people that wait on our walking route every day to see and pet them. My two girls are the one of the best things in my life and I didn't want Summer initially because of those very descriptions I saw in this article. If people would only give them a chance, they would find out that this description is not universially true of the breed. They have such strong personalities and are so smart and when they love you, they love you, they want to be wherever you are and when you walk into the door, it's like Elvis is in the building.

[Rene Ruston]

Bravo to you Paul Martin. Blaming Paris Hilton for the masses of Chihuahuas flooding into California shelters is nonsense. I have the luxury of tossing PC rules to the wind, since I am a hispanic woman, albeit, educated. The responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of my hispanic bretheren. I, and several of my latin associates, found the whole Paris Hilton theory laughable. Sit in the waiting room of a Los Angeles or San Bernardino shelter and see how many Paris Hilton look alikes sashay in with their chihuahuas. Don't hold your breath. Typically it's a family affair. Hispanic families will come in with their children in tow to drop off the family dog, never spayed or neutered and very often pregnant. Insuring that the children repeat the pattern. I have witnessed these drop off rituals more times than I care to count. I.e., a mother, in spanish, tells the Animal Control officer that she didn't want the dog anymore, because she keeps getting pregnant. I assure you, the ACT was a hell of alot more polite than I was. Unfortunately, for this woman, I happened to witness this exchange and speak fluent spanish.
Lets not forget the countless chi's that are picked up by animal control running stray. Most of which come in with broken legs and pelvis' because, they are allowed to roam free and get hit by cars.

[VanDarken]

I was young and traveling through California just before the famous Taco Bell chihuahua campaign, and happened upon a shelter with a miserable and dirty , emaciated and abused 2 year old chihuahua. It was slated to be destroyed and I was asked not to go near the cage. Well of course I did... and I convinced the staff to allow me in the walk in cage even though they urged me that it was a vicious animal which no one could go near and it could never become a pet. Even back in 1994 there was a big problem with unwanted 'hua's.

The dog jumped in my lap and just looked at me -to the amazement of the staff. I made arrangements to simply walk off with the bug infested dog so that there was no paperwork trail. I had no money, no experience, but I had my first dog. I had always thought chihuahuas were ridiculous animals, and I had to get used to this tiny "non dog". Months later, after the Taco Bell commercials began airing... I couldn't walk her down the street in Chicago without cars stopping and yelling "Yo quiero Taco Bell!", yes she looked like THAT dog.

She LIVED for another 11 years, gaining a certain fame in Chicago for her smart antics and unusual personality. Everyone knew her, and never left my side. Literally the best friend I ever had! I miss that dog!

So I have personal experience with a breed that is often maligned unless it is cute and speaks English on TV. No wonder people have false expectations. I say there must be thousands of people like me who would make a great home for these interesting and loyal dogs. My new chihuahua is the most joyful animal in the world... couldn't get her to bite the Devil himself.

Send 'em over by the truckloads! If the rest of the country got an unwanted California Chihuahua like mine... both lives would be infinitely improved.