Pop Culture Behind Chihuahua Crisis
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has more Chihuahuas than it can handle, and it has Hollywood to blame.
There are so many Chihuahuas at shelters in Oakland, they have started shipping the dogs out of state, said Megan Webb, director of Oakland Animal Services. They have sent about 100 to Washington, Oregon and Arizona, she said, “and as soon as they get them, they are ready for new ones.”
Chihuahuas make up 30 percent or more of the dog populations at many California shelters. And experts say pop culture is to blame, with fans immitating Chihuahua-toting celebrities like Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus, then abandoning the dogs.
The problem appears to be specific to California — shelters elsewhere would love to share the wealth, said Gail Buchwald, senior vice president overseeing the ASPCA adoption center in New York City.
“We never have enough supply for the huge consumer demand for small dogs,” she said.
Associated Press - An adopted Chihuahua, James Bond, rests his head Dec. 9 at the Animal Control and Care center in San Francisco. California has more Chihuahuas than it can handle.
One of Webb’s biggest problems is a lack of money to fly the dogs to other states. Buchwald said she would be happy to help.
“Nothing is outside the realm of possibility here. We have a supply-demand isssue,” she said.
Chihuahuas are the most popular breed of dog in Los Angeles, so it makes sense it is the most abandoned breed, said Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles. In Oakland, some days, they get 10 of the 5-pound dogs a day, Webb said.
The problem is so bad that shelters all over California that were built for big dogs had to remodel to accommodate the little guys.
Among the reasons for the glut is the breed’s popularity in movies like “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and as celebrity pets, said Dave Frangipane, senior coordinator for Chihuahua Rescue of Beverly Hills. A cute puppy can grow up to have adult health problems or become protective and aggressive.
There are less glamorous reasons, too, like the high vet bills Chihuahuas can bring. And the biggest spikes in California Chihuahua populations are probably due to puppy mills and backyard breeders, Buchwald and Frangipane said.
Chihuahas are cute, but vulnerable, Frangipane said. “People think nothing of kicking a small, yappy dog. And they can be abused by people of all sizes. A toddler can snap a Chihuahua’s leg in a second,” he said.
Here’s an update to this story from an AP story Dec. 18:
Chihuahuas leaving coast
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chihuahuas have been flying out of California since other states learned about the glut of little dogs in the Golden State.
A group of 25 dogs has already arrived at the Humane Society for Greater Nashua in New Hampshire, thanks to “Grey’s Anatomy” actress Katherine Heigl, Kinder4Rescue in Studio City and American Airlines.
A group of 43 will leave for New Hampshire Monday or Tuesday, said Kathy Davis, interim general manager of Los Angeles Animal Services, who took part in a news conference Friday to announce Project Flying Chihuahua. They were supposed to leave Saturday morning, but bad weather in the east caused a delay, she said.
The Nashua shelter found homes for the first 25 and had a waiting list of 100 people, Davis said.
Heigl’s foundation has paid the discounted airfare for all 68 dogs so far, she added, and new donors for more flights were being sought.
Virgin America will be flying a group of Chihuahuas to New York City from San Francisco on Tuesday, said Gail Buchwald, senior vice president overseeing the ASPCA adoption center in New York City.
They will be processed and should be available for adoption on Dec. 29, she said.
Buchwald said she didn’t know how many to expect, but each dog will be escorted by a volunteer and Virgin will provide travel for both dogs and humans.
The airline is also expected to offer a week of half price trips to passengers willing to escort an animal to New York, but details have yet to be finalized, Buchwald said.
A call to a Virgin America representative was not immediately returned Friday.
Dozens of dogs have been sent by Oakland Animal Services to nearby states like Washington, Oregon and Arizona, but most of them were delivered by SUV, director Megan Webb said, because there wasn’t enough money to fly the dogs to more distant states.
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