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Glut of chihuahuas at Los Angeles shelters

14 years ago

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Comments (16)

lindac
14 years ago
It's the attitude! LOL! they are all attitude!
caflowerluver
14 years ago
It is also true up here in Northern CA. San Francisco channel had a story about it. I wonder why everyone is dumping them? I guess they were a fad that Paris started.
Clare
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sally2_gw
14 years ago
I heard a story about it on NPR yesterday. I thought about telling my niece to bring one to her mother for a Christmas present. My sister loves dogs, and currently has an elderly Great Dane. I think she needs a chihuahua, too. lol I know, I should take one, but it wouldn't be fare to bring one into a household with 7 cats bigger than they are. A bigger dog wouldn't be a problem, but I'm afraid my cats would injure it.

Sally
caliloo
14 years ago
I'm sure another cause is the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua and the passing of the Taco Bell dog. Every time a particular dog (or breed) becomes a "celebrity" the shelters are overflowing with them not long after. Remember Frasier and Eddy? Huge numbers of Jack Russell (or Parson Russell) Terriers ended up in the shelters, 101 Dalmations? Same thing. When Wegmans photos of his Weimaraners were so huge, the disreputable breeders cashed in and there was a glut of them in the shelters for a while too.

It is just the current "breed" to hit the shelter surge, next year it could be Scotties or Basenjis or Nove Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers. Just depends on what Hollywood exploits.

As an aside, our local shelter is currently overrun with "-oodles". Some creepy back yard puppymill had been crossing poodle mixes with everything else and selling them privately as "Designer" dogs. Yep - there are now over 50(!!) "-oodles" that have never been out of a crate, housed at out local shelter and they are BEGGING people to come spend time with them so they can be socialized enough to hopefully be adopted by someone.

Its enough to make me hurl.

Alexa
beanthere_dunthat
14 years ago
Every time some bimbo starlet uses one as a fashion accessories, animal shelters end up with a glut of whatever breed it was six months later. It's not a freaking accessory people. You want to make a fashion statement, buy a hat!

Alexa, I predict it will be Portuguese Waterdogs. The Presidential Dog got quite a bit of press. Porties require a lot of attention, are high energy, and need consistent discipline in their daily routine.
dedtired
14 years ago
I knew someone that had a Portie and couldn't manage it. Way too much energy! They had to return him to the breeder. At least they didn't dump him at the shelter. I hope the breed isn't ruined.

I had relatives that had two chihuahuas. Man, those things would snap at everyone. They are not easy dogs.

Wish I could be home to take care of a dog. I'd like to get a little Papillon.
compumom
14 years ago
And while we're on the subject, let me pass along an email that we can all do to help our four legged friends:

Please do this for the SPCA - literally 15 seconds per day...
Hi, all you animal lovers!
This is pretty simple... Please ask ten friends to each ask a further ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily so they can meet their quota of getting FREE FOOD donated every day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute (about 15 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'fund food for animals for free'. This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Please pass it along to people you know. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/
AGAIN, PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS!

Here is a link that might be useful: Animal Rescue Site
jessyf
14 years ago
Take 'em down to Westminster* (darfc)

* Vietnamese/Chinese community. A dog is the fastest thing on Westminster Blvd....lots of shops there, they sell cookbooks '50 ways to wok a dog'

I'm taking OFF my kevlar undies because I truly deserve to be flamed for that and I'm going to click on Ellen's link EVERY DAY forever to make up for it, promise
Gina_W
Original Author
14 years ago
Oh, just go down to the shelter and adopt one! Think of it as a really, really short greyhound! Bwa-ha!!!
Lars
14 years ago
There were dogs in Venice that I wished had been in Westminster, but I'm away from that now.

I had a Chihuahua when I was 14, and it was not a nice dog. I got it because my cousin Joy had one (She had it when she was 21 and I was 7), and I still have home movies of her with her Chihuahua. They were popular back in the early 1960s. I don't remember what happened to my Chihuahua, but after that I had a toy Manchester that I liked much better, and it was about the same size. That dog died a tragic death under the wheels of a motorcycle before my very eyes, and it took me months to recover from that. A year or so later a dachshund arrived on our farm (who know from where?), and I named her Trixie. She also died a tragic death when my brother Mike shot her after she ate some of his baby pigs. After that, I swore off dogs, and I still refuse to have one to this day.

Lars
beanthere_dunthat
14 years ago
The dachshund ate....?
I don't know why I'm surprised. They are carnivores. That's pretty gruesome, though. I can see why it stayed with you.
sally2_gw
14 years ago
I would have sworn off your brother!

Sally
loagiehoagie
14 years ago
Gina, let your Fetch! Pet Care person know about this. Fetch is building a huge presence on many of the social networking sites and more exposure could mean more adoptions.

I handle a lot of chihuahua's and most of them are very sweet lap dogs. I only have one that snapped at me repeatedly....it took about 5 or so visits to his house before he let me close enough to put a leash on him....but now we are best buds. Every dog is different and if you respect that things usually work out okay after a while.

Lars, with your history I can't say as I blame you. My next door neighbor growing up had a poodle named Pierre that we all loved. He loved to play ball and would play all day and night if you let him. Somebody threw an errant toss and the ball rolled in the street. We all witnessed in horror as he was hit by a car and died instantly. Very traumitizing....it was nobody's fault..the driver couldn't react fast enough and Pierre died doing the thing he loved to do best.

Duane
Gina_W
Original Author
14 years ago
Dachshunds were bred to kill small animals like rats and badgers. Not retrieve already-dead ones - kill them dead! LOL.
caflowerluver
14 years ago
Lars - I don't know what I would have done to your brother, but it wouldn't have been nice. They were just pigs that were going to be killed someday anyway.

After gina_w comment I had to post this picture. I happen to be a BIG fan of Dachshunds.
Clare

{{gwi:119902}}
Gina_W
Original Author
14 years ago
Clare, I remember that picture. Good job doggie!

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