Paris Hilton Chihuahua Fad Leads to California Shelters Dumping Chihuahuas in Colorado

[Elmore Furth]

Quiere chihuahua?

Paris Hilton had one. "Legally Blonde" and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" featured them.

So there was a mass buying of cute little Chihuahuas in Southern California — followed by a mass dumping of Chihuahuas at animal shelters.

Saturday afternoon, 32 of the spurned Los Angeles-area Chihuahuas landed on a chilly runway in Broomfield, delivered by Pet Airways to Dumb Friends League volunteers who hope to find new homes for them in Colorado.

That was just the first shipment. Altogether, 100 unwanted Chihuahuas will be arriving in Colorado, courtesy of Dr. Leslie Capin, a dermatologist who agreed to pay for three dog flights.

Colorado welcomes shipment of California's unwanted Chihuahuas

[vixengrl]

1. This is very sad--chihuahuas are all heart,

very keen little dogs. It is so dumb for anyone to "just want one" for status reasons, as if they don't understand that it's a living being. I suppose at least some of dumping, though, might be people whose lifestyle has changed or who have to relocate and can't keep their companion due to the economy. But it really would not surprise me if so much of it really was air-headedness--it happens every Easter with baby bunnies and chickens--so cute at the start, but then the realization of responsibility sets in.

[old mark]

2. I like large dogs, but Chihuahua's THINK they are large dogs, and are

wonderful personalities. These people don't deserve such companions - I hope they all find good, happy homes, and I wish I could get one - or two.

mark

[yawnmaster]

3. In the Chihuahua desert, a pack of 100 Chihuahuas can take down a grown man and...

strip him clean to his bones in about 45 seconds.
I don't think they should ship 100 at a time.

[rebel with a cause]

4. Really now!

I knew there was some reason that I was not drawn to the little critters. ;)

Actually my older married sister had one of them when I was a little girl and I hated being bitten by it every time she brought it over. That was one of the meanest spirited dogs I have ever had the misfortune of knowing. I know it is not true of all of them but it was definitely not nice. What is funny is that this sister now hates Chihuahuas and denies she ever owned one. :shrug: