It’s Cinco de Mayo, a day of Mexican celebration, and I thought I’d take a moment to call attention to a phenomenon that has taken the dog world by surprise in recent years. The overpopulation of Chihuahuas in California has reached national news, appearing in the Washington Times last December. Due to a series of dog movies and celebrity Chihuahua fever, backyard breeders thought they were getting ahead of the rush by producing multitudes of litters. Instead, the recession hit and what they were left with were animals they couldn’t sell. Add that to the incredible amount of dogs that are being surrendered by owners everywhere due to downsizing of their living arrangements and you’ve got an overpopulation problem. California shelters are reporting that more than 30% of their populations is a single breed, Chihuahuas. In the past year, shelters in Los Angeles alone have taken in over 4,700 Chihuahuas and continue to take more at a rate of 340 per month.
The good news is that this problem is limited to California, although Arizona gets a lot of the overflow. In an attempt to get the dogs out of the state and redistribute them, a lot are either flown or driven to other shelters and rescue groups across the country. In the East Coast they are gladly taking these cuties in order to help even out the populations.
Here in Phoenix, the AZ Chihuahua Rescue (AZCR) group is feverishly taking them in, fostering them and finding good homes. I spoke with Becky Miller, the group’s record keeper, and she gave me some details on the Arizona Chihuahua situation. Currently they have 229 dogs in 52 foster homes. Each foster home has at least one dog but many have a lot more than that. In addition to the dogs that are surrendered directly to the rescue group, they also draw from the AZ Humane Society, Maricopa Co. Animal Care and Control, Yuma Humane Society, Southern AZ Humane Society and various other groups from around the state. Because of their reputation as being Chihuahua experts, AZCR gets calls from rescue groups throughout the country for help. And they are always willing to help.
Now comes your part. On this Cinco de Mayo please take a moment to reflect on this situation and help where you can. Of course if you are seeking a new addition to your family and you think a Chihuahua is the right fit, then by all means, call the AZ Chihuahua Rescue! They have many adoption events listed that you can attend. However, if adoption is not in your future, there are still many ways to help. On their website, AZCR has a wish list full of items like leashes, collars, water bowls, blankets, and more that they need. Take a look. Clean out your closet, your garage, and your cabinets and make a donation. We can all do our small part to make the lives of these little ones a tiny bit easier in this tough crisis. Happy Cinco de Mayo!
~ Laura
Today’s dog model is Blingo, the Chihuahua/something-or-another mix. If you have an idea of what she is mixed with, please feel free to post your best guess below. Susan, the owner of A Dog’s Life Photography is her dog-mom and she would love to figure it out once and for all. We think she has a little Jack Russell terrier in her because she flies through the air when she runs and she is smart as a whip!
by adogslifephoto
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