Anyone looking for a Chihuahua...Seems like California shelters are overloaded

[Lolas Dad]

Copied from a CL ad:

Flying Chihuahuas (12 mos = 4,700 Chihuahuas in LA shelters)
Date: 2009-12-18, 8:45PM PST
Reply to: comm-dgpw9-1516766003@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

Flying Chihuahuas: Dogs change coast in big exodus
Flying Chihuahuas: Dogs change coast in big exodus - Yahoo! News


By SUE MANNING, Associated Press Writer Sue Manning, Associated Press Writer
1 hr 54 mins ago


LOS ANGELES – 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.

The Chihuahua crisis in California developed as Hollywood featured the dogs in movies like "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" and "Legally Blonde," they became constant companions to the rich and famous, backyard breeders saw a chance to make hundreds of dollars a dog and the recession forced some dog owners to abandon their pets.

California shelters soon found that Chihuahuas made up 30 percent or more of their dog populations.

Meanwhile, Buchwald said, there has long been a severe shortage of small dogs in the east.

Officials on both sides of the country are optimistic they can work out the imbalance.

Davis said finding homes for 68 barely made a dent in Los Angeles shelters, but it was a start.

"We have plenty more where those came from and we're more than happy to send them home for the holidays. If there's a Santa Claus out there, we're ready and waiting for you."

In the last 12 months, animal shelters in the city of Los Angeles have taken in 4,700 Chihuahuas, 1,000 more than the 12 months before that.

Los Angeles has over 300 Chihuahuas in its shelters now, Davis said, and they are taking in about 340 a month.

"The majority of them are healthy. They do need some socialization. Some we're finding haven't been well treated in the homes they've been in. They need some TLC," Davis said.

It would seem plenty of people in the east are ready and willing to deliver just that.

___

On the Net:

• Los Angeles Animal Services

• ASPCA: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

• Kinder4Rescue.org - Hear the Cry!! Rescue Don't Buy


* Location: 12 mos = 4,700 Chihuahuas in LA shelters
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

[misfitz]

So very true. Also, lots of poodle mixes, and terrier mixes, and pommie mixes. But tons upon tons of chi's. Chi's and pitties, and GSD's. Maybe we can trade some Chi's to the southern states for some hounds, which we have none of.

That's pretty cool that they were able to adopt them out so quickly in other states! Keep it up, rescues!

[ACooper]

I'm not surprised at all that these little dogs get adopted so quickly in the east.........at least all across Northern Indiana, you don't find little dogs in the shelter so easily and when you do see one, you can bet there is already a waiting list Dealing with the rescues is a whole different story, LOL

Makes you wonder WHY there are so many Chi's in the shelters out there tho..........I mean, if they are so available in the shelters, how do BYB's/Mills still make any $ to crank them out

I am glad they are able to transport these guys to get them a new home! I hope they continue to get MORE out of there!

[bubbatd]

I mentioned elsewhere about the HS closing in Muncie ~~ I think there were 6 Chis !

[lizzybeth727]

I was at a shelter here in TX yesterday that had at least 6 or 8 chihuahuas. This is an extremely high-kill shelter, they keep strays for exactly three days (the amount of time they legally have to hold them) and then euthanize them without any attempt to contact rescues or adopters. Owner surrenders go immediately to euthanization. About 3/4 of their runs were empty, it's not a matter of space as a matter of possibly resources (food) and staff that cares even a little bit to contact a rescue.

[2pups622]

They should really ship them all to New york they would be adopted before they got here.

[Brattina88]

I don't know the shelters policies, but I bet if rescues would work together or arrange transport they could do that . Big IF though

[Doberluv]

Oh Lizzybeth...that is just so sad. That place ought to just shut down if they are unable to save animals and attempt to find homes for them. They're not giving those poor dogs half a chance. That shouldn't be allowed. I don't believe in keeping dogs in shelters for long periods of time but 3 days? Someone might have wanted some of those dogs.

I hope these guys get good homes. It's so sad that the human race is the way it is...getting dogs because of some movie? Then ruining the dogs. Then dumping them. Sick!

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by ACooper

Makes you wonder WHY there are so many Chi's in the shelters out there tho..........I mean, if they are so available in the shelters, how do BYB's/Mills still make any $ to crank them out

Because people have the idea that dog from a breeder is better than a dog from a shelter. Or that a dog with papers is better than a dog without. People think that dogs in shelter have "issues".

I've seen people on this board say they don't adopt because they don't want to deal with other people's problems/messes. I imagine a good portion of the general populace thinks the same thing, and just doesn't know a good from a bad breeder.

[misfitz]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

Because people have the idea that dog from a breeder is better than a dog from a shelter. Or that a dog with papers is better than a dog without. People think that dogs in shelter have "issues".

I've seen people on this board say they don't adopt because they don't want to deal with other people's problems/messes. I imagine a good portion of the general populace thinks the same thing, and just doesn't know a good from a bad breeder.

^ This, exactly. Also, most of the Chi's in shelters are 6 months or older - I think people get cute little "pocket" puppies from BYB's / pet shops, then don't want to deal with them once they're past the cute baby stage.

A lot of people don't realize the shelter is here, or what kind of dogs are available, or are bothered by seeing animals in cages. Or they think that all shelter dogs are sick. It's really incredible how many people have no idea...and I was one of them until a couple of years ago - my family always got dogs from breeders or rehomes from other families, so I had no concept of the shelter situation until I was looking for a dog as an adult.