Marley & Me
If ever there was an “it” dog for 2009, it is the Chihuahua. Thanks in part to Chihuahua toting actresses like Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson, Taco Bell commercials, and movies like Beverly Hills Chihuahua, those little doggies are more fashionable than anything you might find on Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive. Deservedly so, Chihuahuas are fun and active, great for people who live in the city or in apartments, and have tons of character. My friend Stacey has a Chihuahua named Marley that I love playing with when she visits.
However, what happens when the novelty of owning the latest “it” pet wanes, only to be replaced by the time, attention, and needs they require? California animal shelters are finding that out first hand.
Officials in the Bay Area in California are reporting that their shelters have become overpopulated with Chihuahuas, with Chihuahuas accounting for up to a third (or more) of the shelter population in some parts. As a result, shelters have had to go to desperate measures to distribute the little dogs elsewhere, from holding a “Chihuahuapalooza” to shipping them out to places like New Hampshire where they have been able to find homes for them within a day.
This isn’t the first time popular culture has created a pet craze. After Disney’s release of 101 Dalmatians in 1996, the percentage of people looking to adopt or buy Dalmatians rose significantly. Predictably, months later, shelters filled with Dalmatians after people realized how much time has to be put into the intelligent and active dogs. After they popped up on morning news programs earlier this year, teacup pigs became a huge hit in Great Britain; of course, it didn’t hurt that Rupert Gint (Ron Weasley from Harry Potter films) has two of his own. And who can forget Nemo?
However, in terms of California’s Chihuahua shelter overpopulation problem, who is responsible? Is pop culture to blame for putting these animals in the spotlight and generating such immense interest? Or are we to blame for rushing out to get these pets before researching their care requirements? Ultimately, I believe the responsibility lies with us as pet owners to know before we bring a new pet home whether or not we are making the correct decision. Have we done the research, determined what the new pet will need for food, shelter, and care? Do we have the time and attention required to devote to our new pet? Or are we just trying to fit in with the “in crowd”? These decisions are even tougher to make around the holidays when children are filling out their wish lists with a new puppy, kitty, or hamster, but we must remain responsible for the decision and determine if it is in the best interest of the animal.
That being said, if you have done the legwork and determined you are ready to bring a new pet home, you should still wait until after the holidays, as this blog post explains. If you’re looking for a new pet, and considering a little dog (for the right reasons), I bet there are some shelters that would love to help you get your hands on a Beverly Hills Chihuahua.
Learn more about the needs and lovable features of Chihuahuas
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I am appalled that this happens – not just to precious Chihuahuas but to many breeds that celebrities adopt then abandon. How sad that we, as a society, even allow irresponsible people to have pets. I don’t quite know how we would regulate the problem (after all, we let irresponsible people have kids, too!) but we need to ask hard questions, do in-home visits, keep our eye on these dogs and cats that go to celebrity homes, just because. Now, all we need is the $$ to do that.
Yvonne,
You make some excellent points. I’m guessing most of the chihuahua’s did not come from celebrity homes, since they have the financial resources to guarantee better placement of those animals and their care. To bring a positive note to all of this, there are some shelters that have much stricter adoption policies than others, including lots of paperwork and personal interviews to determine eligibility. Of course, when a shelter is swelling with pets its hard to turn away people wanting to take them home, so I can see how that would be hard as well.