Animal lovers blame Hollywood, with movies like “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and “Legally Blonde,” for California’s surplus Chihuahuas. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
One shelter official calls the abandoned Chihuahuas “the Paris Hilton syndrome.” (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
There are so many Chihuahuas in Los Angeles city shelters that the animal services agency airlifted 25 last week to Nashua, N.H., where the local Humane Society found all of them homes within a day. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Animal care technician John Gordon holds abandoned Chihuahuas at the East Valley Animal Care Center in Van Nuys. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
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Workers at a San Francisco animal shelter with some the abandoned Chihuahuas. One shelter official said the dogs were being given up because they are “small, fragile, door-dashers, nervous, not a good fit for families.” (Russel A. Daniels/Associated Press)
Bay Area shelters and rescue operators are asking for help in placing the Chihuahuas. (Russel A. Daniels/Associated Press)
Shelter operators blame irresponsible breeders for the glut in Chihuahuas. To curb the problem, Santa Barbara County has imposed a new law that will require owners of unaltered dogs to get licenses. (Russel A. Daniels/Associated Press)
