how to get rid of acne scars: Chihuahuas in LA Shelters

By: Andrea

Hey everyone! If you know anything about Vanessa and I by know, you have probably figured out that we are HUGE chihuahua lovers. My chihuahua, Edie, is four and a half years old, and Vanessa’s chihuahua, Yoshi, is 8 months. Lots of people tell us they are not chihuahua fans when they hear we love the breed. Of course, these little guys have a reputation for being shaky, yippy, and even viscous. I speak from personal experience when I say… this is a stereotype! While chihuahuas, like any other dog, require normal amounts of training, they make fantastic (not to mention hilarious) companions and I couldn’t imagine not having one in my life.

I’m sure some of you may remember that while Vanessa and I were living in LA this past winter, Yoshi disappeared in our neighborhood! Weighing all of 3lbs and having not been micro-chipped, or neutered (*he has been now), we figured that the odds of finding him were slim to none…

While the search was under way (we called all local vets, posted signs, and placed ads on Craigslist, Facebook, Kijiji, Twitter (*shout out to everyone who helped), even the LA Times) we started going from shelter to shelter with the hope of finding Vanessa’s best friend. There was no Yoshi. BUT, what we did come across were hundreds of lost, stray, and abandoned chihuahuas with dates set on the shelter doors telling us when they would be euthanized if not adopted. This BROKE my heart. Not only was Yoshi lost, it seemed that all of the other chihuahuas (and chihuahua mixes) we were looking at were facing just as sad a fate.

Miraculously, Yoshi DID turn up (30 HOURS LATER). A neighbor spotted him running around our street. By the time I got home, he had already wandered back… In fact, he was SITTING ON THE COUCH WAITING (thank goodness I left the back door open).

While Yoshi came home to a house full of people who cared about him, we realized that most of the chihuahuas and other dogs we met over the past day and a half would never experience what it was like to be loved and cared for.

Long story short, we wound up adopting and taking care of two chihuahuas from LA shelters before finding them wonderful homes in Canada. After sifting through hundreds of pet photos on petharbor.com (the shelter database), it was clear that most of the dogs posted on the internet would never find the happy home they so deserved. I remember seeing one picture of a young chihuahua puppy that had just lost an eye after sustaining trauma to the head. I really hope someone adopted her. What a horrible way to begin a life.

After a day or so, Hershey and Malibu (Vanessa and I named them) came to stay with us in Palm Springs. It was extraordinary to see how fast their personalities started to shine after we rescued them. They are total characters.

VIDEO of Hershey and Malibu after Adoption

After seeing the LA shelters with my own eyes, I can definitely tell you that the two most common breeds awaiting adoption are chihuahuas and pitbulls (a breed that has been banned in a lot of Canadian cities). Chihuahuas are generally surrendered to shelters by their previous owners (who feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for a pet that they initially felt would be easy to look after) and they make up 1/3 of the animals awaiting adoption in LA. According to THIS write up posted on Zimbio, "experts have blamed the glut of abandoned chihuahuas in California on the influence of pop culture, a bad economy, puppy mills and backyard breeding" (McNew). A lot of people think that on account of the breed’s small size, a chihuahua will be a lot less work. Not true! Chihuahuas require constant care, and attention. Just because you have seen Paris Hilton walking around with a well behaved pup in her arms does not mean that they are an accessory!

While I have talked mostly about chihuahuas in this post, I want to stress that there are ALL KINDS of dogs are desperately awaiting adoption at ALL SHELTERS. Please consider adopting.

Malibu

Hershey

Here is my advice to new, old, or potential dog owners:

-Don’t take on the responsibilities of a dog if you don’t have the time, energy, or patience. Chances are, they will end up in a shelter.

-Get your pets spayed or neutered! There are far too many pets up for adoption in all major cities across North America. It’s not fair to bring puppies into the world while they are euthanizing others ones to make room for more abandoned dogs.

-Make sure your dog is always wearing a tag with your contact information so they can be easily identified if found.

-If you surrender your pet off at a shelter hoping it will get adopted, know that it generally has only days to be rehomed before they need to make room for more incoming pets!

-Remember that dogs of all ages require adopting. If you have it in you, adopt a senior dog with slim chances of finding a home.

#OptToAdopt

We encourage you to read the following letter written by a shelter manager and posted by the GROWL organization on their Facebook page. It’s terribly sad, but it paints an honest picture of what the overcrowding in shelters looks like. A Shelter Manager's Letter

Here are some organizations worth checking out if you want to support animals:

http://www.humanesociety.com/
http://www.spca.bc.ca/
http://www.laanimalservices.com/
http://www.mygrowl.com/
http://www.aspca.org/

And lastly..

Every time I hang out with a chihuahua, i always take a picture with them on my MacBook! Hmm.. I'm only mildly obsessed with the breed... I think?