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"Please help me save my dog..."
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A scene from Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Courtesy Disney
Local shelters and rescue groups are steeling themselves for a new round of surrendered Chihuahuas.
Previously glamorized by films like Legally Blonde and starlets like Paris Hilton, the Chihuahua found itself suddenly much desired. But people often found the breed not as cute and cuddly as made out in the media, so many were also surrendered. Not to mention, puppy mills saw a chance to make a quick buck from the breed, so they started pumping them out, many of them with genetic defects and other health issues.Now a new film, can you believe it titled Beverly Hills Chihuahua, opens October 3rd, and there’s concern aplenty that it will spur a new round of Chihuahua desire, leading to another round of Chihuahua surrenders in a few months.
I do ask, as you sit in the theatre being totally charmed by the cute talking dogs that go on a mission to get a pampered Beverly Hills Chihuahua out of a Mexican dog pound, that you work with a local shelter or rescue group first to make sure that the dog you adopt (whether Chihuahua or not) will be a good fit for your family’s lifestyle and experience. Because many well meaning people end up pleading for their dog's life simply because they did not choose the right dog.
I see a lot of this phenomenon in my email Inbox. The story is something like this: Someone has a perfectly beautiful dog (most often, a purebred Labrador Retreiver, Jack Russell Terrier, or other popular breed) that they just can’t keep any more. They love the dog dearly but can’t give it the training/attention/time that it deserves. They are trying to find the beloved pet a new home, but will have to take him to the pound soon, can we help them save their dog by finding a new home for him? The kicker sometimes added is, the dog will die if taken to the pound, because he’s "not easy to adopt." Oh, really?
While I feel a lot of empathy for these well-intentioned dog guardians, I also get very frustrated with their all-too-common situation. In the face of so much information all around us about how to choose the right pet, they succumbed to the glamour or reputation of a certain breed or type of dog. Then they get that dog and wonder why it’s not what they imagined. Recently, for example, I saw a letter from a concerned Labrador owner looking not to surrender his dog, but for training help because his dog is too interested in birds. Hmmmm... isn’t that what Labs are bred for - retrieval of birds? And while I hope he gets solid help on refocusing his dog so he can enjoy their walks in the woods, I can't help but think he might have avoided the issue entirely by choosing a dog who would be less interesed in chasing the wildlife on the trails.
In another recent letter, a Bay Area dog owner pleads for herJack Russell Terrier, who is good with kids and babies, smart, and talented - oh, and yes, “very hyper, requires frequent walks and lots of attention.” The heart-wrenching twist: “I would hate to put ‘Charlie’ to sleep but I might have to... Please help me save my dog.” While my heart goes out to this person, I also wonder why she brought a Jack Russell Terrier into her home, when the very traits she describes are the ones for which they are best known?
Some dogs start their lives on the streets or in abusive homes. Others start their lives in homes with the apparent elements of a safer existence. In the latter case, if the dog turns out to be the "wrong" dog for the people, they end up on the precipice of euthansia all too easily when the figure that out. Yes, we will try to help you save your dog... but please, try to choose more carefully next time!
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