If you're considering rescuing a dog from a shelter for Christmas, you might want to think small. As in real small. As in chihuahua small.

Chihuahua.
Paul Sancya/AP Photo

Chihuahuas are disproportionately crowding pet shelters, at least in California.

That's because the diminutive, often feisty dogs are piling up big-time in animal shelters.

At least that appears to be true in California. And we know that California tends to lead the nation in trends.

On Wednesday All Things Considered host Robert Siegel discussed the problem with Kat Brown, deputy director of City and County of San Francisco Animal Care & Control.

BROWN: Right now we have 23 chihuahuas and about one-third of the dogs we have in our shelter are chihuahuas or chihuahua cross.

ROBERT: This is unusual?

BROWN: Very unusual.

ROBERT: Who would typically be the dominant breed in the shelter or would there be one?

BROWN: Normally, at least in years past pit bull and pit bull mix have been the most dominant breed. But this year and actually the last couple of years, we're seeing more chihuahua and chihuahua mix.

ROBERT: Why, why do you think you're seeing so many more chihuahuas?

BROWN: I think it's because a number of things. Some movies featured chihuahuas. Also, a pocket pet kind of thing, from some of the movie stars, Paris Hilton. Also, the economy. I think we're seeing more owner-surrendered animals generally across the board.

But chihuahuas unlike other dogs are more difficult to handle sometimes. People think of them as something, they're like stuffed animals or whatever. But in fact they're like a little dog. and they need all of the things that a big dog needs.

 

ROBERT: Is this similar to the "101 Dalmatians" phenomenon? A movie comes out and suddenly dalmatians are everybody's Christmas puppy and the next year they're in the shelters?

BROWN: I've been in the business for 25 years and I have to tell you, I haven't seen that many dalmatians. I haven't seen a third of our available dogs or a third of our dogs. This is unusual. This is extremely unusual.

ROBERT: Do you get a sense this is happening at other shelters, that this is pervasive?

BROWN: Yes, yes. We have shelters from the Bay Area who also have the same sort of problem. Oakland, Contra Costa, Peninsula Humane Society. Silicon Valley. San Jose. LASPCA (in Los Angeles) said to us we don't have time to count, there are so many of them.