Orphaned newborn chihuahua taken in by an unlikely foster mother

If you’re the type of dog lover that doesn’t particularly care for cats take a look at this news report from 3TV in Phoenix.  You may feel a little different about them afterwards.

Upcoming Chihuahua Movie Bring Concerns

While Chihuahua owners will no doubt be tickled when Disney releases "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" next month there is a concern that was voiced by the Humane Society Silicon Valley.

The movie may spark a Chihuahua "fad" putting Chihuahuas in high demand to those who get caught up in the hype.

KCBS.com in San Francisco reports:

“We’ve seen too many people make quick decisions,” said spokeswoman Laura Fulda, "like buying a Dalmatian after taking the kids to see 101 Dalmatians. “They may not be prepared for the special things that the breed needs.”

Shelters are already overflowing with abandoned Chihuahuas, Fulda said, and prospective owners should consider an adoption if they decide that’s the dog for them.

If you encounter someone expressing a desire to get a Chihuahua or ANY dog for that matter please do your best to encourage them to educate themselves about dog ownership before deciding to take the plunge. Also, insist that they adopt from a shelter and not from a breeder. There are plenty of available dogs in shelters and rescues. They can always to go petfinder.com and adoptapet.com (formerly, 1-800-sav-a-pet.com)

Cats Abused As Well

Although cats have traditionally been the mortal enemy of Man's Best Friend many dog owners know differently. In fact, many dog owners have cats as well. This story should not go unnoticed.

From The Ledger in Lakeland, FL:

Driver Is Cleared of Throwing Kittens

By Jason Geary
THE LEDGER

Published: Friday, September 12, 2008 at 12:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, September 13, 2008 at 12:40 a.m.

BARTOW | Prosecutors will not charge a 67-year-old Lakeland man with throwing three kittens from a moving truck, concluding there is "insufficient proof" to support a charge of cruelty to animals.

Sean Reynolds and Denise Pribe were critical witnesses who said they saw cats being thrown from the truck window.

Only July 23, the pair were driving on Rockridge Road when they saw a black kitten get run over by a white pickup and another white kitten run away, according to Sheriff's Office reports.

Reynolds said he was about two car lengths away from the truck and saw a third kitten "come from high up on the vehicle … probably out the window."

Abuse of this kind should never be tolerated regardless of what kind of animal it is.

From maliciously kind of cruel to the heartless variety of cruel from the Tri-Cities Herald in Tri-Cities, WA:

Animal Control looking for 2 who dumped dogs
By the Herald staff

Tri-City Animal Control is seeking information about two people who dumped off five dogs at the animal shelter.

A surveillance video captured images of two people -- a teenage boy and a woman who appeared to be in her late 30s or early 40s -- dropping off the animals between 7:20 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

The video showed them backing their car up to the shelter and unloading the dogs from the hatchback.

The people carried some of the dogs in crates and put all of the dogs into the shelter's fenced yard.

"No remorse. They don't look back," Poundmaster Angela Zilar said, describing the people. "The dogs in the video are at the gate going, 'What are you doing? Why are we being left?' "

The dogs are Chihuahua and Chihuahua mixes, including one that's pregnant.

Whoever dropped off the dogs could face charges of abandoning an animal, a gross misdemeanor, Zilar said.

To see still frames from the video, visit www.tricityherald.com/galleries.

Anyone with information about the people or the dogs can call Tri-City Animal Control at 545-3740.

Man That Kicked Chihuahua to Death Set Free

This is just sickening. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

A man has pleaded no contest to charges that he kicked his girlfriend's Chihuahua to death after it soiled their bed in Redwood City.

Ariel Aspedilla, 26, of Manteca entered his no-contest plea to a felony animal cruelty charge on Monday in San Mateo County Superior Court. Judge Clifford Cretan sentenced him to nine months in jail and allowed Aspedilla to be released because of credit for time served.

Aspedilla was arrested March 13 after Chiquita, a 4-year-old female, died at an animal hospital, prosecutors said.

Aspedilla spent the night of March 6 with his girlfriend at her apartment and awoke to find that Chiquita had defecated and urinated on the bed, prosecutors said. Enraged, he kicked the dog four or five times, said Steve Wagstaffe, chief deputy district attorney.

Chiquita suffered five broken ribs, punctured lungs and a damaged liver and lost a significant amount of blood, authorities said. Aspedilla and his girlfriend brought the dog to Sequoia Veterinary Hospital in Redwood City, where a doctor tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate it, said Eva Fillyaw, a manager at the clinic.

Aspedilla was consoling his weeping girlfriend and appeared eager to accept the doctor's initial diagnosis that Chiquita might have an immune-system problem that was causing blood loss, Fillyaw said.

But a necropsy revealed the broken ribs as well as previous signs of abuse, Fillyaw said.

Just for Laughs

Obama Unharmed by Rabid Chihuahua Attack

She may be ill-tempered and dumb-as-a-post, but no one would dispute that Sarah, as the chichuahua is called, is as tenacious as they come, and it is this quality that has endeared her to millions of Republicans. As the hours rolled past and tiny Sarah continually refused to give up on her quest to chew through Obama's leg, all were quite impressed with her impotent ferocity as well as her admirable bravery in the absence of consequences.

"I like her, she's got spunk," said lifelong Republican and mother of six Pat Ryott. "I hope she never stops chewing on that damn elitist ankle. he's being viciously and mercilessly attacked, and he acts like he doesn't even notice. How aloof is he?

Please click on the link. "Sarah" is hilarious.