>>
big birds, planes.
>>>
now to tiny dogs, we're switching gears here. we've become a big problem,
animal shelters
in
california
are reporting a glut of abandoned chihuahuas. a breed made popular because they've been featured in some movies and owned by a few celebrities. here's nbc's
george lewis
.
>>
reporter: call it the chihuahua crisis. out in
california
, shelters are putting out the
call for help
.
>>
we've seen an incredible increase in the number of chihuahuas.
>>
but i'm an heiress! i have a
trust fund
.
>>
reporter: blame it on those lovable little characters from last year's hit movie "
beverly hills chihuahua
." or the chihuahua in "legally blonde."
>>
hi, i'm
elle woods
. and this is bruiser woods.
>>
reporter: not to mention those
taco bell
adds. and the fact that celebrities like paris and britney have been photographed with their chihuahuas. a lot of people thought -- hey, this would make a great pet. then had second thoughts. chihuahuas can be high-strung and difficult to housebreak. which is why many become unwanted. this is petunia, a 3-year-old chihuahua mix, quivering a little bit. some shelters in
california
say that fully 60% of the dogs they have up for adoption are either chihuahuas or mixes like petunia. and many are shipping the dogs out of state, even as far as toronto, canada.
>>
our shelter is not alone in this breed crisis, if you will. and with
animal shelters
being saturated with one specific breed or one
breed of dog
, it does make it little bit challenging to place all of them.
>>
reporter: the shelters are hoping their
call for help
will attract more people like svetlana henderson and her son, martin.
>>
we are gentle. they're just so cute and they can ride in the car and easy to manage. just, yeah, we have room in our home for another family member.
>>
reporter: shelters advise that chihuahuas can live to up to 20 years, so they want people to regard adopting them as a long-term commitment. for "today,"
george lewis
, nbc news, pasadena,
california
.
>>>
and just ahead,
oscar winner
“ ”