ABC News has reported Chihuahuas are running loose and they’re worrying residents of Maryvale in Phoenix, Arizona. When I read this, I found it to be amazing because in our area if there’s a stray dog it’s picked up almost immediately. People do report stray dogs and it does help the animal control officers to pick up the stray quickly. It’s hard for animal control in Maryvale to unleash officers to patrol the area due to such a high volume of calls, sometimes a dozen at a time.
A member of Mericope County Animal Care and Control, Melissa Gable has said, “We compared the number of calls received in 2013 from that same area to similar areas in town and the calls coming in from Maryvale were three time higher than in the surrounding areas;” and she said, “Part of it is because these Chihuahuas were not being spayed or neutered and they’re on the prowl looking for them a mate and they’re having babies and this is contributing to the situation.”
I’ve had some experience with Chihuahuas since they were a favorite in our family and they can be territorial, combative, rulers, and with personality problems or at least I’ve found them to be so. If a person visits an animal shelter, they’ll find several Chihuahuas that are homeless because they were turned in for disobedience problems. I’m not pointing any finger at any one type of dog but this is the experience our family has had with them. I’m sure many people have found them to be loveable and wonderful dogs too.
Animal control will tell a person Chihuahuas are one of the most common breeds found in animal shelters and I’m sure this stands true in most U.S. animal shelters too.
Gable has asked the residents of Maryvale, “If at all possible when a person see’s a stray, please try to safely contain the animal in a yard and call them;” and she says, “People will call to say they see a stray but by the time they’re able to get to the dog, it has gone.”
It’s my opinion when people work together to put a stop to these Chihuahuas running loose in their areas and do their part to try to pin them up until the authorities can get to them it will decrease dogs running loose and improve their areas. People must work together to get the system to work properly for animal control officers.
Maricopa Animal Care and Control has stated they’ll spay and neuter dogs at no charge. They’re planning to visit Maryvale in the summer and to provide the service for residents.
Barbara Kasey Smith is the writer of this article base on an ABC News report.
Source:
ABC News report