The West Coast has ignited the media circuit once again with a series of growing concerns.  No it’s not medicinal marijuana.  No, California did not break off into the Pacific Ocean. But they are suffering from quite the predicament.  They are overrun with…Chihuahuas.

It could all be blamed on the Taco Bell mascot, Gidget, who encouraged Americans everywhere to repeat the tagline “Yo Quiero Taco Bell?” That dated commercial was the talk of water coolers. Perhaps this is what first inspired Paris Hilton to purchase her Chihuahua, Tinkerbell. Maybe she had an affinity for low-quality tacos and wanted to show her support.

A better explanation points at mainstream media where Ms. Hilton was never spotted without her beloved Tinkerbell, placed inside ornately adorned designer handbags and toted around the red carpet like Kanye’s Hennessy bottle. Let the pet craze begin and let it be circulated across every celeb gossip TV channel. “Paris Hilton syndrome,” penned by California shelters, can tie an influx of Chihuahua demand directly to the California area.  And red carpet cameras are accomplices.

But wait, Paris is a national, ahem, icon, so why did Americans from coast to coast not jump on the Paris-wagon?  Because the obsession of being “in” is more escalated in the L.A. area than anywhere else in the country. It’s where wives of rich husbands can do nothing forever and still afford copious Botox treatments and kids from Laguna Beach are supported by MTV. This is what the rest of America watches to escape from a normal life.  But if you live in California, that is your normal life. Keeping up with the Jones’ persuaded everyone from children to cougars to purchase the latest “it-dog” to feed their Paris-fix. These puppies were treated as an extension of a wardrobe instead of man’s best friend. Beverly Hills socialites believe they can have anything they want. And can discard their wants as easily.

Inadvertently Hollywood trendsetters inspired California breeders to overproduce Chihuahuas to keep up with demand, just like Rolexes are aplenty at local street vendors. Back-yard breeders hopped at the chance to supply California with any Chihuahua they could ever want. But, like all trends, as Paris Hilton dropped out of fashion, so did the little dogs associated with her. Kids were no longer screaming that they had to have a tiny Tinkerbell to fit in their Louis Vuitton backpack.  They moved on to the next thing.

The Chihuahua crisis could be a metaphor for the decline in traditional media. Paris Hilton’s fame went out like the newspapers but the cause is being picked up in another venue. Now social media channels are encouraging adoption to combat this problem. As we saw with the Iranian protests, online is the quickest way to spread a topic, and because people feel guilty when they aren’t sharing a charitable effort, there is hope these Chihuahuas, and other shelter dogs, will find homes for the holidays.

Or maybe the only thing to blame is this.
Check your local Humane Society for ways to donate in your area.
SPCA
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