Chihuahuas run loose in Phoenix suburb

Updated at 08:38 AM today




February 17, 2014 (MARYVALE, Arizona) (WLS) --

Chihuahuas are apparently overrunning Maryvale, a Phoenix suburb, where animal control officers report stray dogs.

Officials said foreclosures and undocumented workers being forced away led to a large number of small dogs running wild. Animal control workers said they've had thousands of calls about stray Chihuahuas.

"If at all possible, if you see a stray, if you can safely contain him in your yard and then call us, that makes a big difference. Because what's happening is people are calling saying, 'hey I see a stray' by the time we get there, it's long gone," Melissa Gable, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, said.

According to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, the small dogs are one of the most popular breeds up for adoption at Phoenix shelters.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sec...rld&id=9434793