Chis Make Great Pets. Cheese, Not So Much.

We get a lot of chihuahuas and mixes. So many that they even have their own verbal shorthand: chis. Chi generally means anything small, usually tan and having some traits in common with a chihuahua, which constitute the majority of their lineage. As a group, chis and chi mixes dominate shelter populations in California. So we talk about them a lot. A lot a lot. Which can lead to some confusion when we talk about having a passel of chis:

Adorable little fun happy muffins.

And people think we mean a passel of cheese.

Inanimate cracker ornament. 

The sad thing is due to silly misinformation and prejudice about chis, a lot of people are about as likely to adopt cheese as a pet....

The cat, like most of the readers, is amazed at the ridiculousness of this stunt.

As they are to adopt one of our adorable, bright, silly little chis. Like Baby.

If you're not going to eat that cheese, here I am. I'm just sayin'...

Which is just ridiculous. Let's have a chat about the differences between cheese and chis and the misinformation that's out there about our poor maligned little petite pooch pals.

Chis: Cuddly, snuggly and perfectly lap sized. 

I WAS MADE FOR THE SNUGGLE!

Cheese: Oily, cold, unaffectionate and prone to melting.

Poor companionship. Seriously. 

Chihuahuas and mixes come in as many varieties as, well, cheese. But one thing about most of them? They all love them some snuggle time. Even our most playful, bouncy chis still enjoy a good Netflix cuddle and sleeping under the covers with you. Cheese? Lame. And it melts. 

Chis: Great walking buddies who enjoy a chance to sniff the flowers. 

I'm such a better pet that I'll eat the competition. 

Cheese: Prone to attracting ants. Needs to be dragged, creating scrapes that attract even more ants and possibly hungry raccoons. Melts on hot days. 

Marketing Director Sandy really went all-in to help us make this point. 

Chihuahuas are smart, curious little nuggets who love to know what's going on around them. They're a little nosy and pretty social, like people. While most of them generally don't need a marathon run (thank goodness!) they do enjoy taking a stroll to check out the scene. They'll give you a great excuse to get some exercise and see what the neighbors are up to. 

Chis: Funny, playful and smart. Love to learn tricks. 

When I'm done here I'll start working on your taxes. 

Cheese: It's...cheese. 

We need to know what Sandy's neighbors were thinking when she was doing these photos for us. 

We're pretty sure everyone knows who is going to win the fetch contest here. Hint: it's not wearing a wrapper. Meanwhile our chis are slaying in their obedience classes, playing fetch like machines and (like HSSV alum Lady Marmalade above) having a blast on the agility equipment. Contrary to popular belief, chis are actually super smart little guys who love to learn. Small dog owners are less likely to take their pooches to classes. This is a shame as chis are trick-meisters who love to learn. 

Chis: Quick to pick up housemanners, great apartment pooches who don't mind you going to work for hours provided they can get a walk when you get home.

You can go. We're cool. See you when you get back. 

Cheese: Must be refrigerated when left, otherwise will leave enormous cheesy mess on furniture. Not at all happy to see you when you get back.

Okay, even we admit it looks sad to see you go. 

Our conclusion? It's chis for the win. And cheese for, well, the sandwich. 

If you're looking for a dog but haven't considered a chi, take a second look. We have plenty of amazing little guys who would have been snapped up in a heartbeat were it not for the breed prejudice against them. The majority of our chis are not yappy, not bitey, not shakey and are (shockingly) just....dogs. Like any other dogs. In a more compact package.

We all have that one friend. 

This weekend we're celebrating the magic that IS the chi and chi mix population at our shelters with reduced adoption fees on them. Through Sunday, all our little chi and chi mix nuggets have an adopt fee of just $20. Which is only slightly more than a fairly lame, non-responsive, melty block of....

If that was a cracker we'd have a solution to this dilemma. 

cheese.

You guys pulls some bonehead stunts to get us adopted but this...this...