California animal rescue workers have noticed a large increase in the number of abandoned Chihuahuas and are calling it the “Paris Hilton Syndrome”.

The number of abandoned Chihuahuas have risen steadily and in some animal shelters reached as much as 1/3 of the dog population where as before, Pit Bulls were the majority breed in shelters.

Lynnie Bunten who is in charge of rescue services for the Chihuahua Club of America, said this wave is not all that uncommon lately which she attributes to the struggling economy. With people being forced to leave their homes, they are having to give up their dogs in the process also.

There has been a drastic over supply of Chihuahuas due to their Hollywood movie fame like Beverly Hills Chihuahua and poochy dressing stars such as Paris Hilton as breeders rushed to fill the spots for the high demand pups with so many of them now abandoned and forgotten about.