Unleashed

A dark cloud had been looming over the toy dog community. Last week CNN reported that a 33-year-old Missouri woman was arrested for beating a breeder with her dead Chihuahua. The woman, who shall remain nameless, complained that the breeder had sold her a sick dog, and that the trauma of its death left her so distraught that she lost her mind and decided to use the pup as a not-so-deadly weapon. Needless to say, the members of the dog community were rocked, and none more than Chihuahua owners. It was finally time for some healing. This past Saturday, June 10, the healing process began in the form of the 2nd Annual National Chihuahua Races at Riverside Park. The Petco-sponsored event drew 175 tiny dogs and their owners from all over the city to compete for the prestigious title of New York City's fastest Chihuahua.

It was a breezy, sunny Saturday morning and the racing conditions were ideal, particularly if you had a dog under eight pounds and some free time to kill on a Saturday morning. The track was as green as the greed in each dog's eyes, for there was a lot at stake?including steak, probably. The winner would receive a round-trip air package for two people and one dog to the finals in San Diego (races like this one in NY are being held in various cities), a two-night hotel stay including a pet bed and dog dishes and a three-day car rental package (although some dogs were heard complaining that the car rental was a bit ostentatious-a simple handbag would do).

The races began, and heat by heat one dog after another was eliminated. Michael K., who entered his dog Elvie into the race, was surprised to see him take 3rd place in his heat: "I swear, I thought he was just going to run the other way or take a nap. I was actually pleasantly surprised. Seriously, I thought he was going to run away."

Luckily for both Michael and Elvie, there were plenty of fences preventing any dogs from fleeing, including some dogs who were slightly confused as to what exactly they were doing there. Laura Tillsdale, whose dog Voodoo won first place, was very pleased by how well the event was organized: "They told us to try to keep the noise down, because, you know, the dogs get a little nervous." Did the influx of dozens of Chihuahuas bother Voodoo? Not one bit. "Voodoo has border collie friends and pit bull pals, so he got along just fine with everyone." Michael K., on the other hand found that Elvie wanted out of there quick: "He had an episode of 'Footballers' Wives' to catch."

Although it was a relatively calm day, there was no absence of controversy. One woman brought in a dog that was abnormally large for a Chihuahua. Judges were forced to deliberate. "It wasn't a lab or anything," said Ms. Tillsdale. "I think the dog was a papillon, and they probably just thought they had a longhaired Chihuahua."

With steroid use being so rampant in today's sports world, the possibility of a dog "juicing" is still a very delicate subject in these circles. People chose their words carefully, except for Michael K. "Oh, you mean Barry Bonds? Yeah, that dog was a total ringer. The owner said that the dog had Chihuahua in him, but what she probably meant is that he had it for lunch."

When the subject of what type of person should own a Chihuahua came up, the same response was oft-repeated. "A very patient one," said Ms. Tillsdale. "I mean, if you don't train them right, they can be like pocket piranhas."

Briana Crowley, the Los Angeles race winner, agrees: "Yes. As with my dog Peanut, Chihuahuas typically form extremely strong bonds with their owners and require constant attention."

This brought us to the subject of one the world's most famous Chihuahua owners in recent times: Paris Hilton. In 2004, another scandal rocked the Chihuahua community when Ms. Hilton lost her beloved dog, Tinkerbell. "I think it's great that celebrities can provide a good home for animals, as long as an appropriate message is being communicated," said Ms. Crowley.

"They're not accessories. They're cute, but they are dogs after all," added Ms. Tillsdale. Michael K. had a different take on the celebutante's high profile as a dog owner: "I think Paris is a poor representation of toy dog owners. First of all, we're not all rich sluts, and secondly, I don't have a sex tape out?yet."

All controversy and dark memories aside, the message was clear that day, and it could not have been stated better by anyone other than the day's winner, Voodoo's owner, Laura Tillsdale: "Can Chihuahuas be difficult? Sure. But are they a blast? You bet."