California's animal shelter crisis has a new best friend: Project Flying Chihuahua.
The dogs have been flying out of California since other states learned about the glut of small pooches in the Golden State.
A group of 25 dogs has already arrived at the Humane Society for Greater Nashua in New Hampshire, thanks to "Grey's Anatomy" actress Katherine Heigl, Kinder4Rescue in Studio City, Calif., and American Airlines.
A group of 43 will leave for New Hampshire Monday or Tuesday, said Kathy Davis, interim general manager of Los Angeles Animal Services. The Nashua shelter found homes for the first 25 and had a waiting list of 100 people.
Heigl's foundation has paid the discounted airfare for all 68 dogs so far, and new donors for more flights were being sought (www.projectflyingchihuahuas.com).
Virgin America will be flying a group of Chihuahuas to New York City from San Francisco on Tuesday. They will be processed and should be available for adoption on Dec. 29.
Gail Buchwald, senior vice president overseeing the ASPCA adoption center in New York, said she didn't know how many to expect, but each dog will be escorted by a volunteer, and Virgin will provide travel for both dogs and humans. The airline is also expected to offer a week of half-price trips to passengers willing to escort an animal to New York, but details have yet to be finalized.
The Chihuahua crisis in California developed as Hollywood featured the dogs in movies such as "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" and "Legally Blonde," they became constant companions to the rich and famous, back-yard breeders saw a chance to make hundreds of dollars a dog and the recession forced some dog owners to abandon their pets.
