A Pink Chihuahua Puppy Grabs Hearts and Finds a New Home

You'd think that someone who lost a pink dog would look for her, but you'd be wrong.

When the Powers That Be sent out this story from their secret lair at Dogster HQ, I have to admit that my first thought was, "How do you lose a pink puppy?" Even in the Bay Area, where formal attire for an evening might consist of leather shorts, boots, and strategically placed electrical tape, a puppy that's been dyed hot pink will attract attention. There just aren't so many of them around here that one will blend in easily.

The dog in question is a two-month-old Chihuahua, which was found in East Palo Alto last week. She wasn't tagged or chipped, and an X-ray showed that her right back leg had a hairline fracture. The Peninsula Humane Society in San Mateo said that the fracture could easily have happened jumping down from a large couch or someone accidentally stepping on her, and that it wasn't necessarily a sign of abuse. The staff named her Candy, and, despite having her hair washed, she stayed pink.

"This is a little more unusual than your usual stray dog because the dog had an injury and the dog was dyed," Director Scott Delucchi said. "It shows some level of care and attachment that someone went to the trouble to do that. You would think that someone who would show that level of attachment would look for their dog."

But based on the story of Candy, more dogs might want to think pink in order to get rehomed. The press release about Candy went out yesterday morning, and by the evening, she had a new home. According to the society's website, the response was overwhelming. "We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for and interest in Candy, receiving more than 100 voicemail messages before her story aired on all stations or appeared in print media," they wrote. "We've selected a home for her, a fantastic home. We apologize that we may not be able to return all calls. We trust that people will understand and -- even though they weren't chosen -- take some comfort in knowing Candy will have a wonderful, permanent home."

But in the meantime, the Peninsula Humane Society has 30 more non-pink Chihuahuas still waiting for homes.

"They aren't two-month-old puppies dyed pink," the site says, "but we consider these regular adoptions to be every bit as special as Candy's adoption."

To back that up, for a limited time, the PHS is waiving all adoption fees for Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes. Thanks to a punked-out pup, if you're in the area and have been wanting a Chihuahua, this is the time to do it.

Via Patch, SFGate and Peninsula Humane Society

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