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07:54 AM PDT on Thursday, April 16, 2009

By MELISSA EISELEIN
The Press-Enterprise

The Riverside Humane Society says the economy is so bad that backyard breeders who can't sell their puppies are turning them in to shelters.

The Riverside Humane Society is trying to find homes for 29 dogs, mostly Chihuahuas and pugs, that were relinquished to the Riverside County Animal Shelter about three weeks ago. The shelter turned them over to the Humane Society, which is a no-kill shelter, for adoption.

It is the second time in the past six months that local breeders have turned in animals they were unable to sell because of the economic downturn, said Destiny Glass, Riverside Humane Society canine supervisor.

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Stan Lim / The Press-Enterprise
Destiny Glass, Riverside Humane Society canine supervisor, tries to get the attention of a group of pugs given up by a local breeder. "In December or January, we had a litter of shar-pei puppies that were brought in because they could not sell them," Glass said.
"In December or January, we had a litter of shar-pei puppies that were brought in because they could not sell them," Glass said.

Shelter officials also recently worked with Riverside breeder Linda Smith to reduce the number of miniature pinschers in her kennels, said John Welsh, spokesman for the Riverside County Animal Shelter.

In past years, Smith said, she sold an average of 10 dogs a year. Last year, she sold two, and the year before that she sold three, she said.

"The way the economy is, nobody is buying puppies," Smith said.

Over the years, Smith has been cited multiple times for not keeping her kennels clean. Officials recently cited her for having unlicensed dogs and encouraged her to reduce the number of animals she cared for.

Smith voluntarily turned over most of her dogs to a Venice-based dog rescue group. She does not know how many of her animals the rescue group took.

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Volunteer Debra Jordan, of Riverside, tries to coax a reluctant dog to come to her at the Riverside Humane Society.
"First they said it was 57, but then they said it was 61," she said.

Now, Smith has 13 adult dogs and two puppies, she said.

In most of Riverside County, breeders need to apply for a special kennel license to have more than four dogs. But the city of Riverside is unique, Welsh said.

"In the city of Riverside, as long as your dogs have a license, you can have as many as you want," Welsh said.

Breeding dogs for profit is not an option in San Bernardino. The county has an ordinance that prohibits backyard breeders from setting up shop.

"When we come across it, we shut it down," said Ken Childress, director of San Bernardino Animal Control.

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Stan Lim / The Press-Enterprise
Volunteers Lori Palmquist, left, of Chino Hills; Minn Poe, of Riverside; and Karen Brewer, of Riverside, work to rehabilitate a group of Chihuahuas at the Riverside Humane Society. The dogs are learning good social skills, including walking on a leash.
DOGS INFESTED

The Chihuahuas and pugs taken in by Riverside Humane Society were infested with fleas and ticks and were not socialized, Glass said.

The dogs were bathed and treated. Volunteers, along with animal behaviorist Rick Belmonte, worked with the dogs to help them learn good social skills, including walking on a leash.

Inland shelters are overflowing with dogs. Some of the animals are adopted. Others are reunited with their owners.

MANY EUTHANIZED

But most are euthanized, officials said.

About 24,000 animals were put down at Riverside County Animal Shelter during the last fiscal year, Welsh said. An additional 10,000 animals were put down at San Bernardino's shelter, according to Childress.

Riverside County passed an ordinance that went into effect in January. It allows the shelter to require that animals violating the leash law be spayed or neutered.

Reach Melissa Eiselein at 951-763-3462 or meiselein@PE.com