Arizona neighborhood terrorized by feral packs of abandoned CHIHUAHUAS

They may be small and cute, but packs of stray Chihuahuas have been wreaking havoc on the streets of Phoenix, Arizona.



Maricopa County Animal Care and Control says last year alone it received 6,000 calls from the Maryvale section of Phoenix about abandoned Chihuahuas roaming the streets in the neighborhood and scaring children.



‘We compared the number of calls we got in 2013 from that area to similar areas in town and the calls from Maryvale were three times higher than surrounding areas,’ said Melissa Gable with MCACC. ‘Part of it is these animals aren’t spayed or neutered, so they’re out looking for a mate and are having babies, which also contributes to the problem.’

Scroll down for video



Chihuahua crisis: Animal control officials in Phoenix, Arizona, have been struggling to deal with packs of stray Chihuahuas roaming the streets

Filled to capacity: Arizona Chihuahua Rescue announced that it can no longer accept new dogs because all of its foster homes are filled with pooches



Health hazard: Maricopa County Animal Care and Control says the strays are creating unsanitary conditions in Maryvale because they leave behind feces that nobody cleans up

Bad dogs! Residents say packs of 8-12 stray pooches at times chase down kids on their way to and from school

Officials said they do not have enough staff to respond to all the service calls coming from residents in Maryvale.



Gable encouraged people to contain strays in their yards before calling animal control to come and pick them up, the station ABC15 reported.



The infestation of ditched dogs is creating unsanitary conditions in the area since the strays leave behind feces that no one is willing to clean up.

Another major concern is that kids on their way to and from school could be bitten by the pooches, which have been known to chase residents.



Maryvale resident Ray Rios told MyFox Phoenix that he has been seeing groups of 8-12 Chihuahuas running after children and going from yard to yard.



Sharp spike: Animal control officials received 6,000 calls about stray Chihuahuas in Maryvale last year alone

Chihuahuas are the most common breed of dogs that end up in the city’s animal shelter.



Even private animal rescue organizations have been struggling with the epidemic of abandoned Chihuahuas.



Arizona Chihuahua Rescue, a non-profit charity based in Mesa, recently posted on its website that it is unable to accept new dogs because all of its foster homes are full.