Ay carumba!

Hit dog movie often equals people scrambling to buy their own version of the star. That in turn leads to a big upswing, a few months later, of that breed ending up at animal shelters when families figure out a canine's on-screen performance doesn't translate into real life. Just ask animal welfare agencies what happened after the "101 Dalmatians" flick.

Now comes "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" set to open in theaters Oct. 3. As if Paris Hilton hadn't made life tough enough for these dogs.

Producer Disney Enterprises, however, apparently wants to head things off at the pass. The company is inviting rescue groups to advance screenings to tell potential pet parents about the breed's pros and cons, and to promote adoptions.

Get A Life Pet Rescue, which specializes in small dogs, is headlining the Chihuahua in Paradise event from 10 am to 2 pm, this Saturday (Sept. 27) at Muvico Paradise 24, 15601 Sheridan St., Davie.

Chihuahuas and their two-legged posse are invited. A prize will be given to the most dressed-up, blinged-out Gucci poochie: a $650 gift package that includes a stay at the Fur Seasons pet resort and a private portrait sitting. This canine Project Runway competition begins at 1 pm. You can find more details here.

Muvico also will be giving out free passes to a "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" screening on Tuesday.
The event is co-sponsored by HaveDog.com , a clearinghouse for South Florida doggy events and meet-ups.

The Get A Life folks will be there to answer questions and "with plenty of adorable chihuahaus and chihuahua mixes," said volunteer Stacy Narcisse. But there will be no on-the-spot adoptions: Prospective adopters must fill out an application and go through a home visit.

Narcisse hopes careful screening will stem the growing numbers of chihuahuas being surrendered at shelters.
"Unfortuantely, Paris Hilton has single-handedly caused a big problem. And she doesn't even support rescue. She just buys dogs for her friends," said Narcisse, who lives in Fort Lauderdale.

"A lot of people get chihuahuas and don't know how to care for them," Narcisse said. "Then the dog doo-doos in the Louis Vuitton handbag and the new owner says, 'No way.'."

Chihuahuas are not a family-friendly breed, according to Narcisse, and Get A Life usually will not adopt them into homes with children under age 13. Some dogs are nippers and they can become very protective, bonding with one person.

The dog's current popularity and high selling price also has lead to some over-breeding, Narcisse said, resulting in kneecap disorders and snappy temperaments. Get A Life foster home volunteers work with difficult dogs to socialize them.

"But we will have plenty of nice dogs on Saturday," she said.
So come with your own chihuahua superstar. Or think about adopting one of your own, if you and this breed are a match.