Los Angeles Has a Huge Number of Stray Chihuahuas

When a dog is discovered in L.A. running loose through the streets or whimpering under a bridge, it’s likely to be tiny, yappy, and genetically prone to bite. That’s because the city has a disproportionate number of stray chihuahuas, as shown in this breakdown by data visualizer Brett Kobold.

“I am a dog lover,” says Kobold, who’s 23 and lives in Walnut, California. “I found that data set one day a few months ago and I was really curious what it could tell me.” The open data he chose presents the breed and date when dogs arrived at L.A. animal shelters from 2011 to 2013. Chihuahuas were the most common at 13,833 dogs, with runner-ups being pit bulls (7,767) and American Staffordshire Terriers (6,771). The least-collected dogs were dachshunds and Maltese, the latter perhaps because they trip over their ridiculous hair and don’t get very far from home.