Truly, A Battle Worth Fighting

I am sure Kimi Peck's father-in-law would be SO . . . "how can I say this without getting sued?". . . . PROUD of her.

Shelter Accused of Keeping Too Many Chihuahuas From the L.A. Times (Sorry about the cut-and-paste on this article, rather than a link)

The little creatures snarl when they feel threatened. So do those who care for that curious breed of dog called the Chihuahua. Accusations were flying Monday in Burbank as dog lovers debated whether the operator of a nonprofit shelter is "hoarding" unwanted Chihuahuas instead of finding new homes for them.

Former volunteers at Chihuahua Rescue were in Los Angeles Superior Court to demand that shelter founder Kimi Peck be ordered to put 275 Chihuahuas up for adoption. They say the dogs are being held in filthy conditions at her Moss Street shelter.

Their concerns were heightened when they learned that Peck, former daughter-in-law of the late actor Gregory Peck, shipped 100 of the Chihuahuas out of the jurisdiction of city prosecutors hours before the scheduled court hearing. Peck, a film writer and producer, has operated her Chihuahua Rescue shelter in Burbank for two years. The Brentwood resident and former wife of Stephen Peck launched the shelter with proceeds from her 1980 Tatum O'Neal comedy "Little Darlings" and says she has spent $10 million of her own money on animal rescue work.

"Two years ago, Peck helped coordinate the release of about 200 abused and neglected Chihuahuas who were impounded and scheduled to be destroyed after being seized in a 2002 raid on a breeder's home in Acton. Neighbors had complained that the Chihuahuas were being housed in unsanitary conditions. Authorities found that the dogs had formed feral fighting packs and deemed them unsuitable for placement.

A few blocks away in the industrial area near the Chihuahua Rescue headquarters, the smell of disinfectant was heavy in the air as Peck and other volunteers cleaned cages and played with snippy, yelping Chihuahuas. "I think rescue attracts a lot of — how can it say it without being sued? — emotionally unstable people who are passionate about animals," Peck said. She blamed what she characterized as "this smear campaign" on a homeless former volunteer who sought to live for a time at the Chihuahua shelter. When asked to stop sleeping at the shelter, Peck said, the woman filed a complaint with the city noting that the shelter was housing about 40 more dogs than it was licensed for. Peck said she was terrified that the city would raid the shelter following Monday's court hearing and place the Chihuahuas in public pounds, where they might face destruction. So "we moved 100 dogs last night. I called 10 of my close friends in rescue," she said. "We were up all night saving them."

The Chihuahuas will return, she said, but not for long. "We've outgrown Burbank. There are too many dogs for this little place. I'm tired of rescuing. I'm retiring. I'm opening a sanctuary for dogs in retirement. Maybe in Northern California or Arizona." A din of high-pitched barking almost drowned out Peck as she tried to explain her devotion to the diminutive dogs. "They can be pretty rotten. They're quite stubborn. They're too loud," she said. But she loves them anyway.