"my name is papi. i am descended from an ancient line of proud warriors. my ancestors went into battle alongside aztec soldiers. today, we move within the inner circles of the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet. who am i? what am i? i'm a chihuahua!"
just who is papi the famous chihuahua and how did this fabulous canine warrior come to steal the spotlight?
the star of disney’s beverly hills chihuahua didn’t always live the glamorous life. this part chihuahua, part mutt, whose off-screen name is rusco, was actually rescued from ‘doggy death row’ in a los angeles animal shelter only months before landing the role of papi in the disney film.
after countless unsuccessful auditions with canine breeders and veteran movie pet stars, hollywood animal trainer mike alexander discovered rusco’s picture on the internet while searching animal directories online.
rusco was scheduled to be put down after he was found wandering the streets of moreno valley and no one came to claim him, but alexander saw him and decided he was perfect for the role of papi in the film.
"we're mexi-can, not mexi-can't!" photo credit: daniel daza disney enterprises
alexander then raced to save little rusco from a lethal injection. he rushed down to the shelter, but it was so far away and he had traffic to deal with. when he got there, they were just closing the doors.
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