GLENDALE'S PUTTIN' ON THE DOG FOR PARADE; FLOAT DESIGN IS MONEY-MAKER.

Byline: Lee Condon Staff Writer

He started out as a hard-drinking bad boy, unfit in the eyes of some to represent Glendale as the star of the city's float entry in the 2000 Tournament of Roses Parade.

But now the sad-eyed basset hound who caused so much commotion just a few short months ago is the toast of the town.

Glendale's Rose Float Association was embarrassed by the well-publicized local battle over whether a 25-foot-tall dog in a party hat was a suitable float for sober Glendale. Now, however, they are turning the dog's notoriety to their advantage, using his status as the city's most famous float star ever to raise the cash needed to build the $90,000 float.

``We're milking it for everything it's worth,'' said Marilyne Wiechmann, president of the association. ``The dog is the best thing that's ever happened to us. The publicity we have gotten is priceless.''

The float association has already raised $14,000 from the sale of stuffed basset hounds, pins and T-shirts featuring its likeness.

But the big test of the dog's money-making power comes Saturday when the float committee will host some 300 basset hounds and their owners at a free-wheeling event dubbed ``Putting on the Hound.''

The highlight will be a 6 p.m. auction of five seats on the float. Bids will start at $500. Before that, the hounds will compete in a howling contest, synchronized swimming, treat catching, a longest ears contest and a kissing contest.

The competitions will start at 3 p.m. Mayor Ginger Bremberg will crown a queen and a court of basset hounds at a 5:45 p.m. ceremony. The event will be in the parking lot next to Conrad's Restaurant, at Central Avenue and Burchett Street.

``Putting on the Hound'' has caught the attention of the producers of the ``The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,'' who have asked for a tape of the event to use for the show. In addition, Wiechmann reports the Bradford Exchange, which makes commemorative plates, is considering using the float design on its year 2000 plate.

Basset hound lovers have even created a Web site dedicated to raising money for the float.

The Basset Hound Club of Southern California and the Basset Hound Rescue, two basset hound-obsessed organizations, have been key to fund-raising efforts. The organizations have sent out invitations to 2,500 basset hound owners for Saturday and expect about 300 dogs will attend.

``We're psycho basset hound people,'' said Dawn Smith, who has worked with both organizations and serves on a float subcommittee.

Wiechmann said she is thrilled to have the dog owners as partners in this year's float.

``If we didn't have the basset hound people, I don't know what we would do,'' she said.

Some Glendale residents, including leaders on the float committee, tried to kill the float design because, they said, the original ``Party Animal'' idea presented an image of Glendale residents as partying drunks. But basset hound owners came to the dog's defense.

They strongly lobbied city officials to stick with the hound. At one point it appeared the dog might be forced to share the float with cats or a multicultural group of children.

Eventually, the City Council decided to keep the dog but change the float's name from ``Party Animal,'' to the less controversial ``Havin' Fun Yet?''

Wiechmann said the group has come together to support the hound. One of the T-shirts they have printed even makes fun of the controversy. It has a picture of the float inside a circle with a slash through the middle, and reads: ``No Party Animals Allowed.''