LONELY CATS, DOGS WAIT FOR FAMILIES TO BEFRIEND.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

John Reed and his two children stopped by the pet adoption area at Petco the day after Christmas to pat the dogs looking for homes.

But they had no intention of leaving the store with one.

``We already have a dog,'' Reed said. ``We don't have room for two. We thought it would be nice if they came over to look at (the dogs). They love animals.''

Volunteers for the Living Is For Everyone Animal Rescue shelter met a lot of lookers but few takers the day after Christmas as most customers bought food and supplies for pets they already have.

``Before Christmas, they got a lot more adoptions because people were looking for pets as presents for their kids,'' said Molly Vandewater, a Petco employee.

Agoura-based LIFE brought along two dogs and five cats to the store, as well as four dogs and 12 cats to the Petsmart in Westlake Village - less than half the numbers they usually attempt to give away at the two stores each Saturday.

From 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., volunteers had given away only one dog and one cat.

Furthermore, volunteers anticipate an increase in unwanted pets in the coming months as owners realize they don't have as much time and energy as they thought.

``People do in the shops, they see a cute puppy and say, oh, can I buy it?'' said Chad Warner, a volunteer. ``They buy it on the spur of the moment. They don't realize you are taking a life into your home and you have to take care of it for the next 15 years.''

Each year, the nonprofit organization run by 25 volunteers gives away about 400 cats and 200 dogs who have already been house-trained, fixed and given immunization shots.

Most of them come from the Camarillo Animal Shelter, which puts stray animals to death if they are not picked up by their owners or adopted within two weeks.

``We only take out the dogs (and cats) we can place easily,'' Warner said.

LIFE generally is able to find homes for dogs and cats within four weeks, although with its no-kill policy, it has kept pets for up to eight months. Donations by applicants of $100 per dog and $85 per cat go toward the group's annual expenses, which include $35,000 in veterinarian bills, $8,000 for food and $2,000 for supplies.

Volunteers conduct home checks before giving away a pet.

At Petco, a shepherd-collie named Dolly and a border collie-Labrador named Cameo spent the day waiting for someone to take them home.

``They both absolutely love other dogs,'' said Emily Bernie, who has run LIFE for six years. ``They have to go to a house with another dog so they can play.''

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PHOTO (Color in Conejo Edition only) Dolly, a shepherd-collie mix, frolics with animal adoption volunteer Linda Szema while awaiting a family to go home with Monday at the Thousand Oaks Petco.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News