NEW HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS? SHELTER'S ANIMALS ARE WAITING.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

CASTAIC - With a placement rate of nearly 100 percent, Sgt. Jerry White and the staff of the Castaic animal shelter are getting ready for the holidays.

More than 20 puppies, fostered out to volunteers until the pets are old enough to be placed, will have their pictures on a holiday tree Saturday at the shelter.

The pups themselves will arrive at the shelter Tuesday, just in time for Christmas.

``We have a hard time keeping dogs here,'' said White, the man in charge of the shelter, speaking as he walked toward the kennel. The sound of his footsteps set off a series of barks and howls.

White attributed the excellent placement rate to the good economics and rapid growth of the Santa Clarita Valley. ``Lots of people moving in want a pet,'' he said.

Almost every cage in the cinder-block building had a 'wish card' made by local Girl Scouts of some basic needs that visitors to the shelter could sponsor.

``Old towels and blankets to keep me warm in the winter (no comforters or sleeping bags) are what I want for the holidays,'' read a card on the cage of a shepherd mix with soulful eyes.

Other cards had requests for simple things like liquid bleach for purification or soft, elevated beds to ward off the cold while the animals await adoption.

``This is what you call a dog pile,'' White said, smiling broadly as he opened the gate on one pen that held nine 8-week-old Australian shepherd/Labrador mix puppies, all cuddled together like a crazy quilt of fur. The pups were another group of ``foster dogs'' raised by volunteers and now ready for placement.

Six of the nine puppies had ``Sold'' cards hanging outside the gate latch and a young man lingering nearby while White closed the gate added another card to the bunch.

White motioned to the other kennels, most of them occupied by dogs of varying ages.

``There's a lot to be said for adult dogs. You don't have to put up with the puppy stuff of tearing up furniture and housebreaking, usually,'' he said, chucking a shepherd mix under the chin.

``Look at this face,'' he said. ``Doesn't that look say, 'Will you throw my ball?'''

Animals placed from the shelter aren't really sold, but the county recoups the cost of inoculations and spaying or neutering with the minimum amounts charged.

Adoption costs at the county shelters vary from $50 for puppies and $41 to $49 for kittens up to $69 for adult dogs and $54 for adult cats. The fees include spaying or neutering, initial vaccines and an examination from a participating veterinarian. License fees of $10-15 for dogs and $5 for cats are separate.

A special campaign, the Save Program, provides $32 adoptions of any animal; these adoptions are restricted to one per family and do not include a license.

In an adjacent building, christened The Weste Wing after well-known animal advocate and Santa Clarita Councilwoman Laurene Weste, several

cats sunned themselves, napped on cushions or nuzzled their faces against visitors' legs in hope of a back rub.

``These are all available,'' White said, scratching the ears of a marmalade-colored, long-haired cat. ``We have this room so people can get to know them a little before taking them home.''

Other kittens and older cats filled two banks of cages in the entry way to The Weste Wing, many of them meowing to get attention, the brave ones sticking out a paw to touch passers-by.

In 2002, 1,001 dogs and cats were placed from the Castaic shelter and 382 animals were returned to their owners. White said with placement rates up, euthanasia rates are going down, most likely because all animals leaving the shelter are spayed or neutered before leaving.

``We've been pushing more toward education,'' he said. ``It definitely has had an effect on the euthanasia rate. But we're doing well. I've always said I'd like to see me lose my job because there was nothing left to do.''

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) In Castaic's animal shelter Thursday, cats awaiting new homes for Christmas roam freely in the Weste Wing, named after animal advocate and Santa Clarita Councilwoman Laurene Weste.

(2) Nine 8-week-old Australian shepherd/Labrador mix puppies cuddle together like a crazy quilt of fur at the Castaic animal shelter. On Thursday, six of them were already spoken for.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer