PEACE OF MIND FOR SALE AT UNIQUE SAFETY STORE.

Byline: Elizabeth M. Cosin Daily News Staff Writer

It is a moment Katherine Faulkner will never forget. Valentine's Day in the May Co. parking lot in North Hollywood, just after closing. Alone and heading to her car, three men suddenly behind her, and nowhere to run.

She heard the sound of footsteps. Then one of the men rushed her from behind, grabbed her purse and knocked her toward the ground. Locked in her memory is the moment, seemingly infinite, when she met the glare of one of her attackers, wondering what was to come next.

But Faulkner let out a scream she didn't know she had, and they took off into the night. In her dreams, she still sees her purse, swinging back and forth in the grasp of one of the thieves.

It is an important, lasting image to the Valley native and her sister, Kim, who searched for years to try and find something that would assuage their fears and feelings of vulnerability. Katherine tried carrying a gun, despite her aversion to such weapons. She also tried mace and other self-defense gadgets.

``There's times in everyone's lives where something happens that they have no control of, and all they think about is how it would be different if they had had control,'' says Katherine, 36, who lives with her three children in North Hollywood. ``I guess we wanted to see if we could give people that control.''

Now she's traded the gun in for a 2,000-volt stun baton - and a whole lot of confidence that has more to do with what she has done about her fears than what she carries under her jacket.

Kim and Katherine have come up with what they believe is a unique service, particularly to Valley women and their children. It's a store called Mr. Watchdog, which offers self-defense classes and a wide range of safety and protection items.

Need mace or pepper spray, a bike lock or an earthquake preparedness kit? The Faulkners have what you need, plus a whole lot of other stuff, from child-proof covers for your range to car and house alarms and a new self-defense gizmo that can be used even if you are 15 feet away from your attacker.

Just the kind of thing Katherine wishes she had had with her on that fateful night two years ago.

``You get scared and then angry, and then you want to do something about it,'' says Katherine. ``We want people to feel safer.''

Adds Kim, 41, a Woodland Hills mother of five, ``We also want them to be prepared, to know that there are horrible things out there and they need to learn how to deal with them - and to teach their children, too.''

The two sisters are especially concerned about the safety of children and have invited experts to use space at their Studio City store to hold classes on how to recognize possible abductors and molesters and what to do about it.

``It's so easy for (molesters) to lure children away - you would just be amazed,'' says Kim. ``Easier than most people think.''

To the rescue, they hope, is Mr. Watchdog, which opened in January. The two welcome all to their Ventura Boulevard store, but they want to get the word out - especially to women. They send out fliers on classes and gear specials to women.

``A lot of men come in here thinking it's just another survivalist store,'' says Katherine. ``But it's not that at all. A lot of what we stock is directed at women, from the child-safety stuff to the personal protection equipment. It's been difficult, but we are hoping more women will come in. The ones that have come have told us they are glad we are here.''

``You may never be a victim,'' says Kim. ``But God forbid something does happen, we want people to see that they can be ready for it.''

``Take it from us,'' adds Katherine. ``We know.''

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Photo: Sisters Kim and Katherine Faulkner are spreading the word about self-defense and safety at Mr. Watchdog, their Studio City store offering a full range of personal and home products.

Hans Gutknecht/Daily News