WAG THE DOG; RENT-A-DOG HELPS LICK PET-ADOPTION PROBLEM.Byline: Carol Bidwell Daily News Staff Writer Want to meet that cute bachelor in the next building who walks his bulldog bulldog, breed of thick-set nonsporting dog developed in the British Isles many centuries ago. It stands from 13 to 15 in. (33–38.1 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 40 to 50 lb (18.1–22.7 kg). in the morning? Got a yen to play Frisbee on the beach with a high-jumping hound hound, classification used by breeders and kennel clubs to designate dogs bred to hunt animals. Most of the dogs in this group hunt by scent, their quarry ranging from such large game as bear or elk to small game and vermin; ground scenters trail slowly with the head ? Or jog in the park with a glad-to-be-with-you canine? Camp Happy Dog's Rent-A-Dog program may be just the answer. Actually, the program - which offers all-day and all-night visits with abused and abandoned dogs who have been rescued and are being resocialized for adoption - is misnamed mis·name tr.v. mis·named, mis·nam·ing, mis·names To call by a wrong name. misnamed Adjective having an inappropriate or misleading name: . There's no rental involved, no fee for taking a dog out. Would-be dog-sitters just have to convince animal rescuer June Roberts they're ``responsible and dog-smart.'' ``The nicest thing somebody could do is to come by and pick up a dog who's been here a long time and take it to the dog park or take it to the beach,'' said Roberts, a Studio City screenwriter who heads the nonprofit Neva Foundation, which finds new homes for abandoned and abused dogs. ``Some people have them sleep over, some take them to barbecues where they can socialize so·cial·ize v. so·cial·ized, so·cial·iz·ing, so·cial·iz·es v.tr. 1. To place under government or group ownership or control. 2. To make fit for companionship with others; make sociable. with people.'' The 5-month-old enterprise was the brainchild brain·child n. An original idea or plan attributed to a person or group. brainchild Noun Informal an idea or plan produced by creative thought Noun 1. of Roberts and Camp Happy Dog owners Deborah Nabb and Nick Deleo. Nabb and Deleo had opened their Sherman Oaks day-care center day-care center: see day nursery. for dogs about five months earlier and had begun to look for ways to become involved in pet rescue efforts. That was about the same time Roberts was looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a place to socialize and showcase dogs up for adoption. Together, they came up with the idea for the Rent-A-Dog program. Roberts brings two to six Neva dogs - many of them roly-poly puppies - to Camp Happy Dog every day. People who ``rent'' a dog for a day include those who are thinking about owning a dog but need some convincing, people actively looking for a dog to adopt or just dog lovers who don't live in a place where they can have a dog ``and need a dog fix once in awhile,'' Roberts said. Since the Rent-A-Dog program began, more than a dozen Neva dogs have found new homes, either with people who've ``rented'' them for the day, their friends or dog owners who've seen the dogs when they come to pick up their own pooches from day care. Most of the dogs the Neva Foundation rescues come from dire situations and are fortunate to find good homes. ``We get most of our dogs from dumpsters - sometimes only 2 or 3 hours old. People just throw them away,'' Roberts said. ``And a lot of people just move and leave the dog locked in the garden. Sometimes it's a month before a Realtor finds them, and by then they're not even ambulatory. It takes months to nurse them back to health.'' A typical success story involves a golden retriever golden retriever, breed of large sporting dog developed primarily in Scotland in the mid-19th cent. It stands about 23 in. (58.4 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 60 to 75 lb (27.2–34.1 kg). puppy who had been badly abused. He played during the day with the camp dogs and went home at night with one of the trainers. ``He was so shy, so scared,'' Roberts said. ``One week later, he was adopted into a really loving home with three cats.'' Tyrone, a fuzzy-faced abandoned pup with a Benji-like appeal, immediately caught Nabb's eye. She called her friend, Dana Weinberg of Encino, and urged her to adopt the little fellow - even though Weinberg wasn't sure she wanted to take in a second dog. ``She walked in the door and said, `He's perfect,' '' Nabb said. ``Tyrone had a home.'' ``There are just too many dogs that don't have homes and that are going to be put to sleep,'' Weinberg said, rubbing Tyrone's belly. ``I couldn't imagine this one not having a life. Now, I go home and my kids are screaming and yelling, but the dogs are licking Licking, river, c.320 mi (515 km) long, rising in E Ky. and flowing NW to the Ohio River opposite Cincinnati; the North and South Forks are its chief tributaries. me and loving me. It's unconditional love This article is about concept of unconditional love. For other uses, see Unconditional love (disambiguation). Unconditional love is a concept that means showing love towards someone regardless of his or her actions or beliefs. - and it's great.'' If there's a major success story to come out of the adoption program, it's Sam, a mixed-breed dog A mixed-breed dog (also called a mutt, crossbreed, mongrel, a bitsa, tyke, cur, or random-bred dog) is a dog that has characteristics of more than two breeds, or is a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations. with ears like a donkey's. His owner moved and gave Sam up; it took six months to find him a new owner. ``We thought he'd need lots of room to run around, but his new owner has a 58-foot trimaran,'' Deleo said. ``Sam stands on the front with the wind in his face, and he's a happy dog. Sam is a sailor, and life is good. ``The important thing we learned from that is there is a dog for every person and a person for every dog.'' CAPTION(S): 4 Photos Photo: (1--Cover--Color) FOR RENT Rescue group pairs up pooches with day trippers day tripper n → excursionista m/f day tripper n → excursionniste m/f day tripper n → gitante Tina Gerson/Daily News (2--3) Abandoned puppies and full-grown canines are taken in at Camp Happy Dog. Below, Dana Weinberg, who already owned a dog, couldn't say no to adopting Tyrone. (4) Camp co-founder Deborah Nabb hands out doggie treats. David Sprague/Daily News |
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