Dog-adoption event: a lot to wag about

Waking up from a nap, the 3-month-old Chesapeake Bay retriever/Lab looked a bit dazed, blinking her amber eyes in slow motion.

She then shifted to snuggle a bit deeper into the arms of her prospective owner.

"I'm really hoping they'll let me have her 'cause she's really adorable," said Tiffany Walker, 29, of Kirkland. "She just seems like she's a very sweet little dog — well, she'll be a huge dog."

This puppy, with the chocolate-colored coat, was one of 75 dogs from six Washington shelters at Sunday's Spring into Adoption event. Hundreds of kids and adults came to the Academy of Canine Behavior in Bothell to meet the animals; and 68 were adopted by the end of the day. The cost ranged from $150 to $250.

"We're thrilled," said Andrea Logan, president of Pawsitive Alliance. The nonprofit group, dedicated to saving Washington animals from dying in shelters, organized the program. "We're really appreciative of the turnout and support."

Sunday's event was the most successful one in Pawsitive Alliance's three-year history, she said.

Information

More on dog adoption: www.petfinder.com or call your local shelter

Of the seven dogs that weren't adopted, three will go to private rescues, where they can stay indefinitely, and four must be returned to their shelters, where they will be euthanized if the shelter fills up.

Dozens of sedans, SUVs and vans lined the road that curved around a series of green lawns. Just outside the academy's brick walls, a Dalmatian sat in a green Toyota, waiting for its owners to bring another dog to play with.

One family wheeled a white terrier into the academy in the lower basket of their child's stroller. Another took a 40-pound, 5-month-old Saint Bernard home.

Under rows of fluorescent lights and ceiling fans, some adults carried children, and others carried dogs. Most people ignored the occasional chorus of yelps and barks, and concentrated on making their way through the crowd to find just the right dog.

But Walker knew what she was looking for. A fish-shaped yellow squeak toy peeked out from the pocket of her red sweat shirt as she cuddled the pup she'd named Daisy. Walker's friend Margo Cassidy, 29, of Bellevue, stood beside her and filled out the adoption papers.

"She rented a house with a backyard just so she could have a dog," said Cassidy, who came to get Walker a 30th-birthday present.

"My girlfriends chipped in and bought me a dog three years ago," she said. "So it's time to return the favor."

Walker, who's never had a dog since she left her parents' house, grew up with mixed breeds. "They're a lot of fun," she said. "I wanted to get a rescue dog or a dog from a shelter. There's just so many puppies that need homes."

For years, Walker lived vicariously through Cassidy's beagle, Buddy.

But she won't have to anymore. On Sunday afternoon, just as the skies began to clear, she drove off wearing a smile, with Daisy in the passenger seat.

Judy Chia Hui Hsu: 206-464-3315 or jhsu@seattletimes.com