
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 11, 1995                   TAG: 9502140023
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WANTED: DREAM HOME FOR DUKE

Duke was to get a new home this weekend with people caring enough to tame his wild-dog ways and space large enough for him to live as freely as he had for two years on a small stretch of Orange Avenue in Northeast Roanoke.

The Roanoke Valley Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals accepted applications from people who wanted to adopt Duke - captured by animal-control officers Jan. 29 - until Friday. A committee of SPCA administrators and representatives of the League for Animal Protection - a Roanoke group that is helping to find Duke the proper home - had planned to select a new owner from a pool of about 20 applications Friday.

Instead, they chose to extend the application deadline for two weeks.

``All of [the applicants] were just great people,'' said Al Alexander, executive director of the SPCA shelter. ``But they either had too many pets, or didn't have a fence, or someone was not going to be with the dog on a regular basis.''

For two years, Duke eluded animal-control officers, dodging traffic and living carefree on a diet of hot dogs and spaghetti supplied by employees of the East Coast Oil gas station on Orange Avenue and by nearby residents. One resident said Duke showed up in the area two years ago, badly beaten and wearing a collar so tight it cut into his skin.

Duke made the streets his home, accepting the care that people offered. But he ran from them, never getting close enough to be petted. He was hit by a car once, and retreated to the woods to heal rather than let a passing motorist help him.

Duke ``needs undivided attention in getting him socialized,'' said Waine Tomlinson, president of the League for Animal Protection. ``He's not mean at all. There's not a mean thing about him. He's just a little bit timid and shy.''

So the SPCA and the league have set adoption criteria for Duke. His new owner must have:

A fence 5 to 6 feet high.

Someone home on a regular basis.

A willingness to invest time and money for optimum care.

No more than one other pet, for maximum attention.

``Special attention has been afforded him because of the special circumstances,'' Alexander said. ``Duke is unique. The kid's been on his own a long time.''

Duke will serve as a poster dog of sorts for a new microchip-implant technology that allows lost animals to be identified by animal shelters or veterinarians with a scanner.

The procedure involves injecting a microchip into a pet's ear. If a pet is picked up by an animal shelter that has a scanner, the animal's microchip can be scanned to identify its owner.

Duke's microchip is expected to be inserted next week. Given Duke's past, he was considered the ``perfect candidate,'' Alexander said.

``Duke, to me, is setting an example that all pet owners should think about: taking care of their animals,'' he said. ``When he leaves our hands, he's going to have what we want for every animal that leaves here.''

Those interested in Duke should call Al Alexander at the SPCA, 344-4840. Applications will be accepted until Feb. 24.

by CNB