DATE: Monday, June 30, 1997                 TAG: 9706280576

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MARK EDELEN, PILOT ONLINE, STAFF 

                                            LENGTH:   78 lines

TAP THE WEB IF YOU'RE SEEKING AN AMICABLE 4-LEGGED COMPANION

Tiger is looking for a home.

A 2-year-old female beagle, she's a ``very sweet dog,'' good with children, dogs and cats. And she looks fairly attentive. Taylor, an 11-month-old Dalmatian who sits on command, needs a new family, too.

I've been visiting Tiger, Taylor and their friends, virtually and in reality, while deciding whether and where to get a dog. They were both featured last week on Barney's Friends, a Web site created by hamptonroads.com for the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

But looking for a shelter dog around Hampton Roads isn't easy. I've driven to the Norfolk SPCA near downtown, the Animal Assistance League of Virginia in Chesapeake, and the Virginia Beach SPCA way out Holland Road.

That's where the Web comes in handy. You can virtually ``visit'' the shelters, if only to check on their hours and locations, review adoption policies and e-mail a question.

So far, however, only with the Virginia Beach SPCA can you actually get a look at dogs and cats up for adoption. Every two weeks, four or five possible pets are profiled, with photos, on Barney's Friends.

``I'd love it if we could have every animal online,'' said Elisabeth Martingayle, development director for the Beach SPCA, but the expense of film and developing is prohibitive. The burgeoning technology of online video could help one day.

The Virginia Beach SPCA also has a volunteer-created second site with the newsletter, directions, a calendar, the shelter's adoption policy, advice for new dog or cat owners, and volunteer opportunities.

You'll find much of the same information on the Web site for the Norfolk SPCA. Besides reading up on issues to consider before adopting a pet and ``All About Rabbits,'' you can e-mail executive director Karen Pinneo.

``What's so funny is I have had a tremendous response from other countries,'' Pinneo said. From South Africa came an e-mail asking what to do about a stray cat hanging around the writer's front door.

Why people from South Africa would write to an animal shelter in Virginia, Pinneo has no idea. But, in the spirit of the global Internet, she replies as best she can.

The Animal Assistance League of Virginia doesn't have an official site, but a volunteer has posted the Chesapeake shelter's adoption policy and contact information. There's a similar small site for the Peninsula SPCA in Newport News.

Before starting my dog hunt, though, I still wasn't certain what breed to consider. The American Kennel Club online offers the full list of AKC-recognized breeds and their physical characteristics, plus a directory of the National Breed Club Rescue Network.

Even better is the Breed FAQ Homepage, which compiles FAQs (frequently asked questions) on dozens of breeds first posted to the rec.pets.dogs newsgroup.

Of Tiger and her fellow beagles, it says, ``most hounds are somewhat more challenging to train.'' Taylor and other Dalmatians? ``Dal owners must take an active part in exercising their dogs; having a fenced yard is not enough.''

Unfortunately, neither beagles nor Dalmatians came up when I filled out the Purina Dog Breed Selector. The online quiz asks you questions about either the dog traits you like, or your personality, and suggests breeds to match.

I'm not sure what to make of the fact that the dog-trait quiz pegged me as a Labrador retriever kind of guy, while my personality test suggested Lhasa apso. I'm afraid I have a lot more Web research and shelters visits ahead of me.

What about cats? Don't worry, I haven't forgotten them. I have a cat myself, who likes to walk across my computer keyboard. I think he's either trying to click to Cat Fanciers - a broad index of cat information, links and a mailing list - or attempting to order the Vet the Victim catnip toy from Cats, Cats & More Cats, an online catalog.

PETA principle: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Norfolk-based animals rights group, has an extensive Web site. Current or prospective pet owners may be interested in a survey on vegetarian dogs, or ``companion animals'' Factsheets on topics such as the ideal shelter, puppy mills, and declawing cats.

Attention, AOLers: An upcoming column will offer advice for getting the most out of the Internet through America Online. If you have questions, or can share tips, e-mail us at (pilot(AT)pilotonline.com).

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