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Wednesday, December 18, 2002

In the first two years of his life, Zeus has been homeless twice through no fault of his own. Both times he was rescued by angels.

But Christmas will be merry this year for Zeus and many animals who have new homes, thanks to private individuals who find loving homes for cast-off animals.

Zeus was adopted in September by Mary Ann and Dave Linkes of Brentwood.

"Zeus is a wonderful dog and has become an important part of our family already," Mary Ann Linkes wrote in an e-mail to me, just three weeks after he entered their home. "We feel so lucky to have found him. He has brought an enormous amount of joy and happiness into our lives. We adopted Zeus from Angels for Animals.

"It would be wonderful if you could mention Angels for Animals and Jessie Klepsic in Pet Tales."

Klepsic has been taking homeless dogs -- one or two at a time -- into her home in Eighty Four for the past six years. She housebreaks them and socializes them and gives them the same love and care her own pets receive. When she finds them a permanent home, she rescues another dog.

Angels for Animals is simply Klepsic and Christine Wittman, a Finleyville chiropractor who treats both people and animals. They don't have the big mailing lists or fund-raising capabilities of big shelters. They just get by with the help of animal lovers.

Klepsic and other small rescues get a big assist from Ricki Campitella, who operates Camp Haven Kennels in Monongahela. Although her state-of-the art kennel is primarily a boarding facility for pets, she frequently takes in rescue dogs for a very low fee. She also trains and socializes the rescue dogs.

Campitella is also the animal control officer for Monessen, Donora and seven other municipalities. She works with small rescue groups to find new homes for many of the dogs she picks up.

Klepsic met Zeus as a puppy. He and six littermates were born outside in December 2000. Their mother had been dumped in rural Washington and had been surviving and scavenging on her own for two years.

A woman with a kind heart but limited resources called Klepsic to tell her about the canine family.

Klepsic took them in and cared for them until they were big enough to be adopted. She paid their veterinarian bills, including a spay operation for the mother. It was fairly easy to find homes for adorable puppies. Klepsic even found a wonderful Mt. Lebanon home for the mother dog, who for so long had no home, no owner and no love.

Zeus and one of his sisters were adopted together. They had a great home for two years, until their family moved and said they could not take the dogs with them.

Both were returned to their rescuer.

"His sister got adopted right away, but Zeus didn't seem to connect with anyone," Klepsic said. The 80-pound dog spent nearly four months in Campitella's kennel.

Zeus found a home in Brentwood through word-of-mouth and Internet e-mail lists. A friend had recommended that the Linkeses contact Angels for Animals after both of their dogs -- Bonnie, a 12-year-old collie, and Panda, a 16-year-old Shih Tzu -- died within months of each other.

Mary Ann and Dave Linkes were looking for a collie or a collie mix. They were thrilled when Klepsic said one of her available dogs was a collie mix. But Zeus looked like a yellow Labrador retriever mix.

The couple met Zeus, fell in love with him and took him home. But in less than a week, they said they couldn't keep him because he was aggressive.

"I worked with Zeus for months. That dog was fully trained when he left here and he was not aggressive," Campitella said. "Some dogs are like kids. They try to get over on you, and you have to show them who is boss. I talked to them on the phone for at least 45 minutes and assured them Zeus would not hurt anyone."

Mary Ann Linkes picks up the story from here.

"We did have a few problems at first. Zeus bonded so well and so quickly to me and my husband and he became very protective when visitors came near us.

"We were concerned about his protective nature, but we were able to work things out. We love him and wouldn't trade him for anything!"

The latest update came last week.

"Zeus is doing great!" Linkes said in an e-mail. "He's a big happy guy. ... He has been a good boy and he and our cat, Dusty, are anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival."

Here's what Klepsic and Campitella want for Christmas: a home for their latest waif. Red resembles a red Doberman pinscher, though he weighs only 45 pounds. He's 2 years old, housebroken, sweet with people and nonaggressive with other dogs.

Neither Klepsic, who has four dogs, nor Campitella, who has six dogs, can keep Red.

"Red just wants to play, and he is very high-energy," Klepsic said. "He needs a nice fenced yard or an owner who enjoys frequent long walks."

Klepsic can be contacted at 724-941-5737.. Campitella can be reached at 724-258-9110.