Chaos reigned yesterday morning at Animal Friends, a no-kill animal shelter on Penn Avenue in the Strip District.

Jumping dogs pulling on leashes stood in a line stretching from a table in the vestibule to out the front door waiting to be registered for new, temporary homes.

A few cats waited elsewhere, and, by day's end, the shelter expected to take in more than 50 homeless cats and dogs.

If they hadn't, those dogs and cats wouldn't have been around to mark the new year.

For the eighth consecutive New Year's Eve, shelter staff and volunteers joined forces to rescue every dog and cat scheduled for euthanasia at eight animal control facilities in greater Pittsburgh. The facilities, which pick up stray animals from 78 municipalities in Allegheny, Westmoreland and Washington counties, are only required by law to hold a stray or lost animal for 48 hours before destroying it, although some keep them longer.

The first group of dogs and cats to arrive came from Triangle Pet Control in McKees Rocks, and the number and variety of dogs there even surprised Animal Friends humane officer Kathy Hecker, who conceived the annual New Year's Eve rescue in 1997.

"It was truly mind-boggling," she said. "We know dogs get loose, but most owners are out looking for them, driving around, calling places."

Among the group were a couple of neutered dogs, several beagles, a couple of puppies and five purebreds, including two Labrador retrievers and a schkipperkee, a dog Hecker said would go for $800 in a pet store.

Some of the animals had been housed at Triangle much longer than the minimum time required, a few since before Christmas.

Hecker said she got the idea for the holiday rescue making her biweekly calls at animal control facilities for Animal Friends.

"I would go in and realize how many were put to sleep each year," she said. "We've always rescued some [there was room for], but if we'd take say five, we'd leave five."

Animal Friends estimated 60 percent of unclaimed dogs are euthanized.

To make room for the animals rescued yesterday, Animal Friends sent their current residents to volunteer foster families.

Arriving animals were treated as if they were at an expensive spa.

Take, for example, the big brown dog that looked very much like a purebred chocolate Labrador.

First he got a name -- Cogsworth, for a character in "Beauty and the Beast," and an ID tag. (All the rescues were given Disney character names).

Then he got a spacious cage complete with blankets, two toys and water bowl and a walk around the Strip.

A bath in a spacious tub followed, and there he sat politely while dirt was rubbed out of his fur.

Next came another short walk before heading upstairs to the veterinary area where three vet technicians gave him an exam, a nasal vaccine and a distemper shot. Judged to be about 3, he was in good shape save for a yeast infection in his ears, which the techs immediately treated.

Then, completely dry and shiny, he went to have his picture taken for the Animal Friends Web site. He sat as requested.

A volunteer admired his coat and beauty and commented, "He'll be adopted as soon as his picture goes up on the Internet."

For more information about animals available for adoption, go to www.animal-friends.org.