Legend has it that William Pitt owned a Great Dane, which may be why this German breed became the official state dog of Pennsylvania. And while you might not think the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show is a good place to find one of these huge dogs, you would be wrong.

Once again, members of the Dane Connection will be at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to find potential adopters. This rescue arm of the Great Dane Club of Western Pennsylvania is one of many shelters and rescue groups that have been working the show for years. Maria Scuglia of Millvale, the club's treasurer, said the group has averaged 30 to 60 rescues per year for the 14 years they have been placing Danes.

Ms. Scuglia says the home show is a great place to introduce people to this large breed. Visitors can meet a Dane at the booth throughout most of the show's 10 days, but unlike the animals brought by some of the other four rescue groups, these Danes are not up for adoption. They are club members' pets. The goal of the booth, Ms. Scuglia said, is to find prospective adopters and to educate the public about the breed.

		Where to find a friend • Animal Friends: 662 Camp Horne Road, Ohio Township; 412-847-7000; www.thinkingoutsidethecage.org. • Going Home Greyhounds: 724-935-6298; www.goinghomegreyhounds.org. • Great Dane Club of Western Pennsylvania: gdcwpa.googlepages.com. • Steel City Greyhounds:412-362-2470; www.steelcitygreyhounds.org. • Western Pennsylvania Humane Society: 1101 Western Ave., North Side; 412-321-4625; www.wpahumane.org.

"They are wonderful family dogs," she says. "Great Danes are easy -- they are so eager to please. But they are a sight hound, so they have to be trained."

Sight hounds respond to movement, especially by smaller animals, which, in a Great Dane's case, means every other dog or cat. Danes are 28 to 32 inches tall at the shoulders and can weigh 120 pounds. All rescue dogs are evaluated for temperament and behavior, and Ms. Scuglia stresses that no dogs are ever placed if there is a question about aggressiveness. Danes should never be aggressive, she says; they are not a guard breed. Most of the dogs the group places come in from referrals, owner relinquishment, abuse cases and occasionally from local shelters. They do not foster any mixed Danes because of possible behavior issues.

Adopters can expect to get an animal that has been spayed or neutered and brought up to date on vaccines. Many also come with complete health histories. The $200 adoption fee covers medical expenses.

Once a dog is accepted into the program, it is always in the program. That means that if there are issues or problems, the dog can be returned. The goal of the group is to make sure that doesn't happen. Dane owners realize better than most that the breed may not be right for everyone.

While rescued Great Danes are finite in number, there are more than enough retired track greyhounds to go around, says Marci Anderson of Steel City Greyhounds. Her group and another, Going Home Greyhounds, will be at the show in hopes of snagging homes for deserving dogs and promoting awareness of their breed.

"We can't catch up to the numbers of dogs [available for adoption]," says Ms. Anderson. "[The kennels] will call us and tell us how many greyhounds they have, and we bring [back] two, three or four [for adoption]. Every little bit helps."

Greyhounds are normally retired from racing between the ages of 2 and 5 years old. Since they can live to be 12 or older, adopters will have plenty of years to enjoy their pet.

Colleen Smith of Going Home Greyhounds says that these dogs make wonderful, low-key companions that will spend lots of time sleeping. People who adopt an animal from her group can expect to get a pet that's been fostered in a home environment, spayed or neutered, and totally up-to-date on shots. They are also crate-trained. The dogs from Steel City are fostered in a kennel and are also crate-trained, spayed and up-to-date on vaccines. Most of the greyhounds at both groups' booths are the pets of club members. Fees to adopt range between $220 and $250 per dog.

Be careful, though. Greyhounds are a little like potato chips; nobody seems to be able to have just one. Ms. Smith says about 75 percent of the people who adopt one end up coming back for another.

If you want to choose from a wide variety of animals, both dogs and cats, then the Humane Society and Animal Friends are the booths to visit. Both shelters will have animals on hand that are actively looking for homes. Joanna Guziewicz, director of training at the Humane Society, says the home show is a great boon to the shelter in both finding homes for pets and garnering donations for their work.

"Normally, we have at least four animals [at the show] at any time," she says. "We are constantly rotating the animals."

Of course, only very social animals attend the show, but they have many more seeking homes back at the shelter. Potential adopters are screened, and there is a follow-up once the animals go to a new home.

"All are spayed or neutered and up to date on vaccines before they leave the shelter," Ms. Guziewicz says. "With puppies, we have obedience training classes, which are included in the adoption fee. [With] older dogs, you can choose to add that to the adoption for a reduced fee."

If you adopt one of the more aggressive breeds, like pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds or mixes of those breeds, they'll also require obedience training. Adoption fees vary and are determined by the age of the pet. The least expensive is $50 for an adult cat.

Animal Friends has been taking part in the home show for about five years, special events coordinator Nicole Larocco says. The shelter has about 50 dogs and 150 to 200 cats at any given time in shelter or foster homes. Because it is a no-kill shelter, there is usually a list of animals waiting to come in. And while they believe that every pet can find a home, they also realize that may take time and patience.

"We have a behavior team. We have an evaluation committee. If we have extreme circumstances, you need to seek the right family and get [the pet] mentally fit and behaviorally fit. We look for the right home, and we will hold the dog as long as we need to," Ms. Larocco says.

As with the other groups, all dogs leaving Animal Friends are spayed or neutered, up to date on vaccines and have microchips imbedded under the skin for identification if they are lost. Adoption fees range from $75 to $100.

Some people who adopt pets at the home show were already looking for one. Others are surprised to find just the right dog or cat among the hot tubs and landscape pavers.

"Anytime you can have that much exposure for an animal, it's amazing how quickly [a person] can fall in love," says Ms. Guziewicz.