At a Maple Grove pet shop, the first Saturday of every month takes on a market atmosphere as people crowd around wire cages of dogs and cats, and as barking is heard throughout the store.

The first Saturday is when Homeward Round brings about 60 dogs and cats to Petco in the hopes the animals will go home with new families.

Homeward Bound, a nonprofit dog rescue and placement organization, came into being about nine years ago when Cheryl Adams rescued 39 dogs from a puppy mill that had shut down. Adams took the dogs to her hobby farm in Monticello and has been in the animal adoption business ever since. She is now licensed to keep up to 30 animals on her own property and has recruited 12 volunteer "foster parents" to keep from one to four animals each.

Most of the dogs in Homeward Bound are rescued from animal impound facilities, where they would otherwise be euthanized. Often these animals are dirty and emaciated and sometimes have been abused.

One time, said volunteer Cheri Friedman, the organization received five Doberman puppies which had been chained together and dropped off at the side of a road. Another dog, a black and white Border Collie mix, was beaten so badly he could not walk.

VET CHECK
All of the animals received by Homeward Bound are checked by a veterinarian and are vaccinated against disease. If they are over 6 months old, the pets are also neutered or spayed. Adoption fees help pay for these expenses. The animals then go to foster homes, where they receive loving care and proper socialization training until new homes can be found for them.

Some of the dogs available for adoption have special needs, said Adams. Several are blind, some have deformities and some have behavior difficulties. Others, like a Shar Pei and Labrador mix named Lily, have long-term recuperation problems.

Lily, abandoned at a veterinarian's office after being hit by a car, was taken in by Homeward Bound volunteers Jonathan and Joan Kurlander. She had a broken pelvis and her hind legs were also broken.

"We were in turmoil about whether she could have surgery or had to have euthanasia," said Jonathan Kurlander, who is also Homeward Bound's web master. But Lily was too happy and too nice to put to sleep, he said. So a veterinary orthopedic surgeon at the University of Minnesota re-paired as much of the damage as necessary and ordered a course of physical therapy.

"The therapist teaches us how to do the exercises," said Joan Kurlander. '"It looks like she should make a full recovery, and in a year you'll never know. She has a wonderful temperament and is doing extremely well."

Lily will be ready for adoption in about three months, said the Kurlanders, and is expected to live a full life.

ADOPTION DAY
On adoption day at Petco, people browse amongst the cages that hold purebred and mixed breed dogs, puppies, cats and kittens, reading the profiles on each animal. If a dog interests them, they are encouraged to take the leashed animal for a walk in the grassy area behind the store to help them decide if they are a good fit for each other. On Saturday, Nov. 3, 20 dogs and five cats were adopted from Homeward Bound, said Friedman.

Besides bringing dogs and cats to Maple Grove, Homeward Bound also goes to Fridley, Eagan and Eden Prairie on the second, third and fourth Saturdays of the month, respectively.

For further information about Homeward Bound, call 612-721-0275 or look on the Internet at mnhomewardbound.com. The organization also has need of volunteers of all ages, and is happy to work with scouts or other students looking for community service projects.

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