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One Long Island pound puppy finds a home

BY MICHAEL AMON | michael.amon@newsday.com

8:53 PM EST, November 9, 2008

It was a case of dog smites man.

Kenneth Znack and son Daniel were hooked Sunday morning the minute they saw Ruffo, a 3-year-old poodle with big, vulnerable eyes at the North Shore Animal League in Port Washington.

"My husband was immediately drawn to him. He went right to that cage and didn't leave," said Theresa Znack, 44. Daniel, 9, looked at Ruffo and turned to his mother: "Mommy, this is my dog."

The Hicksville family was smitten without knowing of Ruffo's recent turn in the spotlight. Newsday and NBC Nightly News had run stories featuring Ruffo as the type of canine President-elect Barack Obama's family was considering adopting - a hypoallergenic shelter dog.

"One of the employees said to us: 'Did you know this dog was famous?' " Theresa Znack said. "We knew absolutely nothing."

Within a couple of hours, Theresa had filled out the adoption paperwork and Ruffo was the newest member of the Znack family. It was the end of a long journey for Ruffo, who was brought to the animal league recently after being found in New York City by the Manhattan Rescue Animal Care and Control Center.

Two other dogs featured in Sunday's Newsday, one at the North Shore Animal League, and another at the Glen Cove Animal Lovers League, are not yet ready for adoption, though inquiries poured in, officials said. Yoda, a male Lhasa apso at the Oyster Bay Town Animal Shelter, is available, but the shelter is closed Sundays.

Though the Znacks and Obamas had similar dogs in mind - hypoallergenic and from a shelter - the similarities end there. The Obamas need a hypoallergenic pooch because of daughter Malia's allergies, while the Znacks were more concerned about a clean house (such dogs don't shed as much as others). And while adopting from a shelter has been a Znack tradition, the Obamas face pressure from animal rights groups.

The Znacks had another pressing consideration: Would Ruffo hit if off with their other dog, Patch, an 8-year-old shih tzu-poodle mix? Kenneth Znack brought Patch to the shelter.

"They sort of got acquainted," Theresa Znack said over the sound of barking. "They're getting along fine, except when Ruffo sits in Patch's bed."