Friends for Pets Offers Sporting Dogs Workshop

Dalmatians, pointers, Weimaraners and Labradors. They’re great dogs--but they need a lot of TLC.

The Friends for Pets Foundation is holding a special workshop today in Northridge on how to take care of sporting breeds, which have special diet needs and sometimes quirky behavior. A dozen dogs will be on display, including those up for adoption.

The workshop will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Washington Mutual, 9055 Reseda Blvd. It will give prospective dog owners a chance to interact with the animals and see if the breeds are for them, said Diane Monahan, director of the nonprofit group.

“These dogs are intelligent animals with a great sense of humor,” Monahan said. “But they have special needs, like being fed two or three times a day. If people don’t know how to take care of them, they’re going to have a dead dog on their hands.”

Friends for Pets helps find homes for sporting dogs that have been abandoned. The Sun Valley organization has 85 dogs up for adoption.

On Feb. 28, Friends for Pets will hold a silent auction at the Radisson Center Valley Hotel in Sherman Oaks. For more information call (818) 767-5919.