Warm weather signals blooming flowers, chirping birds and a sudden proliferation of pets popping up everywhere -- either in ads offering them "free to a good home" or roaming the streets.

The spring and summer seasons -- which coincide with the most fertile stage in the reproductive cycle of dogs -- also prompt many families to become interested in a new pet, especially purebreds, but supply outweighs demand.

Animal shelters, already overcrowded, become inundated with even more animals every week. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that somewhere between 6 million and 8 million pets are homeless.

So how can you help and still make the best choice for your family? In the New River Valley, you have a few options, and a pet shop is not one of them.

For puppy lovers who have their hearts set on a certain breed, or for families with small children, a responsible breeder could be the best bet.

For those who prefer purebreds but aren't picky about age, or for anyone who wants to give a homeless animal a second chance, breed rescue groups or animal shelters are happy to help.

Breeder will take dog back

A pack of friendly guard dogs greets visitors to Kathy Davieds' home. The veterinarian, who runs a house-call practice in Floyd County, has been breeding Doberman Pinschers for more than 25 years. Along with six adult Dobermans, Davieds shares space with four busy puppies born in January to parents Arlo and Echo.

Davieds estimates that she has produced between 65 and 70 puppies in her years as a breeder, or roughly one litter every two or three years.

Breeders like Davieds don't place ads in the paper. She can be found either by word of mouth or on the Web site for the Doberman Pinscher Club of America.

Having been involved with Dobermans for more than 20 years, Davieds is well-educated on the genetic health problems that can plague the breed. She performs tests on any dog she considers breeding to ensure healthy puppies.

She is knowledgeable of the pedigree of each dog, and breeds her females at most twice during their lives and only after they are mature enough to produce healthy puppies.

She has all of her prospects fill out an extensive questionnaire. If she doesn't have a puppy that fits their profile, she fully refunds their deposit.

"It's better to give them their money back than to make a poor match," she said.

Davieds stresses the importance of educating potential Doberman owners about the pros and cons of the breed, calling them "emotionally high-maintenance Velcro animals" that depend on the companionship of their owners.

The puppies are born in a whelping box in Davieds' family room, and she sleeps on the floor next to the pen for weeks to check on the dogs at night.

They are handled and socialized from birth by Davieds and her assistant, Stonia Bearden, and are adopted out at 2 months of age or older.

By that time, Davieds has made sure that the puppies have been introduced to different noises, temperatures and a variety of flooring textures. To determine which puppies should go to homes with children, the dogs are socialized with Bearden's young son Jamie.

"I like to say that I send them home 'riding the vacuum cleaner,' " Davieds said of her Dobermans' readiness to live in the world.

She keeps several file folders with the info regarding her litters, including the time each puppy was born, when it first climbed out of its whelping box, a pedigree chart, spay and neuter records, and the detailed contract signed by Davieds and the new owners.

Several of Davieds' own Dobermans are certified with Therapy Dogs International Inc., and her contract states that all of the puppies she produces must attend obedience classes and earn K-9 Good Citizen certification. Additionally, the owners are responsible for notifying Davieds of any developments in the puppy's life, including a move, any illnesses or diseases that develop, and the date and cause of the dog's death.

Davieds has a folder full of correspondence with the families of her dogs, including pictures, thank-you notes and update letters.

"You're there for them for life," she said. "Responsible breeding promotes responsible ownership."

Most importantly, in signing the adoption agreement the new owners promise to return the dog to Davieds if they can no longer keep it. She will take any of them back, at any time, for any reason, no questions asked.

"If I can possibly help it, my puppies will never be in an animal shelter, will never be found on the side of the road, and will never be in the paper. They will never cost taxpayer dollars."

'It's like adopting a child'

Julie Secovnie's experience is a testament to that commitment. She shares her home with Sparx, one of Davieds' Dobermans that originally went to a family that decided they could no longer care for the dog when he was 4.

Upholding her end of the contract, Davieds took Sparx back for nearly 10 months until she re-placed him.

"He's wonderful. He has a great Doberman temperament. Once someone's invited into my home, he wags his tail and wants to be friendly," Secovnie said.

Secovnie, who has worked as a dog handler at competitions for more than 35 years, knows Davieds through their work at shows. But she still had to earn Davieds' approval before adopting Sparx.

"It's like adopting a child, all the clearance you have to do," Secovnie said.

But she didn't mind. Davieds' diligence is one of the reasons Secovnie trusts her. She knew she was getting a quality dog that would provide her with companionship.

However, in her years as a breeder, Davieds has encountered plenty of criticism. Even after co-founding the Virginia Partnership for Animal Welfare and Support, Davieds found herself "shunned and ostracized" by other animal welfare activists in the area.

While she can understand their feelings, Davieds said the antagonism stems from an inability to decipher the difference between her and "backyard" breeders.

"It's a lack of familiarity with the implications of responsible versus irresponsible breeding that has led to the historical impasse between animal shelters and responsible breeders," Davieds said.

She said that unlike "backyard breeders," she is not contributing to the problems of overpopulation or animal abuse.

"My take-back requirement prevents any of these dogs being brought to shelters or dumped off somewhere," said Davieds, who noted that 90 percent of her puppies must be spayed or neutered. "Being in touch with the new owners and regularly overseeing that each puppy is being properly cared for is preventing neglect and abuse and abandonment.

"Also, as far as the responsible breeding oversight of the proper care, it's maintaining healthy puppies as they grow up, which prevents public health problems."

Additionally, Davieds is active with the Doberman Assistance Rescue Education, taking calls from people wishing to relinquish their Dobermans, conducting home visits, and helping transport surrendered dogs to rescue's headquarters in Northern Virginia.

She encourages families interested in older Dobermans to consider adopting rescue animals.

"We do want to get those animals taken care of first," she said of the currently homeless Dobermans.

Davieds said her volunteer work with DARE goes hand-in-hand with responsible breeding.

"You're dedicated on an individual basis, and to the breed as a whole," she said.

'For love of the breed'

Trish Richardson, a Labrador retriever breeder, agrees.

"I feel that it's important to be heavily involved in the breed and experienced and active before taking the responsibility of breeding, and having good mentors in people also heavily involved in the breed," Richardson said.

Richardson started breeding in 2003, after more than 10 years with Southwest Virginia Labrador Retriever Rescue, which she founded in 1993. She also participated in dog competitions with the United Labrador Retriever Association, and made sure to start with Labradors that her colleagues deemed genetically and physically sound.

"It's important to be involved in showing, so you know that your dogs are quality before you start breeding them," Richardson said.

She has produced three litters, and interested families normally find her through referrals, by word of mouth or after checking out her Web site.

Richardson lives on four acres of fenced land in Christiansburg, so all of her dogs have space to run and get plenty of exercise, but they spend the majority of their time inside with her family.

Like Davieds and other responsible breeders, Richardson is always prepared to take a puppy back, for whatever reason, at whatever time.

Additionally, she will not hesitate to refer interested owners to other responsible Labrador breeders if her dogs aren't ready to reproduce.

Any puppy she breeds as a companion animal is spayed or neutered. Unless the dog is going to produce other show-quality animals, there is little need to breed it, she said.

"The goal is to preserve the breed and show it at its best. Responsible breeders don't breed to make money, and they won't. You do it for the love of the breed. If it's a moneymaker, something's wrong," she said.

Richardson also noted that educating the public about responsible breeding can help decrease overpopulation.

"People need to be trained, too. They need to know how to find a responsible breeder. You don't want to support backyard breeders, because that aids in the overpopulation problems," she said.

Roanoker Holly Hannah got her Labrador, Fisher, from Richardson in August. She said Richardson's careful screening made her feel more comfortable.

"She asked a lot of questions, and she was very concerned about where each dog was going," Hannah said of Richardson.

Like many who consult breeders for their family pets, Hannah found Richardson through the veterinarian they share. Attending dog shows and referring to the American Kennel Club or the parent club of your favorite breed are also good ways of finding a local responsible breeder.

Based on her positive experience with Fisher, Hannah said that she would definitely direct others to Richardson. She recommends that anyone considering contacting a breeder should be sure that they are knowledgeable about the breed and make sure to do a home visit to where the puppy was born and raised before making a final decision.

Shelters have purebreds

Making that final decision might lead you to an animal shelter.

"More than a thousand animals that came in were unwanted," Pulaski County Humane Society Executive Director Rebecca English said of the number of pets brought to the shelter in 2005. Several of those were purebred dogs.

The Humane Society of the United States estimates that 25 percent of dogs in shelters across the country are purebreds. Locally, English said purebreds usually account for roughly 30 percent to 35 percent of the dogs at the Dublin shelter.

On March 8, there were at least four dogs at the shelter that appeared to be purebred, including two pit bulls, one yellow Labrador retriever and one husky. Given these numbers, English said that she and other shelter volunteers wonder why people breed certain dogs.

"We just feel like there are enough animals already in our county, so until we're not killing any animals, we're not real fond of breeding," she said.

Nancy Luz, a five-year volunteer at Floyd County Animal Shelter, expressed similar frustration.

"You get breeders who just breed and sell to anybody. Then there's the backyard breeders ... who have been breeding every season. That's horrible," she said.

In an effort to lower their euthanasia rates, 14 new kennels and eight puppy pens were recently added at the Pulaski shelter.

One section of these new kennels will be deemed "rescue row," holding dogs that will not be euthanized. Although this will save the lives of certain animals, English said the high percentage of un-neutered male dogs coming into the shelter is a sign of the main problem.

"Until you really have an aggressive spay and neuter program in your community, the numbers are going to stay the same, or increase a little bit," she said.

A spay and neuter clinic will open at the shelter in May, offering low-cost sterilization procedures to residents. English said that ramping up efforts to prevent the births of homeless animals is crucial.

Luz added that making the public aware of their effect on animal welfare will also help halt overpopulation. "Educating people to understand that they have a responsibility to these animals" is of utmost importance, she said.

Bucky Nester, the head animal control officer for Floyd County, said some people underestimate how much work owning a dog can be.

"You've got to train them, try to teach them a few manners, not to be rough with the kids; you can teach the dogs this. They don't work with the dog enough to educate them. Then they bring it in and say they can't keep the dog anymore."

When it comes to addressing the specific problems with purebred overpopulation, the Pulaski shelter deals with several breed rescue organizations, including the Mid Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue.

Although English would prefer that potential dog owners visit a rescue or shelter first, she said she can see the merits of responsible breeding, and understands that overpopulation problems are the result of irresponsible breeding and ownership.

Luz also expressed a tentative appreciation for responsible breeding, but with some caveats.

"That's highly admirable, but that's not the norm," Luz said about the practices of responsible breeders such as Davieds and Richardson.

"I know they're out there, but we clearly see a lot of the other end of it," she said. "I understand that it's a necessary evil, and that's how I view it.

"You might want a purebred, and there are reputable breeders that you can get them from. But you still wind up with a lot of purebreds in the animal shelters."