[fasteddie]

This is a story of puppy love, by the numbers.

It starts with the number one — one little Yorkshire terrier, 8 months old, given over to the Humane Society of Collier County for adoption. From one, the story jumps to 150 — the number of names on a Humane Society wait list for small dogs.

Perhaps because of Naples' condo society and all the rules and regulations often associated with living in one, little dogs are the kind of pet most people want to adopt from the organization, says Michael Simonik, executive director of the Humane Society of Collier County.

He shares more numbers: "More than 50 percent of the people walking in the door say, 'What small dogs do you have,'" Simonik says.

As a result, all surrendered small dogs are immediately put on hold for wait-listed clients. The same was true for this little Yorkie, named Madison. But Simonik wanted to do something different to find her a home, something to draw awareness to the adoption process.

He looked over the small dog wait list and found 16 families that were specifically interested in Yorkies. Then, he selected three families that would have a chance to spend one day and night with the puppy, trying to develop a bond and videotaping their efforts. Simonik's inspiration was "Who Gets the Dog," a similarly styled show on television's Animal Planet channel.

Simonik selected three families, but disqualified one when he learned they had lied on their application: The family had concealed a previous surrender of a dog. Simonik revised the final three families to be Sunny and John DeMartino, Sheryl Spears and Jenny and Ismael Del Rios.

The three families went through the Humane Society's interview process, working with an adoption counselor and answering a 30-question application about their housing restrictions, work habits and how they planned to train, care for and raise a dog.

Finally, the family's videos were reviewed by a panel comprised of Simonik, Friends of Gummi president and founder Janice Rudolph and Collier County Animal League president Ronnye Randall. All three organizations are devoted to animal rescue and adoption.

The story that started with one would end with one, too: One happy family that gets to call Madison their own. But Simonik's hope is that all potential animal adopters will better understand the Humane Society's process.

"The deeper mission is to find a lifelong home for every pet that becomes homeless," Simonik says.

Those interested in giving a home to a larger, mixed breed dog need not worry about playing by the numbers, however: the Humane Society has plenty of dogs eligible for adoption.

A girlfriend for Reggie

Sunny DeMartino is looking for love.

Not for herself; she has been married to John DeMartino for 10 years. No, Sunny wants to find a special someone for the other man in her life, her Yorkie named Reggie. She rescued him from a shelter and he has become more like her child than her pet, she says. He's never out of her sight for more than a few hours, and even that is seldom, she adds.

Reggie, now 10, is getting older, and she knows what a little girlfriend would mean to him, she says — more companionship and excitement, for sure, and maybe a longer life.

But she won't take just any pup. First, she wants to adopt a dog from a shelter.

"Anybody can go out and buy an animal," she says. "But to take an animal that really needs a home, that's a noble thing to do. And there's a special bond."

And second, she wants another Yorkie.

She has to think about Reggie, after all. She has to think about his tiny size, and how a bigger dog might overwhelm him. She has to think about what is best for her best baby, and believes that might be Madison.

"They had their little interview (at the Humane Society) and they really loved each other," she says.

When Madison comes to the North Naples DeMartino house for her overnight, Madison and Reggie race around, scrapping over toys, chasing around furniture. They shuffle through the kitchen, where Sunny keeps Reggie's main food and water dishes. Actually, there are food and water dishes throughout the house, so Reggie never has to go far.

The dogs tear around the living room, where Sunny has a special purple cushion, complete with soft purple blanket, for Reggie — specifically, that's called his "tuffett" — and a special matching pink one for Madison for the night. The little dogs run into Sunny and John's offices: Sunny's is done in French country style, with a French country style doggie bed to match; John's is done in animal prints, with another matching doggie bed.

They visit the garage and Sunny's gold Mercedes sedan. Inside is a water glass for Reggie to drink from when he goes on trips with Sunny, and more animal print doggie beds.

The Yorkies run through the master bedroom, where Sunny had a special chaise made for Reggie to help him jump up on her high bed.

"My husband thought I was out of my mind," she remembers.

Sunny's not a stranger to being called a fanatic when it comes to Reggie. She doesn't think of herself that way, though. She's just building a relationship, she believes, and taking good care. That's what you have to do with all dogs, but especially with a Yorkie.

"Yorkies are not dogs," she says in her soft, even voice. "They are little people. They take over your heart, your soul and your mind completely."

A good time for a good dog

When she was a restaurant server, Sheryl Spears used to work nights, used to come home late. That was no time to get a dog, she knew.

Things have changed, though. Now, she works days and has more stability in her life. A little dog has started to make perfect sense, and she would especially like a Yorkie like Madison.

There are two Yorkies in her neighborhood. When she saw them, Spears immediately wanted one, too. But when she realized how much they cost from a breeder or a pet shop, she headed to the Humane Society to put herself on the waiting list.

Then came the chance to meet Madison, the silky little pup sitting next to her on her couch, heartily nibbling on a synthetic blue bone. Madison came to her East Naples townhouse on Saturday afternoon, and they spent their day and night together cuddling and relaxing, Spears says. Just getting to know each other.

"She's a honey," Spears says of the tiny dog.

Although Spears is ready for a pet, she also has to be particular. She loves cats, but her fiancé is allergic to them, which rules out many of the "good, fat lap cats" at the Humane Society. A little dog will be a nice, sweet alternative, though.

She enjoys Madison, she says, because she is so very curious. The little dog is into everything possible, running up and down the hallways, trekking lightly over laps, climbing on the back of Spears' couch to see herself in the giant mirror that hangs there.

"She's nosy," Spears says. "That's what I like. And she's prissy. She's very prissy."

She noticed how Madison didn't like to get her feet wet in the long grass in Spears' neighborhood, as if she disdained to get dirty. But she wasn't a cowardly little pooch either, Spears noticed: When little Madison saw big dogs coming their way, she stood up to them.

Not that Spears was going to allow that, she said.

"I pick her up because I'm afraid of those other dogs," she says.