Nearly mailed puppy to go up for adoption Friday

Mailed dog
In this undated photo provided by the City of Minneapolis, a puppy that a Minneapolis woman tried to mail to her son in Georgia is shown. Thirty-nine-year-old Stacey Champion was charged with animal cruelty Monday, Feb. 7, 2011 after postal workers discovered the puppy last month in a sealed box with no air holes.
City of Minneapolis/ASSOCIATED PRESS

By TARA BANNOW, Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A puppy that escaped a possibly deadly trip through the mail and won the hearts of admirers worldwide will be available for adoption later this week.

The drawing to adopt Guess, a 5-month-old schnauzer-poodle mix, will be held Friday afternoon at the Minneapolis Animal Care and Control shelter, the city said in a statement.

"I'm expecting a line," said animal control manager Dan Niziolek. "We're going to have crowd control."

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The puppy was saved from a trip through the mail to Georgia that officials say likely would have killed it three weeks ago when postal workers opened the suspicious package. The dog became city property on Monday when its previous owner, who has been cited for animal cruelty, failed to post bond.

Shelter official Jeanette Wiedemeier Bower said hundreds of people from across the U.S. and the world have asked to adopt Guess. Some people have called simply to express outrage over the puppy's treatment.

On Friday, those interested in adopting Guess must be there in person for the 2 p.m. drawing. About 10 names will be chosen. Those selected will be screened, and the first name drawn and determined to be eligible can take the puppy home after paying the standard adoption and pet license fees and agreeing to have the dog neutered.

Wiedemeier Bower said the agency is delighted with the attention the puppy has attracted, and hope to use it to encourage people to adopt other animals. Those who don't get to adopt Guess on Friday will be encouraged to meet some of the other animals at the shelter.

"We're really hoping that folks think about all the dogs in shelters in the United States and elsewhere," she said. "We're hoping the public can see beyond this one lovely, fluffy, black dog."

But before looking for a pet, people should consider their lifestyle, Niziolek said.

"We want people to really think about what type of dog, what size of dog, what energy level of the dog they want to adopt before they actually come to adopt an animal," he said, "because that will make for a much more successful and healthy environment for them and their new companion."

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)