Icard said the Humane Society has received about 20 applications from people wanting to adopt one of the dogs. Applications can be found online at http://sonomahumane.org/New/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/DOG-ADOPTION-QAutofill.pdf.
Icard said the animals appear to have good temperaments. But she said they may need some time to develop socially, given their confinement and limited human interaction.
"Once they get used to a new person and their new environment, they'll really thrive," Icard said.
Finnish Lapphunds are considered a rare breed in the United States, hence the heightened interest in last week's rescue. Icard said people living as far as away as Australia have donated to the animals' care.
Lappies, which originate from Finland, are prized as herding dogs. They're smart, quick to learn and resilient, said Carmen Petersen, president of the Finnish Lapphund Club of America, Inc. On the other hand, Lappies tend to bark a lot, she said.
"They're not a breed for everyone," Petersen said Monday.
She said a purebred Lapphund can fetch upward of $900. Waiting lists of up to two years are not uncommon.
Petersen's club is planning to take several of the dogs from Sonoma Humane. The dogs are to be flown to the Los Angeles area Friday from the Sonoma County airport.
Icard said the quarantine only prevents the dogs from coming into contact with other animals.
The airplane and other costs related to the transfer are being donated, Petersen said. The dogs will be taken in by volunteers who are associated with the club, or by veterinarians, with the goal of adopting them out to permanent homes.
Petersen said none of the dogs taken by the club will be sold for profit.
Another organization -#8212; Tibetan Mastiff Rescue, Inc. -#8212; is acting as an intermediary for the transfer because the Lapphund club is not registered as a nonprofit in California, Petersen said. The mastiff group will handle donations.
She said prospective owners for the rescued Lapphunds "will be screened like the FBI."
In Sonoma County, Icard said the Humane Society could use more crates to help with transport.
More information is available at
http://sonomahumane.org/rescue.
You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek.
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