Lassie Come-Home

Sunday, Jan. 9, 2000 | 8:47 a.m.

Dennis Coughlin, wife Lorie Okumura and 7-year-old daughter Christiana Coughlin welcomed the 3-month-old, 30-pound collie named Katie into their home Friday.

"She seems like she has a wonderful temperament," Okumura said.

They adopted the pup through a nationwide promotion sponsored by Animal Planet cable network, the Humane Society of the United States and the Nutra Science Naturals pet food company.

The animal adoption awareness campaign was announced on the Rosie O'Donnell TV show in June and ran through July 31, attracting 20,000 applications from would-be pup owners.

The avalanche of applications was narrowed to 200 by drawing, then followed by the selection of 25 semifinalists. Home visits by the Humane Society ensued for a handful.

"This is a real serious adoption, not a giveaway," Kathy Bauch of the Humane Society said, adding the promotion was designed to drum up public interest in animal adoptions.

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