Rescued puppies need homes
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers PUPPY LOVE- Medea Creek Middle School seventh-grade student Matthew Lezak, 12, cuddles one of the nine dogs he rescued from an animal shelter. The mother dog and her pups were going to be destroyed. Matthew and his family will raise the puppies until they are old enough to be adopted.

Matt Lezak, 12, of Westlake Village has a big heart but some might consider his mother's heart even bigger.

In January, Laurie Lezak agreed to allow Matt to rescue a dog and her eight babies from being destroyed and keep them in the Lezaks' garage until the puppies were old enough to be adopted. The dogs are keeping the Lezaks, especially Matt's mom, busy with feeding and cleaning up.

"It's a lot of responsibility," said Matt, a seventh-grader at Medea Creek Middle School in Oak Park. "It's been really cool watching them go from having their eyes closed to getting big enough to walk around."

Matt's actions saved the canine family from being put to sleep by a Riverside shelter where they were being housed.

Matt learned of the dogs and their probable fate from cuddlycanines.com, which publishes photos and information about dogs that need homes.

The boy begged his mom to help save the dogs. She agreed, and loaded Matt, his twin brother, Bradley, and their sister Juliette, 7, into the car for the nearly two hour drive to Riverside. The puppies were just 2 weeks old.

"I know how much Matt loves animals. He's a very compassionate kid, wise beyond his years," Lezak said.

Her husband, Brian, happened to be away at the time, but was supportive when he returned home.

"We've been married for 17 years, and he's never ever been mad at me. He's a very mellow guy," Lezak said.

The Lezaks had already adopted several dogs through the website, including Max, a German shepherd/chow mix, and Rusty, a Chihuahua blend. Another home had to be found for Rusty after Max took a dislike to him. The Lezaks also have a 7month-old briard named Izzy, adopted through their dog trainer.

Although the family had several dogs, Matt said he continued to visit cuddlycanines.com, which is based in Hacienda Heights, "for no reason." Then he saw the posting about the mother and puppies. They had been found on the street and urgently needed a home. The people at the shelter were nice, Lezak said, and gave her family a tour. But the Riverside shelter is limited in the number of animals it can hold.

"They would've been put to sleep that weekend," Matt said.

The mother is an Australian shepherd mix with long silky fur; five of her babies are black and resemble Rottweilers. The other three are brown and look like their mom.

At first, the Lezaks found it easy to take care of the large puppy family. The mother dog fed her babies and cleaned up after them. But since the pups opened their eyes and began walking and eating on their own, the Lezaks have been kept busy feeding and keeping them clean. Lezak said she cleans up after the dogs at least five times a day, using a scouring brush on the cement in her garage.

"They make a pretty big mess, but I know there will be an end to this, so it's doable," Lezak said.

Matt is considering becoming either a veterinarian or a major league baseball player.

"I would do it again (rescue puppies), but I don't know if my mom would because she does a lot of the work when I'm at school," he said.

Community service runs in his family. Matt's aunt in Mission Viejo has saved three litters of puppies. In the spring, Matt and Bradley are going to volunteer to help the VIP baseball program for local disabled youth sponsored by Agoura Pony Baseball. Juliette is letting her hair grow to donate it to Locks of Love, which provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who suffer from long-term hair loss due to medical problems.

"It's a good example to care for someone else besides yourself," Lezak said. "It teaches them that the world does not necessarily revolve around you."

The puppies will be available for adoption when they are 8 weeks old March 13. Photos of the puppies and adoption information are available at www.cuddlycanines.com.