By Natalie Austin -- Daily Staff Writer

FRONT ROYAL — As volunteers arrived in dog-filled sport utility vehicles, animals spilled out, eyes trained on their owners.

German shepherds trotted out to the front yard. What could have been an intimidating scene to passersby was canine theater of the serene.

There was no barking or lurching at new arrivals. Referred to as "police dogs" by many, Remington, Abby, Leo, Lexie and the others are pets, rescued from cruel circumstances by their breed-dedicated owners.

"I think he was beaten," says Casey Arnold, who adopted Remington from Virginia German Shepherd Rescue. "If anyone picks up a stick he just goes bonkers."

He was just a puppy then, says Arnold, who was hosting the get-together at his residence, just outside Front Royal. The puppy left in the 7-year-old massive black and tan dog, carried around a mangled piece of blue rubber, the remnants of a ball.

Arnold and his wife, April, have three rescued shepherds, which members of the group laughingly refer to as "failed fosters." It seems when these dogs are taken in, even for the short term, they quickly become lifetime pets of many of the volunteers.

Arnold says they accompany him when he is out mountain biking and other outdoor activities.

"The common misconception is mainly from the movies where people see them as big, bad police dogs or trained attack dogs," he says.

Taking her three shepherds for a walk, Helene Taylor, of Linden, has fostered 13 dogs for the group over the past two years. She has three of her own. She couldn't part with Hunter, who was kept in a crate by his owner for 18 hours a day. Caged and fed only one can of food a day, Hunter had nothing to do but wait while his owner worked two jobs.

Lea Spickler, of Sterling, one of the founding members and president of Virginia German Shepherd Rescue, says 2,221 dogs have been adopted since the nonprofit group began its work in 2001.

"Most were on death row at animal shelters," says Spickler, who brought her dogs down for the afternoon at the Casey residence.

It was volunteer Kay Fiocca, however, who shepherded the effort from Northern Virginia to the Northern Shenandoah Valley in April.

After taking dogs to adoption days at local businesses, the calls started coming in. She and her husband, John, have three shepherds of their own. About eight dogs have found homes in the past three months.

"What personally attracted me to this rescue, is that it's all about the dogs," says Mrs. Fiocca.

The Virginia group has about 80 dogs in foster homes. Home visits are made to ensure potential owners will provide adequate care for these animals. Applications must be approved, owners properly vetted, so it is a good fit, she says. Applicants must pay a $10 processing fee. If approved a minimum $250 adoption fee is charged to cover the organization's cost of care for the animals.

"These dogs have already been through enough when they come in for rescue," says Mrs. Fiocca.

Adult shepherds weigh between 85 and 90 pounds, so when the group picks up one weighing 50, that's a bad omen, her husband adds.

Many of their stories are ones of near misses.

"We picked up one dog who had 12 hours to live," says Fiocca, relating a story of one animal shelter.

The Fiocca's gorgeous black shepherd, Leo, was 24 hours away from being put to sleep, he adds.

Perhaps the account of the closest a shepherd came to euthanasia is told by Spickler.

The dog was on the table in a shelter euthanasia room and had been given the first shot, a sedative, before being administered the lethal drug. A shelter attendant grabbed the heavy animal, then dead weight, carried it out the back door and put it in her car. The girl couldn't bear to see the beautiful dog put down.

Other dogs are dumped, some are found tied in backyards, ignored for the most part. At times, rescuers have found them stray, running along Interstate 66.

Max, Spickler says, was a particularly heartbreaking case. He was rescued by the group after some children took him into the woods, chained him to a tree and proceeded to beat him with an aluminum baseball bat. Most of his tail had to be amputated and he lost a tooth in the beating. Spickler has him now.

After fostering and training, the dogs potential owners see are like the group assembled in Arnold's front yard on this recent afternoon. These dogs don't appear to bear the scars of their pasts.

Potential owners, however, need to know that these are high energy dogs, originally bred for herding a century ago, and later trained as military and police animals. Perhaps their most notorious claim to fame began in Nazi Germany during World War II, adding to the myth they are dangerous and not good pets. Although many are in Iraq with soldiers today, most are seen on the scenes of search and rescue efforts in the United States or sniffing a bad guy for drugs.

Shepherds are not a good breed for owners who spend most of the time on the couch in front of the TV, volunteers agree.

They need to be walked, not just turned out in the yard to run. And, they need mental stimulation with structured play, because having a job to do is part of their personality, Arnold says.

With proper care and a firm — but loving — hand, a magical bond forms between dog and owner, Spickler says. It only takes a moment to recognize this fact, as dogs keenly watch their handlers to see what to do next. They are somewhat aloof with strangers, keeping their eyes on the people who provide their care.

It is this picture that makes the potential owners hunger for such unconditional love and loyalty. One glance into the eyes of one of these noble looking dogs is enough for some people.

More dogs arrived.

Dan Raudenbush, of Front Royal, has fostered between 20 and 30 dogs over the past several years. He began doing it on his own, he says, later joining efforts with Virginia German Shepherd Rescue.

Foster caregivers must go through a mini adoption screening, says Spickler. As with permanent placements, members of the rescue group must determine if the dog is good with children, cats and other dogs.

Foster homes and volunteers are always in need.

"It does take a lot of time and energy to foster dogs," she says.

Dogs must have regular vet visits, paid for by the rescue group, and be socialized. Fosters also must agree to take the dogs to adoption events and introduce them to the public.

"We are a 100 percent volunteer operation," says Mrs. Fiocca. "Every cent goes to care of these animals."

Adoption applications can be found on the group' s Web site, www.shepherdrescue.org. Three personal references and one by a veterinarian are required.

Volunteers, all decked out in German shepherd rescue attire on this recent afternoon, agree "loyalty" is the word that best describes these dogs.

"They don't necessarily fawn over people they don't know. They don't feel the need to impress anyone other than their posse," Spickler says, smiling.

Virginia German Shepherd Rescue will hold an adoption date June 15 from noon to 3 p.m. at Petco in the Crooked Run Plaza in Front Royal, and during the same hours on June 29 at PetsMart in Winchester. The group will accept applications for adoption, fostering and volunteering. For more information, go online to www.shepherdrescue.org, send e-mail to contact@shepherdrescue.org or call (703) 435-2840. Donations also can be made online, including sponsorship of dogs with special medical needs.

Contact Natalie Austin at naustin@nvdaily.com