They had long tails and short tails, floppy ears and pointed ears, brown coats and black coats, but all the dogs at Dog Days in Essex had one important thing in common: they needed homes and Dog Days provided the opportunity to find them.

Most of the canines had come a long way for that chance. Some 69 of the 75 dogs at the event had been brought up from Georgia. Lorin Liesenfelt of Essex, who organized the adoption event, explained that the animals came from "quick kill" shelters, where animals are kept for very short periods of time, usually five to seven days, before being euthanized. Local dog rescuers who provide foster homes for the animals until permanent ones can be found brought the rest of the dogs.

Gloria Andrews, a veterinarian from Colbert, Georgia, who transported the dogs to Connecticut in an air-conditioned trailer, said she became involved with canine rescue after people began to leave dogs at her office, saying they could no longer care for them.

"I just got tired of it and thought I had to do something," she said.

She has brought other truckloads of adoptable dogs to Connecticut as well as to similar events in New York.

Liesenfelt, a cancer survivor, says her own battle with life-threatening disease along with her love of animals inspired to organize the rescue event, the first she has ever undertaken. It provided challenges she had not anticipated because she was walking on crutches, the result of a leg broken less than a week before.

"I fell down the stairs with three dogs," she explained.

Volunteers, clad in orange shirts, had come from towns all along the shoreline to help. Michalina Paillotto said she was helping out not only because she was an animal lover, but also because she owned a rescue dog.

"I'm a big believer in pet adoption. It makes so much more sense than going to a pet store," said volunteer Heather Bradley of Guilford.

Tamara Shurr, also of Guilford, said she thought volunteering at Dog Days would be a nice thing for her and her daughter Ava Anderson to do together. Tamara was hosing down Hershey, a large lab-pit bull mix, who was standing patiently in a small plastic pool. Tamara admitted she was worried about Hershey, but not because he was overheated. Adult dogs are harder to place than puppies, she said, and a large dog like Hershey might discourage some potential adopters.

"He's really a sweetheart," she said.

At then end of the event, veterinarian Andrews confirmed Shurr's suspicion.

"Hershey didn't make it" to a permanent home, she said, but added he has been placed in foster care.

According to Liesenfelt, no dogs are returned to shelters. If not adopted, they are placed with animal rescuers or foster homes.

Potential adopters had to fill out questionnaires to make sure they would indeed be able to care for their new pets. Questions included how many pets, if any, adopters now owned; how long the pet would be left alone every day; and whether or not adoptees owned or rented their homes. If renters, people had to have a copy of the lease to show that dogs were allowed.

All the dogs had already received the necessary shots and all were spayed or neutered. Each dog also had an implanted microchip with a serial number by which the animal could be identified and returned to a registered owner. Adopters also got 30 days of canine health insurance for their pet.

The adoptions are not free. Dog Days charged $320 per dog, described as a usual fee at such events to cover costs. Still, Liesenfelt said that the event cost her another $3,500.

Thanks to Liesenfelt's efforts, most of those attending were able to focus less on the economics of the issue and more on whom to open their home to. Aileen Moriarty of Madison and her children Maggie and Seamus, who had come to adopt, were looking at a large crate of squirming brown and black mottled puppies. Seamus had already picked one out.

"It's the one with the white on the top of its nose," he said.

Valley Regional High School student Molly Perkins, attending with her friend Ragan Decker, claimed she was still in the looking stage as she picked up a short-haired brown puppy. But, she seemed to have already established a bond with the dog by the time she met up with her mother Eileen Perkins. The rest of the Perkins family, Eileen and children Tommy and Megan, along with friend Tim Mesite, had already found another dog.

"He's really cute," Megan allowed.

Eileen said the family could take only one puppy. But which one?

"Team Perkins will work that out," Eileen said.

For more information, visit dogdaysadoptionevents.blogspot.com.