Excited barks and yelps fill the air as the animals scurry abouttheir pens.

Several four-legged critters happily jump on their visitorswhile others seek refuge under houses, feeding stations orwhatever’s convenient. Perhaps the latter knows what’s coming inthis cat and mouse, rather dog and dose, game known as theBrookhaven Animal Rescue League’s Medication Day.

“He’s cornered,” Homer Richardson says as he and fellowwranglers stop a wary dog.

After fellow BARL volunteer Jeff May runs a small blue deviceover the dog’s neck and calls out a number, Rusty Adcock squirts adose of yellow medicine down the dog’s throat. The blue devicescans for a microchip, which is embedded under the dog’s skin, andused to help BARL volunteers keep track of which animals havegotten the latest round of medicine.

“We have to worm every dog in order to keep them from gettingsome kind of disease,” says Tom Ross, BARL volunteer.

With close to 100 dogs at the BARL shelter next to Hartley GoveSons Thermometer plant, medication day is an every two weeks event.Dogs in the pens on the north part of the shelter were treatedThursday, and dogs on the other side will get their medicine inabout two weeks.

“It’s pretty organized,” said Susanne Sandifer, who was glad tosee eight volunteers show up for Thursday’s activity. “This isgreat to see this many come out to help the dogs.”

Gayle Ross keeps track of BARL records on medication. She saidall the animals have been spayed or neutered, have the microchipfor identification purposes and received regular shots.

“They’re good pets,” Ross said.

Ross, Sandifer and other volunteers should know. Severalindicated they would need two hands to count the number of petsthey’ve adopted from BARL.

“Each one of us who helps at the rescue league is a rescueleague,” said Sandifer, who has nine cats and two dogs.

BARL officials encouraged anyone wanting a pet to contact theorganization. Anyone interested in adopting a pet may call GlennWatkins at 757-4367.

May said most of the dogs at BARL shelter have been abandoned,abused or neglected. A little love and attention from a new homewill turn the animals into affectionate pets.

“I have three dogs that I’ve adopted from here and they’re allwonderful animals,” May said.