ALVIN — With seven dogs in the household, JoAnne Andrews needs to have a big heart.

“I’ve got lots of love to go around,” she said. “I haven’t run out yet.”

Andrews claims six of the dogs — two Pomeranians and four miniature American Eskimos — as her own. Her husband, Neil, is partial to Tyra, a border collie-blue tick mix.

The little ones can rest and romp in their Eskimo room, a big comfy room with beds and toys. The border collie, however, is a “working” dog who likes to follow Neil around the farm.

The dogs all joined the Alvin-area household at various times. Some came as puppies and others were older when they were adopted.

Andrews is a fan of older dogs, who appreciate their new lives. “They know for the first time they’ve got a home. They make wonderful pets,” she said.

She also believes people should take care of their pets, and prepare for their arrival just as they would for a new baby.

“Dogs are not toys,” she said. Don’t buy one unless you can afford to take care of it.

Here’s a rundown of her pack:

— At 15, Tekla is the oldest; she is an American Eskimo named after Iditarod sledder Susan Butcher’s lead dog.

Andrews and her husband drove to Wisconsin to get the puppy when Andrews went through a bout of empty-nest syndrome after her daughter left home.

— Next came Tabitha, an American Eskimo, who just turned 3 years old. The couple got her from an Amish farm when she was 2 months old.

Her name means “little girl,” a reference to the Biblical character who was raised to life again by Peter.

— In 2005, Andrews went to the Danville Humane Society to look for Athena, a lost Samoyed. She never found the dog; instead, she spotted a miniature Eskimo and adopted her. Tasha will be 4 years old soon.

One unique feature about Tasha is that she can yodel. In fact, she was yodeling that day at the humane society when Andrews spotted her.

Tasha tends to get into trouble, however. In April, she ate a nest of bunnies on the farm and got pancreatitis; she will need to be a special diet the rest of her life.

— Andrews found Tiffany, an American Eskimo, at the county shelter last year. She was about 10 years old and was suffering from pneumonia and other health problems. The Animal Shelter Foundation, however, nursed the dog to health before turning her over to her new home.

— Tavy is a red Pomeranian, who’s 7. He joined the household when his owner had to go into a nursing home last November.

— Teddy, also a red Pomeranian, joined the household just last month when his owner had to move to an apartment from a house. He’s 1 year old.

Andrews loves her Pomeranians and Eskimos because they remind her of red and white foxes.

— Finally, Tyra is the odd one — a border collie mix. The Andrewses were at Tractor Supply in Danville in January 2007 when they noticed a box of puppies being given away. Of course, JoAnne picked one up — and that was that.

Tyra, who will be 2 in November, is Neil’s dog and rides with him on the ATV.

“She’s constantly on the go,” Neil said. “She sees a rabbit and she’s gone.”

Tyra is a bit bashful, but he added, “She’s been a good dog.”

That makes seven dogs — which is a significant number to JoAnne. In the Bible, the number 7 stands for complete, she said. And there’s a book called “The Seventh One.”

She also had Triska, an American Eskimo, who died in 2006 at age 18.

In the meantime, the dogs keep JoAnne in shape.

“It helps me to keep moving,” she said. “For little dogs, they get plenty of exercise.”

In the evenings, JoAnne likes to spend an hour in the Eskimo room, just relaxing with the little ones.

She also keeps busy with her ministries — Gifts of the Spirit, which teaches young girls how to sew and bake goodies, and Garments of Praise, a sewing business.

The Andrews’ household is devoted to JoAnne’s passions — dogs, dolls and dresses. Despite the number of dogs and all of JoAnne’s other interests, the pets get lots of attention — and love.

HELP ACE

The local shelters have plenty of dogs for adoption, and so does the Parke-Vermillion County Humane Society in Clinton, Ind.

A local reader wants to find a home for Ace, a shepherd-mix who’s 2-3 years old.

A family found the dog as a stray, but took him to the Clinton shelter when they moved.

“I know this dog is a good sweet boy,” the reader wrote. “I would love to see him adopted out before something happens to him.”

If interested, call the shelter at (765) 492-3540.

If you would like to have your pet featured in this column, contact Mary Wicoff at 477-5161, send an e-mail to mwicoff@dancomnews.com or write to Commercial-News, 17 W. North, Danville, IL 61832.