Lisa Knapp was in love.

Maybe it was the bulging eyes that looked at Knapp so trustingly. Or maybe it was the chubby body, curling tail or the cute way Charlie snorted when she got excited. Maybe it was because Charlie, a tiny pug puppy from Tennessee, was her first dog.

MAILEY McLAUGHLIN/Atlanta Humane Society (ENLARGE)

Katie, a 3-month-old spayed border collie, is a delightful pup who needs to go to a family that will make use of her natural talents. Border collies are intelligent, but without structured outlets for their instinctual drives, they can become bored and destructive. They need more than a walk around the block and often excel at 'doggy sports' like agility and flyball. Katie will need gentle, firm obedience training, housetraining and structure in her new home. Border collies can be great with well-behaved children. Katie has had her first set of DHLPP vaccinations and has been dewormed. She will be at the Atlanta Humane Society, 981 Howell Mill Road N.W. Sealed bids will be taken at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Danny Strickland (ENLARGE)

Lisa Knapp's pug, Charlie, poses as 'Marilyn Pugroe' for Knapp's book, 'Fabulous Pugs,' a photo tribute to her dog.

Whatever, Knapp was in love.

And like any doting new mama, Knapp spoiled her first "child," supplying her (yes, Charlie is a she) with dozens of toys, cooking her meals and buying her sweaters. And when it came to getting her a Halloween costume, well, Charlie wasn't exactly an off-the-rack kind of gal.

"She's really hard to fit, with that broad chest and her short body. Things just didn't fit her well," Knapp said. "Besides, I didn't want her wearing what everyone else had from Party City."

So Knapp, a seamstress since childhood, started making outfits for Charlie. Then she made more outfits. Then the outfits became more elaborate. They had hats, jewelry, wigs, feathers. Some dripped lace and tassels, others sported velvets, satins and fur (all fake, of course; Charlie's a very socially conscious girl).

Knapp, who has a degree in graphic design, found she had more fun dressing up her dog than at her job managing a showroom at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, a Buckhead showroom for interior designers and others in the trade.

"I was just dying inside to do something creative," said Knapp, an Atlanta native. "That's when I came up with the idea of doing a book of Charlie's photographs."

Just as Knapp had researched dogs and breeders before buying a puppy, she also researched how to do a book. And because Charlie had to look fabulous, she worked for six months to make the best costumes ever. Finally, in December 2005, Charlie was ready for her moment in the spotlight. Or, more accurately, her 3 1/2 hours. That's how long it took for friend Danny Strickland to snap shots of Charlie in 40 different costumes, ranging from stately Queen Isabellapug (black lace, gold-threaded brocade, feather-adorned hat) to Notorious P.U.G. (orange and blue long sweater, Kangol-style hat, bling).

"It was really expensive because I bought really nice upholstery material and trims," Knapp said. "I spent about $2,000 to make the costumes. Some of the more expensive ones were probably $200 each."

Knapp took the photos home, added backdrops and Photoshopped details like headbands out and "Marilyn Pugroe" panties in. She had planned to self-publish the book and ordered 1,000 copies. But when she told her boss she'd probably leave in a few months to peddle the books, he fired her.

"I didn't know what to do, so I sent out cover letters and five spreads [photocopies of Charlie's photos] to 65 agents. I got 45 rejection letters and four agents who said they were interested." She flew to New York, interviewed with them all and signed with Alice Fried Martell. Martell quickly landed her a publishing contract with Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

"It was incredible. I was taking two very serious books by very serious writers around at the same time, and everybody wanted the pug book," Martell said. "We had an auction for the rights with four bidders. Four very aggressive bidders."

The book, "Fabulous Pugs," came out last fall, and in September the publisher will offer a calendar and notecards with the images. They're also brainstorming Charlie's next book.

"We're looking for a theme or idea for it," Knapp said.

Knapp said she hasn't made quite enough money yet from the idea for it to qualify as a full-time job, but she's had several other offers, including doing a different book and laying out a catalog, that could lead to more work. And in the meantime she, husband Steve and Charlie travel to pug festivals all over the country, where up to 1,000 pugs and their doting owners show up, to sell the book. This year she's already booked in Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cleveland and Fort Myers, Fla.

She said Charlie loves the travel and the attention and doesn't mind the costumes, although she rarely wears them for more than a few minutes because many of them are heavy and hot.

"I think Charlie should be in every home in some fashion," a proud Knapp said. "Whether in a book or a T-shirt or a mug. I hope Charlie is an empire some day."

Free-range dogs

A special dog adoption is being held today at the Bow Wow Bungalow dog day care center in Alpharetta, where the dogs will be in a fenced area rather than crates so prospective adopters can interact with them more. The event is noon-5 p.m. and includes gifts and prizes. Donations for Spay Georgia, a group that pays for low-cost or free spay/neuters for those who can't afford them, will be accepted. 12900 Freemanville Road (next to Milton High School). www.atlantadogtrainer.com, 770-754-9178.

Mutts and putts

A May 7 golf tournament at the Capital City Club at Brookhaven will benefit SmallDog Rescue and Humane Society, a group that adopts out smaller dogs. Registration and practice gets under way at 9 a.m., with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. At 4 p.m. golfers can attend a cocktail reception and silent auction for items that include sports memorabilia and a laptop. Tickets are $500 and include the reception. The club is at 53 W. Brookhaven Drive N.E., Atlanta. Register online at www.muttsandputts.org. Information on SmallDog Rescue, www.smalldoghumane.org.

Cool vs. cruel

Fashion students from the Art Institute, including those here in Atlanta, took the challenge to reinterpret haute couture garments using animal-friendly materials. The garments are on display at the Art Institute of Atlanta Gallery through May 12, and a reception is scheduled there 5-7 p.m. Thursday with a lecture from 7 to 8 p.m. by Kristin Leppert, director of the anti-fur campaign for the Humane Society of the United States. The gallery is at 6600 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 100 Embassy Row, Atlanta. 770-394-8300, www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta.

Quick tip

Mosquitoes are coming back, although it's always heartworm season in Georgia. Dogs and cats get heartworms, so be sure your pet is on a monthly preventative.

Got pet news to share?

Know of pet news, events or stories? Tell Sandra Eckstein at seckstein@ajc.com or call 404-526-7260.