COEUR d'ALENE - Fiddling for felines, dancing for the dogs, but humans are invited too.

Twenty-seven of Coeur d'Alene's finest musical and theatrical acts will take to the stage this weekend to put on a show for the Kootenai Humane Society's forgotten pups, mutts and abandoned kitties.

Sure, the show is for us folks, but the clear cut goal of the number is to benefit all animals.

"It's heavenly," said show director Bonnie Haleen, of the Kroc Community Center theater acoustics where the show will be held, as well as the fundraising mission behind it.

The "eclectic kind of variety show," as Haleen described it, will showcase a wide range of local talent in unique ways.

A family of eight siblings will string together a couple of violin pieces, fiddlers will fiddle, dancers will dance and experienced actors will command scenes.

"I just had so much talent," said Haleen, who has directed all sorts of acts since 1986, including at the Lake City Playhouse, but none quite like the inaugural "Bark for Talent" show. "And I wanted to feature it."

Two different acts will separate the children act, such as the Osborn family's team of violinists.

They may be children but they play like grown ups, or in the director's words: "These kids are good."

And there's the adult division.

But the stars of the show are the neglected.

Video screens will show slides of some of the animals up for adoption, and smart money says one of the songs that will be sung is "How Much is that Doggie in the Window?"

Another song will be "I found my Best Friend in the Dog Pound," which isn't about where a friend of yours ended up after a lifetime of poor decision, rather actually befriending the pup you picked up at the shelter. Now is a good time to mention that there will be comedy numbers too.

All proceeds will benefit the shelter, whose number of abandoned animals is up this year, 376 since last January, a trend that, KHS director Rondi Renaldo said is tied to the increase in houses being foreclosed as compared to years past.

Raffle tickets for themed gift baskets cost $1.