DEAR ABBY: When I was in my teens, my mom had a publication of yours that included poems and special columns from the Dear Abby archives. I loved to pick it up from time to time and look at it. Among my favorites of the many varied items inside was the prayer for a family pet. It helped me greatly when our dog, "Blondie," reached the end of her life.

There were also a couple of pieces about the harm done by gossip, which I found especially relevant to my life as a teenager.

I am now a mom, and my daughter is 12. I don't know what became of my family's copy of that booklet, but I would love to have another one to share with my daughter. I think she'd get a kick out of many of the poems and essays -- and frankly, I would also enjoy revisiting some of them myself, this time from an adult perspective. Is that publication still available? -- JENNA IN GAMBRILLS, MD.

DEAR JENNA: Yes, the booklet is still available.

Over the years, readers have requested that I rerun articles that have special meaning for them. Readers told me that some of my columns had been clipped and saved until they were yellowed with age and falling apart.

Then they suggested that the special letters, poems and essays be assembled as a booklet. It is titled "Keepers" because so many Dear Abby readers have kept them to reread.

You can order a copy by sending a business-size, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $6 (U.S. funds) to Dear Abby -- Keepers, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

Many people have told me that "Keepers" makes a welcome gift for newlyweds, new parents, animal lovers, or anyone who is recovering from an illness because it's a quick and easy read, and filled with wisdom and humor on a wide variety of topics.

DEAR ABBY: My wife is a pug nut. She has two ugly dogs, and she lets them sleep with us. The dogs snore and break wind all night, and she thinks it's cute. If I snore or break wind, she tells me it's annoying.

She dresses these dogs in expensive gowns and pearls. Now she expects me to drive them 1,200 miles to our vacation home, while she flies. She also wants to buy a third dog. What do I do? -- NO. 4 IN NEW JERSEY

DEAR NO. 4: People usually get the kind of treatment they're willing to tolerate. In most marriages, the spouse takes precedence over the pets -- regardless of how beloved those pets may be.

If I -- or my husband -- had been in your situation, the pugs would have been slumbering together in their own little bed since the beginning. However, because you have failed to draw the line, you have given your wife implied consent. Unless you're ready to stand on your hind legs and demand to be treated better than the four-legged members of your household, you'll have to move a little closer to the edge of the bed and have your vehicle checked before you embark on your 1,200-mile trip.

DEAR ABBY: Your reply to the letter from "Troubled in Colorado" (Jan. 10), regarding "Meg," a compulsive hoarder, missed one important point. Hoarding is treatable. I am a code compliance officer and encounter these situations frequently.

Hoarding is known by several other names -- Pack Rat Syndrome, collecting, etc. -- but it is considered to be a form of OCD, which is highly treatable once you convince the person to get treatment. Sufferers are usually aware they have a problem, but ashamed to let anyone know.

This problem crosses all social and economic boundaries. People with it are often highly intelligent, otherwise normal people. They just need help, and it is available. Many areas have support groups to help. -- JUDY JONES, MURIETTA, CALIF.

DEAR JUDY: Thank you for writing. Yes, as with many other problems, help is available -- if those who need it will only reach out. People with OCD can be helped through therapy, drugs, experts and organizations.

One such organization is the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation. It is best accessed through its Web site, � HYPERLINK "http://www.ocfoundation.org" ��www.ocfoundation.org�. Its phone number is (617) 973-5801. It offers referrals to local groups across the United States. Read on:

DEAR ABBY: "Troubled in Colorado" should call her county social services office. Most states have a senior adult services office that could help the woman in that letter take care of her needs. Hoarding is often a sign of self-neglect, and that's something these officers often deal with. They can refer her to providers who can help her clean her place.

If she has a mental health issue, the senior services worker would also help her find counseling or a doctor to deal with her challenge in discarding things. -- C.R. MAHONEY, AGENCY ON AGING, CLEVELAND

DEAR READERS: FYI, your local Area Agency on Aging can be reached at (800) 677-1116 or at � HYPERLINK "http://www.eldercare.gov" ��www.eldercare.gov�, and has expertise in handling such matters.

DEAR ABBY: I'm responding to "Troubled in Colorado," who was trying to decide what to do about the poor living conditions she found in her sick co-worker's house. I work in a hospital, and what I have seen under similar circumstances is that EMS will report living conditions like the one she described to the receiving ER, which will likely get a case manager involved, along with treating the patient's medical problems. The woman sounds like she has significant OCD that needs to be addressed. -- R.G. IN CRANSTON, R.I.

DEAR ABBY: As a professional organizer for more than 10 years, I have seen it all. "Meg," the woman in that letter, is a hoarder, which can be caused by depression. Any professional organizer should be able to help her get organized. But she also needs professional help to get to the bottom of her depression. The condition of her house is a symptom of her problem, and any professional organizer who deals with hoarders can help her. -- LESLIE J., NEW BRITAIN, CONN.

DEAR ABBY: My sisters found me in similar circumstances. The dirty living quarters, not reaching out for help -- these are all too common among people with major depressive disorder. The past year has been difficult, but with the help of my family, my therapist and the right medication, I'm doing well. You were right, Abby, when you said "Troubled" needs to let the hospital know, so "Meg" can get the help she needs. -- DOING BETTER IN MILWAUKEE

What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in "What Every Teen Should Know." To order, send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $6 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in the price.)

DEAR ABBY: I am 27, and my wife, "Marybeth," is 26. We recently went to my folks' house for supper. That evening a heavy snowstorm was starting and, because the trip home is 30 miles, we decided to stay overnight.

My old bedroom is upstairs, as are the rooms of my brothers, ages 25, 24 and 22. The guest room is downstairs. Because the room is quite small, and Marybeth said she felt a cold coming on, we decided I'd sleep in my old room.

The next day, while we were driving home, Marybeth told me she was glad I had come to her room after all and made love to her.

Abby, it wasn't me! She had mistaken one of my brothers for me in the darkness. We are all about the same size and build.

I have talked to each of my brothers (they all know about this), but they won't say who it was for fear of causing a rift between the guilty party and me. I told them that unless I find out who it was, there will be a permanent rift between all of us. (Marybeth still doesn't know it wasn't me.)

How do I handle this? -- ENRAGED IN ROCHESTER, N.Y.

DEAR ENRAGED: While you and your brothers may have a strong family resemblance, I find it hard to believe that you all smell, taste and make love like clones. So please do not accept as gospel that your wife didn't have an inkling that it wasn't you. As to who actually crept into her bed in your absence, if your brothers won't reveal who the guilty party is, then they're all equally guilty, and I wouldn't blame you for severing ties with them.

It's time to have a serious chat with your wife and get chapter and verse on what happened that night. Then she should be tested for STDs and treated if necessary.

It is possible for a couple to get past something like this, if you're both willing to work at it. The shortest route would be with the help of a licensed family therapist.

DEAR ABBY: I'm 19 and have a 9-month-old, "Sean." I live with his dad, "Richie," and my father-in-law, "Dick."

Dick drinks a lot and offers my baby beer. Dick also likes to tease Sean. He also leaves coins, toothpicks and cotton swabs on the floor, where Sean sometimes sleeps.

My son puts everything he can put his hands on into his mouth. Dick loafs all day and doesn't pay any of the bills. Please give me some advice. I'm so stressed out, I don't know what to do. -- STRESSED OUT, MIDLAND, TEXAS

DEAR STRESSED OUT: First, your baby should not be sleeping on the floor in these conditions. Second, offer your husband a choice. Either he insists that Dick straighten up his act, or you'll take Sean and make other living arrangements.

It's important, for your son's sake, that you draw the line NOW -- even if it means getting a job and putting your baby in day care. For "Grandpa" to give him alcohol is against the law. And if you don't put a stop to it, it could be considered child endangerment.

CONFIDENTIAL TO MY IRISH READERS: A Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all.

"May the road rise to meet you,

"May the wind be always at your back,

"May the sun shine warm upon your face,

"May the rain fall soft upon your fields,

"And, until we meet again,

"May God hold you in the palm of his hand."

Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: "Abby's Favorite Recipes" and "More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby." Send a business-size, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $12 (U.S. funds)

to: Dear Abby -- Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in price.)