Would you pay to kiss a dog?

For anyone whose idea of a good time consists of pressing their mug against the gaping maw of a one-eyed albino guard dog, you missed your chance.

In what could easily be the world's premiere example of extreme charity, visitors at the Illinois Doberman Rescue's annual reunion outing in Warrenville Sunday could donate $1 for the chance to be kissed by such a creature.

And as risky as it sounds, it really didn't look that death-defying once the 4-year-old off-white Doberman Pinscher named Degas began lapping at the faces of his patrons.

"He loves to kiss and lick faces," explained Pam Abare-Newton, president of the organization that sponsored the picnic-style gathering of adopted Dobermans at Blackwell Forest Preserve.

And there were a strangely abundant number of people who had a buck to burn to get their faces licked.

"He doesn't give kisses, that's why we have to pay for them," explained Galena resident John Portzer as he pointed to his massive 9-year-old Doberman named Gunner. "It was a nice kiss. Pretty dry, not too sloppy. And it's for a good cause."

Abare-Newton explained the real donations come from the registration, but Degas' kissing booth provides a decent supplement.

"If we're doing good, we'll get about $60 like we did last year," she said.

No one at Sunday's bash seemed to find the idea of a Doberman Pinscher kissing booth to be at all strange.

"I've had Dobermans all my life," said Lombard resident Bill Thomas. "They're intimidating-looking, but really they're just big babies."

Mary Ann Neijenhuis of North Aurora agreed that Doberman's get a bad rap because of their look.

"It's the cropped ears that make them look mean," she said. "But they have great temperaments. They're just a lot of work because they're so energetic. You really have to know what you're getting into when you get one."

Abare-Newton said that's a main reason why her nine-year-old rescue organization has had to place hundreds of expensive purebred dogs over the years.

"People get that cute little puppy, but then at 10 months old they call me," she said. "These dogs need a lot of exercise because they have a lot of energy."