World Notes EAST GERMANY

Almost overlooked amid all the goings-on in East Germany was the matter of those 6,500 canines who for years gave paws, as it were, to would-be border jumpers. Now most of the dogs are out of work, so West Germany's Animal Protection Society is taking 2,500 for adoption. The society is already swamped with aspiring owners, who must pay about $50 to cover the cost of inoculations and veterinary exams.

The society launched its rescue mission when it learned that the Grenzhunde might be sold to buyers in Spain or the U.S. Says society official Ulrich Karlowski: "In Spain the pharmaceutical industry was interested, and you know what that could mean." As for the Americans, he adds, "we were afraid that the dogs would be handled as souvenirs."

To the chagrin of many East Germans, it turns out that no more than 1,000 of the dogs are really trained to attack, and the East Germans are keeping those; the rest are pussycats, decoys whose ominous presence once created fear among the civilian populace.