Two words strike fear into the hearts of most animal lovers when shopping for the Florida condominium of their dreams: "No pets."

There are abundant books, magazines, telephone help lines, videos and even World Wide Web sites to help us tackle the basics of creating a loving, comfortable home for our domestic companions. Need advice on feeding, housetraining, grooming or curing the home-alone blues? It's probably within easy reach.

But when we humans move, especially into a condominium, there is little in the way of information available to help us navigate the sometimes maze-like rules and restrictions with regard to our pets. What's more, where Florida condominium associations are concerned, "creatures great and small" often pose quite a problem.

Rachel Lincoln knows the story all too well. As a Naples-based real estate agent specializing in that community's upscale condominium market, she found herself faced with the dilemma of representing pet lovers who were ready and willing to buy in condominium communities that don't allow pets.

"It was inconceivable to me that someone should have to choose between their best friend and the home of their dreams," Rachel said. "My husband and I have our own zoo-three miniature Dachshunds, two cats and a bird-and I couldn't bear to part with any of them."

But rather than shirk from the all-too-common problem, or ignore it altogether, Rachel had an inspiration: Why not specialize in locating pet-friendly communities?

That was far more easily said than done.

"What I found when I started looking was that no data had ever been compiled locally on pet-friendly communities. None. And little wonder, with the sheer number of condominium communities in this area. So I rolled up my sleeves, opened the yellow pages under condominiums and started in with the A's."

Naples is hardly unique in that respect. Throughout Florida, very little hard data exists on which condominium communities welcome pets and which do not (Naples runs about 50-50).

Rachel also discovered that most condominium associations rigidly enforce their no-pets policy, and that restrictions for those communities that do accept pets can vary greatly by type of pet, size, height, weight and number of animals allowed.

She now had a list of pet-friendly properties, organized by area and price range, to share with her clients. But her research didn't stop there.

"Many of my clients come down from the north with their pets, first to visit, then to look for a place to buy," Rachel said. "Again, there was no definitive source to tell pet owners what lodging is available that will accept pets. So back I went to the yellow pages under hotels and motels and called each one."

Banking on the certainty that her visiting clients also would get hungry from time to time, she decided to call all the likely restaurants in town, too.

"There is nothing like being held captive in your motel room because you can't leave your pets unattended," she said, chuckling. "You either round up the whole zoo and hit a drive-through or you send your spouse to pick up a take-out meal. Fortunately, I found a number of dockside and outdoor restaurants that appreciate the dilemma of the traveling pet lover and welcome them."

Does Rachel's growing pet-friendly information kit make it a breeze to house-hunt with pet in tow? Despite her best efforts, there will always be that challenge, she admits. "I know one couple that had a year-old Golden Retriever in their minivan. The husband had to come inside, take a quick look, then send the wife in while he tended the dog. It's not for sissies."

All the more reason to know ahead of time that a condo will be clear sailing for pets.

"It's easy to overlook animals in our society," Rachel said. "They don't spend money, they don't vote, they don't buy real estate. But they have such a special place in our lives that it's rewarding when you can do something in your line of work that helps them. I tell my clients I'm really working for the purrs and doggy kisses."