"We need to find a daddy or mummy for thousands of abandoned dogs and cats," the billionaire reportedly said in a telephone call to one of his fan clubs in Rome, as he scrabbles to revive support for his centre-right Forza Italia (Go Italy) party, hit hard by his political downfall last year.
An Ixe poll carried out for Rai 3 television yesterday showed Forza Italia slip into third place behind the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and the anti-establishment Five Star movement.
The media magnate - who was ousted from the Senate after a tax fraud conviction and is waiting to learn where he will carry out a sentence of one-year community service - also cited Mother Teresa on animal welfare, saying "if we love them as we should, we will be very close to God."
The adoptions would save USD 357,000 a year on kennels, he added.
"We need concrete measures. Berlusconi could come and do some dog sitting for us," it told La Stampa daily, renewing an offer to have the 77-year-old serve out his community service with the association.
It is not the first time the former prime minister has resorted to dogs to boost his image. Dudu, a white Maltese terrier brought into his household by his 28-year-old girlfriend Francesca Pascale, has his own Facebook page where he promotes Forza Italia.