LOS ANGELES — Duane "Dog" Chapman appeared yesterday at a holiday toy giveaway sponsored by a black advocacy group a month after publicly apologizing for using a racial slur.

The Hawai'i-based bounty hunter handed out toys to dozens of children and signed copies of his book "You Can Run But You Can't Hide," said Ermias Alemayehu of the conservative Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny.

"We don't condone racial slurs, but upon hearing Dog's apology and after meeting with him and his family, we don't believe he's a racist. We also believe that Duane 'Dog' Chapman sincerely wants to make amends to the black community, and deserves a second chance," BOND founder Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson said in a statement.

Chapman, 54, apologized Nov. 6 to blacks and to all Americans for repeatedly using the "n-word" during a March phone call to his son, Tucker, urging him to break up with a black girlfriend.

The subsequent Web release of the recorded conversation by The National Enquirer led the A&E television network to put Chapman's reality show indefinitely on hold.

TREBEK ON MEND AFTER HEART ATTACK

LOS ANGELES — Who is back home in time for Christmas?

The answer is "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek, who was released from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center yesterday, after suffering a heart attack.

"I'm truly overwhelmed by the great show of support and compassion expressed in the past few days to me, my family and my co-workers," Trebek said in a statement.

Trebek, 67, was hospitalized Monday night after being stricken with a minor heart attack.

"Even though I know 'Jeopardy' is a very popular program, I was still surprised at the number of people who took time from their schedules to call or send a note of encouragement," Trebek said.

Trebek, 67, promised to return to the "Jeopardy!" studio on Jan. 14.

HOLIDAY AT HOME TO HELP THE NEEDY

NEW YORK — Adrian Grenier, who plays Vince Chase on the HBO hit series "Entourage," took a break to hang out in more humble surroundings and serve up some grub at a soup kitchen.

The native Brooklynite returned home Friday with his mother and uncle to volunteer at Neighbors Together Soup Kitchen in the Brownsville section of the borough.

"It's so important to give back during the holidays and throughout the year, and I wanted to do my part by helping people here in Brooklyn," the actor said in a statement. "It isn't right that millions of families suffer from hunger and worry about getting their next meal. We all need to help in whatever way we can."

'RINGS' PERFORMER JOINS 'TINTIN' CAST

LOS ANGELES — The actor who provided movements and expressions for the animated Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" and for Kong in "King Kong" is joining the cast of a planned DreamWorks trilogy based on the Belgian cartoon character Tintin, according to reports yesterday.

DreamWorks did not say which character Andy Serkis will play but did reveal it won't be Tintin.

Like Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "King Kong," "Tintin" also will use performance-capture technology for its digital 3-D production.

The movies follow reporter Tintin and his dog, Snowy, on globe-trotting adventures.

Make a difference. Donate to The Advertiser Christmas Fund.