ReadLarryPowell.com

Coco and Cookie and my brain...

2009-12-17T16:30:14-06:00

Hey, you! If you get an e-mail with this picture of Cookie and Coco, DON’T FORWARD IT.

In fact, be as nasty as you want to be to the person who sent it to you.

If you send it to me, I’m going to be an unpleasant surprise in your inbox and if I knew what your home address was, I’d be a worse visitor than an IRS agent with a warrant.

If you have forwarded this Coco/Cookie message, then send a note to everyone on your mailing list apologizing for forwarding an e-mail about a situation that has been resolved for nearly an entire year.

This madness has got to stop. As I wrote last February 19 THESE DOGS HAVE A HOME AND HAVE BEEN RESCUED AND NOTHING ELSE IS NEEDED. Last February 19.

In the months since, I’ve tried writing nice things politely asking people not to forward the Coco/Cookie e-mail . It says that the two Labs need a home because the military family is being reassigned within days. People read that and without bothering to confirm the facts, forward the e-mail. This is a waste of time and effort that should be spent on animals that actually need help.

I’ve been pleasant. I’ve been sweet. I’ve been forgiving.

This afternoon one more tearful e-mail about rescuing these two threatened dogs arrived and it tripped my trigger. Maybe I was in a bad mood because I know it's unlikely we'll get to beat with a big stick the person who duct-taped Lucky the Dog's mouth and paws (see this morning's report on Readlarrypowell.com.) Maybe I was in a bad mood from trying to help animals that actually do need a break because they’ve been jerked around by idiot humans.

Maybe the mood is part of my diet plan – no carbs at Christmas, no holly jolly.

But, for crying out loud, I am not the only person fighting this viral e-mail. I know other people have launched campaigns against it, too.

If I’ve gotten one, I’ve gotten a hundred of these Coco/Cookie e-mails in the past year, including five or six in the past week.

No more Mr. Nice Guy.

I’ve had it with this Coco and Cookie e-mail. Please join me at this, our most joyous time of year, in stamping it out and rejoicing in the fact that the dogs have been living in a new happy situation for nearly a year.

Please, before you forward any e-mail, check it out. Maybe the situation has been resolved. Look at the date. Look for an originating e-mail address. Look for a phone number. Use your brain. I'm begging you.

But if you’re not going to be responsible, be prepared to be on the receiving end of a fat man’s diet wrath! I’ve got to chew something; it might as well be the backside of someone who forwards the Coco/Cookie e-mail.

It's the "why" of things sometimes...

2009-12-17T10:57:49-06:00

This is one of those “a picture is worth a thousand words” deals.

Makes you cringe, doesn’t it?

The dog is temporarily called “Lucky” and before you jump to conclusions about this being an urban dog being mistreated by urban thugs or urban creeps, you should know that the duct-taped puppy was found on the side of a road near Paducah way out at the base of the Texas Panhandle, six or so hours northwest of Dallas.

Our local jerks don’t bother to leave the city limits to mistreat animals.

The good news is the dog has a possible adoptor, according to Ginger Murchison of Dallas who, via family connections, has sort of become the spokesperson for the rescued puppy and this morning had the little guy at her vet’s office.

It was Ginger whose e-mail reached Readlarrypowell.com yesterday. Ginger says her cousin, who lives in Palmer, was the person who brought the dog to the Metroplex from the Panhandle. (Now, Betty Medina cleared up the path of the e-mail for me this morning when I asked about the dog. she says, “I’m a friend of Kaycee [Gutierrez] who works for Ginger’s cousin Sonja [Witt]. Kaycee sent me the e-mail of the puppy, then I sent it to Sonja who then sent it to Ginger.”

And, though we don’t yet know the name of the person who actually rescued the dog, here’s the original e-mail message from the dog’s finder regarding the discovery of this duct-taped dog: “We were on our way back from hunting Saturday morning and this puppy was sitting on the side of the road.

“We stopped and un-taped him and took him with us. I called everywhere looking for an animal shelter and there was not one open until Monday. We were leaving on Sunday. His ribs and hip bones are visible. We just couldn't leave him out there in fear of it happening to him again. We hoped to bring him back home and find him a new home. ... He looks like a Lab with white on his chest, tip of tail, and feet. He is not hyper and doesn't jump on you. He never scratched at the door wanting in and slept on the porch. We have never heard him bark. He did whine last night. We don't allow animals in the house and he slept in a crate. .... We let him out this morning and fed him. He went back in the crate after playing for a while and he never cried. We live in town on W. Jefferson and I'm afraid if we let him roam around he will get hit by a car.”

Ginger says the dog has a prospective home. It wasn’t like nobody wanted this dog. She says, “We had a laundry list of people from Boston, Oklahoma City, New York, all over.”

So, that’s the story for now – and it has stirred hearts all over. Ginger was at her vet’s this morning with the little guy. We’re awaiting a report. And if a home is needed or help is needed, we’ll let you know as soon as we know.

A QUESTION ABOUT THE PET MAIL: One of our longtime tipsters, a veteran rescuer, is looking for some advice and, as I told her, we’ll ask you Readers because, frankly, you know more than I do about so many things. Here’s the question: “I'm on the snail mail list for a whole lot of animal charity organizations. I have more personalized mailing labels than I could use in 3 lifetimes. How do I let them know to please take my name off of their list? I donate what I can but the 50 pounds of mail is a waste of paper and other resources.”

If you have tips on stopping the wasteful mail, please click on COMMENTS below and let us all know.

UPDATE ON SURI: On Dec. 10 we told how Marla Margol and her rescue pal Kimberly Empie found Suri the dog running free near Bob Woodruff Park in Plano. The dog was on the loose from a backyard that showed no signs of being a proper place for an animal to live, so, to shortcut the story, Suri has been at the Plano Animal Services Shelter for a couple of weeks now while Marla and others work hard to find her a home. It’s not as easy as it seems. Marla reports, “I had a home for her, but when I asked the person what heartworm prevention they had their other dog on, I was told it wasn't on any and they would have no intention of having Suri on any, so needless to say I politely said ‘Thank you for your interest but Suri deserves better.’

“I tried to educate him on the ‘why,’ but some people just don't get it! And what really surprised me was that his sister works at one of the SPCA facilities! Go figure! I received some emails and some voicemails but then nothing.”

Marla says she’s planning on dropping by the shelter today to check on Suri. “Surely there is one person/family out there that will come forward and be the home for this sweet little girl. All I can do is hope/pray it happens soon.”

Our pal at the Plano shelter, Debbie New, says Suri’s ID number is 67914. As Debbie says, “We have never been this full in the almost 10 years that I have worked here.”

You can see other animals at the shelter by clicking HERE. Take a look at Balthazar the Orange Cat stretching out or – and isn’t this amazing – a Jack Russell named “Wishbone.” Yep, after the star of the PBS series filmed in nearby Allen. Suri is in good company at Plano, but they’d all be better off someplace other than a city shelter.

PUPPY MILL REMINDER: You can get involved with stamping out puppy mills in Texas by going to the Texas Humane Legislation Network site at www.thln.com.

And in the meantime, if you know of a puppy mill with questionable conditions, there is a new Humane Society of the United States national tip line: 1-877-MILL-TIP.

PRAIRIE DOG: Well, not a “prairie dog,” but a dog out on the prairie. This is Aimee and she’s at the Prairie Paws Adoption Center in Grand Prairie.

We get her story from veteran dog spotter, shelter walker and rescuer Debbie Barclay. She says that 2-year-old Aimee is possibly an Australian Cattle Dog or Shepherd mix. “I met Aimee recently during my volunteer dog-walking time on Saturday as I checked kennels to see which dogs were available to walk.

“I looked at Aimee’s card and saw the dreaded black “X” meaning she was scheduled for euthanasia.

“This tugged at my heart because I hadn’t seen her before or spent time with her, so I decided to take her out and give her lots of exercise time and attention.

“When I did, I saw what an exceptionally sweet disposition she has and thought what a shame it would be for her to not have a chance, so I begged the shelter supervisor for a little more time.

“Aimee has been vaccinated including bordatella. She loves going for walks and does very well on the leash. She has been to one adoption event and adjusted to the crate very well. I can tell she really likes me, so I think she will be a wonderful and devoted companion for the right person. Aimee has had some interest but is still waiting for the right family or individual. “

To read about the Prairie Paws Adoption Center and to see the available animals, click on the PetFinder site HERE. The shelter is at 2222 W. Warrior Trail on the south side of Grand Prairie near I-20. Call 972-237-8575.

A COUPLE OF UPDATES FOR YESTERDAY’S NEWS:

--Tessa, the Companion Animal Network Chocolate Lab lost near Troy over the weekend, was found alive yesterday “in a junk yard,” reports CAN’s Gail Whelan. “The woman [adoptive owner] refused to return her saying I had to get the sheriff. Which I did.” Gail’s plan was to find a more attentive home for Tessa and in the meantime, Tessa will be boarded until Dec. 23. More on this story later, we suspect.

-- Regarding the two little PomPoos abandoned when an owner moved out of a house, Pam Christmas tells us that a “wonderful woman named Carla Nelson” has adopted Cain and Able and reports “that the li’l fellers were working out great in their home.”

-- From Burns Flat, Okla., our tipster Terry Lynn Fisher reports that the little dog who was found guarding the body of her pal has been returned to her owner who had been desperately searchng for her three runaway dogs. The third dog is still missing. And, just FYI, Terry Lynn is hustling to find homes for several more animals that are on a short clock at the Burns Flat city shelter. To ask her about these dogs and how to help her, e-mail remembering_oddball@yahoo.com. She’ll respond gratefully.

LOOKING FOR THE OWNER OF THIS CAT: Carolyn Meckley of Mesquite is involved in a search. She sent us a report about this cat “found by my neighbor in October or November. I am trying to locate the owner. Neighbor says she ‘found’ the cat around Saturn and Northwest Highway in Garland. However I fear that may not be true because I voiced my opinion about bringing a cat home to ‘keep’ and not trying to find the owner. She then put the cat out when the weather was freezing. So I allowed it into my garage and into my home.”

The cat is very friendly, declawed front and back, friendly with small dogs and other cats, litter-box trained and “female (I think), writes Carolyn.

If you know where this cat belongs or would like to give it a home, e-mail greatday0530@yahoo.com or call 214-954-7023 or 717-881-3771.

SANTA PHOTO NEWS:

--There are many opportunities right now to get your pets’ photos made with Santa. Google your favorite rescue group or shelter and see what’s going on.

-- In the meantime, Jeffrey Hartman, who was responsible for saving Hutch the Pit’s life and getting him to Spindletop, sent us a one-sentence reminder that Straydog Inc. (one of our favorite places) is hosting Santa photos Saturday at the PetsMart in Plano on Parker Road at Central Expressway [U.S. 75].

-- FOCUSING AT THE CANINE COMMISSARY? You bet. Through Dec. 23, you can enter your pet in a Christmas Photo Contest at Canine Commissary www.caninecommissary.net locations. The winner gets a year’s supply (one large size bag a month for an entire year) of food. Just dress your pet “in any Christmas apparel to be entered.” And, says Canine Commissary spokeswoman Shania Garay, “It's free!!! No charge and you get a FREE Goody bag as well.”

CONTEMPLATIONS: What kind of sick mind duct-tapes an animal? That’s someone who really needs some sincere psychological help and probably from a prison psychiatrist. ... If we could get a nickel for every word said about health care reform in and around Congress and the White House for the past three months, we wouldn’t need to worry about health care reform. .... Life’s good when your dogs and cats put up with you.

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Be-on-the-lookouts & other tales...

2009-12-16T10:45:51-06:00

How does the world look on Wednesday? It looks solidly midweek. So, here’s our report for the day and it involves several “Be on the lookouts.” We’ll start with them.

Anybody who has ever driven through the Las Colinas area knows that it has a zillion places for a dog to hide out in the cold weather. And that may be the case with Barley the Boxer. Her human, Kurt Wagner, says the dog bolted Friday night near the Mandalay on the Lake Apartments at Los Colinas.

Seven-month-old Barley, described by Kurt as a “runt boxer” at 30 pounds, was not wearing tags at the time. If you know the whereabouts of this pup, call 972-658-9434.

BE ON THE LOOK OUT IN TROY, TEXAS: Troy is on I-35 south of Waco and just north of Temple, but if you’re driving through the area you might keep your eyes open for a Chocolate Lab who seems to be wandering. The request for “more eyes” comes from Gail Whelan of the Companion Animal Network. She reports, “I took our chocolate lab, Tessa, to her new home in Troy, Texas, on Saturday. While the woman has 40 acres, it is all fenced and she has a shock wire up. She assured me Tessa would not be out without a ‘lunge line’. Apparently she ‘lost’ her this [Tuesday] morning. I need to find volunteers in that area that will help search for Tessa before the coyotes get her.” The general area is on East Big Elm Road, a quarter-mile from I-35. If you know the dog’s whereabouts or want to volunteer to help, e-mail can_rescue@yahoo.com.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT BUCKNER/GARLAND AREA: Terry Hoyle was putting up outside Christmas lights on the family home Friday morning and Barkley “waited for me to turn my back – that’s what he does,” Terry told me this morning. That’s when Barkley vanished. And, now, the family is searching for their dog, shown here in his relaxation mode.

He’s microchipped but had no collar or tags.

One theory is that calm Barkley has been picked up and may have been taken from the neighborhood.

The family has engaged the neighborhood association in the search and is checking shelters, has put up signs, etc. And if you know Barkley’s whereabouts, e-mail tnhoyle@shwgroup.com or call 214-497-2128, 214-274-4179 or 214-321-6931.

ALREADY ON THE JOB: The Texas Humane Legislation Network, the “Mainstream Voice for Animal Protection” is already maneuvering for the effort in the next legislative session to try to outlaw puppy mills in Texas. President Cile Holloway issued an appeal yesterday for help in financing this political effort. You can read about it at the THLN site HERE, The e-mail appeal carries the headline “ No Day Is a Holiday for a Puppy Mill Dog.” and includes this illustration.

THE RAID IN ARLINGTON: This is related to the THLN’s mission. We get this note from animal fan Becky Dodge, “You've probably already seen this but if not - there is an article in today's Fort Worth Star Telegram about the Arlington seizure of 20,000 exotics from U.S. Global Exotics. They were a LICENSED animal wholesaler who sold over the internet, mainly to pet shops. According to the article there are several hundreds of dead animals including over 200 iguanas and other lizards and turtles who had been packed into shipping crates over a week before the seizure. We really need to push hard in 2010 for the state to get some regulations with sharp teeth in place to regulate breeders/sellers, etc.” To read the story, click HERE.

LOOKING FOR A HOME: If we were in a court of law, we’d suggest that attorneys for both sides could stipulate that area shelters are overloaded and humans are needed to help save lives. That’s if we were in a court of law. We’re just in the court of public opinion and the problem is convincing some members of the public that they need to have an opinion other than “Do what you have to do and don’t tell me about it.”

So, that brings us to a report on shelter animals and we’ll suggest gently that this is a sweet time of year to save a shelter animal’s life. Today we’re going to make this puppy our shelter symbol and we’ll also declare this dog Bella to be our Earhound of the Day. Look at those great floppy ears!

Bella is a 5-month-old Lab mix who was found on Ponderosa in Little Elm romping with her brother Buck. Buck was adopted on Monday. Bella was left behind. She has until 4 p.m. Thursday, we’re told.

Know what it costs to adopt a good dog like this? Five million dollars. Don’t be silly. For ten lousy bucks you can save this dog’s life. That’s right. Little Elm’s adoption fee for this dog is $10. That’s almost as cheap as the enchilada platter with tea and tax at most mid-level Tex-Mex restaurants. You almost can’t get out of a Dairy Queen without spending $10. If you’re a rescue group just wanting to save the dog, arrangements can be made to get the dog for NO fee. Little Elm is trying to keep the inventory from building and save more than it euthanizes. To ask about adopting Bella or any animal in the Little Elm Animal Shelter, call Animal Control Officer Cynthia Medrano at 214-975-0460 or e-mail

cmedrano@littleelm.org. See the inventory by clicking HERE.

That cat? Why, at this time of the year, you always find a Christmas cat in a shelter. That’s Mr. Jingle Bells, surrendered to the Little Elm shelter by his family – he’s litterbox-trained and declawed in the front paws. Mr. Jingle Bells. Makes you want to cuddle him, doesn’t it?

TWO LITTLE DOGS LEFT BEHIND: Pam Christmas comes to us with the story of Cain and Able, two 5-pound, 8-month-old PomPoos (Pomerian/Poodle mixes) who have been abandoned in Garland. Pam explains that the dogs, “live in the yard behind me. This past weekend the owner has moved out. I called him and he said he just can’t take Cain and Able with him so they have been abandoned.

“I checked on them last night [Monday] since there was a cold front coming. They had some food but no water or shelter. I made a makeshift windbreak for them ... but they immediately need a place to go.

“They both do the cutest thing…when they get excited or seek your attention, they get on their back legs and cross the two front ones and dig at the sky. These are precious boys that desperately want to sit in a lap and be stroked but more importantly they want to be warm. Their sweet faces are more like the Pomeranian father with a look of a constant smile and their color is just beautiful.

“They are both so loveable but neither one knows who is Cain and who is Able. It seems they both answer to Cain and Able like it's one name for both of them.”

To help these two dogs with a home or a temporary home, e-mail pamc1414@msn.com or call 972-303-0428 or 214-728-5240.

If Pam’s name sounds familiar, it is because we wrote of efforts last summer of her and her sister, Brenda Bredemayer, to rescue the ailing Rottie Jazz from an awful “tethered” situation in a shadeless, hot backyard.

AND IN BURNS FLAT: Our tireless tipster, the rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher, reports that this little dog was found yesterday just outside of the little Oklahoma town Burns Flat. “We went out there and found a little male schnauzer that had been hit by a car. This little female was laying on his body, protecting him. We learned she has been laying there with him for three days.”

And, according to neighbors, these two dogs and one other that has vanished had been hanging around the area for a week.

So, this dog needs a loving place to go. She’s been bathed and groomed and will look better than in this “before” photo. To help Terry Lynn e-mail remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or call 580-330-1459.

THE DOG IN THE WOODS: Sandy Lewis has a continuing story and needs some help to get it to a happy ending. Here’s her note: “Back in the spring, I wrote to you about a beaten and thrown away dog
living in the woods behind my home. I named him Cagney and he is still there. I have fed him daily, but he is so fearful of people that I can only get about 20 ft. from him before he turns and moves away. He is a beautiful American Bulldog, white with a large dark spot on one side of his face. At the time I wrote to you, you commented that I said "When I catch him" not "if". Well, I am still working on it. I bought him a
dog house and filled it with hay so he would at least have a place to go for shelter in this cold, wet weather and he uses it, but he needs to be out of the woods.

“Dallas Animal Services was called by my neighbors who felt I was not doing enough (of course, none of them have lifted a finger or donated a piece of kibble to help me). They (DAS) wanted to catch him with a catch pole or put a trap out. The wooded area is full of underbrush and thorn vines and a catch pole would not be a viable answer. (They never showed back up.) Cagney is too wary to go near a trap and I don't want him further traumatized.

“I would really like to find an individual or group who can dart him. There are 2 rescues who will take him, but only after he is caught. Even though I have never touched him, Larry, I love him very much and want the best possible life for him. Angie Manriquez (The Fairy Dogmother of West Dallas) has been coaching me for months, but I don't think I will be able to get any closer to Cag than I am now. Do you have any suggestion (that does not involve Dallas Animal Services) to help me contact someone who can dart
him? I am sorry I don't have a decent photo of him. I've only been able to photograph him with my phone and from too far away to be of any use. Getting him into foster care would be the best Christmas present I could ever have...and it would give Cagney the gift of a loving family that he so richly deserves.”

To offer to help Sandy with this heartbreaking but solvable situation, e-mail sl4425@att.com or call 214-994-0736.

THE OFFICE DOG: We got a note that referred to this dog Punkin as becoming an “office dog.” Sure enough, that’s her current status at the Everman Animal Shelter and Animal Control Officer Teresa Weldon testifies, “Punkin is the sweetest thing ever. She seems to be house-trained and she is leash trained. She does great with other dogs and does not seem to mind the cats.

“She has a tag on with her name and a phone number. I called the number and the person said that they did not have a dog and that they had had this number for over a year. They said that they have not owned or lost a dog. Nothing surprises me anymore.”

Punkin is about two years old, maybe a mix of long-haired Dachshund and Chihuahua and available for just $30. To offer to adopt her, e-mail evermananimals@yahoo.com or call 817-561-5495. She’s not the only animal in Everman looking for a home. You can see more of them by clicking HERE.

LOOKING FOR GLAD TIDINGS: At The Colony’s animal shelter, things are festive as the staffers work on finding homes for a number of animals. (Remember, click on the photos to make them larger.)

Patricia Barrington, the Animal Control Division Manager, explains one of the photos this way: “OK, so she’s just a mid-sized black dog … I understand that’s like trying to find a home for a white, mid-90’s Chevy Malibu; they are EVERYWHERE and incredibly unremarkable. But Molly is truly one of a kind. A woman brought Miss Molly in last week. She claimed she found her in a busy intersection, chased her back to a hotel, where a man came outside and cursed at her and kicked her and generally mistreated her. She asked the man to stop and he insisted she take the dog; so she brought Molly here. Needless to say, her owner hasn’t come for her. She’s an awesome, resilient dog, who like most that have endured rough times, seems sweeter and more trusting than she should be. She loves people. As evidenced by the photo of her leaning against Stephanie’s legs, she’s really loyal and needs to be with people. Molly has a spay scar on her belly and sad eyes that illustrate her past. It would be a real Christmas miracle to have Molly find a nice, proper home filled with gentleness and love for the holidays.”

And, Molly isn’t the only story at The Colony. Consider this tale of two housemates – a dog and a cat. Patricia writes, “Ginger is 8 years old. Her people divorced; somehow this equated to her becoming homeless, along with her housemate, Scuba the Cat. Ginger is only 8, which isn’t too old for a sweet Pekingese girl, but her few remaining teeth look like little brown rocks that should be on the bottom of a kid’s goldfish tank. Her tongue hangs out the left side of her mouth and she drools a bit from the right. “In my eyes, this makes her completely irresistible, but it might not be a huge selling point for some. “Ginger is already spayed and it would warm our little ol' shelter hearts to see Ginger and Scuba go home and have a warm, lovely holiday. Scuba is about 2 years old and is a tiny little thing! She isn’t spayed, but she is lovely.”

To ask about any of the animals in The Colony’s shelter, e-mail pbarrington@thecolonytx.gov or call 972-370-9250.

JEFFREY HARTMAN AND THE PIT: When last we mentioned Jeffrey, he was attempting to find a home for a much-scarred but sweet black pit bull he’d rescued. What has happened? Here’s Jeffrey’s note:

“We drove down to Spindletop, near Conroe, Friday after Thanksgiving and met Leah the owner and April (right), one of the trainers who will be working with ‘Hutch.’ “April made a good choice naming him, I think it fits him. Hutch was growling a lot, but turned out to be fear and not aggression.

“All the other animals were something he’s probably never seen. Horses, mules, chickens, goats, pot belly pig, ducks, but after talking with Leah yesterday, Hutch is much less concerned about the other life forms now.

“His first day of evaluation, they started walking him with a couple older females and not long after he was wanting to play. So now his days include training and play time.

“As with probably all pit rescues like Spindletop, and people that know the breed, he will not be adopted into a family with another male dog. That’s just the way it is.

“But Leah says he is adoptable and his family is out there somewhere, and I will sponsor him until he finds his place.

“But I would like to sincerely thank everyone for their emails and offering to help me when Larry posted Hutch’s story the week before Thanksgiving. Spindletop is like so many other rescues, they can always use the help, donations of money or supplies, and they deserve it.

“Spindletop took a lot of horses and about forty pits after the Katrina hurricane. They were one of the many animal rescues that took on the influx of homeless animals.”

NOTE TO YOU PEOPLE WITH BIG HEARTS: I probably don’t need to tell you this, but before you donate to a cause – especially at this our most joyously vulnerable time of year – you should check things out. Make some calls. Ask some people. Or as, Jeffrey did with Hutch, go see the facility. You want to make sure you feel good about what you’re doing, but especially you don’t want to be throwing money away when it could be going to a good and decent cause. And, check back every now and then because things change. Money falls short, people move, etc.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Let’s talk viral. Never mind the flu. Still floating around (inexplicably) are e-mails seeking a home for the Labs Cookie and Coco who found a home nearly a year ago (and we reported the story last February.) If you see that e-mail, don’t forward it. Same thing with the e-mail about the guy in Dallas who had a basket of puppies and needed help. He got the help, we’re told. So, please, stop sending the note around. ... Winter in Texas – it’s all the seasons together. Except baseball, of course. Baseball always ends in September. ... My fingers are tired, so I’m calling a time-out for right now. I’d like to eat some chocolate, but when you consider my lifetime, I’m way ahead on my personal intake of chocolate, so I’ll just sip some water and wish I’d been blessed with the ability to ration chocolate. No personal control, you know. But, geez, it’s chocolate. You can’t conquer the lure of chocolate. Can you?

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Found dog followups & a human loss...

2009-12-15T15:43:28-06:00

Due to an unplanned dog acquisition this morning – more on it later in this episode of Readlarrypowell.com – we are offering an afternoon edition.

It will include not only more on Hunt The Dog and on the dog I was blessed with this morning, but also a sad report on the passing of someone who has helped many animals.

First up, we’re following up on the story of Hunt, the dog that collapsed in the jasmine.

HUNT THE DOG HAS FANS: As we reported this morning, Hunt, believed to be a Belgian Malinois, fell over in the jasmine inside the big Crescent complex in downtown Dallas.

(That's a close-up and I used it because it tickles me. "Dog looks into camera." The other photos include Hunt, to weak to walk, being carried into the vet's office, Hunt in his cage and Hunt out on a leash-straining romp now that he's recovering.)

We pick up our story via Terri Bush, the Corporate Human Resources Manager for Rosewood Hotels and Resorts.

“Hunt is still at my house,” Terri says. “Our adoption lead fell through last night but this dog is so awesome I don't think we'll have any trouble finding him a forever home. And he can stay with me as long as necessary. Plus, other Rosewood Hotels employees are offering to take turns hosting him. I wish we could just keep doing that forever but Hunt deserves a family.

“Here is the financial situation: We have raised $510. John Scott, CEO/President of Rosewood Hotels pledged a company match up to $500 so we are at $1010. Hunt's hospital bill was about $1,100. And we would like to get him neutered and vaccinated. We are estimating under $500 for that. So we need to raise about $600 more.
“He gets better every day. I had to move to crate training after a few accidents and he does not like it but it finally caused him to bark. He had been silent up until the crating. He has a nice soft bark, almost like Lassie.

“He does not have an odor, despite not having a bath (doctor's orders, no bath for some reason). And he does not shed. I can't even pull hair off of him. I've never had this kind of dog but I remember friends who had shepherds and the incessant shedding. So far, no problem for Hunt.
“He still has a little mucous from the nose but not nearly as bad as when we found him. You can still see his bones but he is obviously getting meatier. He has a tremendous appetite and he cleans his plate every meal (four meals per day, 2 all-dry, 2 mixed can/dry). He is a sloppy drinker. He is not protective of his food. He slops it everywhere in his zeal to get it eaten and I can pick up the kibble and put it back in the bowl while he is eating. He does not growl or even appear to notice my hands, really.
“He's been around my dogs, but not too often or for too long. The vet advised against it until he is vaccinated and 100% recovered. But he mingles well and is not aggressive.
“He is trotting on the leash now. He really likes to go out and walk/trot. I truly believe he is very grateful for the help we have given him. He will nuzzle my hands and walk around my legs and lean against me. And I might be reading too much into it but he really seems to be saying ‘Thank you’."
The amazing thing is that the dog managed to get through all sorts of downtown traffic before collapsing into the jasmine.

Terry says that the “person who reported the dog to me was Phyllis Harrell, Operations Coordinator for Rosewood Hotels (and award winning Weimaraner breeder and all-around dog lover). She was in tears because she saw him really struggling to get to the spot where he collapsed. She was very shaken up. By the time we got down to get him, Rosewood Crescent Hotels employees had a tablecloth over him and were feeding him. (Gary McKnight, Rebecca Marabito, Derek Damon and Adrian Norbury).
“I asked our Rosewood Hotels receptionist Rachel Cone to call the building to see what would be done with the dog. She was told by building security that the SPCA does not pick up strays. So they called Animal Control. Given Hunt's obvious poor condition we really thought he would not be given a chance there, so Gary picked him up (fleas and all!) and put him in my vehicle. Rebecca and I took him to the vet. On the way, you could hear the fluid in his breath. It sounded like pneumonia. And bloody mucous was just about gushing out of his nose with every labored breath.
“The doctor said his main problem was dehydration. He was also malnourished and fevered. X-rays were negative for pneumonia. His lungs were clear. It was all nasal, thank goodness. And no heartworms, either. Amazing.
“That's about it. Somebody is going to get a great dog in Hunt.”

How much has the dog’s life changed? Terri says that “a week ago, the poor thing was freezing somewhere in uptown Dallas, and now he is in a warm bed watching movies! ... It says a lot about what can happen in a week when people care.”

If you want to be the someone who gets a great dog (and you’ll have to pass an audition, of course), e-mail Terri.Bush@rosewoodhotels.com or call 214-880-4262.

THE FACE OF THE SEASON: So, this morning, as I was really rolling on the first edition of Readlarrypowell.com and dealing with a ton of e-mail, I heard a clatter on the front porch. Usually the front porch is silent because that’s where Smidge the Feral Cat hangs out – she’s got a fully functioning heating pad in a camping chair or an open crate if she wants it.

And she has food and water. The food is kept in an aluminum dish and when you hear aluminum bouncing off porch cement you know the little ol’ black cat isn’t throwing it around.

I thought maybe it was a raccoon, but what it was was not a raccoon. It was a young dog small enough to squeeze through the burglar bars and get to the cat food.

This is her and she is named Porche (for being on the porch) Nowell (old-timey hymnal spelling of Noel, the dog’s new vet, Vladi DeJong of Pet Stop says).

She even sort of answers already to Porche Nowell, but in her mind “Porche Nowell” may sound like “pork chop.” She looks pretty hungry.

Porche arrived with a pronounced limp and a big appetite. She’s extraordinarily nice and polite. The household dogs’ barking didn’t set her off. She didn’t panic and try to hide or run. She almost fits right in except, of course, for that six-dog max rule the City of Dallas put into place without regard to those of us who are stray dog magnets in a city notorious for its uncaring attitudes.

So, we’ve got to find a spot for this little dog – she’s smaller than our Cocker Spaniel and not nearly as fluffy.

We’ll know more after Dr. DeJong runs her tests and checks out her leg.

What kind of dog is she? Lots of guesses: Part Corgi. Part French Bulldog. Maybe even some kind of miniature pit. But the real answer to what kind of dog she is is this: Nice.

THE LOSS OF A FRIEND OF PETS: For a while now I’ve been getting animal updates from Shirlee Smith. Her voice has been silenced. We get the report from Keli Halteman of Halteman’s Heroes. “I wanted you to know Shirlee Smith, HH’s best volunteer and newsletter writer, was found dead in her home Thursday. Shirlee was 51.

“Her family gave me 36 hours to get her 7 cats and 12-year-old dog out of the home. No one wanted them. I took them all. They all need vet work. Poor dear was on disability herself. She was taking care of her 91-year-old father ... She was dead 12 hours before anyone found her.. Her [deaf] father was in the front room watching TV. Her wake is Tuesday night ...I wlll be there along with all of those whose lives Shirlee made better. She was a true lady, a fabulous person and had the huge heart of a rescue worker

“She was my friend...and I will miss her so.”

Visitation at Anderson Clayton Funeral Home in Mesquite is from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight (Tuesday). Keli says there will be no formal services. Click HERE to see the funeral home page and click on Shirlee Marie Smith to leave a message of condolence.

To offer to help Keli with Shirlee’s animals, e-mail kellyhalteman@att.net .

Ways to find dogs...

2009-12-15T10:52:48-06:00

Yesterday afternoon people were out in springtime garb in our part of Texas. Today we’re chilled to the bone.

So, let’s find some warm tales of the animal world. And some thicker socks.

COLLAPSE AND CAPTURE: Who knows how long this dog had been wandering when he walked into the Crescent Courtyard – that fabulous hotel and office complex in Downtown Dallas – and, as the note from Jeannie Malcom read, “collapsed in the jasmine.”

That was on the morning of Dec. 10. And in one photo you can see the dog being carried to a better spot. The other photo is the dog after some loving care.

The dog was saved when a Hunt Oil Co. employee spotted him during a visit to Starbucks inside the Crescent complex. There are a number of Hunt employees who are engaged in animal rescue.

So, it is only natural that this dog has been named “Hunt,” in honor of the company’s founder, H.L. Hunt.

After being lifted from the jasmine, the pup was taken to a local vet’s office. The official report, according to Jeannie’s note is that Dr. Geoff Bratton diagnosed Hunt with respiratory infection, dehydration, fever and malnutrition.” The dog is, amazingly, negative for heartworms.

A later update says the dog is between a year and two years old and is “likely a Belgian Malinois.”

People are falling for the rescued pup and we’ll do updates to let you know what happens to the dog found in the jasmine.

THEY’RE NOT ALL FOUND IN THE FLOWERBED: In fact, we’ve got a note from our Houston contact Edna Taylor, who usually does cat rescue. Her hubby, Frank, “was at the Shell Station at West Lake Houston and Deussen Park last night [Sunday] and a neutered lab mix was running up to everyone so he brought him home. ... We have MANY cats and we will hang onto this boy as long as we can, but he can’t live in our garage forever. He is smart, loveable, sweet, playful and I wish we could keep him but we can’t.”

She’s looking for either a home for a rescue for the dog.

Call 817-628-4052 or e-mail tayloredna@msn.com.

A BRIEF REPORT TODAY BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY’RE FOUND ON THE FRONT PORCH: Shortly after 10:30 a.m. as I was typing this report, I heard a lot of clattering on the front porch where the feral cat’s food is left each day. I thought, “Raccoon?” and opened the front door to find a young, small, shorthaired mutt with ribs showing and a pronounced limp in the back left leg.

She was eating cat food and shivering from cold and maybe from fright.

Usually I have to go all the way to a city park to find an extra dog, but now they’re showing up on the front porch.

So, for now, the dog is in a kennel in the garage, warming up, full of food and fresh water, and enjoying a conversation with a Rottie we’re fostering, Earl, who is a dear fellow.

I will cut today’s report short because I’ve got to take this new little dog to the vet to see what’s up with her health. Look back later for an afternoon edition of Readlarrypowell.com.

As for me, I’m sick to my stomach about finding another loose, cold, injured dog running free and unloved in Dallas. It makes me want to beat some despicable human until they can’t find their ears with both hands.

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Georgie's airport adventure & other notes

2009-12-14T10:49:52-06:00

It is Dec. 14 and the sun is shining on our little piece of Texas here in Dallas.

We also have a story that may put some sun into your Monday. It takes a village to save a dog sometimes. Here goes:

THE DOG IN THE TRUCK: When last we mentioned Georgie (on Dec. 8), his human Flower Mound High School teacher Dan Blier was telling us of losing the little rascal when he slipped his collar in Terminal E Parking back on Nov. 28 at DFW Airport.

He is not the first dog to take off at the airport. But this year-old Jack Russell is one of the few who ... well, here’s the note we got from Dan late in the evening on Saturday:

“We found Georgie. A DFW Police Officer found him lodged in the engine block of his Dodge truck at the airport. He was lodged in there for three days traveling from Euless to the airport. He’s been through a lot and experienced some minor burns, but he’s home now and doing well. The vet was in awe of his story and what he's been through.... My Christmas wish has come true with Georgie at home again.”

Naturally, a story like this calls for further explanation. We’ve included some photos courtesy of Dan. The one with the soccer ball is the before photo we ran on Dec. 8 with our “Be on the lookout” bulletin. The others were snapped after Georgie came home.

Here is the story from Dan: “Actually, it was a really good set of coincidences. My roommate and I decided that after we both proctored the ACT exam, we would go visit a few of the area shelters. Euless, Irving and Grapevine were on the list. Grapevine closed at noon, so that was inconveniently out. “We decided to go to Euless first, and then Irving would be next.

“While I was looking up addresses for the animal shelters, I discovered an email address for the director of the Euless Animal Shelter. I sent him several pictures of Georgie and the story of how we lost him at the airport. About 30 minutes later, Larry James, the director at Euless Animal Shelter called me saying ‘I think we know who has your dog.’

“ He wanted to send me the pictures that Officer Robert Woodward, DFW Police, had sent him. As luck would have it, we were literally a block away from the shelter. We were on our way there already. When we arrived, Larry was waiting for us with printouts of the pictures he had received via email less a week ago.

“The minute we saw the pictures, we knew it was Georgie. He has very unique black dots mixed in throughout his body. There was no doubt it was him.

“Of course, Officer Woodward could not be reached right away. We decided to go get a bite to eat while we waited for his call. Another 30-40 minutes after we left the shelter, my phone rang. It was Officer Woodward and he was both happy to have found Georgie’s family, but he and his family had also begun to bond with Georgie, too. During our telephone conversation, Woodward told me that Georgie had managed to get himself lodged up in the engine block of his Dodge truck.

“I would assume that Georgie was probably cold and he was trying to get some heat from the engine. Woodward didn’t realize that Georgie was in the engine block for three days. He was driving from Euless to DFW airport with Georgie imprisoned in the engine block.

“Woodward also has a dog, a 120-pound one. Each day when he would take him for a walk, his dog was giving strange attention to his truck. It wasn’t until the third day that he finally saw Georgie. He was unable to release him on his own. He had to take his vehicle to a garage and it took five people to untangle Georgie from all of the wires and engine parts.

“Around 3 p.m., we arrived at the Woodward house to take Georgie home. The daughter was crying because they would be giving Georgie up. (Incidentally, they named Georgie, “Dodger” after he had survived the ordeal in the Dodge truck.) When Georgie saw us, he immediately recognized us and his belongings. I had brought a bag with his red collar, black harness, leash and a few treats. Being true to his training, he sat right down and gave me his paw to earn his treats. He was very much himself as he always licks a lot and yesterday was no different.

“Through his ordeal, Georgie did escape with his life and not too badly injured. He is limping on his front left paw and his chest and stomach were burned a bit. We took him to Banfield Hospital on Inwood Road. Our vet was pleasantly surprised that he survived such a rough few days. We did have him X-rayed and the Vet couldn’t see anything of concern. He is on pain medicine for 10 days and an antibiotic wipe to help him heal.

“When we got home around 5 p.m., he just wanted to lie next to us and chew on his new bone. He seems very content being home. His usual perches are again finding him comfortably happy he is finally home. This will be one of the best Christmas gifts we could get. ...

“I can tell you that at my school alone, Flower Mound High School, there were many students, faculty, staff and parents helping to post information and keep their eyes out for this little guy. It is nice to know that when there is a need, we have a great community behind us.

“One thing that I would ask you to share in this story: Georgie is micro chipped. It was a matter of time before the Woodward family was going to bring him in to be scanned. I want to encourage all pet owners to have their family pet micro-chipped. Since Georgie was able to get out of his collar and make a run for it, this might have been the only way we would have gotten him back had we not been vigilant about getting his story and pictures throughout the DFW area.”

And, readers, there you have it: The story of a dog, an airport, a truck and people – circumstances for success.

WHAT ABOUT CHARMIN:
Last week we told the story of Charmin, the pointer on the clock at the crowded Denton Animal Services Shelter. Len West reports to us now that Charmin is happily off the clock and has been taken in by Animal Angels of Texas. Len says our Readlarrypowell.com tipster, the hard-working Denton volunteer Amy Pelzel, helped load Charmin into the getaway vehicle. And, Len writes that it “sounds like heaven for a
pointer. I'm positive your write-ups saved her life.” After vet checkups, Charmin will likely be available for adoption. You can read about Animal Angels by clicking HERE.

CORSICANA REDUCES ADOPTION FEES: We get this tip from the Humane Society of Navarro County which has been instrumental in keeping things running smoothly at the Corsicana Animal Shelter since a big hiccup in service last summer. During the Christmas season, all adoptions have been reduced to just $25 per critter.

All animals get a health checkup and a microchip before being adopted. And, if you adopted a pet that isn’t “fixed,” you have to sign an agreement that you’ll have a vet take care of that – it’s part of the never-ending campaign to reduce the number of unwanted puppies and kittens that are born just to be killed.

One more thing: Corsicana Shelter Manager Julianne Burkhalter and staff will host an on-site adoption event during shelter hours on Dec. 19. You can see the inventory at the shelter on PetFinder by clicking HERE.

CONTEMPLATIONS: This is a note for my fellow geezers who have an appreciation for old time radio and the stars of the air, i.e., the magnificent Jack Benny whose Christmas shows were always entertaining. Our pal Jean Prejean, writing as SweetCharity for D Magazine has a story about Mr. Benny’s final appearance in Dallas. You can click your way to it by visiting D’s Frontburner blog HERE. ... After yesterdays’ football game against San Diego, one wonders who is going to have a worse December, the Dallas Cowboys or Tiger Woods? ... In case anybody with the United States Postal Service is reading, at our house we appreciate your hard work with deliveries. And in case anyone with post office management is listening, why on earth did you take the stamp machines out of the local post offices? I was the 8th person in line Saturday at the Oak Cliff post office on Center Street: Five of them stood in line to buy one stamp each, two bought money orders and I bought a book of stamps and stamps for two letters. If there had been a machine in the lobby (as there had been for decades), I’d have been in and out and a much happier customer. Unless, of course, you’ve gone newspaper and decided that customers are too big a burden on your bottom line.

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Season's snoozings...

2009-12-11T20:44:51-06:00

Remember that part of Clement C. Moore’s A Visit From St. Nicholas about being “settled down for a long winter’s nap”?

Well, here we are in the middle of December and the Christmas season and it’s obvious that some beings are thoroughly capable of being settled down.

Thus, we have selected these two critters for the spotlight in our weekly feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. We have both a sleeper and a napper this weekend.

These beings offer comfort and joy at the home of Patricia Barrington, Animal Control Division Manager for The Colony. She’s always trying to find homes for other people’s animals, so this weekend we have a glimpse at her home and the animals she and her family adore. Her explanation:

“I thought I’d share a happy holiday napping story with you.

“The family cat, Swiper is a regular napper.

“One of her favorite spots is on top of the china hutch. It sits next to the cabinet where her automatic feeder rests, just out of the reach of those mangy mutts she is forced to share her climate controlled space with.

“She lounges atop that hutch and occasionally opens one eye, yawns and bats a paw at the dog (generally Leo) who is eyeballing her, hoping she will come down for a fun game of chase soon.

“Well, I decided to put stockings up on the hutch last week. This sort of used up all the space on this particular piece of furniture; the stockings, the candlesticks, the half full bottle of wine and so on left no room for a cat.

“But, somehow this tiny little, clumsy cat that was raised by a bumbling Pit Bull from the wee age of 3 weeks, somehow managed to get onto the only open area on this hutch without moving a single item on it!

“And she had a good nap and got down for that game of chase with Leo and still didn’t break anything!

“I have to admit, I was thoroughly impressed as I was sure I’d have a stocking holder through the glass front of the hutch before the nap was done.

“And, that dog, wrapped up in her bed like a tortilla around some delicious burrito filling is Leo. She takes her bed, which generally sits against a wall and drags it all over the house until she finds a suitable spot to let both her and her bed rest a bit. Sometimes, the bed gets a little … woppyjawed from all the travel, but no matter, Leo finds a way to get comfortable.

“From this angle, you can’t see him, but the little man of the house, Henry the Dachshund is between Leo’s bed and the ottoman, taking a little siesta himself.

“And, for giggles, I included a snap shot of Leo peeking out the curtain to see the lights across the street. She’s a little hesitant to approach her window now that she shares it with Santa and his candle … but she’s getting used to it.

“Watching an animal sleep peacefully lowers the heart rate, soothes the soul and relaxes the mind … it’s very cheap therapy.”

(If you’d like to give the world a look at the sleepers and nappers who offer “cheap therapy” to your home and loved ones, send their photos and info to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll be proud to spotlight them in our feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. As regular readers know, we are insomniacs at Readlarrypowell.com – we lay awake worrying that nobody’s getting enough sleep.)

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On Friday, a bunch of things...

2009-12-11T11:56:33-06:00

We’re going to try to "style" this Friday edition into print – short, choppy sentences and paragraphs – kind of an homage to the columnists of the ‘50s and ‘60s before most of you were old enough to read. And if you were old enough to read, why, keep it to yourself – you look so young nobody would guess you’re THAT old.

Here goes:

CHARMIN THE POINTER, featured yesterday, remains at the Denton Animal Shelter and nobody has called about the dog. This is amazing – pointers are loving pets. They don’t really have to be pointing at anything. If nobody saves her by tomorrow, she’s a dead dog, to put it bluntly. Len West, a pointer fan monitoring the situation, says shelter workers tell her the dog, whose sister WAS adopted, is showing signs of kennel depression. To call the shelter about Charmin, dial 940-381-6879 or 940-349-7594. And to ask about helping pointers, e-mail lenitaly@yahoo.com. And, remember, Denton is one of those shelters that is overloaded with dogs and cats and it’s the holiday season people are spending money on things other than animals.

OK, IT’S DEER HUNTING season in Texas and DUCK HUNTING season starts Saturday and one who doesn’t hunt is moved to ask, “How can it be a sport when the only one side knows that there is a ‘game’ underway?” Isn’t it more like an “ambush” than a sport?

THE SPCA OF TEXAS has its annual Christmas season adoption booth up and running at NorthPark Shopping Center in Dallas – this is the 19th year. It’s on Level One between Macy’s and Dillards. Lots of success stories through the years.

SPEAKING OF HOLIDAY adoptions, the DFW Humane Society in Irving has scheduled its “Holiday Adoption Event” from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Irving Mall.

SECOND CHANCE SPCA, the shelter in Plano, benefits all day today when you order products from http://www.petwearusa.com/. According to the SC-SPCA, during this “FUNraiser,” “our group earns all the profits of EVERY order placed” today and that includes gift certificates, too. Free shipping, they say.

THE OLD RED MUSEUM in downtown Dallas (www.oldred.org) is continuing to host a magnificent array of trees decorated by non-profit groups in the facility’s traditional “Deck The Halls” celebration. You still have time to visit the trees and vote for your favorite by putting a donation into the plastic box in front of the trees and I bring this up because among the worthy causes’ trees is one from Paws In The City, the animal rescue group. It has ornaments with photos of animals that need homes.

THE WORD FROM BURNS FLAT, the outpost in Western Oklahoma, is that the clock may be about to stop ticking on a little 3-month-old dog named Abbie, surrendered by her family, and another girl pup named Rosie, a family surrender, who “is so confused” by being in a pound and, says our tipster Terry Lynn Fisher, “Her cry is like the sound of a young child screaming in fear.” To ask about helping Terry Lynn help these two dogs, e-mail remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or call 580-330-1459. That’s a photo of Abbie in a traditional post for shelter dogs on the clock. “Isn’t anybody going to save my life?”

THE WALK-IN PIT BULL: Teresa Jennings’ first sentence explains things perfectly: “My husband had a pit bull walk into his place of employment.”

It happens. This was at a railroad facility near I-35 and Western Center Boulevard in North Fort Worth and they’ve named the dog Box Car and call him “B.C.” for short.

He's obviously happy to be in the laundry room, but Teresa is trying to keep the dog out of a kill shelter and almost all shelters are kill shelters when it comes to pit bulls.

She says he’s under a year old, isn’t neutered, had no collar or microchip. “He gets along well with cats, dogs and children,” she says. But her older Lab isn’t all that keen on sharing space.

B.C. is house-trained, well-mannered and doesn’t like being in a crate.

Teresa is looking for either a good home for this dog or a rescue group to take him. “I am willing to make a donation to help cover his vetting costs. We have canvassed the area for flyers, stopped the mailmen and have gone to apartment communities to see if anyone is missing their dog. We have come up empty handed.”
To help Teresa help Box Car, call 972-741-4023 or e-mail bryanandteresa@charter.net.

WE SAW THE YORKIE SUBJECT LINE: We know for a fact that our veteran rescue pal and tipster Darcelle Cowles has a sense of humor. And, knowing the state of the shelter world and big ol’ dawgs in shelters, we appreciate it.

Yesterday she sent out an e-mail with this subject line: TINY YORKIE (needs rescue ASAP) Longview Texas shelter HIGH KILL!!!”

Anybody who has spent 15 minutes working in rescue knows that a tiny Yorkie is almost always going to be adopted before intake can finish the paperwork.

So it was amusing when we opened that Tiny Yorkie note and read “OK. Now that I have your attention and you are reading the email....” Yep, Darcelle had tricked us and we were suddenly reading about Kody, a male dilute blue Brindle pit available right now in the Longview shelter. As Darcelle wrote, “Pits have little or no chance of survival in our brutal world of reality – much less in an animal shelter.”

To offer to help Kody, call 903-297-2170 (or as backup person, e-mail

darcy0325@gmail.com or call 903-985-0377).

AND IN CAROLLTON: Earlier in the week we wrote about the animals that Carrollton Animal Services was trying to save and, sure enough, people adopted some and rescue groups took some and as the week draws to a close – imagine this! – there are MORE animals in the Carrollton shelter.

They include this obvious public relations specialist, Jack, a 100-pound, owner-surrendered Burmese Mountain Dog mix. Look at that pose. This dog is obviously happy in the heart. He’s about 2, has a microchip and, according to the official report, “Jack likes to smile at you when he is having his picture taken. He is a gentle giant who walks well on a leash and doesn’t pull or yank you around.”

Also in the Carrollton shelter is this cat Jesse – at under six months, she’s more “kitten” than cat. But she’s gorgeous and came in as an owner-surrender. (OK, I’ll confess. One part of the official report says Jesse is a girl, another part says Jesse is a boy. Frankly, who among us has not been fooled by a young cat?)

The usual Carrollton contact, Joe Skenesky, is on vacation starting next week, but if you want to adopt these critters or any Carrollton critters, call the shelter at 972-466-3420.

WEATHER PROOFING: The non-profit Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake has issued an appeal for help rebuilding the main shelter in Tool, Texas. Money and material will also be needed to help the Society expand kennels and remodel quarantine areas.

In a frank news release, HSCCL say, “The roof leaks and the entire infrastructure is in need of repair. HSCCL constructed the main building in the 1980s and lack of maintenance and repairs have made the building unsafe.”

The first phase of the project (reconstruction) is pegged at $140,000. Phase 2 (new steel building, indoor/outdoor dog runs) could cost $90,000. Phase Three (refurbishing quarantine) is pegged at $30,000.

Some funds have already been raised, but more money is needed.

The shelter takes in more than 3,000 animals a year. (And shelter manager Krista Mc Anally hustled to keep them moving out via adoption and rescue groups.)

Send checks to HSCCL Building Fund, PO Box 43531, Seven Points, Texas 75143. You may also donate at http://www.hsccl.org/ or by clicking HERE.

REPORT FROM THE EAST: Our pal Andy Fisher, the official Eastern Seaboard Correspondent of Readlarrypowell.com, lives in the oft-maligned state of New Jersey. But there is beauty in the Garden State. He sent us this photo snapped from his dock yesterday. He writes, “People think of swans as delicate, but it takes guts (and a built-in, waterproof down vest) to swim in Indian Lake on December 10. That is indeed snow on the dock (and on the ground on the other side of the lake). Papa is fishing in the background, with Mama and the kids closer to the camera.”

Andy says that the young swans are “not the little balls of fluff they were last May, but they're still not completely grown up (when they grow up, the parents will chase them off the lake -- no driving them to college!). They still have some of their adolescent gray and brown plumage, and their bills won't be bright orange until they are adults. Still, they're a cheery sight ...”

CONTEMPLATIONS: First night of Hanukkah tonight. Heard Adam Sandler’s song on the radio last night “Eight Crazy Nights,” still one of the most entertaining holiday songs ever. ... I saw a note on the Drudge Report that the current top search term is “Tiger Woods” and it sends lots of people racing to the site any time “Tiger Woods” is used. I’m always looking for new readers, so I’ll just type in “Tiger Woods” again and, though he may be having a bad spot, it is clear there are a lot of people who will happily exploit him and his troubles. Marriage isn’t easy – in fact, it’s the only thing I know of that’s harder than golf. ... Speaking of marriage, I see on the news that Jenny Sanford has decided to divorce South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, the fellow who went off to South America to woo his soulmate. I am reminded of then-U.S. Rep. Dick Armey’s quote when a reporter asked him what would happen in his house if he’d been caught in a Lewinsky-style affair. “I’d be lying in a pool of my own blood hearing Mrs. Armey standing over me saying, 'How do I reload this damn thing?'”

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Animals and humans...

2009-12-10T10:40:53-06:00

For your consideration today, we have a pointer in Denton, a freeway rescue in Dallas, a dog named Suri needing medical help, loads of small dogs in East Texas and other tales from the pet side of things.

ZOMBIE THEORY: After years of writing and reading about animals in shelters, I finally got the perfect description for what goes on in these city-run facilities.

It comes from our tipster Nancy Hinds, a Nacogdoches Animal Shelter volunteer. I’d asked her about a load of Chihuahuas and Chi-mixes that were showing up there. She was working on getting all the details, but reports that “the little dogs are coming in at a mad pace... Guess it’s the Christmas rush – dump your dog so you don’t have to deal with them over the holidays.”
Sad, but it happens. And then, Nancy wrote the perfect descriptive paragraph. Veterans of this sort of thing will, no doubt agree. Nancy wrote, “You know those old zombie movies where every place you look here comes another one? After a while it gets so overwhelming – that’s what it’s like here right now.”
Zombie time. The Nacogdoches shelter is at 3211 SW Stallings in the historic East Texas town. Call 936-560-5011 or e-mail nacogdochesanimalshelter@yahoo.com . Click HERE to see the PetFinder page.

And for those of you who are unfamiliar with the pronunciation, it’s nah-cog-DOUGH-chez.

THE POINTER’S PLIGHT: This is Charmin, a 3- or 4-year-old pointer who is currently on the clock at the Denton Animal Shelter. (In this photo, rather than pointing, Charmin is just sort of "suggesting" that you look a certain way, but there is no such breed as a "Suggester.")

We learned of Charmin’s situation from Len West, who is a devoted fan of pointers everywhere and works to save them from ugly fates in shelters. Len says Charmin was a stray brought to the shelter with her “assumed sister” Tula who was adopted. Now, Charmin’s “PTS date” is Saturday unless someone helps her.

Len says, “Pointers do not have a breed rescue in Texas that is viable enough to help
her due to lack of fosters, so she is facing a bad outcome. The shelter,
at my suggestion, registered her Pointer Rescue Organization which is trying
to expand its rescue services in Texas, but without a foster parent to take
her they will not be able to help.”

The scouting report on Charmin is she’s “friendly and plays with the other dogs.” Check out her PetFinder page HERE.

To call the shelter about Charmin, dial 940-381-6879 or 940-349-7594. And to ask about helping pointers, e-mail lenitaly@yahoo.com.

FOUND, RESCUED AND WAITING: This little dog Suri has a recent history of being on the run. Fortunately, she ran into a veteran rescuer, Marla Margol, a volunteer with Legacy Boxer Rescue

Marla says that on Saturday she and her friend Kimberly Empie had just left her home when Kimberly spotted a dog running through the neighborhood near Bob Woodruff Park in Plano. “I u-turned the car and the dog was gone!” Marla says. “We thought it possibly went between the homes, so I drove down the alley and there it was. I gasped when I saw what appeared to be a very badly swollen testicle.”

As it turns out, that’s not what they really saw, Marla says. This little girl dog was suffering from a prolapsed uterus.

The dog would not come to them, and they saw it crawl under a fence and into a backyard. As it turns out, no one answered the bell when Marla and Kimberly tried to tell the owner about the dog. But a neighbor “came out to sweet what was going on,” Marla says. “And through talking with them, we found out that the home the dog went into was actually the owner’s! The neighbor went on to explain how they did not deserve the dog. They did not care for the dog, mistreated the dog and it would be better off somewhere else. The condition of the backyard was bad. It looked like a dumping ground. There was no shelter, no food bowls, no water. ... When I explained that the dog was in desperate need of medical care, it was agreed to contact animal control to at least get the dog to safety vs. running the streets.”

The dog, as expected, came back into the alley where the medical problem became clear. And, says Marla, “She was shivering, scared, yet it was as if she knew we were the ‘good’ humans that were there to see to it she would get care and shelter.

“ I decided to name this girl Suri. She has been weighing heavy on our minds ever since Saturday. I immediately started seeking, at the very least, a foster home for her. I made the decision that I would personally see to it that she would get the much needed medical care, surgery and anything else to make her healthy. She was placed on a 5 day owner hold [at Plano Animal Services], which was up Wednesday. ...There have been no calls on her.

“As an early Christmas present to myself, I am committed to covering whatever medical care costs Suri needs, which for starters is surgery to fix her prolapsed uterus. My biggest problem is finding a foster home for her to recover in, while I search for her the forever home that she most certainly deserves. The shelter staffers have stated over and over how truly sweet she is, and you can see that in her big brown eyes.”

You can ask about helping Suri by calling Marla at 214-473-9896 or e-mailing otaymim@aol.com.

Marla has one more request: “I ask one favor to the readers: Please do not judge this book by its cover. Yes, she is a pit bull, but just because you find a couple of bad cookies, doesn't mean the entire batch is bad. Suri should not be misinterpreted, but rather given a chance. A chance at a life she deserves. I want her Christmas wish, as well as ours, to come true this year.”

A CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY RESCUE: This is a situation that so often confronts people who rescue animals – you save the animal from one dire situation only to move it into another one because that’s all that can be done.

And, the dog has found a safe haven this morning, but this is a story worth telling because of the heroic efforts of a passerby and some Dallas police officers.

Terry DeGaw, noted wrangler of down-on-their-luck animals at the Serenity Springs Sanctuary in Montague County, tipped us to this tale of rescue and concern.

The story comes from Kristy Laue, the travel manager/scouting coordinator for the Dallas Mavericks. She reports, “I was driving down North Central Expresway today [Wednesday] at lunch and about 7 cars ahead of me I saw that a dark-colored car had just pulled back out on the freeway after having been on the shoulder...When I drove past where it had been, I saw that there was a scared-to-death, bleeding small dog on the shoulder of North Central Expressway. That person had just thrown a dog on the freeway where there are tall cement walls on either side so there was nowhere for her to go except to get run over.”

Kristy pulled over to the shoulder and called police. She says she began walking toward the dog “and it was just staring straight ahead at the traffic, shaking like a leaf and bleeding from small lacerations on her head and around her face. I was bending down about 3 feet from her, but I was so scared that if I tried to touch her, that she would run right into traffic, so I kept my 3-feet distance.

“Three cop cars pulled up and we surrounded the dog who, like I said, was just scared to death. And when one of the cops bent down to pet her, the dog licked his hand and he picked him up with no incident and the dog got in the cop car.”

The officer took the dog to Dallas Animal Services. Kristy went there and took photos of the dog. “It was being walked past other dogs, but this dog did not even flinch and when dogs around her were barking, this dog did not bark once.

“The police officer that helped me even called me when it was in the cop car and said it seemed like such a sweet dog and that it was just scared and hungry.

“I don’t know what to do. I spoke to the Animal Services manager while I was there and because it’s a pit mix ... all they can do is hold it for 72 hours and then put it to sleep.”

Now, this dog is going into rescue but there are other pit mixes at Dallas Animal Services (the shelter is at I-30 and Westmoreland. Call 214) 670-8246. Visit www.dallasanimalservices.org.

Kristy writes, “This dog seems so sweet and there have been very few dogs that I have ever seen that have been that scared….I don’t think I’ll ever get the image of how this poor girl looked when I was leaning by her on the highway. What can I do? I can’t take her myself because we have too many animals, but I’m willing to do anything that I can to save this dog. The animal control people say that it looks like it is mixed with a bull dog or something similar since it’s such a small girl to be a pure-bred pit bull – and it looks as though she was used for breeding, as it seems from her stomach that she has had a couple of litters. I was even petting her through the cage as she was eating and she was not food aggressive at all.”

Whatever her history, she was dumped on the freeway, rescued, and placed in a cage with the clock ticking. Now, it’s up to humans to save her.

We got a note this morning from Kristy about this little dog. She writes, “Of the 32 rescue groups that I emailed, I finally got a call that Homeward Bound Rescue ... will be taking her. I am so relieved and grateful! They seem like a great organization and they said I could come visit her at her foster family’s house. She is still at Animal Control because they have to hold her for 72 hours by law, but she has already been tagged as ‘Homeward Bound Rescue pickup’ for Saturday. I am actually going to go visit her shortly just to say hi to her:).

“Dogs do not deserve this [poor treatment]. I've been a volunteer at SPCA for 10 years and I get so attached.”

NEWS AND NEEDS FROM ‘OUT AT THE LAKE:

--DUKE NEEDS A HOME: We get this note via Sydney Busch and Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake and it puts us in touch with rescuer and reliable tipster Tina Hamilton of Happy Tails of Gun Barrel City.

Duke weighs in at 18 pounds and possibly is a Dachshund mix. His problem right now is that he’s the wrong gender to be fostered with Tina. Duke needs to be fixed and Tina’s got girl dogs in her foster care right now. No sense having everybody all excited all the time, you know?
So, if you can offer Duke a foster situation or a place to call home, e-mail txtina1201@yahoo.com.

--Also from Friends of the Animals, we learn that Mary Jane Allen is trying to find a home for a couple of cats that are being displaced because their human is being forced to move and can’t take her totally indoor cats with her. No photos are available but here are the word descriptions.

Cotton “is a big puff ball. Strong purr. Very protective and brave. Stood up to a raccoon once. Five years old. No fleas and no ear mites. Has never lived outside. Found on the side of a country road with umbilical cord still attached on a cold, wet October Day.”

Dottie “is a calico. Precious face that she cocks to one side when she is talking to you. Has one dot on her lip. No fleas and no ear mites – 5 years old and is a “scaredy cat” – runs and hides in the apartment when frightened. Very mild and easy going. Never lived outside.”

To ask about adopting these cats, e-mail mtndreamer7@peoplepc.com or call 903-887-2467.

--One more reminder about the Friends of the Animals 2010 Pampered Pets of Cedar Creek Lake Calendar. You can get it (for just $10) at Bluebonnet Emporium on Main Street in Gun Barrel City, at the Cedar Creek Lake Chamber of Commerce in Mabank, at April’s Pet Place in Tool, at Syler Veterinary Clinic in Athens and at the friends of the Animals Spay Neuter Clinic in Gun Barrel City (on Tuesdays when the clinic is, er, operating.) E-mail sydney@friendsoftheanimals.org to ask about purchase by mail.

HUCK NEEDS SOME HELP: Teresa Gardner is trying to find a good place for Huck – he and his brother, Tom were rescued after being abandoned in a rural area of East Texas.

Nobody knows how long the dogs were living on their own. Both “are very people oriented and like to be touched,” says Teresa.

Except, perhaps there’s been a family falling out. A week ago, Huck attacked Tom and they had a serious scrape. So, Teresa says it’s time for Huck to find a home where he can be the only critter – he can’t abide cats, either.

“He’s attentive, walks well on a lead, sits and hasn’t been destructive around the house despite his age of approximately 10 months.”

He’s neutered, up to date on shots and heartworm negative.

To offer Huck a good home, e-mail tdgard@swbell.net or call 214-244-0414.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIVE AND TAKE:

--We got a copy of the Dallas-Fort Worth Pug Rescue holiday wish list – and a note, also, that the non-profit DFW Pug Rescue is “now the largest pug rescue in the nation,” taking in 10 to 15 pugs a week. Take that many in and you have to (a) adopt some out and (b) keep the supplies coming in. Go to www.dfwpugs.com to see available dogs and if you want to offer up a holiday donation, here’s what they need: Heartworm medication; Flea and Tick Preventive; Exercise Pens (XPens); Harnesses (size medium) and leashes; animal crates/carriers; dog beds - medium or small; gasoline cards to help pay for transporting dogs to vet. This isn’t on the list, but there’s not a rescue group in the world that couldn’t use good ol’ cash. The mailing address is Dallas/Fort Worth Pug Rescue Club, Inc., P.O. Box 2591, Grapevine, Texas, 76099-2591.

--We get this computer offer to non-profits via the Metroplex Animal Coalition. “Here’s an offer for free computers. Lisa Hall works for a company that is updating its computers and desktop PCs. They would like to donate the old computers to a church, school or non-profit. Lisa says the computers are usable, just not the latest.” Contact Lisa Hall at 214-319-9204.

CONTEMPLATIONS: This time of year reminds me of my childhood at Highland Park Baptist Church in Texarkana and the annual Christmas cantata and tuna sandwiches – after choir rehearsal, the ladies of the church would feed us kids and tuna salad was the prevailing sandwich. You learned which family got apples and pecans in their tuna and which had the plain ol’ tuna salad. As a vegetarian now, I only take a bite of nostalgia. ... Cold weather – seriously, who in Dallas has socks thick enough for an actual winter? ... Holy smokin’ fastballs. The Texas Rangers let Pudge Rodriguez escape to the Washington Nationals. And pitcher Kevin Millwood was traded to Baltimore for a recuperating reliever who didn’t win a game last season and has an ERA that offers hope only to the opponents. And, who knows who’ll own the team by the time the 2010 season starts. To quote a die-hard Texas Rangers fan and veteran observer of the franchise, my son Bart, “It is like watching a space shuttle re-enter the atmosphere – all hell is breaking loose.”

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The Wednesday report

2009-12-09T10:46:55-06:00

On Wednesday it is cold in Dallas and North Texas and we hope and pray that idiots have brought their animals into warm homes and comfortably surroundings of love. Now, we have some notes that are not too pretty, some that offer hope and one that is a tribute to a protector of animals.

We will get to the story of this guy, Butch, in a second.

REGARDING THE BODIES OF THE DOGS: Yesterday we told of the roadside discovery in West Dallas of trash bags containing the bodies of several dogs. This caught the eye of Jonnie England, the Director of Animal Advocacy and Communications with the Metroplex Animal Coalition. She got some “official” attention. And she reports:

“Here’s an update from Det. Julie Cassidy of the Dallas Police Department, one of the members of our Dallas Animal Cruelty Alliance (DACA), which is featured in the new issue of Urban Animal. I contacted her after reading about the dead dogs on www.ReadLarryPowell.com, and she went to the location.

“She also talked with Rita [the tipster] who saw the sad sight on Monday, but as Julie writes, the bags and the bodies were gone 24 hours later.

“A message to your readers: If anyone sees dead animal bodies like this, they should contact 911 immediately and insist that this is a call for the police—it’s not a 311 call for Streets and Sanitation. This is clear evidence of dog fighting and violence, not just a dog that’s been hit by a car. Your readers can also email me (jonnieengland@earthlink.net) if they don’t get immediate response, and I’ll get in touch with Det. Cassidy or other Dallas Police representatives with DACA. Time is critical in these cases.”

ASIDE FROM LARRY: There you have it folks. That’s your official permission to treat these things as criminal cases rather than the equivalent of littering. These people are breaking laws and killing animals. They are no better than Michael Vick. Turn the energy you are using to hate Michael Vick into energy that can lead to jailing more creeps. He wasn’t the last of the dog-fighters. Your town – just about any town – has its own version of the dog-killing moron. Don’t hesitate.

FOR OUR PRAYERS & PASSAGES PAGE: We’ve learned this morning of the death of animal supporter Sadie Seay, who, with her late husband Charles, was instrumental in helping Operation Kindness become established as perhaps the nation’s premier no-kill animal shelter. Click on our Prayers & Passages page to read a special remembrance.

FROM EVERMAN: Earlier this week, Everman Animal Control officer Teresa Weldon sent out a message asking for help finding a home for “big ol’ Butch.” That’s this dog with his head in the “prayerful” position. Forwarded e-mails flew like the down off a thistle and pretty soon, Butch was adopted.

He’d been at the shelter for more than six months.

Then, this morning, we got a note from a couple of other people that with Butch gone from the shelter, that left this dog Marilyn behind as the longest-dwelling resident of the Everman Shelter.

So, there’s a move now to target Marilyn for adoption. She’s said to be a lively, smart young dog who craves attention and loves to be with humans. Heck, she sounds perfect for the holidays and for the post-holidays and for the next round of holidays.

I know only a little bit about dogs, but she looks like the type that’ll join you on the couch or in the recliner for a complete days-long session of football as long as you keep one hand on the remote and the other on her noggin.

To ask about adopting Marilyn or any animal in the Everman shelter, call 817-561-5495 or e-mail evermananimals@yahoo.com. The shelter is at 3961 Bluebell Drive and Everman is

Call Teresa at 817-561-5495 or email her at evermananimals@yahoo.com.
The Everman Animal Shelter is located at 3961 Bluebell Dr., 76140,

And Everman is just south of Fort Worth on I-35. It’s a quick, pleasant drive from anywhere in the civilized world.

HELPING THE SPCA ON WHEELS: We got a note from SPCA volunteer Ginny Booth regarding an opportunity for people to help the SPCA of Texas win the GMC $20,000 Charity Challenge on Facebook. Three local charities are competing in this. You may have seen a GMC Terrain driving around town – a specially decorated Terrain is being piloted by Steven Cartwright of the SPCA, by Bri Mendoz Crum of Scottish Rite Hospital and by Adam Rivon of Big Brothers & Big Sisters.

To reach the Facebook site click HERE and once there you can see how to vote.

CONTEMPLATION: About that GMC Facebook contest mentioned above. Each of the charities’ drivers also spends some Facebook time talking about the qualities of the Terrain. You have to hand it to the marketing brains at GMC – what a way to get some free publicity while helping one out of three deserving charities. Well, times have been hard at General Motors and, of course, I’m sure $20,000 and the use of three new-to-the-market Terrains may be burdening the company to within an inch of its life – any spare tax money we can offer to help?

But, seriously, why make charities compete against each other so publicly? Why doesn’t GMC just chunk $20,000 to each of those charities? Or donate one of their overpriced trucks with a lifetime maintenance contract?

Or, why doesn’t GM look around and rather than pick the outfits with the most active public relations and fundraising arms, help some little bitty outfit for whom $20,000 would mean a world of difference – sort of like The Lodge’s Dawn Rizos’ donating the money to establish Newts’ Nook for pit bulls with the struggling Animal Guardians of America sanctuary? That’s a donation that made a difference to a small outfit. Probably got more ink and airtime than this PR gimmick disguised as a good deed will get.

OK, I’ve gone into opinion rather than sticking to the facts...Somebody help me down off this soapbox and please don’t forget to support all charities and, of course, buy a GMC product though, of course, GM doesn’t advertise with Readlarrypowell.com but could if it wanted to.

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Lost, found, waiting and the season...

2009-12-08T09:00:56-06:00

On Tuesday, we hustle to report a number of things. Here goes:

BE ON THE LOOKOUT: Flower Mound High School Teacher Dan Blier went to DFW Airport on Nov. 28 to pick up somebody and brought Georgie, his year-old Jack Russell with him.

But Georgie slipped his collar near Terminal E and ran off into the parking garages, Dan Says.

“I hired Dog Gone Detectives (this is a Lewisville business) to follow his trail using a search dog. They were able to follow his trail all the way to the south entrance of the airport. It appears that someone picked him up at this point. There is no sign of him being hurt or harmed as I have been calling local animal control and shelters, DFW airport police and DFW Airport Operations. It is basically impossible for us to post a lost dog sign in this location as it is not a residential neighborhood and people drive through this area at high speeds. He does have an implant chip in him that would allow him to be identified, should he be brought to an animal shelter.”

If you know Georgie’s whereabouts, call 972 333 9982 or e-mail blierdan@aol.com.

A ‘RAN-UP’ DOG: Keli Halteman, who heads up Halteman’s Haven rescue and usually focuses on down-on-their-luck cats, has developed a knack for finding dogs to help, too. The story on this Doxie Tessa? Keli says, “She ran up to me on my street. No tags, chip. No signs. Nothing.

“So we spayed her, gave her a dental, shots, heartworm tested her, and now we are looking for a new family to care for her. She is tiny – 6 pounds – abut 4 years old and she is already crate- and house-trained and knows basic commands.”

And, says Keli, “She loves to sit on laps and sleeps by your neck.”
To ask about adopting Tessa, e-mail kellyhalteman@att.net. (And, yes, Keli isn’t spelled “Kelly,” but when Keli was picking an e-mail address, Keli was already taken.)

A MYSTERY: We’re not really sure what to do with this story, so we’ll just report what we know and see if someone knows additional details or has an answer.

The note came from tipster Stephanie Jehle. She writes that a friend of hers was driving on a West Dallas road near I-30 and Cockrell Hill Monday when she saw four dead dogs on the side of the road. The dogs were “hanging out of green garbage bags...Two on each side of the street. There is a rottie, 2 brown dogs and a gray dog.

“This is really disturbing as it asks the questions ‘How did they all die at the same time?’ and ‘Why place them there?’, etc.”

The initial theory is that someone is throwing dogfighting bait dogs out onto the roadsides because there’s no other way to dispose of them without being detected, not that anybody really gives a darn and would report them.

Whatever the case, this is shameful and someone should be held responsible.

SHELTER PRESSURE: And, of course, when a shelter is under pressure, that means dogs and cats are on the clock and it is ticking fast. There are only two ways to keep the Grim Reaper at bay – move animals out of the shelter or force, as the old play suggested, Death to take a holiday.

In this case we’re talking about the Denton Animal Shelter where there are plenty of dogs and cats in need of a home or rescue.

One is our Earhound for the day, Massy, a young border collie. She weighs 31 pounds but may get as big as 45 pounds, the shelter says. She’s “energetic and very curious” so, she needs a human to help her find something to do.

And, in this photo, she looks like she’s trained her ears to try to thumb a ride.

Among the cats is this white-and-black girl now named (for the season, perhaps) Sugar Plum, though she was at one time named “Lefteye,” perhaps in honor of the late female rapper Lisa “Lefteye” Lopes. Sugar Plum’s fur is said to be “super soft – like a rex bunny.”

The shelter is at 300 S. Woodrow Lane in Denton. To ask about cats, e-mail cathychamp@verison.net. To ask about dogs, e-mail amy_pelzel@yahoo.com. Call the shelter at 940-349-7594.

A HANGING-AROUND DOG: Marsha Vrba of Forney is trying to find some help with an abandoned pit bull that is hanging around her rural Forney neighborhood. “The neighbors have been feeding her, but they are talking about either having her put down or taking her somewhere and dumping her. “

And, Marsha says, “I don’t know a lot of details about her. she had pups in the past and to my knowledge is not fixed. She acts sweet and cowers at times like she’s been abused in the past.” To offer to help, call 972-564-4083 or e-mail mgents@cwwgo.com.

DALLAS HAS SOME CUTIES: Oh, they’re all cuties at the Dallas Animal Services Adoption Center. If you can‘t find cute on a dog, you’re not looking.

The public relations specialist on the left is a terrier mix named Mistress. And the fellow on the right is a terrier mix named Phantom. They are among 21 dogs on the “urgent” – will be put to sleep soon – list at Dallas Animal Services. We got their photos and info in a note from our longtime pal, the veteran rescuer Jonnie England, Director of Animal Advocacy and Communications with the Metroplex Animal Coalition.

To get details on adopting animals or to look at more available animals in Dallas, click HERE.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Sir Richard Branson has unveiled his company’s tourist spaceship and do you think Tiger Woods’ first thought was, “How soon can I get a ticket and get off this planet?” Has anyone in golf ever had a worse spell than Tiger? You hate to see it. ... Someone needs to put this foursome together for a charity golf tournament: The non-pro guest with John Daly, Tiger Woods and John Edwards. ... I’m going to try to wash my eyes out by concentrating on the joys of the season: Running up credit card bills, eating too many sweets, wishing I had the social skills to send out Christmas cards in a timely fashion.

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Lost, found, waiting and the season...

2009-12-08T09:00:54-06:00