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For the 4th, some celebration...

Happy Fourth of July Weekend -- it used to just be ONE Independence Day. This great country of ours has given me so much that it puts me of a mind to give back.

Fortunately the world's greatest mind-reading agency is in the United States and could tell that I was in such a mood and, so, yes, the Internal Revenue Service has helped us give back. I'm sure they've helped you give back, too.

But this is America, land of the free, so you can kid the IRS. Go ahead. Kid anybody you want. And, you can also be nice to anybody you want -- people forget that side of the coin sometimes. Yep, be nice to your fellow Fourth of July travelers -- they can't help the way they drive.

Now, usually in this space on a weekend, we'll run some photos of sleeping dogs or cats in our feature "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap."  (We need some more snoozers, by the way. Send your nominees and info to dallrp@aol.com. We've been publishing the feature since May 14, 2005 -- that's a lot of Zzzzzzs.)

The dog in full patriotic glory is the famous Muffin, known to many local folks because Muffin's human is the renowned rescuer Jonnie England, the Director of Animal Advocacy and Communications for Metroplex Animal Coalition. I'm pretty sure Muffin's awake though we can't see through the glasses. And she gets paid for her modeling gigs. But, Jonnie explains, "She gives her residuals back to me so I can buy her Texas Double Cheeseburgers (plain) at Wendy’s twice a week." Yep, Jonnie is Muffin's "burger enabler." And that is very American.

Now, today we're going to run a couple of our household sleepers. They're not quite as festive as Muffin. But, it is apparent to me that Cosmo the Dog, who sort of folded over from a sitting position onto the throw in one of our big chairs, may be dreaming of such things as the complimentary all-you-can-eat buffet in Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1776, known informally, because of the voracious appetites of the participants,  as "The Year of the Foundering Fathers." In that second photo, our ol' gent Cosmo, a foundling from a roaside in Dallas, shows that he has no patience with the flash of the paparazzi and would prefer to lift his bulk and move on. He can no longer hear the click of the camera, but he can sense movement he doesn't like. And he doesn't like being photographed while he's trying to catch some sleep.

The big orange cat is our gargantuan fellow Griffin -- he can trace his family back to the time of the American Revolution and beyond to the Mayflower where his distant grandfather, Shecky, was Ratmaster. He's a member of FAR -- Felines of the American Revolution.

And that brings us to what they're doing in a particularly festive Indian Lake community in Denville, N.J. We get this info from our New Jersey bureau chief, Andy Fisher, recently of CNBC, who can explain it all. (Remember,click on the photos make them grow.)

Earlier in the week, he reports, Indian Lake was "busily preparing" for the Fourth by  setting out railway flares at 3- or 4-foot intervals around the lake. At 9:15 p.m. Saturday, the plan was to light the flare "producing a ring of red fire around the lake."

Pretty nifty, eh? Daned near Norman Rockwellian. Real America stuff.

And, Andy kids (sort of, I suspect), "Then all the people who have smuggled illegal fireworks into New Jersey from Pennsylvania, just 39 miles away, will set them off, shooting them out over the lake. My neighbor and former CNBC colleague Fritz Mott was startled one year when a skyrocket landed in his boat as his family sailed the lake watching the show."

Now, you may catch Fritz's daughter Brianna sailing sometimes, but during the week she was rehearsing for the water ski portion of the July Fourth festivities.  "Less hazardous [than fireworks] but no less spectacular," Andy writes, "is the home-grown water-ski show (featuring Fritz's daughter Briana, among others) around suppertime. I have taken this exclusive photo of a rehearsal for the show. I think Brianna is third from the right."

He also sent photos of earlier shows and in one you can see that Andy is "getting a wave and a smile" from Brianna (left), who was 10 when this was shot on July 4, 2006.

"So dedicated is Indian Lake to its Fourth of July show," Andy writes, "that in 2007, it took place in the middle of an electric storm."

We definitely appreciate Indian Lake's dedication to this patriotic show and note that Benjamin Franklin probably would have invented water skis if he'd figured out how to invent an internal combustion outboard motor first. Alas, he was busy being "green" with electricity.

Now, in closing for this holiday weekend, we would be remiss if we did not include a photograph of our noted staff impersonator, Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas.

For the 4th of July, 2009, Inky favors us with his impression of a famished Founding Father rushing into the Paul Revere Midnight Ride Lounge and spotting a big steaming platter of Mom of Our Country Meatloaf prepared by Martha Washington and Founding Father Elbridge Gerry's signature dessert, his "Perfectly Divided Neopolitan Ice Cream," all accented with a thank you-note personally signed by Button Gwinnett.

You can either take a remedial American History class or Google yourself some knowledge if you're not cackling at that menu..

Yep, I like to have fun on the Fourth of July and I'm happy to preach the benefits of being an American, freedom of speech being the first sermon..

(Remember, send your sleeper and napper photos and info to dallrp@aol.com. It's the right thing to do, to show insomniacs that sleep is out there.)

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Purebreds, mutts, cats, horses, fireplugs...

As the holiday weekend arrived most people were leaving. Not us. We'll keep plugging along today.

There are situations that need happy resolutions. Please read on:

WHAT STILL AMAZES ME: I've been writing about animals for a long time. Decades -- lord knows how long in dog years.

And I am still amazed each time a purebred dog -- which can bring hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on the slimy bad breeder market -- winds up in a city-operated animals shelter with the clock ticking.

How in the world does this happen? Is it the dog's fault? Of course not. There's a human failing in the mix somewhere.

Fortunately, there are good humans who work hard make up for the shortcomings of others. I'll describe those "others" as idiots, pinheads, goofballs, freaks, jerks and low-as-a-catfish belly, just-crawled-out-of-the-slime, bottom-feeding worms. Did I leave anybody out?

Here are examples:

(1) That big beautiful but skinny poodle is Scruffy. He's a standard poodle.

A STANDARD POODLE. These big dogs are treasures. They're sporting dogs with the minds of a genius -- well, a comparative genius and if you compare them to some of the people you may know... well, you know.

Julie Maupin of the Humane Society of Navarro County, which has been working to keep the City of Corsicana Animal Shelter up and running after a big staff upheaval, tells us that Scruffy was "picked up as a stray at Lake Halbert ... on the outskirts of Corsicana.  No collar. Nothing. Rail thin."

He's not much better than "rail thin" now but they're working on him. He arrived at the shelter on June 24 and has been putting on weight and "blossoming," Julie says. And she wants someone to give him a "handsome name" and a good home.

He's grown out of being timid -- plays with toys and volunteers. And, amazingly, he's heartworm negative. He only weighs 46 pounds but will grow -- and he's housetrained. To ask about adopting him, visit the shelter, 617 S. 12th St., in Corsicana (near the famous Collin Street Bakery, home of world-famous fruitcakes.) or call 903-654-4928. Could be a good weekend to pickup a fruitcake and a poodle. But, you'd better be prepared to treat the poodle better than you treat a fruitcake.

(2) Then, if you find yourself in Arlington, stop by the Arlington Animal Services Shelter and take a look at Conan the Husky. Why is a Husky in a kill shelter? Owner surrender, says the official form. Why? Could be a good reason -- loss of a job, loss of a home... you never know. Could be "tired of dog." or the ol' all-purpose "developed allergy to dog." Geez, bathe the dog, wash the sheets, and take a Benadryl. Don't set the dog up to be killed.

Oh, wait.  The official reason is "change in lifestyle." Yeah. Wanted a lifestyle without a dog. Oh, maybe I'm being too harsh on the humans. Maybe they tried. These are tough times to find homes for dogs and cats. Rescue groups are full, no-kill shelters are bulging and kill shelters are overwhelmed. 

To ask about adopting Conan the Husky, who is on the clock, visit the shelter and ask about A07972596, as he's officially known.  The shelter is at 1000 SE Green Oaks. Call 817-459-5898.

(3) Oh, wait, we're not finished. Look what's in the Carrollton Animal Services Shelter and -- knock my hat in the creek -- look at the reason why Angel the Basset is in the kill shelter. "This very sweet, gentle lady was released to the shelter by hr people who developed an allergy to her and could no longer keep her."

Gets along well with kids, cats and dogs, they say. And get this note: She is 7 years old and is such a mothering dog that when a new kitten was brought into the house, she began caring for it to the point that she started to lactate."

And, yet, she is an unwanted dog right now. If you'd like to change that, call 972-466-3420 or e-mail Joe.Skenesky@cityofcarrollton.com.

Wait -- oh, yeah, Carrollton has this boxer, Steve-O, found running loose. Had collar, no tags. Handsome guy likes to pose for photos, it turns out. He'll sit if asked. And he'll nudge your hand to pet him -- probably will do that to the person whose unfortunate duty is to stick him with the needle that carries death into his veins. Maybe that can be avoided.

(4) And, holy smoke, purebreds wind up in small shelters, too, sometimes in great numbers. For example, here's a fresh batch of Labs currently romping in the Burns Flat shelter in western Oklahoma. We hear about them from Terry Lynn Fisher, our reliable Burns Flat contact who keeps working to save animals. So, how does that work?

"This momma and her 8 babies were seized [Thursday] from a stupid lady here in town. I am so disgusted with her because I have pulled about 25 dogs over the past 3 years from here.

"The last two -- some of you will remember -- were Hershey and Cocoa, the two Chocolate Labs that were left to die in the country. This [momma dog pictured' is the sister to Hershey, the boy whose leg was so damaged. ... And these 8 babies? Remember Freeway, the beautiful Yellow Lab that I picked up on I-40 with Cocoa? [That's Freeway in the mugshot]... He is the daddy. Yes, he was [the stupid woman's], too. They bred them for money."

So, Terry Lynn is trying to place mom, and the 4 Yellow, 3 Black and 1 Chocolate Lab puppies. E-mail her at rememberings_oddball@yahoo.com  or call her at 580-330-1459.

(FYI: Terry Lynn is juggling all this as her beloved brother is gravely ill in a hospital at his home in Arkansas.)

MUTTS -- EMBRACE THEM: Look, I'm not focusing on purebreds because they're loftier than mutts. I'm just pointing out how amazing it is that people will go to a backyard breeder or some crank somewhere and pay a boatload of money for a dog they then drop off like a bag of hamburger wrappers on the side of the road.

I've never walked into a shelter that didn't have dogs worth taking home. The faces get me. Sometimes the barking is impossible -- but they're locked up and going nuts. What do you expect.

I don't know what the demeanor of these dogs is, but I'll bet it's mannerly. These dogs have some years on them and they are on the clock in Carrollton. They're spot-on examples of the big ol' black dogs that are at peril every day in every kill shelter around here.

Who are these dogs. That older gent is Lucky. He's about 8, they say. The 6-year-old with the shy glance at the camera is Precious, about 6.

Why are they on the clock? The Carrollton shelter reports: "Both these sweet dogs were released to the shelter by a family who only had them for 2 weeks. They had taken them from a friend and now have decided they do not want dogs." (Again, to ask about these dogs, call Carrollton at 972-466-3420 or e-mail Joe.Skenesky@cityofcarrollton.com.

MISSING DOG JAKE: We've told stories lately of dogs that have vanished only to show up a while later. And we're holding that hope out for a little guy named Jake. He's a 10-year-old mostly black poodle who vanished in early June in New Boston, Texas, while "on patrol" at night with his human, John Morphew. Jake was last seen while joining in on a security check at a car lot near I-30 in New Boston. Other dogs on the property returned, but Jake did not. The Morphew Family has continued to post notices and check with shelters and search for the little guy. Possibly someone picked friendly Jake up in New Boston and drove away with him, thinking mistakenly that he was a dumped or unloved dog. If you know Jakes whereabouts, call 903-278-3015.

A BUNDLE OF PUPPIES: Yes, that's an armful. But the problem is they are just a few of the dogs who need homes because the Marietta Canine Adoption Center is closing in Marietta -- that's in Northeast Texas in Cass County -- near Atlanta. Brenda Johnson tells us she needs to close "due to health concerns." About 30 dogs are left to place. E-mail bjrazzi@aol.com or call 903-835-8781.

The shelter is at 101 N. Shaddix St. in Marietta but we're told that you want to locate it via GPS, use the address across the street, 200 E. Main. Crazy world with all these gadgets. I've been through Marietta. It's not like you'd get lost in a maze of city blocks.

THE MAXIMUS PREDICAMENT: Goodness gracious, is this a photogenic cat or what! This fellow is Maximus, currently living in the Dallas Animal Services Shelter because his owners "were moving and couldn't take him with them." He only weighs 10 pounds -- you'd think he wouldn't be that much of a burden. He's a gray tabby with a need for a home. He's been available for adoption since May 30 -- and, yet, nobody has claimed him. You can visit him at the DAS Animal Adoption Center at I-30 and Westmoreland Road in Dallas. Click HERE.

(Aside: We have three foundling cats at our house. The dogs like 'em. In fact, Inky the Cocker Spaniel and Annabelle Bob the Black Cat have such a tight relationship that Annabelle will go to the bedroom and sit on the bed and yowl until Inky trots back there, jumps on the bed and curls up with her. She's a very demanding cat and he's a pliant spaniel.)

BEE QUESTION: We watched the TV broadcast of the bee swarm delay Thursday at the Houston Astros game in San Diego. Honey bees took up residence in a jacket draped over a chair along the left field foul line. A man in a beekeeper suit came into the stadium, sprayed something into the jacket, picked it up and dropped it into a trash bag. Maybe he wasn't a beekeeper, but a bee-killer. What we're trying to determine (no news story answers this question) is whether the bees -- necessary in nature -- were actually killed or just temporarily disabled and moved to another site. Surely the great green state of California would not permit just killing the bees.

EIGHT STARVING HORSES: Oh, goodness, it's not just dogs and cats that wind up in shelters. For example, on June 26 the Hunt County Sheriff's Office and the SPCA of Texas seized 8 starving horses from a property in Quinlan. Yesterday, Justice of the Peace Hershey Barnett awarded custody of those horses to the SPCA. They'll be nursed back to health and evaluated and made available for adoption if they aren't too far gone to be saved. Keep up with them by clicking on www.spca.org/findapet or by going to www.spca.org/livestock.

CONTEMPLATIONS: OK, as we're approaching the 4th of July, another thing I miss about the Bicentennial of the American Revolution in 1976: fireplugs painted in red, white and blue to look like Colonial soldiers. Seriously, that was a pretty interesting year in the United States. Pageants, parties, parades and politics. ... Gov. Mark Sanford -- can't anybody convince this guy to go get some help? He's alienated his natural listener -- his wife. Her lawyer is probably happy to hear him talking. In a divorce, anything you say can be used against you. So can anything you don't say. ... I'm still trying to adjust to Daylight Saving Time -- is midnight as late as it used to be?

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Fireworks, border collies, dire straits and tasseled impressions

Let's see what we can find today that needs some attention -- maybe some assistance or some understanding or some comprehension or maybe even some illumination.

LIGHT THE FUSE ON THE TRADITIONAL WARNING: Folks reading from outside the United States probably already know that the Fourth of July is a big summer holiday here in the Colonies. We Americans celebrate our independence and our freedoms, our tire sales and hot dogs, our baseball and beverages...well, you know.

Some of us celebrate quietly. Some of us do not. And that brings us to an e-mail we got from tipster Karen West of Austin who, most recently, was in the spotlight of Readlarrypowell.com because her sheltie Shannon (left) had been on the lam for nearly two weeks.

Her note contained a warning about mixing dogs and startling sounds and, recalling Shannon's story, I asked, "Is this the voice of experience speaking" and she replied, "Essentially, yes."

Karen writes, "Everybody remember -- keep your pets secure and indoors during the days around the 4th of July. Ensure that they are collared and tagged. Keeps those windows closed; don't trust screens or screen doors. And most importantly, do NOT take your pets out to celebrate with you. They will be safer and feel more secure indoors at home. Also, fireworks aren't the only danger to pets during this holiday." She then suggests people visit the ASPCA's tips page HERE.

It was the unexpected "sound of a paintball gun" a good distance away that sent the skittish Shannon running for cover in unfamiliar territory. Shannon, as you can see in this photo, Shannon runs agility -- agility dogs are disciplined. If an agility dog will bolt and run at a "pop," what in the world will your ol' layabout do while you're futilely yelling "Fido, Fido, halt!" at the top of your lungs.

The SPCA of Dallas issues the same sort of fireworks warning each year. And each year, dogs bolt from yards and vanish. If they wind up in a city shelter this summer, the odds are against them ever getting out alive.

Our pal Rebecca Poling, president of the animal education group Companions For Life, asks us to remind people that "the 5th of July is one of the busiest days for shelters because so many animals become frightened by Independence Day fireworks and bolt."

She notes, also, that there'll be fireworks demonstrations all over the Metrosprawl on July 3 and 4 and the noise from those events "is enough to cause some pets to jump over fences, slip out of collars -- even crash through windows."

Leave the pets at home, make sure they're securely locked away from the man-made mayhem. If you've just GOT to take your dog out, use a harness and strong leash rather than a collar, she advises. And, she says, the Unleashed indoor dog park in Dallas has a July 4 celebration planned from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. for dogs and their people. (By the way, the festive cat is Cody -- pal of Brownie the cat . They're available for adoption -- email rpoling1@swbell.net. They belong to Rebecca's mom who is trying to find a home for them as circumstances force a change in her living arrangement. And that dog with the happy attitude bunting is Trey, Rebecca's dog from Dallas Animal Services. They were dressed for the Fourth and we needed photos to break up the type.) 

And, please, print out this whole thing today and post it on your office bulletin board so that people who need to see the warning might see it. Heck, tack it up at the post office, too. Barbershops, courthouses, pet stores, saloons and churches, too. And copy it and send it around -- it's a do-good thing when you try to help animals by persuading  people to be kind to animals.

BORDER COLLIE CRISIS: You may have seen the e-mail circulating about "80 Border Collies" in trouble on property near Ada, Okla. Turns out there were more like 120. The property owner had gone into a nursing home and the animals were left behind. Sue Thompson of Friends of Rescued Mastiffs and a PAWS (Pontotoc Animal Welfare Society) board member in Ada sends word  that PAWS, the Humane Society of the United States and the Pontotoc County Sheriff's Office have spent the week moving the bulk of these dogs to shelters in Colorado and Nebraska. According to the official HSUS announcement HERE.  

ELISHA WAITS; CLOCK IS TICKING TODAY: Well, Dianne Watson, the well-known rescuer who keeps an eye on the Arlington Animal Services Shelter, is leaving soon for the Panhandle and has sent this note about Elisha, who she describes as her "last favorite dog at AAS." She's listed many favorites over the years and found homes for them by being persistent with publicity.

Elisha came in "shy and frightened" and when Dianne went into the cage with him to spend some time, she says, "He literally crawled on his belly over to me with his head bowed. Well, this shy dog came out of his shell days later and earned himself a sot in our front adoption area."

Two weeks ago he went into isolation because he had a touch of kennel cough. But he's whipped that and is healthy and waiting for a home.

He's been at the shelter for so long that he is on the euthanasia list for Thursday. Officially he is "ELISHA (aka ELI), ID# 7656199, DA9, male, GSD/husky mix,

weight: 35.40 LB on 5/16/09, 7 months-old."

To ask about this dog, contact Arlington Animal Services, 1000 SE Green Oaks, at 817-459-5898. Click HERE.

CORSICANA'S SITUATION: Volunteers continue to be needed at the City of Corsicana Animal Shelter, which has been undergoing some difficult staffing times lately.

Last Saturday, a city/Humane Society of Navarro County adoption event at the shelter resulted in 30 animals finding new homes. But, as our Society contact Julie Maupin writes, "Unfortunately, the shelter is filling up fast once again."

So the Society is trying to find more volunteers to help the general operation of the animals shelter. Call 903-654-4928 to volunteer. There are day shifts, night shifts and weekend shifts.

CALL FOR FOSTERS: Like what group doesn't need fosters? All of 'em, but for now we'll just spotlight the note we got from Gail Whelan with Companion Animal Network. "We have a lot of dogs that need foster homes. All sizes and ages." Yep, kind of the general description of things around here. To volunteer to foster with CAN, call 214-808-3238 or e-mail can_rescue@yahoo.com.

RECYCLING QUESTION: We were forwarded this query from Tony Griffith's Animal Rescue Inc. in Longview. Francie Graham writes, "The place where we were recycling our printer cartridges is no longer doing this so we need to find a new source. I have looked online and there are very many places, but I cannot find one that pays even close to what we were getting." So, the question is, "Anybody know a place that can help this group."

Read about the rescue group at www.tgar.petfinder.com and give Francie some recycling advice by e-mailing francie@intergate.com.

Francie writes, "We just received a huge donation of cartridges so I really need a place to send them so I can get them out of my living room!"

DARBY'S SITUATION: Krista Mc Anally, shelter manager for the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake in Tool is trying to find help for this 6-year-old, heartworm positive boxer Darby. Krista has a sponsor to pay for the heartworm treatment, but the dog will need to be spayed after that And she needs someone to foster her or adopt her. (E-mail dogshsccl@yahoo.com or call 903-432-3422.)

We asked Krista about the load of Lab mom and puppies found on the side of the road earlier in the week (we mentioned it here) and she said that the "owner has showed up" and said the dogs can't go into the shelter because "all we do is kill dogs. My volunteer asked if it was better if they were left to their own devices to get run over and the woman said, 'Well, at least then they have a chance'." As many an adopted dog can testify, there's a woman with some bad information.

Visit the shelter's website at www.hsccl.org.

TWO DOGS NEED A HOME: We get this story of Molly and Booger from Gloria McDonald who is trying to help these dogs -- "absolute jewels," she says -- find a good home after they didn't fit into the housing plans of their original humans.

"There is nothing at all wrong with them," Gloria says. They are loving dogs, bonded to each other and good with kids and adults. The owners were hoping that when the first house sold that the dogs could stay with the new owners. Well, the house sold, the new owners have four dogs so they didn't want another two."

As you can see, the dogs have done nothing but be good ol' pals and they need a place to stay where they can continue to be good ol' pals.

At this point, Gloria says, "they are homeless, in a kennel and running out of time. ... The one thing I know they need is something fenced. Apparently Molly (Lab/Pyrenees mix) will roam as do all Pyrenees. Booger, the Aussie, will go with her to explore and they can't find their way home. They are all up on shots, heartworm preventatives and [have gotten] haircuts for this hot weather. It is our hope to keep them out of a shelter and directly to a foster or permanent home. Molly hates cages and we fear they will be separated."

To volunteer to help these two dogs live out their lives together in a happy home, e-mail ponyfarm2@verizon.net or call 940-453-4880.

MISS KITTY FROM THE CLOSER: My mysteryspouse Martha is a big fan of The Closer and, like devoted fans of the TV show, felt sadness that one of the characters, Miss Kitty, died. Miss Kitty was LAPD Assistant Chief Brenda Johnson's cat. But there's more to the story and Cathy Rosenthal of the San Antonio Express-News found out about it and you can read it HERE.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Every year at this time I really miss the Bicentennial of the American Revolution and the tall ships sailing up the Trinity River into downtown Dallas. Or did I dream that? ... After last night's exciting 9-7 victory over division nemesis the LA Angels, it's hard not to believe in the Texas Rangers -- of course, our hearts have been broken before. But, boy, that Hank Blalock was a star last night. ... These pictures? Why surely you recognize a pair of Bass tasseled loafers that can do impressions. I was putting on my new shoes last nigh and thought, "I've seen this before." In the lower photo, my new shoes are doing their impersonation of a pair of Cocker Spaniels at a dog show after their ears have been groomed and the cloth covers that have been slipped to protect them until the judge sees them. And, when you turn the photo upside-down, my shoes do their impression of a pair of Doberman puppies whose ears have been bandaged after trimming. We like our Dobies with floppy ears and our dress shoes with happy tassels. We like our dogs not to chew our tassels.

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The chirper and other critters

Before we let things go to the dogs today (Chloe the Boy Dog and Espy the Abandoned Puppy, i.e.), we're going to talk about stuff that's for the birds:

MEGAPHONIC MOCKINGBIRD: Last year, a mockingbird took up residence in the big tree in our front yard and screeched merrily and magnificently at the top of his lungs throughout spring and early summer.

A storm knocked over the tree and we dispatched it. It looked as though the Mockingbird Chirp 'n' Torture Program would have to move to a new location.

I guess there's a reason the Mockingbird is the State Bird of Texas -- resilience.

This year the neighborhood's loudest mockingbird is enjoying life in the shrubbery next to our front porch right at the front door -- right above the lounging zone of Smidge the Feral Cat.

Yesterday it was rough around here. That apparently well-traveled mockingbird seemed to be working his way through all of the calls of the Squawking Birds of Africa in the morning and in the afternoon and early evening the bird -- what amazing lungs -- launched into a performance of what can best be described as "The Penetrating Calls of the Shrieking Birds of South America." I fear what will happen to the neighborhood sanity if the bird takes up "Cries of the Outback."

At any rate, I snapped a photo of the bird sitting the shrub and directing his repertoire at the glass front door of our otherwise quiet home. And while snapping the photo of the bird at work, I bent down and snapped a shot of Smidge paying no attention to this racket.

Not that I'd want Smidge to unleash the fury of the feline huntress on Texas' symbolic songbird, but, perhaps a low-throated growl or a swat at the branch below the bird would get the rascal to move on. At least in the mornings. Though, now and then, when the bird is silent, I find myself going out into the front yard and scanning the trees for the feathery little figure. And, seriously, I'd rather find this bird singing near the front porch than the neighborhood skunk dining on Smidge's catfood -- as we did once. You can shower away a festival of chirps.

EARHOUNDS AND MORE: Jonnie England, the Director of Animal Advocacy and Communications for the Metroplex Animal Coalition, sent us a big list of dogs that are on the clock this holiday week at the Dallas Animal Services Adoption Center. Big dogs, little dogs, dogs in between. And, of course, Earhounds.

Today we're spotlighting three dogs, but there are so many more. The adoption center is at I-30 and Westmoreland, just minutes west of downtown Dallas. It's a big fine facility with a get-acquainted area so you and the dogs and cats can get to know each other. Everything that can possibly be provided to complete an adoption is on the grounds of this big, state-of-the-art municipal adoption facility -- except adoptors. Just not enough people coming to adopt a dog or cat this week. Send out the word.

Among the more urgent cases -- that means they've been in the shelter a long time and their number is just about up -- are the three pictured here. There's the great-eared Glory, then the magnificently-eared Peach (described as a "solemn dog") and, that big Black Lab sweetheart is Roxy. She has the perfect ears for absent-mindedly petting and tugging while you watch TV on the couch. To ask about any of these dogs, e-mail teresa.cleek@dallascityhall.com or stop by the shelter. If you're a rescue group, e-mail tina.mayfield@dallascityhall.com. You can see more Dallas adoptables at www.DallasAnimalServices.com.

CHLOE THE BOY DOG: We're using this big fellow's picture here as a symbol of success at the Carrollton Animal Shelter. Earlier in the week, hustlin' Joe Skenesky sent out a note with a ton of dogs and cats that were in the Carrolton shelter and needed to be out. We've come to Wednesday and all those critical-on-the-clock critters have been moved out to adoptors or rescue groups.

The last of the group to go is this big handsome boy, Chloe. That's right, Chloe. As Joe explains, when someone surrenders an animal and gives the animal's name, that's the name the animal gets. So, whoever had Chloe the Boy Dog before, well, they must have just liked the name.

This morning Joe reports that Chloe is going into a rescue group some time today. And this week, he says, not only were the animals on the list either adopted or rescued, but three that weren't on the list were also taken -- 26 animals, he says.

"I wish that mean we were empty, but we do have a little breathing room now."

Animals are still available at the Carrollton shelter -- click HERE for shelter information.

ESPY'S LIFE IS SAVED: Across the Metrosprawl from Carrollton we find The Colony's Animal Control Division and a little dog named Espy.

Espy is not the only adoptable at The Colony, just the latest with a tale of rescue and need. We get Espy's story from Patricia Barrington, The Colony's Animal Control Division Manager.

"Espy’s story is a sad tale, not as sad as many but sad nonetheless. Espy was brought to us on Saturday. A woman said she found her in park near the shelter. Those sad, soulful puppy eyes would hardly open; she was ready to throw in the towel. 

"Espy’s temperature was 102.9, she was dehydrated, emaciated and couldn’t stand up.  "Officer Byington laid her on some wet towels wrapped in ice packs and gave her 200 milliliters of fluid. Espy responded well and began to move around a little after a couple of hours. She was examined more thoroughly and her we discovered her entire underbelly was covered in ant bites. So, she was  given Benadryl and more fluids and let rest overnight.

"Little Espy, today, is still not as healthy or playful as a normal 8-week-old puppy, but she’s getting there.  And, she needs a home that will help her recover fully and give her the awesome life she should have after suffering such a rough beginning.

"Unfortunately, our shelter has 15 dog kennels and every day for the past two weeks, we’ve had 19 – 27 dogs in those 15 kennels.  Thus, we are not in a position to keep any animal for an extended time.  Espy will have to be adopted very soon.

"And, though most of our other shelter pets don’t have such a somber story (of which we are aware), they are, each and every one, in need of a home.  So, if you set your mind to saving little Espy and find that someone has already secured her future, visit us or any shelter and fill that spot that you cleared out for this sad little hound with another.

"I assure you, even if the pup you take home isn’t adorned with Espyesque, sad puppy eyes, he or she will be just as appreciative as little Espy would have been. 

"And your heart may just, all of the sudden, fill up with happiness, joy, pride and glee when your brain tells it what a great deed you have done.

"As an added bonus, you might cause a shelter worker’s heart to fill up with happiness, joy, relief and glee because, maybe, just maybe he or she might get to skip  euthanasia that day thanks to you."

To ask about Espy or any critter at The Colony, e-mail pbarrington@thecolonytx.gov or call 972-370-9250.

"She's a lovely little girl who sleeps best at a person's feet," Patricia says, explaining that second photo. "Those big ol' dawgs in the photo are my feet, but she's happy with any feet as long as they stay still while she's using them."

CONTEMPLATIONS: Could just be an illusion, but around Dallas, the traffic looks like people started the July 4 holiday weekend last weekend. Traffic has been so light that we've had room for at least two high-speed freeway chases. ... Ran across a line in a 1935 Perry Mason movie, "The Case of the Curious Bride," that sounds like it could have come from Washington in 2009. "Say nothing and plenty of it." ... My punctuationspouse Martha spotted this website dedicated to poor usage of the apostrophe, www.apostropheabuse.com. She said, "I'm just glad someone's doing that." And I say, "Your right. An apostrophe deserves it's dignity and all the comma's, colon's and exclamation point's do, too."

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End-of-the-month non-rush....

Holy smoke, last day of June and there are still animals without homes. Can you imagine?

How does that happen?

Oh, and before we go further, Meg, the dog we featured in a "be on the lookout" yesterday, was found sleeping on the front porch at 4 a.m. today. We posted that story earlier -- read it after you finish today's post.

ABOUT ANIMALS WITHOUT HOMES: Remember a couple of weeks ago when every charitable heart jumped through hoops to replenish the food supply and step up adoptions at the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake in Tool, Texas? How in the world, you may ask, can that little shelter stay so full of dogs?

We'd like to enter as evidence this morning's note from Krista Mc Anally, manager of that shelter. She writes:

"I was called this morning about two black Lab moms with 15 pups dumped on the side of the road in Payne Springs which is in Henderson County. Tina [Hamilton] with Happy Tails is going out to see if she can locate them. I do not have room at the shelter. We will need a foster home for both moms and pups."

So, if you can help in this emergency situation, e-mail dogshsccl@yahoo.com or call 903-432-3422. (Check out the shelter's adoptables at www.hsccl.org.)

AND FROM CARROLLTON: The week has been slow on the adoption front, reports Joe Skenesky of Carrollton Animal Services. We've featured several of these animals before -- there's a cocker spaniel named Rose, a wacky little black dog named Boomerang. We mentioned Mr. Kitty, the cat with the long face, here. He, Princess and other cats are in the shelter because their human died. Relatives couldn't do anything else with the cats, so they wound up in a shelter.

And, there's this dog -- one brown eye, one blue eye -- named Chloe. Yeah, the eyes are odd, but the dog is a boy and that makes the name odd. Swear. The people who turned in Chloe had found him as a stray, but after a while, they could no longer care for him, so, he's now a shelter dog.

To ask about adopting any of these animals, call Joe at 972-466-3420. Or e-mail Joe.Skenesky@cityofcarrollton.com. These animals are on a very short clock this holiday week. See the Carrollton inventory HERE.

And for those of you not familiar with the ways of your fellow humans, some people, when they can't find a pet sitter or don't want to find someone to take care of their animal while they're on vacation, will simply dump the pet in a kill shelter and drive off.

A NOTE ABOUT SEAGOVILLE: Our tipster and veteran rescuer Deborah Trevino reports, "Todd Brisbon, the director of the Seagoville Shelter, is holding a meeting tonight for all those interested in volunteering for the animal shelter, and also, to inform of upcoming events.  The meeting will be at the Seagoville Tattoo Shop, located at 1404 N. Highway 175 at 7 p.m.  For more information, call 972-287-5600. 

"Todd is a tattoo artist in his spare time. The shelter doesn't have anywhere to hold a meeting, due to the building itself being the size of a double-car garage..Literally tiny."

Deborah says she'll be at the meeting and that afterward she'll be going to the infamous Malloy Bridge Road dog dumping ground to check on Charlie and other dogs living there. She may need some help, if any volunteers are available. E-mail DTrevino60@aol.com.

AND IF YOUR IN BURNS FLAT: I mention this in case someone is planning a Fourth of July trip that will take them anywhere near Burns Flat, the outpost in western Oklahoma. Our tipster Terry Lynn Fisher is hustling to get animals moved out of the Burns Flat City Shelter and among them is today's Earhound.

This dog is "Brindle" who was left behind with a Boston Terrier a couple of days ago when some people moved out of a home in Burns Flat. They just up and moved and left the dogs. Brindle's timid, Terry Lynn says, but has a great set of ears. And Brindle also is sort of missing his pal, the Boston, who went into a breed rescue group.

The other dog is Molly, who "was taken from some boys who were abusing her," Terry Lynn says. "she is very shy at first, but once she knows you will not hurt her, she is loving and friendly."

To offer a place for Brindle the Earhound or Molly the Sweetie, e-mail remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or call 580-330-1459.

SHEPP NOTE: Last week there was a demonstration for justice in Corpus Christi on behalf of Shepp, a dog that died from neglect and abuse at the end of a chain. TV station KRIS reports that Daniel Luna, the human in the case, plead guilty and has been sentenced. You can read the TV station' story HERE.

CONTEMPLATIONS: My ol' former newspaper colleague Jean Nash Johnson, whose byline is surely familiar to readers at the ol' former big paper in Dallas, has some thoughts on Michael Jackson at her blog HERE. Jean's of the Young Michael era. ... As June 2009 closes, we are reminded that we probably squandered many days and we will vow to do better in July. ... Driving vacations: Fun or torture. I vote fun, but I'm not a flyer and, unless those earthquakes in Cleburne get more severe, I'm not going to be taking any luxury cruises out of the Port of Dallas on the Gulf of Mexico, either. But you never know about earthquakes. People are always saying Dallas needs a good shaking up.

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Meg -- came home ...

Late in the afternoon we published this Be On The Lookout for Meg, a big shepherd mix in a pink collar. An early morning e-mail from Carolyn Coleman tells us "Meg came home. She was asleep on the porch at 4 a.m." This was, as you may imagine, a load off for Carolyn and Richard -- they were petsitting for their traveling daughter when Meg bolted yesterday.

And, by the way, Meg didn't have a note explaining where she'd been, but at mid-morning she was getting a really vigorous shampooing. She apparently had not spend her "away time" paying attention to her grooming.

Here's yesterday's report, now, fortunately, no longer valid.

We have a late afternoon Be On The Lookout because of the circumstances.

The dog is Meg, a large tan and black females shepherd mix who "ran away this morning" in the Mockingbird/Abrams area in North Dallas. She was wearing tags and a collar. Call 214-827-3699 or 214-693-9965.

"The dog belongs to our daughter, who is on vacation," says Carolyn. "That is the saddest part; we are dog-sitting."

The dog lives about five miles north of the pet-sitting site, we're told. Signs are up, flyers are printed, doors have been knocked on. The folks are doing all the right stuff.

Richard Coleman said he went to the Dallas Animal Services shelter this afternoon and "looked at 200 dogs. They have a lot of dogs." He's going back again, he says.

Or, perhaps someone in the area will spot Meg taking it easy in the shade under some shrubbery.

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The approaching holiday...

Look, folks, this is a holiday week. People will be bailing out of town Thursday evening. Maybe earlier. Maybe they've already gone over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's swimming pool..

Because it's a short week, we're told, some shelters have moved up euthanasia days -- has to do with employee scheduling, the load of unwanted animals and who knows what else.

Keep that in mind this week as you wonder about helping animals. And, please, you have permission  to print out this daily report and put it on the bulletin boards of every office in the world. You know, just as a reminder to help some animals.

In the past few days we've had readers not only from the mainland, but also from Hawaii, and we've had readers click in from Ireland, Chile, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Australia, New Zealand, Saskatchewan and Quebec.

So, if someone in Quebec or Chile sees a dog or cat on this site and wants to adopt, there are volunteers who will make darned sure that critter gets a good ride to a safe place in those countries. If someone in Australia wants to get a Texas-rescued Aussie, why, put another shrimp on the barbie because that dog will get a safe ride to Oz.  Rescuers work miracles.

That dog in the photo? That's Cruz, currently in the Denton Animal Services. The story is the owners of the young shepherd mix moved and abandoned him. Someone brought him to the shelter because, according to the shelter folks, "They told us that people were going to shoot the dog if the shelter would not take him." (To ask about adopting Cruz or moving him out of the shelter, e-mail amy_pelzel@yahoo.com  or visit the shelter on-line HERE.

Rescuers work wonders. And this is the time to pull off some miracles in animal shelters.

WENDY'S CATS AND OTHERS: Oh, goodness, we have encountered several instances lately of cats that have been left behind not because their humans abandoned them, but because the humans have succumbed -- natural causes, unexpected instances, etc.

            -- First today we have the cats that had belonged to our pal Wendy Rains, the former researcher librarian at the big paper in Dallas. Wendy, just 50, died a couple of weeks ago. Her husband, U.S. Army Sgt. Brian French, was serving in Iraq -- he was in the Army for Desert Storm and Desert Shield, left the service for a while, and was back in the combat zone in Iraq when Wendy died. He's trying to find homes for two grey and white "tiger cats" -- Prudence is a year-and-a-half old and Jude is about a year old. To offer to help this young soldier at a tough time, call 214-605-5348 or e-mail brianefrench@yahoo.com. Wendy was a cat person all her life. A cat person and a good person.

            -- Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake sends us a note from Barbara Buck who is trying to find homes for three cats whose owners have either died or whose owners cannot care for them any longer.

            These cats include a red-orange, 5-year-old Tabby named Moses who "was a companion to an elderly gentleman," Barbara writes. "When he died, the family just turned the cat loose. He is very lonesome...."

            Cleopatra, who also answers to "Cleo," is a "calico, or tortoiseshell, with black eye-lined eyes." "She was abandoned when she was a kitten, but managed to survive to be about 2 or 3. She wants to be loved but is scared of her shadow. She bonds with a man the best."

            Miss Kitty, a 3--year-old black cat, has "been living with an elderly lady who cannot take care of her anymore. She is used to a walker...and is very attentive to her owner....She is not used to any other cats around, but rubbed noses with a friendly dog."

All of those cats will come with a litter box, litter and cat food. To ask about adopting them, e-mail hbuck130@aol.com.

LOST OR 'PICKED UP' IN FORT WORTH: This little Corgi (a Pembroke Welsh with no tail) vanished from a yard Saturday near Elizabeth and Ramona -- that's on the west side near Alta Mere and Camp Bowie, north of the Weatherford Traffic Circle.

Shorty, is an 8-month-old guy who is "friendly with everyone," reports his human, Shannon Dejten, "And we fear someone picked him up and decided to keep him. .... We found the remnants of a collar, but are not sure if it is his, so he may be collarless."

You hope these dogs show back up overnight or at the end of a weekend, but no dice on this Corgi (the name is being withheld at the request of the dog's human).  To report the whereabouts of the dog, call 817-939-6174.

Shannon says he's "the best dog I have ever had" and "he has never done anything wrong and is super smart."

She writes, "This weekend has been a blur of tears for me. I have posted about 70-80 flyers in the area he went missing, spoken to neighbors, and surrounding neighborhoods, posted signs in some retailers surrounding, posted ads on craigslist and anywhere else anyone referred me to. I also left flyers at 5 Petsmarts and their vets, and all of the vets and groomers in the surrounding area where he was lost. I also called shelters.

"I have not received one call, I am so discouraged and worried that someone picked him up intentionally and wants to keep him."

TODAY'S EARHOUND: Oh, for crying out loud, isn't that the cutest set of ears. Yes, here is today's earhound. His name is Wolfie. And we learn about him from veteran rescuer DeDe Whitcombe of the Collin County Humane Society.

He had a broken leg when she pulled him from the Collin County Animals Services Shelter in McKinney.

Wolfie's cast is off now and he's a romper. And DeDe says she's had only one application for adoption. "Just don't understand," she says. "he is so adorable."

He's about 3 months old, weighs in at 11 pounds for now and is a "German Shepherd and Schnauzer mix, we think!"

He's also a typical puppy -- going through the puppy chewing and "needs-training" stages. But he's healthy and undergoing some physical therapy to make sure his leg is properly exercised and strengthened.

To apply to adopt Wolfie and his ears, click HERE to get an application from the Collin County Humane Society.

DeDe says Wolfie is "about the calmest, sweetest-natured puppy you could ask for" -- and our observation is that he's gifted with a championship set of ears."

CONTEMPLATIONS: The world isn't as comfortable when the Texas Rangers aren't in first place. Maybe they can sweep the next three games from new division leaders, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or whatever their tricked up name is now. ... Big city hall corruption trial going on in Dallas. Judge put a gag order on it. Our pal Jeff Crilley of RealNewsPR.com issues a daily advisory sheet for news editors. Today he sent out a tip on finding someone to talk about the gagged trial and offered a great quote from Dallas lawyer/observer Clint David: "This has to be the biggest trial in Dallas since Jack Ruby. You have the best lawyers in town squaring off against each other." ... About that famous deaths in threes: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Now, pitchman Billy Mays, sitcom and singing star Gale Storm and impressionist Fred Travalena. Starting to believe in the Trio Theory.

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When good cats nap...

The assignment "Take cute photos of sleeping animals" is easily accomplished in some households. Everywhere you look, there's a photo subject.

And that is why Robynn Rushing's cats are the featured critters in this weekend's "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap."

And there's another reason. A few weeks ago we posted photographs of Gail Marshall's sleeping critters. This prompted a note from Robynn. "I saw the article on your website about my Mom's sleeping pets and I thought I would send you mine...which I believe are so much cuter...<smile>!!"

Thus, this weekend, we offer evidence of a new phenomenon: Sleeping Pet Envy Syndrome (SPES).

So, enjoy this collection of photos of her rescued cats from Robynn. You can read more about them by clicking HERE and going to Robynn's petsitting site.

My funspouse Martha was a petsitter for four non-stop years -- if a petsitter has time left in a day to snap a photo, it's a miracle. And, I swear, a petsitter, at the end of a long day, can pick up the camera, push the button and be asleep before the shutter snaps. Petsitters -- America's unsung workers. (If they had time, I'd get a chorus of "Amens" from the petsitting community.)

Now, the explanations of the photos:

The cat sacked out on the tree is Cleo.

The kitten cuddling with his mom is Curly Tail.

And that is Curly Tail making certain that the TV doesn't float off and that, against the screen, he's in high definition.

Napoleon and Molly are asleep in the window -- perhaps after a day of monitoring the migration habits of springtime birds. Or, perhaps, they've been taunting neighborhood squirrels.

That's Princess in the basket. It's a bed. It's a comfort zone.

And Sasha can sleep normally, of course, stretched out across the back of the couch. But, she is also a technical cat and is, obviously, comfortable around modern communications equipments -- she's right on top of things.

(Your critters can also be spotlighted in our weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Just send the photos and the information to dallrp@aol.com. We're so proud to be able to have a place for people to brag on their animals -- or their photography. Or to continue a rivalry with their relatives.)

 

ONE MORE NOTE: Please take time to visit our Prayers & Passages page (Click on the button on the right side of this page). You can leave comments there about three great friends of people and animals: rescuer and Straydog Inc volunteer Consuelo "Dr. Chelo" Murray; my former co-worker at the big paper in Dallas, Wendy Rains, survived by "two special cats," the preacher said; and our dear friend and companion to cat diva Tasha, Jane Bainbridge, a Brit who was a fit in Texas.

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Friday's late PM edition....

This afternoon we're going to do a bit of a "don't forget" edition. As in: Don't forget that shelters are full and have plenty of animals that can be adopted and some that can be saved ONLY by rescue groups.

The odds may be against these "rescue only" pups, but just in case someone with a magic key to the shelter is reading, here's the info.

THE SHELTER IN TOOL: Last week we mentioned the food/euthanasia situation at the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake at Tool. And people responded in dramatic fashion, as has been reported.

Now, we mention the pit bull crisis at the same shelter. And Krista Mc Anally, the shelter manager, spells it out plainly, chillingly:

"We do not adopt out Pits because of the fighting in our area. Therefore the only way they will leave the shelter is rescue or euthanization.

"We have had Jackie (left) and Beau (right) for several months.  They are the most urgent. 

"Titus (lower right) is an 8-month-old-male that weighs about 70 pounds.  He is a very friendly and well-socialized. He does well with other dogs. And he wants to be a lap dog.
"Jackie is about 3 years old.  I have had Jackie since last October.  She is very dog aggressive.  I have been working for 6 months to get her into Best Friends with no luck.  Jackie loves people and is our favorite dog here. We would keep her here forever but she needs help with her dog aggression that she can not get here and she deserves a chance at a normal home.  Jackie is heartworm positive but it is very light and the vet said that she could be treated with Heartguard.  We have had her on Heartguard since January.
"Casper (lower left)is 10 months old. He is deaf. He is completely vetted and HW negative.  He is housebroken.  He does not get along with other male dogs. He has been through obedience classes.  Casper was originally adopted here at 4 months old and was returned because after he was neutered, he and the 13-year-old dog started picking at each other and 3 trainers could not make them get along.
"Beau is about a year old.  He is only about 13" at the shoulder and weighs about 35 lbs.  But he has the heart of a lion. He is well socialized and good on a leash.  He gets along with other dogs.  In my opinion, Beau would be the easiest to adopt because of his size and he has no behavioral issues."

So, if you have a place in your rescue group or your heart or your sanctuary, take a look at Beau, Jackie, Casper and Titus. Call Krista at 903-432-3422.

AND IN CARROLLTON: Oh, goodness, Carrollton Animals Services always has a substantial inventory of cuties and friends. This afternoon we offer some of the cats and dogs that could use a decent break from the public. They need homes. (You can ask about giving them homes by checking with the Carrollton shelter at 972-466-3420 or by e-mailing joe.skenesky@cityofcarrollton.com.)

These animals, by the way, are on a clock that'll stop ticking on July 1. You know what that means.

Our spotlighted Carrollton animals are:

The handsome Mr. Kitty (left) who came into the shelter after his person died and no relatives could take the cat into their homes.  Maybe its the angle in the photo but I want to ask, "Why the long face?" The Carrollton report says Mr. Kitty " is a shy fellow who is a bit confused about all the recent changes in his life. He would like a quiet home where he can live and reflect on his life and that of the ones he loves."

This dignified bob-tailed cat is Princess, an owner-surrender. Same story as Mr. Kitty's. Owner died; nobody would take her. She's another cat that is living in confusion because of upheaval in the lives of humans.

Rose is a cocker spaniel who came in a s a stray. She's listed as a "senior" but may be only about 7 years old which is barely middle-aged in the life of the well-kept cocker. She weighs about 30 pounds and is in need of professional grooming. But Rose, like most cockers, is obviously adorable and very friendly. (Aside: As regular visitors to Readlarrypowell.com know, we endorse cocker spaniels because ours, Inky, is a great companion and because of him we have met other cocker spaniels -- of them have been congenial and adorable. Most do not have vast wealth -- Inky is helping a prince move his late father's fortune from a bank in Ghana to Switzerland and is very excited about the payoff. I've got to keep that dog off the internet. Actually, there's evidene that cockers spend their fortunes on grooming. That's my way of saying that if you're going to adopt a cocker, budget for grooming. It's not fair to the dog if you don't.)

And there is this dog on the lower right -- she's named Boomerang, but we don't know if that's because of the fact that she always comes when called or because of the shape of her ears. Whatever, she's a Corgi mix who came in as a stray. She was on the loose, saw someone walking their leashed dogs and "decided to follow them home." Those folks tried to find he a home, but couldn't, so they brought her to the shelter in hopes that she'd find a home.

Again, there are dogs and cats in every shelter across this continent. They all need homes. Their only hope is humans. Though I'd hate to be in that fix, the dogs don't have much of a choice. Maybe one of these photographs will charm a human and convince them that their home no longer needs to be pet-free.

Personally, you can't beat the charm of waking in the morning and the first thing you see is the hairy muzzle of a cocker spaniel and a giant pink tongue jetting out to lick your nose as a "hello" gesture. I'm kidding. Usually the cocker spaniel is already up making coffee and doing Pilates.

OK, before we leave this Friday PM edition, do something good for the world and go adopt a new friend.

CONTEMPLATION: Don't you hope your money lasts through the weekend? Or are you too old for that sort of wild behavior?

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A Friday collection...

Welcome to Friday. Indeed, the final Friday of June, 2009. If June had moved any faster, the Dallas Cowboys would have drafted it. Now, here's our report for Friday.

We will try to move swiftly, too:

SURPRISE, SURPRISE:  The folks with A Different Breed took in a little bitty dog from among the unwanted critters in the Cleburne Animal Shelter, we're told.

Now, picking up a shelter dog is not all that unusual.

The little dog's name is Priscilla and she's in good care -- she is heartworm positive and the rescue group will take care of her, of course.

They discovered she was heartworm positive when she was about to be spayed. So they called off the spaying to avoid the added stress. And, ADB's volunteer coordinator Joni McConnell told us that "the cute little dog" stunned everyone after her vet visit by delivering a brand spanking new puppy. "No one even knew she was pregnant."

Nobody knows what gender the puppy is because Priscilla has created a "nest" and is being protective and no one wants to stir her up considering her conditions and her responsibilities as a mom.

By the way, A Different Breed will benefit when you dine at the Tin Star at 3301 Preston Road north of 121 in Frisco from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on June 30. Ten percent of sales will go to the group's building fund. They'll probably need to build an extra room onto Priscilla's house.

THE DISTURBING DALLAS CASE: We're not exactly certain of all the details in a case of allged abuse and neglect that is stirring people in the animal rescue community in Dallas. We don't know for sure what happened that caused apparently neglected animals to be returned to the person who was not caring for them properly. KTVT (Channel 11) did a report and you can read it HERE. And KXAS (Channel 5) did a report, too, which you can read HERE. It is clear that the dogs were neglected, that there was a chance that they could have been protected and that there's a shortcoming somewhere. Whether it's a shortcoming in people or in the system or both probably will be determined by an investigation or at least some relentless questioning.

ADOPTING IN CORSICANA: You may have read recently of Corsicana's problems with staffing the animal shelter -- volunteers and folks from the Humane Society of Navarro County stepped up to help. Coming up on Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m., a special adoption "event" at the shelter at 617 S. 12th Street. The Society and the City are teaming to sponsor it. And, according to a Society release, "All adoption fees and the $7 license fee have been waived so these animals can be easily adopted." Basically it's drive to Corsicana and get a free friend. And the Society hopes visitors will chip in on paying for flea treatments for the shelter animals. That dog? Why, that's Bud the Free Poodle, waiting for a family.

IRVING'S GOT A BUNCH: This particular dog, gleaned from shelter walker Russell Posch's nightly report, is Annie the Terrier. Young and 12 pounds, how could such a cute dog wind up on a euthanasia list? But there she is. You can rescue her and many others from the Irving Animal Services Shelter in the 100 block of Briery east of the Rock Island/Belt Line intersection just south of Airport Freeway in Irving. Call the shelter at 972-721-2256 or 972-721-2257. And click HERE to see photos of the "urgent" cats.

SMARTEST THING EVER SEEN IN AN ANIMAL-RELATED E-MAIL: The West Side Animal League, which devotes the bulk of its time to helping animals in the White Settlement Animal Shelter, has issued a call for volunteers (If you want to help, e-mail wsal.carol.mcfarland@gmail.com.)

The shelter is, by the way, currently overcrowded, we're told.

Among the West Side league's accomplishments, according to the latest note: "We've had 336 dogs adopted, 58 dogs reunited with their families and maintained a 1% euthanasia rate for adoptable dogs.  Only those animals who are so sick or severely injured that they have lost their quality of life or those who pose a safety risk to the general public are considered 'not adoptable'.

Now, that "smartest thing" in an e-mail? When asking for responses regarding volunteering, the writer wrote: "Please reply directly to me, let's avoid those 'reply alls'!"

Can I get an "Amen" from every other rescue group on the planet?

That dog? That's Stan the Man whose family tree includes many breeds. He's a long-timer at the White Settlement Animal Shelter, 209 Bollinger. Call 817-246-1043. Click HERE.

A DEMONSTRATION FOR SHEPP: In Sept. 2008, a dog named Shepp was found starved and wounded and staked out on the end of a chain at a residence in Corpus Christi. He did not survive. There'll be a demonstration in his honor beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday in McCaughan Park in Corpus Christi. A hearing in the case of the two people charged in his death is scheduled for the next day. Details are HERE.) -- that is a link to Shepp's story on the website for the anti-chaining group Dogs Deserve Better.  The pictures are not pleasant. But the mission of Dogs Deserve Better is a good one -- get dogs off chains.

ASSORTED NOTES: Noah's Ark in Gainesville has a bunch of cats that need rescuing. The clock is ticking on them. Click HERE. ...

            --A former co-worker of mine has a daughter who has decided she wants to have a "fancy rat" for a pet. So I got the question, "Do you know of a rattery in Dallas?" I had a quick answer, but it wasn't kind. So, does anyone know of one? I thought there was one downtown. The way things have gone, it seems like there'd be one downtown to handle the outflow from Reunion Arena's demolition, doesn't it? If you know of one, let me know and I'll forward to the lucky mommy.  ...

            -- Another former co-worker, Chef Jeanette of Crosby Coffee & Catering, will be offering vegan dishes from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Summer SolstiCelebration at the Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther Drive, at White Rock Lake. Among those dishes, Vegan-style Nachos, which means they have no dairy or meat products. They're described as "Crunchy tortilla chips covered with Crosby's famous cream 'uncheese sauce,' chopped fresh tomato, diced onion and jalapenos." Look, kids, as a vegetarian I can tell you this, the food Chef Jeanette fixes doesn't require that you pick up a container and try to read the tiny print that includes the ingredients.

            -- Speaking of vegetarians, on Sunday the Vegetarian Network of Dallas will host its regular "Fourth Sunday of the Month Compassionate Lunch" with folks from Concerned Citizens For Jenny. Dining is from noon to 2 p.m. at the Veggie Garden Restaurant, 516 W. Arapaho Road, Suite 112, in Richardson. Jenny, as you may recall is the more well-known of the Dallas Zoo's two elephants (Gypsy, a newcomer, is the other). How did these two groups get together? Margaret Morin is the founder and organizer of both the Vegetarian Network of Dallas and Concerned Citizens For Jenny. (Aside from your daily reporter Larry: Elephants are vegetarians and as long as there's an elephant in town, I am not the largest vegetarian in Dallas.)

DOG DAY AT THE BALLPARK: The Texas Rangers host Dog Day at the Ballpark Sunday -- game time is 7:05 p.m. and the opponents are the San Diego Padres. You cannot walk up and buy Dog Day tickets, according to the Rangers website, so you have to go HERE to pursue tickets for you and your dog to watch a big league baseball game. I am wondering if the heat will hold down the crowd. 

CONTEMPLATIONS: Yep, the Michael Jackson thing knocked me over, too. Didn't see it coming. I once did a musical review in which I wore one work glove covered with sequins -- got a laugh. Thanks, Michael. (I didn't sing, so I know they weren't laughing at that.)  ... The Drudge Report insisted on the headline "The King Is Dead." Sorry, Drudgeans, not the king, the King of Pop (after he signed a big Pepsi contract, if you'll recall, hence King of Pop.). And while he wasn't The King, he was the King's one-time son-in-law. ... Elvis, if you are in town and reading this, please get in touch. Norma's is still selling cheeseburgers in Oak Cliff. After yesterday, almost nothing would surprise a rational person. We've just got to find that rational person.

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Trying to save Blue

ONE OF THE DOGS AT GLEN ROSE: Like most other shelters in North Texas and nearby areas, the Glen Rose Animal Shelter has more animals than it can handle. If there are no adoptions, then there is a euthanasia list and it must be used to make room for the next load of unwanted dogs.

But you'd think this would be a wanted dog.

This distinct girl "Blue" is on that list for tomorrow.  But people with the Shelter to Rescue Group are trying to save Blue. We've gotten several notes today, including one from Kimberly Fairchild of Shelter to Rescue.

Kimberly write, "Blue is a little girl, with crystal blue eyes, currently at risk in the Glen Rose shelter. She's had her 5-way and rabies vaccinations. ... If any rescue could help with this girl, we can help with transport. there are other beautiful dogs there as well that need help. It's a very small shelter and they euthanize when they run out of cages."

The liaison with the shelter is Liz Jeffcoat who also is anxious to help save Blue. If a rescuer, a group rep or just some good soul wants to definitely save this dog, call Liz at 214-616-6128.

The dog's time will be up at some point on Friday.

She weighs about 20 pounds -- a smallish dog with a big visual presence.

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Finding a home for Chelo's Dolly

Many, many people in the rescue community -- and other segments of society, too -- knew Dr. Chelo, Consuelo Murray.

Cancer finally beat her last Saturday. It was a long, tough fight but she kept going throughout -- boosted other folks along the way, too.

We've heard from veteran rescuer Wendy Anderson who says friends have rallied to find places for Dr. Chelo's dogs and this one, Dolly, needs "the perfect home." Dolly, whose hair has grown out since this photo, "has to have Ivomec every three days, needs to be in a home with no children or an older child (like 11 or so who is laid back and not loud) and will need regular grooming." (To ask about helping Dolly, email wendy.anderson@tx.rr.com.) 

As Wendy wrote, Dr. Chelo "made it to the [Rainbow] Bridge to be with her critters."

Memorials may be made to Straydog Inc., where a couple of her dogs may go. You can visit www.straydog.org and see Dr. Chelo with assorted rescue dogs.

And, please visit our Prayers & Passages page (click the button on the right of this page) to see notes about some friends of Readlarrypowell.com we've lost in recent days. There'll be opportunity for comments below the entries.

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KPost dog day; Tool shelter's aid

If we were in some kind of courtroom situation we'd just stipulate three things around here: (1) It's hot; (2) All shelters and rescue groups are packed full and need help and (3) sweat is not the same as "glisten."

Now we have two things we'll start with: (a) the commercial roofing company KPost has a charitable, open-to-the-public  Take Your Dog To Work Day set up for tomorrow and (b) the Humane Society of Cedar Creek shelter at Tool, Texas, has a lot of friends. We start with the shelter:

IT TAKES A BIG VILLAGE TO HELP A SHELTER: Last Friday, Krista Mc Anally, manager of the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake shelter at Tool, Texas, sent word that circumstances of not enough food and too many animals were threatening dogs at the facility. The euthanasia rate would almost certainly have to be increased. We immediately posted the note, e-mails were blasted around, a local TV station picked up the story. Things fell together.

Krista, who has been busy, since that time, sent us a note today and when I say "us" I mean not just this website but you readers, especially. She writes, "We have had a great response and we are so thankful it goes beyond words for the outpouring of support from the Dallas/FW area.  Approximately 60% of the donations we received came in from the Metroplex. And the DFW Rescue community has helped save 20 dogs. I am taking 3 more to Dallas rescue today.  Since we began receiving donations last Sunday, we have had 27 adoptions out of the shelter.  On an average week, we might have had 3 or 4. We have collected approximately 2 months worth of food. And we expect more this Saturday. Please tell all of your readers how much we appreciate their help and support. And of course we want to thank you for supporting us always.  But your article regarding this situation was a huge help.  A lot of people that came into the shelter said that they saw it on Larry Powell.  Thank you for everything."

Now, you might wonder about the dogs you're helping. This photo is of Chester the Terrier Mix. Yep, lots of mixed breeds, some big, some small. Cats now and then, too. And purebreds. Click HERE  to see more animals and shelter info. Or call 903-432-3422 to offer to help.

THE DOGS HAVE THEIR DAY AT KPOST: Coming up Friday is KPost Commercial Roofing Company's "First Annual Bring Your Dog To Work Day" -- the day is, after all, officially declared nationwide by Petsitters International.

Now, we've talked to Jayne Williams of KPost who is as excited about this as almost anything the company has done -- though I must confess that she was really excited to tell me that KPost is the company that put the roof on the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. So, as you can see, when these people do something, they do it big.

On Friday, they'll host this Bring You Dog To Work thing and it's open to the public. There'll be contests for the company's employees' dogs (owner look-alike, etc.) and the judging will be in the early afternoon. They've planned treats for all visitors -- humans get dog-bone shaped cookies. They're really into this.

And one of the reasons is that they're using this special day to collect donations for the Flower Mound Animal Services Adoption Center. (Jayne has four big ol' shelter dogs and two of them came from the Flower Mound center.)

Among the donations they're seeking (and you can stop by any day this week to donate): large towels, bath mats, small-size dog treats, doggy chew toys, Pedigree Adult Small Bites food, wet dog food, AA batteries and money. The collection boxes are in the KPost office at 1841 W. Northwest Highway -- that's across the street from Mercado Juarez restaurant, if you need a landmark.

You can read about the Flower Mound Animal Services Adoption Center by clicking HERE  and you'll see they have big dogs available, such as Rebel the Rottweiller pictured here. And if you're in the mood for a cat, they've got this one -- the cat's name is Amore, but the photo shows she could easily be Catwoman with the naturally occurring cowl. (I don't know if there's a Take Your Cat To Work Day, but if you're doing that famous Tennessee Williams play, they can probably fix you up with a hot tin roof.)

TODAY'S EARHOUND AND PAL: Veteran rescuer Debbie Farrell provides us with today's earhound and, frankly, this was a "surprise" to her. In fact, her subject line in her e-mail reads "Saturday night surprise."

Here's her story:

"Last Saturday at 8 p.m. these two strolled down my driveway. They were covered in fleas, matted all over, dirty. The little one with the ears ( Schnauzer?, Scottie?) is in heat.  The male may be a poodle?

"Either way,  they are adorable, lost or dumped. 

"I need to find a foster home or, better yet, a home for these two. They will need to be vaccinated, spayed and neutered.."

The boy dog weighs under 10 pounds and the female under 15. And, Debbie theorizes that no doubt they've been, as the old song says, "doing what comes naturally" and there "may be puppies on the way."

To offer to help with this cute pair of Metrowanderers, e-mail debbie1jack2@verizon.net or call 214-316-6604.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Air-conditioning. Something from the 20th Century that belongs in the 21st. Mercifully, the federal government hasn't figured out a way to make it digital and force us to buy a/c converters. ... Anybody else remember Ed McMahon's live Alpo commercials on the Tonight Show? ... Whoa. Just when you think Texas or Louisiana will reign as owners of the most "colorful" governors, up steps South Carolina's Travelin' Mark Sanford. My favorite part of his statement? When he said he let his staffers down by "creating a fiction." The rest of us just "lie."

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A fire drill cat, a Lee Harvey's dog, a Mesquite trio and other tales...

OK, here we go with a dynamic load of reports. Call it the Wednesday collection. Too late to call it the Tuesday collection. Lots of exceptional opportunities to acquire a friend, reunite some critters with their people and ... well, you'll see:

ONCE UPON A TIME: This surely isn't in the official guidelines: Leave your office for a fire drill and come back with a cat.
That's exactly what happened Monday morning at the office of The Society of Petroleum Engineers in Richardson.

Toni Steger reports, "As employees began returning to the building, we gained a new 'employee.'  She was found in the bushes next to the front doors being as friendly as she can be and has the loudest purr I have ever heard.

" One of our HR managers took her to a vet to see if she is micro chipped.  Fortunately she is chipped!   Unfortunately that is about all we know.  We know is that she was adopted from the McKinney SPCA.  The microchip records did not have an owner's name. We contacted the SPCA but they have no record of who adopted her.  Since our office is adjacent to the Canyon Creek subdivision, we have posted a notice on the Homeowners Association's web site and also with the Richardson Animal Shelter but so far no responses."

When it came to getting a picture, Toni says, "A cat napping pose was the best I could do. When she is a awake, she is one of those types that has to see what you have in your hand so all of the awake shots I got of her were of her nose.

"She is about 10 pounds, short hair and mostly white on her legs and chest and orange tabby on her head and back. She does not like to be picked up but she loves to be petted. She is also declawed.

"If we do not find her owners though, she is not without a home. Our HR Manager has room for her at her home but she is such a sweet and loving kitty that we just know that her family must be missing her very much.  If anything, this can be a lesson for everyone to keep those microchip records up to date."

To claim this cat or to audition to adopt, e-mail tsteger@spe.org.

 Oh, and for now the HR Manager "is calling her Rhett," Toni writes. "Her other cat looks similar to this one and is named Ashley, so there is a cross-gender, Gone With The Wind theme with the cat's names."

FOUND AT LEE HARVEY'S: For those who don't know, there is a place south of Downtown Dallas and just a block or two east of the Dallas Police Station that is known as Lee Harvey's.

From the outside, it looks like an old house with a fenced yard and a liquor license.

That may be an accurate description. It's the kind of comfortable, funky place to drink, listen to music, philosophize and chat that looks as if it ought to be in Austin. No doubt it is the shame of every misguided soul who wants Dallas to be more "New York" and less Texas.

But the big challenge related to Lee Harvey's this week is not sociological, it is canine. Amanda riley reports that the dog was "found napping in the street" as the bar opened on Sunday afternoon.

On Sundays, Amanda says, Lee Harvey's "closes the gates to the fence surrounding the yard and invites people to bring their dogs up for a huge dogpark-like environment, only with burgers and drinks."

She says, "I just happened to be up there meeting some friends when this dog turned up. She's currently staying with my friend Jeff Smith. He took her to his vet's to check for a microchip and she got a bath and flea treatment there.

"We potentially have a home lined up for her, but since it's only been a couple of days, I really hope we can find her family if she is really just lost. I know I'd be worried sick if she were my dog."

If you know where this dog belongs or if you want to audition to give her a good home,

call 214-454-6872.

A MYSTERY OF LIFE: People have been pitching this dog Corey for adoption since May 21 and still no takers. He's the son of a Chow dad and a Jack Russell mom and is described as the "cutest cuddle-bear ever," by one of his promoters, veteran rescuer Nancy C. Underwood.

Now, if the eyes are the window to the soul, the tongue is the reflection of a dog's heart, though I'm not always certain "You look lickable" is a compliment. That's Corey with the brown beard peeking out beneath his muzzle.

And in the second photo, it is so obvious that if dogs were allowed to be swimsuit models in Vanity Fair, Corey would be the first dog in front of the camera. That's Corey ambling beside a pool.

Nancy says he's under a year old, weighs just 35 pounds, is house-trained, crate-trained and leash-trained. If he can drive a car and paddle a canoe, he's omni-trained.

His story is his mom the terrier gave birth to him and several other pups in a DFW kill shelter. Mom and all pups were adopted, but Corey came back to the shelter when his owners decided, Nancy explains, that the dog was "more trouble than he was worth."

Shelter staffers and volunteers who knew Corey's story made sure he got proper attention and his foster mom took him in. He doesn't bark much, likes to play with his toys and loves to be praised. He also loves to "sit and snuggle."

To offer Corey a proper home, e-mail nancycunderwood@gmail.com.

A VOTE FOR TESSIE: Well, a vote for Tessie would make Sharon Hyde a very happy person. She sent us a note asking for help promoting Tessie, her rescue Border Collie, in the Fox 4 "Pet of the Week" contest. Tessie is a majestic dog -- you can see her photo at the place you can vote HERE. Sharon adopted Tessie through Border Collie Rescue and since then the dog has become a "much loved family member" who competes in agility and loves swimming and boating. "At agility events," Sharon writes, "She has earned many titles and has gone from 'Unwanted to Undaunted'."

(Note to readers: You might asked why we'd mention this contest. Here's why: I'm partial to Border Collies, to rescued dogs, to agility dogs, to the people who love them and I wanted to work that phrase into print for others to see -- "Unwanted to Undaunted." )

TWO SOCIAL EVENTS: Oh, there more this weekend and you can see a lot of the listings in a copy of Urban Animal Magazine. (Hint. Hint. Send your Sept., Oct. and November events to lrpmail@aol.com  and put EVENTS in the subject line. Keep it short.) You can also see the events at the Urban Animal site, www.urbananimal.us, and click on "Current Events."

-- BEFORE THE BRIDGE AT THE BIKE PLACE: The rescue group, Before The Bridge, will be showing off its adoptable dogs Saturday at Dallas Harley-Davidson's Summer Kickoff Party. The group's president, Marsha Fleming, says that "Before the Bridge will be there from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with several of our adoptable dogs. We'll also bring our photo book so folks can look at the other available dogs." The actual party is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Harley dealership at 1334 W. Centerville Road at LBJ in Garland. (Party details are at the dealership website, www.dallashd.com, and you'll see that one of the featured events is the Ms. Dallas Harley-Davidson Bikini Contest -- pretty sure Donald Trump isn't involved in this pageant.)

            -- PREMIUM POUR FOR PAWS: That's what they're calling the July 19 wine tasting Southlake's Farpointe Cellar is hosting on behalf of the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. I'm quoting here because I know nothing about wine except that sometimes it's hard to unscrew the tops on those cans. Here's the description of the event:  "Enjoy light hors d’ oeuvres and a flight of Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Merlot specially selected from the acclaimed Seavey Vineyard in Napa, Calif. A surprise Pinot Noir will also be sampled." Anyway, you people who speak glossovino will comprehend it. (Tickets are $50 a person before July 12, $60 at the door. See www.galtx.org  or call 972-503-GALT.) 

SHELTERS: Tipster/rescuer DeDe Whitcombe reports that the Collin County Animal Services Shelter in McKinney is "beyond full." As you may know the SPCA of Texas's McKinney shelter handles adoptions from this shelter, but the shelter works with rescue groups to get adoptable animals to safety. It's apparently time to do some sincere juggling, shuffling and praying. Among the dogs on the current euthanasia list is this young yellow Lab. The photo sort of has an appropriate dark tone for the topic, doesn't it? You can read about the shelter and see its animals by clicking HERE. I don't know, however, if they're putting new animals up as quickly as they're having to put the old animals down. None of these shelter people is built to endure such a relentless tragedy and they are trying to get word out to help them save lives.

In all my years of reporting, that's the consistent attitude I've found in shelters. Arlington, Fort Worth, Ferris, Little Elm, Dallas, Texarkana, Houston, Burns Flat, Okla.... pick a town, pick a shelter.  These days they're full and personnel are being emotionally battered by circumstances beyond their control. 

For example, our Burns Flat tipster Terry Lynn Fisher has a pal in Purcell, Okla., who is trying to save this big boy Buck. He's a Doberman/Greyhound mix (maybe, they say) and he's trying to beat the odds at Purcell. He was all vetted up and ready to go when his adoption fell through. A victim of mistreatment prior to being put in the shelter, he's now finding himself a little kennel-nutsy. Terry Lynn's friend says the odds aren't good for this dog, but she's reaching out where ever she can to find help for this fellow. She says, "He is a different dog when he is outside his kennel and I just want him to have half a chance at happiness." And she wrote to Terry Lynn, "I will give him to either an individual or a rescue if you can try to work some of your magic for him..." So, to ask about helping this dog you can e-mail cuervogal62@yahoo.com or you can e-mail Terry Lynn at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or call her at 580-330-1459.

THE MESQUITE TRIO: Denise Victor has been e-mailing all over the place looking for help with three dogs she picked up in Mesquite during the weekend. "They were running together, possibly living together at some point," she writes.

They did not appear to have been "street dogs" for very long.

She writes, "If anyone would be interested in fostering until we can determine we can't find their owners I would be grateful. If you're looking for a new family member please think about these guys. They are very comfortable with each other but still not sure how they came to be together. The beagle may a bit sight impaired as he has film over both eyes. The pictures don't do the small black one justice. He's an angel, very cute. All have great temperaments."

Right now, Denise says, the animals are "at Mesquite Animal Shelter in hopes the owner locates them. As of yesterday afternoon no luck." She says they're being held through today in case the owner does show up, then they'll be available for adoption beginning tomorrow."

Mesquite has a very short adoption period, so the dogs are on the clock and it's moving rapidly. Denise says she is "hoping I can buy them some time."

Click  HERE for Mesquite Animal Shelter information. Or for info about the dogs e-mail dvictor3@yahoo.com.

CONTEMPLATIONS: True or false? The lateness of the hour is a great excuse for many things. ... Martha spotted this story about more people giving their animals non-critter names than are giving them traditional critter names. Click HERE.  We have traditional animal names at our house. Larry and Martha, for example.  My middle initial is "R" as in "Rrrrrrruff" and her maiden name is Muse. ... How much longer is it going to take American TV viewers to get fed up with "reality" TV? Geez, aren't you sick of all these artificially aggravated crises? Whatever happened to grace and dignity? Oh, yeah, they don't sell. I think I blame PBS -- anybody else remember the groundbreaking 1973 series An American Family? Lance Proud? Delilah Proud? Ah, you should have seen TV back then. It wasn't ALL racket.

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Rescues & rescued...

Let's see what's on the radar for today. Or the sonar. Pinnnng. Pinnnng. (Martha had her phone set for a while so that her electronic calendar alarm "pinged.")

You'd be watching a movie and, suddenly, the sounds of a submarine would "innnnnng" through the living room puzzlinnnng you because you knew there was no submarine scene in Lawrence of Arabia. Didn't seem to bother the dogs, though the cats would tilt their heads slightly and go back to sleep.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF RESCUE: When most people think "rescue," perhaps they think of a dog or a cat on the loose, running through traffic and dodging cars. Or, maybe, trapped somewhere and needing a helping hand.

There is another "rescue." This one involves the maze of human circumstances and being trapped by the way things are working out in life.

This is not an unusual thing. Dogs and cats are often the little beings "left behind" when their humans are forced to move on. And such is the case of these two cats, Brownie and Cody.

We learn about them from Rebecca Poling, usually identified here as the president of Companions For Life, but today she is the daughter of two people who want their cats to find a good home now that life has dealt a bad hand. (In the face photo, that's Brownie on the left, and in the other picture, that's Cody with the rings on his tail.)

Rebecca explains, "Brownie and Cody have dealt with a lot of changes in their lives lately. In the last six months, they’ve lost their Dad and Mom, both of whom moved to a nursing home, they moved 500 miles from rural Kansas to Dallas, Texas, and said goodbye to many good kitty friends.  I would love to keep them but we already have more than the allowable number of pets for Dallas.  I am looking for a loving, indoor home where they can be together and be part of a family.  They miss sitting on my parents’ laps each evening watching TV, snuggling in the bed, and playing with their fishing pole toy. 

"They aren’t used to a lot of chaos, so they likely won’t do well with young children, but are laid back enough they should tolerate teenagers fairly well."

Cody, a 1 1/2-year-old short-haired male red tabby, is described as "outgoing, loves people and loves to play.  He’s been Brownie’s best friend his entire life. Brownie is a 5-year-old medium hair buff tabby. A little shyer than his brother, he’s very gentle and loves to be held."

They're two healthy cats who depend on each other and play together.

Rebecca says, "They are both neutered and current on their vaccinations. An adoption fee will apply and potential adopters will be thoroughly screened. Most importantly, I promised my parents their new family would commit to sending photos and updates periodically so they can see they are safe and loved."

To audition to adopt these two cats, e-mail rpoling1@swbell.net. 

AN EARHOUND FOR THE DAY: Veteran rescuer Lorraine Bryda spotted this dog just in time for us to say he was in the Arlington Animal Services shelter and before we could post him as an adoptable shelter dog, he's been "tagged" by a rescue group.

So, he's safe, apparently, but that doesn't mean he's any less of an "earhound." (If the rescue group that has him will let us know, we'll happily tell people how they can adopt him.)

Lorraine says, "I am a proud member of Friends of Arlington Animal Services (or, FAAS). I have been posting cats and dogs for AAS for the past few weeks. ... They have a list FULL of purebred dogs and cats...and everything in between. They have, I believe, 4 boxers at the shelter right now! A basset, a Great Pyr, 2 Saint Bernards, Labs, and a handful of beautiful Chihuahuas. 

"This boy stood out among the bunch (and I'm not normally a 'small dog gal'). Something about him just says 'Look at me!'"

Officially, he's a 5-pound terrier, intact and without a bit history. He had no chip. No collar. And, for some reason, he was unable to properly use his back legs. We hope to find more about this.

But the official description put out by the shelter absolutely nailed his most noticeable characteristic: "Erect ears."

Yep, an earhound. Probably there are some more earhounds there. Click HERE to see.

FORMERLY A HALF-STARVED DOG: About a week ago a starving Lab showed up in Burns Flat, Okla., and wound needing help for herself and her four puppies and that put them all in touch with our reliable Burns Flat tipster Terry Lynn Fisher.

Now, in that first photo, Angel looks like any other ol' yeller dog with a foot-long tongue sitting in the car and waiting for the humans to come back. But the second picture explains what was really going on -- Angel is taking the Burns Flat plane up for a ride.

Oh, wait a second. I'm kidding.

According to Terry Lynn, "The wonderful Dave Whitney and his wife, Suzanne, flew straight to Burns Flat and picked this beautiful family up and flew them to [Retriever Rescue of Colorado] Denver."

Dave is a volunteer with the Pilots N Paws Program.  These people fly dogs to places where they can find homes and help.

Angel wound up needing a place to go after a friend of Terry Lynn's son spotted the starving dog in the backyard of a neighbor's. Terry Lynn -- not to suggest that she is a determined individual -- talked the guy out of the dog and her four puppies. I'm sure he's still rubbing liniment on his twisted arm.

The puppies were "fat and sassy" and Angel was recovering and putting on weight by the time Dave and Suzanne packed them onto the plane and took off for Colorado and new lives.

AN UPDATE: When last we saw this dog in this space, she had been picked up by rescuers in a neighborhood in North Dallas where she was foraging for whatever might look like food. You may recall the pitiful photo of her eating food on the side of the road. 619feraldogshadow

By Monday, this "wanderer" had found a haven and a name (thanks to Metroplex Animal Coalition President Elaine Munch): Oona. Yep, same as the last wife of famed silent film star Charlie Chaplin, Oona O'Neill, who also was the daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill, but this particular Oona has had enough drama for one dog's lifetime.

And, so, Oona, a foraging dog one week, is an available dog the next. If you'd like to ask about auditioning to adopt Oona, e-mail Pat Rodriguez at patrod@sbcglobal.net.

Oona passed all her vet tests with flying colors -- yep the rare loose dog in Dallas that doesn't have heartworms.

"She currently weighs 52 pounds and my guess is she should be 60," says Pat. "We guess her to be about 2 years old.  She cries a little when crated and left alone, but then settles down. She was so cute today when I went home at lunch with some broiled chicken, she danced around and looked at me with her huge black eyes. I've been working with her using a clicker and she has learned to turn around and look at me when she hears the clicker noise.  She's also a bit of a lover, she's licked my face a few times.  We walked past other dogs this morning on our walk and she didn't act bad, just a little interested, but no barking, tugging, or whining  noises.  I think she was not exposed to much in her life before (she has tell tale calluses on all her elbows) and shows interest in many things.  I think she needs someone who can expose her to new things and give her the socialization she likely never got."

Nobody in the crowd that found her and is caring for her now knows what happened to her puppies. Maybe something good, maybe whoever had her at least took care of the puppies.

You have to hope for the best.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Summertime reminds me that the last time we took an actual vacation was our honeymoon (Summer of '92), which we delayed for about 8 months because of work obligations. Went to the Meteor Crater and the Grand Canyon in Arizona and, in New Mexico, to Santa Fe and White Sands and other great places. The big problem with those places is you have to drive across so darned much of Texas to get to them. ... Junk mail. Is it a right or a privilege? ... Market watching: If I were rich, I'd be worried. Or, if I were rich, I'd be buying left and right. See, it's a matter of perspective.

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The critters of summer...

Time for songs of summer. OK, depending on your age, turn on your Victrola, stereo, record player, transistor radio, boombox, 8-track, satellite radio,  iPod or Subdural Radio Wave Receptor System and cue the Beach Boys.

Here we go with today's report -- oh, that photo? Why, that's our staff impersonator, Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, giving us his impression of a Jonas Brothers fan rushing into Cowboys Stadium Saturday night in Arlington and spotting, at the concession stand, a big ol' steaming platter of Mom's Summertime Teen Idol Meatloaf-on-a-Stick. You can't get any more boys-next-door than Mom's Meatloaf.

Now, our report:

FOUND: Lacy Milani was on her computer early this morning ending out notes about a found dog. She writes, "My dad's physician assistant found a Wheaton Terrier-looking dog (female) that was wandering around" near Jupiter Road in Garland in the northeast area of the Metro traffic rush. "She had a leash and collar on, but no posters have been seen around the area.  Taken to vet and no microchip was found.  Please pass this around, the owners are probably FRANTICALLY looking for their pup." If you are missing this dog or know who is, e-mail PARKIEL13@AOL.COM or call 214-228-7936.

SPECIAL WEEK FOR ANIMAL ANGELS: Yep, big party Thursday evening at Sambuca in Addison to benefit the Animal Angels of Texas and honor the rescue sanctuary's founder Carole Sanders who'll be celebrating a birthday and we figure if she wants you to know, she'll tell you which one.

In the meantime, the event is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. It's $25 at the door and proceeds go to Animal Angels of Texas. You can also donate at the website, www.animalangelstexas.org. And details of the party are at that site, also. As you probably know, Animal Angels is near Jacksboro.

While you're at the website, look around and see if there's a dog you might want to bring home. For example, the dog featured here is Molly -- is that not the face of a good dog?

Her story reads, "Molly was standing in the middle of FM730 near Briar, Texas. It was as though she was determined to stop traffic and get the help she needed for herself and her newborn babies. A local man said that he had run her off the road several times but hadn't seen any puppies although it was obvious she was heavy with milk.

"When Carole stopped to help her, Molly refused to lead her to where she had her babies hid. So, doing the next best thing, food and water was left for her and the local man who owned the property was enlisted to watch for where the puppies were hidden.

"The next day he called to say that the pups had been located in a nest she had built under a Pecan tree in his pasture. Carole went to pick them all up and transported Molly & her 5 babies to the safety of the Sanctuary."

Molly's pups were weaned and placed. Molly has been spayed and is up to date on her shots. And, now, she's available for adoption at Animal Angels of Texas.

TODAY'S EARHOUND: What I love is when other people start looking out for the "earhounds." We sort of started that concept as just a fun way to present animals that need homes and it has caught on. Today, for example, Cher Imrie, describing herself as a "friend and supporter of Greyhound Adoption League of Texas," offers this spectacular dog with an even more spectacular set of ears.

In one photo, Rita offers a bit of a movie star over-the-shoulder pose with a neck that reminds one of either Audrey Hepburn or an Alpaca.

Rita is a 6 1/2-year-old retired racing greyhound in the care of GALT.

Cher writes, "I'm positive Rita is picking up radar signals on those gorgeous ears of hers. She appears to be listening so intently. In the second picture, her ears seem to look translucent. You can almost see her tattoos. Greyhound puppies, born to race , are tattooed and registered with The Greyhound Association is order to track their races. Rita is now ready for her forever home and to become a  beloved family companion." (See www.galtx.org for adoption info.)

Obviously, with that set of ears, she will not need a converter box to pick up signals from space.

 She is available through Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. ( GALT).

HUMANE SOCIETY'S FOOD CRISIS: Last Friday we reported that the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake was in such a food crisis that the board of directors had ordered stepping up the euthanasia rate at the shelter in Tool, Texas. We're checking with shelter manager Krista Mc Anally to see how the weekend went, but if our e-mail is an indicator, the shelter has received quite a bit of food in the past two days.

But, you know, dogs and cats keep eating. Money runs out. It's adoption that can solve the problem without scheduled killing.

By late Friday, Krista had emailed me, "We have already had a huge outpouring of help." That included a "van load of food from Ellis County Humane Society" and many donations from other folks.

While food donations and other gifts will help, the best way to keep the shelter's euthanasia rate down is to adopt dogs and cats. Visit www.hsccl.org and you can donate at www.myspace.com/hsccl. That dog is Burton the Boxer. No telling how he wound up in the shelter -- purebred dog, said to be gentle and sweet. A human failed somewhere along the line.

Carol Walsh of Murphy, Texas, sent a note to me about the shelter's woes and it kind of sums up how some animal people deal with websites. "I put a few dollars in an envelope on Saturday for CCHS. I couldn't figure out how to use the button to donate on that myspace site. And I am praying for them. (Lots of animal lovers aren't very tech savvy.)"

Note to Carol: You are so right. Prayers may work with solving the shelter's situation. I'm not sure prayers work on computers. Exorcism, maybe.

CONTEMPLATIONS: We had a big social weekend -- saw people we love and adore. Some we don't get to see very often and some we will never be able to see enough. ... Watching the Texas Rangers over the past two weeks, I'm starting to think I may not have to set aside time in autumn for the playoffs. But, I'm keeping the faith for a while. We've all been waiting 'til next year since 1972. ... Summer -- some days it's OK in Texas. Without air conditioning, Dallas would be empty.

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Uno and Penny, BFF...

A few weeks ago we told you the story of the prank Holly and Don Niederhaus pulled on their pal Barb Oates.

Holly and Barb are with Chicks & Mutts Rescue and Barb received an adoption application for long-time rescue dog Penny. It was filled with all of the nightmarish stuff that rescue groups hope to avoid when it comes to pit bulls. Penny the Pit was wanted so she could be a guard dog, this application said. It went into detail about the treatment the dog could expect -- living in an airless garage, for example.

Barb was steamed and finally Holly and Don confessed they'd "punked" Barb with a fake application for Penny and that they were using the fake app to tell Barb that they were going to adopt the dog that everyone loves. Penny had charmed them.

So, as luck would have it, we have the opportunity to see how Penny is working out in the Niederhaus home and Barb suggested that Holly send the photos to Readlarrypowell.com for spotlighting in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

The answer to the question, "How is Penny doing?" becomes quite obvious with a glance at these photos.

"This is Uno and his new BFF Penny," writes Holly. Uno's the dark dog. BFF, for you folks who don't speak abbreviations, is "best friend forever." I think. (In the first photo they are sleeping nearly cheek-to-cheek, and, upon further review, they are doing the same thing in a different fashion in the second photo. In the third photo, they have moved to the floor.)

"They are inseparable," says Holly, who adds, "And hell on wheels, tearing around the yard and through the house like maniacs. It's a hoot.

"I caught them a few times at rest, which is hard to do."

So, how did Uno come to be in the household? Holly says, "Uno was my husband's first shot at adopting a dog into our family. I was just along for the ride on that one. We had lost Maggie a few months prior and somehow decided we were ready for one more.

"Uno was dumped by some model citizen on the side of a road with his two sisters when they were very young puppies, along with an unopened bag of dog food in case they developed opposable thumbs.

"These three brindle babies were found and taken in by Texas Pit Bull Rescue. Once Don saw Uno on PetFinder that was it. He was originally named Cosmo but he has a flash of white on his chest in the exact shape of the number one. So Uno he became.

"Uno and Penny are glued together all the time, play-fighting constantly, cuddled up like puppies, licking each other, tearing around the yard like maniacs, all that sweet stuff. They are canine soulmates who drive us happily insane."

And, she writes, "Sweet to see the pitties happy and content, ain't it?"

(To nominate your critter or a pal's critter or a stranger's critter for spotlighting in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, e-mail the photos and info to dallrp@aol.com. We're proud to show the world that insomnia can be defeated -- in animals, anyway, though, frankly, I've never seen an insomniacal dog or cat. I have seen birds I'm not sure about.)

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Cedar Creek society to step up euthanasia; food supply falling short

Just as we prepared to ease into a comfort zone, we got a tip from a couple of readers about a dire situation at the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake in Tool, Texas.

Because of a reduction in food donations by a usually reliable source, the shelter, which has way more than a hundred animals in its care, is going to have to step up its euthanasia rate beginning Saturday. The decision was made by the society's board of directors, we're told by shelter manager Krista Mc Anally.

There are two ways to keep this from happening: (1) Move animals out through adoptions or by having other rescue groups claim them.

(2) Donate food or donate money to buy food..

Just before 2 p.m. today, Krista confirmed that this is, indeed, the crisis she is facing. And she is more than anxious to help move animals and acquire food in any way possible to stave off this mass killing of dogs.

To donate food funds, go to www.myspace.com/hsccl and click on the PayPal donation button. You can donate at the Brookshires in Kaufman, or drop by the shelter in Tool. (Call 903-432-3422.)

View the adoptable pets at www.hsccl.org or www.petfinder.com/shelters/TX854.html. Krista says not all the animals are on the website, so if people are looking for a specific breed or type, feel free to call and ask. Anything to get the animals to safety.

The shelter is just over 50 miles southeast of Dallas.

+++++++

SC-SPCA APPROACHES MILESTONE:

UPDATES ON WIGGLES, SHANNON

 

 

SECOND CHANCE SPCA HELPS A DOG, MAY SET RECORD: Yesterday we mentioned the case of a Saint Bernard who had been tossed from a moving truck in Denton County and suffered assorted injuries including a broken leg. The dog, now named Haven, was transferred from Denton Animal Services to the good folks at Second Chance SPCA in Plano.

And the report from SC-SPCA's Roni Seely is that overnight Haven's fever broke and she's eating well and taking her antibiotics under the care of Campbell Park Animal Hospital. On Monday, Haven will have surgery to put a plate in her broken leg.  

Now, if things go right at the SC-SPCA this weekend, the shelter (opened in March, 2006), will enjoy its 1,000th adoption. Read all about the shelter at www.scspca.org and you can also see how to adopt Haven or any of the other animals at the biggest little shelter in Texas. (Just made that up. Think I should sell it to them?)

That's a before photo of Haven -- we'll happily print the after photo as soon as she's ready to sit for a portrait.

WHAT OF WIGGLES? Oh, it was an ugly story. An older, blind, overweight dog was found swimming in circles in the middle of Cedar Creek Lake.

That's a photo of the tired ol' fella shortly after he was pulled out of the drink. The other photos are, well, you can tell. Read on.

Angel Hutto, who has been dealing with this story, provides us with the details and photos of the happy reunion with Anna and Jimmy Hernandez. Angel writes:

"Here is the scoop on Mr. Wiggles. Mom let him out a little at or around 8 a.m. [Sunday]. I got the phone call at 9:51 a.m. He had been with the rescuers probably about 30 minutes. He lives in Seven Points down a private addition and was found in the water near the Gun Barrel side. Mr. Wiggles had to have been taken from his yard and dumped. Had he crossed that bridge on his own, being deaf and blind and slow moving on top of being 13 years old, he would have been hit by a car and killed. Not only that, it would have taken him over an hour or two to get where he was. And there is no way within that period of time he could have swam to where he was found.

"I took photos of his reunion with his momma. [He's getting toweled off in the right photo and, lower left, he's in ear-licking happy mode.] When Mr. Wiggles recognized his momma (Anna) he just about turned inside out with excitement. There was no denying who his momma was. He fussed and fussed and carried on so. I tried so hard to tell her how happy he was to see her. When I took Anna out to see the other rescues Mr. Wiggles threw a fit because his momma disappeared on him again. As they were leaving he was more than happy to crawl up in the truck to go home."

And, Angel adds, "It was so great to see them reunited. He was just all over her trying to let her know how happy he was back with momma. I wish we could catch the punks that did this to poor Wiggles. Wiggles will no longer go out to potty alone. Ann is working on putting up a privacy fence for Wiggles and a ramp. She is also working on a diet management system for him."

SHANNON'S STORY: You may recall the tale of Shannon the Sheltie who bolted into the unknown while at the family farm home down near LaGrange and Schulenberg or, as her "mom" Karen West referred to it, "the middle of nowhere."

Karen summarizes it thusly: "Lost for 8 days in the country, 100 miles from home, finally home safe." Here's the story from Karen (and it reads like a how-to handbook for lost dogs):

"On Saturday, June 6, our little 15-pound Sheltie Shannon went missing at the family farmhouse out in the country where we vacation on weekends.  In 8 years of visiting there she has never left the fenced yard area on her own, and never roams more than a few yards from us ever… but she was frightened by a loud unexpected noise, ran off in fear and became lost out in the wooded, sparsely populated ranch land, more than 100 miles from home.

"We were devastated but determined to find her and were fortunate enough to have the help of our good friends, family, and even total strangers, many in the surrounding communities (to which we’ve had few ties at all until this experience).

"The search was on from the moment I realized she was missing -- only minutes since we had seen her last. It was challenging from the start, because Shannon was so terrified that the times she was spotted near the road, she shot back into the woods, even from people she’d known since she was a puppy.  Her survival instincts had kicked in, she was in flight-mode.

"We took shifts over the coming days searching by car, foot, bicycle and ATV.  We spent hours waiting in a single spot for her to come to us, and more hours combing through dense brush and undergrowth to get to the areas we thought she might be hiding. We slept outdoors hoping she would find us there.

"We employed the consultative services of a private investigator / dog-tracker out of Oklahoma who advised us on where to search, how to behave, and helped us understand how Shannon might be thinking and behaving, and where she might be moving next, under these extreme circumstances.

"We launched a successful community awareness campaign; we had laminated posters and flyers (designed by the professional dog-finder) printed and saturated the surrounding town’s stores, restaurants, other businesses,  as well as roadways and intersections. We had daily radio spots on the 2 local stations and ads in the local periodicals. Friends sent faxes, did web searches and circulated emails, which eventually reached many kind people in the area who assisted in various ways including getting out there and searching themselves. We utilized the service findtoto.com that calls the 1,000 nearest households and leaves a voicemail message about your dog.  We were in contact with county and city officials including Sheriffs, Animal Control Officers, Fire departments and others. We located and contacted the veterinarians, shelters and rescues in the surrounding area. We flagged down every car we saw on the road and spoke to as many neighbors and residents as possible.

"We did receive a number of calls – some of support, or folks volunteering to go looking on their own and call us if she was sighted. Being in the state she was in, it was very important that nobody chase her, just look for her and call on Alex or myself to come if she were to be seen. Knowing her location was the name of the game, then the hope was to gently, slowly coax her out. Loud calling, chasing, clapping and whistling (which we did on the first day, before we had the advice of a professional) only made her feel pursued.

"There were a number of sightings over the first few days (all in the morning hours) – friends saw her Sunday and Tuesday mornings but she immediately fled. We had a reported sighting Thursday morning but it may have been another dog. We had a series of calls that definitely did not meet her description but we appreciated the calls all the same.

"The 12th rolled around and she’d been gone nearly a week. We were determined to find her before that weekend was through.  Friday night, Alex made a camp in the woods where she was last seen. He had a hammock, mosquito net, and not much else. He set a dog catch trap we had borrowed from the Lago Vista animal shelter in one area nearby, and he put Shannon’s bed and toys in another area nearby. He spent the whole night waiting for her, but nothing happened. Only one pesky armadillo that kept coming around. Our friend Amy stayed with me at the farm house.

"The next morning as Amy and I were heading out to look for Shannon, we got a call from a man who said he thought Shannon had been in his house that morning! He’d slept with the sliding door open and found a dog that looked like Shannon sitting in his living room with his dogs. She ran out but seemed friendly with one of his dogs, and she had apparently eaten some of their food and spent at least a little time indoors. He and his wife remembered the flyers and the automated calls, and hunted down our number.

"We got his location -- about 12 miles away from our place -- so then we knew she’d moved on from the area we had been searching. Along with friends and family, we searched the new area all day and got the word out to every single neighbor and did more posters and flyers.  Alex forced his way down a completely impassible creek bed since the creeks were probably what she was navigating as she headed north. There was another sighting in the immediate area in the late afternoon, but still we could not find her. By late early evening, still with no luck, it was time to make a plan for the night.

"We decided since she had likely had a good experience at the house she visited the night before, it wasn’t unlikely that she might want to return, so we set her soft crate that she sleeps in at home, and some of her toys on the deck near where she had entered, along with a big bowl of food of course. The homeowners were so, so friendly, they even fed us dinner before we left so that things would quiet down and she might feel safe enough to approach, hopefully see her crate, her 'safe place' at home, and want to get in it.

"So, around 4 in the morning, we returned to see if she was there yet.  We stopped the cars well before the house so the lights and sound wouldn’t disturb her. We walked up quietly, and Amy hung back in the drive as Alex and I approached closer, but not too close. We stopped in the driveway and crouched down about 10 feet from the deck, and her crate was about 6 feet farther back from there. I shone the flashlight at the crate, fully expecting it to be empty… but instead, there was her little face. She was in the crate!

"We weren’t home free yet though. She looked excited but confused. He eyes were darting around. She didn’t come right out, and appeared to be trying to process what was happening and decide what to do.
"In the state she was in, we knew she might run even from us.  We’d been advised by the canine private investigator/dog-tracker to lie on our backs in this situation, so that’s what we did, speaking in a low comforting voice but not looking her directly in the eyes. It worked!! She came out of her crate. Alex was able to get a leash around her neck and pick her up. It was a totally unbelievable feeling. It did not seem real!

"We took her back to the farmhouse to check her over in a secure place. We saw tons of ticks (one right on the edge of her eyelid) and burrs but no serious injuries so we decided to take her back to Austin to see our regular veterinarians there. She was dehydrated, had hives all over her skin and a fever, some cuts on her head and ear, a couple of wounds on her side. She was also full of spear grass, which can work its way into the body all the way into the chest cavity and become a very serious (even life-threatening) problem. Some long pieces had already worked their way fully under the skin and scabbed over and one wound had to be surgically opened to remove the grass.

"While she was under anesthesia,  they dug out as much as they could, but later, after she was awake, it was determined that the spear grass was ubiquitous enough that she would have to be shaved and gone over again.

"So our little Sheltie Shannon now has a “Lion’s Cut” (totally shaved, all but head, feet and tail). She still has the hives and a fever and does not feel well. There’s no way to know how much spear grass still might be in her but the body does often wall it off and, eventually, break it down. Blood test for Lyme disease and other potential problems are pending....

"She’s a mighty survivor, though, she’s proved that. So we know she’ll be OK. We’re just glad to have her home again!"

 

Rescues, signs and amore

Well, it may be Friday and it may be the end of the work week, but it's not the end of the week's work. Looks like some of it -- particularly for frustrated rescuers -- is going to continue into the weekend.

THE FOX SIGNS VS. THE CITY, A MOMMA DOG IS FOUND AND...:  The adventure continues. We've been mentioning this search in North Dallas for a skittish dog named Fox, a former roadside foundling who bolted and ran and has been seen but hasn't been caught.

While this search was going on, some of these same people got involved in the case of a momma dog who was found foraging on Valley Ridge in the general neighborhood of Walnut Hill and Lenel Place.

And, of course, nothing is ever as simple as you'd hope that it would be in any situation.

First, the Fox report: The City of Dallas has a "no signs on the telephone poles" ordinance and is enforcing it in the area where Fox is missing -- though late Friday we got word that the city had relented in a sort of good-will gesture to help the rescuers trying to hard to save the dog.. So the hard work of the rescuers may or may not beacked to the utility poles in the area. To cope with this, rescue team leader Elaine Munch, who is also president of the Metroplex  Animal Coalition, has suggested that owners or managers of private properties such as churches, schools, businesses or private residences be asked for permission to post the signs. Put the signs on private property, not on the city's utility poles. (If you have seen Fox, call 214-629-7993 or 214-223-8754.

In the meantime, the attempt by "pet detective" and her search dog turned up several spots where Fox might have been. And more people have reported seeing Fox in the area. Food is being put out and there's plenty of water for the dog in backyard ponds. (If you've seen Fox, call  . The dog is very skittish.

Now, while all this was going on, someone found this dog "with tons of milk" in a Valley Ridge neighborhood near Marsh Lane at Lenel Place in North Dallas.

The usual questions immediately surfaced: Where are the puppies or are there puppies?

And this morning, the plan is to take the dog back to where she was found to see if there are puppies somewhere. She'd been roaming the neighborhood for two days.  One theory is she was dumped and there are no puppies in the area -- some creep kept them to sell and threw Mom out like a bag of fast food trash.

So, Momma Dog's case will take a couple of days to shake out -- she'll eventually wind up being available for adoption. More and more eyes are looking for Fox the elusive dog.

And, before Elaine Munch could do anything this morning regarding dogs, she started her day "taking one more feral cat to the vet for altering...."

Dallas -- it may have pristine telephone poles, but it's got some ugly stories.

ELEPHANT DAY: The International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos rally is from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday at the entrance to the Dallas Zoo, just off Marsalis at I-35, a couple of miles south of downtown Dallas. The rally, as noted in an item a couple of weeks ago, is designed to heighten awareness of what some regard as the plight of elephants in zoos. It is a project of the group In Defense of Animals. Dallas' zoo just happens to have the famous Jenny, an elephant that has been the focus of efforts to get her moved to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. The Dallas Zoo has countered with building a "Savanna" exhibit that will open in the spring with Jenny and recently acquired Gypsy. That exhibit will replace the relatively small, foliage-free elephant pen that nobody -- including the zoo people -- likes. Read about Jenny efforts at www.savejennynow.com and about the zoo's project at www.dallaszoo.com.

AN EARHOUND FROM OKLAHOMA: These are ears one might describe as "luxurious." Like maybe they were sold as accessories at Neiman Marcus in Dallas. They are somewhat peculiar. But you never know what you'll find on the streets of America. In this case, the dog is among the many critters needing rescue in Burns Flat, Okla. Our tipster Terry Lynn Fisher reports that the place has more puppies and adult dogs than can be handled.

And one of the dogs is this Aussie. "This girl is absolutely gorgeous," Terry Lynn says. "She was found wandering the streets and a friend picked her up. They tried to find her home, but have not been able to. They took her to the vet to see if she was chipped, but she was not. the vet said other than being thin, she appears healthy. She is between 3 and 4 years old."

To ask about adopting this beauty or any critter in Burns Flat, e-mail Terry Lynn at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or call 580-330-1459.

COLONY CUTIES: Oh, goodness. The suburban shelters continue to have a steady inventory of available animals. In this case, we turn to The Colony and, thanks to Animal Control Division Manager Patricia Barrington, we have these two -- oh, wait -- three, to feature today. First, there's the boxer, Layla, described as "a great mid-sized girl." She's 2 years old, well-mannered and "treat-motivated," but aren't we all. Anyway, she'll be available for adoption on June 22.

Then, there's Artie, the 6- or 7-year-old Chihuahua who is "lost without a blankie and is really a needy little thing."

Patricia says, "Artie was found rummaging through a dumpster at a hotel with his companion, Annie the Yorkie Poodle mix [also available at The Colony].  He's incredibly underweight and riddled with fleas. He's got sores on his rear end where the bones pushing against the skin combined with the pressure of sitting down without his blankie has caused wounds ... he's a sad little case.  He's having trouble keeping food down and has the saddest little eyes you've ever seen.  Despite it all, he's a really loving, trusting soul who appreciates every head pat, morsel of food and nod of acknowledgment.  He's an incredible little being."

To ask about these pups or any critter at The Colony, e-mail pbarrington@thecolonytx.gov or call 972) 370-9250

REGARDING BOXERS: As you can see from the photo of Layla above, purebred boxers do show up in shelters. Nobody knows that better than Legacy Boxer Rescue -- you can see their rescue inventory HERE.  We mention this because we got a note from the Legacy folks saying that "Boxers are being brought into shelters at an alarming rate, and even though we have already pulled 3-5 boxers in the past week, we're barely making a dent. We need Foster homes in the worst way..." You can get that foster application HERE.

            -- And a sad note from Legacy. Earlier in the week we mentioned the pups Berkley (with the white) and Brighton (in this photo with their pal Tyson). Both the little pups were fighting parvo. The virus claimed Berkley at midweek.

            Just another reason to remind people to make certain that their puppies get all the puppy shots, all the vaccinations, all the help they can get from humans. And, yes, Legacy can still use some help with the medical fund. Visit www.savetheboxers.com.

A MEDICINE OFFER: STOP THE PRESSES: In mid-afternoon Cathie tells us the medcine has been claimed by a cat person. But I'll leave the note up so you can see how our Readlarrypowell.com readers are the best at helping animals and each other....

Cathie Desell, a big-time cat fan, is the go-between for someone who is trying to donate some methimazole, used to treat hyperthyroidism in cats. The person has a partial bottle and a brand new bottle. "I hate to just throw it away since it's about $50 worth of medication," the donor writes to Cathie. "I'm sure there's a cat with a thyroid problem out there somewhere." If you know a cat who can use this free medicine, e-mail Cathie.Desell@CNA.com.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Can you believe all this Texas heat and it's still spring? We gasp hello to summer at 12:46 a.m. Sunday Dallas time (CDT), according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. (Not sure who the old farmer is but he's probably the old overheated farmer.) ... Life's good when your dog sleeps through the morning alarm. Ours anticipate the alarm. Sometimes by an hour or more. There is no "snooze control" on a cocker spaniel. ... I'm not sure my witspouse and I are normal. Each day I send a "morning report" to my funspouse Martha. It's usually a little mushy and this morning I wrote that we'd all voted that we miss her today and that the vote was unanimous except for a new feral cat that has shown up on the porch and abstained "until I have some face time with her." Martha replied tenderly, "I do love you enormously, and for some reason, it is filling my heart right now. But later, I plan to kill you on the road and leave your body in a field." Like to see Hallmark try to top that.

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They tried to hang the dog...

We've readjusted the Spam filter to keep our inbox open, struck the delete button like a woodpecker battering the bark off a pine tree and prepped a glass of Fresca on ice. Let's move on:

KIDS TRY TO HANG DOG; ST. BERNARD THROWN FROM TRUCK: This week I've been trying really hard to find upbeat news to open the day's activities.

Sometimes the upbeat part of a story is that the dog or cat or horse or whatever is in the care of someone who'll protect it after an encounter with idiots, pinheads, nitwits and, near as I can tell, the offspring or at least first cousins of the devil.

Consider the cases of a red heeler mix some kids tried to hang and a St. Bernard thrown from a truck.

We get the information from our reliable tipster, Denton Animal Control volunteer Amy Pelzel who called us with the stories of this bad human behavior yesterday afternoon..

"We have an amazing dog at the Denton Animal Control who needs a second chance. His name is Lil Rob. He is about 10 months old and is a red heeler mix. He is precious, fun-loving,  affectionate and LOVES other dogs! He could not be sweeter."

That's the pitch -- he's available for adoption today.

Amy tells us that on Sunday afternoon the animal control officer on duty got a call from a witness to an awful event. "A man saw kids trying to hang this poor pup with a noose. He immediately ran to the aid of the dog and saved him but all the kids ran off.  Luckily he was able to get the dog unharmed and we have him at our shelter."

That's the story on Lil Rob.

This obviously ragged St. Bernard has been through a tough thing. "We got in a very sick emaciated St. Bernard female in that has mange and a broken femur," Amy says. "She is about a year old but looks HORRIBLE. The County Officers found her dumped (someone saw her being thrown out of a truck but did not get license plates) in the county. We can transfer her NOW to a rescue for medical reasons."

Just after mid-morning, the Second Chance SPCA, located in Plano, took in the St. Bernard and will get her injuries seen to ASAP.

To offer to help Lil Rob, e-mail amy_pelzel@yahoo.com. To ask about the St. Bernard, contact Second Chance SPCA at secondchancespca@yahoo.com.

Perhaps authorities find all of the people involved in these events before some of the animal people find them.

COURT ACTION: The final count on the number of animals the SPCA seized in a raid on property in Marion County last week is 141: 140 dogs and one conure. The total shifted as more animals were found. The SPCA reports that Marion County Precinct 1 Peace Justice Lex Jones ordered the defendant to pay the SPCA $8,460 in restitution (for care of the animals) and told Mrs. Vikki Marshall, "I don't think you should have animals. I don't believe that you can control yourself and not let things get like they were before." The animals are now in the custody of the SPCA and " will now be individually evaluated for potential adoption or placement on a case by case basis."

REGARDING FOX THE MISSING DOG: We told the story earlier this week of how people are searching an area of North Dallas for Fox, this former road-side dog who was adopted to a home, bolted from the care of the person who adopted it and is now being sought only by rescuers because that adoptor has apparently "moved on" with her life.

Rescuer Bekki Harvey reports that the hopeful rescuers, with a pet detective, have been out this morning in the area around the Royal Lane Baptist Church (Royal at Hillcrest) searching for Fox the Dog. Resilient and determined rescuer Elaine Munch asks that people who have seen Fox call Elaine either 214-629-7993 or 214-223-8754 and report the location so the veterans of such missions can retrieve this skittish dog.

IN FERRIS: Like most shelters in the area, the Ferris Animal Shelter south of Dallas on I-45 is overloaded  The lone animal control officer, Misty Clark, is trying to hustle up foster homes and adoptive homes for the dogs and cats in her care.

She has, herself, fallen for Bo the Lab/Border Collie mix, an owner surrender, who has evolved from being a terribly frightened, stand-offish dog. "He only knew one person and that was his owner who did not  spend much time with him," Misty says. "My first thoughts were I was going to have to put him to sleep.  After about 4 days I noticed a little wag in his tail.  After that day we have been best friends.  He is sweet as can be with me.  Even took him for a ride in the truck to see how he did.  The problem I am having is he doesn't adjust well when it is time to meet new people.  So he needs someone who will be willing to take the time to build a relationship with him.  Then you will have a true friend. ... I have grown very fond of this guy and do want him to get out of the shelter.  I do not want to have to put him down because he wasn't taught the right way to act." 

Then there is 7-week-old Mia, possibly a Boxer mix who is posing in the "paws up" position on her back. She's "teeny-tiny," Misty says.

And the shelter has a load of cats, including this little guy who's mama is a feral cat who also is in custody of the shelter. There are many kittens and they are getting hands-on care so that they'll be accustomed to human contact.

Also, the shelter has four "barn cats" ready to go.

This is a small shelter with a big population. To help with adopting or fostering or volunteering to pet kittens or puppies, contact Misty at misty@mytocn.com or call 817-877-1210 -- phone is faster since she's usually busy and not sitting at the computer playing solitaire.'

CATS WITH A SITUATION: Oh, goodness, the owner of these five cats died on June 9. The family can't take them and has turned to Paws In The City for help. You may have seen a couple of these cats if you attended Saturday night's Paws In The City Fundraiser, Top Hat and Tails.

Paws' Paula Smith says the cats Punkin, Dotti and BC are a "little shy at first but warm up very quickly. They have been through a lot and need a little patience as their loving caregiver is no longer with them."

Sunshine and Momma Kitty are already comfortable and prepared to dominate all human situations.

Fosters or adoptors are needed immediately, says Paula.  E-mail info@pawsinthecity.org or call 214-228-9897 or 972-827-3138 to offer to help. Cat food and cat litter will be provided for the foster families.

You can click on the images to make them larger. The black cat is BC, the at on the pedestal (aren't they all?) is Dotti, the mostly white cat looking like she's going to jump on the photographer's head is Momma Kitty, the orange-and-white cat is Punkin and the fuffly cat with the cover model looks is Sunshine.

WEDDING REMINDER: That Wuf Spa & Pet Resort dog wedding postponed by weather last Thursday, is at 6:30 p.m. today in Lee Park along Turtle Creek, we hear from the Wuf spa's Jennifer Bassman.  Details are at www.wufspa.com.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Just when you think you have a president who wouldn't hurt a fly, think again. ... It's really great that Pudge Rodriguez has the record for most games caught in the big leagues, but it sure is rotten that when he goes into the Baseball Hall of Fame he won't be wearing a Texas Rangers uniform.  ... Headline on the Drudge Report reads "First hard evidence found of a lake on Mars" -- someone found a poster at a bait shop advertising the "First Annual Red Planet Bass Tournament."

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Shelter crises, etc.

Number of things in the hopper today (bet you didn't know we had a hopper), so, let's get started and, if you've gotten e-mails about a shelter needing food, you'll want to read on:

THE EXPLORERS: Vicki Young, the PR and marketing veteran (and critter rescuer) who heads The Young Company in Dallas provides this morning's opening photograph courtesy of her friend Mary Carter.

(She also has a comment about my failed yard work effort and says her hubby Bob had a yardwork mishap during the weekend when he "tripped and fell on a pot -- sprained wrist, broke pot. He's OK though....That yard work can be dangerous."  My heart goes out to Bob and so does my bottle of aspirin if he needs it.)

Now, I'm not sure Mary's dogs are doing yard work, but she definitely photographed them at a gardening angel. Vicki says Mary caught "Huck and Grace enjoying their morning walk. It made me laugh and I thought you would enjoy it, too."

Yep, and I figure everybody needs a good chuckle today. So, thanks to Mary the photog, thanks to Vicki the forwarder and, of course, thanks to Huck and Grace for being entertaining at this angle.

SHELTER OUT OF FOOD? NOT QUITE ACCURATE: We got several e-mails overnight breathlessly, desperately shouting that the North Richland Hills Animal Adoption and Rescue Center "HAS NO FOOD."

Not the case, says North Richland Hills Humane Division Supervisor Chun Mezger.

The shelter has food. It is taxpayer-supported and gets its funding through the city budget, but it also depends on donations of food to help ends meet and these days donations are slow and low. Chun says NRH is like any shelter, it can always use donations of food.

A patron, she theorizes, started a food donations campaign that may have become over-hyped. Still, NRH will be very appreciative of all donations. Chun suggests, also, that people could donate to all shelters in these testy economic times.

In the meantime, NRH's is "staying pretty full" these days. And the shelter is participating in National Adopt a Shelter Cat Month by cutting the fees on cats from $90 for mature cats to $60 and from $80 for 3-month-old and younger cats to $50. Dog adoptions are $80 and $90.

The cat with this segment is Hurricane, surrendered to the shelter because his owner was moving and couldn't take the cat with him.

To ask about adopting Hurricane or any North Richland Hills visit the center at 7200 B. Dick Fisher Drive South in North Richland Hills. Call 817-427-6750. And if you go to the website HERE, you'll see that the shelter needs what mot shelters need: donations of cat and dog food, newspapers, blankets, bleach, etc. Oh, yeah, and homes for the animals.

WHITE SETTLEMENT'S MOVING DAY BARGAIN: Marybelle Denton forwarded a note about the West Side Animal League, the rescue group helping the White Settlement Animal Shelter with a "moving day" situation: adoptions of animals from that shelter will be just $20.

I checked with Rex Rivers, the White Settlement Animal Control Supervisor, this morning to ask when that moving day might be and that's still up in the air. Construction is continuing on the new shelter and could be finished later week, next week or later, depending on how smooth things go.

So, as if any animal wasn't already a bargain, White Settlement's animals are an extraordinary bargain right now -- the $20 fee covers the cost of the lifetime microchip.

And, as you may suspect, the more animals adopted, the fewer the staffers and volunteers have to move.

You can reach the shelter at 817-246-1043 or visit the shelter at 209 Bollinger.  

These critters? That's today's "Earhound," the 2-month-old terrier mix, Shadow -- said by the shelter to be "adorable." She may even pick up HDTV signals with that set of ears.

The cat is Lucy, a "very sweet cat" who gets along with other cats.

As regular visitors to Readlarrypowell.com will recall, we are nuts about black and white cats -- our late fellow Poirot was one and his personality was as zany as the one being demonstrated by Lucy in this photo. Pick up a black-and-white cat and he or she will almost immediately want to be somewhere else. Put the cat down and he or she will immediately want to be picked up. We've made an informal study of this, based on our multi-cat household, and black-and-white cats (we've had two) offer a realm of personality not seen in most felines -- and only in a few humans. They may not be from this planet.

Twenty bucks to save a life, that's the bargain in White Settlement.

CORSICANA SHELTER CRISIS: Julie Maupin of the Humane Society of Navarro County reports that the Corsicana city shelter has encountered a staffing crisis and has closed until volunteers can step up and help. "The shelter is run by the City of Corsicana and oversight is charged to the City of Corsicana Police Department. Until staffing can be addressed, the main focus is to provide care for the animals currently housed at the shelter.  The Humane Society, City Manager Connie Standridge and Chief of Police Bratton are calling for volunteers to help with feeding, cleaning and general care for all these animals until temporary or permanent placement can be accomplished speedily.

"One shelter employee will be available to help with all the work and directing volunteers and temporary workers. 

"Laundry alone is a huge job. Feeding , cleaning, walking dogs, cleaning cat cages - all are big jobs.."

To reach the shelter, call 903-654-4928 -- a volunteer may be answering and can direct you regarding volunteering. Call the Humane Society of Navarro County at 903-875-1060 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays.

The city's shelter is on South 12 Street near West Seventh Avenue, down the street from the famed producer of fruitcakes, the Collin Street Bakery.

SPEAKING OF SHELTERS: On this particular Thursday, the following shelters have one thing in common: The Colony, Irving, Collin County Animal Services, Ferris Animal Shelter, Burns Flat, Okla., Animal Shelter, Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center, Fort Worth Animal Care and Control, Plano Animal Services.  Oh, just pick a shelter. They're all loaded these days. Yep, they all have more dogs and cats than they can handle without something unfortunate occurring.

Now, the next step is to find Undiscovered Animal Lovers in each of those cities and convince them to give animals a chance. They'll like having a friend around who only complains about the empty food dish.

CONTEMPLATIONS: I am always amazed at the good people we can find on the other end of an e-mail -- for example, the people who are willing to help the North Richland Hills shelter. They see what may be a need and they try to fill it. Happens all the time around here. Animal people have big hearts and they don't just focus on animals. Animal people are some of the best "people people" I know. ... Last night Channel 5's 6 p.m. anchor Mike Snyder was reporting on an incident in which an alligator was struck by a car on a Fort Worth street and allowed as how alligators are native and are not that unusual. He then handed off to weatherman David Finfrock who said, "I think it might unusual in my neighborhood." Amen. ... I saw a headline on today's Drudge Report. It said, "Scientists: Fish can learn despite small brains." By golly, there's hope yet for some of you. And you may know who you are..

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Updates, ears and more...

OK, folks, we worked outside yesterday and our typing fingers are sore. I had one mishap -- cut right through the power cord with my electric hedgeclippers. Quite a startling thing. Zzzt. Now, let's get on with today's report, then I can repair the equipment damage.

UPDATE UNDERWAY:

Just as I was about to publish this we got an e-mail from Angel Hutto regarding the dog found swimming for his life in Cedar Creek Lake Sunday morning.

We'll have more later, no doubt, but for now, here's the story from Angel:

"Wiggle's owner just called and is all upset and crying. He was taken out of her yard. She is bringing me vet info on him. ... I am still on the phone with her right now. She is so excited about finding him." (That's the update as of 10:54 a.m.)

A MALLOY BRIDGE PROBLEM: Deborah Trevino, one of the people who monitors things at the by-now infamous Malloy Bridge Road "dumping ground," says that "Charlie," the shepherd-Rottie mix, "appears to have been bitten or shot in the face. His left eye is all red, with swelling down his face.... He has to be sedated to be caught, but I have the sedatives. We need a foster for him until he is well from his injuries."
To offer to help Charlie, e-mail dtrevino60@aol.com .

 She also says a new male Lab/shepherd mix has joined Charlie and a female called "Gretchen" on the property. "He ignores hot dogs" as a lure for socializing, she says, and "was only interested in Gretchen" who's in heat. Isn't that great news.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT: Elaine Munch, noted rescuer and president of Metroplex Animal Coalition, has issued an alert for this dog, Fox. He has been on the lam for weeks and has been seen in North Dallas near Hockaday School in the Inwood at Forest Lane area. The dog was also seen near Marsh Lane at Merrell Road and again at Clover and Midway, but has since vanished into the heavily populated neighborhood.

The college-student woman who adopted the dog has moved on with her life, but the people who originally helped the dog are in quite a state of frustration over this. Elaine says, "For two weeks we've worked the area, set traps, caught feral cats (and fixed them) but no sign of Fox." To add insult, recent storms washed away the signs they'd put up.

Fox's rescue story began more than a year ago -- the then-feral dog "was found on a highway in Kaufman and kept for about a year until the foster Mom had to move to Florida and adopted a couple of her fosters out believing they deserved more attention and a forever home."

Elaine says rescuers are contemplating a live search party in the area, but right now she's distributed an "electronic search party" note to make people aware of Fox's plight.

The dog was wearing a collar, but the young owner had never put the tag on it, Elaine says. Shelters have been alerted to be on the lookout, also.

Elaine asks that if you've seen the dog or know its whereabouts, call either 214-629-7993 or 214-223-8754 and report the location.

SHANNON IS SAFE: For a couple of weeks we've reported that Shannon, a Sheltie, had vanished in what her human Karen West calls "the middle of nowhere" down around LaGrange and Schulenberg and that area of Texas. Last night we got a note from Karen reporting that Shannon has been found and is safely back home. She's promised to send photos and we'll give you this basic kernel of info about the rescue. Karen writes, "We got a call from a man who said he thought Shannon had been in his house ... He’d slept with the sliding door open and found a dog that looked like Shannon sitting in his living room with his dogs. She ran out but seemed friendly with one of his dogs, and she had apparently eaten some of their food and spent at least a little time indoors. He and his wife remembered the flyers and the automated calls, and hunted down our number."

More as we get it. And, maybe, to help dogs we all ought to sleep with the sliding door open.

TODAY'S EARHOUND: Rescuer Nancy C. Underwood (we'll have another story featuring her efforts later in today's report) asks, "Do you think perhaps Lexus could be your "Earhound" one day this week?"

Well, I reckon! Look at those ears! That dog ought to be able to hear a treat dropping to carpet from any room in the house.

Lexus was dropped at a kill shelter last month -- Nancy says "the people just didn't want the responsibility of a pet anymore."

Now, she's living in a foster home with people who adore her and a playmate named Cooper.

She's a year-old, 53-pound German Shepherd mix who's mannerly and likes kids and other dogs.

She also knows sit, shake, down, and "stay (most of the time)."

The foster mom says, "At night she sleeps in her bed at the foot of our bed, but sometimes likes to sneak a snuggle or two right before my husband and I go to bed."

To ask about adopting Lexus, e-mail nancycunderwood@gmail.com. Nancy says, "There is another dog in boarding, waiting to take Lexus' foster spot, so, seriously, the faster we can make this happen, all the better!"

TRANSPORT AND AN UPDATE ABOUT FIFI AND TYSON: We got a note last night from Jay Hellerich at Smiling Dog Farms -- he's trying to arrange a transport for a dog from Lufkin to Houston and asks that volunteers e-mail him at hellerich@aol.com or call 979-559-1062.

Now, Jay has a hand in the story of Tyson and Fifi, two dogs that Killeen Animal Control Officer Shirley Alvarez worked hard to save. She got the attention for the dogs and things came together to save them --the dogs are lifelong pals and the little poodle Fifi helps Tyson, who is blind from a rare disease, negotiate life.

We got this note from Nancy Underwood -- yes, this is the story I promised earlier in today's report.

Nancy, who lives in Austin, writes, "My husband I drove to Killeen on Saturday and pulled them [Tyson and Fifi] from the shelter, then met Jay from Smiling Dog Farms in La Grange for the hand-off (they were going with him to Houston to pick up another dog and then back to Wharton).  We were a bit early, so we stopped at Sonic and got Tyson and Fifi each their own hot dog and went to the park to wait for Jay. ... 

"They are the most amazing pair -- Fifi is hilarious and so spunky, and Tyson is the most incredible lovebug.  I was not sure how he would react to strangers with his impaired sight and all that he has been through. When the volunteer brought him out from the back of the shelter, I squatted down in front of him and spoke to him, without reaching towards him -- Tyson came right up to me, put his paw on my knee, and gave me kisses!  They are really a very easy, calm pair, and they take care of each other. They did great in the car, great on leashes, and would, I believe, be very easy and good pets!  It is amazing to watch them together, honestly you would be inspired.

"These two can still be adopted, as long as they are adopted out together.  Please refer anyone who might be interested to the Smiling Dog Farm website, or they can email me directly with questions." (E-mail nancycunderwood@gmail.com.)

Nancy also makes a pitch for supporting Smiling Dog Farms. She says it costs the sanctuary $867 to build the kennel to house Fifi and Tyson and about $60 a month per dog. She writes "If you are interested in supporting the amazing work that Smiling Dog Farms does, or the more than 30 dogs they took in last week alone (almost all from the Arlington Animal Services shelter), please visit www.smilingdogfarms.org, and click on 'donations' on the right side of the page. ....Tyson and Fifi and I all thank you!"

ONE FOUND, ONE LOST: We got these notes via Sydney Busch at Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake.

The first note was a "Lost" announcement for a "yellow buck-skinned bulldog, 4-6 months old" named Elvis. He has a white cord collar with electrical tape on it, green eyes with a black muzzle and was last seen near FM 1256 in Eustace. (Call 870-262-7258.)

The second note Sydney forwarded began, "I found an adult male yellow bulldog starved and lost on 175 in Eustace, TX (This is not the same dog as the puppy yellow bulldog missing off  FM1256. This is a different dog).

Jetta Featherston reports she's spent two months looking for the owners of this dog and is giving it one more try -- or, maybe, you can adopt this big fellow. That's him in the photo. E-mail firemanen11@yahoo.com or call 903-887-7244 or 972-571-7164.

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP: Yesterday, Siobhan Dickerson of the pit rescue group Cheyenne Rescue & Sanctuary sent out a note about a pit/pointer mix named McKinsey who was becoming an owner-surrender because the "owner's son-in-law and family moved in and that she isn't handling the stress and all the new people and kids."

This morning Siobhan sent out this note, " I got a call from my vet this morning and the owner of McKinsey decided to kick her son-in-law out and get McKinsey back."

CONTEMPLATIONS: About that yard work I did yesterday. Last year, when I attempted this sort of work, I fell flat on the ground and popped some ribs, a shoulder, an arm and, apparently, a fault line though surely my fall had nothing to do with this year's earthquakes in Cleburne, south of Fort Worth. ... All this stuff lately about North and South Korea reminds me that until I left Bowie County in East Texas back in the 1960s, I though the countries were "KOH-rea" not "Kor-ee-ah." ... Watching one of those Hollywood insider TV shows last night, Martha and I came to a similar conclusion. Parts of this world -- particularly TV shows with jittery music in the background -- are just too much racket.

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On Monday, tales of rescue...

Welcome to the middle of June. School vacation is under way and maybe you have a desire to build a fort or play Monopoly non-stop or read books until the library is empty. You ol' Baby Boomer.

Ah, day dreams. Now, let's get on with the Monday report:

DUMPED IN THE LAKE? Late last night Angel Hutto, noted rescuer of down-on-their-luck dogs, wrote to us about ANOTHER dog pulled from an area lake. She says, "I got a call this morning [Sunday] about a dog that was fished out of Cedar Creek. He was found swimming in circles out about a quarter- to a half-mile. He is completely deaf and blind, extremely obese and can hardly walk."

If he'd tried to swim out that far, she says, he'd have "drowned in no time. I am finding it hard to believe it was an accident. He has an indent of a collar and claws so long they are curled over.

"He is someone’s pet and should not have been out in the water. ... With his weight and age it is a wonder he is still alive. We are going to try to find out if he has an owner. ... I am not sure if this was done on purpose but it has really gotten to me. The poor guy is helpless and so stressed from all this."

To offer to help, e-mail missamericanpie@embarqmail.com.

Later, Angel e-mailed, " Either he was stolen and thrown out there or someone decided they just didn’t want him anymore. Either way was just a sick cruel way to treat an old guy. And I feel that only an idiot would take such an overweight, dark-colored, deaf and blind old man for a boat ride in this heat. There was no reason for him to have been in that lake."

HOW THINGS GO: Last week we mentioned that the SPCA of Texas would raid a property in Marion County (East Texas -- Ore City to be specific) to rescue about 50 dogs and one bird "cruelly confined" in an 8-by-8 room in a neglected dwelling.

Whoa! Turns out that when the authorities got there, they found 131 dogs and one Conure -- that's a little parrot.

The custody hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, 1 p.m., in the court of Marion County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace, 114 W. Austin in Jefferson.

Good grief. Hair loss, fleas, awful eye conditions. Lousy water and sanitary conditions. Puppies confined in tubes without food or water. Several apparently pregnant dogs. Even the Conure had skin issues.

The SPCA says the owner of the property told authorities that "the large number of dogs was a result of people dropping off stray dogs and the couple taking the dogs in. Due to the fact that the majority of the dogs were not spayed and neutered, the dog population quickly multiplied.."

And, the SPCA says the "dogs on the property appeared to be small, mixed breeds."

The SPCA release says the organization "is also concerned about the welfare of the owners and has been in contact with Adult Protective Services."

REWARD INCREASED IN KILLING OF BONNY: The $5,000 reward is now $10,000 in the case of Bonny, the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel from Cross Roads in Denton County. The reward is for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the creep or creeps who killed the dog. The Murrell Foundation  and Affiliated Multi-Family Services are offering the reward through the SPCA. If you've got info about this case, contact Denton Country Sheriff's Department Sgt. Griggs at 940-391-7329.

REBECCA POLING'S AWARD: We often cite Rebecca Poling on this site as the president and founder of the animal education group Companions For Life. Those are just a few words to describe someone who is busy in many areas of animal welfare. On Saturday night at the Paws In the City Top Hat and Tails gala, Rebecca received the organization's first St. Francis of Assisi Award. "for her dedication to service and animals." You can read about the Top Hat and Tails event at www.pawsinthecity.org.

TWO BOXERS, BIG BILLS: The folks with Legacy Boxer Rescue took in this pair on Friday, according to LBR spokeswoman Sharon Sleighter.

That was simple enough. A local shelter called and told the rescue group that someone had surrendered 3 4-month-old puppies. LBR sent a volunteer right away -- but one of the males was being adopted already. the volunteer took the remaining two, Berkley and Brighton, male and female.

And on Saturday, they both "broke with Parvovirus," says the LBR report.

No longer a death sentence, parvo can be whipped. But Legacy knows it'll take money to pay the bills so the group sent out a notice over the weekend that it's trying to raise at least $2,000 to pay the freight. Maybe more.

Sharon says the dogs were "not exposed at the shelter, as they were only there for 3 to 5 hours on Friday, but yes, we have notified them so they can contact the owner of the other pup. I suspect they were all exposed to it several days before they were dumped at the shelter on Friday."

In this photo, the little rascals (that's Berkley with the white) are being greeted by Tyson, a brindle boxer who, Sharon says, "is one of our foster mom's personal boxers and a great ambassador for the breed, I might add."

The pups are at a vet's office and were "doing OK" Sunday evening. Sharon says they'll probably be there for most of the week. To donate to their causes, visit www.savetheboxers.com.

HOW ABOUT THAT LITTLE PEKE: You may recall our recent report about Stephanie Jones of Tzu Zoo Rescue alerting us to a little ol' Pekinese in the Collin County Animal Services Shelter in McKinney. Petite Paws Pet Advocates picked up the little dog and a spokes person for the group told us last night, "She is doing great. A wonderful couple who saw her at the shelter (which has no adoption program) asked to adopt her. She has been vetted and her skin treated and they are getting her teeth cleaned ... They have a little 10-year-old {eke and the two are now companions. ..." This was the result of happy coordination between Collin County, SPCA of McKinney and Petite Paws.

BURNS FLAT SITUATION: Our pal Terry Lynn Fisher, in Burns Flat, Okla., sure runs into some interesting situations in that small town. She just took in 14 dogs from one family -- a half- Schnauzer mom with 11 puppies and two 9-month-old half-Schnauzer sisters. Then, they just happened to have one more dog -- this 13-year-old Chihuahua. The family says the dog has had the affliction "for a few years and it hurts her when touched," says Terry Lynn. "But they love her and can't part with her, nor can they afford a vet."

Terry Lynn got a relative to talk the family into letting her take the dog and find some help for her.  So, now, Terry Lynn is looking for someone who can help this dog. To help Terry Lynn, e-mail remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or call 580-330-1459.

COMING UP: Lots of things are scheduled for this weekend, including Father's Day, according to the e-mails we're getting. We'll briefly touch on them:

            -- Doggie Date Night is Saturday at Hawaiian Falls Waterpark in The Colony will benefit Animal Guardians of America. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. with "games, activities and contests for children" and, at dusk, on the 16-foot outdoor screen, you'll be able to watch Hotel For Dogs. Tickets are $7 per person, $25 for four. Dogs get in free. tickets are available at the door that night, but the organizers prefer that you make reservations at 214-207-0045 or e-mail stevehurst@animalguardians.com. The water park is at Highway 121 and Plano Parkway in The Colony. See www.animalguardians.com .

            -- On the 21st, Strokers Dallas, at 9304 Harry Hines, will host the starting point for Ride For the Rescue, a motorcycle ride benefiting Happy Endings Dog Rescue in Hewitt, near Waco. Happy Endings specializes in Pit Bulls and Rottweillers. The ride begins at 9:30 a.m., travels through "scenic" areas of the Metroplex and ends at the Fort Worth Stockyards, then returns to Strokers. Registration is at www.happyendingsdogrescue.com. 

AND IN JULY, IN THE PALMETTO STATE: This event has a great name. The "Blue Suede Paws Tour." The event supports the Freedom Train Animal Rescue Transports and the Anderson County Animal Shelter -- that's Anderson County, South Carolina. It's a festival/concert starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 25, at the Anderson airport. Tickets are $12 for adults and kids get in free. If you make a $20 donation, you get a plane ride. No kidding. Outside of that, it's the usual animal festival with games, adoptions, hot dog platters (for the humans and the dogs with iron stomachs) ... Ah, but there's one more feature: "Steve Cates, The Duke of Elvis," will perform. You can see and hear The Duke of Elvis HERE. That's him with someone who ain't nothin' but a hound dog.

CONTEMPLATIONS: I spotted a story over the weekend and read it to Martha. It said that that Hermes is going breed crocodiles to make into bags. And Martha said, "They'd better start breeding PR people because they're going to need them." ... Was at the Texas Rangers game Saturday night for the 1 hour, 41 minute light delay. Even if a big light array was out, it didn't get any cooler. Anyway, we left the ballpark at the end of the game and I drove straight home. As I turned toward our street I saw a power truck in our alley and said out loud, "Bad sign," then I turned onto our street and saw that our porch light was on. "Good sign," I said. We went inside, Martha opened the back door to let the dogs out and I went into the bedroom to get out of my shoes. I turned the TV on, took off a shoe and was standing there with one shoe in my hand, looking at the TV and noting that it was 12:02 a.m. when I heard a minor explosion in the alley and the power went off. The other shoe never dropped, but the power was out for an hour. You never know what loud appliances and radios you've left on, until the power is suddenly restored at 1 in the morning. ... What makes people unpleasant these days? Is it the heat, the pressure of life, the national economic situation evolving into a local situation? Oh, I guess, some people are horseflies, just naturally occurring aggravations. Hope they don't get heat rash where they sit.

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Beauregard's tight fit...

Rarely has so much dog been so artfully crammed into a chair.

Beauregard, thus, earns the spotlight of this weekend's Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap and he brings several buddies along with him.

They all brighten the household of Gail Marshall. Here's Gail's story of Beauregard and pals:

"He doesn't seem to have a favorite place," Gail says of Beauregard, "but he does love chairs."

She cites the photo of Beau skillfully squeezed into a chair that he "occasionally likes to sleep in." And, she says that it's "really too small for him but somehow he manages not to fall out."

Now, posing with the sleepy Beauregard on the bed is "his sidekick, Stubby," Gail says. "Stubby is a rescue and he and Beau are like cartoon characters.  Where ever you see Beau, Stubby will be close by. And usually touching him somewhere. 

"Stubby was left tied to a tree in August with no food or water and his owner was in the hospital. The person who promised to watch him went out of town so I brought him home with me.  By the time the owner was out of the hospital (9 months!) he didn't have the heart to separate them. Also I've included  a precious picture of Beau when he was 10 weeks old.  Look at that face!"

As for the cats, that is Stallone at the window. "He is my baby and sleeps on me every night.  He thinks he is a dog and he torments Stubby."

The cats in the basket include Rocky who, she says, "is 3 1/2 years old and he thinks Stubby is another cat and likes him a lot.

"I found him hiding from an animal control guy under a shrub and the guy has this long pole and was trying to retrieve him from under the bush.  I had just come out of a store and saw what was happening and told him to step aside, I'd get the kitten.  "He was about 8 weeks old and smelled like gasoline and was covered with oil and infested with fleas. The  AC guy let me take him and when I got to the vet's they didn't think he was going to make it, but, as you can see, we pulled him through.  He only weighed 14 ounces!  He is grown now, and the cat he is in the basket with has gone on to Kitty Heaven.  We had to put him down last year.  His name was Sylvester and he was 21 years old. 

"And of course I can't leave out Miss Maggie. She is an 8 year old Rottie mix from Operation Kindness.  I've had her since she was 12 weeks old.  She has thyroid problems and has to take pills twice a day for that."

From the photos of Beauregard the Chair Sleeper to Miss Maggie and Gail, you get the feeling that if there's a sleeping dog or a napping cat, there's also another dog or cat ready to not let anybody sleep or nap. Beauregard, though, based on his tight fit in the chair and his stretch pose in the couch, has to be the champ.

 

(To nominate your cat, dog, lemur or lobster or any other pet for spotlighting in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, send the photo and the info to dallrp@aol.com. We're always proud to show the world that sleep is a many splendored thing unless you're an insomniac, then it's a many splintered thing.)

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PM EDITION: Dog thrown into lake...

THE DESPERATE DOG: Well, geez, this one will make your toes curl.

We get the story from Dianne Wood of the Protective Animal League. She writes:

"Sunday afternoon, a dog was rescued from the middle of Lake Lavon.  A boater spotted the dog swimming for her life and fished her out of the water."

(Aside: The would seem to be an intentional dumping of a dog. Also, this is not the first time I've written about a dog bobbing around in the big middle of an area lake. Puppy millers, one suspects, toss the worn out breeding animals into the lake.)

Dianne continues: "When first put on the dock, she was so exhausted she could barely stand.  The dog was emaciated and very scared. A good Samaritan took her home, and to his vet clinic the next day. She is now resting comfortably in a temporary foster home."

The vet says this dog, now called Lavon, is an American Foxhound. She looks like she's 8 years old, but probably is just 2 years old. Her "teeth are worn down, not by age, but probably by gnawing on the kennel door," Dianne says. "She has been bred -- no way to tell how many times. She shows signs -- behaviorally -- of having been kenneled most of the time.

"These are indications that she was kept for breeding purposes, probably not a puppy mill per se, but more likely someone ... bought her to hunt and she didn't make a good hunting dog, so they bred her to 'try to get some good out of her.' All speculation.

"What's clear is that she's been starved.. and was found in the middle of a lake."

She's heartworm positive, but not positive for any tick-caused diseases, Dianne says.

"There is more to the tale. She did have an ID on but it led back to a breeder in Arkansas where she was sold as a pup -- we are still trying to get more info on them and see if they would be willing to help identify her owner."

If you know anything about this dog or want to help PAL help the dog, e-mail vinagroon@yahoo.com  or dianne@millsales.com or call 469-556-3152.

ORIGINALLY FROM LONGVIEW: Several weeks ago something like 10,000 poodles -- oh, OK, there were only a couple of dozen poodles were seized from a puppy mill and wound up in Longview. These dogs were parceled out and our pal Audrey Merritt got some of them.

You may recall hearing Audrey's name -- she was founder of NECAAP, pronounced "kneecap," it's the North Ellis County Animal Awareness Program, if I recall correctly. Anyway, Audrey retired from rescue, but it didn't retire from her and she's been fostering these two puppy mill poodles.

Mr. Puff (left) is a 7-pound, 4- or 5-year-old "little cutie," Audrey says. "He aims to please and is content to be near you or sit in your lap. He loves to give kisses and play with his stuff toy. He doesn't walk, he prances." And he's working on house-training.

Bonnie, who is also 4- or 5-years-old, weighs in at a whopping 7 pounds, also. Shy at first, she warms up quickly and enjoys being a lap dog. She's also "working on" house-training.

To ask about either or both of these dogs, call 972-875-1597.

CONTEMPLATION: Nothing much to say except we've got a stack of non-digital TVs sitting around our house and near as I can figure, they can still be used to watch movies on and maybe that's what people will do now instead of figuring out a way to subject themselves to more rotten TV. What's going to happen to the unused analog channels? What if beings from another planet were fleeing a natural disaster and traveling millions of miles to Earth and following the beam of Channel 5. Suddenly,  no homing beacon. Holy smoke, we've started an intergalactic war just by turning off the TV.

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