Four-day work week to start the New Year – can’t beat that.
Not nearly as lucky as the Dallas Cowboys – nope, enjoying the traditional long off-season again.But, it hasn’t been a bad year for everyone around here. We specifically refer to the SPCA of Texas and the City of Seagoville Animal Shelter. Those are two triumphs. Seagoville is setting the trend for the area and the SPCA has new elbow room.
Also, we’ve got a personal thanks to all of you for making the transition from 2011 to 2012 with us and we’re grateful that you’ve clicked on Readlarrypowell.com. Each click means something to an animal.
That photo? That is our Readlarrypowell.com staff impersonator Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, giving us his impression of the image that should appear on the next new U.S $100 gold coin, his vision of a federal employee returning to work after a 2-week holiday and spotting on the buffet table in the Pork Barrel Dining Room big steaming platter of Mom’s Back To Work Meatloaf with a side of aspirin and a cup of Joltin’ Joe Triple Caf Coffee with a federally approved 8-hour Adrenalin dose. (The Cowboys could have used one of those at halftime.)
Here’s our daily report:THE SPCA’S BIG NEWS: You see these announcements now and then about the SPCA rescuing some animals and getting custody and planning projects and endorsing proposed laws. The SPCA is a busy organization.
On Monday, it was busy in its own office because it opened the brand spankin’ new 70,000-square-paw – sorry, that’s square foot – Jan Rees-Jones Anima Care Center in West Dallas. It’s at 2400 Lone Star Drive, near Hampton at I-30 and visible from the freeway – not far from Dallas Animal Services’ Adoption Center.
[Aside: I mention that because some unenlightened people use SPCA and “Dallas animal shelter” as if they were the same thing.]
Now, our pal Diane Combs, a longtime supporter of the SPCA and noted for her volunteer work there, enjoyed the opening tour of the new facility Monday.
We ought to declare that she’s an official “newshound.” She was snapping photos at the opening and among the many was this one that demonstrates the new way animals will be housed – gone are the cages and in their places these walk-in “suites” where humans and animals can mingle.
Read more about the shelter on the SPCA page HERE. At www.spca.org you can also navigate to animals that need homes. Google SPCA and new shelter to see news stories about the event. And, remember, the SPCA is open to the public and proud to show off its facilities and its animals. As with taxpayer-supported shelters and rescue groups, the animals are the focal points – nice as shelters can be, animals still need homes.
SEAGOVILLE’S STATISTICS: Shortly after the first week of January 2011, Seagoville Police Sgt. Karl Bailey took over direction of the small city animal shelter and began inviting volunteers and veteran rescuers to help with the effort to make the shelter no-kill.
This weekend he issued a report on that reveals no animals were killed to make space for the next load of unwanted animals. None, he told supporters in an email blast.
(The city is going to celebrate this winning attitude with a special anniversary weekend adoption event Jan. 7-8. Click on that artwork to make it larger.)
[Aside: This enthusiastic cooperation between a city government and knowledgeable volunteers demonstrates how cities can take a step toward saving money on euthanasia drugs, eliminating the chances that the “wrong animal” will be euthanized, gaining positive public relations for your city and a good mark on the “come live here, we’re nice” report card.]
Now, here are the stats from Sgt. Bailey (they cover the Jan. 10-Dec. 31 period):
Dog Intakes: 437
Dog Bites: 21
Cat Intakes: 131
Cat Bites: 2
Dogs Adopted: 250
Dogs Rescued [taken in by rescuers]: 131
Dogs RTO (returned to owner): 44
Dogs EU: 12 (This includes all dogs EU'd for injury, illness and aggression)
Cats Adopted: 77
Cats Rescued: 61
Cats RTO: 3
Cats EU: 3 (This includes all cats EU'd for injury, illness and aggression)
In a postscript to the figures, Sgt. Bailey’s note read, “No animals were euthanized for lack of space. No adoptable animal has been euthanized."
He adds, "This is a far cry from previous years when more than 30 animals a month were being euthanized. This is in no small part due to the volunteers, rescues, fosters, networkers and adopters. Thank you all for helping us achieve this goal!”
You can read about the Seagoville shelter on Facebook HERE and you can see adoptable animals HERE.
IF THE NAME FITS: I get a lot of forwarded emails about animals in shelters all over the place. We can’t write about all of them because there are only 24 hours in a day and I need to schedule time to lay awake and wonder why I’m not sleeping.
Every now and then I’ll open an email (this one was originated by Gina Piner of Homeward Bound Animal Rescue) that’s been forwarded a dozen times in an 8-hour period and find an animal that lives up to his name.
In this case, the dog is named “Stretch.” And there was a photo showing the rascal doing what got him his name.
He’s #14890678 in the Arlington Animal Services shelter. Yep, Pit Bull-type. Out of time. AAS euthanasia starts at 2 p.m. today and Stretch isn’t the only pitty type on the list. You can see the Friends of the Arlington Animal Shelter Facebook page HERE. You can reach the shelter by calling 817-459-6156 or 817-879-7033.IN BURNS FLAT, THE CHASE WAS ON: Terry Lynn Fisher, our reliable tipster in Burns Flat, Okla., is trying to find some help for a couple of dogs. One is a no-name dog and the other is a fellow named Badge.
The no-name dog has the police history. Terry Lynn writes, “On Christmas Eve, we listened on the scanner as the cop was chasing this poor baby down. They finally caught him and texted me to ‘Be careful. He is very vicious.’"
(Aside: That's a photo of the vicious dog on the right.)
Terry Lynn continues, “I went down there and he was crouched in the corner, growling, eyes filled with terror. I just spoke to him, fed and watered, then left him to calm down. Each day, as I went to care for them, he would come a little closer, but always with total fear. If I went into the pen, he ran into his house. Saturday, as I loaded two pups to take to rescue, one of them kept running from me. I finally caught it and was kissing him and talking to him. I looked at this boy and for the first time in a week, HIS TAIL WAS WAGGING.
“I put my babies in the car and went back to the kennels he actually started kissing my hand and looking at me without the terror. Slowly, he has got better. Today (Monday), he even came out of his pen, wagging at the other dogs and kissing me and playing. He has been through a rough time. But I have seen that he is a wonderful boy --just in need of a safe and loving place to go.”
That’s one story. The other involves Badge, the lower photo), now around 8 months old. “He has been thrown out like trash over and over again, from one worthless home to another -- he always found himself living on the streets. But he never let it get him down. He always offered to love and cherish anyone that came his way –kids, adults, dogs, cats --whatever it was, he would love them. He has been in jail way too long and now, the city has said he MUST LEAVE -- either to a safe and loving place through me..or on a cold table, with a needle jabbed in him and killed.”
To help these animals, contact Terry Lynn at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or call 580-330-1459.
IN NEED OF FOOD AND FRESH LITTER: The Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake Shelter at Tool, Texas, has plenty of animals but is running low on food, according to shelter director Krista Mc Anally.
She issued an appeal that reads, “The cupboard is getting bare. We are still getting puppies and litters left and right. And we seem to be fighting the flu or some virus that turns to pneumonia. So we are in need of canned food, preferably lamb and rice or chicken and rice. We also need cat and dog milk replacer. As always, if you cannot make it to the shelter, you can make a donation at www.hsccl.org and please note that it is for dog food. You can also mail donations to HSCCL, PO Box 43531, Seven Points, TX 75143.”
Now,, if you feed cats, what do you need? Ah, here’s the next request from Krista: “We are also looking for someone to go to Nacogdoches to pick up 2,000 pounds of cat litter. The pick- up has to happen during the week, from 9 to 5.”
To offer to help with the food or the litter or both, call the shelter at 903-432-3422.THE CARROLLTON CAT AND DOG REPORT: No cats on this week’s euthanasia list. Not a one. How about that! So, we’ll turn our attention to a couple of the many dogs in the shelter – euthanasia is scheduled for Wednesday. Yep, tomorrow.
Oh, man, look at that Godiva. Isn’t she a beauty! She’s #25213 at the Carrollton Animal Services Shelter and she’s there because, at 4 or 5 years old and 45 pounds, she was a stray on the city streets.
Not much of a future there. Not much of a future in a shelter for a pit-type dog.
She’s available to rescue groups. Carrollton wants to make sure she gets into a situation that has her best interests at heart.
Her official shelter description reads, “While her ears are cropped very close to her head, her tail is full and wags away at the thought of being petted or going outside. She does seem to do well with the other dogs and is as good of a dog as there has ever been.” [Aside: Sure looks like some nitwit with a knife and scissors took her ears away from her. It isn’t ears that ought to fall off of that jerk.]And, oh, for crying out loud. The story of Lucky, this female, fluffy, 30-pound shepherd mix, will in all likelihood tick you off. But here it is, according to the shelter:
“This pretty lady was released to the shelter by her people who were unable to keep her due to the sudden expansion of relatives living in their home.”
That’s bad enough. Picking relatives over a dog. But, she’s 12. Twelve and dumped at a kill shelter. Good grief.
Lucky is house-trained, friendly and puzzled, probably.
Again, a 12-year-old dog dumped at a shelter because of a “sudden expansion of relatives.” Makes no sense. The relatives can call a cab, take a walk, find shelter without getting a death warrant on their heads.
Call the shelter 972-466-3420, or email CARE@cityofcarrollton.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS: The first e-mail I saw in my inbox today had this subject line: “You will be Killed in December 21, 2012” Isn’t that nice. Some wacko sent me a come-on for something called “Survival Guide 2012” warning of all sorts of mayhem on the planet – kind of gave me a bit of nostalgia for the Terrors of the Millennium back in 1999.Some of you are still nibbling on those stale Y2K crackers, aren’t you? ... The second e-mail I opened was for a coupon for golf on a local course and it had no expiration date though, probably, I should use it before Dec. 21. ... Life is good, though my funspouse Martha went back to work after more than a week of vacation. The house is quiet, the animals sleeping.I’m finally in charge of the TV and there’s nothing on. I miss the laughter. I miss the crowd of dogs following her around while she sings to them. It’s like a Disney movie around here sometimes.
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