Friday's potpourri: some safe, some not

Ever sleep later than you planned and awake with a jolt? Welcome to my world today. Now, with fingers trembling and eyes still blurry, we move on:

BULLDOG NEEDS: Lone Star Bulldog rescue is currently caring for more dogs "than we have ever had in the history" of the group, reports our pal Kelly Andrus.

Many of those are currently under medical care for such things as diagnostic surgery, hip surgery, demodex mange, eye surgeries, heartworm treatment, etc. Remember, these are rescued dogs and Lone Star Bulldog Rescue's mission is to get them healthy so they can be adopted into good homes and live out happy lives with good people.

Currently, the group is facing a financial crises and Kelly says, "I know there are so many needy rescues out there right now."

Among the dogs who owe their lives to Lone Star Bulldog Rescue is this girl Hazel -- she's happy and she's got the kind of face that inspires love and affection. You can see about adopting Hazel and about donating to the Bulldog group at the group's website www.dfwbulldogrescue.org.

"I can't even tell you how grateful we would be, Kelly writes. "We just can't let ourselves get to the point where we would ever have to turn a Bulldog away because we can't afford to take care of them financially."

The group also is "always looking for long- and short-term foster homes if anyone would like to open up their home to a wrinkly sour mug," Kelly writes, then warns that some great fosters become adoptors -- that's why the group is always needing more foster homes. People fall for their bulldogs.

FOUND: We got this tip from Cary Birdwell at Adopt-a-Dallas Pet. This dog was found earlier this week at Windhaven and the Dallas North Tollway.

She's described as "probably a shepherd/retriever mix" and "very sweet."

If anyone recognizes the dog or knows where she belongs or would like to adopt her, call 214-535-7621.

SOME ABANDONED DOGS: Oh, goodness. More abandoned dogs.

But these have fallen in with veteran rescuer Erin Johnson.

The dogs were left behind in East Texas, but someone was watching after them.

Erin says she "has been helping a Good Samaritan neighbor with dog food, but now we need to find a place for these 8 puppies - and it would be good to find a place for the parent dogs, too."

Somebody moved off and left the dogs. The mother, Maggie, a border collie, is skittish and virtually untouchable. The father, a mixed-breed named Dancer,  is experiencing a bad case of mange.

The puppies are being puppies.

And they all need help -- visits to the vet and foster or forever homes.

If you can help, call Erin at 214-642-5177 or e-mail erinskittycats@yahoo.com.

SOME UPDATES AND NOTICES: Good news from Rockwall. Animal Services Supervisor Chris Valentine tells us that Tess, the dog with the mangled paw, has been adopted. ...

            -- From the folks at Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake we get this reminder: Photos with Santa for you and your pet are from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Lakeview Landscape on Highway 274 in Tool. For $10 you get two 4 x 6 35mm color photos. And proceeds go to the Friends' low-cost spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City.

            -- An update on the Greyhounds: Remember the injured racing Greyhounds we mentioned Nov. 8? Here's the update from Susie McQuade of Greyhound Adoption League of Texas: "Cabot had surgery to repair his leg and is in a split with bandages for at least six weeks and went to a foster home this past Tuesday. Wizard's break was much worse and his leg was amputated." He had a second surgery Wednesday to remove a blood clot and is being monitored at Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center and may go to a foster home later today.

AGILITY DOGS; CFL DONATION: As a largely inert person, I am really envious of the attitude of agility dogs. They really want to get onto that course and move! Border collies, Jack Russells, Vizslas, Yorkies, etc. They get after it, racing the clock on the agility courses.

You can watch them today (through 5 p.m.) and tomorrow and Sunday (8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.) at the Dallas Area Working Group (DAWG) fall AKC Agility Trial  at Myer Park Arena in McKinney.

And during the lunchbreak on Saturday, the Companions for Life group in Dallas, will receive a $1,000 donation to help continue its work in humane education and shelter outreach.

CANDLES FOR ACE: Dallas/Fort Worth Labrador Rescue (www.dfwlabrescue.org) is currently conducting a fundraiser benefiting a chocolate lab named Ace. He was claimed from a local shelter a few months ago, we're told by Lisa Hyne, foster coordinator for the group. "He was in pitiful condition. We believe he had been mistreated and kept in a small space, even as he grew from a puppy to an adult. As a result he developed Ricketts which has caused him some serious atrophy in his back leg muscles. He had to have emergency surgery on his legs due to the extreme pain he was in.  We did his back right leg first and are waiting for him to recover before doing the next. Total cost of the surgery is estimated at $3,000."
Now, when you go to the rescue site HERE you'll see the Candles for Ace explanation. Light the Wick, a local business that hand-pours candles, will donate 50 percent of its Ace sales to the dog's welfare and all of that will go to helping Ace.

RESCUE GROUP CLOSING; CATS IN NEED: A local cat rescue group, Halteman's Haven, is shutting down and that means dozens of cats need a place to land, according to a co-executive with Halteman's, Shirlee M. Smith. The cats are all up-to-date on shots and spayed or neutered.

"The adoption fee will be waived, but the application, background check and contract will still be done," she writes. You can see the group's available cats by going HERE.

SCRAPPY IN DIRE STRAITS: When we wrote about Scrappy back on Oct. 8, it seemed a slam-dunk that someone would adopt this dog that had been dragged behind a car or truck in East Texas. No dice.

And now, we're told, Scrappy is on the "put-to-sleep" list for Monday. Scrappy is currently at the Humane Society of Northeast Texas in Longview ...

To ask about adopting this dog e-mail darcy0325@gmail.com or call 903-985-3414 or the shelter at 903-297-2170. Click HERE to see Scrappy's info.

WEEKEND NOTE: If you're taking off for your Thanksgiving vacation, be safe. Be kind to animals, including humans. Make sure you have plenty of paper towels and always carry extra cash. You never know when you'll go over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house and she'll want you to take her to a nearby casino.

And, for crying out loud, someone go to Longview and get Scrappy.