Life-saving transit & tales...

OK, folks, here at midweek we're presenting a cornucopia of critters. A little travelin' music, please, and you'll see why in a second because some little guys need to hitch a life-saving ride. Read on:

CAT AND DOGS AND THE RANGERS: Some game last night. Texas loses to Boston, 19-17. Beer league softball score. Olympic team handball score. Cat Osterman threw a no-hitter for the USA women's softball team last night or this morning or however that other-end-of-the-time-zones thing works.

If the Texas Rangers signed Cat Osterman, I'd buy a ticket. In the meantime, if you can't see Cat at a ballgame in Arlington, you will be able to see some dogs. This Sunday's game against Tampa Bay is the annual Dog Day game. Information is at the Rangers' site HERE. Dogs and their folks sit in the left field lower reserved section. The one fan/one dog ticket is $20; each additional fan is $10. Before the game, at 6:15 p.m., there'll be a Petmate/Petco Texas Rangers Dog Day Parade.

Regarding Cat Osterman: I know softball isn't baseball, but you can't tell me that a game with 35 runs is baseball, either.

A TALE OF A YELLOW DOG: DeDe Whitcombe sends us a note about this Lab mix, who, in this photo, looks like an "ol' yeller dawg."

The story is kind of heartbreaking. It reads: "I got a very distressed call from my favorite auntie last night about this guy here. My aunt is 75 years old and very stoic. To hear her upset is very upsetting!

"She works at a drug store in Farmersville and a man in a wheel chair came in and soon after this dog appeared in the store. The dog was terrified of everyone and kept going to the man in the wheel chair. They asked him if it was his dog and he said no.  Animal Control was called and my aunt said when they showed up and the wheel chair guy left, the little doggie just went limp in defeat and despair. She said it was the most pathetic thing she had ever seen, and went promptly after work to speak to the mayor about what would happen to the doggie. She had heard that stray animals were shot, and was terrified of his future. The mayor assured her that all strays were taken to Collin County Animal Shelter where the SPCA would pick him up to be adopted.  "Well, she is 75 but not senile or stupid.

"She called me and I explained the process. She begged me to find this abandoned baby a rescue, and I would rather jump off a cliff than disappoint her. I doubt the SPCA would take him because if he is that terrified, he would not pass their SAFER test."

To help save this dog, e-mail dedewhitcombe@yahoo.com or contact the shelter at 972-547-7296 or e-mail animalshelter@co.collin.tx.us.

REGARDING THE DUMPED DOGS: The project to save the dogs on Malloy Bridge Road is growing. Johnna Bigley and Deborah Treveino have been monitoring things. And now we hear from Gail Whelan, the driving force behind Companion Animal Network. She reports, "They are BEAUTIFUL dogs -- and very young. I took four dogs from there and all were/are fabulous dogs. My Ridgeback, Carmela Soprano, came from here. I realize everyone is full and that they all have their own problems, but if 10 or 12 people would consider fostering one -- or if 10 rescue groups could just take ONE we could get them out of there.  I am committing to at least one - so I'm not asking anyone to do anything I'm not willing to do."

This photo shows several of the dogs lounging just off the roadway. To ask about helping them, contact Johnna Bigley at johnna1228@yahoo.com or Gail at can_rescue@yahoo.com.

FINDING A WAY TO TEXARKANA: We got this tip from Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake and it has to do with a dire situation at the Humane Society at Cedar Creek Lake shelter in Tool.

According to the Humane Society Folks, they are holding "a Lab mom with 8 two-week old puppies and a litter of 5 seven-month-old poodles.  Humane Society President Tamara Rhodes says the "animals have rescue space if we can get them to Texarkana anytime on Thursday...Our kennels are not appropriate for dogs this small and the puppies get caught in the small spaces between the door and the wall area. If these animals don't get to Texarkana on Thursday, they will miss their chance at rescue. The only option left to us is to euthanize these animals. At this time we have six nursing mothers with litters of 8 to 10 pups in addition to the litters being brought in daily by animal control....

"If you can do this just once, that is all that is needed for you to save the lives of 14 animals."

To offer to help, e-mail rhodes.hsccl@yahoo.com or call 214-957-5285 or 903-498-3111. Or call Krista McAnally at the shelter at 903-432-3422.

Sydney of Friends of the Animals offers, "I will find money for the driver for his/her gasoline for this trek." 

Though, surely, with the price of gasoline down, this isn't a real concern, is it? The shelter is in Tool and Texarkana isn't that far a drive to save some lives.

THE LITTLE FOREST HILLS VISITORS: Oh, boy, more puppies. This comes from Maeleska Fletes of the Little Forest Hills Animal Alert.

On Monday, this momma dog and her three pups appeared in the Dallas White Rock Lake-area neighborhood. "She has a collar no tags. None are microchipped. I have no place to put them. Until tomorrow[Wednesday] they are at East Lake Veterinary Hospital but we cannot afford for them to stay past then.

"I got a call from a woman who lives in Greenville who is willing to foster them. She thinks 4 is too many but will try. She is out of town from Wednesday till Sunday. She can take them Monday. We need some people to help in fostering ... and maybe some rescue group to take them. The woman from Greenville wants a playmate for her dog so she may want to keep one. I have no idea what to do until then. I have not been around them enough to know if they will even stay in my backyard, darn chain link fence. Maybe someone out there can help. If I can't find help I will have to turn them over to the city. It makes me sick to think I would do that but my hands are tied. With my work schedule I cannot keep them here. Besides I have a foster already that needs a home. I had 4 dogs over the weekend so I need the break. If some people could foster them and I can get 2 of them Monday to Greenville that would help.

"The momma is very sweet and really looks after her pups. She has been around people and is not aggressive at all. When we found her we left our car door open and she just jumped in. If anyone out there can help PLEASE call 214-930-5910."

BRUTUS AND THE CATS: If you go to the Irving Animal Shelter's PetFinder page HERE, you may ask, "Can they get any MORE cats?" Probably. And there are a bunch of dogs. Yep, more will, no doubt, come into the shelter.

Here's the story of one that we've gotten from several people. It appears to have originated with Holly Elms Niederhaus, one of our long-time reliable sources who is always on the lookout for critters down on their luck.

The story of this dog is that his name is Brutus and he was "Brutus was brought to the shelter by his own family. Their parting words were 'he's good with dogs and kids.' He's very sad as you can see. For those of you who are Shakespeare buffs, don't you think it's cruelly ironic that this dog's name is Brutus, considering his owners were the ones doing the betraying?"

He's a 2-year-old, 60-pound hound mix and he's on the clock at the Irving Animal Shelter. It's at 100 N. Briery, just east of Belt Line at Rock Island, south of the Airport Freeway in Irving. Call 972-721-2256.

ADVICE FROM MARY: That sounds like the name of a newspaper column, but in this case it's sort of a plea and sort of advice from our reliable tipster Mary Garrett. She reminds us that during awful, hot weather people who "know any old folks or sick folks with pets" should "check in with them by phone or email at least a couple of times a week." Make sure they're safe, make sure they're not suffering, make sure their animals are being cared for properly.

You might avert a family tragedy by doing the "checks."

MONEY MATTERS: We've been monitoring the story of the pups and the momma dog that Tony and Lynn Gatlin have been fostering in Corsicana. Momma is the dog who has given birth to two litters behind a law office -- she's also now known as Tess.

Lynn took her to the Ennis Veterinary Clinic for her checkup and "she laid beside me and rode with her head in my lap all the way."

Tess is about 3 years old and, according to the "best guess," is a "husky, shepherd, heeler, whatever mix."  Dr. Gary Wilson's exam showed she's heartworm positive but "not a strong positive," Lynn says. So she'll not undergo rigorous heartworm treatment, but will get a less severe treatment. And, next month she'll be spayed.

There is an account set up for Tess and the puppies at the clinic. Donations will go to Tess and her pups. "The cost of vaccinations and food alone for this army can get pretty costly," says Lynn. Send donations to Ennis Veterinary Clinic, 3101 N. Kaufman, Ennis, Texas, 75119, Attn: Dr. Gary Wilson. Be sure to refer to "Tess and The Puppies" on your donation.

Oh, yeah, if you want to adopt the Momma Dog Tess or any of her pups, including this boy Dandy Dakota, e-mail lynnsoldit@yahoo.com.

CATCHING UP: Rulon, the dog from Irving we mentioned earlier in the week, was rescued, according to reliable tipster Russell Posch. (We're attempting to find out by whom in case it's a rescue group trying to find a new home for the lad.)

And, DFW Metro Golden Retriever Rescue picked up Spyke, the "olden Golden," from Carrollton yesterday. Katie Crocker, who works with both DFW-MGRR and Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas, says Spyke isn't as old as he looks in his photo.  He's around 5, but he is heartworm positive and needs to be neutered.

His name is now Astro because they "didn't think Spyke was a great name for a gentleman."

Astro is "very waggy" and "very happy to be out of the shelter," Katie says.

REGARDING NACOGDOCHES: Last week we mentioned some unpleasantness surrounding events at the city animal shelter in Nacogdoches. The city conducted a hearing and upheld termination of a staffer. You can read about it in the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel story HERE.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Watching all the different events in the Olympics convinces me even more that the idea floated a couple of years ago of Dallas hosting the Summer Games is about as viable as Dallas hosting the Winter Games. ... Everybody thinks hybrids are the newest thing in transportation, but, seriously, what about the mule? ... There's a move by management to get the state to allow Six Flags Over Texas to sell beer in the park. One more reason not to stand near the roller coasters.