Storms and humans...

Yeah, Hurricane Gustav has subsided and we're experiencing a cool spell in North Texas, but that doesn't mean this storm business is all over.

(And, later on this week we're going to do some "thankin'" of people who were instrumental in keeping the hurricane animal response orderly around here.)

Here is today's business:

NEWS FROM THE SPCA: First, the SPCA has re-opened its admitting offices and, second, the 50 percent off adoption bargain has ended. Third? Yes, there is a third. Adoptions were way up over the 4-day storm period. We'll get to that in a moment. Gustav's splash-effect continues.

According to the SPCA, 78 dogs and 33 cats from the Caddo Parish Animal Control shelter in Shreveport arrived Thursday evening at the SPCA's Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney.

These animals were adoptables originally located at the Lake Charles Animal Control shelter. They were moved north to Shreveport, then to the SPCA "so that the Lake Charles Animal Control shelter can assist with evacuees' pets."

On Wednesday, the SPCA asked the Texas Animal Shelter Coalition for help in placing these Louisiana animals with animal groups in Texas and most will go to the rescue groups over the next 2 days, the SPCA says.

On Saturday, the SPCA had taken in 188 dogs and cats from the Louisiana SPCA in New Orleans. On Monday, the SPCA sent 89 cats and kittens to the Dumb Friends League in Denver. And on Tuesday, the SPCA sent 48 dogs to Michigan Humane in Detroit -- they met halfway at the Humane Society of Missouri in St. Louis.

That's a whopping lot of animals to move around. Good thing the price of gasoline had dropped, eh?

But, here's another figure. During the hurricane weekend (starting Thursday), when the SPCA was running its half-off specials and when The Mind of the General Public was geared toward helping hurricane victims, the organization adopted out 168 pets. That made room for animals coming into the SPCA from out of state.

I asked Maura Davies how many animals the SPCA would usually adopt in such a non-storm period. She'd already been wondering about that and had the figure ready, she told me. "In any other given four days, over a weekend for consistency's sake, our average would be about 100 animals adopted (made up of adoptions from both our shelters and our offsite adoptions."

Still available in the big crowd of critters are the animals pictured here. That puppy is a young girl named Allie. And that cat is Lucy Lewis, a 4-year-old who came into the SPCA because a family member became allergic. See them all at the SPCA site at www.spca.org.

NOT A STORM, CASE #1: Here's the first dog we'll discuss today that demonstrates all animals in tight spots are not victims of hurricanes. We get the story from our tipster Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. As regular readers know, these animal Friends operate a successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City.

Sydney's note reads, "OK, it's a bad picture, but this is about the level of commitment from these people who are going out of town and want to get rid of the family pet -- don't even get me started. At least they made an effort. Wonder if their children are also an inconvenience?"

So, this is a 4-year-old spayed Aussie who is "good with other animals, likes women, doesn't know about children and she deserves a lot better than this family."

Sydney explains that "the guy just walked into the clinic on Tuesday with this picture and his story."

To help this dog, call 214-212-2660. Soon.

NOT A STORM,CASE #2: We were tipped to this situation by noted animal guru Cary Birdwell of Adopt-a-Dallas Pet. (Click HERE to visit his website.) These two dogs are currently on "stray/hold" at the Prairie Paws Adoption Center in Grand Prairie.

The story is another example of the genius of some humans. It goes "Mother and two pups abandoned at home when owner moved out. Person down the street took one puppy, landlord called AC and mother and remaining puppy impounded on 9/2/08."

The mother, according to Cary's note, has had "numerous litters and is described as a friendly, medium-sized cream or yellow pit bull mix. Female puppy is approximately 2 months old, brindle with white socks."

These dogs, once living a normal dog life, now face death on Saturday morning if no rescue group claims them. You can see all of Grand Prairie's shelter animals by clicking HERE and navigating to the adoptables. The Prairie Paws Center is at 2222 W. Warrior Trail in Grand Prairie. Call 972-237-8575. E-mail animaldispatch@gptx.org. To ask Cary a question, e-mail adoptadallaspet@yahoo.com.

TEEING IT UP FOR TOOL: We've been dealing lately with a couple of issues at the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake shelter at Tool -- primarily juggling animals to save their lives and get them into out-of-town or out-of-state rescue groups.

And we were going to make a plea to help a dog named Bunni, a 2-year-old pit girl with "personality overload" who "jumps like a rabbit. But, before we could do that, Krista McAnally sent us a note saying that the dog had gotten help and would not be put to sleep.

Then, Krista sent a note saying, basically, "As long as you're writing about us..." could we help with promoting the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake Golf Tournament?

You bet. The tournament is scheduled for Sept. 13 at Kings Creek Golf Club in Kemp. It's a shot gun star for a 4-person scramble -- $65 per person. (Golfers' lunch is included; if you want to dine with a golfer but you aren't playing, it'll cost you $10.)

To sign up to play, call Jerry Hazelip at 972-978-5747 or call Joni Walker at 903-880-4364.

There'll be a longest drive contest, straightest drive contest, closet to the pink and "Hecklers Corner." There's also a chance to win "Worst Team" trophies. Oh, yeah, there'll be trophies for the winners, too, but, seriously, what are the odds you'll get one of those?

WORD ON MACEY: Joe Skenesky of the Carrollton Animal Services shelter says the little cocker spaniel stray, Macey, one of several animals on the shelters "put to sleep list," went to DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue on Wednesday. And visit our pals at DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue HERE. They can use some adoptions, some fosters and some money. It's not cheap keeping cocker spaniels groomed and happy (We've got one, Inky, and he's always whining about wanting the latest iPhone.)

Still plenty of animals left on the clock at Carrollton. Go HERE to see them. In the meantime, Carrollton's current inventory includes this guy Cooper, a standard poodle who is a year-and-a-half-old, neutered, current on shots and turned in by his people because they said they could no longer care for him.

CUBAN AND UNCLE BARKY: You know, I have a soft spot in my heart for world-famous TV critic Ed Bark -- and it's only natural that a daily column dealing with animals should mention a guy named Bark. Now, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been in the news lately not just for his basketball interests but for attempts to purchase or horse-trade for the Chicago Cubs. As you may know, the Critic Mr. Bark hosts a regular "Uncle Barky Show" at Stratos Global Greek Taverna in Dallas -- the next one is at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, and it'll feature la live interview and chat with Mr. Cuban. The restaurant is at 2907 W. Northwest Highway. and you can catch up on area TV news (such as the departures and arrivals of anchors) by reading www.unclebarky.com.

CONTEMPLATIONS: The power went out at our house last night about 10 minutes into Sarah Palin's speech. Our computers shut down, our TVs went off, the icebox quit iceboxing and it was very, very dark. Power came back on just as her speech was ending. Technology. You want frustration? Try finding candles in the dark. Why the power failure? I'm sure someone somewhere was rebooting something and it shut down our neighborhood. ... After watching a replay of Veep-nominee Palin's speech (and I watched the Dems last week, too), you've got to figure that any debates are going to be a lot livelier than the debates we had to suffer through during the nomination process. ... Favorite cowboy movie: John Wayne's Angel and the Badman, Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or North Dallas Forty?

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