A roundup for November 22...

November 22. You can’t be in Dallas on Nov. 22 or you can’t be a child of the 1950s and early ‘60s without a flood of memories.
Oh, wait, that was 48 years ago. There’s a whole bunch of people who weren’t around when President Kenney was assassinated. Holy smoke. There’s a phrase: “seems like only yesterday.”  Sure seems to fit, if you were around back then.
All the black-and-white photos remind me that my hair used to be black. Oh, my. Can life move this quickly? 
Well, we’ve got to make new colorful memories from happier events, like, for example, the upcoming first annual Petropolitan Santa Paws Celebration and Waggin’ Parade. More on that Dallas event in a minute.
Now, our daily report:
STIPULATION: Rather than post a photo and bio from a local shelter or group we’ll just stipulate that they are all full of animals who need homes. If you are looking to add an animal to your household, adopt one. Take some time, look in the shelters. Computers make it easier to spot a dog or cat you might want. Use your Google, use your brain – match the animal to your household. Most shelters and all rescue groups have someone who can counsel you about getting a good fit. Remember find a good fit for your heart AND your house. Both you and the animal will be happier. And don’t shop for a dog or cat like you’d shop for a shirt or blouse – you can’t hang an animal in the closet and forget it. It’s a living being and due more respect than that ill-chosen “must have for spring” outfit. Respect and love – such a simple formula for success.
PRAYERS AND PASSAGES: On our Prayers and Passages page (click the button in the upper right corner) you’ll find Cari Weinberg’s tribute to her ol’ pal Gator, a great fellow she lost over the weekend. As Cari closed her note to me, “Here’s to old dogs everywhere and the people who love and appreciate them. Now, pass the Kleenex, please.” Yes, the ol’ newshound teared up while reading about the escapades of Gator, a rescued dog who lived a long time.
FOUND IN MESQUITE: Oh, boy, here’s a dog in the hands of the “Friendly Neighborhood Cat Ladies,” as the group Texas Pawprints is known.
Maggie Smith a volunteer with the group writes, “Texas Pawprints received a dog today [Monday] that was found running around in a parking lot in Mesquite around Barns Bridge and La Prada.  ... He’s really sweet and is neutered already.  He is wearing a collar, but unfortunately he has no ID tags or microchip.  Vet estimates he’s between 6 and 12 months old. 
“I’m hoping he got lost or escaped and has a family looking for him. He’ll be fostering with me for the time being. People can contact me about him at 469-544-4411.  We’re calling him Bridges since he didn’t have any ID.  If we don’t hear from anyone looking for him, we’ll of course adopt him out and anyone interested in adopting him can also call me.”
REMINDER: The SPCA of Texas and the Deep Elm pizza place Il Cane Russo are teaming today for the “eleven22eleven” fundraiser. Drop by the SPCA at 2400 Lone Star Drive, west of Downtown Dallas (near Hampton at I-20) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and donate money and get free Il Cane Russo pizza. Or, stop by Il Cane Russo, 2612 Commerce, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. for Yappy Hour benefiting the SPCA.
And has anyone mentioned that SPCA President James Bias has won the “Excellence in Non-Profit Leadership Award” from the Center for Non-Profit Management? How about that!
YULTIDE OPPORTUNITY AND NO-KILL DALLAS: The Petropolitan will host the first Petropolitan Santa Paws Celebration and Waggin’ Parade 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on December 17 at City Gardens, Main at Harwood, in Downtown Dallas.
Yep, an opportunity to costume your critters and let them lead you through City Gardens – is it Christmas or what?
The organizers, led by the Petropolitan’s Chris Watts, are looking for vendors and rescue groups. Space at the festival is free, according to the press release (though if you sign up and don’t show up, you get charged $50 to help set aside expenses for marketing).
There’ll be Santa photos, an Apple Cider/ hot cocoa bar, and other pet-oriented attractions.
According to the press release from The Petropolitan, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings’ “office has asked us coordinate this as a destination event at City Gardens annually.”
In fact, at this inaugural event, the mayor is scheduled to speak on behalf of efforts to make Dallas a no-kill city.
Vendors and groups that want to participate should contact Chris Watts at 214-741-4100 or e-mail paperfish@sbcglobal.net.
COMMUNCATION AND UNDERSTANDING:  Never mind taking a village to save animals, it takes smarts, too. Like you’ve got to be smart enough to have all the paperwork in order and the ability to communicate with shelter personnel.
Consequently, the Prairie Paws Animal Shelter in Grand Prairie is gathering information from rescue groups so it’ll know who can pull animals on behalf of rescue groups.
Anna Dodwell, the Senior Animal Services Officer for Prairie Paws, the City of Grand Prairie shelter, is currently gathering and updating area rescue group information. (This is in advance of an Open House at which the shelter would like to show off its rescue partners.)
Here’s what Grand Prairie needs from rescue groups who want to pull animals from Prairie Paws:
501(c)(3) documents and by-laws with the rescue’s mailing address; rescue group contact’s names, e-mails and phone numbers; a list of people authorized by the rescue group to act on behalf of the rescue group and pull animals from the shelter.
Send your info to adodwell@gptx.org or fax it to 972-237-8579.
[Aside from Larry: This simple information keeps imposters from pulling animals and enthusiastic do-gooders from overloading rescue groups, it would seem. This opinion is based on watching people – not that the term “animal nut” might apply to anybody, of course. But, frankly, order is better than disorder when it comes to saving animals – organization helps and a bitter free-for-all is bad for the animals and the people, too.]
CONTEMPLATION: Black and white images on television at an amazingly unthinkable point in history – yep, time for the annual trip back to the dark day in American history. For those of you too young to remember, we’re talking about the Nov. 22, 1963, assassination of John F. Kennedy as he was leaving Downtown Dallas on a route so many millions have safely taken through the years. Absolutely unthinkable.
The assassination became an industry – publishing, video, lecturing, debunking, creating, speculating, etc.
It is human nature to think “What if this had never happened?” How great a president would JFK have become? What would not have happened? Would sons and daughters not have been lost in Vietnam? Would the Soviet Union have collapsed? Would anything about human nature been changed for the better?
Would we, as JFK suggested, be asking not what our country can do for us, but what we can do for our country?
Perhaps the legacy for some of us is an annual opportunity to contemplate the consequences of actions and events – not just things seen on a TV or (nowadays) computer screen, but the things we do. Perhaps, after witnessing the lessons of vicious behavior, kindness will prevail. Or, perhaps, I am giving humans too much credit for having brains. Let’s end this on an up note: We each have a chance to be better on our own. We’re not perfect, but we can do better.
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