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Assorted tales of animals on the brink and lousy jokes...

Last day of April. My diet was unsuccessful so, as you read this, know that I’m gearing up for my May diet. Hang on. Let me dunk this donut….I’m kidding. OK, on with Monday’s report:
THE SHOPPING BUGGY DOG: This is Lulu. She was found in a shopping buggy at the Goodwill store in Burleson.
Josie Tucker says her mother-in-law works at the store and found Lulu and “brought her home to me rather than calling animal control.”
Josie is with Town & Country Shelter Rescue (that’s HERE www.tcsr.org).
Lulu moved with a sever limp – something was wrong with her right, rear leg, Josie says. So she took her to a vet who reports that Lulu has “a torn anterior cruciate ligament.” Yep, just like the fellows in the NFL.
The year old dog appears to get along “great with cats, kids, dogs – she is full of joy.”
The problem is she isn’t adoptable as long as she’s not healed, Josie says. The vet priced the surgery at $1,000. [Aside: We have had big dogs with similar problems who recovered after weeks of enforced bed rest. But Lulu’s problem may not match their’s.]
To ask about helping Lulu by donating or adopting or fostering or getting her into a vet program of some kind, email Josie at four2beraptured@yahoo.com.
TOUGH MONDAY OR TRIUMPH? Dallas Animal Services puts out “Very Special Pets” list nearly every week – the animals are on “the list” because they’ve been at the shelter for 45 days and, though they are healthy, adorable and adoptable, nobody has been moved to take them. Today is the last day for one cat and six dogs if nobody takes them. There are many, many animals in this city-run shelter. There are three ways to get them out of the shelter: adoption, claimed by rescue groups, euthanized. Difficult to think that the most reliable method is the needle.
FYI: That stretched out cats IS NOT on the VSP list -- she's just a pregnant cat awaiting fate at the Dallas shelter.
According to a shelter report, in March, the shelter took in 1,813 dogs and 522 cats. And in that 31-day period, 1,147 dogs and 239 cats were euthanized. This mass slaughter isn’t the shelter’s fault. The shelter isn’t out there encouraging people to let their animals run free, breed vibrantly and become public nuisances. The blame is on residents – the “don’t care element of society.”
You can see how to adopt by going to www.dallasanimalservices.org. The animals on the VSP list have special lower adoption prices.
Just clip this segment and send it to every person you know – someone is bound to have a spot for one dog or one cat. At least.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT: This poster obviously has been networked. But here’s how that happened – and Cosmo the deaf Bull Terrier is still missing this morning.
Paws In The City was having its weekend adoption at Pet Supplies Plus on Mockingbird yesterday when Kyle Stewart dropped by to ask people to keep an eye out for 8-year-old Cosmo.
He had been left in the backyard – with a newly repaired fence – for 30 minutes and apparently he found a way out. He’s microchipped and was wearing tags. He was last seen Saturday morning near the intersection of Gaston at Garland Road. If you know Cosmo’s whereabouts, e-mail qualtrokyle@aol.com or call 214-497-6789.
SPEAKING OF PAWS IN THE CITY: While the adoption event was being conducted and Kyle Stewart was stopping by to alert people to his missing pal Cosmo, the Paws In The City People were caught up in another drama involving this momma dog and her basket of relatively fresh pups.
You may recall that last week Paws In The City was dealing with an emergency situation – the organization had rescued a mom and her 10 pups from an area shelter. Two of the puppies came down with distemper and died – the remaining 8 and Mom seem to be coping well.
But saving them costs money and Paws In The City needs a little help with the medical fund, according to our longtime Paws In The City contact Becky Haisma. Go to the Paws In The City site HERE to see how to help [You may also email bhaisma@gmail.com.] The family is now in boarding, but that is expensive, so the rescue group is trying to find a foster home.
Fostering puppies takes a special determination – they go every which way and find ways to get into things that you’d never have expected. It’s an adventure and when they leave, your heart breaks just a little but you will remember the rascals every day. [Larry aside: That last sentence is dedicated to foundling dog Seven and the four pups she had in our garage/kennel about a dozen years ago. I’m still picking up the stray packing peanuts that little Larry, Moe, Curly and Mort got into and exploded all over the place with great glee.]
THE NEEDY CALF: The folks at Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake are not just friends of dogs and cats – they’ll help a calf now and then. That’s why we got this note from our Friends tipster, Sydney Busch. As you know, Friends operates the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City.
This time, the need is not for spay or neuter, but for help with a calf. Sydney put us in touch with Pat Townsend who reports, “I have a two week old calf looking for a home.  We don't have time to care for it any longer. It is a beautiful little girl calf.  Seems to refuse her mother and a bottle. We have been giving it syringes of mother's milk or replacer. Hubby [Garth] has lots of other animals to care for and I'm unable to care for her as it takes a lot of patience and time and I am physically unable to care for it because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. … We don't want to let her die or take her to slaughter.”
Pat told Readlarrypowell.com that the calf is “a spotted brown and white cutie; Daddy is a registered Beefmaster; Mother a solid black beauty.”
The calf has lost weight since birth and is down to 70 pounds “and not eating enough.”
To offer to give a safe haven to a little calf, e-mail patandgarth@embarqmail.com.
TWO CATS NEED A PLACE: Gerri Hawes is trying to help find a home or homes for a couple of cats who were left behind when a friend died. “Her family is not able to take them and has asked me to try and find homes.  So far, I’ve had no success with Facebook, emails, flyers in vets offices, and with two rescue organizations (because they don’t have space due to kittens). One of them suggested I contact you.  We only have this week to place these cats.”
So, dear Readers, the pressure is on – is there someone out there who can place or who has a place for these two cats?
Clarissa is the female and Mischa is the male. Torties, perhaps.
And, according to their bios, Clarrissa is “aggressively affectionate.” She’s about 10 and is declawed.
Mischa Koshka is also 10 and declawed. According to the family, the cats’ late human was an avid reader and Mischa is the Russian version of Michael and Koshka is Russian for “cat.”
Da or nyet, I don’t know. Whatever the names, these older, declawed cats need an indoor home.
To ask about helping these cats, e-mail gerri@jthawes.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Since the Huffington Post is good at linking to stories from other news agencies, we’ll link to the HuffPo right HERE because it is a story about police and how animal situations are handled. You may have read about the officer shooting the Frisbee-playing dog in Austin. Not that officers don’t already have enough to worry about with people, but perhaps there is a training method that could help peace officers and pups in crisis situations. … We get notes now and then from PETA about assorted animal situations. The latest has to do with a PETA investigation into pigeon racing and the deaths of the birds. Click HERE. .… Please don’t think this is a political note – if I’m taking sides, it’s the side of animals. But I watched the annual Washington correspondents dinner over the weekend and was completely disgusted by the president’s and comic Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes about eating dogs. I know they’re jokes, but, seriously, it is unsettling to think that our president’s sense of humor has this ugly insensitivity. Mr. Kimmel is simply a modern comic – they’re not always that funny, though he was better than most who headline the dinner. Still, between Mitt Romney’s rooftop dog and President Obama’s jocular dog-eating references, I’ve just about had enough of this presidential campaign.
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Pawsing for a nap...

Every now and then you run into a living work of art imitating a long-lived work of art.
In this case, the feline artwork Wesley is a feline version of the out-of-the-ordinary underground comic artist R. Crumb’s Keep On Truckin’ guy with the giant shoes and long legs.
We got these photos of Wesley from his human, Carolyn Perkins, whose nomination secured the “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap” spotlight for her big-pawed pal.
She refers to him as “my little rescue kitten Wesley” and says that “like most orange tabbies” young Wesley “is ridiculously cute, full of energy and spends most of the day attacking (he would call it ‘playing with’) his adopted sisters Jasmine and Fiona who shoot him a ‘Really?’ – like when Wesley pounces on one or both of them at the same time.
”And like most kittens little Wesley sleeps as hard as he plays. He has adopted a pillow which allows him to stretch at full capacity while simultaneously maintaining his adorableness.
”Needless to say he has adapted quite well from living on the streets to living the good life.”
She adds, “He does have huge feet and in a close-up photo it makes him look like Gigantor!” [Aside from Larry: For those of you who enjoy time-traveling, we provide a link to Gigantor HERE and to an R. Crumb site with a famed bit of art that looks curiously Wesleyan HERE.]
How did Wesley wind up in the Perkins home in Dallas? “I've been TNRing [trap-neuter-releasing] some semi-feral (semi because after I feed them they seem to have adopted me) kits who live in and around my backyard.
”Little Wes was a very sick little guy whom I scooped up to get well and adopt out like his brothers and sisters.
”As is typical, by the time he was well he had purred his way into my heart (he adorably leaps onto my shoulder and curls up to sleep). So, much to the chagrin of my other cats (who have somehow forgotten they were also rescued) he is now a permanent resident.  He got his little snip-snip a couple of weeks ago so my girls are hopeful it will curb his hormonal love of them. I don't know what it is about orange cats but they are particularly irresistible.”
[No matter how big the paws or feet or claws of your animal pals (or sleeping relatives, to mention cloven hooves) please feel free to nominate your snoozer for the spotlight of our internationally read weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Send photo and info to dallrp@aol.com. Remember, at Readlarrypowll.com, we believe insomnia can be defeated regardless of shoe size.]
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On Friday, optimism and information...

Welcome to Friday. We’ll start with the Dallas Animal Shelter meeting and such positive things as a plan to spay or neuter 59,000 animals at low- or no-cost, mention a crawfish boil and segue into other things.
THE ANIMAL SHELTER COMMISSION MEETING:  Thursday’s meeting of the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission was a distinctly optimistic session.  In fact, it was such a sweet meeting that, after nearly 3 ½ hours I thought I might slip into a sugar coma from all the happiness.
Heck, even Room 6E South at Dallas Hall, usually the coldest room in town, was positively comfortable. Nobody had to put on a coat or chop up furniture to make a fire.
Yes, it was a different kind of city hall meeting. Warm and darned near fuzzy.
There were so many positive presentations that we can’t possibly fit them all in today so we’ll string them out over the next several editions – that’ll help your ol’ newshound avoid another sugar rush.  
In no particular order as I look as pages and pages of notes from yesterday – oh, wait, let me quickly get to this: The issue of temporary employees.  A few weeks ago some commissioners had publicly expressed dismay and disgust over the way some of the “contract laborers” were handling animals – kicking doors on cages, dragging animals, etc. Some declared the topic would be brought up at the next meeting. Word was the lack of training and experience was showing through and also some of these temps confessed that they didn’t like animals.
(Background: You may recall that last October the city unloaded a bunch of veteran shelter employees and their benefits to hire contract labor. The city maintains the shelter lost no positions – however, there are positions not yet filled and there is a lingering absence of experience in handling live animals in a shelter situation. And, according to comments from Shelter Director Jody Jones at the meeting, the lack of complete staffing does affect the way some business is done. The issue of using untrained contract labor to fill key animal handling positions in the vast shelter was never actually a direct topic of conversation in the nearly 4 hour meeting. Of course, such negativity would have been in contrast to the tone of the session.)
Now, though there were indications for a while that this “temp situation” would be discussed at this meeting, it really didn’t come up.
We’ll try to be brief on each topic though each topic is worthy of a separate long story (In keeping with the optimistic positive theme, though, we can’t just focus on one aspect of the meeting).
-- “The Big Fix in Big D” is a plan involving grants, assorted spay/neuter organization and public promotions. SPCA of Texas President James Bias told the Commission that the organizations (including SPCA, Dallas Animal Services and others) hope to perform 59,000 surgeries over a 3-year period in 17 Zip Codes south of I-30 in Dallas beginning sometime this summer. The aim is to reduce the number of unwanted puppies and kittens, thus reducing the euthanasia numbers in Dallas.
-- President Bias told the commission about a “Matrix” several area rescue groups have adopted to evaluate animals’ health and demeanor upon arrival in their custody – among the benefits is all the groups use the same terms and methods of judging the adoptability of an animal. (More on this in later editions – but standardized assessments are supposed to help animals survive and find homes)
-- Rebecca Poling, the shelter commission member who also is chair of the Dallas Companion Animal Project (the no-kill task force) outlined the project’s efforts. There are many areas where volunteers are needed. Getting the word out seems to be the biggest challenge – also there’s no budget for such things as printing announcements, etc.  DCAP is also looking for sponsors for projects and for donations. Read about it HERE.  More on this later, too. (More on this in later editions.)
--During a discussion of shelter operations, Commissioner Bonnie Mathias, .touching on a topic akin to untrained contract laborers handling shelter animals, was visibly upset when she asked how a pregnant dog – in the shelter for weeks --  could have been “missed” by workers until she was (a) about to deliver and  (b) only hours away from being euthanized.  (Larry aside: Foose, pictured here, was a VSP – Very Special Pet, meaning she’d been in the shelter at least 45 days with no takers, so she had been scheduled for euthanasia. She was saved by East Lake Pet Orphanage after an alert was distributed throughout the animal community. So the system works, sort of. And the other photos in this segment today are of animals currently available at DAS.)
Also, Commissioner Mathias asked how shelter employees could have missed a dog with an embedded collar. Though that generally is something that happens to neglected animals outside the shelter, in this case the dog had been given the collar when it came into the shelter, but it had matured and gained weight during its shelter stay and outgrown its collar. (A vet had to cut it out of the dog’s neck, we’re told) Shelter Director Jones agreed that such things just shouldn’t happen.  
[Oh, to end this segment on a positive note, Commissioner Mathias learned yesterday that she’s the winner of The President’s Volunteer Service Award.]
--At the outset of the meeting, Commissioner Rebecca Poling, a veteran animal activist  and chair of the Dallas Companion Animal Project (the no-kill task force) , announced that she had taken a position with the company that provides “temporary staffing” for the shelter and is now doing “contract labor” at the shelter with marketing and publicity issues. During the meeting she repeatedly referenced the “good news” aspects of stories on the DAS Facebook page. She also told her commission colleagues that her temporary position had been cleared by the city attorney’s office, that the office said there was no conflict of interest since her commission position is voluntary [all commissioners are appointed by city council members].
The commission does not participate in budgeting matters for the animal shelter other than trying to influence the city to make sensible additions to the animal services budget and, sometimes, questioning the way expenses may occur, such as dealing with the continually pesky custom-built, heating/air-conditioning system and its maintenance. Every now and then commissioners will pinpoint areas where spending should occur or where they wish spending would occur to benefit the animals or, in the past, have questioned the elimination of veteran employees from the shelter budget in favor of using less-expensive temporary employees..
--One of those optimistic areas mentioned at Thursday’s meeting was giving a makeover to the city shelter, a generally plain facility with a lack of visual warm that even caught the attention of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings during a tour of the place.
Commissioner Poling, whose husband Rich is a noted artist, presented a slide show with before and potentially “after” changes to the facility. Rich Poling created a computer demonstration of what the bare walls, lobbies and windows in the shelter could look like if artistic pawprints were applied to walls and windows and the ceilings were decorated with mobiles of vibrant, whimsical cutouts of dogs and cats.
The idea is to make the animal shelter more inviting. And, indeed, artist Poling’s efforts demonstrated how much difference some themed decorating could make.
Of course, there’s no money in the city budget for such a project, but, as Commissioner Skip Trimble noted, this is, after all, Dallas, and somewhere there’s a big heart who might want to help the city improve the image of its taxpayer-supported animal shelter.
-- As discussion of revamping the shelter’s appearance began, Commissioner Jennifer Roberts said the place needs a more inviting name because “Dallas Animal Services” sounds sort of like “some place you’d get your oil changed.” [FYI: Many shelters around the nation have adopted the idea of “marketing” their shelters.]
So, based on yesterday’s meeting, there are plenty of optimistic shelter-related topics to address and we’ll try to get to them as days go by. And, today we’ll close this segment with a link to a really sweet public service announcement created on behalf of Dallas Animal Services. According to the story, Commissioner Molly DeVoss was volunteering at the shelter and met a shelter visitor who works in video and that person agreed to make a free public service announcement for the shelter.
There was a brief discussion Thursday about how to get this into the hands of local TV stations. And it was noted by Commissioner Poling that is it on the DAS Facebook page.
You can’t see it right away on that page – you have to hunt for it and know that it has been archived with the March entries. At some point, no doubt, it’ll emerge into a more readily visible position, perhaps on TV or at least as a link on a website produced by a veteran newshound. Oh, look! Here’s that easier to find Youtube link now: Click HERE.
--Oh, one more thing that didn’t come up in the public discussion but is usually part of the report at commission meetings.The euthanasia totals.
After all, with the no-kill task force in full operation and no-kill a declared goal for the City of Dallas, how can you aim for a goal without knowing what you’re trying to defeat?
As you may suspect, Dallas Animal Services is not some Mom and Pop Shelter -- it's massive.
The shelter took in 2,091 unwanted animals in February and euthanized 1,183. In the longer month of March, the shelter took in  2,615 animals and euthanized 1,576.
So, no matter how positive the spin is on activities at the shelter, the combination of factors such as irresponsible residents, roaming animals, sick and injured animals and owner-surrendered animals still means the shelter kills them by the thousands to make room for the next load. [See our Contemplations today for more.]
MONITORING: In Kaufman County, back in March, a guy beat a dog to death with a hammer. Animal advocates are working on making sure that guy has his day in court, though,  so far he’s dodged it. Stay tuned. We’re keeping up with efforts to let this guy explain the event. There's a news story HERE.
PAWS IN THE CITY NEEDS A BIT OF HELP: Our Paws In The City contact Becky Haisma reports that the rescue group pulled a momma and 10 puppies from the Fort Worth Animal Care & Control Shelter – they were ailing. Two of the puppies have die. Others are showing signs of illness. The dogs are all being treated with a vigorous distemper “protocol”. This is expensive and the non-profit organization needs to replenish its emergency medical fund – go to the website www.pawsinthecity.org to see how to donate.
BIG SALE AT COLLIN COUNTY: Yes, the marketing volunteers at Collin County Animal Services are running a special – today through Saturday the adoptions are $50. Includes all sorts of extras. Click on that artwork to make the details larger.
And, you see that dog? That’s Danny.
Why is he in the shelter? Roaming ways and a skunk.
Volunteer shelter walker Allison Roberts reports that Danny has been in quarantine at the shelter “because he was sprayed by a skunk and McKinney Animal Control wanted him quarantined for possible skunk exposure.” Skunks, as you may know, are notorious carries of rabies. But Danny’s passed the observation test and now he’s available. He’s on his second visit to the shelter. He’s neutered, knows routine commands and “won several awards at an offsite festival for his tricks and great behavior!!  He came back to the shelter twice this year, and this time his owner didn't come (he was getting out of their backyard.”
E-mail ldrummonds@co.collin.tx.us and animalshelter@co.collin.tx.us to ask about any animal in Collin County’s shelter.
ART’S BENEFIT: Animal Rescue of Texas will benefit from a crawfish boil from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Green Elephant in Dallas.
Get tickets and raffle info at the ART site HERE www.animalrescueoftexas.org.
And, in case you wondered about the name: PBR For Pups Crawfish Boil, here was the challenge: I knew what pups, crawfish and oil were, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what PBR was though I tried every configuration of animal related letters.
I asked ART President Maggie Dahl and she solved it. The original sponsor of this event was not Pure Breed Rescue, it was Pabst Blue Ribbon.
CONTEMPLATIONS: In the earlier Animal Shelter Commission story I felt bad about bringing up, in the context of such a positive meeting, the negative aspect of the unmentioned euthanasia rates, but, as the Scripps Newspaper motto reads, “Give people the light and they will find their own way.” Maybe with a spotlight on the euthanasia numbers, more people will find their way toward stopping the senseless slaughter in Dallas and North Texas.  Of course, if you taxpaying citizens are happy with killing animals by the thousands, why, then, just hire all the temps you want to operate the warehouse of death. Sorry. Got caught up in the possibility that fully informed citizens can change things for the better.
While looking up some information about the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission, I ran across the “Vision” for the commission. It’s on the City Secretary’s website HERE.
And it'll show you what these hardworking commissioners are charged with doing – it’s not an easy task and it’s not something that only requires a nice meeting every now and then. These people have to be dedicated to the mission of helping protect the animals from civilization’s shortcomings.
The Vision
”The Commission’s vision is for Dallas to be a premier city for companion animals and the people who care for them, so that all residents are free from the dangers and nuisances of irresponsible pet-ownership, and so that every pet born is assured of a good home and good care all its natural life and does not suffer due to abuse, neglect or ignorance. To achieve this vision, the City must:
--Develop, implement and enforce the policies and programs that will make Dallas a no-kill city
--Encourage compassionate and responsible behavior toward animals through public outreach and education.
--Reposition Dallas Animal Services as a recognized state and national leader in this field."
There you have it, my dear Readers, a Contemplations section with both a View and a Vision.
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A collection for Thursday...

Lots of things today, from a meeting in Dallas to an older girl in Bedford to who knows what…Here goes:
THE MEETING: At 1:30 p.m. today the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission is scheduled to convene in the coldest room in Dallas, Room 6E at Dallas City Hall.
Today, with temps approaching 90, that might be a good place to be.
Keep in mind that all items on the agenda (you can see it HERE. 
While these folks are meeting, there will be animals awaiting either adoption, rescue or the needle at the Dallas Animal Services Shelter & Adoption Center. These are the animals that may be directly affected by the conversations and contemplations that come up during this meeting.
These two animals are among the eight (7 dogs, 1 cat) who are on the euthanasia list for Monday – the 8 were on the list for the 24th but got their time extended. These are labeled “Very Special Pets” by the shelter because they have been available for adoption for 45 days or more, they are healthy and their personalities make them very adoptable.
For some reason, nobody has taken them.
That plain ol’ brown dog is 16-pound, 3- month old Richie, a Pit mix described as a “cute little love bug” who is “great with other dogs and loves to play.” [Aside from Larry: Let's face it. Archie looks like an ol' brown dog nobody wants. Why would you want a dog that looks like that? Because looks ain't everything, chump.]
And the cat is the calico Myla – she’s spayed, a year old and 17 hefty pounds.
Animals on the VSP list can be adopted for $27 for cats and $43 for dogs.
Contact points for adoption:  Catherine.baxter@dallascityhall.com, nicole.self@dallascityhall.com or teresa.cleek@dallascityhall.com or call 214-671-0249 or 214-670-8312. The rescue contact is mark.cooper@dallascityhall.com or 214-670-8298. See more animals at www.dallasanimalservices.org.
THE CRUSH IN BEDFORD: Marilyn Fine is with Helping Paws of North Texas and that organization is working to help relieve the oversupply of animals at the Bedford Animal Shelter.
Marilyn says the place is really loaded right now. That, of course, means that animals are in danger of being euthanized to make room for more unwanted animals.
Among the availables was this 9-year-old dog named Miss Mollie. She’s already spayed. Apparently she was simply unwanted and wound up in the shelter. But she has been adopted! So, we're using her photo as a reminder that older dogs and cats are great companions and good friends. 
The shelter summary says Miss Mollie “has a beautiful singing voice and would do well in a calm household. Talk about a lady, she takes treats like the Queen! She has a lot of life left in her.” [Larry query: Anybody provide us with a recording of her singing?]
The shelter is at 1809 Reliance Parkway, Bedford, 76021. Call 817-952-2191. And you can see the Bedford inventory on PetFinder HERE. Young or old, dog or cat, they all need loving homes.
THREE REMINDERS:
--The SPCA of Texas’ Strut Your Mutt run and festival is from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Fair Park in Dallas. Get the details HERE. And, can you believe this is the SEVENTH ANNUAL Strut Your Mutt? There probably are dogs that haven’t missed a Strut – started when they were puppies, perhaps.
-- This photo came with an announcement from East Lake Pet Orphanage about its May 5 – yep, Cinco de Mayo – Wine on The Roof Celebration. (I don't know who put the lipstick on the cat -- I assume they've been bandaged by now.)
There’ll be a “Get Your Fiesta On” pet fashion show in addition to honoring UFC mixed martial arts notable Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy who will receive the prestigious John LaBella Award for his work on behalf of animals. Get the details and tickets at www.wineontheroof.com.  The Orphanage is at 10101 E. Northwest Highway – it’s the non-profit adoption arm of East Lake Veterinary Hospital and the brainchild – maybe “heart’s mission” rather than “brainchild” – of Dr. Karen Fling.
-- They’re still selling tickets to Real Men Care, the annual celebration of men who work to help animals. The May 6 event is the second annual Real Men Care evening “celebrating men of character, commitment and compassion for animals.” (Tickets are $65 in advance, $75 at the door at Sambuca Uptown, 2120 McKinney, Dallas. Reservations and info HERE. Organizers of the event are Dallas Animal Advocates and the Metroplex Animal Coalition. Honorees this year are longtime animal advocate Skip Trimble, Dallas County Assistant District Attorney David Alex and EchoPoint Mortgage President Jim Clutts, a longtime supporter of animal causes.
DOGS FOUND: Dogs are found all the time around here, but this is a reference to two beloved dogs that had been missing since Monday. We mentioned Benny Zequri’s Belgian Shepherds Vito and Kayla yesterday. They’d gone under a wire fence in his Casa View yard. Yep, they’ve been found – four miles away. Benny says, “A gentlemen by the name of Manuel caught the dogs Monday afternoon and he had them in his back yard, Then he got one of the posters that I put up from the postman who I talked to about the dogs. Manuel called me lest night to go pick them up, I was very thankful.”
TRYING TO EMPTY BURNS FLAT’S SHELTER: Our tipster in Burns Flat, the little Western Oklahoma town, Terry Lynn Fisher, is in a fix these days.
”This sweet, young boy needs to be gone by 8 a.m. Monday,” she writes. The order to get the “long-timers” out of the shelter came from the current town administrator who, coincidentally, was the officer several years ago who, in Terry Lynn’s eyes, inexplicably shot her ultra-friendly dog Oddball to death when he got out of her yard. After that, Terry Lynn devoted her life to saving strays and dumped animals in Burns Flat, vowing that she’d do it in memory of Oddball, hence her e-mail address, remembering_oddball@yahoo.com .
Terry Lynn says the town administrator wants to begin euthanizing dogs after they’ve been in the shelter only 3 days. “He wants me to move several now,” she says. “Right now I am a nervous wreck, fighting this battle with the people in this town. I need help. The pound is full, as are all kennels.”
To help Terry Lynn beat the grim reaper and the bureaucrats, e-mail remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or call her at 580-330-1459.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Before we close this edition, we really need to thank the folks who serve on the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission for their work. If you think all they do is show up for a meeting, you’re way wrong. There are extra projects, time-consuming studies and conversations and visits to shelters and with people who have animal issues. It’s a volunteer job done with love and devotion. And, perhaps we should also note that shelter professionals, such as manager Jody Jones, find themselves doing a lot more than the ol’ 9-to-5 shift. It’s a 24-hour mission. Sticks in your head. Even when you can’t hear a bark or a meow there’s an echo. …. Any Texas Rangers fans already planning their World Series Watching Parties? Reminder: It’s early in the season. Too early to plan, but not too early to enjoy watching the Rangers thump the New York Yankees. … The NFL draft is today. Best of luck to the Dallas Cowboys, the team people used to watch with great hope.
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Luck in a shelter, roaming in Dallas, hot in a car...

OK, let’s get right into the day’s activities as if we knew we had the winning numbers for tonight’s Lotto Texas.
I’ve been using the same numbers for years and years – finally quit calling them “my lucky numbers.” Though, of course, their ineffectiveness has managed to keep me from enduring a tremendous tax burden. Be thankful for small blessings, eh? And now, we begin with a story of luck:
CLOSE CALL: Every now and then there are moments in which circumstances are such that there is a life saved, a happy payoff, a decent break for somebody.
Kelly Bond, who walks the Dallas Animal Services shelter for Homeward Bound Animal Rescue, was there yesterday to pick up a momma cat and her six kittens and an orphaned litter of four. “Didn’t even look at the dogs because I had no foster space, but then I saw her out of the corner of my eye.”
”Her” is this dog.
And when Kelly saw her, she was en route to “The Lab,” as the euthanasia room is known at DAS.
”Yes, they were sliding the puppy across the hall with her sitting with her front feet out in front of her trying to put on the brakes,” Kelly says. “She was a stray that came into the shelter on April 19 listed as a 2-month-old St. Bernard mix.”
As the dog vanished behind “The Lab” door, Kelly quickly sought out rescue coordinator Mark Cooper to try to save the dog. He raced to “The Lab” and found her “on the table with a tourniquet on her leg awaiting the needle,” Kelly says.
She immediately claimed the dog. 
The DAS says she needs treatment for mange on her ears and the top of her head but other than that, the dog appears healthy.
So, with all those cats from DAS, now Homeward Bound has a mangy puppy that needs a home and some help. To offer either to a dog that survived a close call or a cluster of unwanted cats, phone 214-923-6171.
And remember, the DAS has plenty of animals that need saving and the City of Dallas is, officially, more than happy to adopt them rather than euthanize them. See more adoptables at www.dallasanimalservices.org.
[Soapbox aside: As we’ll probably learn at the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission meeting Thursday, this dog was one of a relatively small percentage of animals that managed to dodge the needle at DAS while so many did not. Thank you, residents of Dallas who just don’t care and fail to act responsibly with your animals. This dog’s survival is an example of how the shelter is willing to help all the animals avoid the needle if a rescue group or adopter or citizens or some kind of guardian angel will simply step up and stop the process. That shelter commission meeting is at 1:30 p.m. in Room 6E South at Dallas City Hall. And, frankly, I don’t know which is more heartbreaking, the thought of a puppy being dragged into “The Lab” or the thought of a big ol’ friendly dog happily following the human into “The Lab” and being rewarded with the sting of death. Both visions make your humble writer want to cry. Surely there is a way for the extra-smart people of the 21st Century to save all of the adoptables now being killed because there’s no place for them to go and there are more coming in – again, thank you, Dallas residents. Until a solid no-kill system is established, we have to keep trying to save them from the decades long idiocy of euthanasia for the sake of space.  There’s got to be a system – these animals at peril can’t continue to depend on the pure dumb luck of a chance sighting by a good heart in a shelter hallway.]
PARK ALERT: Some of the greatest dogs ever have been found in City of Dallas parks. I mention this because we have it on the good authority of two separate tipsters that a pair of elusive dogs has taken up residence in Dallas’ Fair Park. Just a tip in case there are some rescuers who’d like to visit the park and save some dogs.. You might find them near the grounds of the Museum of Nature & Science.  One is a German Shepherd-like and the other has red and white "splotches" and could be either a bird dog-type or Aussie. They appear to be inseperable, we're told.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT: Benny Zequri’s Belgian Shepherds Vito, 3, and Kayla, 5, “got out under the wire fence by the creek on the back of my house, he says. That was on Monday morning in the Peavy/Hermosa area near White Rock Lake. They were last seen near Casa View School about 11:40 p.m. Monday.
So, perhaps, they are in someone’s care, waiting to go home. Benny says that yesterday he “went to a lot of animal shelters and put up posters with a picture around the area.”
Both friendly dogs are microchipped. They didn’t have their collars and tags on because they’d been given a bath.
If you know the whereabouts af Vito and Kayla, call 469-831-4724.
SOME EVENTS: Great Dane Rescue of North Texas  is hosting a low-cost microchipping event from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Tierney’s Café, 208 E. Main Street in Lewisville. It’s a “Yappy Hour & $15 Micro Chip” thing on the dog-friendly patio. For a $5 donation you also get a discount coupon on other item. [It’s just a matter of time until someone teams discounted microchips and discounted tick/flea baths at a restaurant parking lot and calls the event “Chips ‘n’ Dips.”] …... Earlier on Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Plano’s Bob Woodruff Park, Take Me Home Pet Rescue is one of the beneficiaries from the Bark For a Curt/Trot For Trooper Family & Pet Fun Day. You can register for the walk/run at www.barkforacure.org and read about Take Me Home HERE.
CONTEMPLATION: Yes, this is something to think about.
The TV and radio weather people say it’s going to get hot – pushing 90 – in the DFW area today. Of course it’s going to get hot. This is spring in North Texas.
Probably not too early to suggest a Helpful Alert of Kindness:
(1) Don’t leave kids or critters in the car.
(2) Make sure you kids and critters have plenty of fresh water.
(3) Make sure your kids and critters have plenty of cool shelter.
(4) If you had to be reminded of the previous 3 things, find someone safe and smart who’ll properly care for your kids and critters.
The Department of Geosciences has a study that tracks hyperthermia deaths of children in vehicles. You can see it HERE, And by looking at the study's maps you’ll see that through the years there’s a cluster of tragedy in the Dallas area.  Surely we’re smarter than that in 2012.
There’s a slogan on the site “Beat the Heat; Check the backseat.”
That’ll work for kids. People who leave kids in the cars usually do it by accident, carelessness or stupidity. People who leave animals in cars do it intentionally. They don’t have to check the backseat – they know the animal is there and put them in danger anyway. Spot a dog or a kid suffering in a locked car on a hot day, here’s the tip line to call: 911. Texas has laws that can save lives.
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Adventures, challenges and Sugar the Dane...

We have some adventures going on all over the place.
But that’s why mot people got into animal welfare and advocacy, right? The adventures?
Oh, and the money, too. I forgot that part. That’s why the Rolls Royce is the Official Car of Animal Rescue. 
That dog? Sad-eyed Stacy, a Carrollton dog on the clock. More on this later today. Now, moving along (in a 13-year-old Ford pickup):
THE PUPPIES, THE GLOW AND THE GUY: When last we addressed Tawana Couch’s attempts to save a mom, a litter and a guardian dog near the Veteran’s Hospital in southeast Oak Cliff, things were dicey.
She’d basically been chased off the project by a guy who ran toward her and then toward the dogs. Quite unsettling.
When she went to the site yesterday, she says, “The nut case guy was back…I was with a friend and he left us alone.”
Tawana reports, “Susan McBride and myself were able to trap all of Angel Dog’s and Mama’s puppies.
The miracle was that all 3 of the pups walked into the trap. Just the perfect timing where all 3 were caught at same time. I have been trapping a lot of years and for 3 larger puppies to get in and be caught at one time is a miracle to me. The most I have ever gotten in one try … was 2 in one trap.”
Mama and the Angel Dog, so named because of the aura he gives off in photos, watched from a distance. When Tawana and Susan returned to try to get Angel Dog and Mama, he had vanished and she “did not want any part of the trap, at least for today. Will keep trying.”
And, she says, “We now need a miracle and [need to] have a group step up and take the pups or at least commit to one.”
There are 2 males and a female currently in vet care. “They need to find home soon,” she says. To offer to help tawanacouch@mac.com.
One more thing: Tawana is still trying to help the dogs that follow a South Dallas woman and son to church – there were three when we first reported this on the 16th but now there are two. The Catahoula sleeping on the porch was struck by a car and killed. There’s a new sense of urgency in the rescue of the two surviving dogs. Contact Tawana.
TWO ADVENTURES UNSOLVED: Glynis Ritter, who has been trying to find a way to get a handful of dogs into safe haven in Carthage, still doesn’t have a solution.  But there is work underway. Nothing is ever as simple as it looks. Traps don’t work, animals aren’t cooperative, people are trying to find places to put dogs after they’re caught. Offer your advice and help by e-mailing glynisritter@yahoo.com. …. A few days ago we mentioned some free-roaming dogs at Highway 175 and Elam in southeast Dallas. Nobody wants the dogs, nobody can catch the dogs. The momma isn’t spayed. It’s a typical “don’t care” situation. Except for one passerby who has been trying to find a rescue group that can both get the dogs and take care of them. To offer help, e-mail kallie333@yahoo.com . Again, nothing is ever as simple as it looks.
CARROLLTON’S COLLECTION: Currently the Carrollton Animal Rescue Enterprise (CARE) folks are hustling to find homes for several dogs on today “list.”
Yep, these dogs are three of them.
Why are they on the clock in Carrollton?
It’s a combination of things: They were strays, they haven’t been claimed, the shelter’s full, the earth is off its axis. Seriously, victims of circumstances they’ll be unless someone – individual or rescue group – steps up to save them.
The little girl is Curly Sue – vibrantly affectionate and happy to be with kids and “seems not to mind cats.”
Zen is the big black dog – well, the medium black dog. Young, too.
And Stacey – with the face from a clown portrait in the ‘60s (OK, maybe you’re too young to see it) --- is a St. Bernard mix, about 88 pounds and “loves children.” She was picked up while “out with handicapped children and was as gentle as could be with them,” the shelter reports.
Today’s the day if they are not claimed.
Contacts? Call 972-466-3420 or email care@cityofcarrollton.com.
REBOUNDING IN COLLIN COUNTY: We featured this 2-year-old Lab last week or maybe the week before – can’t recall, but he’s one of the many big, black dogs that has found his way into the Collin County Animal Shelter in McKinney.
He’s also one who has found his way back to the shelter. Cypress, 2, met with a problem at his new home, reports volunteer shelter walker Allison Roberts.
He was returned “because he’s very playful and the young kids were afraid of him (he knocked one of them into the pool),” Allison reports.
He’s got a CCAS video HERE. It shows him to be a lively lad. Too bad there’s no photo of him bumping the kid into the pool – surefire winner on America’s Funniest Home Videos.
But, seriously, folks, you don’t want the kids to grow up being afraid of dogs, so the wise thing to do is match the kids to the dog and the dogs to the kid. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Takes time to make the choice.
To ask about saving Cypress from the needle, or any other critter at CCAS, e-mail both ldrummonds@co.collin.tx.us and animalshelter@co.collin.tx.us.
MAKING DOG THEFT A TOUGHER FELONY: We got a note yesterday from Brad Kirby, the Dallas photographer whose Huskies were stolen and he discovered there was no tough law to handle the situation. So he created and got onto the books the Stolen Dog Law in Dallas.
now, Brad says, “I am at it again.  I am trying to get a law passed in Texas that makes stealing a dog a felony.  Right now it is ONLY a Class C misdemeanor, about a $60 fine to steal a dog and we want up to $10,000 fine and up to 18 months in jail and of course that would be up to the judge. There are a lot of people … that want jail time for dog thieves.  I have a petition for dog lovers to sign that I will be taking to Austin next year when the bill comes up for a vote by our state Representatives.  I could use all the help and signatures I can get.”
Navigate to the petition by going to www.lostdogsofdallas.com.
E-mail kirbyphoto@usa.com.
SUGAR AND HER FATE: A couple of days ago, Dallas Animal Services officer Mark Cooper, the rescue liaison for the shelter, sent out a desperate request for help for a 12-year-old, 107-pound Great Dane girl who was suffering from arthritis, a prolapsed uterus and, basically, being dumped.
That’s right, after 12 years of being a loyal dog, her reward was “Here’s the shelter, best of luck.”
Maggie Dahl, president of Animal Rescue of Texas, took up Sugar’s cause, too. And the eventuality is that the folks with DFW Rescue Me claimed her.
She’s undergoing some vet care right and, DFW Rescue Me President Jim Wenger told us, “We have secured a 'hospice' foster to let her live her days in happiness and never go to an adoption event, etc.  She trotted out of the shelter very happy to leave … Her new mom said she acted like she had never been inside a house. Very nervous at first.”
Is it possible that someone had given a Great Dane a home for a dozen years and never let that dog stretch out on the family couch? How can that be? Today's Danes are indoor dogs. They belong on the couch, on the big rug in front of the television, in your place on the bed. 
And for 12 years – a pretty impressive age for this big breed.
ART President Dahl has some feelings in this matter. “The dumping of senior dogs really gets me going. We pulled a 12-year-old Beagle from North Richland Hills dumped by her owner several years ago, and there was nothing wrong with her... Still spry, no disease... Healthy for her age. The people wanted to travel or some such nonsense. She was adopted and lived 1 1/2 years of a life filled with love, until her heart gave out.
”How can you spend 12 years with a dog and leave her scared and alone in a shelter.  I just can't even picture it.”
Oh, brother. We have geriatric dogs in our household – they are a great comfort to us. Maybe we are wrongheaded. I’m sure some twit can explain why it’s OK to dump a dog when age sets in – and, geez, they better hope they haven’t taught those values to their kids.
To see how to donate to Sugar’s care, go to the DFW Rescue Me website HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS:  Will Mark Davis ever return to Dallas/Fort Worth air? Will WBAP (Cumulus) and the 18-year morning guy work out a contract? Must there always be change? Is a TV reality show possible? Probably only if he’s replaced by a Kardashian sister. …   FYI, I exercised (lumbered) in Kiest Park in Dallas yesterday from about 7 p.m. to nearly 8 p.m. and the last time I saw a crowd that big was at Grapevine Mills mall at Christmas. Maybe it is spring. … Why can’t Derek Holland beat the Yankees?  He’s 0-5 against the team in his career. My theory is he isn’t throwing to the New York Yankees, he’s throwing to Yankee ghosts.
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Glowing dog, shelter critters and unsettling moments...

Here we go, typing with a cup of coffee and a puzzled look after a weekend in which gasoline at my usual filling station was 20 cents cheaper than it was the weekend before.
Yeah, just another one of your mysteries of modern life.
Speaking of modern life, here’s an expanded version of a photo we ran last week (click on it to make it larger). It appears to show a glowing white dog standing guard while a momma and pups eat.
Tawana Couch, the rescuer who photographed this scene, points out the cross in the background. More later today on the chilling adventure Tawana had while trying to help these dogs.
DALLAS AND ANIMALS: Some cases from the weekend stretch into Monday and maybe beyond. They’re all special cases – and, of course, all animals in shelters are special cases. Why are they in shelters? Strays, runaways, born there and, of course, surrendered by owners or finders.
There are seven dogs and a cat on the “Very Special Pets” euthanasia list for Tuesday at DAS – these animals are healthy and adoptable and have had no human interest for at least 45 days. (There are plenty of other animals in the shelter who haven’t been there that long and who face a bad end if humans don’t step up and rescue them.)
Among the cats is this 15-pounder – kind of sizeable – a calico named Myla.
And the dogs include Coco (see Friday’s report), and an obvious Earhound named Elvisee, a 3-month-old, 15-pound Shepherd mix.
Then, there’s the Hypnotic Dog Scottie – check out that gaze.  Scottie is an 8-month-old, 33-pound Husky mix, they say.  Obviously, with those eyes, Scottie could work as a nightclub hypnotist. Now, he’s just trying to find an audience that’ll take him home.
These dogs and cats are all on the clock for Tuesday.
To adopt e-mail Catherine.baxter@dallascityhall.com, nicole.self@dallascityhall.com or teresa.cleek@dallascityhall.com or call  214-671-0249 or 214-670-8312.  (To get them into a rescue group, the contact is mark.cooper@dallascityhall.com or call 214-670-8298.
All are adoptable at reduced fees: $27 for the cats and $43 for the dogs. (Usually $55 for cats and kittens and $85 for dogs and puppies.  Get all the details at dallasanimalservices.org.
ANIMAL SHELTER COMMISSION MEETS THURSDAY: The next Dallas Animal Shelter Commission Meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Room 6E South at Dallas City Hall and the agenda is available for viewing at the City Secretary’s website HERE:
New business includes updates on the Dallas Companion Animal Project (the no-kill task force), the shelter make-over, hiring updates, civil animal cruelty seizure cases updates, etc.
Probably someone will mention the Justice Vigil, maybe euthanasia rates will come up in the shelter report, possibly someone will discuss the use of temporary employees to perform key shelter duties. Stand by. It's open to the public -- this is a democracy, you know.
A JUSTICE NOTE: On Saturday, the burned dog Justice was buried at Tooth Acres Cemetery and the funeral drew quite a few people, among them our pal Della Wallace whose comments were captured in the WFAA-TV story HERE. What’s left in this case now is (a) prosecution of Darius Ewing – who could plead out and dodge a trial, I guess; (b) possible other arrests and (c) some way to increase prison time beyond the 10-year point. (Anybody working on that? Is it on the agenda for the Texas Humane Legislative Network for the next session of the Texas Legislature?)
BRIEF NOTES (MAYBE):
---Collin County Animal Services volunteer shelter walker Allison Roberts reports that the McKinney facility had a slow weekend and “not many dogs got out….still a very critical situation at CCAS – could really use some rescue help.” (Contact points: e-mail both ldrummonds@co.collin.tx.us and animalshelter@co.collin.tx.us )  [Larry aside:  Lots of “big ol’ black dawgs” at CCAS and you know what lousy companions they make – at Readlarrypowell.com we’ve only had four or of five of them through the years and that’s only because we’re suckers for dear, charming, mannerly, loving dogs, the rotten rascals. Nah, don't give these dogs a chance -- they'll just worm their ways into your hearts and make you happy to have them as friends. Rotten, I tell ya, rotten.]
-- We’ll let determined Burns Flat, Okla., rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher’s words explain this big ol’ dawg Blue. She writes, “This boy is absolutely stunning. He belongs to a family from hell. They chose to let him run the streets and being big and pit, neighbors call every day. They [animal control] had a call on him last night, and the police got involved so, he is finally off the streets. I need him out as soon as possible. I had a possible offer for foster, but he would have to be vetted first. … I [the Burns Flat shelter [am in complete overflow. They just brought two more in. I need help now. I feel like I am drowning here.” (Call Terry Lynn at 580-330-1459 or e-mail remembering_oddball@yahoo.com.]
THE ANGEL DOG AND AN ENCOUNTER WITH AN ODD FELLOW: Last week we mentioned veteran rescuer Tawana Couch’s attempts to help some dogs at a vacant lot in southeastern Oak Cliff near the Veteran’s Hospital.
You may recall the special “glow” on the white dog, a male who appeared to stand guard while a momma and her puppies ate.
(In this photo you can see a cross in the background and the “aura” the sun created on the white coat of the boy dog.”)
Here’s the unsettling event that went on Saturday, from Tawana’s report: “This afternoon was bad. I was getting very close to the dogs. Mama ate out of my hand and puppies [also]. Close angel dog watching over all of us. Then I see a guy across the street. Next thing I know he comes running at me. I was able to jump back into my car and haul out but the parking lot by the [weed] lot is a church (Even more interesting the angel dog is by a church) and they had the exit blocked off so I had to turn around. At this point the crazy guy starts running after the dogs and chases them into the bushes. Then he starts at my car again. I got out [of there]. I did go around the block and he was chasing one of the puppies. Now I am scared for the dogs and puppies. We have to get them out.”
To offer to help, e-mail tawanacouch@mac.com.
[Larry aside: Yes, now and then rescuers face people who don’t seem to have it all together. Not that I’m going to buy into the angelic aura on that dog  as being anything other than sunlight teaming with a cell phone cam, but, you know, Tawana has been doing this a long time and, well, I guess it’s possible that the white dog belongs to her guardian angel. She’s gone into some places where you’d need a guardian angel and a devoted guard dog.]
CONTEMPLATIONS: When it comes to re-establishing routine, is Monday the roughest morning? Bound to be a study somewhere that says more coffee is poured on Monday morning than any other day. And there is a flock of mockingbirds -- a herd, maybe -- in the trees and shrubs near our front window and each of those rascals is running through an extra loud and vigorous performance of his repertoire. This cocaphony is so loud it may be affecting the rotation of the earth. I swear, these birds are celebrating spring with an amazing concert. I'm taking aspirin. … Not keeping up with basketball has allowed me not to realize until this morning that this Los Angeles Laker thug Metta World Peace with the vicious elbow to the side of an opponent’s head is actually Ron Artest, the player who, several years ago, went into the stands during a notorious brawl and was suspended. “Metta” is said to be a Pali word meaning “good will and non-violence.”  Irony, eh? … This is, by the way, National Work Zone Awareness Week. Why is that? Because it’s takes less time to point out where people are working than where they’re not working? Just a thought.
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Sleeping with sole; Spooks the Cat...

We could start this edition of “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap” by saying that it’s very clear that we have the makings of a scent hound in this picture.
In fact, Susan Oviatt, wife of Gary, whose paw, er, foot is the pillow, suggested in one e-mail exchange that, well, maybe it is the smell of the ol’ footwear.
And, as you can clearly see, what started as one-dog snoozing developed into two pups not just “at the master’s feet” but “on the master’s feet.” Sandals or sneakers, these dogs are game for a spell of slumbering on the shoes.
Willy started it. He’s the lone sleeper in the first photo. Then Jack joined the synchronized sleeping.
Susan kids, “Willy was one of those dogs so loved by his former owners that they dropped him off out in the country so that he could experience nature and of course, a better life.”
Well, he did get a better life – that part is true. And he also experienced nature.
Willy was a “Denton County dumpee,” Susan says. “God knows how long he struggled to survive there with his girlfriend/likely litter mate who took pretty good care of him. He was un-neutered, heartworm positive but a cuddling sweetheart from the onset.
”We think maybe Willy was a breeder's reject since he had a single testicle and eyelid problems. “He was due to be euthanized the next morning but was obviously spared.
”He spent most of 5 months in vet boarding hoping and waiting his turn for an opening here or anywhere.
”He and Gary -- or at least he and Gary's foot -- obviously bonded during that long 5 months.
"Even our dog family has embraced Willy so it looks like he's safe.”
And, she says, “Perhaps it’s from the long attempt to provide for himself, but his appetite is insatiable “
Then, of course, Susan couldn’t resist adding, “Something about Gary's feet. Now Jack hangs out (literally) there, too.”
[To nominate your foot snoozer, back sleeper, chair dozer, couch slumberer (or, in the case of felines the “anywhere I feel like it —get lost, chump” cats), e-mail photos and info to dallrp@aol.com. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap is proud to demonstrate that members of the animal kingdom can rise above the affliction of insomnia, even if they do need an additive such as, well, the comfort of an old shoe.]
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ONE MORE WEEKEND NOTE: Readlarrypowell.com is proud to announce that it has pinpointed the last unwanted black cat in Dallas County.
Wait a second.
Oh, we may have overstated the situation. We understand there are many other black cats in area shelters and rescue groups. OK, so we’ll just focus on this one, Spooks The Cat, a sweetheart with a history.
On Friday, Readlarrypowell.com  got a request from some folks with Garland Pawsibilities to help find a home for the special feline, Spooks the Cat.
Now, in these photos Spooks isn’t napping, but she’s working on it.
We got the first request from help from Maria Llano who put us in touch with Adrianne Erwin who is monitoring Spooks’ progress. They're with Garland Pawsibilities.
Spooks was in the Garland Animal Services shelter when, in October, Pawsibilities pulled her and placed her at the organization’s Firehouse Adoption Center (Yep, used to be a fire station.) “Due to her shy nature,” Adrianne says, “She was not the most adoptable little girl. We originally thought she would be a barn cat but she is too shy for that and obviously has already been bullied! 
”We were working to place her in a Petco pet condo and were getting her paperwork together when it was discovered that she had not been tested for FeLV/FIV [Feline Leukemia Virus/Feline Immunodeficiency Virus] as previously thought.”
It turns out she’s positive.
Adrianne says, “She was not infected at the shelter but current theory is that she was bitten right before being brought to the shelter due to the presence of the fresh abscess by her eye.  She had been spayed previously by someone but must not have received the FeLV vaccine before coming to the shelter.”
So, that means Spooks will need to be adopted by someone who just wants one cat or into a home that has only cats who already have these conditions. To ask about giving Spooks a good home e-mail azerwin24@hotmail.com or call 469-774-6124.
Spooks currently lives at the Garland Pawsibilities’ Fire House, indeed, a former city fire station converted to help the rescue group shelter animals.
Adrieanne says the Fire House “doesn't have anyone there full time. So volunteers go to the fire house and feed/water her everyday.”
This attention has helped, Adrieanne says. “She has really come out of her shell and purrs like crazy doing back rolls when she gets comfortable.  It's a shame her life may be a little shorter due to her rough start in life.”
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Man wanted in Justice case surrenders...

Darius Ewing, the 18-year-old wanted in connection with the death of Justice the dog, surrendered to authorities Friday.
The announcement was made to the crowd just as the Justice Vigil was ending on Dallas City Hall Plaza Friday night. The crowd, of course, applauded and cheered vigorously.
More on this development and more on the vigil in later editions here at Readlarrypowell.com.
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A noontime urgent story....

(Update: This little dog has been claimed by Hillcrest Animal Rescue. More on condition, treatment later. )

THE NEVER-ENDING CHALLENGE: Oh, goodness, this just in as we approach the noon hour.
Our reliable tipster Patricia Barrington, the Animal Control Division Manager of The Colony, says that last night ACO Robert Cox was “called out on an injured puppy.”
Yep, that’s the little Rottie-looking girl.  May actually be a Rottie. Someone had “found” her, the story went. You never know. Sometimes people are not entirely forthcoming out in the real world.
Manager Barrington says the puppy appears to have a “dislocated shoulder" and “The sweet girl is in a tremendous amount of pain. She is being given over-the-counter pain meds and is sleeping quite a bit –but she desperately needs proper medical attention. I’ve named her Jelly Belly.”
So, to offer to help Jelly Belly call 972-370-9250 or e-mail pbarrington@thecolonytx.gov.
Patricia says, “Robert called me about it last night and was here before me this morning, taking pictures and asking me to ‘send blast emails.’  This one has hurt his heart.”
Don't forget to keep reading below for our earlier morning edition....
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