It's Take Your Dog to Work Day -- and you can celebrate it at today's' festival at the downtown Dallas Public Library. That's the building across from Dallas City Hall where this also is Take Your FBI Agent To Lunch Day.
I'm taking all the dogs to work today. Cats, too. Would never have taken them to the newsroom when I had a job at the paper. Didn't need to be arrested for animal cruelty.
Now, let's get on with the day's activities:
BIG TV NEWS: David Howard at Kinder Harbors sent out a notice Thursday that the group has created a pro-pet TV program that'll soon debut on Dallas' Channel 27. David sees the program as a forum for groups to display their adoptables. The critter appears on the show, then viewers call in and sign up for the audition to adopt! The show is seen as a way to give wider exposure to the animals and David notes that your organization's adoption rules will apply. Doesn't cost you a thing to have your animal on the show.
Get in touch with David at [email protected] or by calling 214-547-9507.
GOOD DAISY NEWS: Back on June 9 we ran a notice about the missing dog Daisy. Here's the happy ending, courtesy of an e-mail from Carla Long.
"I am excited to tell you that Daisy is finally home safely. I wanted to thank you for your sincere concern, effort and contribution to bring her home to me. She was returned to me by way of a reward poster I had posted in my neighborhood. I did have to exchange money to get her back but the expense was well worth it. She was a little tattered, tired and sunburned, but she will recover quickly with a little TLC. Once again, thank you and God bless you for all your help. You truly provide a valuable service and when I thought there was no hope, you inspired me to keep thinking positively that I would get her back."
Bless your heart, Carla, and I'm sure Daisy is grateful for the fact that you loved her enough to keep looking for her.
PRINCESS: We've talked to Della Wallace about Princess, the dog who was under threat of "move out or get shot" (See June 21.) Princess has been moved to a foster home and is undergoing the veterinary checks to make sure she's OK.
Della says it was unclear just how sincere the death threat was but "we took no chances." What she's discovered is that Princess "really wants company -- she's a sweet little thing." Della's not with any rescue group, but does this sort of thing out of the goodness of her heart and if you want to see a photo of Della and her dogs in a special setting, go to www.dellawallace.com.
Meanwhile, if you want to adopt Princess, use that link to contact Della and be prepared to undergo a rigorous audition process.
AT PERIL: "I know this is a tough one," writes Gail Whelan of the Companion-Animal Network, "but these two have only until 5:30 p.m. Friday."
They are senior dogs that have somehow wound up in the Tri-City Animal Shelter in Cedar Hill (it's the shelter jointly financed by Duncanville, DeSoto and Cedar Hill.)
Gail asks that the plight of these two be sent to as many people as possible -- "to anyone you think might give them a loving home until they go to the Rainbow Bridge. Send to ANYONE who loves older dogs." (See www.petfinder.com/shelters/ca-n.html.)
The Tri-City Shelter has a pretty vigorous adoption program. It's at 1150 E. Pleasant Run Road in Cedar Hill -- take U.S. 67 south to Pleasant Run, exit and go left a mile or so. The usual adoption fee is $50. Shelter hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.
Important note about older dogs: They're beyond the puppy stage and they nearly always love the person who takes them home.
FOUND DOG: Anybody recognize this dog? She was found last weekend at White Rock Lake. She's about 3 years old and was wearing a leather collar, reports Mary Anne Hifler.
The lost girl has been moved to a safe situation -- a vet has checked her out and she's in a foster home that's probably going to evolve into a permanent home.
And she's being very still. Why? Because she's heartworm positive and is undergoing the traditional treatment. In my basic understanding, that involves killing the heartworms without killing the dog. The protocol calls for keeping the dog still so that the parasitic particulate matter doesn't "turn loose" in the blood stream and cause a clot that kills the dog. That's a bit of a simple explanation, but it gets the horror across and it shows you why it's important to make sure your dog remains heartworm-free.
Mary Anne says that the fact that Lost Girl was "heartworm positive leads us to believe it was an intentional dumping. Her collar (a nice, brown leather one) was almost brand new, but had no tags which is odd (since my girls have 3 tags, you'd think at least one would be left!) ...I think it's heartbreaking how she was clearly so well cared for on every other front -- but that simple process of giving one little heartworm pill each month .. seems to have resulted in this change of residence for this sweet girl."
FROM SOUTHEAST DALLAS: On June 20 we ran a picture of Black Pup, now named "Pookie," who'd been taken in by the Southeast Dallas Humane Society (www.sedhs.org).
As you may recall from earlier postings, SEDHS's Wendy Miller is expecting and has been trying to cut down on the load of dogs. But this is Dallas and there's a never-ending stream of dogs and cats wandering free thanks to at least two things: (1) People are idiots and (2) Idiots don't properly tend to their animals and they don't spay/neuter.
Now, Pookie and a 2-year-old hound mix named Cindy have been eased into another rescue group in East Texas. A supporter of SEDHS donated $500 to help set up housing for them.
Meanwhile, Wendy's husband found Trouble on his way home from work "in the middle of Jim Miller Road dodging cars." As Wendy writes, "Around here that is no easy task since most think it is 'funny' to run over animal."
Trouble, she says, may be a "boxer/beagle/whatever mix. I see boxer in him and two people have told me he looks like a beagle, too."
The rascal is about 3 months old and weighs nine pounds.
As luck would have it, when Trouble arrived, Wendy was about to leave for a run to the vet's office, so she bundled him up and he's now been neutered. "The poor boy was covered in fleas and ticks and had fire ant bites all over his little tummy." (If you're interested in adopting Trouble, e-mail [email protected] or go to www.sedhs.org.)
WATCH THIS SPACE: This website be featuring a photo of either a sleeping dog or a napping cat. Remember, you can nominate your slumbering pet by e-mailing a photo and information to [email protected]. Any critter can be cute when awake, but to be cute when awake AND asleep, well, that's just way beyond what you get out of your brother-in-law when he passes out on the couch.
