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Watching for Macy; yuletidings

Perhaps the Christmas song that best fits into the animal rescue community is "I'll Be Home For Christmas." We've got some of those situations today.....

MISSING AT THE AIRPORT: Macy, a schnauzer-poodle mix (a "schnoodle"), wasn't stolen from a car at DFW Airport, but did slip out and disappeared very quickly, says Jennifer Davis. She and her husband, Drew, are desperate to get their beloved dog back.  (This is Macy at the kitchen table.)

"We have been working with the airport police but haven't heard anything. No one even spotted her a the airport in the area we were parked and all around our terminal. We thought someone would d have seen a dog running around at an airport!"

Macy, 12 to 15 pounds, was wearing a light purple or lavender collar when she vanished on Dec. 16 in the Terminal D parking garage. If you've seen her, call 972-699-1558 or 703-231-2097 or e-mail [email protected].

I've suggested that the Davises get in touch with Joe Cranford at Find-a-Pet (www.find-a-pet.org) and be careful when people call claiming to have the dog and needing some money wired to pay for the dog's transportation. The cons are always ready to pounce.

And this is too tender a situation. As Jennifer writes, "We miss her terribly and are having a tough Christmas...."

SANTA MADE BAIL: Fast Eddie Coyle, the good-hearted animal-lovin' Dallas/Fort Worth radio personality reports that, yes, indeed, Santa made bail Saturday at Pepper Square where the rescue group A Different Breed was raising money with the Big Red Guy's help. (Eddie's on the board of A Different Breed, fyi.)

ADB needed to raise $1,000 for the cause and donors managed to pony up at least $1,040, says ADB's Caroline Felps.

This photo shows jolly ol' Saint Nick in his cell with an adoptable dog named Tess.

Santa's spokesman, Cary Birdwell, after he was able to stand again, reported that while the suit had its issues, jolliness prevailed.

And Caroline says, "The little dog Santa is holding .. is named Tess" and she was "happily adopted at the very end of the day."

A DOG IN A HAT: This picture slays me. Dana Wichita says, "I just had to send you a picture of my foster dog, Piper. I am going to use this picture for my Christmas cards next year. Piper is approximately six months old with such a wonderful happy personality.

"She is a typical Lab: loves to splay in water, play with her toys, tug of war, etc. She is one loving puppy and will make a wonderful pet."

Her "clumsy antics" keep the foster family in stitches. And she's learning to sit, down and come. And, says Dana, "She would make a great companion. She loves to please you and goes straight into her kennel when you tell her to. She gets along with other dogs."

And, says Dana, Piper is "one of the happiest dogs" she's ever met. (She's a ward of the Frisco Humane Society. Click here. )

Now, what might happen? "Piper will be a permanent dog is she is not adopted. We do love her, but she is a puppy!" says Dana.

She is, Dana says, "a toddler herself. For example, he counter-surfed and grabbed a knife off the counter. She raced around the house with it. My dogs were chasing her trying to get the knife. I'm surprised none of us got hurt. Yep, we learned to put up our knives with her around."

So, there you have it. A fun-loving dog in a Santa hat. Isn't that a wonderful photograph? And can't you just see this dog becoming a "helper" at your house every season of the year? Ah, but Christmas would be special....especially if the dog was really attached to that hat.

A CHRISTMAS TIP: If you're babysitting grandkids and they're old enough to get onto the computer without hitting the "add to cart" button on Amazon, you might want to show them this Christmas Countdown Clock site at www.christmassantaclaus.com/clock.asp.  It's entertaining -- I've been monitoring it for years. It operates year round.

And the countdown clock will help build anticipation which, as you know, is the key ingredient in the American lifestyle. For example, Dallas Cowboys fans are now anticipating elimination from the playoff picture. See how that works? Oh, the Santa site is much easier on the nerves.

Our Monday report....arf, meow, spend.

If all is working right in the computer world, you should be reading our Monday posts right now. We'll be discussing history, cats and dogs and Cowboys. Please read on and remember to be careful today. There are desperate shoppers out there.

We're at the final Monday before Christmas and it reminds me of the era when Texas newspapers -- don't know if they did this in other states -- would run a little cartoon figure on the front page telling readers how many shopping days there were until Christmas.

For example, the figure might be a reindeer or a panicked elf holding up a sign. But, in our case, today we're posting a photo shot week before last at Fair Park -- you see the magnificent Tower Building in the background and, further back, the legendary Cotton Bowl. That Christmas tree -- I'm pretty sure it's a Christmas tree because it has all the trappings -- is holding firm exactly where Big Tex stands during the State Fair each year. And if Big Tex were to see you he'd remind you that there are just SIX shopping days until Christmas. And, it would be appropriate for him to do so because, indeed, as so many people know, he began life back in the early 1950s as Santa Claus in downtown Kerens, Texas.

But back to the little front-page cartoon.

You couldn't just tell by a calendar -- Blue Laws made some days NOT shopping days. For example, until the Blue Laws were repealed in Texas in the mid-1980s, you just about couldn't find any place to shop on Sundays. And when you did, the law was written so that you could buy some things, but not others. For example, in a grocery store, you could buy meat, but you couldn't buy the pan to fry it in. Vast shopping malls were ghost towns on Sundays.

Seriously, I never saw a grocery store clerk deny a hammer to anybody on a Sunday, but , then, I never saw anybody shopping for a hammer in a grocery store, though I have certainly shopped for plumbing and electrical supplies after "self-inflicted Sunday morning repair mishaps."

And, as a guy who designed many a Christmas season front-page during his long newspaper career, I can tell you two things: (1) tightfisted Ebenezer Scrooge is the role model for all newspaper owners and (2) some of us editors might forget to change the "Shopping Days Left" cartoon and for a day or at least an edition, readers would think they had more time than they really had.

The truth is, as many are discovering today, when it comes to Christmas shopping, you never have enough time.

FINDING A HOME FOR LUCKY: Tressa Matteo Broadhead has been papering the cyberworld with this story.
"My holiday wish this year is to save a dog's life, but I need your help." She says this dog was named Lucky by her daughter because he was just "hours away from being euthanized at a local city shelter" when the family adopted him. "One look in those big, brown eyes and I could not let that happen."

That's right. She plucked him from a Dallas-area shelter just to save his life.

Tressa writes that 43-pound Lucky "is a hound mix (at least we think). He is a 4 (so the vet thinks) year old male. H was found running loose and his owners never came to retrieve him.

"Quite their loss because he is such a sweet boy. He was a bit timid at first with me, but I know he love kids as he walked right up to my daughter and gave her a big kiss.

"He gets along fine with my two little dogs and has figured out the cats are not to be messed with."

So, here, as the holiday season is in full gallop, we have, as Tressa describes him, "a very loving and sweet boy who deserves a second chance. Adopting an adult dog will save you the work and expense of a puppy....He is house-trained, I am crate-training him now, and he is up to date on all shots for the year."

To talk to Tressa about adopting this dog, call 972-489-5073 or e-mail [email protected].

TWO SANTA REPORTS: We don't have the final figures on how well Santa did on his attempts to make bail at the A Different Breed fundraiser over the weekend but we do know that supporters tossed in enough money to spring the Jolly Red One so he can grab the reins and make his trip this year. Now, his helper, Cary Birdwell, did have an "up close and personal" report on things. He wrote, "I swear, that Santa suit was one of the most ingenious forms of torture ever invented by man. If I had to spend 1 more hour in that thing I was going to call the ACLU."

(LARRY'S ASIDE: Having spent some time in a Santa suit, myself, there are times when you begin to think that "holly jolly" is a synonym for "prickly heat.")

Straydog Inc. shot Santa photos over the weekend and Holly Elms reports she's achieved "Poloroid professional" level when it comes to Santa photos. She also reports that Straydog finished up its Santa photos Sunday at the Rockwall PetsMart. "Busiest day yet," she says. This accounts for Santa's "flash burn."

It was a family affair. Holly's dad, Danny, (pictured with Ripley the sleeping dog in our weekend feature) helped out.

"My poor dad was the last to wear the suit AFTER SEVEN OTHER PEOPLE!," Holly reports. "And when I told him PetsMart gets a new suit every year, he quickly volunteered for the very first shift next year."

A CAT NEEDING A ROOM: Our buddy, the legendary pet-sitter Jeneva O'Connor at N-Trust-Ur-Pet, writes, "OK, up front this is a highly unusual-very special needs-All I need is a room somewhere-cat."

This cat was "found on the street" and "no one is responding to the signs."

The cat is an "incredibly sweet" and "pretty gray and white" male who is fixed.

Then Jeneva writes, "Here it comes: Blind, approximately 13-plus years old cat, six pounds, health issues undetermined. But he is happy and uses his litter box. He is a sweetheart and I have him in a condo in my garage. I think he would do best in a room rather than think he had to blend into a household."

To give this cat a home, call 214-352-7700 or 214-727-7903.

Now, Jeneva, who has a twinkle in her eye and is no stranger to hardluck rescue, signs off, "Don't everybody call at once."

Things will work out, as she knows. After all, this ol' fellow is a 2005 Christmas Cat.

PARDON MY SUGGESTION: Don't you think the Washington Redskins, after the way they slapped the Dallas Cowboys around Sunday, ought to have to submit to some sort of drug tests? Geez, what a whippin'.

Don't bother to hand cups to the Cowboys. What they need to perform that test, Washington beat out of them.

The snore the merrier

Oh, my, does that look like how you feel after a long evening of Christmas shopping? Can you relate?

Call it "Yuletide Auto Flopover Syndrome."

You get to the car and you just want to flop over.

Look at the mug on this fellow. You almost think you need to grab a towel to catch the drool.

That is Ripley and he is the focus of this week's "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap."

OK I'll come clean. This isn't a Christmas photo. It was snapped as Ripley slept in Holly Elms' car on his way home from an adoption day last January.

Yes, he was once available for adoption and nobody wanted him. Well, that's not completely true. Somebody wanted him. And Holly, utilizing the clever skills she picked up as a veteran rescuer -- and daughter -- managed to talk Ripley's way into a new home.

And that new home would be the home of her parents, Danny and Judy Elms of Irving.

In fact, in the other sleeping photo, that's Dad in the back seat. Or, as Holly refers to him, "the Rip-wrangler."

Holly had a pretty bad car crash last year and while she was "still recovering from my wreck, I basically snookered my parents into fostering him. I told them either they could take two of my five dogs temporarily and I'd take Ripley home or they could just take Ripley."

To borrow from the ancient knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, "They chose wisely." They chose Ripley!

Holly explains the photo with just Ripley's mug: "He wanted to be near me so he wedged his head between the door and the driver's seat and promptly went to sleep."

As for the photo with Dad, that was taken in August when they were returning home after the annual Homeless Animal Candlelight Vigil. "He's trying to place himself exactly between my dad in the backseat and me driving."

Ripley is one of Angie Manriquez' West Dallas rescues. He became a frequent visitor with Holly to off-site adoptions for Straydog Inc.  Angie "took him in as a little tyke and I toted him to many, many of Straydog's adoption events. He got lots of attention, but no real takers. I fell in love with him and so did all the other volunteers and most importantly, my parents."

The rigors of old age had claimed all three of her parents' "very senior animals in 2004 and, Holly says, they were "still nursing their grief. Their house just felt so empty without any animals. So last March when Angie became ill I pulled a fast one on them to get them to foster Ripley....The rest is history."

She says he's "brought my parents immeasurable joy with his good nature and hilarious antics. He's a whopping 100 pounds now and we think a perfect mix of Big Lug and bull-in-a-china-shop."

Holly says he's now possessor of the prized status: "Officially Adopted by the Elms Family".

Ripley "takes walks every morning with my dad -- trash days are his favorite -- and is considered a 'rat terrier' by trade."

Indeed, a 100-pound 'rat terrier' who squeezes in a nap where ever he can.

(To nominate a sleeping dog, napping cat or any other slumbering critter for spotlighting in our weekend feature, e-mail the info and photo to [email protected].)

Explanation

The elves who operate the service that provides the cyberspace for www.readlarrypowell.com have had a rough day. They've spent it trying to bring the system back up so all of us around the world who subscribe to their service could post items on our websites. 

It appears to be up now (after many, many hours of hustle by the Six Apart company elves), so thanks for your patience and stay tuned. We'll be posting news shortly.

Thanks for being there and scroll down to read what was supposed to be there all day long -- it's still nearly as fresh as hot rolls at grandma's house!

Larry

Assorted topics, calendars and coins

Good time of the year to give the gift of the future: a winning lottery ticket. I'm kidding. I'm discussing calendars. Specifically the 2006 calendars. If you don't have a 2005 calendar, it's just about too late.

If you get a 2006 calendar, you can use it to mark the date when you can sign the petition of support for the independent candidacy of the next governor of the State of Texas, Kinky Friedman (www.kinkyfriedman.com). 

How about those Kinky Action Figure TV ads!  Remember, if you vote in a party primary, your signature isn't valid on Kinky's petition. That may not be fair, but it is typical Texas politics.

The other candidates include a mean gradma and a guy with great hair.

There are several local animal groups selling 2006 calendars and hoping to help raise money to support their causes.

Here are three (if you know of more, let me know and we'll find a spot to mention them.):

For $15 you can get the Legacy Boxer Rescue 2006 calendar. It's got boxers. No briefs. (Go to www.savetheboxers.com.)

For $12 you can get the Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas 2006 calendar. It's got Golden Retrievers. No boxers or briefs. (Go to www.goldenretrievers.org.)

And for $10, you can get the Operation Kindness 2006 calendar. It's the variety pack of animal calendars. Some dogs, some cats and a human on the cover with a little bitty dog. (Go to www.operationkindness.org.)

The great thing about a 2006 calendar is it gives you a whole year of blank spaces to jot down things you intend to remember. The great thing about a 2005 calendar is you can throw it away without looking back.

DON'T FORGET: Some groups are still doing Santa photos. Check your favorite group's website. Also, Santa's going to be in the slammer on Saturday at Pepper Square -- helping bail Santa out of the Graybar Hotel is a fund-raiser for the rescue group, A Different Breed (www.adifferentbreed.org.) You can toss in some bail money from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- and one of Santa's scheduled monitors on Saturday is longtime Dallas-Fort Worth radio personality Fast Eddie Coyle, a member of the ADB board and all-round good eye. He's on Santa's "nice" list.

BIG SATURDAY FOR CAN: That's right. It's Lucky Saturday for Companion Animal Network. At noon on Saturday at the PetsMart at 12100 Inwood Road the folks from CAN will draw the winning ticket for two roundtrip airline passes anywhere Southwest Airlines flies within the continental United States. (Go to www.ca-n.petfinder.com to see the adoptables or to help CAN by clicking on the PayPal button.) You don't have to be present to win at Saturday's drawing. The group planned to sell just 275 tickets at $10 or 2 for $15. And, at noon Saturday, when the winning ticket is drawn, it'll be just fine who whoop it up like a reindeer who just heard Santa dropped a few pounds!

THE FOSTER HOME SHUFFLE: Here's one of the animals CAN has helped. This dog, Daria, once was an anemic and malnourished dog in need of corrective surgery on her leg. She was found in the middle of an intersection in Fair Park. CAN raised $2,200 for the surgery and Daria has recuperated and is ready for a permanent home.

She has, the CAN folks say, just lost her foster home because she and the "resident female dog" aren't getting along. They have issues. But Daria is fine with humans, kids and dogs other than the one she's been dealing with lately. (To help Daria by giving her either a place to wait or a place to live, e-mal [email protected].)

Here's another one. This Husky was found romping in a neighborhood. Some people took him in and now he needs a home because they can't keep him. The story on this fellow is he's not fixed but he's very laid back. He had a collar but no tags. He appeared to be an inside dog -- he was clean and flea-free. But nobody has claimed him. E-mail, again, [email protected].

A TRI-CITIES PROJECT: This is Murray, a "special" fellow, according to word from the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter that serves Duncanville, Cedar Hill and DeSoto.

Murray is 8, current on his shots and is "a super-sweet dog" who likes sitting in laps. He's been in the shelter since August and his personality has persuaded folks to keep him off "death row."

To see about adopting him, call 972-291-5335 or stop by for a visit at 1150 E. Pleasant Run Road in Cedar Hill. (Take 67 south, exit and go left on Pleasant Run for a mile or so. The shelter is on your right.)

MOWBRAY NEEDS A HOME: Animal rescuer and general guru of dog compatibility Cary Birdwell sends word that Mowbray needs placement. A neighbor found the dog but has been unable to find his owners. Mowbray had no tags and wasn't microchipped. The neighbor doesn't want to do anything with him except move him along into a good home. She already has a dog and cat and Mowbray appears to get along with them.

This is a bit of a rush deal, so a foster home or a permanent home needs to come quickly. (Call 214-521-3611 or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].)

Remember, a dog with ears like that can often be used to help collect signals from other planets. I might have made that up.

MONEY NOTE: I don't know about you but I am breathless with anticipation over the 2007 arrival of the new dollar presidential coins.

That'll be 37 more types of coins that Americans spend their days trying to hand off to the next sucker who also doesn't want to walk around with dollar coins.

It's playing "hot potato" with money.

I’ve got a handful of Susan B. Anthonys and Sacagaweas clanking around in a sock drawer somewhere. I keep forgetting to dig them out. Of course, thanks to the electric company's lack of a conscience, I may need them the light bill.

Ever go to the post office and buy stamps out of a machine? It spits out change -- and if you have a dollar or more coming back, the dollar comes in coin form. And there you are, stuck with a dollar coin that, as you go through a tollway entrance in the night, sails into the toll basket just like a quarter.

I guess this is where Washington will announce, "The federal government urges Americans to be careful with their money."

And if you try to pay with a dollar coin in some places, they look at you as if you’re a counterfeiter.  Some of these kids never heard of dollar coins. They think you're running a scam with a token from a strip club or something.

And when you try to hand someone a dollar coin, they look at you as if you’re trying to hand them a lesion.

I don't know -- maybe I don't go enough places, but the only vending machines I've ever found that take a dollar coin are at the post office. There must be some sort of conspiracy between the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of the Treasury. Sort of a Conspiracy of Annoyance.

Just reminiscing, I kind of enjoyed getting the old silver dollar as a birthday gift when I was a kid. I’m just not sure I’d find a gift bag of Richard Nixons or Millard Fillmores all that enchanting.

Two "left behind" dog tales...

We're adding an afternoon edition to our online gazette today because there are some situations that need immediate exposure. One involves a found dog that was recently spayed and the other involves an entire family of dogs -- a momma and her pups -- abandoned in Alvarado.

THE FOUND DOG: Christi Hansen, a constant rescuer, currently is hosting a dog who is being called Katie.

On Dec. 4, Katie jumped from the back of a pickup in front of the Wal-Mart in Terrell. Christi says an employee "went outside and grabbed her and waited for her owners to return. Unfortunately, they never did."

Christi happened upon the scene shortly after the "jump" and "when it was apparent they weren't coming back, I decided to take her to the city shelter in hopes they would come looking for her there. Once again, I was disappointed. When Katie's family did not show up, she was scheduled to be euthanized. Of course, I could not let that happen. So I too her in hopes of getting her adopted to a new family, one that would really care about her this time.

"She is an awesome dog. She loves to lay in your lap and has shown no signs of aggression towards people. However, so far, she hasn't gotten along very well with my dogs, but it's only been one day. I am having some difficulty in keeping her at my house because I have 3 dogs myself."

(FYI, if you scroll down to last weekend's Let Sleeping Dogs Lie feature, you'll see Christi's collection of canine loveables.)

Katy is up-to-date on vaccinations. Katie's belly is still shaved from her recent spaying. She needs a foster home right now -- or a permanent home. Christi is also willing to let a rescue group take over her care. (To help, call 214-820-6956 or e-mail [email protected].)

And this is a photo of her -- you might say she's a performance artist dog and this is her interpretation of "Santa Claus Is Watching You."

THE DOG FAMILY: This ugly situation was brought to our attention by our pal and longtime "animal nut" (a proud label!) Bonnie Lovell at the University of North Texas in Denton. She wrote, "I'm forwarding this message from an English Department colleague in hopes you can also help get the word out."

It was an ugly situation. Here's how Diana Holt described it initially: "A female dog, gold-colored, short-haired, abandoned in Alvarado by her owners several weeks ago."

Sounds bad, right? Gets worse: "She was pregnant at the time."

Living under a vacant mobile home, this 15-pound dog gave birth to five puppies "of various colors and she managed to keep them alive during the freeze."

A friend of Diana's took up the cause of monitoring the dogs -- keeping them fed and watered.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, the inhabitants of the mobile home came back to the park and moved the mobile home, leaving the dog and her litter exposed to the elements. There was an unused shed on the property -- it had no door -- the dogs were moved into it so they have what little protection if offered.

Then, today, just as the situation was getting even more desperate, Diana e-mailed that that "a saint named Caroline Mueller just drove all the way from Denton to Alvarado, spent half an hour trying to catch the frightened mom, and is now on her way back home to Denton, where she will shelter them from the immediate cold."

This is a situation that may require some help (e-mail [email protected] or [email protected] or call 940-565-2117 during the daytime or cell # 940-395-0705 to offer help.)

You get the feeling that because of some teamwork, this story is on its way to a happy ending. Stay tuned, as they say.

POSTSCRIPT: These two stories really bring home the fact that this is a world of contrasts. You’ve got some people who just roll off and leave dogs behind and you’ve got some people who break their necks to save abandoned critters. I’m sad for the people who don’t help -- their hearts are going unused. I’m proud to know people who help -- they may not win the lotto, but they’re far richer than people with unused hearts.

Thursday and things

Favorite Christmas song: "How Much More Is That Doggy in the Window?" or "Who Let The Dogs Shop?" Yeah, it's that time of year. Be kind to animals. Let's move on and remember to be mindful of each other. After all, we're animals, too, especially at the mall. Now, moving along:

A DIFFERENT BREED OF SANTA? Yep, this one's in the jailhouse now -- but it's for charity. A Different Breed, the rescue group, has persuaded one of Santa's helpers, complete with the jolly red suit, to help out. (I'm couching this in Santa-sensitive terms since I don't want any of you in a panic over an "unjust" situation involving our dear pal, Santa.) The scenario in this fund-raiser is that "Santa" has been tossed in the slammer because he "forgot to spay and neuter his reindeer."

A Different Breed has arranged to have custody of him at its storefront adoption site, Pepper Square, at the corner of Preston and Belt Line Road, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Santa will sit in the "slammer" until passersby and supporters have raised $1,000 to help him "make bail." You might even get to talk to Santa if you're a good little boy or girl.

By the way, don't try to take a photo of Santa and noted animal rescue supporter Cary Birdwell at the same time -- it just ain't gonna happen. If you get my drift. The "bail money" will go toward not just freeing Santa up in time for Christmas, but for helping A Different Breed (www.adifferentbreed.org) continue with its rescue work.

NEEDS A HOME: The City of Dallas Forney Road Shelter has this skittish but adorable female rat terrier mix available for adoption. The story is she "needs some TLC to bring her out of her shell. he is quite scared of most people." Sounds like a dog who once had a loving home but now things are all confused and frightening to her. Obviously, she's just looking for some security. To help her, call Janet at 214-671-0248 or 214-670-8248..

FOUND: Last week we mentioned a Jack Russell Terrier that had been found. Cary Birdwell, the aforementioned rescuer/Claus, sends word that the dog has been "reunited with his owner who lived five miles away" from Marsh at Royal Lane where it was found weeks ago. Someone saw the flyer and showed it to the owners. The nice person who'd been tending to the dog turned down a cash reward and told them to "spend it on a collar and tags instead." Obiously, sage advice.

A QUICK NOTE: Today is the 14th anniversary of the Wedding of the Last Century. Yep, this day back in 1991, my funfiance and I tied the knot and she became my funspouse, cacklespouse, humorspouse, dynamicspouse, crabbyspouse, determinedspouse, cookingspouse, cookiespouse, cleverspouse, catwomanofOakCliffspouse.....wait, I better not try to list all the spouse names I've called her in print over the past 14 years. And, of course, we don't want to go into what she's called me -- each and every name justifiable (and polite!), I assure you.

An assortment: Kids, critters & stuff

Before we go any further into our day, let me tell you about a "father" moment.

It's almost a Christmas story.

My son, Bart, approaching 35, drove his three kids, all under the age of 5, from Fort Worth to see the great-grandparents in Texarkana yesterday. It wasn't a non-stop trip, as it turns out.

He called me from just outside of Mt. Vernon as he drove east on I-30. He may have been looking for sympathy, bless his heart.

He'd had to make a stop, he said, "to buy some new clothes." One of the kids, all dressed up to see her great-granny and great-grandpop in Texarkana, had encountered a post-breakfast problem as they rode merrily along.

To quote Bart, "I didn't realize a McGriddle could come back up like that."

Let's just say that while I felt bad for him and especially the child, I also had to suppress a little knowing smile as I thought, "Ah, the circle of life...." Or, "what goes around, comes around."

Being a father is a joyous thing. And you need patience and paper towels.

STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE: These e-mails started popping up over the weekend. The subject in reads "FREE Golden Retriever Pups - please pass this on!" and the text reads "If they do not get adopted, these puppies will unfortunately have to be put down."

This particular e-mail is a hoax. You can check it out on the urban myth website Snopes by clicking HERE.

There are so many dogs and cats that actually need rescuing from kill shelters and from bad situations, it's a shame to see the good will wasted on a situation that doesn't exist. If you should get a copy of this e-mail, ship it right back to the sender and include the Snopes address, www.snopes.com. It's the proper thing to do.

MISSING: This is Princess, described as a "red nose female pit who went missing on approx. 12/03/2005." That's on the flyer that's being posted in her neighborhood, the Royal Lane/Crown area near LBJ and I-35. She's spayed and requires daily medication, according to the poster. If you've seen her call 972-741-8033 or go to Find-a-Pet at www.find-a-pet.org or 214-827-4357.

The part of the poster that'll get you is the last line: "She is loved without measure."

BARGAIN BIG OL' DAWGS: The SPCA of Texas has announced a "special" that'll run to the end of the year: the adoption fee for all dogs 36 pounds and over has been dropped from $90 to $40. (See www.spca.org.) These are substantial dogs with substantial hearts --- that's just the way big dogs operate. Little dogs have big hearts, too. But little dogs are adopted more frequently from shelters and the big dogs are left behind, no doubt puzzled that they didn't pass the audition.. People want cute and little.

As someone who is neither cute nor little, I can relate to the big ol' dawgs. And we have several big ol' dawgs in our house. They are the perfect companions to our cute little dogs. Say, there's an idea: get one or two of each and REALLY help the shelter move its inventory.

TO BE OR NOT TO SLEEP: Had a little trouble sleeping last night. About 5 a.m. I tuned the TV to Turner Classic Movies where there was a festival of silent films -- Shakespearean plays presented as silent movies.

My insomnia may make me a harsh judge, but when it comes to Shakespeare perhaps you really do need the words. Otherwise you have a film of a bunch of costumed people stalking around and gesticulating wildly -- they look like NFL coaches arguing with a referee after a bum call on a Sunday afternoon.

Assorted news from hurricanes to Santa

This headline popped up on www.drudgereport.com yesterday "Mice created with human brain cells."

Only fair, we have so many humans running around who think like rats.

A REMINDER: Are you rescue people taking January and February off -- have you been working like elves and intend to sleep after Christmas?

Here's the deal: Response has been light for listings for January and February for our FREE Urban Animal events list. E-mail your notices to [email protected] and we'll be happy to post the events.

LAWYERS HELPING ANIMALS: The Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Animal Welfare Committee has scheduled an educational session open to the public from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Belo Mansion, 2102 Ross Ave., in downtown Dallas. You probably have a feeling for what's going on in the animal world, but this savvy panel of speakers will give you the real skinny. The speakers include Skip Trimble, the legislative chairman of the Texas Humane Legislation Network, and Andrea Allen, former chairperson of the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission.

Both of these people are notable for their hearts, not just their brains. They're more than "theoretical rescuers" -- both have been out there on the streets picking up animals, walking through shelters, seeing the state of animals first-hand.

RSVP to Jenny Womack at 214-939-3000 or e-mail [email protected].

The event is free thanks to a grant from the Texas Young Lawyers Association. (There is no free parking -- after all, this is downtown Dallas, not downtown Fort Worth.)

A NOTE ABOUT KIT KAT: Yesterday we mentioned one of the area's notable kitties, Kit Kat, a little rascal who has had a tough go of things because of a birth defect, a cleft palate. It hampered the kittens ability to feed properly, but with loving hands and hearts, Kit Kat survived and now awaits her corrective surgery.

She's in the care of the Frisco Humane Society (www.friscohumanesociety.com) and Monica Nunez, the society's cat program coordinator, is her foster mom. She sent a note of thanks for mentioning Kit Kat. "She still hasn't had her surgery, but probably will in the next month or two. I'm giving her time to grow. She's a tiny thing, but very loveable and full of energy. The vet says she's healthy and is very surprised she is considering her situation."

Just a note to those of you who are interested in seeing this "wonder cat": Kit Kat will be at the Frisco PetsMart from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday "if anyone wants to meet her in person," Monica says. "I'm sure she'll love the attention."

AND NOW SOME KITTICO HURRICANE CATS: Angie Thomas of KittiCo Cat Rescue reports that hurricane cats are about to be available. KittiCo says that "more than 88 of the 128 cats that KittieCo brought back from Louisiana are still unclaimed by the original owners. With the help of Petco, KittieCo is hoting an adoption event for these cats and kittens" from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Plano PetCo at 15th and Central Expressway. (See www.kittico.org.) The cats are posted on the website and on Petfinder.com.

Kittico volunteers, Angie says, brought 128 cats to North Texas and "spent hundreds of hours on-line looking for owners." Forty cats were matched with their owners.

Amazing effort considering how virtually every living being along the coast was scattered.

STEALTH: Patty Dadamo has some news of "Stealth Volunteers,' an online group to which she belongs. It uses, she writes, "the Internet to track down hurricane evacuees and reunite them with their rescued pets. Over 400 reunions have been made possible so far, but there are thousands of rescued animals listed on Petfinder whose owners stilll need to be found. Dec. 31 is the deadline for many shelters and rescue groups to start adopting out the animals they're currently fostering, so we are trying to find as many owners as we can before the end of the year."

She has a list of links for folks to use to help with the endeavor:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stealthvolunteers/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stealthvolunteers2/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stealthvolunteers3/

And if you have a question, e-mail [email protected] .

SANTA PHOTOS: Remember, lots of groups have scheduled Santa photos this weekend. Check rescue group websites and remember that nothing says Christmas like Santa catching a slobbery dog tongue across the kisser. Or nothing makes ol' Saint Nick's nose quite as red as a reluctant kitty cat delivering a full-clawed slap across the holly jolly beak. Ah, it wouldn't be Christmas without a red nose, Rudolph.

Two dog tales and barn cats

Never mind how the old poem goes, Monday's child is drowsy today.

But here's a little wake-up note for you: Remember that wide-bodied dog who was facing an ugly fate in a local shelter last week?

He's been saved. His name is Red and he's in the care of the Frisco Humane Society. Kristin Reibel says, "We hold them for a minimum two weeks, so by Christmas Eve he'll be available."

They'll be posting him on the society website, www.friscohumanesociety.com shortly, she says. Meanwhile, go to that website and read the story of "Kit Kat The Miracle Kitty." It's touching and it's, of course, a plea for a little help with some surgery for the cat -- the cat has a cleft palate, but has survived against great odds.

About the time the Frisco Humane Society was stepping up to save Red, the Companion Animal Network ran across another unjust case. (And, aren't they all unjust?) This one is, according to a note from Gail Whelan, Chubaka, which may be the dog world spelling of Star Wars' Chewbacca. Anyway, He's an 11-month-old, neutered, chipped, vaccinated, etc., beagle who is housebroken and crate-trained. He was returned to a local shelter "because elderly relatives moved in and would not tolerate the dog."

(Aside: Let's not jump to judging this situation. Just be thankful we're not having to face the challenge of "relative vs. dog" -- though, of course, so many good relatives find comfort in a good dog. We don't know all the facts.)

If you can give Chubaka a warm, comfy place to live for a while or forever, e-mail  [email protected]. (Visit www.ca-n.petfinder.com.)

And, seriously, bless the heart of the guy who is now dealing with his loved ones. It's not an easy thing. And, according to Gail's note, he did "everything by the book" with this dog and the pup is "smart and eager to learn, gets along with everybody including other dogs." So, a lot of love has been invested.

LOOKING FOR BARNS: Lots of focus this time of year on mangers. But somebody needs entire barns. Yep. Barn Cats Inc. needs some barns. Go to www.barncats.org to see how you can help Peggy Atkerson and the Barncats folks..

Basically, cats that are too "testy" for the urban environment, i.e., feral cats, are moved to a "safe barn" location where they can live out their lives as country gents, mousers and layabouts. You know how feral cats can be. Not too keen on the human touch, but they'll happily nap in the barn while maintaining varmint and pest control.

And, in case you wondered, these "barn cats" are all neutered or spayed before they're relocated. That way there won't be a dozen new litters in your barn each year.

Peggy says, "I have 34 [cats] for placement right now with six additional coming from Louisiana tomorrow and many, many on a waiting list. We usually place them in at least 2s but always try for 4 or 6. 2005 has been a good year with a total of 384. We saved 33 in October and 47 in November."

Barn Cats Inc. can always use some volunteers, too. The organization is based in Lewisville where, only a few short years ago, there was farmland and actual barns. But the barns have given way to urban sprawl and power shopping centers.

Cats, however, rarely shop. And as long as you can fit a satellite dish on the roof of the barn, the barn cats will be happy. That's what I'm told by our cats, anyway. Of course, they’re happy with cable for now.