You know what our evening activity has been lately? Watching the Olympics and answering phone calls from politicians reminding us to vote for them in the March 7 Texas Big Party Primaries.
The Big Parties are the Republicans and the Democrats.
Alas, we cannot vote in the primaries. And why is that? Texas law. If we vote in a primary, we cannot sign a petition AFTER the primaries that would put an independent candidate on the Texas ballot in November.
As my politicalspouse Martha told a Democratic caller last night, "I can't vote in the primary. I'm saving myself for Kinky."
So, just a reminder, you fans of Kinky Friedman, "the Ghandi figure of the Utopia Rescue Ranch," (www.utopiarescue.com) if you want him on the gubernatorial ballot in November, you must eschew voting in a party primary in order for your signature as an "independent" to be valid on the petition to place his name in nomination. (See www.kinkyfriedman.com for info regarding his stance on issues, his campaign, etc.)
So far, Kinky's never shot a lawyer.
WHAT HAPPENED: Earlier this week, a troubled woman walked into the downtown Dallas YMCA with a couple of dogs. She made her way to the roof, put the little dogs on top of a nearby air-conditioning unit and, in spite of attempts by Y staffers to stop her, threw herself off the roof.
It's a tragic story -- there are always questions about why a journey takes a person to that fatal point.
And, of course, what about the dogs? I spoke with the folks at Levenson & Brinker Public Relations, who are handling crisis situations for the Y. The story on the dogs is they are older Chihuahuas or Chihuahua mixes who were placed in the care of Dallas Animal Services after the incident Tuesday evening.
So, there's an opportunity, perhaps, to save two bewildered dogs whose lives may hinge on the terminal decision their human made.
A SPECIAL DOG WITH A SPECIAL SITUATION: Christie Hansen, one of our regular tipsters and noted fan of all critters, has taken in a deaf boxer named Bomber and he's in need of a good, wonderful home because he is, indeed, a good, wonderful dog. He just happens to be deaf and this is a special situation that is not insurmountable.
"He really needs a home where his human is home most of the time," Christie says. "He has separation anxiety even when he is left with my other dogs. He is not crate-trained and currently uses a doggie door with my other dogs."
Bomber used to be Christie's niece's dog, but a divorce and accompanying unpleasantness led to Bomber needing a permanent home.
Christie says, "He also has to have a playmate. He is used to being around other dogs and thrives on play time with my Maddie. He is high energy. He's a puppy! If you leave something he wants, i.e., dog cookies in a cookie jar, he will attempt to get them. So, you can't leave anything out or on edge or close to the edge of the counter, etc....He has a great soul."
He's lived with Christie for going on two months and is doing nicely, though he really needs a home where he's not competing for attention with a Chihuahua, a Cocker mix and a Shepherd Chow mix. Those are Christie's dogs and the addition of Bomber has changed the canine dynamics. (To ask about adopting Bomber -- and be prepared for a rigorous audition -- call Christie at 214-820-6956 or email [email protected].)
Christie also says that "for a deaf dog, he is very well adjusted. The vet agrees. He knows the 'sit' command."
And, she thinks the separation anxiety is due to Bomber's deafness. So, he obviously needs someone he can see or with whom he can snuggle. And, of course, when you see a dog flopped on his back and snoring away on the human bed, don't you immediately think of him as "well adjusted"?
WEB SITE SPOTLIGHT: While researching something, I ran across a really nifty website that deserves a look from you animal fans. It's the Frisco Humane Society site at www.friscohumanesociety.com. Cool photos of happy folks with adoptees.
DON'T FORGET: Check area shelters and rescue groups for their participation in Spay Day USA on Feb. 28. Remember, the Plano Animal Shelter is participating in Neuter Scooter for a Nickel. Click here.
And, of course, the Richardson Humane Society has a Spay/Neuter project. (We've mentioned it previously. Scroll down and see the details.) RHS will award a free spay/neuter coupon in a -- let's see, do I call this a "Fixing Raffle?" -- well, you get the drift. Some people raffle cars, some raffle vacations, some raffle jewelry -- RHS has a practical raffle.
ON THE MARKET: The folks at A Different Breed rescue are in what's described as "immediate need" for a foster home for this dog Honey -- she looks pretty darned sweet, doesn't she? The place she was being boarded is battling a kennel cough outbreak, so Honey's moved out for a while -- it would really save the rescue group some money if they could just find a good home for Honey. (If you can give this swell pup a place to live, e-mail [email protected] or call 214-316-6604 or 972-475-8504.)
This dog reminds me of a little dog my late friend Tommy had when we were in elementary school. That dog was eternally sweet. This was back in the 1950s when small town living was a little safer.
Sometimes we'd leave class at morning recess and you'd see Tommy dashing out to a spot by the monkey bars where his dog had been waiting for him ever since she slipped out of the yard. Tommy would fall to his knees and hug her as she lapped his face like he'd coated it with candy. Then Tommy would go inside and call home to tell the folks to come get his pup.
I see that sort of loyalty in the face of Honey. Maybe I'm a romantic. Maybe I'm right.
APARTMENT DRAMA: Feline rescuer Barbara Ridgway reports that remains of a dwindling cat colony -- perhaps as many as 10 cats from a colony that once numbered around a hundred -- are trapped beneath a pier-and-beam apartment complex at Northwest Highway and Plano Road in Dallas. Against great odds (also known as uncooperative apartment management), Barbara says, "I have, with the help of Kittico, Texas Pawprints and City Pet Rescue, been able to trap, spay, neuter and vaccinate the cats that still live there."
To help Barbara get the remaining cats to safety, call her at 214-503-3555. I'm sure management would rather have the cats removed alive from beneath the building. Surely. On the other hand, it is often easier to pull off a "drug intervention" than a "common sense intervention."
CHIPS, ANYONE: Coming up Sunday is the Operation Kindness Low-Cost Microchipping clinic at the no-kill shelter in Carrollton. (For directions, click here.)
The chipping clinic is scheduled the last Sunday of each month. For $15, your pet gets chipped and gets lifetime registration. (Hours are noon to 4 p.m. -- dogs must be on leashes and cats in carriers.)
As you can see from the photo, the microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, is slipped just under the skin on the animal's back between the shoulder blades. It's harmless. And the chip has a phone number for a 24-hour service in case you pup or kitty wanders at 3 in the morning. The operators answer 24 hours a day.
My spaceyspouse Martha and I both have microchips -- we got them that time we were abducted by space aliens and flown to Mars for ... oh, I'm kidding. Neither of us is microchipped, though sometimes Martha threatens to fit me with a Texas Parks & Wildlife tracking collar so she can follow my movements in the grocery store. I have a tendency to stray to the ice cream aisle and take the basket with me. It's not so much that she wants me back, it's that she wants the basket. Really ticks her off when she selects and item and turns to drop it into the basket but it's not there. A glass jar of mustard will really splash -- even in Martian gravity.
DOGS IN NEED: Cary Birdwell, noted dog assessment guru and friend to all critters, reports that a Richardson woman, Diane Sample, going through a divorce, must find homes for her two older dogs, Abbie, a beagle, and Crosby, an Australian shepherd/blue heeler mix.
Abbie is "very friendly" but must take medication because of an under-active thyroid. "She has a little arthritis, but can get around fine," Diane says. " The 40-pound dog also needs frequent "walks" -- and, speaking as a post-middle-age man on diuretics, I can relate.
Crosby, a 45-pounder, is in "excellent health. He is very good with adults but acts a little nervous around kids."
To help find a good home for two good dogs, email [email protected] or call 972-480-0625 or 469-223-8434.
Diane says, "I have tried to find a home for them and have been unable to. I am now in a time crunch. .... I have talked to many people and contacted shelters without success. Thanks for any help you can give me."
DOGGIE THE DOG'S NEW NAME: Now, there's some irony in this, I guess. When we began writing about Doggie the Dog it was because someone had shot her, put her in a kennel without a door and dropped it off in a random front yard in West Dallas.
Her right front leg was shattered so badly, it had to be removed. But, she paid no attention to the loss and romps like she's a happy-go-lucky dog.
What would you name a speedy dog that had been shot? Bullet, of course.
So, Doggie the Dog is now Bullet, the Three-Legged Dog. She's a ward of Straydog Inc., the miracle-working, always-low-on-funds, non-profit shelter near Gun Barrel City.
Erin Johnson of Straydog forwarded this report about Bullet: She's "getting around fine on three legs and is enjoying her new home where she gets to play with Duke, a big, laid-back bloodhound mix." And Bullet is "curious but a little frightened of the two feral cats her new mom took in a while back. While adjusting to her new home, Miss Bullet is occupying a bedroom where the cats used to hide. The cats are hiding somewhere else now!"
Vet tech Nicole Adams took Bullet home on Sunday after her Saturday operation. "The 3-legged dog slept on the bed under the cover Sunday night -- snoring loudly," Erin reports.
The surgery to remove her wrecked leg was performed Saturday by Dr. Joel Akin at Pet Vet Animal Hospital, 12801 Midway Road in Dallas. In about two weeks, he'll removed the draining tube from the wound. And her spaying will be performed once her "milk dries up." As you may recall, she'd had puppies and her "spigots" were full. Still no word on the whereabouts of her pups.
If you'd like to help pay for the newly named Bullet's care or the care of dogs we don't even know need help yet, visit www.straydog.org.
Erin writes, "Straydog, a non-profit 501(c)3 no-kill dog rescue, sends a big Thank You to everyone for the financial outpouring of help concerning Doggie! Doggie's new guardian will cover any further costs not covered by donations, Nicole said. If more financial help is received in the name of Doggie (Straydog, PO Box 1465, Gun Barrel City, Tx 75147), Straydog will be very grateful to use the help toward other furry friends in need of care and rescue."
You can donate, but you can also take -- the shelter has many animals available for adoption. And by taking one, you'll free a spot for another dog in need. There's a never-ending supply.
ELECTRONIC EYE: My funspouse Martha was shopping in a local giant mart night before last -- we had a microwave oven emergency and she decided to go get one. She's like that -- something needs to be done, she cures the problem with late-night credit card therapy.
Anyway, she's in the appliance section shopping when she overhears a couple discussing why they won't shop in a certain local electronics/appliance store. And why won't they? "Too many cameras," they agreed in one of those "couples conversations."
Yes, "too many cameras."
Geez, if you won't shop somewhere because there are "too many cameras," just exactly what were you planning to walk out with and were you really going to slip it into your pants and waddle out the door?
