Welcome to midweek. Time to help some critters, maybe counsel some humans regarding an idiotic publicity stunt for roach-eaters at Six Flags Over Texas. But, first things first, we'll help some animals before we lament the idiocy of some of our fellow humans.
A COUPLE OF DOGS NEEDING SOME HELP: First, we have an update (as of about 3 p.m.) on Honey Baby, the dog at the right.
Our tipster Beverly LeRoux reports: "Bad news, just talked to vet's office. Dog has fracture on both sides and vertebraes. She will have to go to the Dallas Surgical Center on Trinity Mills for surgery, or else be put down. She is in a lot of pain."
As earlier reported, Honey Baby, hit by a car, had been in the temporary care of Noah's Ark while she was being stabilized.
Beverly says, "The vet bill at Noah's Ark is $177. They have received one donation for $25 as of 2:30 today. What happens to Honey is going to depend a lot on what the ortho surgeon tells us. I hope we can save her, I just don't know right now."
To donate to Honey Bear's cause get in touch with Noah's Ark Pet Hospital, 2155 Marsh Lane #106, Carrollton, Tx., 75006. Call 972-416-6624.
Honey Baby was rescued, Beverly says, by a "lady named Mari" on Monday. The dog had been hit by a car and somehow managed to reach (or be flung to) the curb. Mari wrapped her in blankets, took her home, tended her wounds and, with some networking help, found a vet who could work with the rescuers on helping the pup.
That's what Beverly calls "Case No. 1."
Here's "Case No. 2." A Brittany Spaniel found its way into the Carrollton Animal Shelter -- the dog has a shattered leg that is likely to be amputated. And this dog, also, had been struck by a car. (A special thanks to the folks at Carrollton for stepping up to make sure the dog got some help)
The noontime update on the Brittany is that her leg is shattered so that it'll require a specialist's approach to possible limb-saving surgery -- and she's been sent back to the Carrollton shelter with some pain pills and anti-inflammatory meds. Cage-rest is best until the surgeon gets a look at her and determines whether there is a chance that the leg can be saved.
Our tipster tells us that the dog is going to be pulled from the city-owned shelter and taken into the fold of the American Brittany Rescue group in Fort Worth. (To help finance this dog's medical care, write to American Brittany Rescue c/o Patti Nitschke, 6616 Trail Lake Drive, Fort Worth, Texas, 76133 or call 817-300-8301.)If you can help either of these by fostering or adopting or some other way, e-mail [email protected].
ZORRO NEEDS A HOME: Debbie Barclay, a volunteer at Prairie Paws Adoption Center in Grand Prairie, admits she has fallen for a dog named Zorro and is "desperate for him."
He's a "super sweet dog and nobody is even looking at him or has inquired to me about him. He is listed as an Australian Shepherd mix, found at Lloyd Park in Grand Prairie. I have walked him in my volunteer capacity at the Prairie Paws Adoption Center and he walks great, is very friendly and has a beautiful personality. He deserves a chance.
Officially, Zorro is Animal A050667. He's about a year old and has been in the shelter since Sept. 7. To ask about adopting him, visit the Prairie Paws center or e-mail [email protected].
THE STORY OF DAWN: This is a dog who needs a home -- surprise, surprise. It is the "backstory" that will get you. We were tipped to this by the folks at Straydog Inc. who put us in touch with Sharon Hirschler, a rescuer who lives in Denton. Here's the story from Sharon:
"In June, a policewoman sent me an e-mail plea for help with a dog she found. She found an 8-month-old puppy, almost looks to be purebred Staffordshire Bull Terrier. "This puppy was so emaciated she could barely stand or walk. She was found in a neighborhood known for fighting pits but she had not been a fighting girl.
"The policewoman picked her up and took the pup to her vet. The vet wasn’t sure he could save her. She was put on IV Fluids, antibiotics and a prescription diet. After she was hydrated enough, the policewoman brought her to me.
"I have to tell you, I have been involved in fostering and running dog programs for 8 years and this dog was the worse case of starvation I have seen and still be alive. Yet she was friendly and loving even in her pain. After a couple of nights in my home the cough she had became worse and very bothersome. So back to the vet where she stayed another week on IV fluids and antibiotics for a bacterial pneumonia. Oh, did I mention that she also had heartworms!
"Long story, shortened, I have fallen in love with this sweet girl, even thought of keeping her for myself until she and my 100-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback engaged in a scuffle. My RR, who has always been the dominant female, became afraid of the pit and would actually run to her crate for safety when I took Dawn out of the crate.
"The interesting thing is, there are 15 dogs of all sizes, breeds, and ages in my house and out of 15 dogs my RR is the only one that the pit has shown any aggression to. Puppies and smaller dogs climb all over Dawn. She loves running and playing with the other dogs and best of all she is an oversized lap dog. She adores people. I believe there is an appropriate home for her somewhere."
Dawn is healthy, housebroken, crate-trained and is a "loving house dog," Sharon says.
To adopt Dawn or help pace her, call 940-320-0551 or e-mail [email protected].
EXTRAPOLATION ON PARADE: Just before 9 a.m. Wednesday, an ESPN reporter covering the Terrell Owens gets-his-stomach-pumped story told the morning talk show hosts on 103.3 FM that, as the day progressed, he hoped "to extrapolate more" on the story. Just fyi: "Extrapolate" does not mean "report more facts." The really sad part of this? The broadcast reporter used to be a print reporter -- ah, you wonder how hard his editors had to work to make him look good. Oh, we all oughta be glad we don't live our lives with a live mike in front of us. Extrapolation would be the least of our sins.
THE SEVENTH FLAG WOULD BE STUPID? Wouldn't you have loved to have been in the meeting when the Six Flags geniuses decided, "Ten zillion dollars worth of heart-stopping thrill rides isn't quite enough for Halloween's Fright Fest, let's give people the opportunity to move ahead in line by eating a Madagascar hissing cockroach." Surely you've heard of this revolting development. The plan is literally to let people move to the front of a long line if they'll eat a live hissing cockroach.
Now put that concept on hold for a moment while we note a couple of stories from the past two days:
According to WFAA-TV, Dallas police have been investigating a case where some punk kids fed kittens to a pit bull in a northeast Dallas apartment complex -- to show you how awful this is, when a woman tried to stop the kids, one of the kids' mothers punched her. Mom of the Year, no doubt.
At Fox 4 News (click here) you'll see that a sorry excuse for a human, facing a jury trial in an animal cruelty case in Dallas, changed his plea to guilty in the torture death of a cat named Tiger in 2003. After the jury saw photos of how the cat had been mutilated and abused, the guy apparently called a time-out and decided to admit guilt. He could get 10 years in a state jail for the animal cruelty felony charge.
Now, back to Six Flags and the decision to take a live creature and turn it into a prop in a carnival-level geek act. It just somehow doesn't seem right that a corporation would encourage park guests to kill something in order to get ahead in the line -- that sort of activity is usually seen only in management.
It will probably fall on deaf ears, but someone at Six Flags needs to Google "circle of violence" and "animal cruelty" and "domestic violence" and read the studies that connect the dots on mean behavior patterns. Then, someone responsible should say, "Whoa. Are we really participating in this sort of behavior?"
Here's a quote from that WFAA story on the Six Flags situation. It came from a park spokesperson: "It's going to be a fun promotion, and it's voluntary, so anyone who does it will think it's fun." Yeah, except the roaches, and, of course, "thinking" something is "fun" might not be a good rule to follow.
PETA's on the case. Click here.
Just doesn't make sense that a fun-oriented company would incorporate such a distasteful stunt in its holiday celebration. I guess at Holiday in the Park this year, we can expect Six Flags to stage a "reindeer shoot" and "Strangle the Elf" competition. Wouldn't that be "fun"?
