Welcome to February, a special month. Not only does it celebrate St. Valentine's Day, but it is also 
Adopt-a-Rescued Rabbit Month and Pet Dental Health Month.
And Saturday is Groundhog Day and Sunday is the day the NFL plays the Super Bowl. (FYI: That's our big guy Hammy this morning as he arrived at the vet's office, Vet Stop, for some dental and nail work. He's so handsome and such a gentleman -- and ultrahuggable.)
On Saturday, if the groundhog sees his shadow, he'll go back into his den and we'll have six more weeks of winter. On Super Sunday, if a Dallas Cowboy sees anybody's shadow, he ought to slink back into a huddle and not come out until summer camp in August.
And we've got news of another resignation from Operation Kindness, the no-kill shelter with the national reputation. Read on.
RABBITS: We got a note from Sarita Rossi of the North Texas Rabbit Sanctuary reminding us that February is Adopt-a-Rescued Rabbit Month and, coincidentally, she include a photo of this rabbit -- her name is Cupcake.
She's NTRS's most recent rescue, Sarita says. She was picked up by a Good Samaritan after someone released the domestic rabbit to "fend for herself," Sarita says. "She had a broken leg that needed to be amputated. I'm not certain how she broke it, but our vet decided the best thing to do was amputate is. She is about 10 to 12 weeks old."
The rabbit is in foster care, but you can check into adopting a rabbit by going to the NTRS site HERE. Remember, house rabbits need special care. They have rules and needs -- proper diets, proper places for a den, proper attention. (Go to the House Rabbit Society HERE to read about the responsibilities.)
TEETH: The notice about February being Pet Dental Health Month came from the folks at City Veterinary Centers -- they're running specials on dental work. Click HERE to read more about the month and pet teeth.
WAITING AT LITTLE ELM: Well, my goodness, the Little Elm Animal Shelter adoption fee is only ten bucks -- ten lousy dollars for a great friend. Ten dollars -- a cheap fee for a dog or a cat. You can read about by clicking HERE.
Several animals are scheduled to be put to sleep at the end of business today at Little Elm -- that's 5 p.m. so if you want to adopt Rocky, the lab mix, or Jasper the cat, you'll want to make arrangements.
The shelter is at 1104 W. Eldorado Parkway, Suite 103, in Little Elm, north of Dallas. E-mail Animal Control Officer Cynthia Medrano at [email protected] or call the shelter at 214-976-0460.
Jasper the cat was picked up as a stray in Little Elm.
Rocky, the year-old, neutered male Lab mix is a victim of the human condition. His owner moved away and left him with his sister but because the sister has decided she can no longer care for him, he's in a kill shelter waiting on either a miracle or a needle. Ain't that predicament: people put you there and only people can save you.
He's health, loving, likes kids and other dogs, is leash and crate-trained, housebroken and in a pickle. Ten dollars.
Not all shelters have such a low fee, but all shelters have great animals waiting for homes. And, frankly, how much should a good friend cost?
STAND BY: Expect another announcement of a big confiscation by the SPCA today -- this one is about 200 cats and the operation was supposed to be underway after 8 a.m. Go to www.spca.org to monitor things and to see how to donate to the cause.
PUPPIES AND A PICKUP: Two situations need solving, we hear from the reliable folks at Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake.
(1) "Five small breed puppies have been dumped and are being bottle fed but the rescuer will be out of town on Feb 15, 16, 17 and needs someone to take over the chores for that weekend." To help with this call Lois at 903-887-7691 or e-mail [email protected].
(2) The Friends of the Animals, who use a lot of bleach at the spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City, are looking for a way to move 40 cases (4 bottles each) of bleach from Gun Barrel City to Payne Springs. Call Sydney Busch of Friends at 903-451-4701 to offer your transport services.
BOOTSY: This pup is Miss Bootsy. She's one of the 9 pups rescued from under the house behind a law office in Corsicana. And she's in the care of Lynn and Tony Gatlin.
"As corny as it is," Lynn writes, she's so darned cute that I just can't help but call her 'Miss Bootsy Wootsy.' We absolutely adore this little girl. She's sassy and full of attitude, prancing around here as if she owns the place. Those little white feet just seem to march, and that perky tail is flipped straight up in the air as if to say, 'I'm the Princess of the house!' And trust me, she IS the Princess of the house and everybody here knows it! She's adventurous as long as she knows you're close by to protect her if need be. She even walked right up to our neighbor's Great Dane, Maddie, just to say hello."
If you're interested in adopting this nearly 5 pound puppy, e-mail [email protected] or call 903-874-3722.
POODLES NAMED ANDY: Navarro County may have more poodles named "Andy" than any other bit of land in the nation. Recently we reported on a poodle that had run away while being transported to a grooming shop -- name of Andy. He was found and groomed and is happily at home.
We also mentioned, back on Jan. 21, that two dogs belonging to veterinary Leslie Ivie's sister-in-law had vanished on Highway 31 between Corbet and Purdon. The sister-in-law was in Mexico doing missionary work and the dogs were being kept in unfamiliar territory at her mother-in-law's house.
Dr. Ivie's update is that the poodle has been found -- his name is, no kidding, Andy."
The other dog, a Bichon Chihuahua mix, remains missing, but all the relatives are still searching for this little black dog with a white spot on her chest. (If you've seen the puppy, call Dr. Ivie's clinic at 903-872-4762.)
OPERATION KINDNESS NEWS: In an e-mail this morning, Operation Kindness Executive Director Jonnie England, whose resignation becomes effective in the middle of this month, has announced the resignation of veteran OK employee Michelle Wilde, the director of marketing and information technology for the no-kill shelter.
According to the Operation Kindness announcement from Jonnie, "Michelle started volunteering with Operation Kindness 15 years ago, has served on the board of directors, and joined the staff 4 ½ years ago. Among her many responsibilities, accomplishments and achievements, she single-handedly maintains our website, creating both content and design to keep it fresh, current and relevant; creates and distributes all online donation campaigns and our monthly PetTalk e-newsletter; manages and maintains all the shelter software programs; fixes all PC hardware, printers and peripherals; and maintains our phone and voicemail systems, computer software and network security, card key system and building security.
"In addition, Michelle has been the guiding force behind our ability to raise more than $300,000 online in the past two years through online technologies and e-Marketing campaigns. And as anyone familiar with Dog Day Afternoon knows, Michelle is the person who grew this event from $2,000 and 150 attendees the first year she organized it to over $60,000 and more than 2,000 people five years later.
"It will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find someone to fill Michelle’s shoes—who has her skills, talents and abilities, as well as her compassion, dedication and commitment to the animals. She will be missed, and her resignation is a loss for Operation Kindness and for all of us. Please join me in wishing her well and thanking her for all she has done for Operation Kindness and the animals in our care."
CONTEMPLATIONS: As we enter Super Bowl weekend, let me take you back to 1971 when the Super Bowl was played on Jan. 17 (fewer teams, shorter season). The Dallas Cowboys would suit up in their first Super Bowl, facing the Baltimore Colts. They would lose but it would be the next day before I'd realize it. Why? Because at 2:06 p.m. and 2:08 p.m., our unexpected twins (well, one of them was unexpected) were born. I missed the whole game. That, folks was a Super Sunday. I'm still smiling from that experience. ... It is difficult not to be concerned about Operation Kindness. As of today, two hard-working fundraisers have left the organization after the board decided to re-arrange executive duties. The perception is that something is not quite settled at the shelter. The dogs and cats don't know this, but the humans do. And the humans outside of the shelter may wonder. We have long admired Operation Kindness for its perseverance, for its heart, for its determination to stick to the mission. Let's hope the people who are contributing to this unrest will re-think things. In the unsettled and unsettling world of animal rescue, Operation Kindness has always been a dependable rock, a model of the result of hard work and heart.
As we celebrate Groundhog Day, it is appropriate, perhaps, that we also celebrate the Sleepers and Nappers among us.
could a woodchuck chuck?"
They were nominated by one of our pals with DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue, Roxanne Godsey. And, as you can see, some are cockers and some are not. The story from Roxanne:
"He isn’t shy about using his fur-sister’s hiney as a pillow in the car, either! That was taken well into the 16 hour drive to Mesa, Ariz. He personifies the boredom of the trip." (That's Sammie under Dodi's chin and to the right in the green grass.)
"Their original owner died and no one in the family wanted them, so off to rescue they went. We were in the right place at the right time to make these two part of our family! They are now 11 and 13 and the lights of our lives. 
sits at daddy’s feet 'woofing' over and over just under his breath when he decides it is time for daddy to get up from the computer and go to bed each night. 
"Dodi’s pillow in the car is Sammie. Sammie is one of the offspring of a rescued purebred buff cocker girl who had 6 puppies 17 hours after I got her home from being sprung out of the shelter. Sammie was the runt and I bottle-fed her from the time she was 2 days old…. She kept trying to die on me and I was determined to save her. When it came time for the litter to be adopted I just couldn’t stomach anyone else taking her so she became a Godsey. 
enjoys Dodi’s nap times more than anyone besides Dodi, I think and her neurotically spoiled Chihuahua actually enjoys the company and misses them when we leave."
