Our Monday has arrived and we're assessing the weekend damage and the prospects for the rest of the week.
We suspect we are not alone in this endeavor. Now, let's move on.
THE JENNY DEMONSTRATION: Supporters of Jenny the Elephant lined the entranceway to the Dallas Zoo on Sunday. The question now is whether his peaceful protest by smiling and waving people will have any influence on the people who will make the decision whether to send the Dallas Zoo's last surviving elephant to either a sanctuary in Tennessee or an animal park in Mexico.
There appeared to be around 200 people lining the entrance to the zoo. They handed out pro-sanctuary flyers and waved at passing vehicles. Their signs were gentle and not inflammatory.
Margaret Morin, who heads up the Concerned Citizens for Jenny, e-mailed an assessment to friends and supporters after the early Sunday afternoon rally. She urged them to thank local broadcast media for their work and noted that "unfortunately" the big print media's "photographer didn't show up until long after the rally was over, so they got only photographs of a few of us who waited."
The bulk of the demonstrators covered the entranceway to the zoo -- lining the access road and the zoo's entrance -- but there were lone protestors on nearby corners, too. These people politely covered a lot of territory.
Margaret also wrote, "I told everyone in the media the truth -- that our CCFJ rally was a local DFW grass roots citizens effort. And, we are not extremists. We are just D/FW citizens who care about Jenny and do not want her to go to a 'drive-thru' tourist attraction in Mexico where she will be exposed to cars and trucks driving up to her day and night (the Mexican facility is open at night). Jenny is terrified of cars and becomes very depressed when she sees a single car. Her life with be misery with a constant stream of cars.
"It is my hope that the media could see from the make-up of the crowd, that we were a good representation of the Zoo's core constituencies. We had older people in wheelchairs, young kids, families, and adults of all ages. Everyone was nicely dressed and well spoken.
"[Dallas City Council Member] Angela Hunt's husband came as Ms. Hunt was out of town. As you may recall, Ms. Hunt is the lone Dallas City Council person who made the effort to visit the drive-thru tourist attraction in Mexico and The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and has since supported Jenny being transferred to TES. Voters should remember this in the next election and call her office on Monday and thank her."
And, we got this assessment from our longtime tipster and critter rescuer Mary Garrett who wrote, "Really good turnout at Jenny demo. All ages and races. Lots of very senior seniors plus an SMU group. ...The only time I remember being this hot was when we were building dog pens down in Terrell ... Look for a gray-haired red-faced old lady with a bright pink umbrella on the evening news clips. That's me and I'm glad I went."
More to come on this Jenny story -- no doubt.
THE SHELLY REPORT: Helen Miller, who has been monitoring the hunt for the escaped "Shell Station Dog" reports that she got a phone call over the weekend from a man who claims to have seen the roaming dog at a Sonic on West Main in Frisco.
As you may recall, this dog was originally trapped at a Shell Station at I-30 and Belt Line in Grand Prairie, then released to a foster home in The Colony, then escaped from that home and vanished into the busy neighborhood. Efforts continue to return this skittish dog to safety. If you've seen her, e-mail [email protected].
FROM ROANOKE: You may recall the disturbing story from last week. Someone left a Boston Terrier puppy in a cage on the side of the road in Roanoke and by the time anybody stopped, the dog was dead, apparently from the heat.
This morning we got a note from Roanoke Police Sgt. Chris Almonrode who reports, "We have no leads, no suspects. We are taking the cage to have it fingerprinted this week. If we get a match, I will send out a press release."
If you know something about this case, if you saw the cage being put out on the side of the road or if you know someone who may know something, call the Roanoke police at 817-491-6052 or e-mail your information to [email protected].
REMINDER: It's Monday and the clock is ticking in animal shelters. Saving the animals will involve inspiring hearts. Remind your friends and neighbors to look into these shelters and find a friend or two. Marshall, Longview, Carrollton, Little Elm, Dallas, Texarkana, LaPorte, Houston, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Irving -- oh, just pick a city. It's probably got a "pound." Google it
and look at the inventory.
For example, there are two dogs in the Carrollton Animal Services Shelter.
There's Barney the Basset who is probably 4 or 5 years old and came in as a stray.
Then there is little Bella. Her story is a prime example of how people should adopt animals ONLY when they know they and their homes are suited for adopting.
According to the bio on the Carrollton site, "This little lady was released to the shelter by her people who were having trouble getting her to stay in her yard. Most dogs escape from their yards simply out of boredom. Bella is hoping to find herself a family where she will be loved and played with enough so she won't want to run away."
To ask about these dogs, call Joe Skenesky at the Carrollton shelter at 972-466-3420 or e-mail [email protected].
That dog with the conflicting ears? That's Warren. A stray -- thought to be a
shepherd/boxer mix who wound up in the LaPorte shelter near Houston. And the dog who appears to have NO ears? That's Sammy. He's a Lab mix. His time is really short, they say. He's been in the shelter a while and hasn't drawn any interest though he's said to have "excellent manners" and a sweet demeanor and knows how to sit on command. You can ask about Sammy by calling 281-842-3700. Click HERE to see more LaPorte animals.
CONTEMPLATIONS: The heat is oppressive in Dallas. The highways are paved and yet we stick around this oven. ...... Your Readlarrypowell.com couple saw Batman: The Dark Knight. One of us loved it. The one who didn't grow up reading DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Flash, etc.) didn't love it. Aaron Eckhart is great as Harvey Dent, the DA, and the camera loves him. Heath Ledger's Joker is magnificent -- Oscar certainty. The drama becomes "Who will accept Heath Ledger's Oscar?" ... The big floating banana over Texas isn't going to happen. You can see the original plan HERE. And read the Houston Chronicle story of the demise of the banana blimp plan HERE. Frankly, given recent salmonella developments, I'd like to see a giant jalapeno blimp floating next to a big tomato blimp next to a big question mark with "CDC" on it.