It is Wednesday in our part of Texas and when I walked outside briefly, I noticed that the air is muggy, there's some heat in it and the birds are quiet.
I'm not sure what any of that means except that we probably don't need to expect snow and mockingbird lungs aren't made for the tropics.
Now, here's our midweek report with chances to help people and animals:
A MULTIPLE CAT SITUATION: This is a photo of a cat named Great Hope. He is among six offspring and a momma cat who need a place to stay with their human after an "iffy" experience in temporary cat quarters in a barn.
Yes, the human and the cats need a new place, says Therese Clare, who prefers to go by her pseudonym. She'd like to find a place in North Arlington so she can be near her parents.
Therese has been bouncing between family crises and trying to help her cats. She says, "Just to be extra clear: I would be happiest if someone could help to find us a safe place to live, where the cats can be happy and not be a problem. They are very sweet, but used to only a few people right now."
These are indoor cats who are accustomed to being pampered -- until recently when they were being kept in a barn. For now, Therese will settle for a responsible foster home for the cats if no one can come up with a home for her and the cats.
"I am in between jobs and moved home to assist my 77-year-old father in care-giving for my mother. My dad is allergic to cats. A few days before Valentine's Day, a friend of mine offered to care for my cats in her barn in the country. I was relieved...Two Saturdays ago, I traveled to the country to visit my cats and discovered a shocking situation: my cats looked skinny and starved!...My cats used to be happy and on the plump side. Now they are thin and very scared."
And her friend, she says, wanted the cats moved by May 1, but Therese has bought a little extra time. Not much -- just days. So, that's the situation, according to Therese. To help her with a foster home or some advice, e-mail Therese at [email protected] or call 817-247-8527. She writes, "Please place 'Miracle' in the subject line. I believe in miracles."
MIRACLE THE CAT: You may recall that last week we told the story of Deb Danilow pulling over on a crowded Fort Worth freeway and scrambling to get a cat to safety while her two Aussies waited and watched from the car.
She'd seen the cat get "clipped" by a car and sail through the air. But she was able to pick up the stunned feline.
Over the weekend, Deb found a home for the cat and the new mom, D'Anna Mitchum, reported, "She seemed to adjust just fine at our home. She was purring and rolling around on the bed, and laid there a long time with me. She also has already adapted to lying in our window to look outside. Jackson, our dog, seems to like her and she him. My other two cats are curious but a little testy for now."
KITTICO AND PETCO TEAM FOR A BARGAIN: Just $19.99 for a spay or neuter -- the only way you could beat that bargain would be to marry a vet and browbeat the doctor into fixing your cat for free.
But, KittiCo Cat Rescue Spay/Neuter Clinic and Petco will be offering the $19.99 bargain Thursday at the Casa Linda Petco, 1152 N. Buckner Road at Garland Road in Dallas. Sign up at the store or e-mail [email protected]. You'll need an appointment and there's a limit of 5 cats per customer. Be prepared to drop off your cats from 6:30 a.m. until 8 a.m. -- pickup will be from 8:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The cats need a little "me" time after this. Use your brain: Don't show up with 5 cats in a paper bag. Everybody needs their own carrier or cage with a thick towel in it. These are not just cats, they're patients.
Read about KittiCo and its work HERE.
AND NOW FOR SOME DOG NEWS: Remember, there are plenty of dogs and cats in crisis in shelters all over the area, the state, the region, the nation, the globe. If you need a friend, a shelter is a good place to get one. Generally, they don't care what channel you're watching as long as you let them doze off.
-- A CAN DOG: This is Marnie, who has been in a fix. We get her story from Gail Whelan of Companion Animal Network. Marnie is a dog with a tendency to roam and she'd already been picked up once and "against my wishes," Gail says, "returned to the adopter."
On Tuesday the dog was "out again only this time hit by a car," says Gail. "She will absolutely not be returned again. Please help us find a foster for this beautiful girl."
The young red hound weighs in at about 50 pounds and is "fully vetted." E-mail [email protected] or call 214-808-3238.
-- Grayson County Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace James Harris has awarded custody of six dogs to the SPCA of Texas. According to an SPCA news release, Judge Harris found that the dogs had been cruelly treated and he removed them from the custody of Geneva Jones and ordered her to pay $600 in restitution to the SPCA. These dogs were neglected -- no food, water, shelter, human contact. The rescue raid was on April 24.
-- The rescue group Paws In The City has scheduled "Paws At The Oasis 2009" for 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Thursday at Hotel ZaZa's "poolside retreat," Urban Oasis in Dallas. Tickets are $22. You can get them at the door, but you have until 6 p.m. today to purchase them and drink vouchers online at www.pawsattheoasis.com. Drinks and appetizers are provided by Beam Global and Urban Oasis, we're told. Proceeds go to helping the animals in the care of Paws In The City.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Why does time move faster when you're trying to beat a deadline? ... Anybody else miss afternoon newspapers? Oh, wait, we have a 24-hour news cycle now -- if anybody still has reporters working the night shifts. ... I think I can pinpoint what's wrong with America. I saw a local car dealership TV ad and the guy offered $10,000 off his featured model. Cars shouldn't cost so much that you can proudly shave off TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS and still make money. Good grief. Where is reality? Where is sanity? Manufacturers are going bankrupt and dealers are giving $10,000 discounts? Oh, wait. Wasn't an American-made car.
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