Looking at the way things are developing in the world, one is moved to offer a literary quote that perfectly pegs this wonderland of ours: “ ‘Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice.”
And now, our Monday report:
BIG MOMENT IN CARROLLTON: Joe Skenesky, the hardworking tipster at Carrollton Animal Services, reminds us that the whole shebang is in the process of moving and setting up at the new Carrollton shelter at 2247 Sandy Lake Road. The shelter opens for business on Tuesday. This means that the weekly euthanasia day has been moved from Wednesday to Thursday. Still, dogs and cats don’t have calendars so it’s up to people to help the animals.
Among those animals is this dog, Kate. According to the shelter, “This lovely lady's person had some issues with the police and since she would not be home in the near future we were called to pick Kate and 4 little puppies up. The 4 puppies have been adopted and now there is just Kate. She is a sweet little lady that is all kinds of friendly and is hoping to find herself a home to call her own. She gets along well with other dogs and weighs in at about 8-10 lbs or so
To ask about Kate or any animal in the old shelter, the new shelter or in transit, e-mail [email protected] or call 972-466-3420.
A DRAMA IN THE CORRIDOR: I won’t even pretend to be familiar with Houston and its neighborhoods, but I have been monitoring a drama in an area along Highway 59 that is called the “Corridor of Cruelty.”
And this drama involved – at first – three dogs lounging at a barbecue joint, and now a fourth dog has joined them.
We get the story from Deborah Hoffman, president and founder of Corridor Rescue. She says she and another volunteer have made several attempts to trap these dogs, but have had no luck.
The fourth dog has only recently shown up – that’s the big white dog.
Before that dog appeared, Deborah wrote, “Here we have 3 unlucky souls that have been dealt a bad fate in life.”
As you can see from the photos, they enjoy lounging on the broad sidewalk at the empty building. Or, if flushed, they’ll go into the weeds.
Deborah writes, “Due to the difficult nature of this multiple dog rescue and our lack of volunteer time and resources, Corridor Rescue Inc. has contracted with Lone Star Animal Recovery to attempt their capture. Lone Star will be charging Corridor Rescue by the hour and it will take MANY hours to capture all three of these dogs.”
These efforts are beginning today, Deborah says. “If there is anyone out there that is especially adept at working with very skittish dogs and/or whose specialty is pregnant momma with babies, please contact me as we believe the black and white one is pregnant.”
Deborah says donations would help offset Lone Star Animal Recovery’s fees and whatever medical expenses might be upcoming. Donations may be made to BBQ Trio Capture Fund, Corridor Rescue Inc., 10134 Hammerly Blvd. Box 187, Houston, Texas 77080. And there’s a PayPal set up – e-mail [email protected] to ask about that PayPal set up or to volunteer to help with these dogs.
She says that the BBQ Trio has “been out in the area of the Corridor off Homestead for over a year. They can be quite elusive at times but always end up coming back around the old BBQ smoker which is situated outside an abandoned night club. We have had a feeding station there or nearby since August of 2008. ... The black and white female appears pregnant and the brown chocolate lab is limping. Not sure how pregnant the female is but the thought of her giving birth near that busy intersection as we all know means misery for her in the heat and sure death for her puppies.”
FERRIS, LEONARD, THE SPCA AND CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER: Let’s review. (1) The City of Ferris had an animal control officer, Misty Clark, who, by hustling animals into rescue groups, was helping Ferris develop a reputation as a city that worked to save animals, but, alas, she asked for a human bathroom at the animal shelter and somehow got crossways with the city and was out of a job.
(2) The city, apparently, contracted with someone else to do animal rescue.
(3) That didn’t work out, either, and there was a falling out and a bunch of animals disappeared.
(4) On Friday, the SPCA of Texas, at the bequest of Fannin County authorities, seized 65 dogs and 10 cats and kittens from a property in Leonard.
This is from the SPCA news release: “Many of the dogs were being cruelly confined on tethers outdoors and inside a residence on the property. The residence is unlivable and the people staying on the property were living in tents. About half of the dogs are underweight and several dogs have untreated open wounds on their ears. One third of the dogs had eye discharge and one dog was missing an ear. The cats and kittens are emaciated and the kittens are in need of immediate veterinary care. Some of the cats were loose in the house and others were in crates in the garage. One crate in the garage held the mother cat and her kittens and the other crate held a cat without food, water or a litter box.
Additionally, one cat, several kittens, and what looked like other dogs and cats had been burned in two of the several burn piles on the property.”
Now what’s the Ferris connection? The SPCA says property is “the residence of James ‘Soaring Eagle’ Vonda, the manager of Domestic Animal Rescue Shelter Service (DARESS). The group previously had a contract with the City of Ferris to handle the city's adoptions. Two months ago, there were allegations of animal cruelty at the shelter concerning the animals that Mr. Vonda was responsible for. Before the SPCA of Texas could even initiate an investigation, Mr. Vonda claimed to have moved the dogs to Oklahoma. ... [On Friday] Mr. Vonda admitted that at least 40 of the dogs found on the property were moved from the Ferris city animal shelter.”
Why did the SPCA go to the property? Anonymous tip that the animals were being treated cruelly. The custody hearing for these animals is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at the Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Court, 111 W. Collins St., in Leonard.
You can see Channel 33’s report on this episode in the life of the Ferris animals HERE.
Be interesting to see if Ferris decides to return to tradition vis a vis shelter management. Of course, we have to remember that Ferris once announced it had ordered its police officers to shoot stray dogs on sight. And that does fall within the traditional philosophy of handling animal problems in Texas: “Let’s kill it.”
TWO DOGS IN DENTON: Amy Pelzel, who hustles to get animals out of the Denton Animal Control Shelter, reports that there are two dogs she’d dearly love to save.
Shelby is “the sweetest” 2- or 3-year-old female Shepherd/Rottie(?) mix” who loves playing ball and is very friendly toward people and other dogs. She has a skin condition – apparently an allergic reaction to fleas. She’s on meds and needs some time to heal, but is available to responsible people. She came in as a stray on May 12.
Then there is Wags, who “seems pretty healthy” although she has a possible tumor on her front paw. She’s “calm and likes to just be around people.” She was picked up as a stray on May 16.
Amy says, “Wags and Shelby are my two favorite dogs at the shelter. They are both amazing girls that don’t have their looks going for them anymore. but what they lack in looks, they make up for in personality.”
You can see these dogs and other animals in the Denton shelter by clicking HERE. ask about Shelby and Wags, e-mail [email protected].
FOLLOWUP ON CANDY AND A MOMMA PIT: Our pal at Operation Kindness, Sandi Laird, the Director of Animal Care, knew we’d want a follow-up on Candy, so she sent pictures.
You may recall that Carrollton’s Joe Skenesky asked for help placing this pup when the dog, walking toward the euthanasia room, rolled over on her back and waited for a tummy rub. She charmed her way off death row and Operation Kindness, the no-kill shelter in Carrollton, stepped up.
Then, Joe says, Operation Kindness also took a momma pit and her pup.
Of Candy, Sandi writes, “I have seen some badly matted dogs in my time, but this one might just be the worst. ... A lot of people were asking what happened to her.”’
As for the momma pit, she’s called Bambi. Sandi says, “She is loaded with Hookworms and Roundworms, but otherwise healthy. She is negative for heartworm. She is very sweet and will probably do very well in a new home. Her baby, Robbie, tested positive for Hooks and Rounds as well. Unfortunately, she also tested positive for Parvo. We took a chance and wormed her because of the severity of the parasites, then hooked her up to an IV to begin treatment for the Parvo. I am happy to say that ... Robbie is doing very well and responding to treatment. She is eating well and hops up to meet us at the front of her cage when we go in to treat her. We are very optimistic about her prognosis.”
To offer to help these dogs or any animal at Operation Kindness and to get directions to the shelter, click HERE.
AN EARHOUND IS SPOTTED: Well, more “seen,” than “spotted,” but here’s the story on Victor. Our tipster Carolyn Perkins was looking at Irving Animal Shelter Walker Russell Posch’s pictures of “urgent” dogs and spotted Victor, a 2-year-old Rat terrier mix who is “very friendly.”
“These are some extreme ears,” Carolyn wrote. Isn’t that the truth! Must be at least two pounds of Victor’s six-pound body weight.
Now in looking for Victor’s info, I ran across another dog in the Irving shelter and she inspired a whole new category: Oddest name. This little Chihuahua mix’s name is “Chilindrina.” I don’t believe I’ve run across that one before.
You can see how to reach the Irving shelter by clicking HERE.
No, I don’t know if Chilindrina has a twin brother named Philindrina.
EARHOUND (HARE DIVISION):Well, goodness. Nestled among the puppies and kittens and dogs and cats at The Colony’s Animal Shelter is Q-Tip.
Q-Tip also has a championship set of ears – kind of normal on rabbit, but on a dog or a cat, they’d make you look twice.
To ask about any animal in The Colony’s shelter, e-mail [email protected] or call 972-370-9250. Get shelter info HERE and remember, the best way to assess an animal is to go to the shelter and visit the rascal.
TWO BURNS FLAT SITUATIONS, ONE INVOLVING DALLAS: First up, there’s this wanderer, shown here enjoying some play time with some toys.
Terry Lynn Fisher, the tireless rescuer in Burns Flat in Western Oklahoma, reports, “This little guy was found by an elderly couple out on a country road. They were afraid to leave him, for there are lots of coyotes in the area. So, they brought him home. They are unable to keep him, due to health problems. So they asked me if I could help them find a safe and loving place for him. They said he is a very sweet and loving boy, housebroken, but NOT neutered. When they are outside, the neighbors have come over with their two dogs and he plays fine with them.”
Now, about the road from Burns Flat, to Flower Mound, on the northern brink of Dallas. Over the weekend, a dog was supposed to be transported from Burns Flat to the Dallas area. Terry Lynn says the trip was made, but “my daughter-in-law sent the wrong dog. LOL. But all is good, for that dog was needing to get to Houston and the lady from Houston was in Dallas so....Talk about good timing to move the wrong dog.
“So, I am back to needing the Husky mix girl moved to her foster home in Flower Mound.”
Thus, Terry Lynn is looking or a ride for this dog. To ask about helping any of the Burns Flat animals or helping Terry Lynn get this Husky mix to Texas, e-mail [email protected] or call 580-330-1459.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Having grown weary of the string-along style of Lost many years ago, I tuned in for the finale Sunday night to discover that all questions were answered but it had been so long that I’d cared that I’d actually forgotten the questions. Seems like everybody was dead all this time and they were just waiting for Bobby Ewing to get out of the shower. ... My pal Andy Fisher, the noted broadcast journalist and writer from New Jersey, sent me a note over the weekend about one of the weather reporters describing a “persistent ‘rain event’ over our fair state as ‘unrelentless’.” Andy says that when he heard that, he was still reeling from an earlier weathercast in which the guy said “something like ‘large area of rain affecting New Jersey, most of which is out over the Atlantic Ocean.’ I knew that this state is in precarious condition, but I had no idea.” The onslaught is unrelentless, isn’t it. ... My son, Bart, who plays bass in the band 17 Hands High, was driving back from a gig in Brownwood recently and passed through Stephenville on a Sunday morning. Alongside the highway was some kind of cowboy gathering with lots of horse trailers and livestock and he says he drove past just in time to see a fellow in full cowboy regalia comin’ at a full gallop aboard a Segway. There just seems to be something totally wrong with that, especially in the heart of Texas. Cowboy on a Segway -- just don't think there'll be a George Strait song about that.
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