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On Tuesday, opportunities continue and there's even a dog who goes woo woo at donkeys

The last day of November brings a flurry of activity, but the sun it out so, in our neighborhood there’ll be no flurry of the snowy kind. Save that for next month. In the mean time, we’ve got some stories to report.
HERE’S ONE FOR THE BIG OL’ DOGS: This is ID#11904602 DH 415. Arlington doesn’t name the dogs in its shelter, but Dianne Watson, Dianne Watson, a member of the Friends of the Arlington Animal Services, is trying to save him and she is calling him “Dexter.”
He’s young and weighs 63 pounds and was a stray – he seems to be a Rottie with an undocked tail.
He appears to be suffering from mange and maybe some other things. Dianne says he has been at the shelter since Oct. 18 and needs some vet care. She also says he has until 2 p.m. today to be “tagged” or it’s curtains.
The contact points for rescuing this guy are  [email protected]  and copy it to [email protected]  and [email protected]. Call the Arlington shelter office at 817-459-6156.
FOUND ON THE STREET: This little girl was found yesterday on Wallisville Road in the Houstonian Sprawloplex by Frank Taylor, who with his wife, our notable tipster Edna, has a habit of saving animals.
Usually it’s a cat case, but this is definitely a dog.
She was found in an area that is “nothing but industrial and big rigs, so I am sure she was dumped,” Edna says. Edna has a catcentric house, so the puppy is being kept in the garage accommodations while awaiting a new home.
“She is smart as a whip,” Edna writes, “Already knows fetch and how to use her piddle pads. We have her in the garage and she doesn't whine or cry, bark or scratch at the door. She is about 8-10 weeks old, weighs about 10 pounds and is SOOOOOOO sweet and cute.”
To help with this pup by fostering or giving her a good home, e-mail  [email protected].
NOT ALL EARHOUNDS ARE IN SHELTERS: This is Monolo, a 4-year-old Whippet mix, definitely an Earhound, who needs a new home.
Monica Cruz says she got the 20-pound fellow from a Dallas shelter about 4 years ago. And he is a great dog. Why try to find a new home for a great dog?
“Because I am pregnant and have two very active boys I don't have the time to walk Manolo every day.  Because of this he has been digging out of my yard. We live behind a very busy street and I'm afraid he will get hit. I cannot send Manolo back to a shelter. I could not live with myself.”
To offer to help Monica place Manolo in a good home, 3-mail [email protected].
She says, “He is housebroken and neutered. He loves to be comfortable so sometimes I find him on my bed!  He is a very bright dog who loves to play and chew on his doggie bones.” And he gets along with the kids.
FOLLOWING UP FROM YESTERDAY:
--We mentioned this little dog Chuy yesterday when presenting some of the animals on this week’s euthanasia list at the Carrollton Animal Shelter. Today, Joe Skenesky reports that many of those animals have been adopted. But Chuy needs a ride and Petey needs a rescue group.
Chuy is the Chihuahua mix. Joe writes, “I have had a couple out-of-state inquires about Chuy the Chihuahua mix. We do not arrange for out of state adoptions or transport.  If anyone is willing to help these people, let me know and I will forward their emails with their information. One is from Florida, one is from Maine and one is from North Dakota.” (E-mail joe.skenesky at 972-466-3420 or e-mail [email protected].
And Petey is, of course, a pit or pit mix and he needs to be pulled by a rescue group so he can be properly cared for and not just become another pit euthanasia statistic. No need to outline the challenges faced by pits in the current climate. He’s young, playful and full of energy, the report says.
Good news? Charcoal, the lively dog who came in with three pups, has been rescued.
--Woo woo. We mentioned Lucky, the senior shepherd mix at Collin County Animal Services, left there because his human had become homeless, thus Lucky was homeless. Our CCAS shelter-walking tipster DeDe Whitcombe of Mazie’s Mission www.maziesmission.org   She reports, “Lucky is still patiently waiting for a second chance.  He is such a sweetie, I took him for a walk Sunday and he is so good on a leash and enjoyed the walk so much.  Still had enough get up and go to woo woo at the donkeys!” To ask about saving this older fellow, call Lisa Drummonds at 972-547-7298 or e-mail [email protected].
You’ve got to love a dog who goes “woo woo” at donkeys AND enjoys a nice brushing – to bad this guy is sitting squarely in the target on death row. Look at that face. That’s a “woo woo” big dog face that would look good in a living room or at the foot of a bed.
CONTEMPLATIONS:  Three things to think about, maybe. Why do tire stores sell you out-of-balance tires, then charge you extra to balance them? Have you noticed any benefit at all from the government’s decision to change the way TV signals are broadcast – other than big financial benefits to sellers of new-style TVS? When Congress is in session, do you feel democracy is comforted or uneasy?
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Being holly jolly and helpful -- the challenge of the season

Monday has come after the long Thanksgiving weekend and we are glad to see the morn.
Finally, all the Christmas decorations in stores start to make sense. If only the rest of the world would start to make sense. Now, our daily report:
HOLLY JOLLY THOUGHT: Be nice if people could give a Christmas bonus to their favorite rescue group or shelter. Some shelters – city and non-profit --could use some supplies. Nearly all of them have a wish list. Maybe your kids or your Sunday school class or your cellblock could put together a gift. Just a suggestion that came to me in a letter from the Charity Committee of Toymaker Union Local #3110 based in Elfdorado.
That photo? That’s our Readlarrypowell.com staff impersonator Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, giving us his impression of a lingering relative stumbling into the kitchen and spotting a big steaming platter of Mom’s Four-Day Tofurkey Meatloaf Chunks with side dishes of reheated egg faux young and jalapeno yogurt/peach pie surprise.
Even Inky draws the line at some leftovers.
THE WAY THINGS WORK SOMETIMES: As Thanksgiving approached last week there were a number of animals on the euthanasia list at Dallas Animal Services. Sunday evening we got a note from Jonnie England, the Metroplex Animal Coalition’s director of communications and animal advocacy. It offers a reason to be thankful.
It seems while there are some dogs left on the current list – four cats and eight dogs – they’ve been given a “one-week extension due to the holiday.” That puts their date at December 7.  All of these animals have been in the city’s adoption program for at least 45 days and are “fixed,” vaccinated and negative for heartworm and other assorted common conditions.
The condition they share is, of course, living under threat of death if nobody steps up to help.
Some of these we’ve posted before. There’s the wacky Fanta, the gleeful-faced terrier; Alton, the 41-pound Beagle mix who looks like he’s directing traffic at a mall entrance during the holidays and Ivana, a 25-pound Lab mix who looks as if she just spotted the diamond prices in the jewelry salon at Neiman's. That cat is Madison, said to love cuddling and watching television, or, as guys might describe her, “cuddling and TV? A great cheap date.”
To adopt or get more into on any animal in the Dallas shelter  e-mail  [email protected] or [email protected] or call 214-671-0249 or 214-670-8312. To arrange a rescue, e-mail [email protected] or call 214-670-8298. You can see more Dallas animals on line HERE. The shelter’s closed on Mondays, but you can still e-mail or call. The big facility is at 1818 N. Westmoreland at I-30. You can’t miss it -- unless you're trying to miss it.
MEANWHILE IN CARROLLTON:  You don’t normally think about rabbits at this time of year – more of a spring holiday critter – but they’ve got a wandering rabbit up for adoption at the Carrollton Animal Shelter. He’s Mr. Knickerbocker and he’s our official Earhound for today. He was probably someone’s Easter gift and that someone “set him free” in the wilds of the streets of Carrollton. (Aside: He’s a domestic rabbit, you idiot. You don’t “set him free.” He’s not a woodland creature, you simple-minded prat. Sorry for the outburst. We’ve got more animals to fret about. Read on.)
This dog Charcoal looks apprehensive in her shelter photo – and by golly she’s got a good reason: He owners dumped her at the shelter with her three puppies because they “had too many dogs and not enough room to house them.” (Aside: Ah, we encounter some more simple-minded prats. Must be a colony of the pinheads around here somewhere. Again, sorry for the outburst.) While her photo says apprehension, her Youtube video (bless Carrollton’s Joe Skenesky for putting some life into the marketing of these adoptables) says, “I’m a happy blur on the real estate!” (See it HERE.)
And there are some cats waiting for homes, including Tux, that kid who is perfectly comfy in the blue bedding in his cage.  He’s an 8-week-old stray, but he’s already dressed for formal occasions. And the cat with the great character actor face is Tamina, a female Persian with a history known only to herself and the person who allowed her to become a wandering cat.
You can see more Carrollton animals at www.joesanimalhouse.com. 
Oh, yes, one more dog: That's little Chuy. The face ought to be enough of a selling point for someone who wants a sincere, lively dog around the house.
To  ask about any of the animals, e-mail [email protected] or call the shelter at 972-466-3420. Nobody saves these animals, they die on Wednesday.
ALWAYS ON THE BRINK OF DISASTER: Pits and pit mixes are always on the “list” at shelters. There are a number of reasons from (1) reputation to (2) bad people will stop by and adopt them just to see if they can fight or if they make good training bait. (Please, forgive my outburst one more time as I employ use of the word “prat” to describe people who do not respect these dogs and, by respect I mean accept them for what they are and treat them with love and care and make sure they are properly maintained as companion animals and not yard dogs, guard dogs, etc.)
So we got this note from rescuer DeDe Whitcombe who spotted a bunch of the pits and pit-types in the Collin County Animal Services shelter in McKinney. The note read, “We have some really awesome bully mixes here, I know there chances are slim to none...but I have to try.” The shelter contact is Lisa Drummonds at 972-547-7298 or [email protected].
The dog looking up is #269104 and she is 3 years old and “poss pregnant,” the shelter says. She’s described as a “tank, but is so precious.” She’s house-trained and gets along with other dogs. “She will sit, shake, down.” Yet, she’s on death row.
The beautiful dog with the nonchalant lean is #270718, about 3 years old and “very sweet, loves everyone” including other dogs.
Yep, death row. And she doesn’t even know it. For all she knows, she’s home and the person who’ll come to get her to take her to the needle is her next human.
And the shelter also has a ton of little dogs and this dog named Lucky, a 9-year-old shepherd mix, surrendered by an owner who had become homeless, DeDe wrote. “He does not have a chance without rescue.”  
It’s a crying shame what our society does to these animals. So much death in the world already.
HERCULES RETURNS: Sounds like a movie title, but it’s really a story with a bad twist. I think we may have featured Hercules here before when he was in the Euless Animal Shelter the first time. He’s back in the shelter again and now he’s #12568, according to a note we got over the weekend.
The folks who had adopted him moved to a new place and discovered after the move that the new place did not allow pits and pit-type dogs.
Here’s the testimony about Hercules: “One of those big, huggable dogs that you can just use as a pillow! He's a giant sweetheart that is a baby in the body of a large dog. ... He is very well-behaved and has definitely had some training in his past. He loves to have his belly rubbed and will roll around in the grass while you do it.”
So, it’s easy to see why nobody would want him in their apartment complex or neighborhood. Euless Animal Services is at 1517 Westpark Way. Call 817-584-1594 and refer to Hercules by his number.
HUNTING FOR LADY: Lynn Gatlin of Project Pawz in Corsicana is helping a family hunt for this 9-pound Maltese, Lady. She’s been missing since Nov. 19 when she accidentally went wandering while her family was in Corsicana visiting. The family papered the area with flyers, put an ad in the local paper and did all the proper things to try to find their dog.
Lady was last seen in the 34th Street area of Corsicana. The year-old dog had a collar on when she vanished. If you know her whereabouts, call 361-215-6678 or call Project Pawz at 903-874-3722.
CONTEMPLATIONS:  You know the Wonderland of Lights is currently illuminating Marshall,  right off I-20 in East Texas.  And, it’s a seasonal draw – got an ice rink downtown and lights all over the place. It’s bright. They turned the lights on with a ceremony last Wednesday night and you know who pulled the switch? A 7-year-old gospel singer named Rhema Marvanne and a vampire – Kirsten Prout from The Twilight Saga.  There has to be some link between the Canadian actress, vampires and Christmas in East Texas, but I sure couldn’t figure it out. The little gospel singer I understand. But a vampire? Maybe someone will enlighten us. ... Does being on Facebook help shelters? Or is it just a “social network jumble” that is difficult to follow because so many “friends” post so much stuff? Does a Facebook shelter page attract only “friends” who are already interested in that shelter and does it expand the “circle of communication”?  How can you get people outside of animal rescue interested in the plight of animals on a daily basis? ... I got a note from a golf outfit about some deals on playing a round. Here’s the way it started: “Building up for the holiday hussel and bussel.” At that point I suspected there might be a language problem, to wit “hustle and bustle” were victimized by that opening gambit. Then the thing continued “You will be running errands and shuffling family soon; cooking and consuming pounds of seasonal delicacies. Toasted and topped with savings today, purchase a round to work off those calories” at a local golf course. The come-on suggested “Buy today, and the round is good until March 2011, right in time for our great spring weather. Have a round 'ready in your pocket' with today's steal priced at $16 you are golfing for cheaper than a Lincoln!” I have no idea what “golfing for cheaper than a Lincoln” means. So I contacted the people who sent this out and they nicely and sheepishly explained that it had been sent under holiday pressure without proper editing. Yep, they’d encountered first-hand hussel and bussel.
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Make your own Thanksgiving list, but, just in case, here's a starter kit

It is Thanksgiving 2010 and I can’t believe it’s not still February – it’s like somebody glued the fast forward button down and let ‘er rip.
So, first off, in a special Thanksgiving weekend presentation, I am thankful for the ol’ stream of consciousness. Keeps me from having to organize my brain – talk about rivaling Fibber McGee & Molly’s closet.
Those of you who don’t get that reference – well, too bad. I’m thankful I’ve heard old time radio programs. Jack Benny rules.
Oh, I have lots of stuff to be thankful for this year. Some of it left over from years in the past.  I did lose some weight, but I still have plenty left over and it is, indeed, lingering from, guess where, years in the past.
Join in on this thankful list if you want – we’ll stipulate family, friends, church and a job (if you still have one) and all the usual stuff that we already know we’re thankful for – kids, critters, air-conditioning.  Maybe something I write will inspire you to remember something you meant to be thankful for but it slipped your mind in the rush to get to Thursday.
Like, for example, the Dallas Animal Services Shelter has made a big u-turn in what started out this year as a nosedive into horror.
And the Dallas Cowboys – on second thought, well, never mind.
But, how about those Texas Rangers! All the way to the World Series!
The American Association of University Women-Arlington Branch and their annual book fair -– yeah, we long ago ran out of shelf-space, so we stack those books here and there. Martha has a Kindle – but she’ll put it on top of a stack of books sometimes if the cat will move.
I’m thankful I learned about the Pilgrims when I was at Highland Park Elementary School in Texarkana way back in the 1950s before years of digging around for the truth ruined the perfectly romantic notion of these invaders from England getting along swimmingly with the Indians.
In fact, I’m thankful I was in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. I don’t know what Scouting is like now but it was great back then – of course, we still had to use frontier skills just to get through our day. That’s how long ago it was. I’m thankful I was raised in the era of Davy Crockett coonskin caps.
I’m extra thankful that my 7^th grade Texas History teacher, Mrs. M.M. Knight, was so good and thorough. God bless Texas.  Because of her, I know stuff about my home state. Maybe that’s why I take such pride in the Lone Star State. It is a great state even if it does have a certain lack of tenderness when it comes to protecting animals. While I’m at it, Alpine, Texas, has a sweet beauty on a clear, spring morning.
I’m thankful I get to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV – someday I hope to be thankful that I’ve seen it in person.
OK, some short thankfuls:
Veterans (I've known them from The War to End All Wars up through today in Afghanistan and Iraq.), thrilling flyovers by military planes, the sight of an American flag flying over a ballpark in a peaceful nation ...
Animal rescuers, shelter workers, vets, vet techs, vet staffers, the sounds of birds in the morning (if they can just hold it down on headache mornings.... 
Movies (but not The Pirate Movie), weather radar, automatic transmissions,  automobile air-conditioning, hot showers, Coca-Cola, Fresca, vegetarian chili...
Elvis, The Beatles, Texas’ blue skies, golf, Christmas lights, Peggy Lee, the Marfa Lights, a snowstorm I was in years ago in Santa Fe (such beauty!), last winter’s blizzard in Dallas (our dogs loved it!), the feel of a baseball glove on your hand and the sensation as the ball smacks into it and doesn't fall out...
My abilities as a gymnast (oh, wait, I got someone else’s list) ,,,, Back to mine:
Marlon Brando as both Vito Corleone and Carmine Sabatini), Mario Puzo, Robert Heinlein, Rod Serling, The New Yorker, Urban Animal Magazine, the book Beautiful Joe, the Bobbsey Twins, The Hardy Boys, Monk, two years of Latin, poets Richard Armour and Ogden Nash (you CAN tell which is which if you pay attention)...
Charles Dickens, Joe Sears, Jaston Williams, Ed Howard, DeeDee Snavely and all the folks in Tuna, Texas, Elwood Dowd, Harvey, Neil Simon, Woody Allen’s movie Bullets Over Broadway, Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca, Play It Again Sam...
Vegetarian dressing, the vegetarian tacos at the Candlelight Inn in Arlington, the now-defunct Jefferson Coffee Shop in Texarkana across from the railroad station that has the state line running smack through the middle of it, a trip I took twice on a train from Texarkana to El Paso...
My life in community theater (when I got too big to walk onto the stage without the boards creaking, I bowed out) ... all community theater because people put their hearts, their money, their time, their energy into it because, as the song goes, “What is it that we're living for? Applause. Applause.” ...
Tomato basil soup, pizza, Sam’s Pizza & Pasta in Cedar Hill, Plymouth automobiles, Star Trek, William Shatner, Jenna Elfman, Lily Tomlin, Tom Hanks, Hank Thompson and the Brazos Valley Boys, Boise’s blue football field, Field of Dreams, Dreamcicles ...
Nitrous oxide, crossword puzzles, my iPod, my first little record player on which my brothers and I wore out a copy of Gene Autry’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Gene Autry’s 1936 film made at the State Fair of Texas called “The Big Show,” the State Fair of Texas (especially the cookie contest and the contestants and the staffers)...
Baseball in general but the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals in particular, the Highland Park Hobos 5^th and 6^th grade flag-football team which won the Texarkana, Texas, city championship in 1958 and should have won in 1959, too...
Dallas at night, Fort Worth at anytime, the Mississippi at Memphis, the Mississippi at St. Louis and the Arch, the aroma of coffee on railroad passenger cars in the 1950s...
East Texas pine trees, Christmas trees, roses, bluebonnets, oranges, apples, Orange Julius (haven’t had one of those in a while), vanilla milkshakes, sparklers, Roman Candles, the right to vote even if you do vote wrong.
Oh, that’s enough for now, We’ve lost some folks and some critters along the way through the years and even this year, but this dazzling array listed above shows we still have things we can put down on the “I’m Thankful For...” list. Add pencils, not sure about carbon paper, young years spent pounding on manual typewriters in smoky newsrooms in newspapers that no longer exist. Wacky people – now there’s a long list.
OK, if you haven’t stopped reading by now, your turkey and dressing platter is too cold to eat and your tea needs more ice. 
Enjoy your Thanksgiving and be kind to animals and that’ll be something else for which I can be genuinely thankful.
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A long pre-Thanksgiving round-up of happy tales, animals in need and The Solemn Vow...

Today, as we approach Thanksgiving, we are going to try to concentrate on happy news and offer a big tip for holiday enjoyment: The Solemn Vow. We’ll get to The Solemn Vow in a minute. First we have some happy news in this Thanksgiving season – some recoveries, some rescues, some pardons, some opportunities.
COWGIRL: Yesterday we told the story of Cowgirl (left), a very lively, adorable stray dog on the euthanasia list in Carrollton. The shelter's Joe Skenesky reports that Cowgirl has been adopted. Yep, taken into a home. No longer "on the list."
TWO CATS AND SOME GOOD FORTUNE: This is an update on a story we’ve been following – the rescue of an injured kitten near the Dallas VA Hospital and the rescue of a free-roaming kitten as that injured kitten was being loaded into a car at the Dallas Animal Services Shelter. Yep, a two-fer on Nov. 11.
We get the update from Elise Bissel of Take Me Home Pet Rescue which now has the kittens.
Autumn is pictured here with Dr Aron Neeman (left) and Reagan Wrage of Kindness Small Animal Hospital in Garland as they work to remove the little cat’s cast. Elise notes that it was VA employee Rick Keeling’s call to her that “spurred my call to Rebecca Poling who got the ball rolling."
So, what's new? "Autumn is now ‘Biscotti’,” says Elise.
And, why is that? Because the cats foster mom, Pam Nachajski, who is also,Take Me Home Pet Rescue's president, “names all of her rescues after baked goods,” says Elise. “Though Pam is a genetic counselor with lots of letters after her name, her true passion in life is baking. She felt that the kitten looked like a biscotti with the giant pink splint she dragged around on her rear leg.
“Well, as you can see from the photo, Dr. Neeman and his assistant Reagan Wrage, removed the splint last week and doctor's orders are continued bed rest with passive range of motion three times a day.. Pam says, ‘Try telling her that!’
“The kitten is doing great. She is not alone as we have placed her in a crate with Poppy who has a giant pin sticking out of her humerus while she is on the mend for a major fracture.  Poppy loves on Biscotti and takes good care of her, Pam says.  When she weighs two pounds she will be spayed and then ready for adoption. Should be around Christmas.
“Little Lt. Walton, AKA Bush Baby as named by Jonnie [England], is still in isolation for ringworm.  He continues to receive well wishes and lots of toys so he is not complaining too much at the moment. Give him some time!”
That little cat was hiding in the shrubbery outside the Dallas Animal Services shelter when Jonnie and the shelter’s Kimberly Killebrew were loading “Autumn” into a car for transport. He meowed and they saved him.
If life were only that simple for all down-on-their-luck  cats: Mew and someone saves you.
NEW CAT COMFORT COMES FROM CFL AND PETCO: Last night my critter-friendly spouse Martha and I were talking about some cats that need to be rescued from the Dallas Animal Services Shelter ASAP – they were on the euthanasia list and some things fell through with rescue, we're told. Mercifully, someone stepped up to save that pair, but, sure enough, the place is loaded with unwanted animals as the holiday arrives (go to the shelter website HERE.) Paws In The City has been trying to claim as many as possible and needs foster homes to help in this endeavor -- click HERE to reach the group. 
At any rate, that reminded me that Rebecca Poling has reported on the local Examiner pet page about a great event pulled off by Companions for Life (of which she is president) and the Petco Foundation.
Cats at the shelter once slept in stainless steel cage lined with newspaper. City budgets are tight, you know. But thanks to CFL and the Petco Foundation, there are 92 new “feral cat dens” – one for each lost cat kennel currently at the shelter.
Why is this a good thing? Cuts down on stress in these poor cats that find themselves suddenly living in a stainless steel cage. You can read all about it courtesy of an Examiner story by Rebecca HERE.
DANA THE DOG GETS A BREAK: On Monday we ran a story from Denton about a Catahoula/Lab mix named Dana who’d been surrendered to the shelter because of a “territorial issue.”
We quoted from an e-mail from the guy who’d surrendered the dog – he spoke so warmly, so glowingly of Dana that one wondered how he could have given up the dog. And, we hasten to note that we don’t know either the human or the dog in this case.
But someone did know the dog: the sister of the fellow who gave up the dog unbeknownst to them. The sister and other members of the family yelled “Hey wait a minute! We want Dana” and sure enough, yesterday, a family representative claimed the dog and took her back into the family fold.
(Dana is not the only Denton animal needing rescue – see them HERE.)
And, of course, we should all pray that Dana’s family of humans can get past this and enjoy a happy Thanksgiving while making sure Dana is properly tended to and shown the affection due a dog that endured a “near miss” at a city shelter.
FARMERS BRANCH IS FULL AND EUTHANASIA IS LOOMING: That's Bacon -- he's one of many animal feeling the squeeze at the Farmers Branch Animal Shelter.
Kathy Nichols of the FB Shelter had the best line to fit the season. She wrote, "I guess part of cleaning house before the holidays means dumping the family pets these days." She sent us a note last night outlining the serious situation at the facility. What hurt was the inexplicable arrival of nine owner-surrenders, pushing the shelter’s population to 65 animals – way over capacity. Holiday hours are going into effect and that means things will be rough for the animals, i.e., euthanasia to make room unless something good happens. Kathy says she’s hoping rescue groups will respond to the shelter’s call for help. Contact the shelter at 972-919-8770 or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]. Go to the Farmers Branch Animal Shelter page on Facebook and check out the November albums to see more desperate animals. Another dog and a box of kittens showed up this morning.
TWO OL’ FELLOWS AT IRVING: We’ve gotten a note from Genia Capps Everett about these two fellows who are in the Irving Animal Services shelter because of bad circumstances: They were, according to Genia’s note, “surrendered by their owner who became very ill. Curly is an 11-year-old black Lab and his friend for life Buddy is 9 years old.
“They will not survive if separated,” Genia’s note reports.
Efforts are being made to find a rescue or an individual to take them together. “They are on very borrowed time,” she writes.”
Call the shelter at 972-721-2256 or e-mail [email protected] or just drop by, 4140 Valley View Lane. You can read about the shelter and see animals HERE.
THE FISH AT THE STORE: We’re familiar with the concept of “shopping madness,” but now we have a situation of “mad while shopping,” as in Teresa Jennings got mad at what she saw while shopping. And now there is a petition drive. Let’s note that this is not the first instance of a Betta Fish dust-up with Wal-Mart stores. (You can Google a ton of ‘em.) Teresa’s letter:
“Today [Tuesday] I was at Wal-Mart and noticed Betta fish on the shelf at Wal-Mart.  At my location (Hulen and Oakmont) they are placed on the top shelf right next to the fish bowls. 
“I noticed because as I was coming down the aisle, there was a teenager laughing as she was creating a twister in the water that contained one of the Betta fish!  As she and her mother stood there and laughed I said to them "Really, you find humor in treating a fish like that?’
“My 2-year-old son chimed in and asked ‘Who is hurting the fish, mommy?’
“I said, ‘These two people right here!’ The ashamed look on their faces was priceless.
“So here is my plea: Please e-mail Wal-Mart and ask them to please remove the Betta fish from their shelves. They are in filthy water, stuck on a shelf where they surely will not receive much attention at all. I am sure they will be lucky if they receive food on a daily basis and clean water once a week. They could not even take care of the fish that were in aquariums....as many of those were dead any time I went in there. 
“Many of the fish I saw today had tattered tails and just looked awful!   Here is a link to the on-line customer service: Click HERE. If enough of us e-mail maybe they will remove the poor things.”
Teresa says a friend of hers, Kelli Jo Nial, has set up a petition to get Wal-Mart to change the way it treats fish. You can see that and join in by clicking HERE.
VIP DOGS IN CORSICANA: Yesterday, thanks to our Humane Society of Navarro County contact Julie Maupin, we were able to pinpoint some “Very Important Puddytats” in the Corsicana shelter. Today, the spotlight is on “Very Important Pups.”
Remember, the VIP animals are available for just $25.
And this dog is named Madonna. She’s a year-old, wire-haired terrier mix who “came to the shelter as big as a house and soon gave birth to a litter of adorable little puppies.” The puppies, of course were quickly adopted – cute works.
But mom is cute, too and, says Julie, she’s also “precious. I bathed her for the last adoption event and she was such a good girl.”
Call the Corsicana shelter at 903-654-4928 or e-mail shelter manager Julianne Burkhalter at [email protected]. You can see more Corsicana critters and shelter info by clicking HERE http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/TX533.html.
A QUARANTINE CRISIS AND QUESTION: One of our Readers asks, “Can you provide some advice on how to appeal an order by City of Dallas Animal Services to quarantine our dog at a clinic or the city shelter?  We are willing and able to quarantine him at home and fully comply with the 10 day order.  I much appreciate any suggestions.” This is a dog bite case – shouldn’t have happened, the Reader says, but it did – not an attack, just a reaction, according to the dog’s owner. Advice will be forwarded – email it to [email protected] . Thanks.
IN BURNS FLAT, THE ROTTIES AT PERIL: You know what Rottweillers look like. Big ol’ huggable dawgs. Terry Lynn Fisher, the tireless rescuer in Burns Flat, Okla., way out in the western portion of the Sooner State, says two were picked up while romping through town. Animal control “had several calls about them,” she says, “and due to the size of the male, most people were terrified. Even though he is really thin, he is huge. Of course, he is NOT neutered. The female is young and on the small side. She is also a little too thin.
“Both are very sweet and loving. While shy at first, after they see they are not going to be hurt, they wag the little stubs and give kisses....We are overflowing – with two bite dogs that I have to keep for 14 days.”
That means the Reties move right on up “the list” unless someone can help them. To offer, call Terry Lynn at 580-330-1459 or e-mail [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS: You're supposed to be able to watch the presidential pardoning of the nation’s official turkeys HERE. Their names are Apple and Cider and they were named in voting by 200 California schoolkids, according to the White House website. In previous administrations, the national turkeys were named in voting nationwide. I don’t know what that change means. And, after the election earlier this month, there probably are some soon-to-be-ex-politicians who said, “Oh, REAL turkeys. Dang. I was hoping for a reprieve.” ... Won’t even make a prediction for the Dallas game against New Orleans tomorrow – snow, maybe. Could be that the Cowboys survive, but sure doesn’t seem likely. ... What of trash day? Yep, Thursday is the day they usually pick up the trash on our block. I wondered if the poor trash guys would be working on the holiday. Couldn’t find a notice anywhere. So I called the sanitation department and a woman said she was pretty sure the city had made the announcement that the Thursday trash trucks would show up on Wednesday. I took a shot and went to the City of Dallas website and saw a headline for “City Facility Closing Notice.” I gambled and clicked on it, though, of course, I do not have a city facility. Sure enough, if you scroll down far enough to “sanitation, you find this trash announcement: “Wednesday, November 24 Week 4 Brush Collection continues. Recycling and Garbage for THURSDAY customers will be collected, as scheduled.” Now, not to be picky, but that sentence doesn’t say Thursday pickups will be on Wednesday. To borrow a phrase from decades ago, I guess that’s “close enough for government work.” The trash truck DID show up this morning. Our trash bin was ready, a lone soldier standing curbside on our block.
THE SOLEMN VOW: This is one of my two “solemn vow” days of the year.
You may take this vow with me if you wish (and as you are standing in a perpetual check- out line today despising yourself for not shopping ahead, perhaps you will remember to ciip this vow and save it for next year).
It is a simple vow, intended to give comfort to the afflicted:
“I solemnly vow that I will not go to a grocery store at any point on the day before Thanksgiving.”
I think it’ll hold up in court under the “Madhouse Avoidance Declaration."
My cookingspouse Martha understands this vow – and endorses it, unless she really needs something. She better hope I can get it at a drugstore or filling station because I’m not going to a grocery store. I can’t remember the exact episode the inspired this vow, but I think it had to do with getting in line behind someone with two baskets and a shoebox full of coupons and a desire to price-check everything and spend only about two dollars after all the coupons were applied.
Almost every other day of the year I’ll go to a grocery store – two or three times if you want, but on the day before Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve Martha respects my vow and knows that I’m terrified of the mob rule in the canned goods aisle, horrified at the mayhem near the milk and cream area and petrified at the prospect of trying to buy eggs, spices and produce in a swirl of wild-eyed shoppers. You won’t believe what happens if I’m told to go buy an aluminum pan large enough to hold a farm-raised tofurky. Those things are huge.
So, assuming some of you are preparing yourselves for an excursion to a store for a “few things,” I offer my best wishes and my hope for a tranquil holiday eve for you in a line with a quick register that reads every barcode on the first try.
What we have here are (1) Solemn Judge Inky, a federally approved magistrate in the K-9 District of Texas, preparing to administer The Solemn Oath and (2) Inky, the official Readlarrypowell staff impersonator and Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, giving us his impression of a Thanksgiving Pilgrim rushing off the Mayflower as it docked on the Trinity River and racing into Cowboys Stadium where he spotted a buffet table with a big steaming platter of Mom’s Mayflower Meatloaf. They would have had more than the one dish on the menu, but nobody would go to the Jamestown Supermarket before the feast.
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Flying in America, a running dog, cat names and other things...

As my dear friends and acquaintances know, I do not fly. My heart goes out to you airline passengers during this holiday week.
Later in today’s presentation, we’ll examine how I can help you board with confidence. First, some other things:
SHELTERS, HOLIDAYS AND COWGIRL: Some shelters shut down not just for Thanksgiving but for the day after, too. Check with your local shelter -- most have a web presence. And most city shelters maintain a holiday euthanasia schedule.
Concerning the holiday we have Carrollton’s example: Joe Skenesky sends out daily notices to rescue groups and others in hopes of getting dogs and cats adopted or into safe haven and he notes that “if any organization tags an animal, the pick-up must be done no later than Wednesday. We are closed Thursday and Friday. Please do not ask me to hold an animal past Wednesday because the answer will be ‘no.’”
Among the animals in a tight spot in Carrollton? Cowgirl. This young adult dog is a stray who was wearing a Dallas Cowboys collar without tags. She weighs 43 pounds, appears to be house-trained and gets along with other dogs. You can see here video HERE. While her still photo suggests a sad dog, one look at her romping in that video and you see a happy dog enjoying life. How that much happiness might be snuffed out for lack of an adoptor is a despicable thing.
Nobody at the shelter wants it to happen. To save Cowgirl and keep some happiness on the planet, call Joe at 972-466-3420 or e-mail [email protected]. See more animals on the brink of tragedy at www.joesanimalhouse.com.
[ASIDE: That video of Cowgirl romping makes me mist up because I know what might be in her future. If we weren’t at the legal limit, she’d have a home. She's a big ol’ dawg with a happiness beyond human comprehension. Surely there is someone with a place for Cowgirl.]
CALLING CATS IN CORSICANA: Yes, what do you call a cat in Corsicana? Curious? ‘Cause here comes a consideration.
 Julie Maupin of the Humane Society of Navarro County has been sending us tips about animals in the Corsicana area for years. This time she’s forwarded the current list of VIP Cats from the Corsicana Animal Shelter and shelter manager Julianne Burkhalter.
This Maine Coon Ajax is one of those VIP Cats – I’m not sure if VIP stands for “Very Important Puddytat.” But  Looney Tunes references aside, Tweety, the story on Ajax is he’s healthy and six months old and already a “gorgeous kitten with a great personality.” He just needs a home.
And there are other cats on the Corsicana list who really need to move out of the shelter ASAP. Listed with Ajax on the current bulletin are Digit, Momo, Lola and Joyce. Now, those are great cat names.
So, you wonder, who names cats in Corsicana? Julie says the shelter staff gets to name them. Those are good cat names. (You can see the cats and the Corsicana dogs and connect with the shelter by clicking HERE.
The VIP adoption fee is $25 – that’s a bargain. You can drive from Dallas to Corsicana down I-45, get a $25 cat and still have money left over to go to the Collin Street Bakery and buy a world-famous fruitcake. A cat and as fruitcake in one trip – that can’t happen for everybody in the world.
FROM OUT AT THE LAKE: As has been well-documented here and by other giants of media, Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake operates the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas.
At the clinic, however, you can get more than fixed.
Sydney Busch of Friends reports that “thanks to a very generous donation from PetMate company, we have lots of fabulous dog/cat/little kid beds.” The smaller beds are perfect for the family pet and the larger beds are “perfect for little kids to curl up on in front of the TV.” Prices are from $30 for the large beds to $10 for the small, fleecy beds.”
You can also buy the Friends’ 2011 Pampered Pets Calendar at the clinic - $10 a calendar.  (Shop at the clinic from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays.) You can also get the calendar at Syler Veterinary Clinic in Athens, at April’s Pet Place in Tool, on Highway 274 at the Seven Points and Tool confluence and in Gun Barrel City at Solar Screen and Bluebonnet Emporium.
Sydney says that the calendar sale is Friends’ largest fundraiser and “helps us keep the doors open to the spay/neuter clinic.”
BE ON THE LOOKOUT LOON BAY: We spoke to Davon Bahr this morning and she is continuing the search for her 10-year-old Cocker Spaniel Buddy who vanished a week ago tomorrow. Davon and Buddy live in the Loon Bay community at Cedar Creek Lake. It’s a community with fences and homes and dogs and good neighbors.
Davon says she and Buddy went out and she went back into to grab a jacket and a minute later when she returned, Buddy was gone. She’s searched the neighborhood, checks with shelters, contacted vets, etc.
Buddy was wearing a collar with tags. He’s needs medication to fight ear infections. She says, “He is an old dog, but he will come to someone with a hot dog or food.”
If you know Buddy’s whereabouts, e-mail [email protected] or call 903-887-2924.
FOUND DOG NEEDS A HOME: This dog is currently called “Buddy.” Only he and his original owner know what he was called before Oct. 11 when he was found running free near Ferguson Road and LBJ on the northeast side of Dallas. Yep, running free. No chip, no tags. About 10-months old and ready for a home, says Deb McAlexander. “He is in a foster home for now but he might lose it,” she says. “Buddy is 40 lbs and is probably a Boxer and Fox Terrier mix. He has been neutered and is very playful.”
To help Buddy find a place, call 972-698-9619 or e-mail [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS BEFORE BOARDING: Now, returning to our opening paragraph about my habit of not flying. Not only do I not have wings, but if I did have wings they’d need to be about 2 football fields wide to lift the ballast. Nope, I just don’t fly.
I have flown. Once it was in a helicopter on a tour of Tarrant County with some government officials -- my backside can still feels the slapping of the Bell Jet Ranger’s seats reacting to the whoop-whoop of the big blade.
The other time I flew was in a 727 from DFW to Chicago. We got to Chicago in about 90 minutes, but the fog over O’Hare kept us in the air in a big lazy circle for an extra hour and, well, who needs that? If you think they won’t let you out of a plane when you’ve been sitting on the tarmac for an hour, try getting out of the plane before it lands. They really frown on that.
The fact that I do not fly does not mean that I can’t stick my big earthbound nose into this business of patdowns and gropes and x-rays at the airport. Some of my best friends fly. So, I want to help make all this as pleasant as possible for them – I do, after all, understand why we are wary of evil travelers. They are the really bad guys. (As I noted earlier in the week, perhaps airlines should schedule “Concealed Handguns Only” flights and let the ticket-buyers handle the security.)
Frankly, it can’t be a pleasant job to spend your day sticking your hands into the nether regions of people who are angry or who are in the middle of a layover that was long enough to nap but not long enough to go to a hotel and shower.
So, as the Thanksgiving travel season peaks, here are some suggestions for travelers to help the professional gropers cope:
(1) Wear nice cologne or perfume. As much as you want – you want the plane to smell nice, too. I’m kidding. But the searchers would probably like to find someone who didn’t smell like they hopped a freight car full of pigs in Dalhart three days ago to get to Dallas. No offense to pigs.
(2) Don’t giggle when you are touched in a place that usually elicits giggles. Save that giddy behavior for city buses, light rail and riding the crowded, narrow escalator at the downtown Neiman Marcus store.
(3) So you’ll be at ease when this examination occurs, gather with your fellow passengers in the pre-boarding and practice on each other, periodically asking “What’s that?” and “Can you feel this?”
(4) Before you go through the x-ray machine, use lead paint to draw smiley faces on your backside. Or write “Have a nice day” or “See anything you like, bub?”
(5) Seriously, travel safely. American needs to keep all the taxpayers it can – how else are we going to finance your airport searches? And remember to be kind to others. Maybe your flight will start a trend of peace and kindness that’ll spread out into the world.
Yeah. And, maybe I’ll learn to fly by jumping off a roof with a pair of cardboard wings and a weather balloon strapped to my back, all guided by a tricked- up Evinrude with an extra large propeller. That’s a picture, isn’t it.
Everybody, travel safely, no matter what  you’re wearing.

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Opportunities to help, a family dog in a shelter, and contemplatin'

Welcome to the Monday of Thanksgiving Week.  Be careful on the highways. Keep your cool at the airports. And remember to enjoy the days – you’re making memories. Make ‘em good.
Now, let’s see what opportunities are out there.
A CASE AT STRAYDOG: We heard about this dog from Jeffrey Hartman. He says he and his wife, Debra, “found Jennie on the street a few months ago, so we fully vetted her and since we currently have our pack and an extra foster, taking on Jennie was too much for us.
“Straydog was kind enough to fit her in to their overcrowded sanctuary. Now we find she needs hip surgery for an FHO.” (That’s an operation that removes the “ball” of the femur.”
Jeffrey writes, “A total hip replacement is out of the question at $4,000 as opposed to an FHO of around $1,200, I informed them I will cover that cost, but Straydog has quite a balance at their vets clinic because of, for a lack of better works, just a run of bad luck with health problems besides the everyday normal health care of all of these beautiful dogs.”
He writes that Straydog has “many other dogs that can certainly use the compassion of your readers. Instead of buying that 2$ bottle of tap water, drop off a bag of dog food or maybe a few dollars in the donation jar next time you’re at the pet supply store.”
You can read about Straydog and its efforts and see how to donate to any dog or to Jennie at www.straydog.org.
IDENTIFYING THE DOG: As last week drew to a close, I cited several animals at the Irving Animal Services Shelter – they were on the photo list of adoptables provided by shelter walker Russell Posch.
This dog was one of those and I referred to him as an “American Cattle Dog.” It was a reaction to the listing as an “ACD.” (Heck it took me an hour once to figure out what GSD meant.)
Back to the American Cattle Dog: Did you know only two people spotted that? Anybody who knows about dogs knows that this guy Roy is an Australian Cattle Dog. I knew that as soon as I typed it, but I thought, “I’ll just let that ride and see who spots it.” Two people responded – Rocky in Arizona and Patty in the Metroplex. The rest of you who saw it, I figure, thought, “What an idiot” and moved on.
I checked with Russell about the dog and he says the 5-month-old, 43-pound Aussie/Heeler mix is still available.  “No one has stepped up for Roy so far.  He's a very friendly boy,” says  Russell. “Whoever gets him will be glad they did.”
Call the shelter at 972-721-2256 or e-mail [email protected] or just drop by, 4140 Valley View Lane. You can read about the shelter and see animals HERE. 
SHELTER ANIMALS: Holidays are tough times for animals in shelters. Deadlines get moved up. More animals come in. Fewer go out. It’s just not good. Already today we’ve gotten notes about shelters all over the place needing people to stop by an adopt. Fort Worth, Arlington, Denton, the Collin County Animal Services shelter in McKinney....We’ll spotlight a few today – we can’t picture all of them here but you can Google just about every available dog and cat in the known universe. Just search for the shelter or rescue group and take a gander – and some shelters even have ganders you can take.
--First up is the Seagoville shelter which has this guy Charlie. He has an abscess on his cheek and a bit of mange but other than that, he’s a swell guy who has been down on his luck for a while. Hope Hodges, of All Texas Dachshund Rescue, saw his photo and says, “This guy is haunting me.” She wonders if anyone group would “take this guy if I pulled him and donated toward vetting?  He's so sweet and does fine with other dogs... just needs a second chance.  I know we can't help them all; not even close, but something about this guy is making me want to try.”  He’s on a short clock. To offer to help him, call 214-673-3844 or e-mail johnna1228@yahoo.
--Amy Pelzel, the hardworking volunteer at the Denton Animal Services shelter, sent out a bunch of notes about different animals in the shelter, including Dana, the Catahoula/Lab mix who is shown here in her position as “family dog.” She is an owner surrender – a 5-year-old dog facing a tough situation.
Amy says the shelter got an e-mail from the man who’d “dropped off his dog” at the shelter.
The man wrote, “I am Dana's original owner and wanted to give you some additional information on her to help her get a great home. Dana will be 5 years old on New Year’s Day. She is a Catahoula Lab mix and was originally adopted from Town Lake Animal Shelter in Austin. She has been my constant companion since she was 6 weeks old. I love this dog more than words can say. My wife instantly fell in love with her and she has been a blessing to our family.
“You'll notice she has a ‘Bite Warning’ on her record. Dana is not an aggressive dog at all. However, she is very territorial. She does great at the dog park, and visiting other dogs. She has even shared her food bowl with other dogs. but she just does not tolerate other dogs in her house very well. The bite warning came from her fighting with our other dog and like a dummy I put my hand right in the middle of it. It was in no way an attack. She instantly let go.
“Unfortunately we had to let Dana go due to her territory issues. We are planning on having kids soon and just couldn't risk her being in the house even though she has never shown any aggression towards children. We still love her to death and want her to go to great home. This is why I have prepaid her adoption fee (so she is free), and included her kennel. This will minimize cost to her new family. I hope that she can go to an only dog family where she can be the center of attention and no one has to worry about territory.
“Dana loves to cuddle and will do anything to be held. She likes to sleep on a heated blanket and will sneak up on the bed every chance she gets. When you tell her "off" she will try to weasel her way out of the command by lying her head on your chest and pulling at your heart strings. She loves knuckle bones, and peanut butter in a Kong. She loves people and going for rides. She knows her basic commands well sit, down, off, "get" and pointing a finger means for her to back up or leave the room, great for dinner time. She is house trained and Kennel trained. She is up to date on all her shots and spayed. Dana will do well in a house or apartment. She is medium to low energy. She loves to nap all day but if you are into hiking she loves walking in the woods and will gladly wake up for it. She will trot ahead on a path then double back to make sure you're still there (a great opportunity to play hide and seek). She is also a great watch dog. Although she would never hurt a person she will let you know when someone is around your house. Amy please let me know if there is anything more I can do to help get Dana a great home. She is the best dog I've ever had and she deserves an amazing home.”
E-mail [email protected] to ask about Denton's shelter animals.
--Carrollton has, among other animals on the clock, Sombra, a pit bull available to rescue groups only. The shelter’s description reads: “This pretty lady was left behind in an apartment after her people were evicted. She is a sweet girl who appears to get along with other dogs, and to love right on up to people. She weighs in at 40 lbs and while she is a bit thin, she is an adult who will not get any bigger. Sombra is a little shy at first but wants so much to be loved on. She is a good girl who deserves a chance at a stable home, and a stable relationship with a loving family.”
--The City of Dallas’ Adoption Center has so many animals available. You can see more of them at the shelter’s website HERE.  The latest euthanasia list has six cats and a dozen dogs scheduled to die on Nov. 30.
We’ve picked four photos to cite, though we have absolutely no idea of how these animals came to be in the shelter. We don’t know if they were stray or owner-surrender or dropped out of the sky, as happens periodically (if anyone has a better explanation, we’ll entertain it).
There’s the amazingly colorful cat Millie, a 3-year-old. And that amazingly happy face is 4-month-old, 10.9 pound Fanta.
The dog with the rock star hair is Bree, a year old and 23.3 pounds.
And that brings us to today’s official Earhound, Alton. As you can see Alton has a dynamic ear arrangement. He looks like he might have been a traffic cop in a previous life. Or maybe one of those guys who stands outside the terminals at airports and directs big jets to the gate. The amazing thing about this year-old Beagle mix is he weighs in at 41.8 pounds. Not sure what he’s mixed with, but “Beagle” and “41.8 pounds” just don’t seem to fit.
To ask about adopting any of these animals, here are the contact points: [email protected] or [email protected] or call 214-671-0249 or 214-670-8312. Rescue groups should e-mail [email protected] or call 214-670-8298.
SOME GOOD NEWS: You may recall the story of Pogo, reported here on Nov. 16. The little rascal, who had become homeless when both of his humans died, had failed a try- out because of a bit of a growly mood.
It looked like Pogo was not going to have a place to go. Over the weekend our tipster Della Wallace who has been monitoring Pogo’s story, reported that the “people who originally took Pogo now say he is playing well with their dog, so they have decided to keep him. It seems he just needed more time to adjust.”
Don’t we all.
CONTEMPLATIONS: It’s JFK Assassination Day in Dallas. Expect big crowds near the Grassy Knoll and the Triple Underpass at Dealey Plaza. I was once driving home from night shift at the newspaper on the anniversary of the assassination and listening to a local radio station when a newsreader declared that it was the anniversary of the day Lee Harvey Oswald shot the president in downtown Dallas – not making this up! – “near the alleged triple underpass.” I swear, the fact that there’s a triple underpass is about the only point that has never been alleged or disputed since 1963. ...  Can “sleepy” become a permanent affliction? ... In our neighborhood, many of the leaves on trees are beginning to show beautiful colors and this year that dazzling display has almost beaten the twinkle lights and tinsel of stores to the punch. Almost. It’s just a matter of time until the Thanksgiving Turkey shows up dressed not as a pilgrim but as an elf.
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A nap is where you catch it...

When you live in a house with cats and dogs, you develop an extra tracking sense.
It’s not a Daniel Boone-trackin’ –a-beast-in-the-woods sense. It’s a “something’s odd in the house” sense.
This really keen sense more accurately detects not what is there but what is NOT there.
What usually has happened is a particular dog or cat has ventured somewhere out of the usual to catch a few winks and something in your brain makes a note and you begin to wonder, “Did I leave the door open?” or “Did Kitty call a cab to take her to Vegas to slap the ball around the roulette table?”
Don’t tell me you’ve never conducted a “Cat Census” or “Dog Roll Call” to make sure everybody is still where they ought to be.
This “under the household radar behavior” is why Annabelle Bob, Martha’s personal cat, is our spotlighted critter in this weekend’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Annabelle Bob is the name we’d have given a daughter if we’d have owned a West Texas ranch.
Martha likes the name Annabelle, and “Bob” is in honor of her all-time soulmate, her original big, black cat. Martha found Annabelle Bob in the middle of Zang Boulevard – traffic dodged the kitten as she tried to pry open a fast food bag that had been flattened by the parade of rush hour cars.
There was just one thing Martha could do when she saw the kitten. Fate, destiny and cat karma demanded it. Martha did a Starsky & Hutch screech to a halt and blocked the road, jumped out and chased the kitten into shrubbery next to a psychic’s office.
All the signs were there: Bob, the Big Black Cat had died only a month or so earlier and this was a little black kitten with Bob-like spunk who came to Martha out of the shrubbery when she called and, just as importantly, there was an inexpensive psychic nearby if one was needed to help confirm that the kitten was, indeed, the reincarnated soul of Bob The Cat.
Bob, the original “Bobcat,” used to wake Martha each morning by biting into that strip of flesh on the underside of her nose. This was not revealed to me until after we wed and she and Bob moved in. That first experience was a doozy. Martha’s morning screams still echo and Bob’s been gone a while.
Being always careful about the mix of dogs and cats in the house, I’m mindful about Annabelle’s adventures.  It’s not that I think there’ll be conflict, it’s that I’ve seen Annabelle taunt a dog into a chase and while Annabelle can leap onto a desk and come to a halt without mishap, no dog on the earth can fly through the air, land on a paper- and book-covered desk and stop on a dime. The skid factor can clean off a desk top.
Annabelle has many places to sleep.  She’ll be on top of the TV, on a stack of towels in the bathroom closet, on a bed, curled up in a decorative basket in the den or even spine-to-spine with Inky the Comfort Cocker Spaniel – they have a relationship that would puzzle Dear Abby and Ann Landers.
Yes, Annabelle naps in several places with almost no variation.
Except this week. And we should note that nothing says a cat can’t change his or her mind.
I was sitting at the computer typing when I realized I hadn’t seen Annabelle for a while and I did a quick search of all the usual places and found no black cat snoozing at any of them. I was pretty certain she hadn’t dashed out. She wouldn’t leave Inky.
But, I couldn’t find her and I figured, “She’ll turn up,” so I sat back down at the computer and suddenly the computer desk began shaking. I looked up to see what you see in that photo – eary proof of the new napping place of Annabelle Bob.
She’d been on the computer right behind the screen the whole time and if she hadn’t stretched to scratch, I’d never have seen her.
As the temps have dropped, it turns out that sleeping on the computer tower – which I’ve turned on its side, is her new favorite place. The only thing that would make it better would be if I could figure out how to get Inky up there to sleep beside her.
I don’t know – maybe Inky’s body temperature is the same a computer’s body temperature.
And, yes, Annabelle looks like a really black cat until you flash her with a camera and then she’s got some kind of tint that suggests she has some work done at a salon on weekends.
(To nominate your slumbering dog, cat or critter of any type for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, sent the photo and info to [email protected]. We’re looking for a Thanksgiving sleeper or napper for the Thaksgiving weekend – if anyone has a slumbering turkey or big ol' dog who can do an impression of a Pilgrim holding a drumstick.)
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No pat downs here, just opportunities to pat some pups...

Welcome to Readlarrypowell.com, the only website in the world that guarantees you will not be groped before boarding – unless, of course, you check the “please grope” option on your boarding pass.
Since I don’t fly, I’ve got a plan to make this whole pat down/grope/x-ray thing acceptable: Buy a ticket on a “Concealed Handgun Flight.”
That’s right, special flights with a hands-off policy – but you MUST have a concealed handgun to board. Probably be the safest flights in the sky. Cut down on annoying passengers in the next seat, too.
Now, let’s see what’s in the mix today...and, remember, life is good, Thanksgiving is next week and you should be kind to your fellow travelers – this means YOU, Dallas drivers.
FOLLOWING LADY GRACE AND PUPS: You may recall from a post here on Nov. 12 that Dog ‘n” Kitty City, the shelter run by the Humane Society of Dallas County, has been working on saving a dog named Lady Grace and her eight pups.
The shelter’s volunteer coordinator, Felicia Kalish, says things are proceeding and reports, “This has truly taken a village ... with a helping hand from Dogs Deserve Better, GC Bully Breed, Helping Orphaned Hounds, One4theDogs and every group that got the cross post on her dilemma”
On Friday Grace, who has been in quarantine because she bit a vet tech, will be released.
“We really need some donations to help Dog ‘n’ Kitty City pay for the transport and donate to In the Arms of Angels.”
In The Arms of Angels is in Tucson, Ariz., and specializes in pits and pit-type dogs.
Felicia says Lady Grace and the pups will be at Dog ‘n’ Kitty City until Dec. 2, then, transporter Al Pace will “take the whole family to Arizona.”
She says also that “while Grace is in residence at DKC, there is a freeze on intake to protect her and her pups ... and other dogs from any contamination.”
To donate to the Dog ‘n’ Kitty City Lady Grace Fund, use the PayPal donations button on the shelter website HERE or send checks to  Dog ‘n’ Kitty City,  Lady Grace Fund, Dog ‘n’ Kitty City, 2719 Manor Way, Dallas, Texas, 75235.
Felicia says that In The Arms of Angels is a “new (501c3 pending) group, a spin off of Helping Orphaned Hounds.” And, In The Arms of Angels is on Facebook HERE.
Just so you’ll know, the little pups are not without names, thanks to a poll of volunteers, Felicia says. They are known now as Garth, Garrett, Gatsby, Gretel, Gretchen, Gidget, Godiva and Gabby.
Good golly, a gang of “Guh” sounds and no Gaga.
AND A DOGGIE REQUEST:  Now and then a photo of a dog will inspire a Reader to ask for help even though they don’t know the dog – something about the dog’s photo reaches out to them.
We experience the same thing. In this case, the dog is a 5-month-old stray in the Irving Animal Services Shelter. And you can get the details HERE. (The dog was described as an "ACD" and it took me about 20 minutes to figure out that "ACD" means American Cattle Dog. I worked even harder a few years ago on GSD.)
Our tipster, who will be anonymous in this case, asked, “Can you post this doggie?  I received it via a friend from the Irving Shelter. “ This arrived after we posted two Irving dogs yesterday and one even looked kind of like this dog, but was not the same dog.
“Anybody know anything about this dog?” I asked the tipster and she replied, “I don’t know anything about this dog. I believe the same goes for my friend, but I will double check.  I believe it is a different dog than the one you posted today.  This one is a 5-month-old  puppy.  I wish we could foster, but we have an ailing dog who is requiring more frequent vet visits.  We are on one salary, so money is tight.  Plus, I have an 18 month old son.  You know, everyone has a reason….I wish it weren’t the case, though.”
And, there you have it – a dog has touched someone and the circumstances of life are working against the dog. What happens next, I guess, is up to someone who isn’t already burdened with life’s extra obligations.
The shelter’s general numbers are 972-221-2256 and 972-721-2257. The rescue hotline is 972-721-3597 and you can also e-mail [email protected].
WAITING FOR HELP: Desiree Britt, who runs into these situations now and then, is hustling to find a place for these five puppies, dumped in Royce City night before last.
They’re only 8 or 10 weeks old and she says, “I have absolutely no room to take them in and I’m not having any luck finding anyone. No, they aren’t a particular breed but still deserve to live.”
She says this morning that the “who found them have them right now and are giving me a chance (hopefully through the weekend) to find someone to take them in but I'm not having any luck.  Yes, any and all help is greatly appreciated.”
To offer to help with these baby pups,  e-mail [email protected] or call 214-598-4728.
AND IN BURNS FLAT: There are two dogs that are rebounding to the overflowing shelter in little Burns Flat, Okla., and tireless rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher is trying to get them to a safe place. Call ‘em the white dog and the black dog. Their foster home is vanishing, so they’re going to be regarded as owner-surrenders in a shelter and that’ll put them at the top of “the list.”
When you talk to Terry Lynn at 580-330-1459 or via [email protected], ask her about the Puggle that needs a home or the dog being surrendered by her third family, or....well, the list goes on.
ELLA’S ADOPTED: The Greyhound Adoption League of Texas is celebrating a big event – Ella has been adopted.
Our tipster Amity Thomas tell us that we might remember Ella because she was one of a ton of Greyhounds – known as the “Fort Worth 9” rescued from horrible circumstances in August by Fort Worth Animal Care and Control.
Today, Ella is going to “a forever home in California.” According to the official GALT Board of Directors statement, “Ella will be living in the same house as Bessie - a recently adopted puppy from the August 10th FWAC seizure. It has taken over four months and $2400 for Ella to be ready for adoption, and she is just one of the GALT dogs rescued from tragic conditions.
“It has been a long haul for the surviving dogs, and Nicole and Pico are still on the road to recovery at this time. Thankfully, Max, Nate and Charlie are ready to find their forever homes and hopefully will be adopted soon. We know that Pudge, Rachael, and Martin are looking down from the Rainbow Bridge cheering for all of them.”
You can see how to help GALT by donating or adopting or fostering or showing up for Santa photos this weekend by going to www.galtx.org.
CONTEMPLATIONS: It’s basically a holiday weekend. Lots of people will be taking off next week. Some of us will continue to work. What will make any of us happy? Family? Friends? The love of a good dog? A kitten who won’t climb the drapes?  ... I’ve got a dog who snores and one who is, right now, growling in his sleep and his little paws seem to be running. He’s too short and fat to be a wolf – except in his dreams. ... Stay safe. Enjoy your weekend and your loved ones. And be kind to animals and each other, even though some of you don’t deserve an ounce of kindness and a good beating might help you remember to behave and respect others.  OK, erase that. I’m into preachin’ not punishin’. Unless I backslide, of course.
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Hearings, no hearings and opportunities...

It’s the 18th of November in 2010 and there is some order in the universe on this particular Thursday.
The trash bin has been rolled to the curb, the dogs and cats have been fed and there’s still a question of whether the human’s breakfast will be fake eggs or oatmeal or a can of Fresca and a country song.
ONE MORE MIMI NOTE AND A POINT ABOUT OTHERS: Jonnie England, the Metroplex Animal Coalition’s Director of Animal Advocacy and Communication, was on hand when Steven Woods, the disabled Iraq war veteran, and his dog Mimi were reunited yesterday at the Humane Society of North Texas in Fort Worth. She was kind enough to send photos of the event and I picked just one to publish here. I’m sure there are other websites that will have more. And I know there’s video on TV station websites, so Google away.
But this photo of the smiling guy and the dog just seemed to be plenty enough to put the final punctuation on the story of lawyer Randy Turner working to help his client get through a city “dangerous dog procedure” that could have ended badly if someone who isn’t bewildered by courts hadn’t stepped up.
If you think this only happens in Fort Worth, consider that one of the things discussed at the last Dallas Animal Shelter Commission Meeting (and the one before that, as I recall) was a possible change to the way Dallas conducts its “dangerous dog” hearings. Attorney Yolanda Eisenstein asked the commission to look into the system because, she said, under the current procedure, conducted by three-person panel of city employees, lawyers aren’t allowed to speak on behalf of their clients or the dogs, putting citizens at a disadvantage. Attorney Don Feare, who, like attorney Eisenstein, specializes in animal law, also complained about the lack of proper legal procedure in what passes for a court hearing. The deck, they said, is stacked against the dogs.
And, now, keep in mind that while it took a lawyer, a determined client, and thousands of supporters to save this one dog Mimi, the shelters around here are full of dogs and cats that get no hearing at all – except the one in human hearts that addresses the questions, “Have I done all I can do to save these lives? Have I told as many people as possible about the lives at stake in taxpayer-supported shelters? And do I buy into the Texas theory of the best way to solve an animal problem: ‘Let’s kill it.’?”
Celebrate the triumphs, but don’t forget the challenges.
A COUPLE OF FELLOWS IN SEAGOVILLE: The little Seagoville city shelter is getting some extra attention these days thanks to the work of some volunteers who spotted the need for exposing the fact that the shelter has animals that need homes. Yep, marketing – that’s the way the world works, even for animal shelters.
So, today we have a couple of dogs who are among several in the Seagoville shelter.
One is an obvious Earhound, Stanley, who in addition to that distinction is also a Chihuahua, about 5 years old. He weighs about 6 pounds – he would weigh more, but he is already neutered. So whoever adopts him won’t be out any dough for getting him fixed.
The adoption fee at this shelter is FIFTEEN LOUSY BUCKS. That’s right, $15.
Among the photos I was sent overnight was this one of Joey, a young – maybe under a year – Shepherd mix who obviously has a gift for looking adoringly at the nearest human.  Also, FIFTEEN LOUSY BUCKS and you save his life.
The communication about the Seagoville shelter came from Johnna Bigley who has spent several years finding safe haven for the dumped and stray dogs on Malloy Bridge Road in southeastern Dallas.
Irony or coincidence? The Seagoville Shelter is at 1330 East Malloy Bridge Road.
And, one of the volunteers in this effort with Johnna is Deborah Trevino, who also has spent  ton of time in that neighborhood pulling anguished and stray animals to safety. And, among her favorites currently in the shelter are a couple of Aussie mix puppies.  They’re, of course, “wormy” and in need of immediate vet care. Deborah says they were “left in a box” at the shelter.
To ask about any animal in the Seagoville shelter, call 972-287-6830 or e-mail [email protected]. Because the shelter is short-staffed, you may have better luck e-mailing Johnna and getting her help in navigating the Seagoville system. To see more Seagoville animals, including some really handsome big ol’ black dawgs, click HERE.
AND IN IRVING:  Shelter walker Russell Posch does such a great job photographing the down-on-their-luck animals at the Irving Shelter.
Sometimes it’s the eyes that catch you.
In this case, the latest collection of photos includes this boxer, Ernie, a stray who needs some routine vet attention. He’s young and afraid.
And then there’s young Heather, a dog who seems to know she’s in big trouble if some human doesn’t step up and save here. You can see more photos by clicking HERE.
And if you want, you can go to the shelter at 4140 Valley View Lane in Irving and see the dogs in person. (The shelter online site is HERE.)
The shelter’s general numbers are 972-221-2256 and 972-721-2257. The rescue hotline is 972-721-3597 and you can also e-mail [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS: Is there anything more annoying than the peace of a morning being interrupted by the drone of a leafblower down the block? Geez, it just bores into the brain. ... If you were a betting person, would you bet on the Dallas Cowboys this weekend? Detroit’s awful, torn up by injuries and depleted. Yep, things are ripe for the Cowboys to be pancaked. ... Do you like folding clothes still hot from the dryer? Ever just bury your face in a nice hot towel? The pleasures of life can be small.
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The lawyer reports: Clients reunited -- Mimi back with her human...

As an autumn front blew through Dallas just after the six o’clock news, an e-mail arrived from Randy Turner, the noted animal lawyer who has been working his writs off on behalf of Steven Woods and Mimi, whose story is now so familiar to our Readers.
Randy gives a touching account of what we hope will be the happy ending to a story that arrived over the weekend and raced with a fury around the World Wide Web and animal community. Here’s his note:
“Mimi is home now.  Steven picked her up at the Humane Society of North Texas at 1 p.m. today with television cameras filming the moment they saw each other for the first time in five weeks.  They hugged and kissed… and then they hugged and kissed some more…and then some more after that.
“ Mimi was still a little groggy and in some pain after having just come out of anesthesia following the spay procedure so she wasn’t her usual frisky self.   
“Steven was so overcome with joy that he had a hard time thinking of what to say.  After talking to the reporters he slipped the muzzle on Mimi—which she did not like but will have to get used to—he thanked the HSNT staff, and walked her out to the car. 
“By the way, Steven is in a rental car because he had a bad wreck and rolled his car a couple of weeks ago while swerving to avoid a stray dog, hurting his back yet again. His insurance agent told him he should have just run over the dog.  Steven told me, “Mr. Turner, I couldn’t do that.” Classic Steven Woods.
“I need to tell you that the veterinarian and the technicians at HSNT said Mimi was a ‘sweetie pie’ the whole time she was there and showed absolutely no signs of aggression.  Steven told me that she is getting a big steak dinner and a warm bath tonight!
“I think you will be able to watch the news stories at these websites after they run tonight: http://www.the33tv.com/ ,  http://dfw.cbslocal.com/ , and http://www.myfoxdfw.com/  .  There may be others. 
“I want to say again how profoundly grateful that Steven and I are for the incredible outpouring of support that he and Mimi received from all over the DFW area, Texas, the U.S., Canada, and Europe.  “Thanks to your countless emails and phone calls to Fort Worth government officials we were able to get Mimi back home without months of protracted litigation that, quite frankly, we might have lost in the end.   
“On a personal level, the response we received in this case has given a big boost to my faith in two-legged animals.  I have been amazed at the diversity of Steven’s supporters—liberal, conservative, young, old, black, white—every demographic you can think of.  This case just shows how much good can be accomplished when people come together for a good cause, like saving an animal and helping a disabled war veteran.
“Steven asked me as he was leaving how he could possibly thank everyone who came to his aid in this ordeal.  I told him that I would try to email him the 1,000+ emails I have received.  But it will take a while for me to do that and even longer for Steven to respond to everyone.  I found out that he has a Facebook page.   I don’t do Facebook and don’t know much about it but he said I could give out his email address and you can use it to find him on Facebook.  He can post updates on Mimi and himself.  If you email Steven please keep in mind that it may take him quite some time to respond due to the huge volume of emails he is sure to receive.  Steven’s email address is [email protected].
“That’s all.  Thank you again for saving Mimi and Steven.
“Now, where’s that law practice I had a few days ago…..?”
[Epilogue from Readlarrypowell.com:  “That’s all,” Counselor Turner wrote modestly. “That’s all?” You hardly ever run into a lawyer who is the master of understatement. The attorney and you “observers of the human  condition and the animal situations” stepped up to help justice prevail -- or the law to be applied in a fair and merciful fashion.
 And, of course, regarding the paragraph that talks about Mr. Woods’ recent car crash, please have some mercy on that poor insurance agent until it can be determined that (a) the comment “should have just run over the dog” wasn’t a wisecrack borne of poor judgment  and  (b) “dunce” is still a viable word in the 21^st Century. Yes, if we can have mercy for a maligned dog, perhaps we can have some mercy for a dim bulb. After all, the rest of us probably have insurance agents who would risk their lives to save an animal. Or at least we have insurance agents who can bite their tongues.]
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