A blind dog, nursing dogs sans puppies, and a dash of carping

Here we are at the end of a workweek that has been five days long. Five whole days. Relax, by the federal calendar next week is just four workdays long. On Monday, sleep late with a vengeance. In the meantime, read on:
WHAT SHOWS UP IN SHELTERS: Dogs, cats, horses, chickens, rabbits, ferrets, cows, guinea pigs, non-guinea pigs. Almost anything can be found at animal shelters. You get the feeling sometimes that people would drop their kids off if they thought they could get away with it. But that’s all beside the point.
Word reaches us that Fort Worth Animal Care and Control currently has possession of, the note says, “the most wonderful dog ever!!!!!.” Lot of exclamation points.
There’s also something else that makes him special. “He seems to be blind in both eyes,” the report from Ginger Leach of Fort Worth AC&C reads.. “Someone thought he was old but I don't think he is at all. He is neutered and had to have been someone's dog because he could not survive out in the streets this way. He is very smart and he has excellent hearing and scent abilities.”
To offer to help this dog find a good home or find his real home, e-mail Ginger Leach at Fort Worth AC&C at [email protected] or call 817-392-7087 or 817-680-0849.
SOFIE’S IN AN EXPECTANT SPOT: We get her story from Project Pawz’ Lynn Gatlin of Corsicana. Some photo, huh?
That was taken by Sharon Lane, who rescued this little black dog, Sofie.  Looks like it ought to be in an ad or on a calendar.
Lynn writes, “Sofie is a LBD (little black dog) in need of a home or rescue. She was scooped up from a parking lot at a tiny little store just outside of Corsicana. Sadly (but not surprisingly), nobody stepped forward to claim little Sofie, so her rescuer decided to take Sofie to the vet. We know Sofie is approximately 3 to 4 years old and weighs 22 pounds. She's also due to deliver puppies in a couple of weeks. Yep, she's expecting.
“ Her rescuer got a little more than she bargained for, but would REALLY like to find a home or rescue for Sofie rather than take her to the shelter. If you have a warm bed to offer Sofie and her soon to be pups, please contact Project Pawz at 903-874-3722 or Sharon at 817-658-4964.”
Now, I’ve included this photo of these two Labs to help head off some viral sending: They were lost, then they were found and now they are reclaimed. E-mails asking for help for them are bouncing around the internet, but they’ve been returned to their homes after a little romping adventure in Corsicana.
There are two reasons I ran this photo of these dogs (1) In our part of Texas you hardly ever get to see happy big black dawgs photographed against a snowy background and (2) I am a sucker for big ol’ black dawgs. It has been my experience that they are without fail happy, congenial and huggable. And it’s good to know these two are back home. You can now stop the mindless forwarding of the e-mail.
LOOKING FOR A FERAL CAT GROUP:  One of our readers in Rowlett was looking for help from a feral cat group. The first one suggested to her was Feral Friends. There also is KittieCo Cat Rescue. And our reader wonders if there are other feral cat groups that might be operating around Dallas, particularly in the Rowlett area. Just  click on  “Comment” below to leave some info or you can e-mail [email protected].
BIRTHIN’ IN GAINESVILLE: We got this note from Kara Lifka who is trying to help a new mom at the Noah’s Ark Animal Shelter in Gainesville, north of Dallas. She writes, “I received a call from a vet in Gainesville, Texas,  about a Pit Bull at Noah's Ark, the Gainesville Animal Shelter. She gave birth to six pups 24 hours after being picked up by animal control. They need to find a foster home for them ASAP. I'm at 10 dogs right now and that's about all I can handle on my own. I need to find someone to foster these guys. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!! If you can help me spread the word about them that would be awesome. My guess is they have about one week before their time is up. Apparently the Momma is super sweet and very pretty. The pups are also gorgeous (black and white and brindle and white). It would be tragic for them to die. Anyone interested in helping can contact me at [email protected] .” (Click to the Noah’s Ark site HERE.)
BIRD WATCHING: We’ll get to Clara The Cockatiel in a minute. First, a bird of a different feather:
Janet Graham, who lives in the M Streets neighborhood of Dallas just east of Central Expressway, is our regular “bird-watching tipster,” a real fan of domesticated and free-winging birds.
She sent this note yesterday: “ If you've heard from any humans looking for a small pet bird, maybe he's frequenting my ‘bread bar.’  He's pretty small, mostly taupe on the top half of him, and a lime-ish kind of color on his belly and under his wings.  He let me get a little closer to him when I took another batch of bread out a little while ago, but I didn't have my glasses on.  Ugh.  I think he may be responding to my voice. Just thought I'd check to see if you've been alerted about a pet bird.”
If you know of a missing bird that matches this description, e-mail [email protected].
Janet says she is “always looking for the cockatiel – I wish she’d just show up in my backyard!”
The cockatiel she’s referring to is Clara – this is a photo of Clara from our Oct. 19, 2010, report. You can refresh your memory by Googling readlarrypowell.com and Clara and cockatiel.
BUSTER REMAINS AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION AND WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF THAT? You may recall Buster’s story. His mom, Sadie, was rescued by Deborah Trevino in July from  a traditional dumping spot on Malloy Bridge Road in southeast Dallas. Sadie was placed with veteran foster and rescuer Dawna Carabajal and – oh, timing is everything – almost immediately gave birth to NINE puppies. Nine.
All of the dogs were adopted in October, including the very cute and poseable Buster Brown.
But, according to Dawn, “Buster was returned due to his family having financial hardships. Buster is a great dog. He has received all of his shots and is scheduled for his neuter in 1 month. He is house-, leash-, and crate-trained. He is very loving and playful. He still needs a little training as he is still a puppy. We require an adoption application and contract be completed in order to adopt Buster.“
An extraordinary dog deserves extraordinary placement. To ask about adopting Buster, call 214-415-4322 or e-mail [email protected]. You may also “Facebook Sadie Puppies,” Dawn says.
WAITING AT CCAS AND TWO MOMS LEFT BEHIND: Shelter walker and veteran rescuer DeDe Whitcombe of Mazie’s Mission reports that there are a number of great dogs awaiting rescue or adoption at the Collin County Animal Services Shelter in McKinney.
But she also has the story – as far as can be known – about these two dogs. Take for instance, Eva, on the left.
Why is this dog in a shelter? After all, she’s 8 years old, must have been a good dog to someone, right? DeDe says, “She and her boyfriend Dino were surrendered to the shelter because the owners were moving. The shelter had Dino neutered and they think Eva is already altered.”
Eva’s ID is 276523.
Dino is 276523.
Dede says Dino is six.
Yep, six and eight and out of a home. No telling why the humans are out of a home. Maybe it grinds their  souls to give their dogs to a shelter. Maybe it doesn’t. Whatever the story, the humans aren’t in a shelter – it’s the dogs on death row.
To ask about adopting or rescuing these two dogs, call the shelter at 972-547-7292 or e-mail [email protected].
Oh, and be sure to ask about the two little mixed breed moms who came in with their litters – they are 276406 and 276409.
DeDe writes that the “two adorable girls came in with huge litters each.  A rescue came in and took all the pups and they got left behind. ... I feel so sorry for them they are so engorged with milk. Sweet girls a little timid at the shelter.”
CONTEMPLATIONS: As my literatespouse Martha said one day last week after reading something that was full of wayward grammar and unssteady language, “Writing skills have diminished while opportunities to write have increased.” When it comes to reading, she’s “particular” in the quality she prefers – now and then she even stoops to read what I write. ... I got an e-mail last night from like-minded Alexandra Kelsey of Houston who was asking about a multi-forwarded e-mail about a dog problem that had already been solved. (Thank you, click-and-send people, for sending without checking.) She writes, “I am getting emails on this from many, and I swear that I do not understand the mentality of people.  If we want someone to act, wouldn't we want our message to be succinct and easy to read and act on?  Wouldn't we want to save our reader/helper the trouble of scrolling through a number of screens and massive lists of email addresses to find the little bit of important information? Wouldn't we want our important subject information to start on the left margin instead of in the middle of the subject field?  If this is the best we can do, there is no hope for it.  Geez...what planet are we on?” In the words of the most fervent Bible-thumpers, “Can I get an amen!” ... Please, help me down off this soap box before the spirit of one of my ol’ English teachers rises and shakes a fistful of “B” papers in my face.
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