The big shirt, the chained dog, the confiscated chickens and other notes...

At no point in today's presentation will you hear the voice of broadcast geniuses telling you how the world ought to work.
Feels good, doesn’t it.
Perhaps you’ve noticed the photo of Big Tex, symbol of the State Fair of Texas? Later in this edition we’ll mention something that’s going to take that shirt right off Big Tex’s back. Never really liked that yellow, anyway. OK, move along now:
THE CEDAR HILL AFTERMATH: In a hearing in Cedar Hill Wednesday, Municipal Judge Michael Petty awarded custody of 600 roosters, hens and chicks and about a thousand eggs to the SPCA of Texas. The eggs are hatching at the rate of about 18 a day, the SPCA says.
The birds and eggs had been seized in a raid on a Cedar Hill property on March 14.
Two dogs, 8 puppies, 2 rabbits and 2 geese were returned to owner Minh Pham.
The SPCA says it “does not actually expect to receive” any of the $51,948 in restitution the judge ordered Mr. Pham to pay.
The judge said that he had no doubt the roosters were of the type involved in cockfighting.
See photos from the raid HERE.
According to the SPCA’s press release, “Cockfighting is a crime in all 50 states, including Texas, where it is a felony, punishable by two years in a state jail and/or a $10,000 fine. It is a felony in 35 states and the District of Columbia and a misdemeanor in 15 states. Since 2002, a federal law has prohibited any interstate or foreign transport of fighting animals.”
LITTLE JOEY’S ADVENTURE: Tina Austin says she was on Bond Avenue in Oak Cliff intent on getting a German Shepherd to safety – he’d “been tied to the side of a home for five years and living in his own feces,” she says – when she spotted Joey.
He was chained at a small nursery nearby. “We don’t know why he was chained,” she says. “They spoke little English but said he lived there. ... Other than being very skinny and mangy, he is healthy and so loving. He truly wraps his paws around my hands when I hold him.”
Joey is about 8 months old and weighs 25 pounds.
“He had a cage but it was for a baby puppy,” Tina says “He had no shelter and a frying pan that was to hold water was bone dry. In all this cold weather he has a crate with no blankets and no water.  He is very thin as well.  She told me to take him before I even asked to.”
Joey has been vaccinated and neutered and his skin issues are being treated. He’s a calm, playful, loving pup.
And the German Shepherd is in good care, too.
To ask about helping Joey, e-mail [email protected] or call 214-693-3100.
EARHOUNDS IN IRVING: As you regular visitors to Readlarrypowell.com know, shelter walker Russell Posch keeps his camera trained on the critters at the Irving Animal Shelter. The latest collection of available dogs (click HERE) shows a number of Earhounds, quite a few Chihuahuas with giant sets of ears. But, also, as I scrolled along, I spotted this dog Jane, a retriever mix who weighs 20 pounds and came in as a stray.
Jane is today’s official Earhound because of what appears to be a dynamic talent sure to keep things amusing in a household. Her ears point the same way her tail points.
To ask about Jane or any of the many, many dogs and cats in the shelter, call the shelter at 972-721-2256 or 972-721-2257. The shelter is at 4140 Valley View Lane in north Irving, if you want to drop by and pick up a friend.
THE LITTLE DOG’S LUCKY BREAK: Seriously, how can someone be mean to a cute little guy like this?
Here’s the story from rescuer Karla Kirk who is desperate to find a place for the dog. She writes, “A friend of my mom’s took this dog from a very abusive owner. Tonight [Wednesday] like many others, he was thrown on the street and my mom's friend decided to end the suffering and neglect of this cutie.  He took him and brought it to my mom. He told us that many times he was close to being hit by cars and that the owner would kick him and call him names. It is so hard to believe that this small guy had to suffer all this time in hands of such a filthy coward.  Makes me furious to think about it!”
So, Karla’s got the little guy for now – he’s about 5 pounds and younger than 2 and gets along with other dogs. And, yes, there are other dogs and Karla has run out of room because she’s currently fostering 8 puppies being treated for mange and “I need to be focused on getting them ready to be adopted.”
To offer this little guy a safe, loving home, call 214-382-7523 or e-mail [email protected].
MARK YOUR MAYORAL CALENDARS: All four candidates for Dallas mayor have agreed to participate in a forum sponsored by the Metroplex Animal Coalition. It’s scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 10, in the auditorium at Dallas’ Central Public Library, 1515 Young St., across from city hall.
The candidates are (alphabetically) former Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle, Councilman Ron Natinsky, real estate consultant Edward Okpa, and Mike Rawlings, former Pizza Hut CEO and Dallas Homeless Czar.
The candidates will answer questions about local animal issues prepared by the folks from MAC. Expect the candidates to be grilled about their plans for the local animal shelter, Dallas Animal Services, etc. Moderator for the event? Yep, yours truly, Larry Powell, of Readlarrypowell.com and columnist with Urban Animal Magazine, and a taxpaying Dallas resident since the 1980s. I’m not running for office, so I’ll try to speak clearly.
AN ELECTION THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE--VOTING FOR BIG TEX’S NEW SHIRT: The State Fair of Texas has an election scheduled that will make a difference.
Dickies, the western and work clothes maker, has been dressing Big Tex, the 52-foot-tall Midway Cowboy, for 14 years and for the past three he’s worn the same shirt.
No idea on who is going to launder than thing after all this time but I’ll bet the EPA will be involved.
You can vote in picking Big Tex’s new shirt by going to the Dickies’ Facebook page – www.facebook.com/dickies.
He’ll wear this for the 125^th State Fair of Texas from Sept. 30 through Oct. 23. For more info visit www.bigtex.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS: The mornings are beautiful in Dallas. I mention this for those who are reading in areas of the country where winter continues to insist that it’s not yet spring. ... Regarding that dust-up between the unarmed Dwaine Caraway, now mayor of Dallas, then mayor pro-tem, and his wife, the knife-wielding State Rep. Barbara Mallory Caraway, while some cities say someone goes to jail at every domestic dispute, the city of Dallas leaves the discretion to the officer. Marriage can be tough enough without everything being taped and printed. You’ve got to wish these folks the best. And, of course, you do wonder if the basis of the argument was over whether Mayor Caraway should have given a Key to the City of Dallas to dog-fighting felon and Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick.  ... If I had time today I would – oh, my, the choices. None of them would involve yard work or cleaning out closets.
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