Available, vanished, voting and grilled cheese...

Well, of course, what cat lover wouldn’t want to wake each morning with this handsome face looking at you from the next pillow?
OK, so, you don’t want that cat on the bed with you. Fine. Your loss. How about a good ol’ dog face? (My slumberspouse Martha knows what that’s like – I’ve actually seen her wince when she opens her eyes and sees me instead of one of the lovely cats or dynamic dogs. Yes, a visible wince. I’d wince myself if I allowed myself to go near mirrors before noon. OK, moving along...)
These critters are available adoptables. Read on and you’ll learn about them.
And, now, more notes from the world – you’ll find opportunities and contemplations, a pondering about the Dallas Zoo and the mayoral forum and a reminder that it’s National Grilled Cheese Day.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO BLACKIE AND WHO DUMPED THE PACK OF CHIHUAHUAS? You work with a free-roaming animal for days, weeks or months and then one day it’s gone. Vanished. No note, no explanation. Every time you go past that site, you wonder what happened to the critter. Then, soon, there are more dogs to worry about.
In the first case, we’re talking about Blackie, the matted and shy Chow who had apparently been dumped on the Mountain View College Campus. He has vanished. And, yes, people who were working with him are anxious. But they’ve also found a new project nearby.
Our pal Dianne Cole, who works at Mountain View, told us about the disappearance. And nobody is sure whether Dallas Animal Services picked him up or whether he was frightened away. She says, “I kinda doubt that since he'd been on campus for so long, or maybe some kind soul was able to catch him and take him home.  I just know that I tried everything I could to help him as did a number of other good hearted animal lovers....co-workers and complete strangers that were willing to chip-in their hard earned money to help out.  I refunded/returned everyone's money...”
But there’s the new project. “I was told last week that a box of puppies had been thrown over the barricade where Keeneland Parkway dead ends at Duncanville Road on the way to the ‘golf club’. “
So, Dianne drove to the site near the big Dallas National Golf Club. She says she “didn't see any puppies, but there were 4 or 5 little dogs there -- looked like Chihuahuas. Another friend and co-worker drove up and we got out to check on them.  They came running when they saw us, but wouldn't get near enough for us to pet them though they laid down a short distance away and watched us.  However, someone has obviously been feeding and watering them as there were containers there.“
These aren’t puppies. Someone dumped adult dogs. 
“I worry about them as there are wild animals in those woods so they won't last too long and need help as soon as possible,” Dianne says. “It's just a never ending battle.  I just can't believe people can be so cruel as to dump sweet little dogs off like that.  They could have driven just 3 or 4 miles farther and left them at DAS if they didn't want them.  Good thing I didn't see 'em.”
To offer to help with the abandoned little dogs, e-mail [email protected]. And if you know Blackie's whereabouts, let us know.
REAL MEN RAISE AWARENESS: You might say that the Metroplex Animal Coalition is about to exploit some men – except that these guys are, no doubt, happy to help. And that is why they are the fellows being honored May 15 by the Real Men Care celebration.
The event honors, according to MAC, “four men who have made a big difference in the past year.” They are Scott Walton, the Dallas Police lieutenant who became interim manager of Dallas Animal Services and changed the image of the department; Radio personality Richard Hunter who tried to talk to Michael Vick and adopted one of the felonious quarterback’s surviving fighting dogs; Robert Hayden, who rescued a dog in distress; and Jean-Paul (J-P) Bonnelly, whose street dog rescues and “mid-wifing” skills have been spotlighted on Readlarrypowell.com over the years.
The event is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 15 at Sambuca. Tickets are $65 online ($75 at the door). Click HERE for tickets and go to www.metroplexanimalcoalition.com for more info.
Oh, I buried the lead for some folks: “Have your picture made with our ‘Real Men’ models from the MAC Real Men Neuter Dart Bus ads against an amazing ‘green-screen’ backdrop.”
WAITING AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES: Holy rapid reduction, Batman, the long list of dogs scheduled to be euthanized at the Dallas shelter has suddenly become just one. And Friday is the date on which Ms. Boss, a 10-month-old, 44-pound Pit girl is scheduled to die if no one rescues her or adopts her. She’s been at the shelter for at least 45 days, is healthy and overlooked.
“She’s always happy to see you and ready for a romp,” the shelter says. And, she’s “Boss” in name only.
To save her by adoption, e-mail [email protected]  or [email protected] or call 214-671-0249 or 214-670-8312. If you are a rescuer wanting to claim her, e-mail [email protected] or call 214-671-0308. You can stop by the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland and you can go to www.dallasanimalservices.org to see more animals.
A COUPLE IN CARROLLTON: There are more than two animals still on the euthanasia list for Wednesday in Carrollton’s animal shelter. Why do we bring up Carrollton’s shelter? Because those people hustle to get the animals off Death Row and in to safe havens or good homes.
The shelter issues bulletins about the animals – tries to get the word out. They set a pretty high standard for other shelters to follow – and they do it because they’ve learned that the more eyes that see the animals, the better the chance that the animal will be adopted.
Some city shelters treat the animals almost as if they were in a secret society or some kind of club that you have to break a code on to get in the door. Maybe they’re hiding something – or maybe they think they’re hiding something and they don’t want the public to know what’s going on. Maybe they’re overworked and understaffed. Or maybe some people are just stubborn.
Not Carrollton. Carrollton embraces publicity and rescue groups.
This cat Leopold is a handsome lad who is on the list for Wednesday. He’s #23583 and he was found wandering. A “stray,” but you’ve got to think that a cat this old and this handsome wasn’t born to “strayness.” He must have been someone’s cat at some point. And he probably is accustomed to being with a human.
And Frankie, #23641, is a retriever mix – less than a year old – who also just showed up loose in the city. He weighs about 20 pounds and, apparently, the person who had him for most of his life is not looking for him, so he’s on Death Row.
To ask about any animal in the Carrollton shelter, e-mail [email protected] or call 972-466-3420 (ext 3).
CHECKING IN ON THE LEGISLATURE: The Texas Legislature continues to meet. Interpret that as you wish.
In the meantime, the Texas Humane Legislation Network has issued an “action alert” in opposition of House Bill 1919 which, to shorthand, says that if a person feels threatened by a dog, it is OK for that person to kill the dog even if the dog is on their own property and behind a fence. You can read more about this at www.thln.org. You’ll see other “action alerts” and the site is a good launching place to pursue your own study of proposed bills so you can decide whether you support them or you want to oppose them.
Just FYI: Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, opposes HB 1919 because he doesn’t trust the judgment of some humans to tell the difference between a happy greeting and a threat. There is evidence to support the position that some people are idiots and others are just plain mean and sometimes people are both and that is a lethal combination. After all, more people are killed by idiots with guns than by dogs with guns.
REMINDER: The SPCA of Texas is closed on the second Wednesday of each month for staff training. That’s tomorrow this time around. You can still visit the shelter’s available animals online at www.spca.org.
REGARDING THE MAC MAYORAL FORUM ON SUNDAY: We have two things regarding the forum:
--Yours truly was the moderator for that Metroplex Animal Coalition Forum Sunday afternoon at the Dallas Public Library and, as such, was not in a position to report on an event in which I was a participant. I can say that I was very proud to see that all four of the candidates showed up for the forum – this indicates that these men realize that animal issues are significant in the City of Dallas.
While you can’t find a report on the forum here, you will find one written by Dallas Animal Shelter Commission member Rebecca Poling on the Dallas Examiner site HERE. It's succinct and comprehensive We would direct you to reporter Rudy Bush’s story on the big paper’s website in Dallas, but it is behind a subscription paywall and we don’t have access to it.
--Margaret Morin, the hardworking, energetic founder of Concerned Citizens for Jenny and Gypsy, forwarded a letter to me that she had written regarding the mayoral forum.  Her concern is that the forum did not address the situation of the Dallas Zoo elephants, which she believes, are being held in a bad place under conditions that are not good for elephants. And she also mentions aggressive or insensitive encroachment on wildlife habitat.
As we have noted at Readlarrypowell.com, the best way to remind the City of Dallas that those animals need protection, too, is to continue being vigilant and loud.
Margaret wrote, “While I am most definitely a ‘dog and cat lover’ and a companion animal rescue advocate, I was struck by the singular focus of this ‘debate’ on only companion animals, to the exclusion of the needs and suffering of all other animals.
“Not a mention of the multiple citations by the USDA for the animal abuse by the Dallas Zoo and the Dallas Aquarium, or the encroachment of urban sprawl on the natural habitat and the subsequent obliteration of myriad species, or the complete lack of conscious urban planning that could reduce ‘road kill.’
“What a shame. All animals are important. Animals, who do not serve and comfort man, are important and worthy of respect and advocacy, as well.”
She is absolutely correct that all animals are important.
And Margaret’s letter does raise another question: Who monitors the zoo?
So, I Googled “Dallas City Council transfer zoo to society” and discovered many things, including this 2010 audit of the Dallas Zoo transfer. Click HERE and you’ll see that there were some shortcomings.
In August 2009 the Dallas City Council privatized the zoo, long-held by taxpayers, and turned its management over to the Dallas Zoological Society. It is difficult to argue that the Dallas City Council should still be managing the zoo – after all, there is evidence that maybe one zoo shouldn’t try to manage another. We do wonder if a subsequent audit has shown 100 percent compliance with expectations for the zoo’s management. (Perhaps we’ll hear – if so, we’ll let you know.)
While Readlarrypowell.com is not sure that non-companion animal questions fit in with the theme of Sunday’s forum, we do agree that those animal issues cited by Margaret Morin are certainly worthy of mayoral and city council consideration and respect.
After all, the name of the local kindness and compassion campaign is “Dallas Loves Animals” not “Dallas Loves Animals (With Some Exceptions).”
CONTEMPLATIONS: Is this North Texas’ greenest spring ever or was winter so brown that any green looks good around here? ... Speaking of colors, we’ve seen plenty of bluebonnets along the highways, but usually we see Indian Paintbrushes, too. Are they yet to blossom? Any flowerfans know? .. Our pal Cheri Donohue, who with her two dogs (both named Lola) is featured in the current Urban Animal magazine’s Part of Our Family column, sent us a note about a significant dining experience in Dallas. The great old-style diner Norma’s is celebrating National Grilled Cheese Day today by handing out free grilled cheese sandwiches. Is that comfort food, or what? FYI: If you get your grilled cheese at Norma’s in Oak Cliff, order it with some of the homemade potato chips – best in the land. Of course, your corpulent host here at Readlarrypowell.com will be having the salad with a low-fat dressing and a craving – to get to the dining areas you have to walk past the pie cabinet.
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