Discussions, a psychic fair, and contemplations...

Plenty of things to discuss today, so here we go on what many of us ol’ newshounds refer to as “10/27.” More later, but first, as I declare wholeheartedly that I would rather be in bed asleep, we’ll proceed, just in case something that appears here will help an animal or help a human help an animal or – and here’s a longshot – get a human to think before he or she shoots off his or her mouth. Holy fluffy pillow, I am one drowsy optimist.
By the way, Straydog Inc., the legendary sanctuary, has some challenges right now and some fundraising efforts, too. More as we proceed.
That photo? That is our solemn Readlarrypowell.com staff counselor, the psychiatrist Dr. Inky der Stablesane, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas. He has two stabilizing comments for today: Go back to bed and GO RANGERS—FINISH IT IN SIX.
HOT TOPICS: In the past few days the hot topics around here have been (a) the Dallas Companion Animal Project and its goal of a no-kill shelter for the city and (b) an abused animal seizure in Duncanville and the subsequent settlement yesterday.
Maybe there’s a connection – both involve people protecting animals. One involves developing a plan for the future.  One involves protecting animals from someone who may have thought she was protecting animals.
--Regarding the DCAP efforts: While there is an array of animal folks on the task force, there are still some people who think this will prove to be just another failed effort to make Dallas a no-kill city. They are vocal, don’t mind pinpointing personalities and feel that egos rather than mission are driving the task force. As a longtime observer of the animal welfare community, we’re hard-pressed to avoid saying that both sides frequently have one thing in common: Some of the cattiest people around are animal people. They’re so dadgum human.  The irony is, from a position as an observer, both sides (and they are “sides”) appear to have the same goal.
Perhaps this will work so that the task force people become determined to prove the non-task force people wrong and, in the end, the animals are the glorious winners. We can only hope that animals triumph over the human condition. The idea, after all, is to help the animals.
--Last week the SPCA of Texas and Duncanville authorities raided a property in Duncanville and seized 102 dogs and 6 cats. When word of the seizure spread, so did alarm, not just in North Texas, but into other states.
Rescue groups were upset because the person at the heart of this “collection” had been, they said, claiming to be adopting dogs as personal pets but then simply collecting them or adopting them out elsewhere.
Then, yesterday, before a scheduled custody hearing in Duncanville Judge Kent Traylor’s court, all parties reached a settlement. The unnamed accused party, her attorneys, the City of Duncanville and the SPCA of Texas all agreed that the SPCA would get the animals and no restitution would be ordered.
Because all this happened during lawyer/client consultations, there was no testimony, only a ruling.
The SPCA of Texas issued a press release about the results and also issued instructions for claiming these animals through the SPCA.   You can see the instructions and the press release HERE.
Reaction to the ruling ranged from “oh my god she’s getting away without being punished” to “oh my god the SPCA is going to kill all these dogs.” There was other reaction, too, most of it unpleasant from distrusting people who saw the out-of-court settlement as some sort of shenanigan calculated to dodge justice and allow the formerly accused person to get right back into claiming more animals than she can handle.
There probably will be more fallout to this story. Stay tuned. And, at the end of today’s report, we have a contemplation on the topic.
SATURDAY AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES:  Cue the spooky music. It’s the Halloween season and Dallas Animal Services is fully involved – not only will there be a Howl-o-Ween Pet Psychic Fair at the facility but for the weekend adoption fees will be reduced to $30.  Yep, a Halloween Howl-o-Ween Special.
The psychic fair will feature a pet psychic named, as we have noted previously with amusement, Kathy Kibbel. Yep. You can’t make this stuff up. (I may set up an anti-psychic booth – I’ll tell you what your critter isn’t thinking, i.e., not considering whether to buy a manual or automatic transmission, not contemplating construction challenges of the Great Wall of China, not concerned about particles moving at the speed of light ... wait. Inky says he is concerned about moving faster than light .)
Now, the event Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., is sponsored by The Petropolitan and it will feature free treats for people and dogs, pet photos and other family-oriented attractions.
Yours truly will emcee a pet costume contest at 1 p.m. Categories include: Best Small Dog (under 40 pounds), Best Large Dog (over 40 pounds), Best Couple or Group, and Best of Show.  Three winners will be selected from each category.
And the judges include Dallas City Councilmember Delia Jasso, who created the Dallas Loves Animals Campaign; DAS Manager Jody Jones; and two writers who happen to be married animal fans, Jeanne Prejean, who writes the MySweetCharity.com blog and, covers social events for D Magazine, and    Glenn Hunter, who writes for D Business and Frontburner.
These people all have the love of animals in common and we don’t know about their costume habits, er, costume preferences. Pretty sure “costume habit” is the wrong phrasing. Almost sure.
FYI, this Howl-o-Ween event is going to be at Dallas Animal Services – that’s at 1818 N. Westmoreland, right at I-30 and Westmoreland, just west of downtown Dallas.
REMINDER: For this weekend, Readlarrypowell.com will not present its usual Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, but will display Halloween photos of costumed critters (and sometimes their people). We’re going to have some fun photos – I’ve seen some already.  Send the photos and info to [email protected]. That little girl, by the way, is Muffin, who owns the heart of longtime animal advocated Jonnie England. She’s dressed, Jonnie says, “as a ‘50s girl in a poodle skirt.” (FYI: She’ll probably be an entrant in Saturday’s costume contest at the DAS Pet Psychic Fair.)
STRAYDOG’S CHALLENGES: The legendary sanctuary Straydog Inc. near Gun Barrel City is hitting some rough financial spots, according to our Straydog tipster Erin Johnson.
You want to get some attention? Dress up a dog and get him to “vogue” for the camera.
Erin explains, “This is our silly Noble, warm and cozy in his winter sweater.”
There’s a tie between the sweater and the Straydog needs.
Erin wrote to “Straydoggers” that “We have to ask for help again. We need donations to help winterize our shelters for our outside kiddos. Also, with 125 dogs, our vet needs are ongoing.”
The weekly medicine bill is about $500.
Among the upcoming fundraising efforts is the “First Annual Straydog Golf Tournament” on Nov. 11 at Twin Lakes Golf Course in Canton. You can see ways to help the tournament and ways to participate by clicking on the link HERE.
A personal note: Golf is a tough game – but if you can use it to help animals, it’s worth the personal pain of a slice or a hook or a putt that shoots past the hole, down a hill and into the water hazard. Not that I’ve ever experienced any of that. The good thing about golf this time of year is when you hit a ball into the woods, you can just immediately drop another ball and play on because there’s just no sense in trying to find a ball buried under the dead leaves of autumn.
Read more about Straydog’s needs and efforts to help animals by going to www.straydog.org.
TWO BIG DAWGS IN TWO DIFFERENT SHELTERS:
-- We mentioned this dog Roper here before. He’s in the Collin County Animal Services Shelter in McKinney, a place where volunteers and staffers worker to find homes for the animals. Sadly, shelter walker Allison Roberts reports that yesterday the place became so overloaded with unwanted animals that staffers had to perform euthanasias to make room for more unwanted dogs.
One of the dogs that survived the round of euthanasias was Roper. Something about the photo gets to me – like the guy is saying “Take my paw as a gesture of thanks for trying to save my life.” I don’t know, maybe I’ve been around big, sensitive dogs too much. Maybe I’ve felt their warmth and the comfort they give humans when things are rotten. Maybe I’ve felt the joy shared when things are good. Maybe I’m just an animal nut.
Here’s the drill if you want to save the life of Roper or any animal at Collin Countyl: E-mail [email protected] and [email protected] or call 972-547-7292,
--For crying out loud, how can this dog not be wanted? Yet, that is the case. Sgt. Karl Bailey, the manager of the Seagoville Animal Shelter, has been trying to find a home for this noble fellow ever since he was picked up on a back road in a traditional dumping ground in the city.
His name is Rufus and when he came into the shelter he was starving – emaciated.
He has some skin issues and maybe some other problems, but generally he’s a dog who’ll make someone a great companion.
He’s sweet, gentle and congenial, reports Seagoville volunteer Johnna Bigley.
And, he’s got the look of a dog that is a conversation starter – “What kind of dog is that!!?”
The answer is, of course, a Royal American Dog. Lord knows what his family tree looks like, but his face looks like Rufus. Why? Because he is Rufus..
To ask about Rufus, e-mail [email protected] or call 972-287-6838.
He’s probably a good hugger.
CONTEMPLATION—THE DUNCANVILLE SITUATION: Some of the e-mails that came to Readlarrypowell.com about the settlement in the Duncanville seizure case questioned whether a settlement skirted justice.
Sometimes we don’t immediately know what justice is – it might not happen “right now.” It might be a long and agonizing process.
In this case, though no name has been mentioned in any of the press releases, we can tell you that we are acquainted with the person at the core of this case. We wrote stories about her rescue efforts years ago and they were noble and proper efforts.
Things have changed and this is one of those instances, perhaps, when justice isn’t a legal requirement or financial punishment, but is, instead, personal agony and despair.
And, rather than despise and hate, should we be empathetic and, if not understanding, at least sad that this happened not just to the animals but to the human.
In my heart, this case is not a moment of triumph though I am glad this has been discovered and stopped. This case is, sadly, a revelation of the depth of human failure -- a human failing animals because humans are not perfect.
Gosh, what a bad, bad situation.
Perhaps we'll learn what has happened, but if we never do, we should all remember that each of us has the ability to take so many bad steps that we suddenly find ourselves too far down the wrong path.
This whole case is so mind-boggling. We will be better human beings ourselves if we seek to understand rather than strive to despise, condemn and hate.
Look, there’s not a rescuer in the world who hasn’t said, “If I win the lotto, I’ll open a ranch...” Or “If I could, I’d take them all.” Or “There’s really not much difference between five cats and six cats....”
Something stops most of us. We should be grateful for that.
CONTEMPLATION ON 10/27: This is a “personal privilege” note that will matter only to a relative handful of old newshounds and, probably, a lawyer or two. Back on Oct. 27, 2004, some twits,dweebs and extremely important people on the face of the earth – that’s not libelous, is it? -- ended the newspaper careers of a bunch of dedicated employees, including me. Sore about it? You bet. I wasn’t finished with newspapers even if they were finished with me. Speaking of finished, hopefully I’ll have the book Morning Glory, Stinky Ink finished soon and enjoy the squirming of people who ...well, you know. Not to tip my hand, but did anybody sign a pre-nupt? I’m kidding.
I mention this anniversary because I want the people who got the heave-ho with me to know that I still think about them and other people still ask about them and hope they are doing well. People remember bylines, photo credits, cartoon credits and kindnesses in print.
FYI: Now in preparation, a list of people instrumental in changing the life direction of so many good and decent people and their families since 2004. I am reminded of Jimmy Breslin’s book The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight and the expression “Rat-a-bassets.”  Oh, there’s no list – not on Earth, anyway, he said, angelically. I kid the executives and their humorless lackeys.
One more thing: Thanks to loyal and big-hearted Readers, our website, Readlarrypowell.com, has contributed to saving the lives of many animals and helped make lives better for people who adopted those animals. Our mission to make the world a better place proceeds without having to layoff a single soul. But, of course, that is our mission.
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