OK, just shake your head and read on...

Thanks for reading today. Let’s jump right into today’s report like a Cocker Spaniel into the food dish. Good rule for the day: Keep your ears out of the gravy.
Which reminds me: East Lake Pet Orphanage is celebrating National Pig Day – more on that in a moment. Now, today’s report:
WHAT ANIMALS ARE UP AGAINST: Our longtime tipster Deborah Verner, who has rescued many an animal in southeastern Dallas County, has a son who lives in Dallas and he snapped this photo last night.
At first glance it seems to be a picture of a dog trying to hide behind a utility pole. In reality, this is another not-all-that-uncommon situation in Dallas. Tethering without food, water or shelter.
Deb says this dog has been tethered to a pole in an unpaved alley behind a small apartment complex near Downtown Dallas. For how long? Who knows for sure?  Apparently most of yesterday and as late as 9 p.m. last night. Gone today, however – but nobody knows if the owner got it or if someone else took it or if it chewed loose and is running free.
Last night, Deb emailed that the dog had been there since at least mid-afternoon. (She would have gotten the dog, but was having car trouble and already has more than a houseful.)
Was it sunny yesterday afternoon? Not much shade from a telephone pole.
“My son says she looks healthy, growled at him when he approached her,” Deb writs.
The site is on Knight Street near the Dallas North Tollway.  And you can just about bet if someone cares so little about a dog that they tie it to a pole in an alley, the human also hasn’t bothered to give the dog heartworm preventative and proper vaccinations or have it spayed.
Now, on the other hand, we learn from Deborah that she’s found a home for Bailey. We’ve written about Bailey many times – one of the dogs rescued in the traditional southeast Dallas dumping area near the Dallas-Seagoville city limits.
That was in July 2010 – Bailey was dumped with her pregnant mom, Sadie, who was tended to by Dawna Carabajal. Dawna was able to find homes for Sadie and her 9 younger puppies. Deborah took Bailey and worked and worked with the dog.
Two weeks ago, an e-mail sent out by Dawna touched someone’s heart and they decided to give Bailey (believed to be a pit/Boston Terrier mix) a chance. So far, it’s working.
In the meantime Deborah has been trying to wind down her rescue work – call it compassion fatigue or financial fatigue or plain ol’ “worn out.” While she isn’t looking for animals, they seem to find her. Yesterday, for example, she says there was “a male Pit Bull roaming my neighborhood, and it picked my yard to want to get into.  It tried 3 times to jump my fence, and had my 3 dogs outside all fighting because of it. One big nightmare.”
What are the two common points in these stories? (a) Humans let these animals down and (b) other humans stepped up to try to help them.  And, to quote Deborah, for some animals around here, life is “one big nightmare.”  Can it change? Maybe, for one dog at a time – or one momma and her litter at a time. Depends on the humans.
MEANWHILE IN CARTHAGE: We’ve written before about Glynis Ritter’s one-person efforts to save dogs in Carthage, about 3 hours east of Dallas – take I-20 to Marshall and go south.
Now, she’s got this little dog in her life, but today she plans to turn the dog over to Carthage Animal Control.
She explained in a note yesterday to Readlarrypowell.com, “I am taking care of 17 animals and I don't have any help of any kind.  Right now we have got it in my neighbor’s back yard and in the morning the Carthage ACO will be called to carry it to the pound. I saw it at a neighbor's house Friday and its eye was hanging out. I thought it was there and didn't see it anymore until this afternoon, when I was taking my dog out for a walk, and saw some other neighbor's kids with it in their yard. The little girl wanted me take it to the vet and have its eye fix. Broke my heart to have to tell her that I couldn't. She even thought the vet would fix it for free. I hope there is someone out there that will come save it. The children said, ‘It was a male.’”
She says it is a sweet dog and “has a little red collar on it.”
E-mail [email protected].
WORKING FOR AN ARLINGTON DOG: The noted rescuer and animal networker Nancy Underwood has sent a note about a particular dog in the Arlington Animal Services Shelter. The subject matter on her e-mail was “People never cease to amaze me.”
She writes, “This gorgeous girl's owners (1) never spayed her, (2) allowed her to contract heartworms, (3) dumped her at a shelter at 8 years old.”
And, now, Becka the Dog, a hefty lass, is high-positive for heartworms and will challenge the treasury of a rescuer or rescue group.
Still, she’s a friendly, happy dog who spent 8 years with a family and now is out on her happy ear.
All that stands between her and the needle of death is, indeed, the decency of people she’s never met.
To claim her for a rescue group, e-mail  [email protected] or [email protected] . To read about Arlington’s adoption and rescue procedures, got the shelter website HERE.
And you’ll need this: A15512653. That’s Becka’s number at the shelter.
A DOZEN DOGS IN A CRISIS: Here’s the note from the folks with Metroplex Mutts.  “One of our valued doggie day care partners is closing.  We have until THURSDAY, MARCH 1, find a place for the 12 dogs we have there. Or we can find fosters for dogs that are in other facilities and move some of these doggies into those spots.  We are asking for a one month commitment as it will be a huge job to get them all moved.” To volunteer to help or to ask for info about the dogs, e-mail [email protected].
ASSORTED NOTES:
--When the email from East Lake Pet Orphanage popped open this morning, the first thing I saw was this pig picture. I’ve seen plenty of dogs and cats at East Lake, a rabbit or two and even a goat.  But this pig was vivid enough to catch my attention. It’s the symbol of ELPO’s next big celebration – it’s from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and it’s being billed as “The Only Known Dallas Area National Pig Celebration.”
The Orphanage at 10101 E. Northwest Highway is the adoption arm o East Lake Veterinary Hospital and will host the event.
And the press release reads, “Whether you own a pig or just love them, come join East Lake Veterinary Hospital for their 1st Annual Pig Party. Refreshments, including piggy-pink lemonade and pork-free snacks will be served before the main event, a Pot Bellied Pig race! The event will be fun for the whole family!”
According to ELPO, March 1 is National Pig Day, begun in 1972 in Lubbock.  It was designed as a tribute to what many regard as one smart, loveable critter. Potbellied or otherwise, pigs are frequently described as loving and intelligent.
[Aside from Larry: I recently explained my vegetarianism to a pal of mine this way: I never eat anything that is smarter than some of the people I know. So, I don’t eat animals and there are some tubers and legumes I won’t touch.]
--Last day to buy tickets online to the March 3 (that’s Saturday) Greyhound Adoption League of Texas gala – see the details at www.galtx.org. Greyhounds are fast but they can’t outrun idiot humans and that’s while GALT exists.
--Yesterday we featured the only 3 animals on “the list” at Carrollton Animal Services for Wednesday: Blacky the Lab, Santiago the Little Dog and Jenna the Black Cat. Last night’s report from Carrollton Animal Rescue Enterprise (CARE) reads, “No adoptions or rescues today, May tomorrow be a better day. Any questions please email us.” You can see the photos by scrolling down to yesterday’s report and the way to contact CARE is call 972-466-3420 or e-mail [email protected].
--Last week we posted a list of things needed by the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake’s shelter at Tool, Texas. Needs have been met with the exception of puppy and adult dog food. A note from Shelter Manager Krista Mc Anally reads, “We prefer lamb and rice or chicken and rice puppy and adult canned dog food.  But we are very grateful for any and all donations.” Transportation can be arranged for large loads or you can drop food off at the shelter in Tool, about an hour southeast of Dallas. E-mail [email protected] and visit the shelter’s website at http://hsccl.org/.
CONTEMPLATIONS: I have a Seiko watch. The dial lights up. The hands keep proper time. And the watch beeps. Nothing I do keeps the watch from beeping whenever it wants to. I’ve gone online to search for beep help. I’m not the only person with this challenge. Out of the blue, tiny metallic beeps. Other than that, good watch. Beep. … If the watch were not enough, I am being driven even nuttier by classical music – the piece they played on the Oscars telecast when Natalie Portman was introduced.. I think it might be Rimskey-Korsakov, but I’m not sure. I’m starting to wonder if my watch is beeping the tune.  … How about that Daytona 500. Ninety minutes of watching a car fahr and cleanup followed by a sprint to the finish line by a bunch of battered jalopies.
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