ReadLarryPowell.com

The art of sleeping...

The gifted being in our family is Inky the Cocker Spaniel, as regular readers know. He is, after all, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas. Gifted poet, gifted impressionist, gifted philosopher.
That is his latest public appearance photo. Top dollar for a top dog.
But the auxiliary gifted being is the alpha human in our family, my artsyspouse Martha.
You know, her maiden name is Muse and, indeed, she is not just my Muse but the Muse of a number of other family members through the years.
She has, quite by accident, provided us with the spotlight feature for this weekend’s presentation of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie and Napping Cats Nap. It is appropriate, I guess, that this artwork featuring yours truly is on display on April Fool’s Day.
[FYI: We’d enjoy running photographs of your slumbering dogs and cats – please send them to [email protected] and we’ll post them for an entire weekend for our readers around the world to enjoy. We’ve been running this weekend feature for nearly a decade – Lord knows how many sleeping animals we’ve shown the world.]
In the case of this weekend’s Let Sleeping Dog’s Lie & Napping Cats Nap, Martha has used an “app” on her iPad to create a familiar scene at our house.
That is me – yes, and my big nose (she had to buy a Big Nose App) – in bed reading something on my Kindle while Porche Noel sleeps next to me. Martha has, using my initials, titled this “Night With L.R.P.” (For a fee, she’ll draw you and your dog or cat sleeping. No sense letting this talent go to waste. Whatever she earns will benefit dogs, cats and, of course, the United States government via the IRS.)
Porche is a stray who was so thin her ribs were countable and in such bad shape that she could put only three paws on the ground. She came through our front porch metalwork just before Christmas a few years ago. She finished off the feral cats’ buffet and couldn’t maneuver back through the bars.
At least we think she couldn’t.
In retrospect, she may have planned the whole thing.
Nowadays she has the spring of a Jack Russell, the dash of a kitten and the appetite of a college freshman. My theory is, based on the leaping and the slightly pushed in nose and her kind of rounded ears, that her family tree includes Jack Russell, French Bulldog and shark.
(FYI: That’s Porche piled up on top of Texas Earl the Cheeseman, our rescued Rottweiller. Earl is easily nearly 3 times as big as Porche, but she takes a big picture when she’s dominating the Rottie in our worn family heirloom recliner. Every now and then, as I’m working, I’ll hear Earl giving off a painful sigh and struggling and then, finally, hitting the floor – Porche having squeezed him out of the chair.)
Martha is, of course, the light of all our lives – able to create a Thurberesque scene with a computer, able to play the harp, able to sing in public and charm audiences and, of course, able to lower her standards dramatically when it comes to men.
All of our foundling dogs and cats look at me and say out loud to her, “I don’t care how bad I looked when you got me, I still beat him any day of the week.”
[To nominate your slumbering critter for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, send the snoozing photo or – I guess – the snoozing pencil drawing or oil portrait to [email protected]. We have, for years, told you that insomniacs consider sleep a lost art.]
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A Friday roundup with lottery hopes...

On Friday we type.
Strapping on the typing helmet and safety glasses in case the consonants begin to chip during a furiously typed sentence. Oh, and we’ve got a note from Burns Flat, Okla., thanking Texans. Please read on.
ROAD TRIP: Last weekend my funspouse Martha, our pal Jo and I left the pavement in Dallas for the gravel roads out by Cedar Creek Lake. I’m kidding. All the roads are paved. This is the 21st Century.
We went to Tool, Texas. The Handbook of Texas says Tool is named for a storekeeper, George Tool, but there’s legend that it was originally named Hog Fork.
We were there to see dogs and cats and pet-oriented buildings. We saw Tool, but we saw no hogs though we did see forks at the Yellow Rose Café in Seven Points just north of Tool, where, I swear, they served some of the best biscuits I have ever eaten. Our best Town Biscuits come from Norma’s in Oak Cliff, but the best Road Biscuit has to be baked at the Yellow Rose.
Our mission was to visit the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Shelter at Tool. The event was the open house for the new Karen McDowell Cat Sanctuary.
That orange cat was one of the greeters at the facility. And, you’ll note that I’ve included a photo of the big display that was leaning up against the wall of the screened-in cat porch.
If I were any kind of a photographer at all, you’d see that the orange cat had moved to a spot immediately behind that meter showing fundraising for the Society’s building fund. But, the way I shoot photos, that cat might as well have been a black cat – I didn’t capture the image.
Still, we enjoyed our visit to the roomy shelter and its new elements. Shelter manager Krista Mc Anally was there to greet us and tell us about progress and show off the site. We also did some wandering on our own and found a big, young, long-legged Lab/Dane mix awaiting adoption – needs to go some place that doesn’t have livestock. Shadow wound up in the shelter because of a bad habit of chasing the neighbor’s livestock. Obviously, this particular Great Dane should be a city dog chasing naps on a couch. (That's the Shelter's mugshot of Shadow -- I'd never take that good a portrait!).
FYI: I think this shelter may hold the record for most dogs with eyes of different colors – “Catahoula mixes,” Krista explained. The area has plenty of unfixed, free-roaming Catahoula hounds.
The shelter has plenty of unwanted dogs – big ones, little ones, in-between. Poodles. Yep, lakeside poodles either surrendered or dumped. And cats of all kinds.
Anyway, it’s a nice ride from Dallas to Kemp on 175 – at Kemp you veer right onto Highway 274 which takes you to Tool (there are road signs, don’t worry, city slickers.) The shelter is at 10200 County Road 2403 and if you use a GPS it may take you (as Martha’s did) through a neighborhood with a barely lane-and-a-half blacktop when all you really need to do is just stay on 274 and it’ll take you right to the sign that says “Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake.”
And, if you want to get back to Dallas a different way, just turn off 274 east onto 334 and it’ll take you through Gun Barrel City and on to 175 where you can turn north back to Big D. As you may recall, the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake operates the worlds most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City.
So, to summarize, as you can see in the last photo, a bright sun puts about 40 pounds on a fat man’s shadow, the shelter has plenty of dogs and cats and needs more money to complete it’s three-phase building program. Get the details and donate at www.hsccl.org. Call the shelter at 903-432-3422. And see the adoptables at the Texas Little Cuties PetFinder site HERE.
LULU AND TIGGER: We first wrote about Lulu weeks ago. And when I asked about her fate yesterday, The Colony’s Animal Control Division Manager Patricia Barrington mentioned Tigger the Cat, too.
Both are long-term residents of the suburban shelter north of Dallas.
And both still need homes.
Manager Barrington says, “Lulu has been with us FOREVER ... She is a love.  If she were a Border Collie with the same personality, she would have been adopted months ago.
”But, she isn't. She's a Pit Bull with saggy boobies and cropped ears. Her inner beauty doesn't even almost play into the picture. She greets people and they tell her how sweet she is and when asked about considering her as their next pet companion they say things like ‘Oh, I would love to, but I have grand kids’ or ‘She seems sweet, but you never know about these dogs.’ Ugh. Seriously?”
Actually, she does. And has for years. And, yes, just like all Chihuahuas aren’t yappy little nippers, all Pit-types are not uncontrollable vicious marauders.
But, when dogs and cats are in taxpayer-supported city and county shelters, they face a bad fate. It is always up to people to save them, to give them a chance to be good friends, members of the family. And, it is always up to people to be the brains of the outfit though, I swear, in some case the dogs and cats easily outscore the humans on the brain tests.
To save Lulu or Tigger or any animal in The Colony’s shelter, e-mail [email protected] or call 972-370-9250. You can see The Colony’s adoptables HERE and you might as well take a look at this ultra-handsome dog Mac, cropped ears, noble head, and adoptable.
HEY, A NOTE TO TEXANS: We got two notes this morning from the tireless Burns Flat, Okla., rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher. One had to do with this dog being sent to the city pound after he attempted a romantic adventure with a dog in heat in the city – he’d been roaming free about 3 months and, apparently, the mood finally struck him and the owner of the dog in heat (has he never heard of spaying?) got this little guy sent to the pound. He needs out.
And that brings us to the other note Terry Lynn sent us. She’s a grateful person. She wrote, “Larry, I just want to send hugs and thank you to all the wonderful people in Texas that have stepped up and helped save our innocent throwaways here in Burns Flat. Do you know Texas has taken 90% of my pound babies the past 8 months?
”I just want all of you to know this born-and-raised Okie appreciates y'all very much.  ~hugs~  Terry Lynn.”
So, there you have it --  a hard worker who appreciates the big Texas hearts.
And, of course, this little guy could use some help from a big heart. (Call 580-330-1459 or e-mail [email protected] to offer help.)
Terry Lynn says, “Neighbors said he has been wandering the streets for about 3 months... from previous experience, that tells me he was probably left behind when his owners moved away.”
Lord, I hope they didn’t move to Texas – we already are over our limit on village idiots.
IN SHERMAN: Charmaine Rea, who forwards notes about dogs on the clock, sent one late yesterday about this Great Dane mix, a girl in the Sherman, Texas, shelter. The note says she’s “calm and quiet – larger than a Lab but not the size of a Great Dane.” And, the note added that “volunteers” at the shelter “love her.”
You can see her shelter link HERE. Call the shelter at 903-892-7255 or e-mail [email protected].
And, FYI, if you Google “Sherman shelter and gassing” you’ll see what this dog could face. There’s a movement to stop the gassing.
See the Sherman shelter’s inventory HERE.
READING TIP: Copy this link http://www.readlarrypowell.com and send it to 500,000 of your closest friends. We need the clicks and so do the animals we mention.. If you’re reading this on Facebook, immediately click HERE and visit the original website. Again, we need the clicks. In today’s world, clicks are everything. And we’re hoping the fact that we write about animals will generate reader clickers, but we may have to resort to mentioning things that, based on TV commercials and stories, are guaranteed to draw clicks, i.e., Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga, Elvis found in Bodcaw, Ark., surefire way to win the lottery, bacon, erectile dysfunction, Dyson vacuum cleaners, naked anything, Obama’s birth certificate, Romney’s dog, Newt’s wife and UFO spotted over new Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas. Oh, yeah, add this one: shocking developments.
ON BEHALF OF ALL RESCUE GROUPS: Fosters are needed. The more fosters a group has, the fewer animals will be in shelters. That’s what I’ve heard. The alternative is winning that big lottery and opening a domed dog ranch in Arlington. Zoning won’t be a problem.
Remember, fostering is a good way to (a) decide if you really want to adopt a certain breed or an animal at all; (b) a way to help rescue groups save lives; (c) a way to prove that you have a heart, in case anyone wonders.
ANNOUNCEMENTS/FREE PUBLICITY: We’re gathering the event announcements for the summer edition of Urban Animal Magazine (send the announcements to [email protected] and put EVENT in the subject line).
As you can see from this logo, Paws In The City is (as usual!) ahead in the game and already promoting its 5th annual Top Hat and Tails fundraiser with the ‘60s theme “All They Need Is Love.”
It’s scheduled for Saturday, June 9, at the Frontiers of Flight Museum.
The rescue group urges, “Celebrate the late 60's groovy era of peace and love!”
We’ll find out later if bell bottoms, halter tops and massive hair will be the appropriate dress for the occasion.
Go to the Top Hat & Tails site HERE to see how to help in ways other than buying a ticket – sponsorships, tables, etc.
And, again, if your animal-related event is upcoming, send the notice for Urban Animal Magazine’s event list to [email protected] and put EVENT in the subject line. Keep it simple. Or I’ll come get you and show you simple. I’m not sure what that means.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Why does one end of a cracker box always say “Open other end.” Is that some kind of industry joke? What if both ends read “Open other end”? …. Whatever happened to the comedian London Lee? Anybody else remember him? … The weekend is arriving. Many of you will be working on behalf of animals – your efforts are admired and appreciated. We’re planning on having a great weekend – after my surethingspouse Martha wins that big lottery.  She deserves the break. I’m an expensive husband. Besides, it would be great justice if an animal rescuer won the big payoff. Probably use it to buy pet food and pay vet bills until it ran out in a week or two.
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Are things working out? What about loose dogs? And, time for blessing....

Goodness, we have topics today. And some of them aren’t going to be all that nice – and as, it turns out, there is a Blessing of the Animals scheduled at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church on Saturday and, holy smoke, so to speak, it is absolutely a timely event given the assorted situations we’ll now outline. (We’ll also give you the Blessing details. Keep reading.)
TEMPORARIES: Are animals being treated poorly by temporary employees at the City of Dallas Animal Services shelter?
There’s enough concern now (based on eyewitness reports) that the topic is going to be on the agenda for the April 26 meeting of the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission.
You may recall that in October the City of Dallas, in a budget-slashing maneuver, unloaded a bunch of veteran shelter employees -- among them were workers who had responded positively to the “Compassion” campaign instituted by temporary shelter manager Dallas Police Lt. Scott Walton. These people were replaced by temporary workers, or, as the city referred to them, “contract laborers.”
The city told the commission that virtually no employee positions would be lost.  That, of course, did not mean that no “experience” would be lost. (FYI: This occurred as new shelter manager Jody Jones, with a great national reputation for professionalism and aiming for no-kill status, was arriving – sort of a “Welcome to Dallas, we’ve changed things for you.”)
If you have visited the Dallas Animal Services Adoption Center, you may have seen some of the temps -- usually they’re wearing orange vests, as if they could be moved at a moment’s notice from wrangling unwanted dogs and cats to moving traffic cones for Streets & Sanitation.
Animal Shelter Commission member Chris Watts told Readlarrypowell.com this morning, “We have several issues that are contributing to the issue of staff at the shelter…”
Among those issues, Chris says, is allowing people who are afraid of animals to handle the animals who have been “deemed ‘unadoptable’ because of their temperament.” This results in such things as pounding on cage doors, yanking animals with leashes, etc. Unskilled temps are used, perhaps, because there are no veterans left at that level of shelter employment.
[Soapbox moment: True, these animals are probably only minutes or hours away from being killed but should their last moments on earth be filled with new terror or mean behavior?
The Dallas Animal Services Adoption Center has come a long way from the time when the shelter manager was accused of letting an escaped cat die inside a wall while people sat and did nothing for fear of losing their jobs. That event resulted in many positive changes at the shelter – primarily changes at the top. And the public paid more attention to the shelter, thus the city council paid more attention.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission, here’s the explanation:  It exists to advise the city council on shelter and animal issues in Dallas. It is composed of animal advocates appointed by members of the Dallas City Council. If you know your councilmember, you can see who represents you on the shelter commission by going to the City Secretary’s site HERE. The Shelter Commission members are already aware of shelter challenges and they report them to their council members.
The job of citizens, of course, is to make sure council members understand that voters are concerned about the way animals are cared for while in the City of Dallas, whether they’re in the shelter, tethered in someone’s yard or allowed to run loose attacking people and other animals. All of those issues are a concern of the commission.
The citizens use their voices to influence council members to make sure the city manager and assistants put the morality of kind behavior toward living animals ahead of budget manipulation.]
A DALLAS SITUATION: The concerns voiced in this note from a Dallas resident, Barbara King, are exactly the concerns that have been discussed for years in meetings of the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission.
Yesterday, Barbara asked, “Do you know of any group or organization that is actively working on getting some Pit Bull controls in Dallas? Right now, there are no penalties to speak of for tethering the dogs, letting them run loose or when they attack other animals. I would like to help if someone is working on some solutions.”
I asked Barbara what inspired her question. A couple of incidents in the Casa View neighborhood involving attacks on her dog, a Lab/Shepherd mix, as she was walking him.
”Pit bulls are tethered all over the neighborhood. It does no good to call animal control, as they do nothing,” she says.
Here’s the story in Barbara’s words:
”My dog was attacked about a month ago while we were walking. When all was said and done, all that happened was that animal control left a note on their [the attacking dog’s owners’] door.
”Now, my dog won't go more than 2 blocks from home, he won't walk where he hasn't been before and we ended up with a big vet bill. If I hadn't had pepper spray, it would have been a lot worse.
”A few days ago, a Pit Bull came through a wooden fence at us. (One more street my dog won't want to walk down.) He was tethered, so he just scared us. Today, … a Pit Bull that is normally tethered was loose. We went the other way, and nothing happened, but I'm really sick of it.
”I'm sick of the, ‘It's not the dog, it's the owner.’ It's the dog AND the owner. The dog has been bred to fight and that's what they do.
“Surely, there's a group trying to get this scourge under control. If not, I may have to start one.”
Now  Dear Readers, perhaps it is time to address how vigorously the city can enforce a sense of responsibility on dog owners. We all know Pit-type dogs that are well-behaved and adorable, but we also know there are unsocialized dogs that are territorial and undisciplined. Mix into that the fact that people are idiots and you have a mess – you may recall just two weeks ago when two free-roaming pits were involved in an “attack” incident in Oak Cliff – a police officer shot one of the dogs and the other vanished. We still have no report on the whereabouts of that dog.
Barbara’s concern about the proper confinement and control of animals is deep – and there are city ordinances that clearly provide rules for legal behavior. Enforcement is the problem.
Dallas Animal Services, in the city’s organization chart, is under the Code Compliance Department, not under “law enforcement” and not a separate entity with a strong, well-staffed enforcement/prevention arm.
So, what is the answer? Please click on “comments” below and let us hear your solutions to this problem of don’t care/so what owners mixing with made-to-be-mean dogs.
You can bet if the city opts for a “ban the pit bulls” ordinance, there WILL be enforcement. That’s easy to do. It’s “get the dog out of town or we’ll kill it.”
MORNING BLESSED EVENT: Just before 10 a.m. as we were putting the finishing touches on today’s report, we got an emergency email from Allison Roberts, the shelter walker at Collin County Animal Services.
Yesterday we had mentioned a Border Collie who was pregnant and had been taken in by the shelter. This morning, Allison writes, “HELP!  This girl is in labor right now - 4 pups born so far.  PLEASE can someone get her and her pups out of the shelter today!”
The momma weighs about 25 pounds and is very friendly, says Allison.
She’ll need special care so she can properly tend to her new babies, however many there are.
To help, e-mail both [email protected] and [email protected].
ONE MORE THING THAT’LL TICK YOU OFF: Remember a couple of days ago when I reported the challenge of dumped dogs in Glynis Ritter’s immediate neighborhood in Carthage? Dumped dogs breeding and delivering puppies that lived and died and no help at all for getting these dogs into a safe haven?
Yeah, well, no response.
Not a single e-mail to Glynis ([email protected] ) with a suggestion of how to get these animals to a place where they won’t just be killed. So, for now, these 7 dogs (there could be more any day) are left to breed more unwanted animals because the problem is so big that one person just can’t handle it.
Surely, somewhere in East Texas, there is an organization that can put an end to this situation. What about a Dallas organization? It’s not that far from Dallas to Carthage – about 160 miles. And the road is paved the whole way.
[Aside from Larry: Pardon my frustration. Perhaps Thursday is National Frustration Day – I’ll check, but I doubt if it can be limited to one day.]
CONTEMPLATION: Today this will be a prayerful blessing contemplation – I mentioned it in our opening segment today.
Thanks to longtime tipster Erin Eads, we learned of what she calls “a great, free family event at our church” Saturday morning.
It’s the annual Oak Lawn United Methodist Church Blessing of the Animals – pets get a certificate of blessing and there’ll be treats, music and “lots of visiting and fun.”
The event begins at 11 a.m. and it’s going to be held on the grassy lot behind the church at 3014 Oak Lawn at Cedar Springs. (Call 214-521-5197 or go to www.olumc.org.)
So, here’s the contemplation part of this – and keep in mind that I’m a Lapsed Baptist Boy who was dunked not sprinkled.
 As I got the note about the Oak Lawn United Methodist Church’s Blessing of the Animals I was halfway through the early part of today’s report and ticked off about the way animals are treated not only in Dallas and Carthage, but in other places where they are not treasured as living beings, but regarded as a problem to be dispatched with economic efficiency.
We don’t have a critter in our house that would have lasted a day in any taxpayer-financed animal shelter in America. They’d have been killed because they were mangy or too testy to charm anybody or had too much of the wrong breed in their family trees.
But we have been blessed to have them all. I don’t know what the text of the Blessing of the Animals will say, but it is always appropriate for us humans to remember that while we’re calling on a Higher Power to bless our animals, we should be grateful that the Higher Power has already blessed us with these animals who became members of our family.
Can't believe I got so religious today. It may be too late for me to get into Heaven, but I’m wondering if I can still become a TV evangelist? Maybe open a tent revival for people and animals – every Friday is Cat Friday and we serve fish. I’m kidding. But bless the animals, O Lord, for they have to deal with humans and You know what that can be like.
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A potpourri and a family dog needing a break...

Major League Baseball began its 2012 season way early this morning Dallas time with the first game, Seattle vs. Oakland, in Tokyo.
So, big league baseball is under way, the presidential campaign is under way and yesterday I saw a Christmas commercial on TV. I’m kidding. Here’s today’s report
LARGE DOG NEWS AT OPERATION KINDNESS: The oldest no-kill shelter in the area is conducting the grand opening today for Bear’s Den, a 10,000-square-foot big dog facility made possible by a $250,000 donation by Norma Carney of Dallas in honor of the Great Pyrenees that Norma and hubby Jack adopted from OK.
And the OK press notice says, “At the request of Mrs. Carney, the new facility has 30 state-of-the-art dog runs that will provide shelter to large dogs. The addition will allow Operation Kindness to double the amount of large dog at the shelter, and increase the overall dog population at the shelter by 50%.” (See more photos HERE.)
The grand opening is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the shelter at 3201 Earhart Drive. Then, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, the shelter will host an open house at Bear’s Den. .
[Larry aside: Bear’s Den is on the northern end of the 4-acre Operation Kindness property. And, just FYI, the Memorial Garden – where so many of you joined for a service when Mercy the abused dog was killed – has been improved and beautified, reports Julie Goff of Operation Kindness. The amazing facility put in place by longtime animal advocate Jonnie England, the founder and former executive director, and OK supporters years ago continues to offer a safe haven for animals]
A FAMILY DOG NEEDS A BREAK: Monica Potts, writing on behalf of “The Pots Family” painted a desperate picture for this dog Maddie.
The beloved family dog has become a nipper, a biter. And now she needs a place to go to be safe.
Monica explains, “ Maddie was found in the middle of the freeway off 75 in Richardson, We have had her now for over 6 years now. She is an 8-year-old Australian Shepherd in good health. She is about 45 pounds, she is house-trained and a great watch dog.
”About two years ago we rescued another dog and the two have been a great part of our family. The two get along well!
” Maddie has always nipped the back of peoples’ ankles. It is in her nature- but recently she is getting to be very territorial and doesn't like sharing her space with our other dog.
”We have two small kids and from time to time she scares them. She recently nipped the plumber and as our children get bigger and want to have friends over, we are fearful.
”I have talked to a few people who say we need to put her down.
”However, she is a sweet natured dog!  She is only doing what is in her nature. She needs a farm or place where she can have a purpose. This is one of the hardest things we have had to do as a family. She has been a wonderful part of our lives. A decision will have to be made if we can’t find her a place for her to go soon. … The thought of putting her down kills us. Hopefully we can find her a loving place to go!”
Just another dog needing a home? Not quite. In subsequent discussions, Monica told me this:
”She is house trained, if the door is blocked for what ever reason, she will hold it and wait to go outside. She hides in the closet during rain storms, she loves to go in the car and on family trips to the mountains and lake. On cold days, she sits outside with a smile!
”She is very protective of our family, at night she lays in the hall between the kids rooms. If my husband is gone, she lays in front of the front door or sits and looks out the window. I work from home so I am the one that is with her the most. That's why this is so hard!”
Advised by a vet at a well-known no-kill shelter to “put her down,” Monica says, “I was shocked to hear that as an option from them! They said no one would want her if she nips at people.
”Our kids are 8 and 9, so she has been with them since our son was a baby.
”She doesn't like to share space with Jackson recently -- he is 2 and we got him as a new puppy. They both go in and out the doggy door and do very well in the house. She doesn't like anyone to visit or even knock on the door. Our kids are having friends over now and Maddie has to be locked in a room in fear she will nip or bite!
”We were thinking of a muzzle, that just seems just as awful as the putting her down.”
So, there you have it. A beloved family dog nips her way out of favor and, yet, holds onto the hearts.
If you have a place for Maddie or can advise on behaviorist or have been through this yourself, Monica could use some guidance. E-mail [email protected]. Or click the “comment” line below and offer your advice.
REALITY: There are only so many kennels to hold unwanted animals.
Example, late last night we got a note from Allison Roberts, the volunteer shelter walker at Collin County Animal Services in McKinney.
”We lost one of our urgent dogs to euthanasia today (Jameson) and we will lose more tomorrow if we can't free up some kennels.”
That “tomorrow” is today. You can go HERE and see animals that are on the clock.
What complicates things? Here’s an example. Allison reports, “There were 6 dogs surrendered from the same home today [Tuesday] -- a few are Collie mixes. We desperately need some help..”
Those six include a couple of Chihuahuas, the Collie mixes and this young, puzzled Lab who doesn’t know what’s going on.
Also in the shelter, a pregnant Border Collie and a young Lab who may have mange. And a ton of other dogs and cats and, indeed, all are on the clock. You can see the “mange puppy” in a video HERE.
To ask about adopting any animal in the Collin County shelter, e-mail BOTH of these addresses: [email protected] and [email protected].
THE GATESVILLE CAT CRISIS: Big flap at the Texas prison facility in Gatesville – nobody wins at a prison.
You can Google “Gatesville and cats” and you’ll get all sorts of info, but the bottom line is the prison is overrun with cats, the prison warden wants them gone. And the prison is reportedly getting them gone in the traditional Texas manner: Got an animal problem? Let’s kill it.
 (Where’s Gatesville? From Dallas/Fort Worth, take I-35 south Waco, turn right; it’s a 2-hour road trip.)
Click HERE to see the local TV story. Google “Gatesville prison and cats” to get more.
Larry aside: We realize it’s not the warden’s job to control the cat population, but, surely there’s a solution rather than “just kill ‘em.” And how does a prison get overrun with cats, anyway? Somebody smuggling them in to trade for cigarettes? Is anyone thinking this through?
SOME EVENTS: Just a few coming up and, no doubt, we’ll miss some, but here’s what we’ve got today:
-- OH, MY, TEQUILA OR QUESO? A BONANZA FOR BOXERS: Perhaps you’ve noticed the artwork promoting Legacy Boxer Rescue’s birthday party Saturday at The Hacienda,  2326 N. Henderson, in Dallas. It’s the “ First Annual Toys For Tequila” birthday party honoring Legacy, the rescue group whose mission is in its url, www.savetheboxers.com. This party has one of those “firsts” for me in that this is the first time I’ve seen such an offer. If you donate $10 or a new dog toy to the cause, you can have your choice of a tequila shot or a cup of queso.
Now I’ve had a tequila shot and I’ve sipped a cup of queso (when we ran out of chips after more than one shot) and the truth is that if I’ve had one, I want the other, too. But that’s just me. I haven’t had tequila for a while and I haven’t had queso for a while but I sure don’t mind giving a big hug to a rescued Boxer.  And, if you’re at the party, you’ll have the opportunity to hug some of the adoptables from Legacy Boxer Rescue.
FYI, this party is in honor of Legacy Boxer Rescue’s 8th birthday. And, stay tuned, because on April 7, Legacy presents its annual Roses For Rescue plant sale. More on that later, or you can get an early peek at www.savetheboxers.com.
--INVESTIGATION SESSIONS: There are a few spots that have opened for Friday’s morning and afternoon sessions on investigating animal cruelty.  Designed for Animal Control Officers, it’s sponsored by the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Metroplex Animal Coalition and the Texas Animal Shelter Coalition at the SPCA of Texas. The workshop is titled “The ABCs of Investigating an Animal Cruelty Case.”  It’ll be taught by the animal cruelty investigations team from the Harris County District Attorney’s office in Houston.  It’s free. To ask about attending, e-mail [email protected] and name your organization and provide a contact phone number that’s answered when it rings. I added that last part – efficiency is important when RSVPing.
--FLYING PETS: On Sunday at Sambuca 360 Grill, the Society For Companion Animals party supporting the organization’s continuing project to fly unwanted dogs out of town. That’s right. No place for ‘em here? Put ‘em on a plane and fly ‘em to some place that wants ‘em. Indeed, Tawana Couch’s efforts continue to result in the adoption of Dallas dogs in way far off Zip Codes, i.e., The Hamptons on the East Coast. Not all that special here, but out of town, Dallas’ dogs rock. The party is from 5 p.m. o 8 p.m. Sunday at Sambuca 360 Grill in The Shops at Legacy in Plano. $30 at the door. Read about the Society For Companion Animals HERE
--A BOWL OF RED AND CLAW:  CLAW (Citizen League For Animal Welfare) in East Texas hosts the 13th Annual CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) Cook-Off Saturday a t The Mountain in Canton. The CLAW folks are also raffling a bunch of stuff to help make this CLAW’s annual biggest fundraiser. Get details about the 9 a.m. event HERE. To ask about purchasing the $1 (for 3 chances) lottery tickets, e-mail Stephanie Mosby at [email protected].
The prizes? A 32" Samsung TV, a regulation Ping Pong table, and a Smith & Wesson M&P 15/22 gun. [Aside from Larry: I know what a TV is, I’ve played ping pong, but I have no idea what a 15/22 gun is other than “a gun.” It may be something that keeps boys ages 15 to 22 in line when they visit your home to court and spark your daughter.]
--DOCUMENTARY ON THE SCREEN: The premier of the documentary "The Heart and Soul of Animal Rescue" is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at the Texas Movie Bistro, 3980 Boat Club Road – that’s near 820 and the Jacksboro Highway in Lake Worth, on the northern edge of Fort Worth.
The film focuses on six Fort Worth-area rescue sites or organizations: Ranch Dog Rescue,  C.A.R.E. (Center for Animal Research and Education) "Big Cat" Sanctuary,  Last Chance Horse Rescue, CLASP (Cowtown Loves Animal Shelter Pets), PetSmart/PetCharities’ partnership with Fort Worth in an adoption center and Read to a Dog, Certified Reading & Therapy Dogs, Delta Society  
Irony: no animals allowed at the premier. For tickets and other info click HERE.
--CONCERT FOR TAKE ME HOME PET RESCUE: The noted rescue group celebrates its 4th anniversary with a Don Coyle concert at 6 p.m. Sunday at Casa Cha Cha in Richardson. And, FYI, on the Casa Cha Cha menu you’ll see the place has a special appreciation for a girl named Princess Chacha Chiquita Chihuahua.
Tickets to the concert are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. You can acquire tickets and additional info by clicking HERE.
--EAST TEXAS FUNDRAISER: Over in the Longview, Gilmer, Gladewater, Kilgore, Henderson Petroplex (kind of made that up on the spot) there is an effort to fund the Animal Adoption Center for the whole of East Texas. And the big fundraiser is called “Saturday Night Life” and it’s scheduled from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Flyin’ Feathers Ranch, 3680 Flamingo Road in Gilmer, Texas.
Spokeswoman  Cheryl Barnes explains, “This will be our second event to raise the funds for the Center. The Center will be run quite differently than most ‘shelters.’ It will be income-producing so that we will have more monies to save more furry lives. We will have things like day camps for kids to come and learn about taking care of pets, boarding services and doggie day care and classes for obedience training, etc. We will be focusing on educating the community on the importance of rescue and adoption and hopefully put the puppy mills out of business.
”This will also be a clean, fun place to come to view all pets for adoption. Maybe even have birthday parties there. We have so many great ideas to make this a wonderful way to save lives. We already have the land secured, now all we need is enough funds to build it!”
Tickets ($100 each) for the event – featuring Le Freak “the world’s greatest disco band,” they say – are available by clicking HERE or linking up HERE or by shopping at Cherry Hill, Cavender's and Nanny Goats or, for VIP tickets, call 903-238-4332.
A BURNS FLAT NOTE: In addition to trying to get animals out of the Burns Flat, Okla., animal shelter, tireless rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher is the “go to” person for animals outside of the shelter, too.
Like this dog Spot.
Late yesterday Terry Lynn wrote, “ I got a call from Town Hall this afternoon. They had several calls about a family that moved and left this little guy in the backyard -- no food, water or shelter.. He is young, maybe 3 months.. very skinny, but other than that, appears healthy... He is a doll, full of love and so playful.”
No room at the shelter, no foster homes. The dog needs a place to go. Call Terry Lynn 580-330-1459 or e-mail [email protected].
Before you ask about the family that rolled off and left the dog behind, they already have a place they can go.
CONTEMPLATIONS: First pitch was around 5 a.m. Dallas time. First hit of the 2012 season was a single by the greatest baseball player Japan has ever produced, Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki. The venue? The Tokyo Dome. All this sounds made up, but it’s true.  Also it’s true that the Dallas Cowboys will open their 2012 season against conference rival New York Giants on a WEDNESDAY night.  That may seem odd but it makes sense if you realize that Wednesday night is traditionally “prayer meeting night” in Baptist churches and, Lord knows, the Cowboys need all the prayers they can get. … A flight attendant goes nuts and has to be restrained. The pilot of a plane goes nuts and has to be wrestled down.  And, yet,  people laugh at me when I tell them I don’t fly because it’s not safe. …. Probably you’ve seen that the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is going to offer a $26, 2-foot-long hot dog (the “Boomstick”) this season.  Laugh about it as you realize during your long ride to Arlington that $26 won’t put even half-a-tank of gas into your car. Yeah, some things are tougher to chew than a $26 hot dog.
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On Tuesday, we marvel at the challenges...

Welcome to Tuesday, in case you need a reminder of which day of the week it is. I had to look. I do know it’s the 27th.  Of March.  Right?
Oh, and this is National Adopt An Animal From a Shelter Day…Oh, wait. No it isn’t. But go ahead anyway. Seriously, remind your animal-free friends that they need someone to talk to who’ll listen to them.
 Now, our stories:
THE ANGEL WITH THE BROKEN JAW: This e-mail went jetting into inboxes yesterday. A 10-week-old Pit Bull puppy suffered a broken jaw and the organization that is fostering her needs help.
What’s the back story? Why does this dog have a broken jaw? What in the world happened?
For answers, we turned to Penny Lee, the North Texas Bully Rescue foster coordinator. First, the puppy is in good hands with a veteran foster who has experience with special needs dogs.
And this is, indeed, a special needs dog – she’s got a broken jaw, is facing at least two surgeries to repair it, Penny says. In order to get nutrition into her young body, her food and extra nutrients are run through a blender until they’re nearly liquefied.
Penny says the incident involves two dogs.  The woman who surrendered Angel to North Texas Bully Rescue says she got the puppy off Craig’s List. Then, she adopted an adult Pit from Dallas Animal Services, she told the rescue group.
”I think she didn’t have any experience with the breed,” Penny says.
She put food down with both dogs and – Bully or not – that’s rarely a good idea. Everybody needs to get used to each other before they’re “family.” And sometimes that NEVER becomes the norm – caution is always the best route.
After the woman contacted the rescue group, Penny spoke with her. “She told me she had the dog up to date on shots …However, when my volunteer went to pick up the puppy, there was no documentation. The dog was covered in poop. I think she just stuck it in the crate and left it there.”
The rescue group got the dog at the end of last week – a week after the attack. So the little dog had been in distress for quit some time.
And, Penny says, Angel will, based on experience with other jaw injuries in the breed, face two surgeries – one to put in a wire and graft and the other to take the wire out. While the second is being done, the dog will be spayed.
This is all going to cost money.  There’s a chip-in HERE.
And if you’re interested in helping in any other way –fostering, adopting, transporting, etc. – email North Texas Bully Rescue HERE [email protected].
The other dog at the puppy house? “To my knowledge she was calling the Dallas shelter to come get it,” says Penny.
[LARRY SOAPBOX: What this means for “the other dog” we have no idea. Is it going into the shelter with “attacked puppy” on its record? Is the human factor not going to be considered? Did the dog actually go to the shelter? Who knows?
The rescue group is already overloaded with unwanted Pits. It’s also in need of foster homes.
And, as supporters of this breed will tell you, it’s the humans who are the villains. As with any breed – big or small – the humans have to be smarter than the dogs, more responsible and carefully in charge. All breeds and mixes will have dust-ups and arguments and ugly fights if the human is not responsible.]
NEWBORNS NEEDING FOSTER: We were down at Tool, Texas, over the weekend looking over the new cat quarters at the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake Shelter and we’re going to report on that  visit later –but this morning we got a sort of desperate note from Krista Mc Anally, the shelter manager.
”We have two newborn litters that need foster IMMEDIATELY,” she wrote. When you foster, you get to keep the family until the kids are eating solid food – the Society takes care of the vetting and shots.
You may bond, but if you’re a good foster, you won’t let it get to you when you hand the family back to the shelter so Mom and the kids can find homes. Volunteer by emailing [email protected] or call 903-432-3422. See the Society’s adoptables on adoption partner Texas Little Cuties’ site HERE.
HUGGABLE GIRLS: Well, goodness, the stories from Burns Flat, Okla., can get to a fellow. No sense in bringing up the “shot cat” because “we had to let him go,” Terry Lynn says – the vet determined that the bullet shattered the spine of the orange cat and that was it.  
Yeah, that’s Oklahoma – nobody in Texas ever shoots a cat. Yeah, right.
But, wait. There’s another crisis.
Yesterday morning, reports our tireless tipster, the Burns Flat rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher, “I got a call from a man here in Burns Flat. He got to work, about 20 miles from here and told me there was a big Lab girl there, and the guys told him she had fallen out of a pickup TWO days ago [Saturday]. She had been hanging around there, limping, and dazed.
”I had a friend go pick her up. She said this poor girl was so lost and confused. One of the guys said when she fell out, she rolled several times on the pavement. This is a highway and the people were running over 60 MPH. They [the people in the pickup] looked back, but never even slowed down.
”Doc called me on an update -- he said she is about 2 years old and VERY obese. He thinks she is in good health, but had some road rash and severe bruising. Once he started her on pain meds, she settled down. … He said she will be ok, with rest.”
Terry Lynn says she needs help with the vet bill for this dog (and the cat that was shot). As for this dog, she says, I do not want to put her in the outdoor pound (at Burns Flat) with all she has been through.”
But, wait, there’s more!
People who have been around well-socialized Rottweillers know them to be good huggers, sweet and adorable dogs. They’re big ol’ dawgs. And, this one is currently in the Burns Flat, Okla., animal shelter. Romi the Rottie has been there a while, Terry Lynn says. “When she came in, she was very skinny. Slowly, she is putting on weight and looking even better. She is under a year and very playful. She does great with the other dogs that we have had and totally adores all the kids. Very playful. She talks to you as she plays and is just a great dog.”
Terry Lynn is also trying to arrange transportation for two other pound dogs to the Dallas area – a “little Schnauzer guy” and a “big Lab girl” are destined for rescue spots in the Metroplex if Terry Lynn can find them a ride.
To offer to help the Lab girl or Romi or the riders, call 580-330-1459 or email [email protected].
DOG IN A CHICKEN PEN? Would our day be complete without an odd note from the Collin County Animal Services Shelter in McKinney?
Volunteer shelter walker Allison Roberts reports, “These 2 Chihuahuas didn't arrive together, but find themselves in the same predicament - not quite healthy enough to get adopted, but still sweet and seemingly forgiving of the human race for what they've been through.
”The first one was surrendered by her owner - had been kept in a chicken pen - she is very emaciated and scared in the shelter, especially after the friend she came in with was rescued.  “Her owner said she was 3 years old.
”The second one is at least 8 years old with only 1 tooth which is loose and sticks out of her mouth. She is very friendly and we've tested her with a big dog and she was great.”
To ask about helping these dogs, e-mail both [email protected] and [email protected].
ONE MORE PIT BULL NOTE: Read about Pit Bulls HERE. Oh, the danger there is you’ll mist up when you read about the momma dog that was found wrapped in plastic and tossed off a bridge on Highway 281/Highway 83 in south Texas. Go ahead and click, but come on back and keep reading Readlarrypowell.com.
GREYHOUNDS: BAKERIES AND BULLETS: What caught my eye in the latest email from the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas was the combination of the events supporting the dogs.
This is “Rescue Tuesday” at the Three Dog Bakery stores in Plano and Southlake – “18 percent of their associated sales” will go to GALT – you have to have a voucher and you can get it at www.galtx.org.
And www.galtx.org is also where you can navigate to the registration form for the upcoming Concealed Handgun License Class on March 31. The announcement reads “Come join GALT members Saturday as they spend the day at the range and raise money for GALT at the same time! Gun rentals are available. Registration and official instructions can be found HERE.
Larry Reminder: Not even a greyhound can outrun a bullet.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Will 2012 be known as “The Year of the Pink Slime Crisis”? Asked the vegetarian. Heh, heh. …  The United States men’s soccer team has missed going to the Olympics again – I am ashamed. America should always be competitive in soccer. I’ve watched hundreds of American kids play soccer and I can’t believe the nation can’t put together an Olympic-quality men’s soccer team. Heck I was an assistant coach – oh, wait, that might be the problem. I didn’t know beans about soccer and my duties as assistant coach in this particular age group – 5-7 or thereabouts – consisted of saying, “Line up here” and “Hey, stop that or I’ll send you home.” … One of the most comforting sounds in our house is the gentle snoring of Inky the Cocker Spaniel. He does it when he’s working out complicated math equations in his sleep. At least I think that’s what he’s doing. When he writes poetry in his sleep, his right front paw moves as if he’s holding a well-inked quill.
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Mommas, free-roamers in Carthage, sheltered in Dallas -- it's Monday in the Pollentroplex

On Monday, among our things to consider:
What if all the stray dogs showed up at your house – like they have at Glynnis Ritter’s in Carthage?
Is a picture worth a thousand words when it’s a picture of a momma dog? A momma cat. Jessica Simpson or Demi Moore on a magazine cover?
Read on about those things and other topics:
MOMMAS IN A SHELTER: First, all shelters have mommas right now – if you’re a shelter without a momma, let me know and I can put you in touch with a shelter that has mommas to spare. But, honestly, I’d be surprised to find a shelter that had no momma and no litters right now.
 A couple of times a week our inbox gets some notes from the good folks at Carrollton Animal Rescue Enterprise, which is the way that city’s animal shelter is marketed these days. And, really, being called “CARE” makes more sense than “the pound.”
Still, CARE functions as “the pound” if there are no people who function as angels and save these animals. Wednesday – that’s the day designated for these animals and more than a half-dozen others if nobody helps.
There are a number of Pits on the weekend’s list sent by Carrollton and a number of cats, too. And amongst the strays and turn ins are these two mommas.
That dog is Debbi (25561), a stray who, came into the shelter on the 10th and gave birth to 9 healthy puppies on the 13th. She is said to be 2- to 4-years old with “the most loveable personality” And is “fine with anyone picking up her babies.”
She is, of course, available only to a rescue group because she needs a place to go that will nurture her.
That cat is Juliet [25474] who came in as a stray – five kittens, she’s the momma of this fine Monday morning..
Also in the shelter are dogs and cats that aren’t currently parents. Among them are these two Pit girls who look as if all they need is a number across the chest and they’d be posing for jailhouse photos.
Josey (25458 is the smaller at 35 pounds – came in as a stray. The larger one, at 56 pounds with a big ol’ nose is Andrea (25329), also a stray. These are young dogs who have no hope unless a rescue has room.
All of these animals are on the clock for Wednesday. To offer to help them, call 972-466-3420, or email [email protected].
GLYNIS AND THE CROWD: While the picture works in the Carrollton item, perhaps it is the desperation in the words that may touch you in this report about a tragic situation in East Texas.
We first learned about the challenge near Glynis Ritter’s home in Carthage in 2010. Rescuer Deborah Verner tipped us to this unfortunate circumstance.
People were dumping mommas and puppies near Glynis’ home and, sure enough, the animals were, basically, making their assorted ways to the big-hearted homes in the area.
How many are there? At least seven right now. They live, generally, in underbrush and roam the area.
Glynis sent us a roundup of the stories, which we’ll get to in a minute, but she also sent us a three follow-up notes. You should read them because they’ll give you an idea of the desperate need for outside help.
Note 1: “Larry, I made some more pictures of the doggies last week.  If I get them caught, do you think anyone, would come get them, vet them and socialize them?  I wish someone that has worked with catching wild dogs would come and try to catch them.  I don't have anywhere to keep them, since I have big dogs in my backyard and dogs and cats in my house.” (E-mail [email protected].)
Note 2: “Also forgot to tell you, when I thought the [first] puppies were born.  I am not really sure, but I think it was sometime in October.  So, they really need to be caught, before they start having puppies.
Note 3: “I forgot to tell you that Ivory has had litter of puppies, too, three litters I think.  She just had a litter March 1st, because I saw her from the top of a brush pile down below me like she was trying to have puppies. Then, she came up slim again and no milk. I think that is why none of her puppies have never shown up, because they have died after birth from hunger.”
Now, here is the long note about the seven known dogs. “There are 2 that look almost a like.  The mama dog, Ebony, and her puppy, Lil' Ebony.  I can hardly tell them apart myself.
”I hope and pray someone can and will [help]! … I just don't know what I am going to do with them, when I catch them.  I am afraid they will escape from the kennel, as I have caught Ebony twice over a year ago and she escaped.  Even, if they stayed in the kennel, my two big dogs and them would be barking at each other, and I live in a neighborhood.  They do that now from the back fence.”
Thee are all feral dogs, Glynis says. She notes that we first wrote about them on her behalf nearly in August of 2010. “In July or August of 2010, someone dumped 9 small dogs on overgrown land behind us. I had fractured my back the first of August [and was incapacitated] when my husband came home and told me about the dogs.  While I was recuperating from back surgery, 3 of them were caught.  Two were caught with a trap by a lady with the help of the ACO.  The smallest, little dog was caught by a man that lives on the road next to the land.  He and his wife kept the little puppy, but let it get run over and it had to be put to sleep.  That left 6. 
”People were feeding them some scraps and dog food.  Then, about October, my husband and I started … moving the food dishes a little at a time, ‘til we got them up to the back of our fence. This was in the winter time, when we had that big snow. 
“E-mails were sent out by a lady that I had adopted my Jack Russell, Ginger.  I got e-mails that a group of volunteers in the Dallas area was going to come and try to catch them. 
”Unfortunately, one of them contacted the ACO and he would not let them come.  He told them, ‘Thanks, but no thanks He had everything under control.’
“ I will not go into detail, what I think about our ACO's performance as an ACO. A man heard about the dogs through Facebook and was very generous in buying me a kennel to try to catch them.  I caught Ebony once in the kennel, which she escaped.  She went through the corner of the kennel and back fence into the backyard.  When I finally, got her to go back into the kennel, she went under the back fence, which was all the way down to the ground.
”I named all 6 dogs, Big Benji, Lil' Benji, Ebony, Ivory, Pee Wee, and Bella.  Lil' Benji came up missing for a few days, but I finally found him and got him to follow me to the back of the fence with the others.  I could tell that something was wrong with him.  He left and I never saw him again.  I searched for him around the brush piles and one day I smelled a decaying odor coming from inside of the brush pile.
”The last of January and the first of February Ebony and Bella had puppies.  I searched every day for those puppies. I finally heard them down in a brush pile and I would check on them almost every day. 
”I could not see them, but I could hear them. 
”In the meantime and oil company started drilling a well on Hunter Road near the field the dogs were in.  All the noise and traffic of the big trucks scared them farther back on the land.  It is probably 100 acres or more. 
“During that time Pee Wee and Bella disappeared and I never saw them again.  I have no idea what happened to them. 
”In March of 2011, my husband and I dug the puppies out of the brush pile.  I saw a small skull on the brush pile, which looked like Li' Benji's skull.  It took us 4 hours or more to get the puppies out.  There were 5 of them. 
”Four of them were a lot bigger than one puppy.  The little puppy I believe is Bella's, because she looks just like her mother did. 
”There were also 2 black puppies, a white puppy and a tricolor puppy that were Ebony's.  I estimated their ages as 7 weeks and 3 weeks and the vet agreed with me. The tricolor puppy was the runt of the litter and she was unable to use her back legs for a few days.  She also had an intestinal problem that required several vet visits. 
”The little puppy that I think was Bella's is  short-hair tricolor.  She had some lung problems it sounded like, and every morning I thought she would be dead, but she was breathing every morning.  I gave the 2 black puppies and the white puppy away, but I kept the runt and the little 3 week old puppy, because they both were requiring trips to the vet.  Needless to say, although they are a handful, I am attached to them. 
”Sassy, the runt is a shaggy hair, tricolor cutie and Lil' Bella that was so tiny and sick, is a 17.5 pound, full of energy guard dog.  She has the loudest, ferocious bark for a little girl.  They both go together and I don't think they would be happy separated.
”Now, Benji, Ebony, and Ivory have survived almost 2 years and still will not let me touch them.  Benji stays at a distance or runs off, when he see me. Ebony, will take food from my hand, but gets the food quickly and back off from me. Ivory, will not take food from my hand.
”We weren't able to find the puppies and get them out, before they got out on their on. They will not let me touch them, either.  The black one that looks like her mama, will come closer than any of the others.  The lighter yellow one will come up, but the black one with white paws and the darker of the yellow one stays back. 
”My neighbor across the street saw the 2 females, Ebony and Ivory, on our street several months ago and started giving them scraps and weenies.  She got them going across the street and sitting in her yard every morning begging for food.  She has brain cancer and about 3 weeks ago, she called me early one morning and all of them were in her yard. 
”She asked, ‘What are we going to do? I can't feed all of those dogs.’ I told her she would just have to quit feeding them.  Even though she hasn't fed them, they still are coming over onto the street and looking for her to give them food. 
”They were in my front yard this morning in the garbage.  I am afraid someone is going to put poison out or they are going to get run over. Maybe, even shoot them, even though there is a law not to shoot firearms in the city limits.  I had thought we were going to try to get them all in her backyard, since I don't have a place to hold them, but guess I or she misunderstood. 
”I need a place for them to go to and someone that would work with them and take care of their medical needs.  I have 5 dogs, (including 2 large dogs) and 5 cats.  Seventeen in all, counting the feral dogs.  Since the spring of 2010, I have rescued 12 dogs and 2 cats.  Of the 12 dogs, I found 7 homes.  One kitten was turned over to a rescue and I kept the other one. Just recently I rescued a Pekingese with a really bad eye, and he was turned over to a rescue that I was told about and he had to have his eye removed and he is up for adoption.  The 2 big dogs, I never could get a home for and I kept those 2 puppies that I told you about above.  I still would like to get Baby a home, if I could find someone that had at least a 6=foot secured fence.  I also might would consider letting Sassy and Bella go, if there was someone that would take both of them that would be really good to them. “
And there you have it, folks, in Glynis’ own words. This is what can happen when people dump unfixed animals in one spot.
It’s a mess for these animals and the people. Puppies are born just to die. Dogs are in danger constantly.
There, surely, is some organization of rescuers who can help clean out this pocket of nonsense in Carthage, Texas. Again, to offer to help, e-mail [email protected].
NOT FREE-ROAMING IN DALLAS: No, these animals are not free-roaming in Dallas, though they might have been at one point.
They are among the hundreds of animals confined on the city-owned property at I-30 and Westmoreland known as the Dallas Animal Services Adoption Center.
Why are they there? Unwanted. Nobody wants them. Nobody.
So they’re on the clock.
Porky the dog, a boxer mix, is on the clock for Tuesday. He’s been at the shelter for 45 days and drawn no interest. He came in on Jan. 20 and is a “gentle, soulful fellow,” the shelter says.
Oh, there are plenty of cats in the shelter, too. This one with the great whiskers is year-old Sicles, who is a 7 ½-pound “talker.”
And, just FYI: If you want to see Sicles, she's in isolation because of an upper respiratory infection -- so, if someone can get her, they can save her. She's getting treatment, but everybody who's in a shelter needs out.  Adoption contacts are [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected] or call 214-671-0249 or 214-670-8312. Rescue groups should e-mail [email protected] or call 214-670-8298.
NOTE: We have so many things to write about – a Heeler that needs a home, a trip to Tool to visit some dogs and cats, assorted upcoming evens (hello Real Men and hello Legacy Boxer Rescue), that we can’t get to all of them today. Stay tuned. Visit Readlarrypowell.com every day, sometimes twice a day. Maybe more.
CONTEMPLATIONS: In spite of all that has gone before and the bad example he has been, it was nice to see Tiger Woods win a golf tournament again. Let he who is without sin, cast the first Titleist. It isn’t like he’s running for president (and that’s a bipartisan wisecrack). … Rick Santorum unleashes a little profanity on a New York Times reporter. Will he be the first of the also-rans to host Saturday Night Live? … Pretty day in the Pollentroplex.. I’m hoping to spend some of it outside. Pollen permitting.
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Hanna and her printed pillow...

Writers are quite acquainted with the value of having an animal pal around the house. They’re frown-free sounding boards who can sleep until you need them and they'll also remind you to take a break from wearing out your fingers on the keyboard.
Jean Nash Johnson, my dear friend and decades-long colleague at the big paper in Dallas, has Hanna the Dog.
She also has Mike the Husband – “The Alpha,” she calls him. And overseas, they all -- Mike, Jean and Hanna the Dog -- have Sarah Jessica Johnson, former kid around the house who is now a Harvard-educated, extra smart grown-up living and writing in the City of Lights.
As some of you know, one of the synonyms for “newspaper” is “rag” – it’s from the term “yellow rag” journalism from the late 1800s and has been applied to the increasingly obsolete newspaper industry through the years by both those who love it and those who hate it.
For some who worked in the industry in its heyday, “rag” is a term of endearment, as in, “I can’t believe the guys that run this rag are so tight with the raises.”
So, what’s the connection between a dog and a paper? It’s this: As long as newspapers are thrown in front yards, Hanna the Dog will have a place to snooze. She is, thus, the spotlight critter for this weekend’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
Jean is a spectacular, thoughtful writer whose byline some of you may remember from her decades with the big paper. She explains that in recent weeks “after Hanna comes in from her walk, we have noticed that she plops down on the floor by the DMN (Dallas Morning News) recycle stack and positions her head on the pile like you would on a pillow. It obviously is some inexplicable source of comfort to her. Who knows? All I know is that finally we are getting some value out of a useless product.”
Yes, laughter is a good medicine. So, what’s the story on Hanna?
Jean explains, “Lady Hanna will be 15 on April 17. She is half-Chow, half-Shepherd ...When she is not going on long walks, eating lamb dinners, snacking on enzyme treats, begging for the Alpha's attention, wandering in the backyard barking at the sun, longing to see her rescuer who currently lives in Paris, napping with head on the rag, she is licking my toes and waiting for me (The Beta) to rub her belly.”
That young writer Sarah is the one who picked Hanna. Mom Jean writes, “Hanna Johnson was adopted by Sarah Jessica Johnson in August 1997 from Operation Kindness. As with any proper lady (pooch), she never tells her weight. (Forty seven pounds at her last weigh-in. Shhhhhh.”
FYI:  You can read Jean’s blog The Spot Around The Corner by going HERE.  You can read Sarah’s blog, Dust On The Bookshelf, by going HERE  -- it’s a trip to Paris as seen through the eyes of a young, gifted writer working out the puzzles of life on this planet.
So, there you have it – the story ofsomeone who naps on a paper instead of someone who is kept awake by what’s in it.
[To nominate your slumbering critter for the spotlight of the internationally read Readlarrypowell.com feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, email photos and infos (that a word?) to [email protected]. Insomniacs should find comfort in the fact that you no longer have to worry about the uncomfortable headline in the next day’s paper because it’s already the uncomfortable headline in today’s online edition. Instant news. You might, however, spend some time tossing and turning over whether the news sites are going to embrace the mission of journalism which is to tell the truth and keep the public informed. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?  Simple enough to make a nearly sane person toss and turn all night. Again.]
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Neuter festival, building progress and plans, animals in need and reality TV

On Friday, we continue the American tradition of looking toward the weekend and this weekend will be a busy one. The Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake is hosting an open house to celebrate it’s new cat building. The Collin County Humane Society will be hustling support for its proposed shelter in Wylie. Rescue groups will have adoptions going on all over the place.  Oh, and happy birthday to the SC-SPCA.
And, don’t forget, this is the weekend of the annual Spay/Neuter Festival and Parade in Steer Valley, Texas.  More on this celebration later in today’s report.
IN THE MEANTIME, HERE’S LOBO: Our pal Della Wallace, who has escorted a few dogs and cats to safe haven through the years, spotted this fellow Lobo during her travels in the northern tier of the Metroplexish civilization..
This is where and how Lobo lives for now – at a tire shop and drinking water from an old hubcap.
Della says the fellows at the shop are caring for the dog, but they don’t mind if she takes him and gets him into a good home. “I am so worried that he will stray onto the road,” she says. “The guys there have said I can take himi but I have no place for him to go. I am at my animal limit.”
She figures he’ll probably need a veterinary work-up – vaccinations, etc.
To offer to help Della by fostering this dog or taking him into a rescue group, e-mail [email protected].
EVERMAN FOLLOWUP: Earlier in the week we published a note about a kennel cough outbreak in the little Everman shelter and how some dogs needed help.
Shelter volunteer Anna Horton sent us a note this morning reports that by week’s end things are looking better. “Several people have offered up medicine. Not all of it has arrived at the shelter, but things are looking brighter.  Also, four dogs have been tagged by Town and Country Rescue.
”Still at risk is an older black lab mix, Waldo, who is very sick and although he will be started on antibiotic for the cough, he seems to have other issues.  He is either very depressed or feeling just awful (or both).  He is a very, very sweet guy. I'm worried about him.  He is a likely candidate for euthanasia since there is no money to vet him. He's about 8 years old.
”The other dog that has not been tagged or rescued is Vickie. She is a young German Shepherd mix -- about a year old?”
Calll the Everman shelter at 817-561-5495 or e-mail [email protected].
The shelter is at 3961 Bluebell Drive in Everman.
Everman also has one of the best acronyms ever for a support group – the name of the group is Friendship League of the Everman Animal Shelter and the acronym is FLEAS.
THE OPEN HOUSE: The Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake has been determined in recent years to improve the structures that house animals rescued from the lakeside area.  Phase I is finished and, holy cat purrs, it’s time for the open house.
Krista Mc Anally, the shelter manager, sent us an invitation to Saturday’s celebration of the brand new Karen McDowell Cat Sanctuary. It starts at 1 p.m. at the shelter at 10200 County Road 2403 in Tool – that’s about 52 miles southeast of Dallas. (The shelter’s number is 903-432-3422.)
***
Let me interrupt just a second to note that Krista is also trying to arrange transportation ASAP for Static, “a very pregnant” American Bulldog from Tool to Houston Bull dog Recipe. Call 903-603-2342 to volunteer – Krista wants her into special care so she won’t have her babies in a shelter. Now, we return to the open house.
***
The Karen McDowell Cat Sanctuary houses 17 indoor/outdoor kennels, 35 cats, adoption offices and a tech room., Krista says. It is named in honor of the longtime supporter who died just over a year ago. “Her family and estate gave us the money to build that cat room and porch,” Krista says.
This “Raising the Woof” Open House is for the cat shelter,  Phase 1 of the society’s 3-phase plan. The society’s press release explains, “In the last 2 years, we have raised the funds and completed Phase 1.  In that time, HSCCL has had a great number of supporters and volunteers that have made this new building a reality.  And while this is just the beginning, with two phases left to fund, this is the first step in fulfilling a brighter, healthier environment for the homeless pets in our care.”
Now, as long as we’re running this building photo (thanks to Krista) of the McDowell Cat Sanctuary, we thought we should run a photo of a cat who is benefiting from the shelter’s cat care.
This is Sir Arthur – in one photo he’s distinctly cat-like and in the other he seems to be demonstrating that he has the ability to look straight up if needed. In a cat’s life, you never know what’s going to be needed.
You can see more Humane Society adoptables on the viewing sight of their adoption partner, Texas Little Cuties HERE. 
Now, I hunted down Mrs. McDowell’s obituary in The Monitor and found that it asked people to donate to the Humane Society. The obituary also read that she “touched many lives in a multitude of different ways. We were all truly blessed by her beautiful love.”
And, indeed, she touched not just the humans, as Sir Arthur might tell you.
PROGRESS AND POLITICKIN’: The Collin County Humane Society keeps going through the process en route to what it hopes will be a fantastic adoption facility in Wylie, northeast of Dallas and on the south side of Lake Lavon.
Earlier this week, the Wylie Planning and Zoning Commission, after hearing from supporters of the Humane Society, gave its OK for rezoning the property where the shelter would be built, says Humane Society President Molly Peterson.
It was a nail-biting 3-2 vote – 18 people wrote in favor of the zoning change and 32 wrote against it, she says. And that may explain why the Society has launched a letter-writing campaign to the City Council. 
After the zoning commission vote, it’s up to the Wylie City Council to give the final zoning OK – that’ll be considered at the April 10 council meeting.
Though this picture is way too small to do justice to the proposed shelter, you can tell that it’s designed to be a welcoming facility. This is an artist’s rendering from Hinojosa Architicture and Interiors. You can catch up with the Humane Society’s efforts and see a larger version of this proposal by clicking HERE. If you go to the Collin County Humane Society blog HERE you’ll get a look at the letter-writing campaign.
According to President Peterson, “The land that we are under contract to buy (pending change in zoning approval at the April meeting) is currently zoned agricultural and is owned by a private owner. We need it to be zoned  Planned Development Agriculture in order to build the Adoption facility. ... The landowner signed off on the approval for rezoning and Inwood Bank in Wylie is backing the financing of the land.”
Access? “The road is 2 lanes but they are currently widening the road to be 6 lanes across (lending to the more commercial side of development). There are 16 homes within a 200-foot radius who were sent notices about our plans but the city will listen to anyone about their thoughts on the plans.”
In fact, President Peterson says, 32 people wrote to the city to oppose the plans. And some people spoke in opposition at the Planning & Zoning meeting. You can see the plans HERE.
The  president says theopposition’s concerns are
Noise: The opponents fear the dogs will be indoor/outdoor and barking all day and night. But, points out President Peterson, for safety reasons the dogs won’t all be out barking at the same time, they won’t have the run of the yards and just won’t be a noise pollution problem.
Safety:  President Peterson says, “They worry that a dog will escape and maul a child. CCHS is going to keep up our foster program with the facility so all of the dogs at the facility will have gone through temperament testing, been through foster care, fully vetted and are ready for homes. No unsocialized or dangerous dogs will be at the facility. Not to mention, like all facilities we have several doors that the dogs will need to travel through before they would be able to escape the building. There is a MUCH higher probability of a dog getting out of a house then out of a facility that is equipped to handle dogs and has trained staff and safety measures in place.”
Lighting: She says, “They worry that the lighting of the building will flood the sky and it will stick out like a sore thumb no matter what lighting restrictions we have. We don't want to waste money to flood the sky with lights so we will do everything we can to keep lighting as low as possible.”
So, these are the things that the City Council will consider – the concerns and the promises of responsible operation.
President Person says, “Any help is MUCH appreciated! They [the P&Z commission] really seemed to listen and take in what EVERYONE says no matter where people came from. They fact that people are writing in and care did make a difference ... If they are a Wylie resident, that will make it that much better but even if they live in Florida, if they support CCHS and our cause, then they want to hear from them.”
The Collin County Humane Society focuses mainly on dogs now, unless a cat happens to cross the path and then they work to help the critter. (The new shelter will include a cat area. In addition to an 8-acre dog park and grooming and boarding facilities initially.)
If you go to the Society website HERE  you can navigate to the current inventory of unwanted animals. They include the big guy Paezano – he’s a 10-year-old Great Dane/Lab mix who was surrendered to the shelter after a human baby came into the family. [Larry aside: All the more reason to have a big ol’ lug of a dog around the house, in my book. Teaches the kid to love and be responsible. We’ve had kids and we’ve had critters. Write your own punchline.]
Also available, an obvious Earhound named Bailey, said to be a six-month-old Plott Hound mix. She came from a shelter – was the volunteers’ favorite so she wound up in the care of the Collin County Humane Society.
Stay tuned.
CELEBRATE! Oh, my, this dog, Porky, the young Dachshund/Pug mix, looks like he might have been celebrating a little bit already at the Second Chance SPCA facility in Plano. Nobody celebrates like a genuine Earhound.
Why celebrate?
Because the SC-SPCA, which is offering Porky for adoption, is turning 6.  Holy smoke. Seems like only yesterday when I was interviewing those folks about how they had such hopes and plans for establishing a Second Chance SPCA. Indeed, they did it.
The party is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the shelter at 505 Alma Drive in Plano. There’ll be cake and drinks for humans and pets. Also at the event, an “Ask The Trainer” booth, Plaster Pet Paws and other fun things.
And, of course, adoptables.  See the inventory BY clicking HERE.
Six years – what speed is that clock set on? Shoot, I’ll be 40 in no time at this speed.
BURNS FLAT UPDATE: For a couple of weeks we’ve been monitoring Burns Flat, Okla., rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher’s efforts to protect the animals in the city shelter from euthanasia this weekend.
That brings us to siblings Beatrice (left) and Tiger.
Last night Terry Lynn reported, “I have a wonderful foster for these two IF I can get a rescue to take them into their program. I need help getting them spayed and neutered, for she is unable to do it at this time. She lives down in Marietta, Okla. ... These two will die on Monday. This is a safe place for them.”
Call Terry Lynn at 580-330-1459 or e-mail [email protected].
LOTS OF BOOKS (AND OTHER THINGS) FOR SALE: East Lake Pet Orphanage is hosting a Warehouse Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the ELPO Warehouse, 7939 Heinen Drive, which, coincidentally is the site of the Squash Blossom Studios we mentioned here in yesterday’s report.
So, shop the Warehouse, visit the Studios.
Proceeds from the sale go to non-profit East Lake Pet Orhanage.
FYI, the ELPO folks says that “two HUGE libraries have also been donated this weekend. We have so much to choose from, all books are discounted to only a BUCK!.” All clothing items are priced at $2 each.  Also for sale, furniture and other items.
You can see the animals that you’ll be helping by going to www.elpo.org.
THE SEARCH CONTINUES: Someone somewhere knows the whereabouts of Butch Michael, the Schnauzer mix stolen during a carjacking in Cedar Hill two weeks ago. He was last seen after the car he was in crashed during a police chase in Fair Park in Dallas.
You recall the story, no doubt. Marvy Washington and her brother Dude were knocked around by the creep who drove off with their car and the dog.
Marvy reports, “We are still positive that we are going to find our dog.”
Part of this week was spent distributing flyers to area schools.
”We are going to keep searching…I will probably be back out there Saturday after Dude’s Special Olympics Practice,” she says.
The search can always use help. E-mail Marvy at [email protected].
ASSORTED NOTES:           
--Both the Texas Humane legislation Network and the Responsible Pet Ownership Alliance (two groups that see some things differently) sent us reminders about the March 27 hearing in Austin that is supposed to establish rules for the state’s “licensed breeder bill.” Hearing details and opinions can be seen HERE  or by Googling the topic.
--Several opportunities in the area for low-cost shots for your critters, thanks to the Texas Coalition for Animal Protection (TCAP). Check out the locations and the bargain prices at the TCAP websiteb  www.texasforthem.org.
CONTEMPLATIONS:  Looking back over today’s report, it occurs to me how much of “animal rescue” can be taken up with “human consultation, configuration, conflict and conversation” to get to the point where there’s a roof over the heads of unwanted animals.  ... While working last night I had the TV tuned to an NCAA basketball game about which I cared absolutely nothing but at the end of it I heard a phrase I’d never heard before when the announcer declared, “Heartbreak for the Badgers” and right then I thought, “TV reality show.” Track students after their team loses. Show the emotion, the romantic pairing off, the subsequent breakups. You could do this in any city with a college: Heartbreak for the Fighting Irish, Heartbreak for the Boll Weevils, Heartbreak for the Ragin’ Cajuns, Heartbreak for the Friars, Heartbreak for the Muleriders. Inky, get our agent on the phone. ...  Regarding the annual Spay/Neuter Festival and Parade in Steer Valley, Texas, there is no spay/neuter festival nor is there a Steer Valley, Texas. On the other hand, what a good idea. A celebration of canine and feline testiclelessness. Perhaps get a really good featured act to perform – maybe Doc & The Snippers or  The Neutertones. Or The Out-of-the-Moods. Maybe the metal rock pro-neuter band, The Ballistics. Inky, call our agent back. Tell her we've really got something this time.
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Cat outbreak, old dogs, Squash Blossom shoot, Pigoats, Godzilla and Elvis, etc.

As today’s Readlarrypowell.com report is being typed, the nearby television is presenting the movie is Godzilla, The King of the Monsters, and my first thought was, “I’m glad Godzilla is fiction because if his species was real, people in Dallas would be dumping them in parks when they got too big to be cute.” Is that not right?
Now, today’s report:
CAT OUTBREAK IN DALLAS: All I can figure is some faction is stealthfully flying over Dallas night after night and dropping pregnant cats into the city.
How else can we explain the outbreak of kittens at Dallas Animal Services?
After all, it has been clear for years that the ultra-responsible residents of Dallas spayed and neutered all the local cats years ago.
 What? Oh. Sorry, I misremembered the status of the area's dogs and cats and the level of genius of my fellow Dallas residents..
Stop by the Dallas Animal Services Shelter and Adoption Center – it’s at I-30 and Westmoreland – and you’ll see a bunch of adoptable mommies and offspring. To illustrate the cat situation, we’re using the photo of the mom lounging during the kittens' meal. It was provided by DAS Rescue Coordinator Mark Cooper who, yesterday, reported that three moms and their litters were taken into the Paws In The City rescue system.
But more cats and kittens come in each day – there also are momma dogs with pups, too.
These births are somewhat miraculous since, of course, Dallas’ residents always neuter their boy dogs and cats and keep them from wandering the streets in search of a good time. What? That’s not the case? OK. Sorry.
There’s an old Texas saying, “When the bluebonnets appear, y’all, here come the litters.” (I made that up, y’all, though you probably could say “When the bluebonnets appear here come the litterers,” but that’s another trashy story.)
Seriously, unless more adoptors are found, unless rescue groups can somehow make more room in their already overcrowded foster homes, these animals will wind up dead because, as you know, most cities with shelters are forced by irresponsible residents to follow the old Texas philosophy, “Got an animal problem? Let’s kill it.”
To offer to help this or any other animal at the shelter, e-mail [email protected] or call 214-670-8298.
THEY’RE NOT ALL BABIES: Oh, man, this one gets to me. Allison Roberts, the volunteer shelter walker at Collin County Animal Services in McKinney sent it early this morning.
”This is Chiener. She was surrendered  yesterday by her owner because of a divorce. She is 13 years old! Another treasure thrown out like trash!” Allison wrote.
Divorce is a mean beast, unkind to all concerned, but, most unkind to children and animals. I don’t know what the background of the humans is in this case, but the dog isn’t to blame for the bust-up and a 13-year-old big ol’ dog in a shelter has a worse chance of surviving than that marriage had.
Chiener joins other older dogs currently waiting for a home at the shelter – that includes Eileen (see yesterday’s report), an older Beagle named Patsy and this one-eyed, 10-year-old Chihuahua named Muffin.
Muffin was found by someone about a month ago and that finder tried to find the owner, Allison says. But no dice. And the finder already had a bunch of dogs. Muffin’s eye appears to ahve been surgically removed. Other than that, her health is fine. And 10 is only about middle-aged for a Chihuahua who is loved.
Oh, yes, the twitching distemper survivor (left) we mentioned yesterday is still at CCAS. His name is Cedar, Allison says. [Larry aside: I have no idea why a twitching dog would be named Cedar except that this time of year the Cedar pollen makes me twitch – at least I think it’s pollen. My funspouse Martha has suggested I may need to be tested for distemper or rabies, though I think the rabies testing is a little harsh on a fellow.]
To offer to help any of these animals, e-mail [email protected] and [email protected]. The CCAS shelter is open to the public at its at 4750 Community Blvd. in the Collin County Justice Complex in McKinney. Call 972-547-7292.
BURNS FLAT PRESSURE COOKER: In the little western Oklahoma town of Burns Flat, our rescue tipster Terry Lynn Fisher is feeling the pressure of an order to move out the long-termers in the shelter or else. Else would be euthanasia, the first at the shelter in quite some time, Terry Lynn says. “As the weekend nears, my heart grows heavy. ... I have stayed in complete overflow since December.I came within hours of some actually being put down but somehow, we managed to pull them to safety and all survived. But now, I have three very sweet, loving and UNDER A YEAR, that will be killed at the open of town hall come Monday morning.”
Three dogs. Got to be three places available somewhere, wouldn’t you think? Yep, be easy if there were not so many others in cities all over the place.
To offer to help Terry Lynn, call 580-330-1459 or e-mail [email protected].
AND THEN THERE ARE THE PUPPY MILLERS:  Yesterday in Wills Point, east of Dallas, the SPCA and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Department teamed to seize 22 dogs, 11 cats a pig and a goat that were living in awful conditions without water and proper care.
According to the SPCA news release, “The animal owner and a family member both stated today [Wednesday] that the animal owner had been breeding the dogs and selling them.”
You can read all about the seizure by going to the SPCA report on the situation HERE . If you know of a puppy mill, some out-of-control, ill-conceived operation, contact the SPCA HERE..
The SPCA says the animals had assorted health issues – not just the dogs, but the pig and the goat, too. The goat has an abscess. The pig has mange and overgrown hooves.
Of course, they were all suffering from the same malady: A plague of idiots.
[Larry soapbox moment: Now, let’s talk rocket science. Why in the world – when the City of Dallas kills dogs and cats by the thousands every damned year – does someone out on a spot of property in rural Texas need to breed more dogs for sale? And, not only that, what possesses someone to go to a flea market to buy dogs from these rocket scientists – these villlains who force pregnancy after pregnancy on dogs kept in lousy conditions? Oh, you know the drill – this is just bad stuff. And, look, I don’t know what goes on in the minds of some of these people, but it would not surprise me to find out that some joker was trying to breed a surefire profit at the flea market by offering a mixed breed animal called a Pigoat. I can hear the conversation now over the clink of beer bottles in the cab of a pickup stalled while trying to drive through moving water, “Hell, yeah, Bubba, they both got hair, yew bet they’ll breed. We’ll get filthy rich on them Pigoats.”]
MORE FROM SQUASH BLOSSOM STUDIOS: You may recall last year when East Lake Pet Orphanage opened its Squash Blossom Studios – named for the color of the building.
The idea of using the studio to benefit orphaned animals continues to perk along.
The latest note from ELPO reports that Squash Blossom’s most recent activity was a photo shoot for The Retail Products Group which, according to a note from ELPO, “maunfacturers and sources products for popular brands such as Simple Solution®, Out!™ Pet Care, and Bags on Board®, among many others.”
The signficance of this shoot is that it’s the second one for the Group – yep, liked shooting so much at Squash Blossom that they came back.
Who’s in the photo? Left to right the humans are ELPO President Dr. Karen Fling, photographer Brenda Cabanski and Retail Products Group Senior Art Director Steffani Clark.>
The dog? Why that’s the famous model, Ryder the Australian Cattle Dog (ACD), one of the dogs who posed for this 2nd Squash Blossom shoot.
[Larry side: Who took the photo? Brenda Cabanski has a well-trained feline assistant whose work you may have seen, Annie Leibocatz. I'm kidding. I don't know how the photo was taken -- it's all magic to me.]
Dr. Fling created East Lake Pet Orphanage several years ago as a non-profit adoption arm of her East Lake Veterinary Hospital. From there, she began to create more ways to raise money to help animals, such as the annual Wine on the Roof celebration at ELPO (May 5, 2012). There also is the Second Chance Treasures re-sale shop  (read about it HERE.)
Squash Blossom Studios is an 18.000 square-foot warehouse with 3,000 square feet of air-conditioned finished out studio space. Tall ceilings, big loading dock bays, an on-site carpenter – lots of extras for clients and it’s not just for still photography – film and live performances fit in, too.. And, if you need animal models, ELPO has a range of available talent.
The studio is at 7939 Heinen in Dallas. Call 214-893-6502 or go to www.squashblossomstudios.com.
And, remember, you can see the available animals – the inspiration for all of this non-profit, do-good work – at www.elpo.org.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Life’s good when your trash bin beats the garbage truck to the curb. Small victories, eh? .. Speaking of small victories, how about that NFL suspending the New Orleans Saints head coach over the bounty investigation? That’s a big story. But so is Tim Tebow going to New York. As a kid I heard many a sermon with a pastor telling the congregation that “God has a plan for your life.” I don’t know what God’s plan is for the ultra-religious Tim Tebow, but New York is bound to be the biggest test of his faith. Biggest test of the Jets’ faith, too. Religion, millionaires and personal behavior – makes the NFL sound like the presidential campaign trail, doesn’t it? ... In today’s opening paragraph I mentioned the movie Godzilla, but to be accurate, the movie that was playing was not the original 1954 Japanese classic Godzilla, but the 1956 Americanized version, Godilla (The King Of The Monsters). Scenes with Raymond Burr as an American reporter were inserted into the original film to help the American audience follow the story. Name of the Raymond Burr character? Steve Martin. Yes, Mr. Burr later became famous as Perry Mason. Steve Martin later became famous as Steve Martin. And a lot of people don’t know this, but the monster Godzilla was portrayed by Elvis Presley in his first film role. I made that last part up to see if you were paying attention.
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Shelter challenges, heartworm and space...

Alright, ladies and gents, the sun is out and it is clear that part of the day will be spent coaxing a lawnmower through a performance on the lawn.
Last time I mowed the yard (too ugly to be a lawn, really), I came down with a 2-week cold and phlegm attack. I am a delicate creature.  Now, on with today’s report:
SHELTER CHALLENGE: All shelters have money challenges. The small city shelter in Everman is no different and word is out from the shelter folks that they need help with some animals because there’s a kennel cough outbreak.
It has been the observation of Readlarrypowell.com that in small shelters there is generally no money for medical treatment of animals with coughs or parasites. Thus, it becomes a case of euthanizing to avoid suffering and to control spreading of disease. 
There are ways to avoid this: (1) Increase funding (2) set up an emergency system in which animals can be whisked away from a shelter threat or to a vet. Rescue groups function in that capacity as do some independent rescuers. Never enough, though.
The note from Everman indicates Friday is the last day for the kennel cough animals – puppies and adults. There are at least 14 dogs, including the two pictured here, that are under threat, according to the shelter note.
The contact is [email protected] or call 817-561-5495.
The Everman Facebook page is HERE.
TWITCHY IN COLLIN COUNTY: This is #342322. Name? Just a number for now though surely he's had a name for most of his life. He’s a 7-year-old Heeler mix who is a distemper survivor and he has a story, according to our Collin County Animal Services tipster, the volunteer shelter walker Allison Roberts.
”He is a special boy because he is a distemper survivor. He had distemper as a puppy and it caused some neurological damage - he has a little bit of a bounce sometimes and he twitches occasionally. But he is still a GREAT dog! He has a gash on his neck and is on antibiotics to treat that. Thanks to the nice family that found him and took him in to see a vet before bringing him to the shelter. (He was found stray).”
Oh, and still waiting for a home is this girl, Eileen, such a mature beauty – great face at 10 or so. And, still unwanted.
Allison says help with transportation is available for rescue groups thanks to volunteers. To ask about the animals, e-mail [email protected]  and [email protected].
[SOAPBOX MOMENT: And remember, print this out and hand it to good and decent people you know who need a friend or who want to help animals. Oh, e-mail it to them if you want, but the personal touch helps. Tack it up on your office bulletin board, if offices still have bulletin boards. Put is on your church bulletin board.  Hand it out at civic club meetings. All that extends the reach of rescue into the “general public” in the efforts to save lives.
Oh, and if your wondering about a dog who survived distemper – those dogs are tough and usually a blessing to all who know them. In fact, the great (and now gone) Bishop Arts eatery and coffee place, The Nodding Dog Coffee House, was named in honor of the owners’ twitchy distemper-surviving dog.]
TWO NEWS NOTES: From other sources we learn:
--Texas Parks and Wildlife is trying to figure out how to avoid killing wild burros. That’s a report in the online newspaper The Texas Tribune HERE.
-- Not every gorilla who escapes at a zoo has to be shot to death. An AP story reports on a sensitive handling of a gorilla case in Buffalo (Google it or go HERE,). And there were two gorillas that escaped from a zoo in Kansas City who were brought back into custody by clever use of water hoses – that story is HERE.  (Of course, in Texas, apparently, the tendency is to protect and shoot.)
TWO LITTLE RASCALS: Our longtime tipster Audrey Merritt of the North Texas branch of the Queenie Foundation, is currently fostering some little Chihuahuas in her Ennis home and they both need a bit of good fortune.
The little dog piled up under his stuff toys is Slim. He’s a year old and was brought to Audrey after he was struck by a car. He had a broken pelvis. When he’d recovered from that and was about to be neutered, the ol’ heartworm test showed up positive. It is, after all, Texas, and when people don’t properly tend to their dogs, heartworm is a distinct probability.
Kimmie, the 4-year-old girl, was pulled from a local shelter and, 4 days later, gave birth to seven Chihuahua-possibly wire-haired Dachshund mixes. Yep, cute puppies. Three of those pups are still waiting for good homes.
And, of course, Kimmie is heartworm positive.
To offer to help, you can e-mail [email protected] or call 972-875-1597. And there’s a chip-in to help pay for the heartworm treatments for these two little dogs HERE.
[SOAPBOX MOMENT II: I guess this is as good a time as any to remind people that preventing heartworm is a lot easier on both the dog and the human pocketbook than trying to get rid of the parasites after they’ve established a potentially fatal colony inside your dog.
In fact, earlier this week, in connection with Heartworm Prevention Month, the SPCA of Texas issued a reminder that began “Texans continue to welcome all the lovely warm weather this spring, but a few unwelcome pests such as mosquitoes will be arriving as well. In honor of heartworm prevention month, the SPCA of Texas urges pet owners to diligently give their pet’s heartworm preventative monthly, as infected mosquitoes can transfer the disease to your pets.”
And make sure your dog has a vet checkup – it’s the responsible thing to do and could help avoid expensive treatment. I know that to some clowns the money matters more than the dog.]
CONTEMPLATIONS: Regarding mowing our yard. I treat it like an astronaut conducting extravehicular activity -- I’ll probably wear an anti-pollen/mold mask made from a giant baggie and a bungee cord snug around my neck -– every 20 or 30 steps I’ll spay a can of clean compressed computer air up into the bag so I won’t suffocate.  I’m kidding. So don’t replicate that idea, unless I can make money from it. I can see the headline “Fat man wearing baggie helmet pulled onto highway by runaway lawnmower.” ... Speaking of space, I saw a story on TV that actor Ashton Kutcher is going to be the “first celebrity into space” via Virgin Galactic. You know, he’s not really the first celebrity I’d want to see shot into space. I have a list. In fact, I have a list of non-celebs who ought to be shot into space, too. ... Here’s a good thing about being an adult  out of school: No term finals. Of course, on the other hand, every day is a pop quiz.  Hard to study for and the multiple choice questions are the toughest.
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