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On Tuesday, the topics are dogs, cats, people and the cheap farm labor and museum exhibit: mules...

One hardly knows where to begin today.
Someone in the neighborhood had a chainsaw going around 8 a.m. – that’s annoying. We’ll get over things like that.
We looked for some startling good news this morning, but apparently the NFL will let Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys score stand as is. Ooof.
Then there’s the mule story from the Panhandle. More on that in a minute.
I hope you can tell I’m trying to gently guide you into this disgusting story. We’re about to come to a report that one of our animal advocate pals demonstrates once again that “Dallas Loves Animals.”  And, yes, while lots of Dallasites do love animals, the figures at Dallas Animal Services would indicate there are some people without a clue. They see an animal as something like an obsolete computer – something enjoyed at first, but, then, something you can’t wait to dump. OK, let’s dive in and remember, the only reason these stories appear on Readlarrypowell.com is there are people working on behalf of animals – they are advocates, rescuers, shelter employees and people who just happen to spot an animal that needs help.
That handsome dog we’re leading with today? That, folks, is Sabre, a Chihuahua with a character actor’s face, currently waiting on either rescue, adoption or the needle at Dallas Animal Services.
And that mopey looking Pit? An emergency request this morning from DAS after somebody shot this dog. Keep reading and we’ll give you what details we have.
A DALLAS SCENE: Many of you will have seen this photo by now. Veteran rescuer Tawana Couch began circulating it a couple of days ago when she was looking for help. Tawana is the founder of the Society for Companion Animals which works to fly unwanted Dallas Animal Services animals out of town to some place where they will be loved. She also has been wading into the trenches of rescue for years. It is her mission.
Tawana came across this scene in Dallas. It has the look of an iconic war photo – one survivor, one victim. And, indeed, some forces in Dallas are involved in a long-running war against shabby and criminal behavior toward animals.
The surviving dog is currently at a vet’s office and being cared for – Tawana can always use help with fostering, rescuing and financing. (Email [email protected] to offer or inquire.
Regarding this rescue, Tawana wrote, “With a lot of patience and will power I rescued this live dog. She did not want to leave her friend. She had been there apparently for sometime -- maybe days. … I managed to get a collar around her. She went crazy and I held on for dear life as we struggled. My glasses flew off my face and broke and I was shaking by the time I got her into the car but she is now rescued.”
After Tawana’s email circulated, we got a note from another veteran rescuer, Melissa Singletary. Her story isn’t in Dallas. It’s in East Texas. But. There are elements that the streets of Dallas share with the roads of East Texas.
Melissa wrote, “I drive on Hwy. 19 between Athens and Palestine.  I see an occasional dead dog, cat or deer but today [Monday] was a bad day.  The first dog was before I ever left the Athens city limits by the middle school. There was one in the center turn lane.
”About a mile before I got to my job in Palestine, I noticed a car pulled over on the other side of the road. There was an older gentleman who had pulled to the shoulder and was loving on a gorgeous German Shepherd when I noticed two dead dogs about 5 feet. apart.  I don't know if the Shepherd was guarding his friends or what was going on but I didn't stop because the man seemed to have things handled.
”The day went even further downhill at mid-day. I had to run to the Post Office at lunch and there was a dead kitten in the middle of the road.  
”I will never understand the mentality of some people.  I know dogs get run over in the city all the time, too, but I get so darn sick and tired of the stupidity of people.  I work in a place where many believe putting a dog behind a fence and confining him or her is cruel. Good grief, thinking of the dog or cat lying on the side of the road in pain and dying after getting hit by a car is about a million times worse.
“My babies will get some extra loving when I get home this afternoon. “
APPRECIATION AND SUCCESS? As regular readers will recall, the weekend featured Community Appreciation Day at Collin County Animal Services. Miranda Fick, the volunteer coordinator at the shelter wrote, “We had an amazing Community Appreciation Day and the whole special was a success!  We had 20 adoptions on Saturday, and a total of 63 adoptions during the entire special!”
Then she notes that “believe it or not, we start the week off [the shelter is closed on Mondays] with a completely full shelter, and temporary kennels set up for the dogs, and cat kennels full with cats overflowing into the quarantine room.  It's never ending, but our team has faith.  We have been started every week off full since March almost!  Intake has been extremely high.  Rescues are down, but adoptions are up.  Everyone is just so full.  We all are facing the same problems.”
To combat this situation, the shelter is offering a Tuesday/Wednesday adoption special: $25 for dogs and cats and $10 for “black or mostly black dogs and cats.”
You might notice that dog – that’s not a black dog. That’s Bismarck, whose photo we got from CCAS volunteer shelter walker Allison Roberts. Bismarck is a 2-year-old Husky mix who loves to play and is on the euthanasia list. He’s been available since Sept. 5 without a nibble.
[Larry aside: I mention Bismarck because his name is unusual – the last time I heard of anything named Bismarck was in the 1980s when a reporter I knew had named her vintage Volkswagen Beetle convertible “Bismarck.”]
And that cat is one of many in the Collin County shelter – lots or orange cats, lots of black cats on the list. This one is #369029 and she looks Maine Coon to me, so she’s probably aloof. (We had one named Lucy who was a great joy and aloof.)
You can see more adoptables by navigating the site HERE.
To ask about adopting or rescuing email both [email protected] and [email protected] .
GET OUT THE VOTE:  Noted animal advocate Holly Forsythe of Sambuca Restaurant is a finalist in D Magazines Most Beautiful Women of Dallas Contest. Click HERE  to vote for Holly.
 DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES CRITTERS: First, the Dallas Animal Services Adoption Center has a lot of animals that it needs to adopt out. Overnight we got a note from DAS’s rescue team that focused on Chihuahuas.
At first you might think Dallas has had an Outbreak of Chihuahuas, but, in reality, they’re all over the place –wanted and unwanted. Anybody who’s spent 20 minutes in rescue knows that Chihuahuas and Chi mixes are tossed out more often than a bag of trash.
You’ve already met Sabre, a dog with a character actor’s face and a sweet demeanor. And there’s Morgan, who came into the shelter with a bad eye – the shelter had it removed and now Morgan, a 5-month-old female, awaits adoption or the needle (yep, money spent to help the dog may be wasted if she isn’t adopted)..
The handsome Chihuahua with the worried look is Captain – he is believed to have broken legs from being struck by a car.  And there is Sparky, about 4 years old and an 8-pound lap dog with omnidirectional ears, thus qualifying him as an Earhound.
Back to the shot dog. Danielle Fry of the DAS Rescue Team sent out an emergency request at mid-morning. “We found this sweet boy as a stray and some horrible person had shot him with what we believe to be a pellet gun.  It appears like the pellets exited his body but we can’t know for sure. He was doing OK but he appears very weak today.  We are asking that he gets pulled out of here ASAP. We are giving him until noon today.  We are just worried that he has internal injuries that we are unable to diagnose and we do not want him suffering. “
To help any of these dogs email  [email protected] or call 214-670-8298. You can also stop by the shelter at I-30 at Westmoreland, west of downtown Dallas.
SLOW GOING IN CARROLLTON: The usually optimistic Carrollton Animal Rescue Enterprise began its report on yesterday’s efforts with this: “Not a good day for the animals at Carrollton Animal Adoption Center; no one has been adopted and no one has been rescued.”
To ask about any Carrollton animal, call 972-466-3420, or email [email protected]. Navigate to photos of the availables HERE
A TRYKE UPDATE: A couple of weeks ago we told the story of Tryke, rescued in Burns Flat., Okla. His damaged leg was amputated and, then, he encountered some more leg-related medical problems.
Terry Lynn Fisher, the noted Burns Flat rescuer, wrote this morning, “My sweet little foster, Tryke, will need more surgery. It breaks my heart, for he has been through so much already. If anyone can help, please let me know. He WILL still need a safe place to go when he is finally all healed up.”
Call Terry Lynn at 580-330-1459. Email her at [email protected] though, these days, the phone communication is more efficient.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Big flap out in Lubbock over the American Museum of Agriculture having two old mules killed so they can be stuffed for an exhibit.  The museum claims these two mules were going to be sent to Mexico for slaughter and use in pet food. So the museum arranged to have them killed in the states. [Sounds kind of like the ol’ “We had to destroy that village to save it” philosophy.]
The recently formed Texas Humane Alliance issued a statement against this use of the animals. (See the THA Facebook page HERE.) THA Director of Animal Advocacy Jonnie England sent us the THA statement with this sentence:  “It's too late to save these two intelligent animals, but it's not too late to express your outrage.”
Readlarrypowell.com suggests that there might be a perfect accent to this museum’s display of mules and their value to farming. In this age of vanishing family farms maybe they could just find a couple of old used up farmers, stuff ‘em and prop ‘em up with the mules. Relax, that's a joke. Nobody go stuff an old farmer.
If you go to the museum’s Facebook page HERE you’ll see that the soft-hearted animal nuts are letting ‘em have it over the killing of the two mules. {Larry aside to the Museum: If you think mules are stubborn, just wait until you experience the unrelenting wrath of the animal people.]
As luck would have it, the museum’s big fundraiser is Sept. 29 in Lubbock: “A Night For the Museum” featuring Farm Comedian Jerry Carroll.  The link to the museum’s website is HERE and it tells you where to get tickets for the event – doesn’t say how much.
I don’t know. If you were going to capture the path of American agriculture there would be other things that could be stuffed and displayed.  Bankers. Lawyers. Tax assessors. State and federal bureaucrats.
Of course, it probably was too expensive to decide to keep a couple of live mules on display in the museum dedicated to preserving the history of agriculture. Mules are notoriously expensive – that’s why nearly ever poor farmer had one.
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Opportunities for a Monday...

Was that an autumn weekend or what? Chilly weather – compared to temps around 105 one week and a day earlier. And then, of course, the great big chill of the Dallas Cowboys’ going Titanic in Seattle.
But, look, summer doesn’t actually leave until 9:49 a.m. Sept. 22 – that’s Saturday morning and the temps will probably have time to climb back to the low 100s by the time fall arrives. Weather aside, here come some newsy notes about dogs and cats, including this cat Jinx. He’s at Carrollton Animal Services and this is one of my all-time favorite shelter-cat photos – it really shows the personality of Jynx, a curious fellow who is available with other cats who are facing respiratory problems at the shelter and the shelter folks are hustling to get them out safely.
PETE’S NARROW MISS: We’ve mentioned this dog Pete before. He’s sort of symbolic of the dogs in the Cisco Animal Shelter in that he’s a dog in need of a home before they get the syringe out. [Word in the early afternoon is that Pete is at the top of the list to get the needle. Too long in the shelter, a need to work other dogs in. Humans can save him just as surely as humans can kill him.]
Oh, and Cisco is obviously an Earhound -- you can tell in the second photo because, clearly, his ears cast a dynamic Earhound shadow.
According to a late weekend note from the Cisco advocate Stacey Carney, “We had to euthanize last week because we have had so many new ones come in. We really need help networking because we are already full again.”
How much does it cost to adopt a dog from the Cisco shelter? Cost of gasoline for the drive from wherever you are to Cisco. “No adoption fees because there is no vetting at this shelter,” Stacey’s note reads.
To ask about animals at the Cisco shelter – whether to adopt or just to help transport them from the little West Texas town to a safe haven, email [email protected]  or [email protected].
There’s a Facebook page HERE.
FYI: Cisco is the birthplace of the Hilton Hotel chain – you can look it up – but, of course, like every other city in the nation, the unwanted animals are not staying at a Hilton. Wanted animals can stay at Hilton properties, according to the chain’s websites.
COLLIN COUNTY REPORT: We open the email on Monday to discover this assessment from Alison Roberts, the volunteer shelter walker at Collin County Animal Services. “We made it through last week, and had decent adoptions this weekend, but intake was exceptionally high this weekend and shelter is completely full to start the week, which means we are in HUGE HUGE trouble.  Shelter is closed on Monday but if you email you can rescue dogs between 1 and 3.”
If you want to adopt, wait until Tuesday.
To email a note “tagging” a dog for rescue, use both of these addresses: [email protected] and [email protected].
Now, a casual perusal of the dogs in the CCAS shelter will reveal to you that there are lots of big, black dogs, big not black dogs and some little ones, too. And there are Earhounds. While most are the Pointed Upright Variety, there are some that are more artistic, such as this fellow Mozart, a 3-year-old Staffordshire Terrier mix whose bio says only that he is “tons of fun.”
You can see more CCAS dogs at this Facebook SITE.
BLESSING FOR ANIMALS? IN DALLAS? SURELY THERE'S NO NEED: OK, I’m just kidding. It has been clearly demonstrated that the animals in Dallas need some blessing.
And we’ve gotten word from Joyce Miller, leader of the Animal Kinship Ministry at the Center for Spiritual Living –Dallas, that the CSL has scheduled its annual animal blessing and fair for Sept. 29.
The Annual Animal Blessing and Faire runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that Sunday at the CSL, 4801 Spring Valley –that’s west of the Dallas North Tollway between Inwood and Spring Valley. Get the details by going to  www.csldallas.org and clicking on calendar.
FYI: Joyce’s note to us included a nice surprise, a link to the “Airedale quilt blog.”  You can see the charity quilting process and, maybe even bid. The link is HERE.
THE CARROLLTON SITUATION: The weekend report from Carrollton Animal Rescue Enterprise – the city shelter – says that the shelter “had a dog and a cat adopted over the weekend, still many more that have found themselves in the need of a great rescue organization to come and save them.”
Call the shelter at 972-466-3420, or email [email protected].
The aforementioned Jynx is #26792 – under a year old, came in a s a stray and is ultra curious.
The cat with the championship white whiskers is Bella. Also a stray (#26789), probably half-a-year old.
That third cat is #26641, named Omega, a boy who weighs 60 pounds – oh, wait, despite the fabulous frills of a dynamic hairstyle, that is not a cat. That is a Shepherd/Akita mix who wound up straying and in the shelter.
But that’s not all, folks.
There is a calico named Argentina who has six 6-week-old kittens who are named ”Malaysia”,” Kenya”, “Egypt”, “China”,” Brazil”, and “Belgium.” And there is another under-10-weeks kitten, Two Bit. All are available for adoption but all, also are suffering from a respiratory illness and, though all are said to be “eating and playing,” they may need a vet to give them a look.
 Omega, of course, is among several dogs that also need a way out of the shelter.
PLANNING AHEAD?

Click on the art to make it larger and you can read more about the Great Dane Rescue of North Texas’ annual fundraiser by clicking HERE.
BULLETIN DURING THE NOON HOUR: In the item that follows this one you'll see that we had been seeking information on the handsome dog Hampton who had been pulled off the busy road more than a week ago by Paula Trapp. She'd been monitoring the dog's pace at Dallas Animal Services ever since her friends, unable to find a place for him, had taken the guy to the shelter.
And, this morning Danielle Fry of Dallas Animal Services sent us these great photos of handsome Hampton and reported, "Hampton got adopted this weekend. here are two cute pics of him that wed took while we were playing with him the other night."
As you can see, "handsome" really may not be a strong enough word to describe this big Dallas street dog. "Matinee Idol" comes to mind as he looks as if he could have worked in Hollywood as the famous movie dog, Rin Tin Tin.
Happy news on a Monday. Hampton dodges cars one week and dodges the needle the next.
MEANWHILE AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES: In the fall issue of Urban Animal Magazine, there is a column by Larry Powell – oh, that’s me – about the challenges of recognizing breeds in shelters.
As luck would have it, this morning I was looking for a particular dog that has been in the care of Dallas Animal Services and ran across these two dogs. Both are cute. Both lick their chops. And both (A738638 on the left) and A739064 (right) are listed as “German Shepherd Dogs” on the PetFinder list you can link up to at www.dallasanimalservices.org.
Could have fooled me. I’d have gone with Guesshund.
Oh, and while I was looking for news on Hampton (A739961) the Shepherd mix rescued by Paula Trapp last week, I ran across the photo (on the DAS PetHarbor list) #A738966, a dog named Meme who is about the most definitive example of the Full American Droop Earhound – she’s about 3 months old and described as a “spayed female Chocolate Labrador Retriever.”  Whatever she is, she is definitely an Earhound. And available. (We’re still waiting to discover the fate of Hampton, overlooked at least once because of a dental problem and a hip problem. (Saved from the middle of a busy West Dallas street, but, alas, facing long odds in a shelter that never has enough room.)
You can visit all these animals at Dallas Animal Services And Adoption Center at Westmoreland at I-30. Go to www.dallasanimalservices.org to link up to the PetFinder list but to get to the PetHarbor list, generally for rescue groups, you’ll have to go through the somewhat annoying exercise of click and chose. I’m sure it works smoothly for someone.
 CONTEMPLATIONS: Interesting story on Channel 5 (KXAS) about dogs killing cats in a nice Oak Cliff neighborhood. Based on the comments by people in the story, the City of Dallas may have a problem with loose dogs. See the story HERE
and then, of course, let me exclaim, “LOOSE DOGS IN DALLAS? Knock me over with a feather.”  
The reduction of on-the-street staff at Dallas Animal Services from 55 to 32 (see the latest story about this on The Observer’s Unfair Park blog HERE) surely doesn’t have anything to do with roaming animals or poor treatment of animals, etc.
[LARRY SOAPBOX: Humans contribute to this situation on a couple of levels – not just budget maneuvering that reduces the force on the front lines of animal control. There is also the human contribution to place the cats in a dangerous place. While it is solidly wretched that cats have been killed, we must note that Dallas is not a place where cats should be allowed outside. There are too many predators: Uncontrolled dogs, foxes, coyotes, cars, hawks, owls and, of course,free-roaming unlicensed, unfixed and unsmart humans.]
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Mystery Cat; Dog Without A Home

We come to a curious point in the history of “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap,” the long-running weekend feature on the animal-friendly news site, Readlarrypowell.com.
First, we’re very proud of all the photos of all the hundreds of snoozing animals that all of you wonderful readers have sent us.
We’ve had new sleepers, old sleepers, dogs, cats and all manner of slumbering critters – even some humans.
This week we have this black and white cat who appears to have comfortably stretched his or her fluffiness through two display cubicles.
And we can tell you the cat is quite a sleeper.
Relaxed cat. Feet in the bed and head through an open partition and into the next cage.
Now, what we cannot tell you is this: Who, what, where, when and why.
Don’t have a single answer to any of the traditional Ws of  Professional Journalism.
The subject line on the email was “Toby sleeper photo.” That doesn't mean the cat's a boy. That's the name of one of the dearest people I know -- a grown-up girl.
The thing is I sent this photo myself. Yep, I’d cut and pasted the photo off someone’s e-mail and then sent it to myself. Probably made a note somewhere to check with a shelter or a rescue group to see if this cat had been adopted. But I can’t find the note. A computer search failed to yield any other reference to this cat.
I am only certain of three things:
(1) Someone else sent the photo to me.
(2) The cat knows how to nap on display.
(3) The cat installed the sign “please do not tap on glass.”
How do I know the cat put the sign on the cage? Because, as all cat people know (and I am one) that cats don’t bother with the shift key when they’re typing important notices. They will either be all lower-case or all upper-case, like WILL MEOW FOR FOOD and BACK OFF DOG OR I'LL SHRED YOUR NOSE.
So, if anyone recognizes this cat and can enlighten us as to its circumstances, I’ll be forever obsessively, compulsively grateful.
And, you know what, even if you don't know who this black and white cat is, do yourself a favor and go adopt one and let the rascal live with you. Black and white cats are not from this planet. Based on the B&W Cats who let us live with them through the years, I'm pretty sure they're a species from the alternate universe version of Earth -- the planet Mirth.
[To nominate your clearly identified slumbering animal for our weekly feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, send the photos and info to [email protected]. Readlarrypowell.comis gleeful when we can tell the complete story of a critter that knows how to sleep and feels happy about it. A happy sleeper – exactly what all of us insomniacs want to be. We don’t want to lay awake at night wondering who sent us the cat’s picture. But we will. It's the Code of the Insomniac]

A NOTE ABOUT A DOG IN NEED

We’ve been writing about this dog all week, ever since Paula Trapp stopped to get the dog out of traffic in West Dallas and he went into the care of Dallas Animal Services.
He almost got adopted late in the week, but his medical problems – teeth and right back leg – scared off the potential adoptor.
Seriously, does anybody really expect a dog to be healthy when he's pulled out of the traffic on one of Dallas' busier streets?
Sure, maybe he needs some extra vet care right now, but the payoff is he’ll be a pal you can depend on – not only around the house, but you’ll have a story to tell at parties when someone asks, “Got a dog?”
At the shelter, Hampton is #A73996. You can visit the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland and e-mail [email protected] to see about moving him into a rescue group. Or, you can email [email protected] to ask about adopting him.
Paula has been monitoring his shelter life because she really wants to find a home for him. She’s discovered that his dental problems amounted to “only 1 bad tooth that needs to be removed and that there is a place called TCAP that might be able to do it for less then the normal canine dental places. I was also told that his bad right back leg might just be his hip, which is common for Shepherds.”
People in Paula’s family are also working on finding Hampton a home so he can escape the fate that so many animals encounter at DAS.
You can tell from his photo that he’s a good rider. And that’s a great thing for big ol’ dawgs. Helps you bond with them.
Few of them really want to drive.
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The Friday report ... rescue, revival, shelters and situations...

Sipping coffee on a Friday morning and trying to divine the six Lotto Texas winning numbers for Saturday. The six lucky numbers I’ve been using for years have yet to work. I don’t even know why I call them “lucky.” Unlucky in Lotto, lucky in critters. I guess that’s the way it’s working out at our house.
Maybe you’ll find some lucky selections today when you look at the critters we mention here. If your house is all full up with critters, maybe you know someone who needs a friend – you may be blessing two lives if you make the right match.
Geez, I just read that last sentence. I don’t know why I don’t rent a big tent, set it up in a field somewhere and start an evangelical movement called “Preachin’ For Critters.” Can I get an amen? And, keep that offering plate moving through the congregation, please, I need a vacation home on a tax-free island.
That skinny dog on the right? An adoptable at Dallas Animal Services. In case some knuckleheaded relative wants to go get a “good German Shepherd from a breeder,” save ‘em some time and money and show them this dog from DAS.
That boxer mix on the left? Injured leg, waiting in Temple, Texas, for either help or the needle.
Shelters are full all over the state.
 Read on:
WAITING AT DAS: Dallas Animal Services sent out a note overnight about a few of the many, many animals awaiting adoption, rescue or the needle at the big shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland, a few minutes west of downtown Dallas.
Where do these animals come from? Mail order from a supplier at an undisclosed location. I’m kidding. They come from HERE. From this town. Dallas. Owner-surrenders, strays, left in the night-drop. The line to dump animals is a lot longer than the line to adopt them. That’s probably typical in all big cities.
So today, the DAS Rescue Team sent out photos of these animals. EMAIL [email protected] if you can help.
Today’s featured DAS dogs include (upper left) this year-old skittish-at-first mutt (A739941 DLF119B), an 8-pounder who “came in as a stray and has started to come down with a cold.”
[Larry aside: I’m neither a veterinarian nor an air-conditioning repairman, but one must wonder if the now legendarily unsteady performance of the DAS air-conditioning in 100-degree weather in Dallas leads to (a) respiratory infections in dogs and cats and (b) early euthanasia because animals became ill.  Perhaps, (c) heat strokes in temporary employees with lawyers. Just wondering.]
The German Shepherd is A736549 DLF70 – she is only 3 years old and already dumped. DAS reports, “She is very skinny and only weighs 41.8lbs.”
[Larry aside: Let’s make this clear. She didn’t start starving at DAS – some SOB out in the real world turned a healthy dog into a walking skeleton.]
Oh, and the DAS reports this girl also “had an upper respiratory infection but she is all better and ready to go … She loves to listen and usually has her ears sticking straight up. She was just curious of the camera.”
Then there is Saline, the momma dog and her two pups with the puppy faces. Saline’s # is A735194 NMOMS1. She’s about 3 and has these tiny babies. She’s in the “rescue” side of the shelter rather than the “adopt” side. DAS Rescue Team Member Danielle Fry explains, “We were hoping to put her in our adoption program then one day [about 2 weeks ago] we walked in and she had given birth to two sweet babies.  She was being such a good mom that we are hoping someone can help her and her girls!”
That little ragged looking dog [A737173 dLF157] is described thusly: “ This sweet little poodle thing is just adorable.  He is about 4 years old and in need of rescue and a good bath.  He is a sweetie!”
These are just a few dogs. There are a ton of cats, too.
Again, if you want to see them in person, drop by the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. Go online at www.dallasanimalservices.org. To ask about getting an animal into rescue, email [email protected]. To ask about adopting, email [email protected].
[Larry aside: To ask why you could, but didn’t do anything to help save these lives, go stare into a mirror and look for your heart.]
FROM COLLIN COUNTY:  Readlarrypowell.com mentioned this guy Bear a couple of times recently and our Collin County Animal Services tipster, shelter walker Allison Roberts, reports that, yes, indeed, Bear was adopted yesterday. That means, of course, that Collin County is now empty – no dogs, no cats – just rows of empty cages and volunteers standing around wondering what to do next. What? Oh. Sorry, I must have been hallucinating. You can see the availables remaining at Collin County HERE,
But, wait, THERE’S MORE! You may recall that yesterday, Collin County had a $10 adoption day for cats – volunteer coordinator Miranda Fick says such discounted adoptions were made possible by assorted spay/neuter drives.
Indeed, she reports, “We had 12 cat adoptions which is pretty good for a weekdays!”
And, Friday through Sunday there are special adoption fees on all cats and dogs at the shelter because Sept. 15 is officially CCAS Community Appreciation Day.
Dogs are $25 and cats $10 through Sunday – that fee includes spay/neuter, rabies vaccination and microchip.
Shelter Manager Misty Brown says the reduced fees are in response to “the extraordinarily high influx of animals this summer. We also wanted to take a day to say a very big ‘thank you’ to our volunteers and the communities that support Collin County Animal Services.”
Humans get cookies and punch from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. (FYI: Miranda says Appreciation Weekend is being “hosted by Anne Marie, a local high schooler working on her Gold Award for Girl Scouts.”)
 The shelter is at 4750 Community Avenue in McKinney. See available animals at the shelter site HERE or on the Facebook page HERE.
A BOXER MIX IN TEMPLE WITH A PROBLEM: Jacque Hagerty is with Austin Boxer Rescue but now and then a mix grabs her heart. That’s the case of this dog in the Temple, Texas, animal shelter. “I see these guys every day,” Jacque said, “But I just had to help this one – something in his eyes.”
She says he probably doesn’t have much time left because the Temple shelter is “just too full” and complicating things is “this poor boy has an injured leg and it looks like he had a close call with a car, but he's so sweet even though he is in pain. He can't put full weight on the leg, but he does use it some.
”I also found out, by accident, that he is completely dog friendly and is good with tiny dogs too (a Chihuahua got loose and ran up to him). There must be someone who can help this guy, he is just such a good dog. …There must be a hero for this guy out there somewhere."
You can see how to adopt dog #A929121 at the Temple site HERE. Email [email protected].
He has been in the shelter since Sept. 4.
THE HOUSTON CAT MAN: Alexandra Kelsey, who has tipped us on many Houston-area animal situations, has been working on a special project.
”I have been helping a man who lost his job two years ago. He rescued a number of cats and they lived happily together until recently. On Labor Day, his power was turned off.  Eviction proceedings have been initiated.  He has enough cat food left for today only.  And, he has one adult tuxedo cat and nine shy cats.
”I can handle getting him cat food.  Thankfully, the weather is a bit better, though living without lights and hot water must be awful.  But, I am looking for some luck for the cats.  These cats are not vetted yet. 
”At this point, this guy knows that he is looking at turning the cats in to the shelter for certain euthanasia.  I would love to be able to offer him an alternative placement, but no matter how it turns out, the cats will need to be trapped. I am out on a limb here…is there anyone who has resources for this need?  Time is very short.”
To help Alexandra help this down-on-his-luck cat fan, e-mail [email protected].
SOME NOTES:
-- Darcy Coweles, the noted East Texas rescuer an animal advocate, tips us to the controversy in Longview regarding the operation of the animal shelter. The Longview News-Journal has a story HERE.
-- The big Walk n Wag fundraiser benefiting the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake is Saturday in Mabank at the downtown Mabank Pavilion. See www.hsccl.org.
[Larry aside: This reminds me I caught a commercial during the Texas A&M football game radio broadcast -- I wanted to hear the score --last weekend. It was for Hancook Tires and the announcer with what sounded like a genuine Texas accent at first said you could buy the tires at a store in – not making this up – “Mawbank.” He may have been from Arkansas or northern Louisiana where “Ma” can be pronounced “Maw.” Or he could just be a guy who didn’t have a clue.]
--The Metroplex Animal Coalition’s Wags and Waves fundraiser for people and their dogs is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the NRH20 Family Water Park, 9001 Boulevard 26, in North Richland Hills. (NRH20 – pretty clever, eh?) See www.wagsandwaves.org.
-- A tip via the Texas Humane Legislation Network informs us that the Austin Better Business Bureau has issued a statement in favor of the state’s recently enacted puppy mill law. The news release HERE has tips for buying a puppy. [Larry aside: Readlarrypowell.com’s tip for getting a puppy is “Don’t buy. Adopt.” Go to a rescue group, a city shelter or, heck, just drive up and down a few Dallas streets and you’ll find one sitting on a curb with its momma and 10 to 14 siblings. Only a slight exaggeration. ]
A CONTEMPLATION: Tawana Couch, who created the Society for Companion Animals and gets unwanted Dallas dogs onto airline flights toward new homes in other parts of the country, sent us a note from a volunteer, Karen Tagalog, who, Tawana says, “volunteers constantly to transport the dogs plus her and her family come and work for hours to set up the crates so the dogs can fly out. I thought the last paragraph says it all.”
Karen wrote about helping the dogs. “They are a blessing to us, also. They come to us with nothing but a plastic collar and a few papers yet they trust us and grow to love us in a short time.  It is a lesson in faith and gratitude for me.  I think we need to have attitudes like the shelter dogs.”
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Four dog tales: At peril because of people, safe because of people

PM EDITION: Using some old timey newsroom lingo, we’re filing (presenting) some folos (follow-up stories) in this PM’s sheet (the afternoon edition) about some dogs (no translation needed; a dog is a dog). Let’s go to press. (No modern translation unless you say, "Let's click the mouse.")
HAMPTON THE DOG: We first encountered this dog’s story when Paula Trapp’s dad, Ray, sent us a note about  his big-hearted daughter risking life and limb to get the guy out of the traffic on Hampton Road in Dallas.
Paula has been checking on “Hampton” as he waits for rescue or adoption or that other fate at the Dallas Animal Services Shelter.
Paula says, “He apparently has a back right leg injury and some dental issues. Not sure if he is going to be a good candidate for adoption unless someone is willing to put a lot of money into him. The lady that was hoping to adopt him had her sister (who is a police officer and HUGE animal lover, big into rescue) go to the shelter yesterday and see him and walk him and spend time with him. She LOVED him but after talking to the vet, determined he would be too expensive to adopt due to his health issues.”
Hampton is ID#A739961 and he was brought in on Sept. 8.
Paula says, “I spoke with a few different people but Danielle has been most helpful.” [Danielle Fry is a member of the DAS Rescue Team and distributes alerts about animals that need special help from rescue groups.]
To offer to help this dog, email [email protected].
Paula says the folks at the shelter “really sound like they try to do everything they can to make an educated decision on each animal. I am heartbroken but do not know what I can do at this point. I am just praying!”
THE HEMI AND HIS EAR STORY: We first encountered this story a couple of weeks ago, And things have been percolating along. Hemi’s recovering. He had the good fortune to draw the attention of the GAP Club (the Girls Awareness Program) of Euless Trinity High School. That meant people who support the club would be involved with Hemi’s recovery.
That’s Hemi, curled up in a “What next?” position and riding to the vet.
Why does his ear look like that? The first note we got about Hemi explained it. He was “the victim of an attempted ‘backyard' ear trim that was an epic failure." [Larry aside: Pardon my French but some ass actually marked his ear with a felt pen so he could follow the lines with a knife or scissors or some vicious instrument. On second thought, "ass" is the right world. Apologies to all I offended and no apology at all to the ass.]
We first heard of him from rescuer/advocate Karen Lee who wrote, “Okay, pictures say 1,000 words but I still want to put in my 2 cents worth to the cruel monster(s) who mutilated this puppy and almost cost him his life—what the *#(*#^@  were you thinking??  Of course you weren’t thinking and I know you are not on any animal loving distribution list but I just wanted to get that out there……. THANKFULLY the GAP Club from Trinity High School who support the Euless Animal Shelter got this baby to the vet … and emergency surgery was performed by Dr. [Doug] Riley and his awesome staff from Arlington Animal Hospital…”
And Amber McCafferty has been fostering Hemi through his assorted vet visits and applications of medicines. (That’s a rejuvenated Hemi taking it easy on the floor at the vet’s office.)
Amber reports that Hemi’s mutilated ear, having been carefully stitched and tended to, “will not be fully healed until the end of the month since the tendon needs to fill in to the ‘empty’ spaces on the inside of his ear. This means that Hemi will have to continue to be semi-sedated to prevent him from further damaging the ear. Also, Hemi must continue to receive an antibiotical spray on both sides of his ear 3 times daily, which is painful for him On the bright side, Hemi continues to be a huge love bug!!! He tries to get into my lap for me to hold him, clearly not realizing he weighs at least 40 pounds. We love him and look forward to finding him a wonderful forever home!”
If you want to ask about adopting him or helping with his bills or just praise someone for being on Hemi’s side in this ordeal, e-mail [email protected] and [email protected].
LINCOLN THE THREE-LEGGED ROMPER: To demonstrate how dire this situation was, here’s the key sentence from our tipster: “When he was 4 months old, he was rescued by EARS from a shelter on the day he was to be euthanized.”
Back on August 9 we wrote about the attempts to help a Great Dane/Plott Hound mix named Lincoln – he’d been in the Dallas Animal Services shelter for a few days after being struck by a car.
[Larry aside: If a person has no money, no animal connections, no real interest in a major investment, what else are they to do? Leave the animal flopping over in the gutter? Sometimes the shelter is the best place to get attention for an injured dog. You just hope there are some kind eyes on the lookout for these cases.]
EARS has kind eyes. The Education & Animal Rescue Society stepped up. (That’s Lincoln, all dressed up in that official EARS photo.)
Since then, Lincoln has had to have surgery on his remaining hind leg to strengthen it. (If you go to www.earstexas.org and click on available animals, you can see Lincoln listed and there you can watch a video of the big happy dog doing what 3-legged dogs do best – romping.
After his initial medical ordeal, he had to undergo subsequent surgery to strengthen his remaining leg, according to our EARS tipster Sandy Sailer. Dr. Scott Bertrand at Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center did that work and said Lincoln should do just fine because he is a young dog.
Sandy asked that we be sure to mention “and give a big thanks to Monique Voelker, founder of ‘Animals Abused & Abandoned’ or A3 (www.animals-abused.org).  A3 made a generous donation towards his surgery.”
You can ask about adopting or helping Lincoln or any EARS animal at the website HERE or by emailing [email protected].
[LARRY INSIDE NOTE: As regular visitors to Readlarrypowell.com may recall, we lived for years with a big ol’ Great Dane mix named Hammy, officially Hambone Jack, The Canine King of the Blues. He was a most-adored and beloved individual who I would love to hug one more time. And sly Sandy Sailer, in one of our email conversations, wrote, “After his recovery Lincoln will need a permanent home. You did mention earlier that he reminds you of ‘Hammy, the Wonderdog’ – something for you to think about!” Now, Sandy was kidding me, but, honestly, after watching the video it’s all I can do to keep from violating the City of Dallas animal limit. I hope someone gets this three-legged Lincoln and gives him the home I wish I could give him. You’ll note in the video that he’s a talker. Bless his heart, he just needs someone with whom to discuss the world. Hammy and I had many conversations -- he never argued, he gently guided.]
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ST. ANGIE: That title is taken from the subject line of an email accounting of another rescue day in the life of Angie Manriquez, Dallas’ famed “Fairy Dogmother.” The story came to us from our pal Beverly Fyfe, the veteran rescuer and Angie supporter who, after all this time, continues to be amazed at the good rescues and disgusted by the bad people, i.e., she’s fully aware of the way the deck is sometimes stacked against the animals.
Here’s her story of the incident that saved this dog Cola’s life. Cola is about 4 months old and hasn’t had a lot of luck until now.
On the 8^th of August, Beverly wrote in short email expressions, “Before 8 this morning, had a call from a guy that runs a motel on Kiest Blvd in Oak Cliff. 
”A dog is hiding behind the vending machines on the property and they want it gone.”
The man said he’d called “everyone” before he connected with Angie’s Friends. (The Angie’s Friends site is HERE -- hint, hint, it can always use donations and actual living human being help.)
The email continues, “He does not want to have to kill it but the dog is barking too much.  Thinks he can throw a rope around it and drag it out from behind where it is staying.”
[Larry aside: This falls right in with the official thinking in the City of Dallas, i.e., “Got an animal problem? Let’s kill it.” Holy smokin’ village idiots. Whew.]
Beverly continues, “Trying to think fast I gulp and suggest that might not be a good idea - as he could get hurt… Instead, he could try to befriend the dog by offering water/food.  Nope, says he has a baseball bat and will use that if he has to but reiterates that he does not want to kill the dog if he can avoid it.  I beg him to wait and let me see what I can do.
”Call Angie - Fairy Dogmother of Dallas - who lives on the other side of Oak Cliff.  Off she flies to avert the most recent crisis/disaster. 
”She calls me an hour later - the dog is safe - in the back of her car and on its way to be fed. 
”Don't know if I envisioned a big Rottie or Pit from what the fool at the hotel was describing but no, it is approximately 4-5 months old -- black Lab mix -- skinny, scared.  “When she saw it, Angie knelt down and said, ‘Come here baby’ - and out it came from behind the machines, moving slowly but wagging its tail and came to her to give kisses.  That was the first hour of Angie's Sunday - which is a workday for her just like every other day in the week.”
What happened next?
Angie took the dog home and fed it and it’s in a safe haven now. And after that unexpected rescue, she returned to making her rounds in West Dallas, feeding animals that haven’t been fed, cautioning people about the sad state they’ve let their animals slip into and trying, now and then, to talk some sense into people.
CONTEMPLATION: On this particular Sept. 13, 2012, we are left to marvel at the people who keep working to help animals. We are alarmed at the challenges, buoyed by the triumphs and hopeful that some day the city’s leaders will say, “Enough. We really are a city that loves animals.” Then, maybe, it won’t be the dogs and cats that get locked up. A little time in the Graybar Hotel for animal neglect might help change some minds. Of course, first we have to change the minds that have been elected. Enlightenment. Maybe you’ve heard of it.
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On Giving Day, some animals are available for taking...

It’s Thursday. You can see Friday from here.
As a tsunami of emails may remind you, today is the annual Communities Foundation of Texas Giving Day in North Texas.
It’s the day when, until midnight, that a donation of $25 or more to your favorite registered group triggers a donation in honor of your gift. Get the details at www.DonorBridgeTX.org.
[FYI: One of the organizations needing donations is the Metroplex Animal Coalition who, according to President Elaine Munch, has run out of money for its spay/neuter program because response to the Big Fix For Big D project has been so big. Numbers are coming on the Big Fix, we’ve been told. But MAC, on its own, has done more than 4,000 surgeries, says Elaine, and that’s twice MAC’s usual number.]
Some big and keenly organized outfits have email campaigns; some do not. When you go to the website you can see if your favorite agency is listed among the nearly 1,000 that help animals and people and causes.
That dog? That's Chachi who has the face of a dog who could work at a Chamber of Commerce as a greeter. He's on the clock in Collin County -- more on him later today.
A NOTE FROM THE EDGE OF ARKANSAS: Miller County, Arkansas, is the county across the line from Bowie County, Texas – think northeast of Dallas 3 hours to the Twin Cities of Texarkana, Texas, and Texarkana, Arkansas. Cross the state line and you’re in Miller County. Take U.S. 82 east for about 15 minutes and you’re on the western bank of the Red River and in Garland, Ark., or, as those of us from the area call it, “Garland City.”
Now that you’ve got a handle on the geography and know that the roads are paved, here is the situation as told to us by Barbara Little who lives in the rural area near Garland City. There is a bulldog “starving for both food and love roaming the back roads in Miller County,” she writes.
We asked about this roaming Bulldog. English? American? Pit Bull?
”He is definitely not a pit,” she says. “He's short, broad chest, squatty, his face looks as though he stopped short into something. No markings I can tell of I don't believe he is very old just by the way he jumps up and turns when I take out food. Black nylon web strap for a collar that looks as if it was cut off something. No name or markings on either sides of it. …He must sleep during the day and roam at night. We only have one neighbor about a mile down the road and it’s not theirs.”
No picture? Not yet. He only shows up at night. But, Barbara wants to help him find a safe home – there are predators in the Arkansas woods. In fact, Arkansas, now known as "The Natural State" and before that as "Land of Opporunity," was once called "The Bear State." And, yes, there are still bears in the woods and river bottoms.
If you know of a rescue in the area or out of the area who’ll help, email [email protected] or call  870-683-2525.
CHANGE IN FORT WORTH: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports this morning that the city’s animal shelter is making big changes in the way it’s run, including a decision to not accept the surrender of healthy animals while also reducing the amount of time it will hold strays. (Read about it HERE.)
[Larry aside: If people can’t surrender animals at the shelter, the animals will probably become “stray” pretty quickly at a nearby park or down by the creek or river. Or maybe the humans will drive to Dallas or Arlington or Grand Prairie and drop off Fido or Momma and the Kittens. Yeah, you can fix a dog or cat but you can’t cure humanity.]
THE WACO CRISIS: This news has been bouncing around the ol’ internet for a week or so. The City of Waco is taking over the Waco Humane Society Shelter. You can read the KCEN-TV story HERE. If you News Google “Waco Humane Society shelter” you’ll see all sorts of angles on this changeover, including a story about the previous shelter director getting her walking papers after she emailed a volunteer with whom she’d been in a dispute. [Larry aside: Yep, humans. If there’s an animal crisis, look for humans.]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO …: You may remember this dog’s face from our Sept. 7 report. The dog was on the clock at Dallas Animal Services. He’d been the subject of a City of Dallas Municipal Court cruelty case and the judge had ordered that the dog, already a victim of sorry behavior by a human, be euthanized on Sept. 12 if the DAS couldn’t find a taker.
Jonnie England of the Texas Humane Alliance learned of this from Danielle Fry of Dallas Animal Services and began trying to help the dog.
Urban Animal Magazine Publisher/Editor Bob Walton responded. He’s a veteran at taking in these ol’ unwanted and neglected and abused dogs and turning them into happy, adorable, loving companions.
Here’s his report, with a nod to the governor of New Jersey: “Noodles is doing great. He's walking on a leash now, showing some play behaviors, and eating like Chris Christie. He has some skin problems hanging on, but he's pretty healthy considering. He was tethered in a yard with his mate, who starved to death. Noodles was on the brink of the same fate when the authorities stepped in.”
Stay tuned. Noodle’s future is so much brighter than his past.
BEAR WAITING AND SO ARE JOANIE AND CHACHI: We mentioned this dog with the adorable mug before. But nobody’s claimed Bear from the Collin County Animal Services Shelter in McKinney and shelter walker Alison Roberts reports, the shelter “is overflowing with dogs in temp kennels. We need rescues Thursday morning or we could lose some dogs.”
Bear (#368050), an owner-surrender, is on the list.
To ask about him or any animal in the CCAS shelter, email [email protected] and [email protected] .
Oh, and there are these other two dogs. Owner surrenders, according to Alison’s note. The “owner said they couldn’t care for them any longer.” Fixed and housetrained and homeless – AND in a shelter with a ticking clock.
[Aside: Yes, Joanie Loves Chachi was a spinoff from Happy Days. They were first-run TV shows long before these 3-year-old dogs were born.]
CONTEMPLATIONS:  In my spam folder, in this order, the subject lines tell a dramatic story. “Eat Yourself Skinny,” “Look great naked” and “Search for anyone’s arrest record.”  This may be a sign that people should be happy enough just to be skinny and dressed. … Know what I miss about not being in a traditional office? Vending machines. That’s about it, I guess. Today, anyway.  … Why must TV and radio sports shows have club music playing obnoxiously behind all the sports score reports? Are they afraid viewers will nod off? Seriously, who needs that racket? Might as well have dramatic music playing behind the news reports. Note: Making something loud doesn’t keep it from being dull. … OK, pop quiz. What do you miss from your childhood? Electric trains? Homework? The smell of your elementary school cafeteria? Betsy Wetsy dolls? The Mickey Mouse Club with Annette? American Bandstand? Cub Scouts? Brownies? Church twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday? Short Cokes in bottles – two cents return for the bottle at your neighborhood grocery store? Double-features at the movies? Your library card? Still got one?
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On Wednesday, crises, concerns and chances...

The inbox at Readlarrypowell.com continues to be overflowing with animal stories and needs and, in between, more animals at peril than a sane person can imagine.
Not that I know any people who, upon first glance, you’d just label as “sane.”  Now, let’s proceed.
THREE DOGS COMING UP: A note to some sources: I am working on reports on Hemi, Lincoln and Cola. And I appreciate your patience as I type like a madman. 
THE TRUTH ABOUT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES? You may be interested to read the Dallas Observer’s report regarding City Council Member Angela Hunt’s questions at the most recent “Quality of Life Committee” meeting at Dallas City Hall. The committee, which is a gathering point for information about all areas of life in the city, got what appeared to be an unexpected report on shortcomings at Dallas Animal Services. Things mentioned have been in the public eye – repeatedly concerns of the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission for years (yes, YEARS, long before current manager Jody Jones arrived and endured the budget blow of having her staff immediately reduced.).
Regular visitors to Readlarrypowell.com know that for some time these issues have been reported here based on public comments at the periodic Dallas Animal Shelter Commission meetings. Inexplicably, these concerns appear to have never been able to cross the bureaucratic barricade between the concerned public and commission to reach the city’s elected officials. Click HERE to read the story by the Observer’s Anna Merlan.
In the meantime, that dog with the curious look is Bailey – officially she’s A739016 AD73.
In a note about dogs with health issues, the shelter has appealed to rescue groups to help save their lives. Bailey is descried as a 3-year-old German Shepherd mix – spayed and microchipped and surrendered “by her owner due to cost.”
Now that’s nothing new on this planet. The situation is complicated for Bailey. She is absolutely house-trained which means she’ll do anything to not “go” under a roof. The shelter’s appeal reads, “Unfortunately, this has led to a few issues. With all the dogs we have at the shelter we are not able to put her outside as much as she needs. She has come down with a urinary tract infection!  She really needs to be in a home where she has access to a back yard.”
To offer to help Bailey, email [email protected]. Or just get up and go get her at the shelter – it’s open to the public at I-30 and Westmoreland. See www.dallasanimalservices.org.
[Larry aside: This Bailey situation makes me nearly cry. We have had many dogs who work so hard to not “go” and they appear to feel so ashamed when the human timing betrays their timing. This is a dog in the prime of her life and now she’s ailing because humans are ridiculously stupid and she was dumped because of “cost.” What is the value of a good dog? In Dallas? In Dallas they mean nothing; they are killed by the thousands just to be rid of them.]
CATS ON SALE AND VIOLA WAITS IN MCKINNEY: This dog is not a cat. Cats can be adopted for $10 in the Collin County Animal Services Shelter today. Oh, and Animal # 369029 appears to be a Maine Coon girl – she’s on the CCAS adoption list, too, right along with Viola.
They are among many, many animals in the Collin County Animal Services Shelter in McKinney and our tipster, the shelter walker Alison Roberts, says, “I have no idea why she hasn't been adopted!  She loves people and has done good with other dogs - we even paired her up with another dog in her kennel!  She knows SIT and seems to be a fast learner.”
Viola is 2, her number is 369695 and she’s been available for adoption since Aug. 31 without any takers.
Yes, the big white dog is being as overlooked as the shelter’s big black dogs.
To ask about Viola or any animal in the CCAS shelter, email
[email protected] and [email protected]. Call 972-547-7292.
You can see the CCAS urgent page (compiled by volunteers) HERE and the official county site HERE.
MEANWHILE IN CARROLLTON: It’s a pleasure to report that three Carrollton animals we mentioned in the last couple of days – M&M the Pitster, Louie the Cat Dumped Because of a Baby and Stretch the Great-faced Cat – have been saved. There are still animals awaiting rescue at Carrollton, including this quite-handsome fellow who was labeled a “stray” but has all the characteristics of a happy house cat. His name is Marbles. To ask about him or any Carrollton shelter critter, call 972-466-3420 or email [email protected].
AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT DALLAS ANIMALS ARE UP AGAINST: This dog was in one tough spot and needed help. Then the dog got help, but it still wound up in a tough spot and still needs help. 
A young woman – we’re going to call her Paula because she doesn’t need any guff from hard-line animal advocates -- picked him up at Commerce and Hampton in West Dallas. “He was definitely gong to get hit in traffic and so I could not let that happen,” she told Readlarrypowell.com. “After many hours of trying to find a place for him my friends found a shelter that would take him. And yes, it was the Dallas Animal Services. I did not know at the time that they are a kill shelter. I am very sad to learn this but I have heard that they try VERY hard to place them first! This Shepherd is extremely sweet and obedient!”
We put Paula in touch with Dianne Wood who has been looking for her escaped foster Shepherd Marmie for some time now. (You see the first story in our July 11 edition – click on our archives button on the left.) From the photo, we could not tell if this dog was Marmie. But Dianne checked and says no. She has been helping Paula deal with the found Shepherd situation.
Paula writes, “The dog is posted on their [DAS] website and his ID # is A739961. Diane helped me find him on Pet Harbor as I could not easily navigate the dallasanimalservices.org site.”
Another woman has been in touch with Paula regarding this dog. And at some point today, Paula says, “They decide…if he is adopted .... If she decides to get him, she will have to be at the shelter Wednesday at 11 to pick him up.”
Latest report is the woman’s husband told her to think it over and we won’t know for a while if the dog is adopted. Or saved. Stay tuned. When you’re on the clock for euthanasia, it’s always a race against time.
What might give a reader hope for the world is the note Paula’s dad wrote regarding this incident:
”My daughter Paula, in her kindness and charity, today saved a German Shepherd dog from traffic on a major highway. He was frightened, shocked and confused but after 30 minutes Paula got him into her car. She and her friends surrounded him with love and attention, fed him and settled him down. He was gentle, tired and one of the sweetest dogs she has ever met.
“He has been taken to a city shelter to be checked out. He will be under surveillance for 72 hours. We will know by the 12th if he will be made available for adoption.
”He appears to be maybe 7 or 8 years old and while very thin, he could easily be fed (and loved) back to health.”
[Larry aside: You see in the father and daughter some kindness. Sometimes kindness is just not enough to overcome the system.
This dog is just one more animal whose life depends on ifs and buts. And, of course, our contact Paula is not the only person in town who doesn’t know the difference between Dallas Animal Services, the SPCA of Texas, assorted humane societies, rescue groups and no-kill shelters – anybody else remember the responses when we asked the question of the candidates for mayor at a joint appearance last year?
There has to be some way to educate people so that they know what they are doing with a “found” animal.
And, of course, we have to remember that only the DAS has a “we take them all” policy – it’s the law. And, of course, it results in application of the ol’ Texas and Dallas tradition of “Got an animal problem? Let’s kill it.”]
HELPING COCKER SPANIELS: DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue is trying to get some much-needed money in a program set up by Chase Bank. Through Sept. 19 you can vote for the rescue group on the ChaseGiving page at www.ChaseGiving.com if you are a Chase customer or on Facebook HERE. If you bank elsewhere but believe in investing in Cocker Spaniels in rescue. The total money available is $5 million and that’ll be divided among 196 charities, according to the note from DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Remember, please, just because we focus on animals at Readlarrypowell.com, that doesn’t mean we’re not saddened and upset by things going on in other parts of the world. The tragedy in Libya makes the heart sick.  … I don’t know why I can’t get used to living in a world where so many people are prone to violence and mayhem. Heck, I’m a Baby Boomer who has witnessed, by virtue of newsreels and television, revolution and war in every corner of the globe. Congo, Cuba, Korea, Vietnam, etc. … I already don’t know how to solve the massive dog and cat euthanasia problem in Dallas. Might as well admit that I’m whipped on how humans can solve the problem of war and mayhem on the planet.  Peace seems like such a myth. I’m going to go lovingly and gently the ears of Inky the Cocker Spaniel and watch his stub of a tail wag in happiness. That’s one little place on the planet where peace and happiness prevail. One spot at a time, I guess.
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On 9/11, some opportunities...

[An FYI before we begin today’s report. One of the cable channels broadcast the annual reading of the names of victims of the 9/11 attacks. Those victims, those who read the names and the whole day are not forgotten at Readlarrypowell.com. The date has become a time when Americans share their tears and their memories. The America we love and respect triumphs over the villainy and is a nation that leads the world toward a kinder existence.]
We have a variety of stories to report today. Here goes:
AT DAS: There were five dogs scheduled to be euthanized today at Dallas Animal Services – five dogs on the list of animals that had been at the shelter 45 days or longer without a nibble from adoptors or rescuers.
Word this morning is that two made it out and three are still on the list but they’ve gotten an extension to Tuesday Sept. 18.  They won’t be killed on 9/11. [BULLETIN: About 6 p.m. we got a note from DAS that these three -- Coco, Milo and Smitty -- were adopted today. Yep, three saved on 9/11. Nice thing to know.] 
To ask about them – there’s no adoption fee for these dogs – email [email protected]. To rescue, email [email protected]. The adoption numbers are 214-671-0249 or 214-670-8312. The rescue number is 214-670-8298.
The three dogs are, Coco (upper left), Milo (right) and Smitty (left).
In the late 1960s, that would have been the name of a rock band. Coco, Milo & Smitty.
A BRIEF NOTE: Yesterday an impulse let me to suggest that animal shelters suspend euthanasia for this one day. It’s a way of honoring people whose lives were taken unjustly. Life is precious.
America, we believe, is a nation with kindness at its core.
Stopping this needless euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals would be a kind step – surely we can do it for just one day, then, maybe, more days until no animal enters a shelter just to be warehoused until it is killed to make room for the next load of unwanted animals. Shame on us for letting this continue.
FROM ARLINGTON: This is the 9/11 list from Arlington Animal Services, as compiled by Partners of Arlington Animal Services. Click on it to make it larger.

ROWLETT WORKING TO FIND CAT HELP: Veteran rescuer Dawna Carabajal sent us this note outlining the Rowlett Animal Shelter’s cat and kitten crisis. The pressure is on to find rescues that can take nearly a dozen (or more) healthy cats to help them dodge being euthanized. (That's some face on that available cat, eh?)
Dawna’s note reads, “A couple of rescue groups have responded that they can help IF foster homes can be found. So if anyone out there would like to foster 1 or 2 or 10 cats for the shelter we would really appreciate it! Or if they would like to adopt, all cat and kitten adoption fees have been reduced to only $25 this week and next week - and that is FULLY vetted. If anyone is interested in helping please contact the shelter at 972-412-6219 or email them at [email protected] OR contact Friends of Rowlett Animals through our Facebook page HERE or just email me and I will get them in contact with the right people ([email protected] )."
And Dawna provides a link to all the available cats and kittens HERE    
She says, “There are more in intake right now but they are on stray hold.”
WEATHERFORD: Stacey Carney, known by her email address as [email protected], sent us a handful of notes having to do with her work on behalf of the Weatherford Animal Shelter.
One is a horrific story about some puppies. It follows the mention of these two dogs.
The big dog is 55-pound Pitty girl Bonnie. (CASE NO: 12-2709P INTAKE: 38075 8-8-12).
The no-kidding Earhound doesn’t have an official name. He’s a young Chihuahua mix with a championship set of ears. His official details are CASE NO: 1-2892
INTAKE: 38290 8-25-12, according to Stacey’s note.
To ask about these dogs or any animal in the crowded Weatherford shelter (west of Fort Worth), call 817-598-4111.
THE WEATHERFORD PUPPIES – A GENUINELY: UGLY STORY: This bundle of puppies is in the “iffy” stage right now. The story was forwarded to us by rescuer Karen Lee and originated with West Texas tipster Stacey Carney who has been lately involved in trying to empty the Cisco and Weatherford animal shelters.
If you are the least bit squeamish, do not read any more of this story. There will be people who can handle it and will work for these puppies.
These dogs are not from Cisco; they are from Weatherford – at least that is where they were born into a sad, sad situation. The contact point to ask how to help them is Stacey’s email: [email protected].
Again, if you want to stop reading here, it will be OK. The story is horrible, but, maybe, some people should know just so they’ll understand what animals and animal rescuers are up against in this idiot world.
Stacey reports, “We are still unsure how many will have eye problems due to the maggots. They are all eating well and doing good so far but the rescue who took on this enormous task does need help financially.”
Here is the back story, according to Stacey’s distributed note: “So, yesterday (Friday) I got off early and decided to take a nice trip to Hobby Lobby with my roommate and then disaster struck. I got a call from a lady who got a dog of Craigslist and a week later she had puppies. The dog was very skittish and hid under the house most of the time. A couple of days ago, she said,they noticed a terrible smell and when they looked under the house the mom dog had died and all her puppies were nursing on her still. When they got her out they realized she had been dead for days and called me to help with the puppies.
”I cannot take anymore but I feared their fate if I didn't act fast. I called everyone I knew and being that it was a Saturday, I got no responses. My roommate and I decided to go get them as clean them up and bottle feed just until a foster was found. Z
”Once we picked up the pups we realized just how bad the situation was. The puppies were absolutely covered in teeny tiny maggots. We began washing them up and another rescue friend (Lindsay) came to help us. It was worse than we thought, not only did they reek of death (that would not wash away), a couple of them actually had maggots inside their eyes (I mean a bunch of maggots- you could not even see an eye ball). Many also had them in their ears. Thankfully, sweet Lindsay found a rescue to take on this litter who is all still alive as of today.
”They are in need of medical attention and their lives depend on it. Please if you can, chip in even 5 dollars to them to help with expenses. SEVEN puppies (that could possible be blind and special needs) will be expensive to vet and care for. Thank you Hands for Paws for taking on this enormous task and helping us out! Please share! I can't wait to see these babies grow up!”
The chip-in is HERE and you can ask Stacey about how to help by emailing [email protected].
LEGACY AND THE POISONED BOXERS: Legacy Boxer Rescue, whose website address is states its mission, www.savetheboxers.com , has posted a $4,000 reward in the case of two boxers who were poisoned by antifreeze in Fort Worth. You can see the reward notice on the Legacy Facebook page HERE and see the KXAS-TV (Channel 5) story HERE.
IN BURNS FLAT: Our tipster in the small western Oklahoma town of Burns Flat, Terry Lynn Fisher, says this dog was “found at a rig [drilling], hurt, bleeding and in bad shape. It looks as though she might have jumped or fell off a truck and possible drug behind it some. Her pads are raw and there are skinned parts on her side. She has had babies sometime in the near past. She is half starved. But through it all, she wagged her tail and licked the hands that offered her help.
“The boss at the location threatened if she was still there tomorrow, she would be taken are of -- that meant shot, so I had them bring her in to me and she is at my vet’s.”
To offer to help this dog by adopting or fostering or financing, contact Terry Lynn at [email protected] or 580-330-1459.
 Terry Lynn caught this action shot as the little dog licked her chops.
LEX IS FOUND: You may recall our story yesterday about Lex the PugX who was a little too much of a run-to-daylight dog at Joe Pool Lake. She was found “hiding under some old boats” at the “trailhead” of the Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association (DORBA) trail, reports her human, Tami Stanley. Safe and sound.
AT COLLIN COUNTY: Volunteer shelter walker Alison Roberts reports that Collin County Animal Services “made it through last week thanks to some great adoptions and rescues!  Of course shelter is still full...Any open kennel will help.”
Yu can see the dogs on a volunteer Facebook page HERE.
IN CARROLLTON: Things are moving slowly in Carrollton, according to the latest note from Carrollton Animal Rescue Enterprise, as the city’s shelter is known these days. Sixteen cats and a dog are on the euthanasia list
They include M&M the Dog and Louie the Cat (featured yesterday here) and this guy with the great face, Stretch The Cat.
Contact CARE at 972-466-3420 or [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS: It is America the Beautiful. We can always make it a little prettier by doing the right things. Being kind to people. Being kind to animals. Being mindful of what we can do as individuals to make lives easier, to give our nation and our neighborhoods reasons to be proud and confident in the American dream. We’ll just make this appeal one more time today. On a day remembered for death, we can stop euthanizing animals in shelters. One day. And, maybe some day it’ll be every day.
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Missing PugX and an adopted Earhound...

We have an afternoon edition today – why? Because PM Journalism rocks when you have time to read and gently sip a cup of swell coffee. A PM edition is a perfect place to make a note of a few things.
First, we’ll remind you to email your city or county animal shelter and ask them to take a day off for the sake of the animals. Just ask them to kill no animals on 9/11 – a proper day for America to stop taking lives in honor of hope and decency. Feel free to cut and paste this and send it to anyone who is involved with animals – really make it zip around the cyberuniverse. Maybe it’ll catch on in more places than one crumbling hacienda in Oak Cliff Texas where the dominant species is a Cocker Spaniel named Inky.
LOST AT THE LAKE: Tami Stanley of Texas Lab Rescue is fretting about this Pug mix who has been missing at Joe Pool Lake, southwest of Dallas, since Sunday.
She writes, “This Pug X is missing from Joe Pool Lake, near the DORBA[Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association] bike trailhead within the park as of yesterday around 11a.m.  “She was spotted this morning (9/10) around 8:15 a.m. in the same vicinity but the woman could not get her to come to her.  She is initially fearful but responds well if the person will get low to the ground.|
”I’ve named her Lex for now, but I’ve only had her for two weeks so she doesn’t know her name well unfortunately.”
When seen Monday, she was still wearing her collar.
To report Lex’s whereabouts, call 817-723-8705.
Tami says she was loading dogs up after a romp and all had been loaded but the heaviest “and when I bent down to help the heavy one up, the PugX jumped back out and bolted.   It was a split second.”
SOME HAPPY EARHOUND NEWS: You may recall this stunning set of ears – they grace the great face of the spectacular Earhound Bertie who, when we last wrote about him, was at Dallas Animal Services waiting on rescue, adoption or The Needle.
Bertie will not get The Needle on 9/11.
The Dallas Animal Services Rescue Team responded to my inquiry with “He has been adopted!! Yay!”
”Yay!” indeed. And if the person or family who adopted Bertie will get in touch with Readlarrypowell.com at [email protected], we’ll do a follow up story about Bertie – maybe explain how you had to widen the front door to get him and his ears into the house.
Thanks, by the way, to Jonnie England of the Texas Humane Alliance who first spotted Bertie and, like many of us, was enraptured by his look.
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Weather changes, attitudes may not & for just one day, a pause?

The phrase “frisky as a puppy” comes to mind this morning as lower temps grace Texas and our pups are frisky instead of moping about going outside.
It is 63 degrees in Dallas as this is being typed. Now, sweater at the ready, our morning report.
Oh, that’s a dog named Crockett. We’ll have his story later today. Mentioned him last week when he was “loose.”
AN IDEA: As I was working on today’s report, I kept seeing notes about animals scheduled for euthanasia on 9/11. It struck me that of all the days that America ought to suspend killing of any kind, 9/11 is that day. So, pass a polite request along to your city and county shelters that it would be nice if they’d give it a rest on 9/11. Don’t kill anything – not dogs, not cats, no critters – let life triumph on one day. Perhaps many voices can get things changed for at least one day. [Copy this item and forward it to all your contacts and shelters...maybe it'll help slow the pace. Sincerely, www.readlarrypowell.com .]
Why not stop for just one day? Are you on a schedule?
That dog is Milo, one of 5 dogs on the Sept. 11 euthanasia list at Dallas Animal Services. He’s on a list sent out to rescuers in hopes of saving the dogs who have been in the shelter for 45 days or more. If you can help them avoided the needle on 9/11, email [email protected]. The needle on 9/11. Sad.
STARVING IN ARLINGTON? How can any dog be in this shape in one of the area’s most successful suburbs? Who knows, but Dixie, found as a stray, is in lousy shape and waiting for a 9/15 release date in the Arlington shelter, reports Susan Tandukar, our source with Partners of Arlington Animal Services. (She also reports that Phoebe, the alleged child-nipping dog spotlighted last week, was rescued from the Arlington shelter by DFW Pup Patrol. Email [email protected] to ask about helping Phoebe.]
To ask about helping Dixie, email the Arlington shelter at [email protected].
[Larry aside: A note to Arlington’s shelter, if you go to the Dallas Love Animals/Dallas Animal Advocates site HERE you’ll see that a formerly starving Great Dane can be put to good public relations use – there’s a photo of the grand Great Dane Grace with Dallas City Council Member Delia Jasso.]
CARROLLTON’S CRISIS: The note from CARE (Carrolton Animal Rescue Enterprise, AKA the city shelter) begins, “Sorry to say it is pretty dismal, most of the cats are still with us and still need rescues or homes. The adoption event (sale) we just did, resulted in only a few adoptions. Only one from the urgent list. So we are asking nicely, politely and almost begging if you can please consider one of these great cats or kittens.”
Call 972-466-3420, or email [email protected].
Here are two of the availables at Carrollton.. M&M is the stray pit kid. Louie is a NEARLY 10-YEAR-OLD, NEUTERED cat who “was released to the shelter when his people had a new baby and could not take care of both of them.”
[Larry aside: I’ve had cats and I’ve had kids – if you have trouble taking care of a 10-year-old cat, you probably shouldn’t have children.]
WHAT? A STRAY IN DALLAS? For you people who say you never see strays in Dallas, here’s a Shar Pei mix  who was found running loose south of I-20 in Dallas, according to our tipster, veteran animal advocated and Dallas Animal Shelter Commission Member Maeleska Fletes. “It was not safe area and I had no place to take him so he went to Dallas Animal Services. He got a clean bill of health. He is so very sweet, follows commands and loves other dogs. The only problem with him is that he is solid black. He is getting neutered and fully vaccinated. He will be ready to go Monday.” (To ask about helping save this dog, email [email protected] or call 214-766-3577.
IRVING: If all goes well with my technology, this link HERE takes you to shelter walker Russell Posch’s latest photos and info about dogs in the Irving Animal Services Shelter. You’ll see Earhounds and big ol' dawgs and little dawgs. And you’ll see this dog, Shelby, who is growing anxious about being in a shelter. Who wouldn’t? This shelter, in one of the largest cities in the metrosprawl, is closed on Mondays but there is a rescue hotline at 972-721-3597 and the emails to use are [email protected] and [email protected]. Call the shelter at 972-721-2256 or 972-721-2257.
This is Shelby and she’s a 2-year-old, 30-ound dog (#16984018) that Russell has been tracking. He says the staff reports Shelby is starting to show kennel cough signs and she’s on the euthanasia list for 9/11. He writes, “She's one of the sweet dogs that you don't worry about because you are sure they will get adopted, but she's been at the shelter since Aug. 15 and she's about out of time.  Can someone get Shelby out of this jam?”
THE CROCKETT STORY: You will recall that last week we told of Lisa Crawford’s attempts to help Crawford, a dog who’d been dumped or lost or strayed or otherwise materialized and was surviving on the streets of Dallas.
Crawford has been rescued thinks to a combination of efforts by Lisa and the renowned Duck Team 6.
Lisa says that on Saturday “DT6 met me at Crockett’s old ‘place.’ I had a collar on him inside of a minute; and feel a little silly at how apprehensive I was. We petted him, tried to calm him, poor guy was shaking like Jello. I was uncomfortable picking him up . Rekka [Melby of DT6] handled him into a crate and off we went. He was picked up and weighed, picked up and carried to the exam table [at Hillside], picked up and handled all day, not one peep out of him. He's a sweetie, no doubt.
”Thanks again to DT6 we have a sponsor to get him neutered next week and that cut down on the vet costs. He got all his shots, will have some boosters next week. He was dewormed, all his sores were looked at; he was infested with fleas and ticks. He sparkles now, though! He has scratches on both eyes that require daily drops, I hear that will heal fast. After the vet, he had a nice bath and he smells better than a lot of two legged people running around town!
”He slept all evening, all night, after breakfast and a walk he is snoozing again. He does not snore like my girl, Belle, so no new noises to get used to. He  is still very timid about getting out; our short walk took longer than some medium walks Belle and I take .. but he was leading on the way back inside! Straight into his crate. His door is open, but like many males, this guy likes his man cave. 
“He still has some obstacles. His teeth are rotting and many of them will need to be removed. It was hard to tell his real age, between 4 and 6 so we are going with 5. He has always taken food very gently, it may be because of his teeth. he eats a little tenderly, I can testify he eats good enough, though. I let him free feed all evening and night ... filled his bowl 3 times. Going to get him on a routine now but his portions might be a bit bigger than normal for a minute or two.  ;c) 
”He also tested heartworm positive. We are going to network him, see if we can find a rescue. There is also a very kind lady that is going to talk to a few groups she used to work with to try to get me an introduction and hopefully some treatment at a discounted price for the heartworms.”
Lisa also writes, “A fully vetted dog is going to find a home a lot quicker than one with "issues", so getting him at 100% is a priority to me and if no discounted treatment is found or available then I will go this route. Also, if we do get treatment, we could use his financial donations to go towards his teeth. That one is probably going to a lot harder to find a vet to do pro bono or discounted. I'm not sure if his teeth hurt him, but again, from the way he eats he is at the very least aware of the issues.”
And she adds, “I want to say thanks again to everyone has and continues to come through for this deserving dog.”
To offer to help this dog, email [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS:  It is 63 degrees in Dallas as this is being typed.  I walked 2 miles in Kiest Park Friday afternoon when it was 106 or thereabouts. I liked that but I loved 63 degrees in the morning. Our dogs looked back at me like, “How’d you pull this off?”  Yes, they think I’m powerful – not really. They think I’m a pushover. … The Dallas Cowboys looked good on Wednesday against the New York Giants. But the other division teams looked good on Sunday. Could be a long season. … And, oh, yeah, stop for 9/11. My animalfanspouse Martha created the stop sign for Readlarrypowell.com. One day. One lousy day. Give the needle a rest. 
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