ReadLarryPowell.com

O, Teddy, you sly sleepin' dog...

This is a mood picture.
So is this one.
Now and then, a sleeper captures hearts. Might make you smile. Might even gently lead you to think, "I’d like to have a dog like that."
And that heart-capturing ability is why Teddy, the loyal companion of Sandy and Bill Sailer, earned the spotlight of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
Sandy sent an array of photos as you can see.
One of them, Sandy writes, shows Teddy "singing O Holy Night in front of the Christmas tree last year. We had just adopted him and didn't know he was so talented!"While perusing Petfinder, but not looking to adopt, I came across him at Operation Kindness.  He was listed as a senior that could be as old as 12.
"I talked my husband into ‘just looking’ at him.  We couldn't resist for long and two days later adopted him.
"He's a pure tri-color Pomeranian that weighs only 5 pounds. and has no teeth.  It's difficult to believe he was picked up as a stray out-of-town and held 2 weeks at a kill shelter before being transferred to OK.  He won't leave my side, so I don't know how he could have gotten lost.  "Several years ago we decided to adopt only senior or special needs dogs.
"After Teddy, we adopted a little girl with ‘special needs’.  I want people to know that seniors and special needs dogs have a lot going for them and to please not dismiss them so quickly.
"You can see Teddy is wearing custom made belly bands" in his photos – which I didn't know existed until last year.  It's a big help with little guys too lazy to use the doggie door!"
[Larry aside: You could have fooled me. I thought that ‘belly band’ was to help him hit the high notes in ‘O Holy Night.]
[To nominate your snoozer – in a yuletide mood or otherwise – for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, email the photos and info to [email protected]. We're proud to present these wonderful animals so the whole world has a chance to see that your critter has a handle on how to slumber – we insomniacs find these photos inspirational.]

---To comment, click below.---

 

As the blue screen reigns...

November comes to an end and so, apparently, does my desktop computer.
Second day in a row with the “blue screen terror.”
This is being produced on a lap top with which I have only emergency familiarity.
We’ll simply issue a blanket reminder that this area has many animal shelters and
many rescue groups and they’re all full or nearly full. So, if you need a dog
or cat or need to help someone comprehend that they need an animal companion,
go to a shelter or an animal rescue group and do a critter a favor.
Also, my email isn't working, so we may have a new address by the end of the day and if I owe you an email, well, I'm working on it.
THE ANIMAL SHELTER COMMISSION MEETING: As per usual after one of these marathon sessions, we’re going to hit the high spots today, then sprinkle in the other newsy things in upcoming editions.
There is simply too much to put into one report.
The theme of the meeting (though there was no “official” theme) could have been
“things are so much better than they used to be” and “look at all the new
things we have going on.”
The shelter manager’s report was a long one, highlighted by announcements of
new programs, enhanced programs and triumphs in such areas as veterinary care
for animals coming into the shelter, a new  grant  (The Carol 
Petrie Foundation Dog Rescue Grant – read about that on the ASPCA site
HERE). [More on these things in subsequent editions.]
Rudy the Rescue Dog made an appearance – and it was explained by Dallas Animal
Services Division Manager Jody Jones that his new name – winner of the Name the Name the Mascot Contest last week -- came from an effort by acquaintances to get the mascot named for Rudy Bush, reporter for the big paper in Dallas. (FYI: That campaign explained the apparent landslide that developed after Dash appeared to have the lead in the early going.]
Mary Spencer, who chairs the commission and also serves on the board of the
Dallas Companion Animal Project, formerly referred to as the “no-kill task
force,” reported that she’d scheduled a 30-minute meeting with Dallas Mayor
Mike Rawlings to discuss DCAP’s progress and he’d become so interested that the
meeting had lasted an hour and gained the mayor’s enthusiastic support.
DCAP Co-Chair Maeleska Fletes, also a member of the animal shelter commission,
outlined DCAP’s assorted efforts for the commission and announced that another
commission member, Chris Watts, is the new co-chair of DCAP. (More to come on
DCAP in subsequent editions.)
Old business included the continuing air-conditioning situation at the shelter –
the system hasn’t worked properly since the shelter opened half-a-decade ago. A
Dallas heating and air-conditioning specialist with a state license and a good
reputation has been trying to donate a free inspection and assessment of the
system, but the city won’t take the donation. Instead, the commission was told,
the man has been told to register as city-approved vendor and bid for the job.
Commissioner Bonnie Matthias who first brought the offer to the city’s
attention continues to be distressed by the city’s inability to accept a
bonafide free inspection and analysis. Animal Advocate Alyson Levis, during the
public comment segment of the meeting, told the commission she had been
involved with attempting to set up the free inspection of the failed system and
also didn’t understand why the city would not take the free inspection by an
expert in heating and air-conditioning. Code Enforcement Director Jimmy Martin
told the commission he would check with someone else at city hall and get back
to the commission and the attempted donor. [No doubt, more on this later.]
We’ll wrap up this report with some stats. The shelter stats reports show an
upward movement in live release rates over the past year. For example, the live
release rate in October 2011 was 30.94 percent while for October 2012 it soared
to 41.06 percent of animals taken in.
The intake for  October2011 was 1,785 animals and for October 2012 the intake was 1502.
So, as you can see, 41.06 percent of 1,502 is a lot of animals – but 58.94
percent going through the euthanasia process is a lot of animals, too.
The euthanasia number for October 2011 was 1660 and for October 2012 it was 1,398.
In the 2011/2012 fiscal year,  the Dallas Animal Shelter & Adoption Center, because residents don’t take care of their animals and because they dump them at an astonishing rate and because there aren’t enough rescue groups and new homes to handle the enormous load – yes, because of all that, the taxpayers of Dallas paid shelter employees to kill 19,041 animals last year, an enormous number of them healthy and adoptable former and could have been members of families.
That was down from 21,763 euthanasias in the previous fiscal year. Still, it’s
hard to celebrate when your city shelter still was forced to kill 19,041
animals that had no other place to go.
That mom and her puppies are currently in the Dallas Animal Services Shelter
& Adoption Center.  Ask about them by emailing [email protected].
[Larry aside: “As you can see just from this limited report, there are many
things going on in the Dallas Animal Services and Dallas Animal Shelter &
Adoption Center universe. More later.]
The next public shelter meeting is scheduled for March 28, though there will be
a commission retreat in early February. It is possible that there will be a
meeting in January so the commission can approve its annual report to the
Dallas City Council – might be a meeting, might not be.  More to come on that.
CATS IN THE AREA: Here’s an ironic sentence. “The cats aren’t moving.”
Indeed, getting cats out of the Dallas shelter is tough these days, according
to comments at the commission meeting.
Also, at the commission meeting, your vigilant newshound was seated next to
Operation Kindness intake director Sandi Laird who lamented that the no-kill
shelter in Carrollton also is having trouble finding people to adopt cats.
And, one of the first emails I opened this morning came from Patricia
Barrington, the Animal Control Division Manager for The Colony who began her
note with “Larry, we have had ONE cat adopted this month ... ONE.  It's troubling.”
That means that The Colony Kittens mentioned here earlier this week still need
homes.
And so does this cat, Miss Sonya. Manager Barrington says, “This little, petite
girl is affectionate, playful, gentle and lovable.  She is about 8-12 months old and is about the most easy going cat that I've ever met. She is a doll ... and she needs a home. She needs a home soon.”
[Larry note: When my funspouse Martha saw the photos of The Colony Kittens
earlier in the week, she said I should remind readers that we have experience
with the socializing effects of the staff at The Colony. It’s true, we helped
our friend Jo Wallace adopt her orangey-butterscotch handsome fellow Marsden
from The Colony a year ago and he is so darned congenial we thought about
running him for office on the “Can Do Nice Kitty Ticket.” So, if Manager
Barrington tells you a cat has been socialized and is “a doll,” you can bet on
it.]
To ask about adopting Miss Sonya, email [email protected] or
call 972-370-9250. You can see more of the shelters cats and dogs HERE.
That other cat? Why that’s Flash, waiting for a home at Operation Kindness. Click HERE to reach the OK animals.
CONTEMPLATION: The failing of my desktop pc is distressing. The thing holds
prose, notes, a poem or two, photographs, records, letters and, apparently,
something evil that makes it go to blue screen so that I find myself in
gut-wrenching angst. You’ll be happy to know that through it all, Inky the
Cocker Spaniel is asleep at the side of my desk chair and snoring like the old
man he is. And because I need to reposition my desk lamp because I’ve switched
to the laptop on my desk, Annabelle Bob the Black Cat is currently sitting
straight up and motionless and warming herself under the 100-watt desk lamp.
Oh, wait. She just curled up under the lamp and kicked my mouse off the desk. I have no doubt that she will shortly begin snoring like an old man, too. Regretfully, I have too many things to do today to snore like an old man at any point.
--- To comment, click below. ---

A meeting, the mail, some animals and a wander-up dog...

The fact that this is Nov. 29 already proves that November 2012 is now the fastest month on record.
What we’re racing toward, I don’t know. Having trouble deciding whether to wear a helmet or a tuxedo.
Overnight, our AOL shut down because there appeared to be an "unusual actvity" involving our email address. I discovered this at 2:37 a.m. when I was awakened by an alert dog. I thought she was barking at a potential intruder or would-be domestic feral cats arguing politics with would-be domestic possums on the front porch, Little did I know she was barking at cyberracket caused by an evil hacker. [Yes, that is Wendy who is sleeping in this morning, having been up all night on alert.] Things are working fine, now -- but if you sent email to [email protected] between about 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., send it again. Unless it's something really stupid. Don't send that again. I've already got a lifetime supply of stupid.
MEETING TODAY: The Dallas Animal Shelter Commission meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today in Room 6ESouth at Dallas City Hall. It’s open to the public and the business on the agenda includes a report from the animal shelter manager about activities and achievements. There’ll also be shelter statistics.
And there’ll be a report on the work of the Dallas Companion Animal Project, the city’s no-kill task force; an update on the air-conditioning situation at the city shelter and discussion of other other topics.
See the agenda on the City Secretary’s site HERE.
If you miss this meeting of the Animal Shelter Commission, the next one is scheduled March 28, 2013, which means that unless something odd of either an astoundingly beneficial or emergency nature happens, we’ll go the entire season of winter without a commission meeting. Winter arrives on Dec. 21 and spring arrives on March 20, 2013. By law, the commission is required to meet only 3 time a year for a public discussion of shelter issues, animal situations and other animal issues that may be of interest to taxpayers and residents. 
ABOUT THE TRIAL: We’ll spare all of us the details of “proving up” (as the lawyers say) the elements of cruelty and simply report that it was a jury of 7 women and 5 men who found Alexander Matthew Good, 27, guilty of animal cruelty that resulted in the death of Jack, the little Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix. Jack belonged to Mr. Good’s girlfriend who was so frightened after the incident that she fled the state.
The jury took 3 hours to reach a verdict.  They will not hear the punishment phase.
The defendant opted to let the judge will hear that phase -- probably in January the judge will listen to the defense explain why Mr. Good should not be sent to prison and the prosecutors explain why he should get the max. Mr.  Good is free on bail right now. He could get probation or two years in custody.
THE IRVING PRESSURE: Kennel cough seems to be a bit of a problem at the Irving Animal Shelter these days, so folks are hustling to treat the affected dogs and get them out to safer places and away from animals as yet unaffected.
Veteran shelter walker Russell Posche provided this list of animals on the spot in Irving. Click HERE.
Among the animals are (upper right) Ruby, a retriever mix who is a year old, showing signs of kennel cough, and in the shelter because her owner was moving and couldn’t take her with im.
That fluffy-faced dog is 7-month-old Dakota, an Aussie mix who is now on death row at the shelter because her owner turned her in and said “not enough time” for the dog.
And that black and white dog is 9-month-old Rodney – listed as a Collie mix but designated as “stray.” He probably is a stray, but he’ was probably out shopping for a gift for his human and got lost. It’s that time of year.
Oh, it’s also that time of year when people unload the family pet so they can go on holiday vacations, too.
To ask about these dogs or any animal in the Irving shelter, email [email protected], [email protected]  or  [email protected]. Call the shelter at 972-721-2256 or 972-721-2257.
According to the note from shelterwalker Posch, an Irving shelter vet is monitoring the dogs and any kennel cough medication prescribed will be sent with the dog when it’s adopted or pulled by rescue.
TWO DOGS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD: Chrystal Hays sent Readlarrypowell and a number of other animal people an email titled “Failure of the system to protect animals and citizens in Brettonwoods.”
These two photos show two dogs roaming the Red Bird neighborhood just north of Dallas Executive Airport. They were originally together. No longer. The little dog was found dead in the street.
Chrystal wrote, “The surviving dog is a brown husky, on the tamer side of the ‘husky spectrum.’
”The victim dog was a black and white terrier...black with a white chest and socks, and a little white tip on the tail...maybe some Dachshund in there.”
These photos were taken by a neighbor “when we first began working on the problem, asking if anyone knew them, around the 1st of November.
”Both were perfectly adoptable, and we had hoped the owners would eventually just let DAS have them, because the adoption system or a rescue group would be thrilled to place them. But even just keeping them in their yard would have at least prevented this.
”We are using a new networking service called Nextdoor, which is like Facebook, only for neighbors. Only neighbors can participate, and the site sets geographical boundaries. It has been excellent in finding lost pets, owners of lost pets, and in situations like this. We are all posting pictures of our pets in a gallery, so if anyone finds one, it can be identified right away.
”Without that, we all would have been mad, sad, etc...but would not have been coordinated enough to make what little progress we did.”
She ended the note with a sad, “We were so hopeful.”
Now you read that and perhaps you wonder, “What else is there to this story? Why didn’t they just take the dogs?”
They did. Chrystal explains how the system worked briefly but couldn’t beat the ultimate unfortunate behavior of the humans who had the dogs.
Chrystal wrote a letter to Dallas Animal Services about this and copied it to Readlarrypowell.com.
Here’s the letter:
“We have neighbors who let their dogs run loose. They have a history of this, and actually left a dead puppy in the street for days, and just got more dogs. The dogs are not housepets and are outside all the time, usually roaming around the crowded elementary school.
”Attempts were made to explain to the neighbors that this was not legal, not safe, dangerous for the dogs, etc. (They are renters whose first language is Spanish)
”They pretended not to understand.
”We contacted Dallas Animal Services and had Spanish-speaking AC officers talk to them.
”Animals still out.
”We caught the animals (as a team) and took them in to DAS. Despite the neglect, the dogs are very friendly and sweet.
”Owners came and got them. No effort made to keep them in.
”We caught them again and took them in.
”Owners came and got them. No effort made to keep them in.
”Because they are microchipped and the fines don't seem to increase with multiple offenses, this could go on forever. No idea what kind of penalties have been levied, or if they tried to talk their way into lenience.
”It can't really go on forever, though.
”Two days ago, the smaller dog was dead in the street.
”Body left until yesterday evening, when I went and collected it into a plastic container. Other neighbors were too upset to do this, so I stepped up. I also took photographs.
”My inclination is to bring you the body, let you scan it, call them in, show them their dog, and write citations for violating leash laws, I guess.
”This has caused no end of distress to everyone in the neighborhood. Ladies in tears, children upset, people who did the catching and transport and networking with DAS are livid.
”Sadly, it still is not over because the other dog is still alive.... for now.
”One of us is trying to find out who the landlord is, so we can complain, if they are in fact renters and not just incredibly irresponsible home owners. [FYI: The landlord turns out to be a relative of the man.]
”Fortunately, we have cold weather, so I can write this and hope for a response about the body. If I were fluent in Spanish, I might be tempted to communicate with them myself, but luckily for them, I am not.  I'm a really big fan of getting dogs back to their owners, educating owners, even helping owners with their fences. But this is the equivalent of putting kids back in neglectful and dangerous homes.
”Yes, we may have some cultural gap here, but many people come to this country and manage to follow the law, regardless of what the rules were in their native land. There are a multiplicity of things that are legal in other countries...even other Texas counties....that we just don't do here in Dallas. It's been explained, many times, and they are openly and willfully ignoring the law. If they were firing weapons into the air, or burning old cars and tires in the back yard, or serving alcohol to children, it would be just as illegal.
”Please, advise.”
So, readers, there you go, an example of what animal rescuers, shelter personnel and animals are up against. The ol’ “don’t care, I can always get another one” attitude.
CONTEMPLATION AFTER THE DALLAS STORY: Chrystal’s report is the story in Dallas.
The next story, ongoing right now, is one of my favorites this week. It demonstrates that sometimes a wandering dog gets a break.
Our source is someone who has demonstrated a big heart toward animals for years, nursed many a dog through tough times and made a home for dogs who needed one.
Here’s the story of a wandering dog in an area west of the Metrosprawl.
“We almost made it through this year without a stray dog showing up here," our tipster wrote.
”Sunday night a little old beagle was under the brush on our land..
”[My husband] tried to get it to come but it ran up in too much brush. That's where her scoopy hole is dug.
”So yesterday morning she saw me and ran up and pushed through the wire on the cattle gate.
”She was so cold she was shivering. Hungry does not even describe it .She came to me like please lady feed me! She looks like a really small beagle mix.
”Of course none of our neighbors know where she is supposed to be. So [our son] is taking her to our vet to check for a chip and get her meds for her cough.
”She has a bite wound on her ear. I don't know if the coyotes had her or what. No collar, no tags, of course. “
This dog now appears to have a home -- her health issues don't include heartworm, but she's not totally healthy. She's come to a place that has experience in helping unhealthy dogs thrive.
So that’s a dog that has found safety during a Texas cold spell.
Why?
My theory? She has that special sense that dogs seem to have.
She knows where the angels live.
--- To comment, click below. ---

Situations and solutions...

[MIDAFTERNOON BULLETIN: Regarding a story mentioned below, the fellow accused of cruelty in the death of his girlfriend's dog, Jack, has been found guilty. More to come. Case summary in story below.]

Here at midweek, notes on the way the world is turning.
Challenges abound, but so do successes. We can’t cover them all, but we’ll take a shot at the high points.
Like for example, this dog is the target of an attempted good deed by the Humane Society of Flower Mound. More on this situation in a moment. First some Dallas news:
THE MASCOT GETS A NAME:  Rudy the Rescue Dog is now the name of the big  faux dawg who is the mascot of Dallas Animal Services.
The DAS Facebook Page reports the results were 480 votes for Rudy, 221 for DASH, 104 for Hope, 15 for Taggz and 3 for Wes. Each vote represents a dollar contributed to the shelter’s animals.  We’re working on getting the next public appearance of Rudy so you’ll know where to shake paws with him.
[Larry aside:  Now and then an idea for making money comes to mind and here’s one that’ll both make money and make a point. Auction the rights to neuter, vaccinate and microchip Rudy. He needs to set a good example for Dallas, after all. ]
A CRUELTY UNIT AT THE DA’S OFFICE:  The DAS Facebook site also posted a note reporting that Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins has formed an “Animal Cruelty Unit that will help to prosecute cruelty cases in the City of Dallas.”
We’re attempting to get the details on this. DA Watkins has kept his office active in vigorously prosecuting animal cruelty since his election in 2006. The first notable case was that of Mercy, the dog fatally burned by Deshawn Quattrail Brown who was found guilty and sent to prison. Mr. Watkins and his chief prosecutor in the case attended the candlelight memorial for Mercy at Operation Kindness after that conviction in 2007.
A post originating from DAS says DAS Division Manager Jody Jones “was instrumental in bringing the idea to the DA and getting the ball rolling. We are SO proud of her!!!!!”
[Larry aside: Veteran observers of animal issues in Dallas may recall that DA Watkins has long been cheered for his vigorous prosecution in animal cruelty cases. And, you may also recall that the previous most publicized DA/shelter manager story occurred when the DA prosecuted the previous shelter manager for animal cruelty after a cat was allowed to die in the wall of the shelter. The manager was acquitted, but the cat was still dead. And that incident led to shelter management reform and to the hiring of veteran shelter executive Jones who brings years of exepertise in animal services management and funding pursuit to the position.]
FINAL ARGUMENTS TODAY: As noted above, the Dallas County District Attorney’s office continues to prosecute animal cruelty cases. One of the more publicized is scheduled for final arguments this morning unless something has changed overnight.
Alexander Matthew Good is charged with animal cruelty in the case of this dog, Jack, who died from injuries allegedly inflicted by Good in August of 2011.
Mr. Good, 27, of Grapevine, is accused of killing the 5-year-old Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix that belonged to his girlfriend. She fled the state out of fear after finding Jack in pain and terribly injured in her apartment.
The case is being heard in Judge Robert Burns Criminal District Court No. 1 on the 6^th floor of the Frank Crowley Courts Building at 133 N. Riverfront, just west of downtown Dallas near I-35 and Commerce.
Click HERE  to see the Fox News 4 story.
A DOG IN NEED OF A HOME: For every one “Pit Bull-type dog” involved in a horrible attack story, there must be 10 or 20 or even more great family “Pit Bull-type dogs” who are adored and beloved. They’ve been loved and properly taught with love. Sometimes animal attitudes are directly related to an unloving environment. They just don’t know how to behave so they don’t.
This dog is named Stella. We learned of her plight from Stacy Smith of the Humane Society of Flower Mound.
Stacy writes, “We would really like to help this dog get out of Lewisville Animal Services but are having no luck finding her a foster, even though during the short time she spent with the people who found her, she was lovely with their dog and seemed to have nice house manners.  No doubt her breed is putting people off but she is gorgeous, sweet, and deserves better than what she's gotten up to this point in life.  Do you think you could feature her?  If we can find her a foster home (inside...not sticking her back in a yard somewhere), HSFM will take her and cover all her medical bills, etc. She just needs a place to stay until she finds a home.”
That’s the pitch.
Stacy explains that the people who found Stella “are older and travel a lot and didn’t feel they could commit long-term.”
Then she adds the story of Stella “as we know it.” The dog is a bout a year-and-a-half old, weighs 64 pounds and is a pit mix.
She was found wandering the streets.
”It was very obvious that Stella had recently had a litter of puppies, and was still nursing. We were able to find her owners, who said they'd rescued her when she was already pregnant …Reunite her with her people and puppies. Happy ending - right? Wrong! The week after the reunion, we discovered that Stella had been surrendered to a local shelter because her owners no longer wanted her. It is so heartbreaking to know that this mama is now alone, separated from her puppies, her people and her home.”
She was turned over to the shelter while she was still lactating – thus she was in discomfort both physically and emotionally.
Stacy continues, “Please, please don't let her breed mix scare you. These pictures were taken when she was with our volunteer, before we found her owners, and she was so sweet with the people and their other dog. She is a strong girl, however, so she needs someone who is able to handle a strong dog. We desperately want to pull Stella from the shelter, but we can't until we have a foster home for her.”
To offer to foster Stella – or maybe even try her out as your companion – email [email protected].
UPBEAT NEWS FROM THE COLONY: Our longtime tipster in The Colony, Patricia Barrington, the city’s Animal Control Division Manager, has a great vantage point to positive developments now and then. She explains the latest news and the latest challenge:
”A miracle plus one was witnessed at The Colony Animal Services Shelter yesterday.  A dog that was surrendered by his owner a day prior was adopted within 5 minutes of opening for business.  A dog that was given up because he would exit his crate and immediately go potty on the floor and he was also, reportedly, too hyper to handle.  I followed up with the adoptive owner this morning, as when she adopted the dog she was given the low-down as reported by the previous owner as well as tips to rectify the alleged issues.  The new owner said to me, ‘He has NO problems.  He goes right to the door when he needs to go potty, comes in and snuggles with the kids.  He has no problems.’ :Miracle 1.
”Miracle numero dos:  Right after the problem dog was adopted by the problem-solving owner, Second Chance SPCA visited the shelter and took EVERY available dog.  You heard right, EVERY dog that could be adopted or rescued, Second Chance rescued!!  Now, of course that didn't leave the shelter empty and by the end of the day, yesterday, we were close to full again - but, a miracle nonetheless.
”Today, I'm hoping for one more holiday miracle.  I'm hoping to move some cats.  Specifically, 4 black and white kittens. They were tamed up nicely by all of us here (they were a few degrees past crazy wild when they arrived).  They are adorable, playful and well-socialized now.  These little ones are about 7-8 weeks old and need rescued or adopted sooner than later - their need is urgent.  So, if any of your readers have room for a feline friend in their life, we here at The Colony Animal Services would be honored to help them fill that void.”
To ask about taking in a “well-socialized” kitten or an extra special dog, email [email protected] or call 972-370-9250.
CONTEMPLATIONS: The animal issues in Dallas will whipsaw your brain. Some days things work, some days things are dynamically horrible.
What can change all this? Some people say nothing. Others say vigorous prosecution. Some say polite and vigorous education of the general public. Some say application of the “Two-by-Four of Enlightenment,” but that would be wrong.
Some city council members want “sweeps” of neighborhoods to pickup free-roaming dogs that threaten the public welfare or attack the public. But those neighborhoods can be swept in January and overloaded with roaming dogs six months later, maybe sooner if there’s a vibrant puppy season.
There’s got to be some way to get the attention of that part of the public that doesn’t properly, responsibly, lovingly tend to its animals.
Maybe the expected vigor of the Dallas Companion Animal Project is the answer – perhaps it is the entity that can get the attention of the people and authorities and vigorously persuade people to shut down the pipeline of unwanted animals into “The Lab” at Dallas Animal Services.
After all, as we’ve long noted, when you find an animal problem in Dallas, look for a human problem. All Zip Codes, all cultures, all ethnicities, all economic levels. It’s not a matter of gender, color, income or location; it’s simply a matter of the heart. Every decision is individual – no group takes a vote on failure to spay or neuter. No group decides to neglect an animal. It's individual. The groups bond to right these wrongs.  
--- To comment, click below. ---

The no-kill task force -- a year old, it's challenges much older...

"It is unacceptable that a city as great as Dallas still feels it is OK to euthanize healthy adoptable pets or to ignore their suffering. We must have a business and civic alliance in order for DCAP to succeed.”
 -- Mary Spencer, Dallas Companion Animal Project and Dallas Animal Shelter Commission.


            The Dallas Companion Animal Project, announced as a “no-kill” task force when formed by the city more than a year ago, is still in business though it is enduring a lack of official, civic and public support, two members of the task force recently told Readlarrypowell.com.
          The support it does have is vigorous and determined and generally more of a personal nature than institutional or corporate, according to the task force members acting as spokespeople for the project.
          The success of the drive to reduce euthanasia in Dallas via DCAP may hinge on corporate, civic, government and public support galvanized to boost a single DCAP-type organization emerging from a merger of already-existing groups next month.
          Acquiring a professional, salaried manager to lead DCAP is regarded by some as the key to ending the annual mass-killing of unwanted animals in Dallas. (In the past year, in spite of relatively slightly lower intake numbers and slightly lower euthanasia numbers than in previous years, DAS euthanized around 20,000 dogs, cats and other animals.)
          A year after announcing its 5-year plan, the Dallas Companion Animal Project remains an almost unnoticed entity except to those intimately involved with it, interviews with two key commission members suggest. In an age of "branding," the DCAP "brand" is on hold.
A MERGER AND THE FUTURE: At this point, DCAP, with its major goal of drastically reducing the number of unwanted animals killed in Dallas, is run by people who are more rescuers than they are managers or fundraisers. 
    They have big hearts – and sometimes the impolitic demeanor of fearsome rescuers --, but frequently the rush to save an animal or a litter does not allow for diplomatic and persuasive natures to influence the big pocketbooks needed to establish staying power in the non-profit world.
          These people can fight through barbed wire to pull a dog out of a tight spot and get a litter of kittens to safety, but they are limited by time and experience in the pursuit of the dramatic amount of money needed to make DCAP a household acronym in Dallas.
          That may change soon – the operating phrase is “after the merger.” [More on that in a moment though we were unable to get any official comment or update from the guiding organization, the Metroplex Animal Coalition – negotiations were too delicate at the time, we were told.]
A LITTLE HISTORY: The Dallas Companion Animal Project task-force was appointed in the summer of 2011 by the City of Dallas. (You can see the list of task force members on the DCAP website HERE.)  
          In October of 2011, the task force presented a five-year plan to reduce the deaths of unwanted animals in the city’s shelter. (The phrase “no-kill” is used but the actual definition of “no-kill’” is not quite absolute – the definition ranges from no animals being killed to only animals who have behavioral problems or incurable conditions, untreatable conditions, etc.)
          Readlarrypowell.com began seeking a year-end report as September was closing and finally was invited to interview two of the DCAP task force members on Oct. 29, meeting with Maeleska Fletes and Mary Spencer in the Skip Trimble Conference Room at Dallas Animal Services.
          Maeleska Fletes was handed the reigns of the DCAP project earlier this year when the initial chair, Rebecca Poling, resigned the chairmanship duties under the press of other animal-related projects, including being employed to direct social media at Dallas Animal Services. Mary Spencer, a member of the DCAP task force, is chairman of the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission and longtime SPCA of Texas board member,
          All three currently serve on both the task force and the City of Dallas Animal Shelter Commission.
THE CHANGES: Whatever is happening with the Dallas Companion Animal Project may be changing next month. DCAP may be “merged” with a long-established animal advocacy group – those negotiations are regarded as so delicate that they are being conducted without general public input or explanation. [More on this in a segment from Mary Spencer later in this report.]
          During the interview, many questions were met with “We won’t know until the merger.” For example, will DCAP continue to be the “brand” or will that change? Won’t know until the merger.
          During the interview Animal Commission Chair Spencer emphasized that DCAP maintains its six key goals to reduce the number of unwanted animals euthanized in Dallas each year:
          In a summary she provided DCAP is credited with creating a website of resources and info for the community; “a social media presence with over 4,000 fans”; creation of a “coalition of over 198 individual supporters, 27 community partners and 48 Animal Advocacy Partners; creation of a “tri-fold marketing brochure introducing DCAP and its many beneficial and critical programs.” (A task force member donated the design and printing costs of the brochure, but distribution has been limited.)
The DCAP six goals:
          --Awareness and Education. This involves DCAP member presence at adoption, vaccination, microchip and spay-neuter events, according to the summary. She wrote, “It was a memorable day for everyone attended on June 30 at Dallas CAN Academy when Dallas Companion Animal Project held its first ever outreach event for pets and their families” (FYI: The occasion was a Big Fix For Big D spay/neuter event – the “operating” partner was Kauffman County Animal Awareness Project which did the surgeries and vaccinations. That event resulted in 28 spay/neuters. DCAP also was at events organized by Dallas Loves Animals, the Metroplex Animal Coalition, and other organizations.) .
          --Feral and community cat programs. Not really any news in this area. (These are programs that keep cats out of the city shelter by giving them a protected “colony” in which to live or by making them “community responsibilities.”)
          --Fundraising. According to the summary, this is slow-going because DCAP is not a 501c3 (non-profit) – it is a city-appointed task force.
          --High volume free and low-cost spay/neuter. (FYI: The highly-publicized Big Fix For Big D was already in planning stages when the task force was announced and is not part of DCAP though they share goals.)
          --Pet owner outreach. There are smaller projects that DCAP has established – a program helping clients at Crossroads Community Center with pet supplies, for example.
          --Pet placement support. This involves working with the 48 Advocacy Partners and area rescue groups to increase the number of animals pulled from Dallas Animal Services. DCAP also has been supporting a facelift at the Dallas Animal Services Adoption Center to make it a more pleasant environment for visitors and potential adoptors.
THE INITIAL YEAR: The two DCAP representatives described the first year as “challenging.”
          Both Fletes and Spencer say it would be nice if DCAP had more visible political support from the city’s council members.
          There are smaller projects that DCAP has established – the program helping clients at Crossroads Community Center with pet supplies, for example. 
          And, DCAP supports DAS efforts to promotion adoptions, spay/neuters, transfer of animals into rescue groups, etc.
          Being able to quickly discern what is a DCAP project and what is a project DCAP supports is still in the future.
          Since the announcement of the formation of this “no-kill task force,” media attention has been slight.
          One project – getting veterinarians to display adoptable DAS kittens in their office lobbies – had three vets lined up but faltered when logistics between the shelter and the offices could not be worked out, Mary Spencer said. That was disappointing, she said, but there’s still hope.
          Most of these projects affect, at the most, a few dozen animals and the increased adoptions are dramatic, but between the adoptions and the “pulling” by rescue groups, the City of Dallas still killeds nearly 20,000 unwanted in the past year, most to make room for other unwanted animals. 
          [Larry aside: This suggests that the “awareness and education” portion of DCAP – just like the years and years of spay/neuter and responsible ownership lecdtures by previous groups -- is falling on the ragingly notorious “don’t care, don’t know and don’t want to know deaf ears” of Dallas residents. They are the people who fail to spay/neuter their animals, fail to confine their animals and fail to be responsible and attentive rather than cruel and neglectful. Their actions – and their actions alone – put animals at peril.]
WHAT IS NEEDED? This brings us to what Task Force member Spencer described as “What do we need to move forward?”
[Aside: Keeping in mind, of course, that the “merger” in December may solve some of this, may change some of this or may reshape it into a whole new creature. Nothing is yet clear.]
          According to the list of what’s needed:
          (1) Money and funding and positive media attention. “We are all working extremely hard to move this plan forward, with very limited resources, time from everyone providing their experience and no money. In essence, we are doing the best we can.”
          (2) “Volunteers at all levels.”
          (3) A 501c3 status for fundraising. The list included this note, which gives a hint of things to come. Taskforce member Spencer wrote, “To date [Oct. 29], we are working on a potential merger between MAC (Metroplex Animal Coalition) and DAA (Dallas Animal Advocates) which seems the most logical solution. This merger has been in the works since last spring and everyone is in agreement. To merge two 501c3 into one organization which would govern DCAP takes time and a facilitator to make it happen correctly – for everyone. An experienced facilitator costs money (which we don’t have) and everyone within DCAP has full time jobs and responsibilities and cannot take this task on with the dedication and expertise it requires. We still feel confident that it will happen this fall.”
          (4) “Financial resources to assist rescue groups to pull more animals from DAS and financially be able to care for them through foster homes, medical services and boarding fees when necessary. We need a low-cost veterinary clinic to provide x-rays and other types of medical services that DAS cannot.”
          (5) “Additional medical resources for low-income pet owners who have little or no financial means to help an injured or sick, pet and additional sources for pet food through distributors or stores or donations to help purchase the food. At the moment we are dependent on one distributor who donates food when there is an overflow or when the food has lot its shelf life. Or when a Task Force Member purchases the food at The Green Pet’s professional discount. Last month [September] a Task Force member went to Sam’s Club and purchased 600 pounds of dog and cat food because Crossroads was completely out of all pet food. We need labels for the Crossroads baggies of food providing information about Big Fix and the low-cost services, but we have not had the money to do this. Now, we are just getting the questionnaires filled out and making the calls to the folks who fill them out to schedule the surgeries.” 
          (6) “Dedicated and full-time leadership from a salaried professional. Just as critical, the biggest thing that will change Dallas culture regarding homeless pets is the active, genuine involvement of city council members and other civic leaders. City council members and the mayor seem to give these dedicated efforts of DAS and DCAP merely lip service at best. ‘Out of sight-out of mind’ seems to be the attitude.”
          Then, the summary adds, “In order for DCAP to be successful, we must receive the wholehearted endorsement of civic leaders in our community. Three must be commitment on the part of the business community to fund educational awareness, outreach and our other programs. 
         "The mayor has endorsed effort for the Southern Sector of Dallas and that area is where the majority of DCAP efforts are going he has also endorsed effort for city-private partnerships, which is what DCAP is all about.
          ”It is unacceptable that a city as great as Dallas still feels it is OK to euthanize healthy adoptable pets or to ignore their suffering. We must have a business and civic alliance in order for DCAP to succeed.”
    PLACES ONLINE: And there you have it, a long, but only scratching-the-surface report of what’s happening and what is needed in the view of people involved with the Dallas Companion Animal Project.
You can follow DCAP’s blog/website HERE and
And on Facebook HERE you can read about individual efforts to help animals and see some of the positive comments springing forth from people trying to help DCAP build momentum in its second year.
To see the actual 5-year plan, click HERE.
An update on DCAP activities is on the agenda for Thursday’s Dallas Animal Shelter Commission at 1:30 p.m. in Room 6E South at Dallas City Hall.
And, of course, as is our style in seeking the opinions of others…
--- TO COMMENT, CLICK BELOW. ---

Cats in crisis, dog on the highway, Susie's plight and contemplations

Ever had your photo made when you weren’t in the mood?
Yeah, that’s what I thought when I saw this photo from Arlington.
Ever eaten more than you should have and found yourself just too full to hit the shower and comb your hair?
That’s what I thought when I saw this photo from Arlington.
In a moment we’ll get to the plight of these cats – today is “the day” for them unless humans can get them out of the Arlington shelter.
First, we’re going to visit a dog we wrote about back in early August. She had a gut full of rocks and sticks and …well, she needs a home now. Triumphed over the medical emergencies and now needs a place to be loved. We’ll start with her story.
THE SUSIE PROJECT: Back in early August, the rescuer and member of the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission Maeleska Fletes pulled this dog Susie out of a dry streambed near White Rock Lake.
She was laden with parasites, had horrible skin and had been eating whatever she could get – bones, sticks, rocks. And her collar had grown into her neck.
The efforts to find a home for Susie have been unsuccessful. She came back onto the local radar because we got a note from our ol’ pal Becki Haisma, longtime stalwart of Paws In The City, now working and rescuing in Los Angeles but still linked to Dallas.
She’s been making appeals to help Maeleska find a place for Susie.
Becky writes that since early August Susie has been “boarded at a trainer's kennel for $250 every 2 weeks. He says she is NOT aggressive in any way and is trusting people.  She will curl up in your lap and plays well with other dogs in group play.  The trainer is happy to speak to any potential rescue or foster parent about her.  She is very adoptable!
”No rescue group has offered to intake her and no one has agreed to foster. Maleska invested almost $2,000 already between the vet, trainer and boarding bills. She cannot continue to pay indefinitely.  Susie was too weak to spay and treat heartworms initially.  Now she is at a good weight and skin issues cleared up so we need to raise funds to treat heartworms and spay.  Susie needs a FOSTER HOME or a RESCUE GROUP to intake her ASAP or she will be euthanized with no other options available.”
Maeleska set up a PayPal donation site. In spite of Facebook exposure and other publicity, this Pit girl Susie has received only one donation
To offer to help her, email [email protected] or call 214-766-3577.
Susie is now healthy enough to be spayed and undergo heartworm treatment. She just doesn’t have a place to recuperate.
Becki, after speaking to Maeleska about the dog, wrote, “Suzie does not deserve to go through the stress of a city shelter to end up being killed because she has heartworms and is a pit mix. …  I have a lot of respect for Maleska does and that is why I want to try to raise funds, put out the plea and help her help Susie.  Susie has been through such a hard life, has now started healing and deserves a second chance.  …II hope my plea touches you and you donate or use your connections to find a foster or rescue group to help sweet Susie.  It would be such a shame if so much money was spent to save her...just for a sad ending.”
ANIMAL SHELTER COMMISSION MEETING: The Dallas Animal Shelter Commission, the panel appointed by the city council members to monitor the shelter on their behalf as required by state law, meets at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Room 6E South in Dallas City Hall.
Items on the agenda include reports on the shelter’s long-running air-conditioning problems, a spay/neuter fund update, registration renewal notices, an update on the work of the no-kill task force (Dallas Companion Animal Project) and the animal services manager’s report. There also is room for public comments at the end of the meeting. See the agenda on the City Secretary’s site HERE.
MASCOT NAME: Stay tuned today for unveiling of the winner of the contest to name the big fake dog mascot of Dallas Animal Services. When last checked, DASH (Dallas Animal Services Hero) was in the lead.
A DOG ON THE HIGHWAY: No photos of this, but Mary Redfern’s story paints a pretty desperate picture. The Stow, Ohio, resident had been in East Texas for a Thanksgiving visit with her son and was en route to DFW Airport when she spotted this situation on I-20 near Canton at Mile Marker 538.
Mary is back in Ohio, but the image hasn’t left her heart and she’s appealing to someone to try to help this dog.
She writes, “Last Saturday while traveling to the Dallas airport to return home to Ohio, we stopped at a rest area on I-20 at mile marker 538 (I think near Canton, TX).  I spotted a dog there who I thought was tied to a tree.  I figured the owner was inside the rest area.  After watching the dog for a few minutes, I realized he was not tied up, but did appear to be waiting for someone.  He was scratching a lot and his coat looked like he either has a terrible case of fleas or possibly mange.  He/she is grayish/white in color and probably 50-60 lbs, although underweight.
”Another traveler at the rest area mentioned that he thought the dog had been dumped there and seemed to him like he was waiting for someone also. I did not approach the dog but noticed that when several busloads of people pulled into the rest area and the people got off of the buses, the dog moved farther away from the front area of the rest stop. I get the feeling that he is leery of people and had been on his own for a while.
”I felt terrible not being able to do anything but didn’t really know what to do. Plus, we had a flight to catch in Dallas. I have emailed a few rescue groups I have found online but have not received any replies from anyone who might help this dog.  I guess I’m just grasping at straws for someone to do something for this dog.  If there is any way you could help or contact someone who could, I would greatly appreciate it.  I just feel the dog is very vulnerable living at a rest area with people coming and going.  Who knows what someone might do to him.
”Someone needs to step up and help this poor dog.”
So, there’s the story. As I told Mary, we have a number of readers in East Texas and with East Texas connections and there may be someone already at work on helping this dog.
We’d appreciate hearing if someone has helped a dog found waiting at a rest stop.
THE CATS IN ARLINGTON: We got a desperate note this morning about cats on “the list” for this afternoon at Arlington Animal Services.
Email about them is zipping all over the place this morning.
We’re featuring two of the cats in photos because the pictures are not ordinary..
The reluctant cat is named Weezer.
In a note from rescuer and cat fan Marnie Simmons, we learn that the 13 pound Weezer is a fellow who is “beyond outgoing and friendly,” and, contrary to the look in the photo, loves to be petted. The hitch is that over the weekend he developed a “weird, very dry coughing sound he made but no other upper respiratory symptom that I could tell.”
Weezer is a big cat at 13 pounds.
Bunches is a female Siamese mix who weighs in at 24 pounds. This cat is described as unhappy – she came into the shelter on Nov. 24 and “has been depressed and shy since she has come in,” the note says.
She’s in the shelter because her owner died.
To ask about these cats or any animal in the Arlington shelter, email [email protected]. There’s a Facebook link HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS:  It was winter cold [for North Texas] this morning in our Oak Cliff neighborhood. Two of the three feral cats on the front porch actually looked as if they were about to sell out in exchange for a warm hug from a human. Once the food was in the dishes, they opted for grub over hugs. And one added a "Hsssssss." … No idea where feral cats come from, but then I don’t know where congressmen, quarterbacks or kickers come from, either. Four categories linked my mystery: cats, congressmen, quarterbacks and kickers. Got to be a grant somewhere to conduct a study. … For all you folks who think the Rolling Stones are too old to rock, I have just two words: Tina Turner.
--- To comment, click below. ---

Ah, the magic of a Monday...

Welcome to Cyber Monday, the big online shopping day. And remember, tomorrow is Finance Company Tuesday, the day you realize how much you charged on Monday.
Now, our Monday report.
[EVENING BULLETIN: At 8 p.m. we learned from Dallas Animal Services that Redd has just been adopted and is no longer on "the list." More later, we hope, as Redd lives a happily ever after life.]
Oh, wait, I wanted to explain these photos. This is Redd, a free dog available at Dallas Animal Services right now. Redd’s on the Very Special Pet List and today is her “due out” date.
I thought I’d show you how festive an Earhound can look in a festive bowtie.  She looks like she could be working as a catering waitstaffer at a holiday party in a Highland Park mansion.
More on Redd and her VSP pals later today, but, isn’t that a set of ears! I understand Redd spent Thanksgiving Day begging people to turn the Dallas Cowboys game off so she wouldn’t have to hear it. We should all have been so smart.
VOTING CONTINUES UNTIL MIDNIGHT: One more Dallas Animal Services note about voting – you can cast a vote until midnight for the name of the big dog mascotby going to the Dallas Animal Services Facebook page.
As of this morning DASH was the lead name with 71 votes. Hope had 41, Rudy had 35, Taggz had 12 and Wes (for Westmoreland where the Dallas Animal Shelter & Adoption Center is) has zip. Zero. Not one vote. Only costs a buck to vote.
When you pay $1 to vote, the money goes into the fund to benefit the animals at the shelter. That link is HERE.
THE CARROLLTON PRESSURE:Yep, there’s pressure at the Carrollton Animal Shelter – list of animals that need out or else.
Dogs and cats.
We’ve chosen two to highlight.
The big dog is Lab mix Arthur who weighs in at nearly 50 pounds and came in as a stray. The shelter describes him as “noble and regal.” He might be 2 years old but is probably younger and, as you can tell from the photo, is a dog who’s happy to see anybody, even if they have a camera aimed at him.
The cat is Ginger. She’s 11 years old and she’s in the shelter because her human “went into a hospital and will not be coming out.”
Nobody volunteered to take care of Ginger – she’s already spayed, so that’ll help with adoption, the shelter folks think.
Just FYI: Eleven is barely middle-aged for a cat who is loved and gets regular vet visits.
While Ginger waits, there is also evidence that the kitten season never ends around here. Carrollton has four little gray and black-striped kittens who need homes. They’re names for now are Sugar and Spice and Tuck and Roll.
To ask about adopting or rescuing any of these animals – they’re on the list for Wednesday – call 972-466-3420 or email [email protected].
LINENS FOR ANIMALS SHELTER NOTE:Several people tipped us to a notice on Facebook about Linens For Animals closing its shelter in McKinney. The link is HERE. Apparently there are number of animals who will need to be placed. We have sent an email query to Linens For Animals founder Lori Birdsong to get more details.
MEANWHILE IN BURNS FLAT:The tireless Burns Flat, Okla., rescuer – and Readlarrypowell.com’s longtime Oklahoma tipster – Terry Lynn Fisher has a Thanksgiving story.
”This poor baby was found out in the country on Thanksgiving day,” he writes. “A friend of mine was coming home and saw some people trying to catch her. Being the kind of person she is, she got out and spent the next hour chasing this baby. In the process, she was bitten on the finger bad enough that my ACO was called to catch this little girl so rabies shots would not have to be given. They used a catch pole for this girl was NOT going willingly.
”There is no telling what this baby had been through there are coyotes and bobcats all over the area she was found. She is so terrified, which is why she bit -- it was a total fear bite, not out of aggression.
”We have tried to spend time with her, but the holidays have been hard to go much. [Sunday] we went and spent about 2 hours. She did not want to be touched, trembling with fear. I finally threw a blanket over her and picked her up. I was slowly able to pet and touch her sweet little face.
”Before we left, she actually came to me, with her tail wagging, then, a loud noise scared her.”
Because of the bite incident, Terry Lynn has to hold the dog for 10 days or “know where she is those days…But this girl needs out of this hell hole ASAP.I really feel she will be fine, once she knows she is ok.”
She appears to be a Pekinese with a history. To offer to help, email [email protected] or call 580-330-1459.
A VISITATION OF PUPPIES: Some say this is a litter, but as you can tell, these dogs are visiting, not just being a “crowd” of puppies.
And we learned about them via our tipster “out at the lake,” Sydney Busch of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake.
The irony is, of course, that this litter is in an area that is served by Friends of the Animal at Cedar Creek Lake which operates, so to speak, the world's most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas. Every now and then a couple of critters slip past the Friends and produce a bunch of wonderful but so far unwanted puppies or kittens.
Kay McAdams has been fostering the momma dog and her 8 puppies and it’s time for the gang to bring happiness to someone else’s home.
(Email [email protected].)
The mom’s name is Lovey and the 8 babies are turning six weeks old and are ready for their initial vaccinations and their new homes. Lovey lives up to her name and the puppies –3 girls and 5 boys – take after their momma.
”Daddy is unknown,” Kay writes, “but the puppies seem as though they ill be bigger than Mom.”
So, two things here: Adopt the adoptable dogs and find Daddy and neuter him. He’s already gone forth and multiplied.
THE DAS VSP LIST:Now, we opened with Redd, the 7-month-old Earhound – a red brindle Pit mix who is about 7 months old and weighs 30 pounds.
She’s one of four animals on the current Very Special Pet list at Dallas Animal Services and all four are free. No adoption fee. Just show up and fill out the paperwork.
The others include a 2-year-old black and brown Pit named Shannie, an 11-month-old, 60-pound Shepherd mix named Litch and a 4-year-old, red and white Shepherd mix named Sally.
The list for today originally included 16 dogs and 5 cats, but all the others were adopted, leaving just these four.
To ask about them, email [email protected] or [email protected]. Or drop by the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. All the details of how to get to the shelter and how to adopt are at www.dallasanimalservices.org.
CONTEMPLATIONS: OK, it’s been a few days since Thanksgiving. That clothing still tight? Have you uttered the declaration, “Must have shrunk in the dryer.”? … Every time I looked at a pie over the weekend I wondered why the First Lady wasn’t throwing herself between me and that dessert as vigorously as she was before the election. I once had a diet doctor who said, “Take a day off every now and then” – we had different definitions of “every now and then.” But as long as we went by my definition, he still had money coming in from the fat man – follow his definition and he watches a patient disappear a pound at a time. … I heard a story on the radio this morning that two guys working together stole an SPCA of Texas donations box at NorthPark Shopping Center. Wasn’t it last year that two guys suited up as bell ringers and took money from unsuspecting donors? Yes it was, see the Fox 4 News story HERE.  It’ll warm the cockles of your Christmas heart.
--- To comment, click below. ---

Happy snoozing at Thanksgiving...Big Griffin the Cat and Ice the Dog

We’re going to stretch our Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap feature from Thanksgiving Day through the weekend.
Why?
Because I’d like to take a nap at some point and outside of the self-defense opportunity during the broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys game, I don’t know when I can work it in.
I’d also like to get 8 hours of sleep in a row except a person who lives with animals isn’t in charge of the alarm clock. They’re like babies – only not as burpy. I’ve had babies and I’ve had a Cocker Spaniel.  I could live with another Cocker Spaniel.
Because our long-running Readlarrypowell.com feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap spotlights dogs and cats, we’re offering both in this edition.
One feature is about a fat, happy cat. The other is of a dog who got a Thanksgiving break -- kind of a miracle.
Now you may ask yourself, “What in the world is the Thanksgiving theme in that opening photo of the broad backside of a cat?”
Oh, please. Have you not heard about calories? The wide body on that cat demonstrate the conflicting issues of the joy of dining and the challenge of exercising. You’ve heard of “A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.” In the cat world it’s “Eat enough to purr, forever under the fur.”
That is our cat Griffin Oliver Powell, a mature gent who, as a kitten, roamed a neighborhood in Oak Cliff and was spindly. Like every other mammal that comes through our front door, the tendency to bulk up becomes a lifestyle. Griffy is snoozing on the back of one of our dog chairs (oh, they're all dog chairs). Probably there was a dog asleep in the chair. Griffin, a student of Caesar’s Gallic Conquests, always takes the high ground.
Now, Griffin has a happy place to sleep. He has the run of the house and prefers to curl up in the middle of our bed in the daytime – it’s odd to catch him on the back of the chair during daylight hours.
I mention that Griffin has a happy spot so you can better appreciate this photo of a dog named Ice.
That photo was provided to us by his advocate, Shandi Weisenberger, who has been working for going on two weeks to get this guy to a better living arrangement.
You may recall that we mentioned him week before last because he was kept outside in all weather and never got a break from the Dallas climate.
Shandi, a concerned neighbor in the LBJ/Greenville Ave. vicinity, began the campaign to get him to safety and  had a number of positive responses.
Perhaps, someone is going to remember Thanksgiving 2012 as the time they got a great dog.
As you can see in the sleeping photo, Ice has made some attempts to get through the door and go inside where the people are.
Bless his heart, may he never again wonder if the rain will stop or if the heat is never-ending or if a loving hand will ever pet the top of his big ol’ dawg head.
So, normally we’d say “Let sleeping dogs lie,” but in this case, we’re saying, “Let’s move the dog to a happier place and then we can let him lie.”
NOW GET THIS: Late Wednesday night, we got a note from Shandi. She wrote, “Ice found a forever home! He just had his first bath, got medicine and is currently passed out INDOORS on his new bed! Hooray!”
To the people who helped, she wrote, “Thank you for your help and support; Ice and I are forever grateful.”
We should all work to give the animals something to be thankful for this holiday season. Sometimes, when these dog and cats are rescued by humans, it almost makes you proud to be one, doesn’t it?
And we are thankful for the animals we have -- they are family, they are important to our hearts. And they all deserve a comfortable place to nod off whether it's in a couch or on the back of a chair or next to a desk chair with a drowsy guy typing a holiday column.
[To nominate a happily sleeping crittrr for the spotlight of “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap” send photo and info to [email protected]. As a vegetarian, I don’t eat a tryptophan-laden turkey, so sleep has to come from the comfort of mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie or cuddling up with Inky, the aforementioned Cocker Spaniel who really likes Thanksgiving dinner rolls though he needs 'em about like that cat needs another heapin' helpin' of mashed potatoes and gravy. Relax, they get critter grub. Most of the time.]
--- To comment, click below. And that click is not regarded as “exercise,” so get up and walk off that extra serving. You can’t sleep it off. ---

Thanksgiving, opportunities and a reference to Old Jowler; Dora coughing, depressed & in danger

If everything is as Norman Rockwell as we all hope, then we’re all approaching Thanksgiving with thoughts of gratitude. At our house we’ve got a cornucopia of blessings, to summon a image of the harvest.
What’s that? Normal Rockwell? Well, you see, kids, he was this painter who produced cover after cover of Americana for The Saturday Evening Post. What’s that? The Saturday Evening Post? Well, see, kids, it was a weekly magazine that was founded by Ben Franklin. Who’s that? Well, you see, kids, Ben Franklin was… oh, just Google all of it and maybe you’ll find a nice serving of America that you missed while you were following the Kardashians, Real Housewives With Low IQs and salivating over the latest Twilight movies.
That dog? That is our staff impersonator, Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, giving us his impression of a famished relative just in from a long road trip racing into an in-law’s house and spotting a big steaming platter of Mom’s Alternative to Turkey But Still Thankful Meatloaf with a side dish of Grandma’s Lumpy Surprise Potatoes slathered with I Didn’t Know Tofurkey Had Giblets Gravy. Mmmm.
In Contemplations today, we’ll offer up a bit of poetry that some who have read in their lifetimes may find familiar, especially if they’re going over the river and through the wood to Granny’s townhouse or trailer this week. But first, these critters:
A STRAY IN DALLAS:  I know. Knock me over with a turkey feather. A stray dog in Dallas, Texas. Why it just never happens, some people tell us.
Wendy Brandt sent us the note about this dog. We offer a closeup of the dog so you can see that she has “spigots” an that might indicate that even though she’s in the Big Fix For Big D spay/neuter focus area, she’s not had the benefit of a $20 surgery that will “fix” her ability to reproduce. She already doesn’t have a home – does she need a litter of puppies that don’t have homes, too?
Right now the challenge is getting her caught. Wendy Brandt spotted her on the parking lot of a grocery store at Lancaster and Kiest in South Oak Cliff.
Wendy’s checking on the dog again today (the afternoon report is that she's still there, still in need).
Wendy is desperately looking for a place to put her if she can be caught. [Larry aside: Isn’t that always the problem if you don’t want to dump a dog in a city shelter where death row always has room.]
Wendy explains, “I am from Kansas City. Just arrived here in July. There I was familiar with animal rescue organizations and had contacts to call as I always try to help. I am also not from the location of the animal which is Oak Cliff. I live in North Dallas. I am an occupational therapist and service a school [which shares] this parking lot…That is how I first saw the dog and have seen it and monitored it since, giving food and water.”
Wendy says the dog “sleeps behind the store on a strip of dirt and roams the parking lot for food and water. Miraculously, she has not been hit as of the last time I saw her. She is afraid but not aggressive. She does not bark at me. She looks at me like she is just too scared. I can get about five feet from her. It is an extremely sad dog. I can not tell if she has had the puppies or is ready to have the puppies. I have not seen any puppies but she took some of the food I left and went behind the bushes. It appeared that it was not safe for me to go back there myself. I have time and some money to help but cannot house her.”
Like most of us, Wendy’s domicile is at the limit. She explains, “I live in an apartment, right by the leasing office, and already have reached the two pet limit. Do you know anyone who could please help me before it is too late?”
Email [email protected] or call 913-378-6392.
And Wendy adds this note today, “It is a lot to ask, but one thing that would help me help the dog is if someone would agree to come with me on weekend to feed dog until we can get it help. When school is in session, the side lot if surrounded by people but on weekends I do not feel completely safe wandering around behind this store. Know it is a lot to expect but thought I would mention it just in case.”
FROM COLLIN COUNTY: An update from the volunteer shelter walker Allison Roberts regarding Collin County Animal Services in McKinney includes the note that “every kennel is already full - over 10 dogs came in yesterday. Shelter is closed Thursday/Friday for Thanksgiving so we really need some rescue help to make sure we get enough dogs out before then."
AFTERNOON UPDATE: Dora, the Bassett/Beagle/Who knows that we mentioned yesterday, has developed kennel cough and "seems quite depressed," says Allison. She has to be out of the shelter ASAP -- euthanasia is likely Saturday.
You can see the dogs on the volunteer Facebook page HERE. Email  both  [email protected] and [email protected] to ask about a critter.
Oh, and that dog? That’s Savannah. She’s a 2-year-old Staffordshire Terrier mix – very friendly. Happy dog? Tail’s usually wagging but the camera caught her posing for a museum piece we’ll call “Yard Art.” She’s a beauty with classic slim lines and a magazine cover face.
THE VIRTUAL SHELTER RETURNS IN IRVING: OK, everybody relax. Shelter walker Russell Posch and his camera are back at work.
In a note to supporters, he explained, “The Virtual Shelter is able to resume due to improved communication between me, the shelter staff and the City of Irving. Our common goal has always been to get the shelter dogs transferred as quickly and efficiently as possible from the shelter back to their owners and to good homes and rescue organizations. This will continue to be our goal as we work together for the betterment of Irving's dogs.”
This dog? That is Pecas –a 40-pound mixed breed dog surrendered because of the owner’s health. Two years old and out on his beautiful ears. He was huddled in the cold, strangeness of the cage. What else was he to do? Unfamiliar surroundings, nothing but strangers, the promise of love for a lifetime lost.
You can see the Irving Dogs’ Virtual Shelter HERE and new arrivals HERE.
Then, the “urgent” dogs are HERE. The City of Irving site is HERE. Call the shelter at 972-721-2256 or 972-721-2257. You can also drop by the shelter.
That's a ton of ways to save these dogs. Surely someone will take advantage of them.
PHOENIX HAS RISEN:Amy Weger has this dog Phoenix at her house and he needs to be in his own home. Amy’s fostering for Town & Country Shelter Rescue  . The dog’s currently in Boyd, just north of Azle about 20 or 30 minutes up the Jacksboro Highway from downtown Fort Worth.
And Phoenix, in fact, came from the Humane Society of North Texas several months ago. He was an owner-surrender, but, as you can see in the before photograph (left), Phoenix came into the shelter in quite bad shape.
Phoenix was rescued back in the spring and is now about 9 months old. Amy writes, “He was severely emaciated and his coat was in poor condition. Of course he came down with kennel cough, which led to pneumonia and it almost took his life because he was so malnourished. He spent a week at the vet, finally started eating  and came home.
”Then he got a bad case of coccydia and had to go back to the vet and back on meds. The biggest struggle was getting food down him because he was still choking from the kennel cough and not feeling well at all.
“His name I chose because it means 'rose from the ashes' and he almost died at the shelter, and again at the vet.
”But he overcame all of that and is now completely healthy and happy and energetic and ready for his ‘furever’ home.
”He's good with other dogs --  cats I'm not sure about yet. He's super sweet, loving and of course playful and great with kids, too!
This neutered dog is crate-trained, due to get is microchip and ready to go.
To offer to give Phoenix a good home email [email protected] or call.
817-991-6801. And to help Town & Country with his medical bills, you can reach the non-profit’s website HERE.
PRAYERS & PASSAGES: Be sure to click on our Prayers & Passages page (the button is in the upper right corner of this page) and read about some cats whose lives capture the hearts of a family in Lubbock. Those of us who adore cats can tell you that they are special, as you'll see when you read Sarah Hays' account.
ADOPTION FEES: Of course, we reported yesterday that the fees have been waived on Dallas Animal Service’s Very Special Pets – we’ll present some of them toward the end of today’s report.
But we also have these two “specials”  from the middle of the metrosprawl – Arlington and Grand Prairie.
ARLINGTON’S BARGAIN COLLAGE:Our tipster with the Partners of Arlington Animal Services, Susan Tandukar, sent us this collection of “bargain” dogs at the Arlington shelter. (Click on the art to make it grow.)
She explains, “The list is HUGE (19 dogs) and this doesn't even include the others that are urgent.  Also, the shelter is running a rescue special AND an early black Friday special TODAY ONLY: all pets (cats and dogs) are 1/2 price!! That's $50 for dog adoptions and $45 for cat adoptions. 
To ask about the animals, email [email protected]. Susan adds, “The shelter IS open on Saturday but the email address will not be monitored.  If someone wants a dog or cat on Saturday, they'll have to visit the shelter like in the old days.”
GRAND PRAIRIE’S FREE CRITTERS: As you can see from the artwork, the Prairie Paws Adoption Center in Grand Prairie is running quite the special through the end of today. [Click on that art to make it larger, of course.]
You can read about it, see how to get to this City of Grand Prairie adoption center and what’s needed by going to the GP Animal Services site HERE.
[Larry side: As a former editor of now-defunct Grand Prairie Daily News, I can tell you that the competition between Arlington and Grand Prairie has run deep through the years – I’m  not sure the shelters decided to compete with “pricing breaks” for Thanksgiving, but could it hurt when both shelters have more animals than they need? And for those of you who don’t know, the highways to Grand Prairie and Arlington are paved – have been for years – makes it easier to get to the sports, recreational and shopping venues. And both shelters are located near I-20 on the southern sides of both cities. Adopt a critter from each shelter -- help two places empty some cages.]
MEANWHILE AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, FREE CRITTERS AND A NEW NAME CONTEST: The dogs and cats on the Very Special Pets list – all healthy and all available for more than 45 days and “at risk” if nobody helps them – are free this week. Free. Not a dime. Fixed and free. Can you beat that?
If you’re a rescuer tagging a dog or cat, email [email protected] or if you’re hoping to adopt, email [email protected]. And you can actually visit this city facility – it’s at Westmoreland and I-30 and there’s no appointment necessary. Just drop by. Go HERE to see how things work.
[Larry aside: That dog is Red (we’ve mentioned him before) and he’s a stunning Earhound. Yet, nobody wants the dog. If you have a dog like that around the house, you have no fear of anyone sneaking up onto your front porch and leaving sugarplums and a surprise bill. Also, a dog with ears like that will bark at anyone delivering a summons or a notice of jury duty. That’s what I heard, anyway. The cat is Xena – she’s about 2 and probably will make a great lap cat for football games once she decides you are a very serious fan of the Dallas Cowboys – cats can sense when someone is in despair and needs comforting.]
NOW, ABOUT THAT CONTEST: Earlier in the week, the five judges in the Dallas Animal Services Name Our Mascot Contest picked 15 semifinalists.
The judges included people who have been called names – wait, I’m kidding. Only a couple of us have been called names.  The judges included Dallas Animal Shelter Commission Chairman Mary Spencer, Maeleska Fletes of both the commission and the Dallas Companion Animal Project, Chris Watts of both commission and DCAP and then the two people who may have been called names in the past, Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm and me, Larry Powell, your longtime newspaper and online columnist who knows how people can react to stories.  [Speaking on behalf of but without permission of Manager Suhm, I think I can confidently say that the city manager and I appreciate being repeatedly called “Angel” and “Bighearted” and, of course, “Civic-minded.” See how I put the big positive spin on that?] 
So, here’s the way this went: On Monday the five judges went through the 152 nominations from the generally supportive public.
(FYI: Scott Walton, the Dallas Police Lieutenant who rescued Dallas Animal Services from disaster after a cat was allowed to die in the shelter wall, should know that he got some nominations – people wanted to honor him for his work. He’s a continuing influence in the resurrection of Dallas Animal Services.)
Back to the contest.
So the judges chose their favorites. From the 15 names in the hat, DAS Civision Manger Jody Jodens picked 5 finalists.
They are:
HOPE,
DASH (which stands for Dallas Animal Services Hero/Hound),
WES (IN HONOR OF Westmoreland, the road on which the shelter is located,
TAGGZ and
RUDY THE RESCUE DOG.
The winner will be decided by people who go to the DAS Facebook page HERE and vote – look for the big blue box that says  NAME OUR MASCOT.
A vote costs you a dollar. The dollar goes to the Dallas Animal Advocates DAS fund “to be used for shelter enrichment and bedding” for the animals.
Voting ends at midnight Monday. The winner will be announced on Tuesday.
To see the shelter’s mascot dancing, you can click HERE and watch a video.
 BUT before you watch that video, ask yourself this question: “Who knew Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings had such moves?”
Seriously, I cannot confirm that the mayor is dancing inside the dog suit, and I’ve only met him once or twice, but he seems like a guy who’d be game for helping out poor souls down on their luck and if New Jersey Mayor Chris Christie can appear on Saturday Night Light, then surely the Dallas mayor could be dancing in a dog suit.
Might not be the mayor.  I just know it’s not me. Wrong size.
CONTEMPLATION: Since the Thanksgiving holiday is rushing toward us, let’s cite a poem for the holiday – most folks probably know it as “Over the River And Through The Woods” and may, through being inattentive in high school literature, attribute it to Robert Frost or Carl Sandburg. But, no this is a poem from 1844 by Lydia Maria Child, a very strong woman who wrote about American causes. She also wrote this poem and called it “A New England Boy’s Song About Thanksgiving Day.”
You can read it HERE.
Perhaps it will give you a warm feeling before you make your Thanksgiving trip, or while you’re visiting someone or while you’re being with people you love who showed up without announcing they were coming..
Or, you can always read it at halftime of the Dallas Cowboys game Thursday and wish that the receivers could run their routes as surely as the ol’ horse goes over the river and through the wood.
Oh, and when you read the poem, the term “Old Jowler” is not a reference to the way your face feels after a Thanksgiving meal. It’s a reference to a dog.
--- To comment, click below. ---

Shopping tips and critters...

It is the day before the day before Thanksgiving and that is important because it is time for me to remind the other person at my house that, by international treaty, I do not go to grocery stores on the eve of a holiday.
It is too maddening.
We went Monday and there were already signs of anarchy in the aisles.
Now, take a look at this dog’s face. Notice how he’s demonstrating a facile tongue – that means he can help you lick the pan when you’re baking a Thanksgiving cake.
He might be willing to go to the grocery store for anybody who’ll drive him and let him push the cart and let him pick whatever he wants. What? No, he’ll happily use your credit card at the checkout. He’s not microchipped for purchases, though I guess that is possible. Seriously, this guy is Tanner and he’s in the Rowlett Animal Shelter. We’ll explain his situation later today. You know we wouldn’t mention him if he were not in a fix.
Now, before we proceed, we offer our heartfelt sympathy to anyone who is going to a grocery store from now through closing time Wednesday night.
And please, if you are going, remember that you have to pay when you reach the checker, so, please, for the sake of the others in line, have your credit card, debit card, cash or checkbook ready. Nobody wants their life burning up while you dig into a yard-deep purse looking for a wallet you could have pulled out 20 minutes earlier.
It’s a wonder more people aren’t killed this time of year by blunt force injuries from semi-thawed turkeys or by cans of congealed cranberry sauce hurled from somewhere back in the line. Thunk.
Now as soon as you finish today’s report, make a shopping list so you won’t have to keep leaving the check-out line to race to some distant aisle. Thank you. (FYI: These are mannerly chopping practices year round.)
TWO MID-MORNING UPDATES: The Irving Virtual Shelter created by shelterwalker/photographer Russell Posch has had a rebirth thanks to, we're told, support of animal fans. More later, no doubt. ... VOTING HAS BEGUN for the name of the faux dog mascot at Dallas Animal Services. Get the details and the nominees on the DAS Facebook page HERE.  Please don't abandon the rest of today's report to go vote. Finish reading, then go vote.   
DRIVING CAREFULLY: The next two notes should serve as reminders to people traveling by car this holiday week to be alert – there will be roaming animals on the roads with you. Fact of life in the world: Some people just don’t keep the dogs and cats properly confined. Drive friendly, drive safely, drive carefully.
NEEDING A HOME: Yeah, this is another one of those strays some people never seen in Dallas.
Julie Cassidy, the Council District 7 representative on the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission, found this little fellow – wait, this year-old dog weighs 65 pounds – this big fellow on Jim Miller Road about a month ago.
”He was so emaciated he could not even get out of the middle of the road,” Julie says. “He was covered in fleas and ticks and missing fur because of this.  I took him to my vet and have spent over $200 getting him well.”
He’s heartworm negative and has all his shot snow.
”He is looking better though, gets along with my 3 dogs, and two  cats, and pretty much lays at our feet.  Very docile, definitely not the alpha dog, very submissive.
”I need to find a permanent home for him, please, since I already have a house full!    … I have an appt to get him neutered on December 2.”
To help this dog and this rescuer, call 214-797-6824 or email [email protected].
A HIGHWAY DOG: Rescuer Brenda Brown is concerned about the fate of this dog, a resident of Fort Bend Animal Control in Rosenberg since yesterday.
“I found this very sweet loving [year-old] dog in the middle of Highway 59, southbound side.  She avoided getting run over by 18 wheelers,  cars doing 70 + mph.  She was so scared.  I stopped as well as another person to get her out of harm’s way.  I couldn't just drive off and leave her on the side of the road and the other person couldn't help, so I brought her home.   
”I can't keep her.  I have rescued too many already and have NO room for another big dog.  I called Fort Bend Animal Control and they came and got her … The man told me they would kill her after three days and I broke into tears.  To save her from getting run over just to have her killed by lethal injection 3 days later.  That is just horrible and doesn't seem right or fair to such a loving dog.”
Brenda says the dog has a wonderful, loving demeanor.
The dog is at Fort Bend County Animal Services, 1210 Blume Road, Rosenberg, Texas. Call 281-342-1512. The clock is ticking. Brenda says the shelter folks told her this morning that if no one claims or adopts or rescues this dog, the needle is due at 10:10 a.m. on Nov. 26.
THE SADDEST DOG IN THE WORLD? Somebody sent me this photo of this 3-year-old Pit Bull/Lab mix moping at the Garland Abe Tuggle Animal Shelter and Adoption Center.
He’s an owner-surrender.
The rescue contact is [email protected]. Call 972-2053570.
NOW WE GET TO TANNER: Amanda Traister, who works at the Rowlett Animal Shelter, is trying to find a home for this “very sweet and friendly dog, as she describes him. “He's a very sweet and friendly dog. He is always happy just like in his picture. Unfortunately he just doesn't get along with other dogs. I sure do hope someone will come adopt him.”
His big problem is he is dog-aggressive. Thus, says Amanda, “He needs to go to a home where he can be the only dog. He is running out of time very quickly as the shelter is completely full. His adoption fee right now is only $25 and that includes vaccinations and sterilization. There is no fee for rescue groups.”
The Rowlett Shelter is at 4402 Industrial St. in Rowlett. Call 972-412-6219 or email [email protected].
A PETITION IN MCKINNEY: There’s a movement to get an animal shelter for the City of McKinney. (The  county government already has the Collin County Animal Services Shelter, but thre's a movement to get the city to have its own shelter.) Our rescue tipster DeDe Whitcombe sent the note suggesting that the petition will let the city council know “how many people support” a city shelter. Read the petition HERE. 
BEAGLE OR BASSETT? This dog is Dora. Allison Roberts, the volunteer shelter walker at the Collin County Animal Services Shelter in McKinney sent us a note about Dora – if  you’ve ever tried to figure dog breeds, you know they can be puzzling.
”She's listed as a Basset but she looks like a Beagle to me,” Allison says. “Also listed at 5 years but she seems to be a senior.  She's very sweet and loves to explore. We've paired her up with a couple different dogs, including a grumpy one, and Dora does great with them - not a care in the world.
She’s a curious dog and because she sticks her nose anywhere, so they call her Dora the Explorer.
She could be a Beagle, could be a Beagle/Basset Cross. I guess that would be a Beagasset.
To ask about helping her, email [email protected] and
[email protected].
PARDONS, FUR AND RESEARCH: As two turkeys are being pardoned by the president in Washington, many aren’t And many other animals are in trouble, too. In fact, the Animal Connection of Texas and local PETA folks will conduct “Fur-Free Friday,” an anti-fur protest from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday in front of the Galleria at Alpha Road and Barton Drive right up the Dallas North Tollway at LBJ.
To ask abut participating, email [email protected] or go to the Facebook link HERE.
But, you know, farm animals and fur-bearing animals are not the only animals at peril in Dallas. If you read the Dallas Observer’s Unfair Park blog yesterday you may have seen the story about a whistleblower contacting authorities about allegedly poor handling of lab animals at UT Southwestern. Apparently, there are more types of animals than mice used in lab experiements at the research facility. The Observer story is HERE and PETA’s stance on lab animals is HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Special discreet thanks to the people who are working to get two dogs off chains in a nice neighborhood near White Rock Lake. … Each Thanksgiving, do you get a little bit wistful for the days in school when you first learned about the Indians and the Pilgrims working together at the first Thanksgiving? Unless, of course, you learned that the first Thanksgiving with Europeans in North America was in 1598 near El Paso, Texas. Macy’s Parade went right alongside the Rio Grande. (You can look that up, except for that Macy’s wisecrack.) … Lots of people go to movies at Thanksgiving. Wonder if the Thanksgiving feast affects the sale of popcorn or if movie habits can’t be broken?
--- To comment, click below. ---