A balcony fall, a split tail, Os, spring cleaning and replies...

Let’s jump right into the days report. And remember that we've got a holiday weekend coming up.There will be adoption events all over town. There’ll be a Pooch Parade at Lee Park during Easter in the Park (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday). Greyhound Adoption League of Texas and other rescue groups will be there.
And, no doubt, there’ll be free-roaming animals in the assorted cities. Keep your eyes open -- even you people who swear you never see strays in Dallas.
TEN DOGS, TEN TOUGH SPOTS: The Dallas Animal Services Rescue Team sent out a note yesterday with photos of 10 dogs -- 10 dogs facing their own problems, mostly injuries because of human involvement. We’re going to feature two of them, but there are 10 and rescue groups are being made aware via DAS’s aggressive rescue team.
As the DAS note so eloquently reported, “The dogs below have hit their ‘rough spots’ in life and are praying for a kind soul to help them.  We are treating them and managing their pain; however, all these dogs need more than we are able to provide.  Please consider opening your hearts to these pups to help them on their journey.”
I picked two stories to spotlight. I thought both were really odd. Then I remembered, “This is Dallas. Odd is normal.”
First up is A777835, AKA Skylar. He’s  2-month-old German Sheperd mix. He was
rescued when a Dallas animal control officer discovered that the dog had fallen from a third story balcony. He’s kind of banged up and probably has fractures. DAS Rescue writes, “He will of course need x-rays to determine the extent of his injuries.  He is able to stand on his back legs but is a bit wobbly.  He is currently under medication and we are keeping an eye on him to make sure he is not suffering.” [Larry aside: DAS does not have an x-ray machine. It could use a state-of-the-art model. Why? This DAS note had TEN dogs that needed extra medical help that could determine their fates. This is Dallas. "big Things Happen Here," I heard.]
That second dog? That is a Pit (A776020) named Cash. What’s Cash’s problem? DAS Rescue says, “Poor Cash was  found with a split tail. Even with the injured tail he would not stop wagging it, making it pretty difficult for our vet staff to treat hime (They still fell in love with him though@). He is a gentle boy and would crawl into your lap if the satellite would not get in the way.”
Probably going to lose some of that tail. But not the wag. 
To offer to help, email [email protected]. 
SPRING CLEANING: Katheryn Davis of A Different Breed sent out a note yesterday that really paints a word picture. It has to do with ADB’s sanctuary at Desert in northeast Collin County. She wrote, “If anyone is in the mood for some spring cleaning, stop by the sanctuary this weekend!  You can help rake leaves or play with the dogs.”
[Larry aside: When I was a kid, rake leaves and play with the dog meant you raked up a big pile of leaves and then you and the dog jumped into the pile until you had to re-rake the yard.]
FYI, the sanctuary is always in need of food, collars, leashes and toys. And a couple of weeks ago, a power surge “fried the computer and fridge so if anyone has a spare, that would be awesome -- the freezer part of the fridge is no longer in use.” (Offer to help by emailing m.kathryn.davis@gmail.)
AN EASTER REMINDER -- GIVE CHOLATE BUNNIES: The SPCA of Texas has issued its annual Easter reminder. Heer’s the key paragraph: “Pet ownership is not something to be entered into lightly, and it is important that the entire family make the decision to commit to caring for a pet. Most bunnies, chicks and ducklings bought on the spur of the moment end up being abandoned or taken to shelters because families are not able to provide them with the long-term care they need to thrive. Sadly, those that aren’t surrendered to shelters do not survive past their first birthday.”
Readlarrypowell.com endorses the suggestion made by the SPCA of Texas: Give chocolate bunnies and other kinds of chocolate rather than living animals. Can I get an amen? And a milk chocolate bunny rabbit the size of an SUV? That’ll last me until Memorial Day.
FOLLOWUP ON OS: Yesterday we mentioned this dog, “The Great and Powerful Os” and wondered about the name “Os” and here’s the answer: “Os is short for Ostrich Jerkey.” First thing he ate after he was found. He’s in the care of Lucy’s Lost Loved Ones at 817-714-0990 or email [email protected] 
[LARRY ASIDE: It occurs to me that I’ve never heard of a Chihuahua stalking an ostrich, but I’m sure it happens out in the wild. Somewhere. Or in Dallas. Yes, probably has happened in Dallas. Any rescuer who's ever been in a city park knows that you can find all sorts of free-roaming animals in city parks.]
CONTEMPLATION: Yesterday we had a contemplation that pondered if everybody with the newly created non-profit Dallas Companion Animal Project is really busy and that’s why we haven’t been able to get responses to questions about what’s up with DCAP. 
We then got two responses from within DCAP -- President Chris Watts and board member Elaine Munch. 
Both comments help illuminate the current status of the new DCAP. [LARRY ASIDE: That's the old DCAP logo -- from back when the city appointed the no-kill task force. It's a nice logo -- with a good slogan: "Bringing our community together to save lives."]
As you recall, a news release earlier this month announced that the Metroplex Animal Coalition and Dallas Animal Advocates have merged with DCAP.  We subsequently learned that DCAP, formerly a city-appointed task force, has morphed into a 501c3 organization.
Rather than tell you to scroll down and read the comments on yesterday's post, here are the two comments. Perhaps those of you who are uncertain about what’s currently going on with DCAP will find these responses informative:
From Elaine Munch (former president of MAC): “Hey Larry. Not sure why you think there's such a mystery here. Ask anyone who has run a 501c3 about how much work it takes to stay legal, manage the books, pay the bills, conduct events, write for grants, prepare agendas, conduct meetings, elect officers, assign committee chairs, create our organizational structure, create standard operating procedures for our programs, attend meetings, hold spay days twice monthly, mail out free spay/neuter coupons, train new volunteers - then start all that over again for another week. And oh, yes - State of Texas paperwork that can't be rushed. The leadership all have full time time jobs and are spending dozens of volunteer hours every week continuing our businesses and working on the new one. We're combining the work of 3 organizations:Dallas CAP, DAA and MAC. No one has done that in the Dallas animal welfare community before -EVER! The MAC Membership only voted for this change in late January - it's not even April yet. We are putting solid foundations in place and doing things correctly. There's no mystery here.”
DCAP President Watts wrote, “We, as the new group of DCAP, have many incredible opportunities coming up. We are doing things the right way, the sustainable way. We don't have updates weekly because we have a plan. We could introduce it, but we are cautious to ensure the sustainablility of it. I love that there is an opportunity to do what is right, while people we've never met condemn. We have an opportunity to explain that through collaborative efforts, the live release rate (behind the scenes) have, in two years have helped create a live release rate from twenty percent to over fifty percent. That's news, not the politics of a merger.”
So, there you have it, as written from the hearts of two key DCAP figures. 
You may respond to these comments by clicking on “comments” below. 
I have no doubt that the DCAP people will appreciate hearing the opinions of the general public. I also have no doubt that the general public supports any mission tht will make life better for animals in Dallas and make life in Dallas less threatening for pets that find themselves unwanted.
Too many members of the "general public" are still just fine with the practice of "Got an animal problem? Let's kill it."--- To comment, click below. ---