ReadLarryPowell.com

Synchronicity -- it's a slumberfest

The sport of Synchronized Sleeping has yet to be accepted into Olympics competition, but, well, you never know. It could happen.
I could also see dogs participating in that thing called “rhythmic dancing” where the little pixies jump around with twirling ribbons.  Dogs would be good at ribbons and at Synchronized Sleeping.
And that is why these dogs are the spotlight critters for this edition of our long-running, world-wide-read weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Look closely. We’re not kidding about the napping cat.
Now, I’ve also got to include the photo of the dog with one eye open -- if this were a court of law a lawyer would explain to the judge, “Your honor, my client has demonstrated the intent to sleep.”
We got these photos from Chrystal Hays.
She explains, “My latest adventure in unemployment has led me to be a host for DogVacay.  It's great, although not always steady. The years of fostering rescues have given me just the skills for this, and I'm making ends meet by also doing proofreading, etc, online. 
“Part of my service is sending frequent pics to the ‘pet parents’ showing them how their dogs are doing on their ‘vacations.’ 
Usually, these feature romping and playing, but, of course, sleeping and chillin' are popular dog activities, too. 
“Recently, I had two very photogenic guests, Emma and Piper, the Salukis. I encourage guests to bring their beds from home, to reduce stress, and these gals brought beds but also sampled some of the other sleeping accommodations.
“Emma is older and black, Piper is still a puppy in black and white. Assorted others appear in these sleeping pictures, including Hogan the cat who took the chair and made Emma squish into his little cat bed. 
“In one or two, the dogs opened an eye as I took the shot, but I send them anyway.:
Chrystal is a writer. So, she explains, “Actually, Dog Vacay and the writing have combined to make my life okay. I wish I had a job with benefits and health insurance, but think I can make a go of it doing what I'm doing.”
She says, “Putting in a good word for that is always welcome, and there are plenty of hosts in the DFW area now, although I was the first in Texas to sign up. After the [house]fire, I can't afford to foster or have a huge household like before, so this has been a great way to pay the mortgage. I recently decided to make a Facebook Page for Ravenhill Dog Boarding as well."
So, then, she created a special Facebook page for the dogs she’d been tending. Click HERE.
That Facebook page, she says, is “what I did for my 50th birthday, after falling in the yard and fracturing my face...the fun never ends!”
While she’s got vacationing dogs all over the house, she has other things going on at the keyboard. She explains, “I have some steady work going (including ghostwriting for a successful comic book writer/artist who's making novels from his work).  “For a while, I had the dubious distinction of being the only one to score 100% on UK English usage....not sure if that is still true. I found it odd. I guess all that watching British comedies paid off.) It takes time to build a reputation on there, but it's a great way for the out-of-work grammar enthusiast to make a little money now and then. Struggling readers may want to look at the site; struggling spellers can let me know if they want proofing.” (Click HERE,)
Chrystal manages to say enthusiastic. “Up until the 9th, when I fell in the yard, I was feeling like I could finally breathe easy. The hospital/doctor/ambulance bills are still rolling in. Looks like it will prove to be a $10,000 mistake. The good news? I could still keep dogs with one good eye, etc., that week. Trying to make the best of a stupid thing, I created a photo album on FB called "Occipital Fracture".
And, indeed, there’s a Facebook page commemorating that “Occipital Fracture.” Click HERE.
[Larry aside: I don’t think she looks 50 in those photos -- and I’m making a mental note never to fall and hit a tree-stump face first. Ouchamundo!]
Chrystal also offers this: “I love your readers (from their comments, etc.) and would be happy to host their dogs if they have to go out of town. Today, Buddy and Annie are staying with me because the household has contractors coming in for 2 days, and they decided it would be easier for everyone for the dogs to spend a few days here.”

So, dear Readers, you see how you are respected.
And, my fellow insomniacs, you see that there are more ways to sleep than tossing and turning until you nod off. Simply turn it into a sport -- Synchronized Sleeping, the surefire cure for insomnia.
[To nominate your slumbering critters for the spotlight of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, send photos and information to [email protected]. Remember, we publish his to make a point -- even insomniacs need sleep. Can I get an amen?”]

 

A NOTABLE PASSING

The great Barkley inspired people and his legacy is that he has inspired people to do good for others. We wrote about Barkleyworld just a few days ago.
We got word Friday that Barkley has gone on. You can click on our Prayers & Passages page (the button is on the upper right corner of this page) and see his story, his legacy and the adoration he inspired in his humans. We humans -- lucky to live on a planet with dogs and cats.
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OUR FRIDAY EDITION: Animals and holiday pressure

Let’s move this along so people can get on with their holiday weekend.
Here’s what we’ve got and remember that it’s a long holiday weekend and shelters in North Texas (and elsewhere) are loaded with animals nobody wants.
So are some neighborhoods -- why else would dogs be roaming free?
And there are also dogs that people have gone the extra mile to help -- like this dog. Some mug, huh?
There’s a story. We’ll get to it in a moment.
ELSA’S ON THE CLOCK: The camera-aiming shelter walker Russell Posch can capture a dog's plight with one click of the shutter.Look at this girl Elsa, on the clock at the Irving Animal Services Shelter.
She looks old at first glance. But, no.
It’s an illusion. This 25-pound dog is 5 months old. 
She has, the shelter says, “extensive hairloss due to sarcoptic mange.” 
She’s friendly and she was a stray. Her number is 20845092. She might be a Collie mix. Won’t know until her hair grows in, I guess. And her hair might never have the change to grow in unless some human helps her.
[LARRY ASIDE: My experience is that when a dog with mange is a “stray” it’s because nobody’s gone looking for their missing dog. They don’t want to help the dog and they don’t want the dog. It’s more important to spend their money on a trip to a casino than it is to save a life. Change that attitude and the shelters might get some relief.]
Elsa is on the euthanasia list for today. (See more Irving endangered adoptables HERE.)
The daytime shelter phone numbers are 972-721-2256 or 57 and the off-hours number is 972-721-3597.
MEANWHILE IN HICKORY CREEK: Debbie Roberts Kowalchuk emailed us about this dog. This huggable, loveable dog.
“I am trying desperately to save a 2 1/2-year-old English Bulldog/Staffie mix
named Lucy. Lucy is at the Town of Hickory Creek Animal Shelter. She  needs to be only rescued by a 501(c)3 group. She is a loving dog that likes to play fetch and cuddle. She is fully vetted and heartworm negative.
“She was adopted by some people who already had a 12-year-old Huskie mix at home. The day that they got Lucy, they took her home and went out that evening leaving Lucy and their older dog alone with their kids. For whatever reason the dogs got into a scuffle and the older dog’s leg got broken.The next morning Lucy was returned to the shelter and because of what happened she now can’t be adopted to a home with dogs or kids. Also only a rescue group.
“I was told by a English Bulldog rescue group that Lucy is more Staffie. I love Lucy and she is loved by many who work at the shelter. She is on her last chance for life. 
:Is there anything that you or your contacts can do to help save this girl?”
To claim Lucy via rescue, email Animal Control Officer KC Epperson at [email protected].
And, when you finished today’s Readlarrypowell.com, take some time to go to the vibrant Hickory Creek Animal Shelter Facebook page -- not only do they have animals, they’ve got a COOKBOOK! 
And, one more thing about Lucy from the Facebook page. The shelter folks have written this: “We still want to find her a qualified group that can find her the right home. Lucy is still doing so well with us and never stops wiggling her tail or smiling. With the RIGHT person she will be a FANTASTIC companion. Please contact us if you would like to know more about pulling Lucy to safety! 940 465-7444 M-F Officer Epperson.”
And that Facebook link is HERE.
BEBE AND LUCY: SITUATION BECOMES WORSE: You may recall that earlier in the week we began trying to get some help for these two dogs, Bebe and Lucy.DAS sent a note saying that "according to the owner who surrendered them, Lucy is about 6 years old and likes to shake hands. Bebe is about 7 and likes to take bathsBebe looks like she has some Lab in her, so that woiuld explain things. They are both good with men and women and children.
At 6:23 a.m. Friday. we got a note from DAS about them. "No one has stepped up for them and now they both have kennel cough and URI. Unfortunately we are full again and they are set to be humanely euthanized today."
A "we'll take them" email to [email protected] from a rescue partner will save their lives. Maybe. You rescue groups know the drill. Pull the dogs, spend money and try to find them homes. It's what you do. But you're as full as DAS. Tough spot for two dogs. They're not the only ones, read on - last night's mail was chilling, too.
THE SHAPE OF THINGS AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES: A Thursday evening note, typed with determinadtion carried a desperate message throughout the rescue community lasdt night. “It’s about to be Labor Day weekend and Dallas Animal Services is preparing for a large intake in animals. We never know what the holidays will bring us but we prepare for the worst and expect the best!  We have quite a few dogs that need out of the shelter soon!  They are so sweet and deserve a second chance.  They just need a little help getting that second chance at a happy ending and a wonderful life!  Please step up to help these dogs!”

Ask about any animals by email [email protected]. You can also see how to navigate the contact system by going to dallasanimalservices.org. 
As you can tell from the photos there is a mother dog with pups -- they’re camouflaged in this photo but there are 7 of them. She’s not the only mom with a litter in the shelter.
And then there is the little dog Red. The shelter’s note says she was “surrendered by her owners. They told us that she loves to cuddle. In a kennel, it is very hard to cuddle with anyone.”
Red isabout 2 years old and, DAS says, "spends most of her time shaking in the kennel.”
[LARRY ASIDE:  Oh, for crying out loud. Shaking in her kennel! Surely someone can give this poor dog some loving relief.]
When you offer her a treat she “will gently take tghem from you. You can see the appreciation in her eys and the hope that she will soon find a new home.” That's what the shelter personnel say.
THE DOG IN THE MUG SHOT: In Dallas, a burned dog is usually fatally injured. Our thugs are thorough.You probably have followed the court cases.
But our Houston tipster Alexandra Kelsey tells us this fellow is going to live.  I’ve chosen not to display his burn photos -- not nice, not good. He’s got a face and you can see he’s aware of his surroundings.
Alexandra wrote, “Who knows how many miles this little guy walked after someone burned him?  Yes, burned him.  That is what Dr. Steve Pelton at Hearthstone discovered ...  This little guy has big, nasty lesions on his back end.  The skin is still trying to die off and scab over and underneath that is a large amount of infection.  And, on top of that, he was crawling with fleas, and I’m sure flea bites on a burned area must be excruciating.  He may also have sarcoptic mange. It’s hard to imagine how awful this dog must have felt.  Oh, and did I mention that he was full of roundworms and whipworms?”
Winston is about a year old. He’s gotten the full vet treatment for everything and will be neutered soon. Probably will be in the clinic, sleeping in air-conditioning on a soft bed for a few more days at least.
He’ll need some financial support and a home. To offer either, contact Hearthstone Animal Clinic, 14606 FM 529, Houston, 77095. Call 281-859-9244.
Here’s the way Winston was found, according to the rescue note sent by Alexandra: “This little dog was seen walking the streets in Spring Branch, hot, skin oozing and raw, covered in fleas, exhausted, hungry and thirsty.” The note gives credit for saving him to “the animal angels in the area.”
[LARRY ASIDE: I ran this story to do two things: Remind people taht there are animal angels looking out for these little victims and there are legal authorities who may just throw the book at a creep who’ll intentionally burn an animal. If anyone in Spring Branch knows who might have done this, punch in the police department on your phone and tell them who the bad guy is. You owe it to the dog. You owe it to the law-abiding, civilized Texas society to which most of us belong.]
CONTEMPLATIONS: Didn’t watch the Dallas Cowboys game -- don’t have CBS any longer on our cable system. However, we took an early dinner at Gonzalez on Jefferson in downtown Oak Cliff and those good folks have two TVs that picked up the Cowboys game. But that’s not what I want to tell you: I want you to know that Gonzalez has the best french fries in the nation. The best. Big, from a single big potato. Delicately deep-fried and wondrously served not pre-salted. I’m sure they’re on everyone’s diet. and I hate to put this in print, but the Tex-Mex may also be the best in the city. Of course, most people from north of the Trinity are afeard uh Oak Cliff. ... Regarding Justice the Cat from Euless and Justice the Dog from Dallas and the whole sordid case of grown men burning a dog, Jeffrey Hartman posted a comment on yesterday’s report that I don’t want you to miss. He wrote, “Might be nice if the local shelters would have a 'Justice Adoption Week' to bring attention to all the homeless animals. Not just on that sad anniversary date, but a couple times a year to keep it in everyone's mind. This needs to stay alive if it is to do any good.” I'm no deacon, Jeffrey, but "Amen!" ... This is Friday’s edition but I’m posting it Thursday night and starting my holiday weekend a little early. We’re going to have a festival of snoozing dogs in our weekend feature “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap” and, indeed, a cat, too. In the meantime, be careful during your holiday weekend, be kind to animals, be kind to people even if they are lunkheads and thank your cops and deputies and constables and firefighters and paramedics and hospital folks who’ll be working extra because humans are such dimwits. And since humans are, indeed, such dimwits, God bless our military forces, too.
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A cat named for a dog, DAS developments, a State Fair animal note, dogs with eye makeup

You see this cat? That is a very, very special cat. Available ONLY at the Euless Animal Shelter.
This is a tribute cat. And  the cat needs a loving home not just because he’s a loving fellow, but because he was named in honor of another animal, a dog who only wanted to play with a crowd of thugs. That dog's spirit should live on as a reminder to protect and love animals.
Yes, this is Justice the Cat, so named in Euless in honor of the Dallas dog Justice. That handsome cat could be yours if you play your cards right. More later as you read on.
SOMETHING NEW IN DALLAS (AND SOME DOGS): That’s right. Something new. Inadvertently discovered it during a glance at the Dallas Animal Services Facebook page. Then I remembered hearing about negotiations months ago at a Dallas Animal Shelter Commission meeting. Something has worked out.
What I actually was looking for was info about these two dogs -- they are Bebe and Lucy and they were supposed to be gone by “close of business” yesterday. Danielle Fry, the DAS Transfer Coordinator sent me a note late last night that demonstrates the odd flow of fate sometimes. “Unfortunately they are still here,” she wrote. “I did not receive any emails and we were very slow on adoptions today.  I think with the holiday weekend coming up, many people are focused about the holidays instead of adopting dogs.” So, two older, bonded and loving dogs are awaiting the needle again today. email [email protected] to see if you can save their lives.
Back to that DAS Facebook page: There was a note that reads: “Would you like to help us save 2,500 more lives every year? If you are good with animals, have good customer service skills and basic computer knowledge, you can. We need volunteers for our new PetSmart adoption center, opening soon in North Dallas.”
The adoption center will be at the PetSmart at 16821 N. Coit Rd. in  Dallas. (LARRY ASIDE: North Dallas? It’s so far north that it's got a park ‘n’ ride for the Oklahoma City school system. Seriously, it’s about 3 blocks south of the Plano city limits. This would make it nearly exactly at the other end of the Dallas zip codes from which the strays and litters flow. Maybe it’s the location that will give adoptables the best chance at not coming back into Dallas! Where ever it is, it’s a good thing for the dogs. And, the partnership has reportedly worked well for the Fort Worth Animal Care & Control and PetSmart.)FYI ABOUT DAS AND THE STATE FAIR: In the past DAS and DFW Rescue Me have partnered to operate an adoption booth -- turns into a kissing booth -- at the State Fair of Texas. In fact, you may recall that when Big Tex went up in flames last year, DAS personnel provided exclusive photos of the fire to Readlarrypowell.com -- they were at the fair to help with the adoption booth. But this year, DAS boss Jody Jones told Readlarrypowell, DAS won’t be there. “We are getting ready to open our new satellite adoptions facility and are focusing all of our resources on getting that up and running during the same time period. We are hopeful to partner with DFW rescue me again next year when running two shelters is ‘old hat’.”
Now, you may have noticed the photo of that older dog and the dish. Spotted this pup while looking on the Facebook page. The page reports that the dog is 6-year-old Lab mix Bailey (A803113) who was surrendered by her owners. The anonymous writer asked, “Why someone would not want this angel is beyond me! She is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. To make her even more irresistible, her adoption fee is 1/2 price since she is over 6 years old! Even though she's considered a ‘senior’ at DAS, she has A LOT of life left to give!”
(LARRY ASIDE: This dog isn’t even middle age if she’s properly cared for and loved. Just needs food, walks, hugs, her own TV remote, a cell phone, a car that suits her and, of course, a bank account. Honestly, must have been dire circumstances to make a human betray a dog like this.)
THE CROWD IN EULESS AND JUSTICE THE CAT: We’re only featuring 3 of many animals in the Euless Animal Shelter -- they all need out, they all have stories, they all have something to add to the life of an adoring human. That’s the way critters roll, right? 
Karen Lee, the animal advocate and big-time supporter of the Euless Trinity High School GAP Club (Girls Awareness Program), sent us the report.
She wrote, “The Trinity GAP Club is constantly juggling pets from the shelter to boarding to foster homes to keep them alive.  Thanks to GAP’s efforts, pets in this small space-based shelter are rarely ever put down due to lack of space, but it becomes extremely difficult when foster homes are full and boarding is expensive.  So please consider all the foster pets in need too and there are a LOT!   Adopting a foster pet frees the home to take in a new shelter pet!  Please click on this LINK for ALL pets in need—too many to feature on this email so just showing the pets who are available in the shelter—and there are more in the shelter but not ready yet -- the shelter is FULL and will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day. Don’t let these pets spend a long lonely holiday weekend in the shelter.”
Then she mentioned an edition of Readlarrypowell.com in which we suggested that shelters and rescue groups rename a dog or cat in honor of Justice the Dog (left) - that poor dog who was fatally burned when four criminals spayed lighter fluid on him, threw a cigarette on him and laughed while he tried to outrun the flames that were delivering the mortal damage to his young body. 
That dog deserves to be remembered as more than a victim of the "oh, yeah, that dog"variety -- and the idea is that his memory could live on every time a shelter or rescue group names a dog or cat or any down-on-his-luck critter “Justice.”
This time it’s this great cat. GAP named him Justice. dHe’s #14826. He’s “super friendly and very playful,” the shelter people say. And Karen’s note reads, “The shelter is no place for Justice who wants to run, jump and play with his new adopter.”
You may have noticed the Chihuahua in arms. That’s Chloe, #14813 - a young purebred who is about six months old. She’s described as “not a yappy Chihuahua” who “quickly overcomes” her shyness and “loves to cuddle.” She’s good in the play yard with other dogs and “did not flinch when getting her vaccinations and acted like a perfect little lady.”
That second dog is Biscuit -- #14828. Not available until Saturday but the “cute and unique good-looking girl” is a wiggler. She’s got a distinct coat -- might be a Staffordshire/Cattle Dog mix, the shelter thinks. “She has a cute bobbed tail and wiggles when she walks. She is a very social dog who walks well on a leash and listens to commands.”  Complicating factor: She’s in heat and will be spayed when done with that. You can see more GAP-related Euless animals HERE.
To ask about any of these animals you can visit the shelter from 7a .m. until 4 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturdays. It closed Sundays. Call the shelter at 817-685-1594. Address is 1517 Westpark Way in Euless. Karen says if you’re looking for a specific animal and it’s not at the shelter at the moment, it could be at a groomer or a vet or in a foster home. To ask, email [email protected] and “I’ll track it down for you,” she says.
[LARRY ASIDE: This Justice is a wonderful gesture on behalf of a dog whose life was taken by evil. And it also is a wonderful tribute to the Dallas County District Attorney’s prosecutors who made the charges stick and put 4 guys in the slammer. Where they belong. Thanks to GAP, Euless and the DA for recognizing the importance of one little dog’s life.]
DOGS WITH EYE MAKEUP, OR COLLIN COUNTY LOADED AGAIN: Our reliable tipster, the volunteer shelter walker Allison Roberts, reports that Collin County Animal Services is loaded as we enter the Labor Day weekend. “We have dogs in temp crates again -- many dogs are vetted and heartworm negative.”
The people at this shelter -- workers and volunteers -- have made it a practice of going the extra mile to  save animals. Allison writes, “If you need help with local transport let me know - we usually have volunteers that can help.” 
These are just a few of the many dogs in the shelter -- among them is a dog we’ve been writing about for so long I’m not even going to run her photo again -- Mary Todd Lincoln. You can look her up on either the shelter’s website HERE or on the Facebook page maintained by volunteers HERE.
From top to bottom these dogs are John Adams, Banana, Bradshaw and Kelsey -- all needing a contract with a makeup company.
[LARRY ASIDE: As regular readers know, Readlarrypowell.com is enamored of Earhounds - and there are a few in the CCAS shelter. We also are enamored of dogs wearing eye make up -- and here are some of those. And, you know what else? I said I wasn’t going to run Mary Todd Lincoln’s picture again, but I am -- that’s her in the red sash. A dog that is such a good sport deserves a home where people will love her, hug her neck and refer to her in conversations as “Marytodd” in such a way that listeners think she is a human in the household.  “I’ll have to check with Marytodd before I can commit to that.” See how it works?]
CONTEMPLATIONS:  We need some photos of sleeping dogs and napping cats for our world-wide-read weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Send photo and info to [email protected]. If you have more than one sleeper, you could send photos and infos. Sleeping animals are a wonderful tranquility. However, I am now able to sleep while Inky the Cocker Spaniel snores like he’s been tippling during a Dallas Cowboys game and nodded off... You know what Duck Dynasty is proof of? It’s proof that while you folks from the 40s were the Greatest Generation, those of us who matured in the 1960s are by far the most interesting in an entertainingly odd way. Way more interesting than any wacky California family or goofball housewives, Jack. (That's a tribute to Si.) ... Someone sent me a note about a petition against the Running of the Bulls in Dallas. I’m against it wherever it happens except, of course, I would like to see a list of the humans who might run with the bulls in Dallas. We might not want to be too hasty. There might be a reason to let it happen just this once. Oh, I’m kidding the people on my list. Being gored by an irate bull is too good for most of you bleeps on the list.
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Ears! Red waits! DAS has old dogs, needs cameras! Grace! Halloween, Christmas and deep-fried contemplations

Holy puppy nose is that an Earhound or what?
Thought that big photo might wake you up. More on this guy in a second. We’re going to  tell you today about a couple of dogs -- Bebe and Lucy, needle at close of business today -- down on their luck at Dallas Animal Services, the DAS free animal special and a need for cameras at DAS to help with animal cruelty investigations. Red and Grace, too. Keep reading!
THE EARHOUND: Thanks to Stephanie Daniels, the SPCA of Texas Communications Specialist and the EAE (Earhound Assessment Expert) we were alerted to the existence of Bentley the Earhound. “What a classic set of ears!” Stephanie wrote. “Meet Bentley, a handsome 8-month-old Shepherd mix who can be found at our McKinney location. This cutie was transferred to the SPCA of Texas last week and he can’t wait to find his forever family. Our very talented communications coordinator, Meaghan Swan captured this gorgeous photo of Bentley.”
You know the drill. Go to www.spca.org. Yes, the second photo shows Bentley relaxing -- all he needs is a smoking jacket, a pipe and a book of poetry and he’s Mr. Romance. Well, except for the, uh, surgery.
TWO AT DAS, FREE AT DAS AND CAMERAS: Well, here’s the deal. Last night Danielle Fry sent a note about these two older pups, Bebe and Lucy. They’ve been in the shelter a while. They are older dogs and nobody in this town wants them.
Shelter management has given them until the close of business Wednesday to get rescued or adopted or two middle-aged dogs will get the needle and be as dead as dead can get.

Danielle says, “We have been trying to get them adopted and have had no luck.”
They’re being treated for upper respiratory infections. “If someone were still willing to adopt them, we would be able to send home medication with the adopters. Management has given the girls until Close of Business tomorrow to be adopted.  They are not coping too well being in the kennel.  They aren’t fearful but have become reactive through the kennel. They aren’t aggressive, I think that they are just frustrated with being cooped up.  When they bark, they are just saying, ‘Take us home!’  I think all they want is a nice home where they can run and play!
“According to the owner who surrendered them, Lucy is about 6 years old and likes to shake hands. Bebe is about 7 and likes to take baths. Bebe looks like she has some Lab in her so that would explain things. They are both good with men, women, and children.”
To save them, email [email protected] or call the shelter at 214-670-8246 or go to the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland.
In the meantime you see the ad from DAS’s Facebook page about the ADOPTION FEE WAIVED specials at DAS. (Click on it to make it larger.)
And one more thing from the Facebook Page,. DAS writes, “Want to help us fight animal cruelty? Our field officers are in need of digital cameras to gather evidence. We need new or gently used, working digital cameras that use standard SD cards and preferably AA batteries.”
Call the number, email the shelter or stop by the shelter.
THE CONTINUING CHALLENGE OF RED: We reported on the story of Red yesterday --  some rat abandoned Red in a neighborhood and now, just because he had no other place to go, the great Red is in the Lewisville Animal Shelter and t he clock is ticking.
Nancy Bosaw, who, with the help of Lewisville shelter workers, got him off the street and into the shelter, is extraordinarily concerned about this dog’s fate. She’s visiting him, trying to take care of his emotional needs, trying to find a place for him to go. 
Last night she met a young man at the shelter for an introduction. “Unfortunately, he moved in with his father and his father doesn’t want a Pit. Red was very shy towards him. Almost like the man reminded him of someone that had beat him.  The man said to me that it looked like Red had developed a bond with me as he didn’t leave my side.  I finally got the dog and man together by leaving the meeting room.  He kind of warmed up to him.  I don’t believe he will take him.”
Nancy would take him, but she has “no cage, kennel or any place I can keep him. I can’t have him destroy my house by leaving him loose, plus I have two little 6 pound rescue girls.  I don’t’ know if he would get along with them, but I’m going to take the one up to meet Red. The other little girl is a puppy mill dog and is scared of her shadow.  I can’t jeopardize any type of trauma with her.  But I can’t let this dog be destroyed either.  I’m at a dilemma  and don’t know what to do.  It breaks my heart and I wake up at night thinking of Red and how I can save him.“
Readlarrypowell.com has given Nancy some names of people and groups that are far wiser than a typing newshound about these things and some of you may be getting a call. In the meantime, if you or your group can find room for Red or find a way to help Nancy, email her at [email protected] or  call her at 214-673-2541 or you can click on comments below and leave your kind message here. 
Sometimes you catch a dog, sometimes the dog catches you -- and sometimes you need some help saving a dog’s life.
GRACE STILL NEEDING A PLACE TO STAY: You remember the former bait dog Grace -- rescued from a wooded patch in Irving and taken in by do-gooders. And now she’s had a litter of puppies. (We reported that on Aug. 20)
We check yesterday with Connie Lowe-Collins who has been dealing with the dog and really needs a place for her to go. The latest is that Grace is doing well, but one of her pups died -- “He was the runt and I don’t think he was in the best of health,” Connie says. The rest are doing fine.  Still need steady foster place -- email [email protected] to volunteer to help them.
CONTEMPLATIONS: How quick must a year move? Over the weekend I saw a story online that was headlined “Classic ‘Monster’ Cereals Making a Comeback for Halloween.” HALLOWEEN! And over the weekend I dropped by a CostCo with my funspouse Martha and in the aisle where the camping equipment used to be displayed, I found the Christmas displays -- reindeer, snowman twinkling lights. Holy smoke. It’s not even Labor Day yet.  The only event maintaining a proper pace is the State Fair of Texas. It opens September 27 and runs through October 20. But craft judging has already been done. And on Monday -- Labor Day -- I can tell you what you’re going to be seeing on the evening news: People eating deep fried food in Fair Park. Why? Because, as has become tradition, that’s the day the judges taste the entries in the annual Big Tex Choice Award Contest. Yep, these Midway tasties will be at the Fair this year. Here are the names of the entries (special thanks to the Fair’s Sue Gooding in Public Relations: Awesome Deep Fried Nutella®; Deep Fried Cuban Roll; Fernie’s Deep Fried King Ranch Casserole; Fried Thanksgiving Dinner; Golden Fried Millionaire Pie; Southern Style Chicken-Fried Meatloaf; Spinach Dip Bites and the Texas Fried Fireball. That last one is made of ground politician livers and jalapenos. I’m kidding. It’s a combination of peppers, bacon, cheese and a delightful crust. I don’t know how many coupons you’ll need to eat that, but it probably ought to come with two Rolaids and a soothing milkshake.
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Safe dog Ollie, others in flux, cats in cages & spay/neuter funding...

We’re going to revisit some dogs and maybe you’ll even smile at the way things turned out. We’re going to touch on Dallas animal shelter/Duck Team 6 efforts, Red the Desperate Lewisville Dog, Keller’s long-standing shelter residents and the need for funding to keep the Dallas Companion Animal Project/Metroplex Animal Coalition spay/neuter program operating -- so to speak-- in September.
Dollars -- the key to everything.
THE SAGA OF OLLIE: When last we wrote about Ollie, his fate was up in the air. Had been been euthanized? Had he been rescued? Was he adopted? What had happened to the dog Julia Lilly pulled off the streets 3 year ago and got into what, at the time, looked like a good forever home?
The anxiety was nearly unbearable for this veteran CLASP (Cowtown Loves Animal Shelter Pets) rescuer. 
After a weekend of concern, Monday brought an answer.
“Great news!” Julia wrote to us. “Turns out Ollie WAS taken to Hood County Animal Shelter and they placed him on Friday.  I just spoke with Ollie's new mom and she sent me this pic of him. Apparently he is 100% loved and gets to sleep in the bed. They are crazy about him.“
You see the photos here. Obviously Ollie has it made in the shade.
Remember, the people who adopted Ollie took him to a vet to be euthanized, but, Julia says, the vet declined. God bless that vet, eh?
Julia sent me a note praising La Paloma Animal Hospital and Hood County Animal Services, both in Granbury. “They were key in all this,” she wrote, and added that at the Hood County shelter “everyone I spoke with there was amazing and helpful and without their can-do attitude I wouldn’t ever have found out what happened with Ollie.”
I asked Julia what she felt at the moment she learned that her beloved street dog Ollie was now a beloved family dog.
Julia turned wordsmith rather than rescuer and wrote a touching response that I hope will help non-animal people understand the personal side of rescue. She wrote, “I was so happy to hear that Ollie made it out of this situation alive.  He had many angels on his path.  From the vet who refused to euthanize him, to the over-crowded city shelter that made room for him and finally to the new owner who came in on the 10th day and took him home.  Had one person in this scenario done something different, Ollie would not be with us today. 
“Ollie's previous owners who tried to have him euthanized before they went on a week long vacation should know that they do not get to celebrate along with the rest of us.  They shouldn't believe that their actions had no consequence because it all worked out for Ollie in the end.  I suggest that their family take this time for somber reflection on why they made the choices they did when so many other options were known to them and readily available.”  
WHAT ABOUT A DOG NAMED RED? Nancy Bosaw sent us a note about a dog named Red -- an abandoned dog. Her neighbor moved and left the dog behind. 
And he’s in the Lewisville Animal Shelter on a very short clock, Nancy says. 
“He is a Pit Bull around 1 year old,” she writes. “With the help of the City of Lewisville, who has him now, we got him off the streets. The City is at capacity and told me they are going to have to euthanize him. I hate to see that happen as he has a very sweet personality and is not aggressive. He would make someone a great pet.  I believe he has separation anxiety. Wouldn't you if you were left on behind?  He loves treats and ice cubes.  I visit him every day at the Shelter after work. If there is any way you can help me to save this guy, I would really appreciate it.  I would take him but I have a two six-pound rescue girls that I adopted and really don't have space for him to run, nor do I know if my girls would get along with him.”
He’s #20637552.His PetFinder link is HERE.   The shelter number is 972-229-3478. Nancy’s email is [email protected].
THE KELLER CONUNDRUM: There are animals in the Keller Shelter who have been there far too long and the ideal thing is if people extract them in a happy fashion.
We get this from the Keller shelter volunteer Fiona Green. “Adoptions are so slow here in Keller, especially for cats,” she writes. “It’s heart-breaking.” She asked us to post some animals that have been “with a for a while” and, as you can see, these are animals with, to borrow from the great David Byrne film True Stories, “special-ness.” (Film was shot here, you know.)
Now the pit fellow Ozzie has been in the shelter since the end of June “which is a long time for an active young, dog,” Fiona says. “He loves to be outdoors and go for his walk and he LOVES playing with toys. His favorite is a tennis ball. We would love to find a rescue group or adopter for him soon.”
Sasha the cat has been in the shelter for months. She gave birth to three kittens in January and has been sitting and waiting ever since. She is a calm cat who doesn’t mind being an only critter. Children make her nervous. She’s spayed and current on her shots.
Then there are Nellie and Nigel, siblings about 4 months old. Fiona says that when”one decides to casually hang a paw outside the cage, the other follows. When one decides to tuck both paws underneath, the other does likewise..
Call the Keller shelter at 817-743-4517 or email [email protected]. 
FYI: Fiona is currently fostering five black cats -- all adorable, all adoptable and all different.
AND THEN THERE’S THE ROCKWALL CHALLENGE: Just before midnight, tireless animal advocate Dawna Carabajal sent us a note about the challenge at Rowlett Animal Shelter. 
“The shelter is full, again. The shelter says they will have to euthanize at the end of the day tomorrow [TUESDAY] if there are no adoptions. They are full in both the cat and dog kennels. 
“Here are the 4 most in danger of euthanization. 
“Sadie is a six-year-old Shepherd mix. She came in as a stray with a big Lab mix who was adopted right away. She was left behind but has been quite the trooper. She has been good with other dogs at the shelter. 
“Lottie is a young Retriever mix, probably about 9 months old now. She is playful and friendly. She doesn't enjoy the company of other dogs but she loves people.
“Mona is just a kitten, probably between 4-6 months old. She is a gorgeous girl but she is shy. Sadly, shyness does not show well at the shelter so she has not gotten any interest at all. 
“Samson is an adult cat who has been patiently waiting for a new home. He is a sweet boy. 
“We have until close of business (5 p.m.) Tuesday to save these 4 lives. Any adoptions or rescues from the shelter helps these animals. All animals are $25 (fully vetted, spayed/neutered, microchipped) and free to rescue.
Call the Rowlett shelter at 972-412-6219.
CONNECTIONS-THE DAS AND DUCK TEAM 6: OK, we now come to joint purposes in the animal advocacy community.
We’ll start with yesterday’s Boxer. You may recall the story. The dog had suffered a horrible “strangulation” injury to its back right paw and needed an immediate out. Dallas Animal Services Transfer Coordinator Danielle Fry told us that the good folks with Legacy Boxer Rescue came to the dog’s aid and found a foster home. As you recall, Legacy is the group that has it’s mission in it’s online address: www.savetheboxers.com. You can’t beat that.
So we got a note from Rekka Melby about a dog family she spotted during a weekend visit to DAS. She writes that “of course they have tons of wonderful dogs, but I fell in love with one momma dog in particular. She’s a little black Lab mix, weighing in around 30 pounds and she has two adorable puppies who look to be about 5-6 weeks old. 
“Clearly momma dog has known love before and hopefully she will know it again.  She comes right up to see visitors and then sits right along the kennel to get petted.  She is super friendly and loving and her tail is always wagging!
“Her ID number is A804073 and their review date is 8/27 so I'm trying to get the word out in hopes a rescue group will be able to squeeze this precious family into their program.  The puppies look like they are almost ready to be weaned and the momma dog will likely get adopted quickly as she's a total lovebug.”
[LARRY ASIDE: That Rekka is so optimistic. We all know that lovable isn’t always a selling point. But, bless Rekka for trying to help this family. ] 
To ask about the mom and her kids, email [email protected]. 
Now, keep that mailing address handy because last night, Danielle sent another note about animals that need help in DAS.
Actually, Danielle’s latest message is the same message we’ve been getting for months from DAS - thank you, bird-brained residents of Dallas, Texas. Yep, around her you idiots who won’t spay/neuter your cats have kept kitten and puppy season going for quite some time. 
[LARRY ASIDE: Anybody interested in staging an “Honor The Idiots Day” -- we can set up dunking booths on city hall plaza. Not sure if we’d allow politicians to take part, unless, of course, it would help raise money for spay/neuter efforts.]
Now, as you can see, there are actual kittens available -- that is a litter of 5-week olds who have no other place to go. 
And those two adult cats have a story. Jasmine, left, is about 9 years old and Phillip is 2. DAS says they’re both declawed and sterilized. Why are they in an animal shelter? “Surrendered by their owner when the owner had to move.”
[LARRY ASIDE: I guess it’s a good thing you can’t just up and move and leave your kid at an animal shelter -- though I suspect it has crossed the minds of some people.] 
You may remember that story we recently ran about the roaming dogs in a Dallas neighborhood - abandoned and left behind when some jackass moved out of a house -- pardon my entirely accurate French.
Anyway, Duck Team 6 was involved in trying to help those neighbors help those dogs. And Rekka was making the appeals. So, we asked about that situation. Here’s her response: “Well, we had a ‘big’ development --.caught one of the dogs on Saturday and turns out she's pregnant!  Her sister (Juno) is the one we thought was pregnant so now it looks like we're going to have two expecting momma dogs on our hands.
“We set the trap and the Good Samaritan who has been feeding the dogs whistled and Fern came walking right up. She sniffed around the trap for one lap and then walked right in.  She was one of the fastest captures we've ever had!  Fern is estimated to be about 8 months old and is probably about 40 lbs.  She's a beautiful dog and is doing pretty good.  She's a bit shy but is coming around nicely.  We want to get Fern situated in a foster home and then we'll work on catching her mom and sister.
“We would love to transfer Fern or Juno to a partner rescue group as having two momma dogs with families at the same time is a lot for our group to handle, and will also take away from the time we have to help catch elusive street dogs which is truly our niche.”
To offer to help these expectant dogs of their mom, email [email protected].
And that concludes our DAS/Duck Team 6 report though there is no doubt that heir paths will cross again. Oh, you may be asking why Rekka can’t take in that black Lab momma and the two cuties.
Rekka explains, “I'm already fostering a few dogs plus we're currently working on rescuing 2 pregnant street dogs so I'm really sorry I can't take in this DAS momma, ugh!  Hopefully they'll be OK!  Sorry the pics aren't better - she's so waggy and then when she did sit still it was to get petted so had trouble getting good pics.”
Yeah, that just makes mom sound like a horrible dog to have around the house!
SPAY/NEUTER FUNDS NEEDED: Elaine Munch, who volunteers with both the Dallas Companion Animal Project and the Metroplex Animal Coalition Spay/Neuter Program, sent an alert out last night describing the funding needs for the MAC September spay/neuter days.  Not enough funding to support the September Spay Days already on the schedule.
When you don’t spay/neuter in a fertile town like Dallas, well, you know what happens. 
You can see the MAC needs by clicking on the artwork. Basically this need for funding is brought on by success -- funds were spent because previous spay days were so successful, Elaine says.”As of August, we will have completed more surgeries in 8 months than we’ve ever completed in between both programs.” Got to replenish those funds to get through September, Elaine says. Click on that artwork to make it larger. Go to dallasanimals.org to see how to donate.
CONTEMPLATION: Here’s a puzzler for you. What is the prettiest naturally occurring site in Dallas? Going to be interesting to see how many things people can name that are actually manmade or created by the Corps of Engineers. ... Too bad baseball can’t create a run bank so that a team can put unneeded runs it scores into an account and then draw on them when it needs the runs to win a game. Not that I’m taking about the Texas Rangers, of course. ... This drought isn’t going to end until the Cowboys are back in Dallas and WBAP is back in Fort Worth. Just a prediction. Probably been out in the heat too long. 
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A Monday assortment of animals and people...

Before we  get to the THLN conference next month, let’s examine some situations involving real life dogs in real life distress.
We’re going to start with a dog named Ollie. We have written about Ollie before and now he’s a mystery. An uneasy mystery.
Julia Lilly contacted us recently to try to help this dog Ollie find a new home -- he was in need of one. We wrote about him. Nobody made a move to help him -- Julia had been contacted by the adoptors and she’d begun to work on finding handsome Ollie a new home.
Then, without warning, his adoptive family dumped him and a dog named Riley into the Hood County Animal Shelter in Granbury. Riley was adopted right away, Julia says. And Ollie was no.
Late Sunday afternoon she wrote, “I drove out to Granbury today and sat in front of their Animal Control and made calls until I got an off duty Animal Control Officer to call me back. He said he isn't 100% but pretty sure that Ollie was brought in 2 weeks ago. He also said that he was no longer there. He doesn't know if he was adopted, sent to rescue or euthanized. No one will know the answer until they open tomorrow. I will let you know as soon as I know. it is going to be a long night.”
Isn’t that a sad state of affairs?
Here is what we wrote about Ollie when his plight first came to our attention. The dog Julia rescued is now a 3-year old “adorably freckled American bulldog mix that showed up at our window peeking in a few summers ago,” Julia says. “Sadly, the people who adopted him have decided that he and his ‘brother’ Riley are too much dog for them at their age.
“He has been living at Lake Granbury,  riding jet skis, laying on the couch and just overall living the good life, but sadly that is now over. And from the sound of it, rehome has to happen very quickly. They have made a decision and that's that.”

To offer to help Ollie if he’s still available, email [email protected].
If he is no longer available, perhaps the rescue that took him will let us know. Or the people who adopted him. And if he is not available for another reason. then we humans continue our record of letting down the animals of this planet.
[LARRY ASIDE: Turning a dog or cat into a kill shelter is a kind thing to do only when people are lined up to adopt animals as soon as the intake paperwork is finished. Otherwise, you are simply contributing to the death of an animal rather than being certain that a life will be saved. They’re just dogs and cats -- who gives a flip.]
THE BOXER NEEDING A BREAK: Sometimes the staffers give a flip. Another one of those “you won’t believe this” cases surfaces in the City of Dallas. Surprise. Surprise. What a bunch of kind people we have here roaming free. (Four fewer this week than last, thanks to the Dallas County DA’s prosecutors in the Justice Case. But that’s only being mentioned to remind the villains in these cases that there’s a chance they’ll do some hard time if they’re ever found out.
Here’s the boxer’s story: Danielle Fry of the DAS Rescue TEam sent out a note seeking immediate transfer into rescue for this dog. “Dallas Animal Services has a boxer that needs transferred as soon as possible…we are  requesting she be pulled by close of business today!  Her right rear paw has what appears to be a strangulation injury, where something may have been wrapped around her leg.  Her foot is very swollen and the tissue is becoming necrotic.  She also has a temperature of 104 degrees!!!!  She needs more care than we are able to provide.  Please help this sweet little girl.  Even with her terrible injury she is still a little wiggle monster.  She is alert and active.  We are doing all we can for her but she needs vet care immediately!”
I am hoping she got that care by closing Sunday, but if she didn’t email [email protected]. She’s A804036.
MEANWHILE IN CARROLLTON: The weekend report from CARE -- Carrollton Animal Rescue -- has a precise summary for the animals on the clock.
It reads, “This week’s Urgent List has something for everyone   -- small dogs 10 pounds and under and huge dogs over 90 pounds. So please take a look a lot of highly adoptable animals this week, just too many for us to house.”
That last bit of the sentence is the nice way of saying that if nobody claims these animals, they’ll be sent on via euthanasia rather than an adoption or a rescue.
That big dog on the left is Brutus -- turned in because his family was moving to a place where the humans could not take him. [Larry aside: Best of luck on Mars, people, because from personal experience with Big Black Dogs I can tell you that Brutus is the kind of dog you can take anywhere. Just find a different landlord.]
We’ve feature McDot before -- a stray. Nobody wants McDot.
That Cocker Spaniel is Heather -- probably about 10, blind in one eye and may have a mammary tumor -- only going to a rescue who’ll take care of her, CARE says.
And the cat is Danni and those are her kittens. Had them in the shelter. 
To help any of these animals (and there are a ton more) call CARE at 972-466-3420 or email [email protected].
THE BIG CONFERENCE IN AUSTIN: As has become a tradition, the Texas Humane Legislation Network  is hosting it’s FIFTH annual Animal Advocacy
Conference in Austin Sept. 6-7. All the details are at www.thln.org. You can register to attend online and you can see who’ll speak at the assorted sessions. And you can get information about the challenges faced by animal advocates and animals in the Lone Star State. Five years of conferences and they still haven’t been able to outline ALL the challenges -- new ones pop up ever year.
CONTEMPLATIONS: I accidentally clicked onto Facebook last night and found this note from Patti Watson. Coincidentally, I think it pinpoints one of those challenges that animal advocates face. Here is what she wrote: “Just saw 3 posts of puppies for sale on the Rockwall garage sale board. Puppies are not garage sale items!! If you need to make money, grow tomatoes or carrots or make a craft and sell it. NOT living beings! Ugh...Just makes my stomach turn, knowing how many dogs will be killed in shelters today and there are people breeding puppies everywhere for profit!”  Thought that would give you animals folks something to think about. Spay and neuter works with animals -- it does nothing to help a human think clearly. Not sure what we can do about that challenge. ... The reporter Steve McGonigle died over the weekend. Long battle with cancer. His career is celebrated -- but it's his hidden soft side that’s going to get him into Heaven. (I don’t know if the big paper in Dallas will let you read his obit without paying but his colleagues paid wonderful tributes to him.) He was a real reporter. Quiet and loud. I think he had an “interview voice” for calmly getting tough-to-get information and a “talking to an editor voice” -- not something you’d want to hear in a family restaurant!  He was a go-to reporter. Just plain folks benefited from his work; the other people were terrified he’d expose them. His byline meant something. ... I heard some guy from Frisco talking about all the things the city has these days - professional baseball, soccer, basketball, football, etc. And now the famed locomotive Big Boy is there, too. No longer on the grounds of the State Fair of Texas. Kind of a sad moment for Dallas. Thought Sunday afternoon I was driving on a bridge from I-35 toward the East and I saw a DART train crossing south just as a plane from Love Field was going in the same direction. It was like seeing a significant moment in Dallas. When I got here in the 70s it was a town with questions. Now it’s a town with answers -- of course, one of the questions might be, “Hey, where’s the big locomotive?” And the answer would be, “It’s in Frisco with nearly everything else.”
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The Sleepers & The Togetherness...& the HSNT extravaganza

We live in a land of dogs and cats. Furniture stores market chairs and beds to people, but the truth is these household items actually belong to dogs and cats. 
Nothing demonstrates that reality better than a dose of our long-running, internationally read weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
Consider that first photo -- obviously some dog has figured out how to detach its head, leave it on the couch and let the body go outside and romp while the braintrust naps.
Well, of course, you know better. That’s an illusion.
That is Maggie, the Rottie mix who lives with Gail Marshall and her gang. “Thought you'd get a kick out of seeing how she has mastered the art of relaxation!”  Gail told us.
You see that there are other dogs with the ability to nod off. We’ll get to Stubby and his late Lab pal Beauregard in a second.
Maggie’s story starts more than a decade ago. “She was a rescue as a 6-week-old pup from Operation Kindness in 2001.  She just celebrated her 12th birthday actually yesterday [Aug. 22]!  She has had some health issues but they are under control.  It's funny because we are both on the same thyroid medication.  How's that for togetherness!”
Well, of course, togetherness would seem to be the motto in the household.
See that short little guy Stubby? Here’s his story from Gail: “I rescued him about 8 summers ago. His owner, who was renting a home of mine in Fort Worth, was critically ill and wasn't expected to make it and he assured me someone was taking care of his dog.
“It was August and about 103 degrees and I had tried to call and check on him [Stubby] with no luck.  So I decided to drive over and see what was up only to find him tied to a tree, no water, no food and no one had seen his caretaker in three days!  So naturally I took him home with me and intended to return him to his owner when he was out of the hospital. 
“It turned out he was in the hospital for several months and when he finally returned home and found out how attached Stubby had become to Beauregard, my Black Lab, he didn't have the heart to separate them.
“Sadly my Lab passed away very suddenly March a year ago and it has really been hard on Stubby (and me as well, I might add!).  He misses him like crazy because where Beau was, Stubby was. I have a Rottie mix Maggie that he will play with but he never bonded with her like he did Beau.  But occasionally he'll sit with her.”
[Larry aside: You see these dogs? These sleeping dogs. These pals. These dogs that obviously enjoy each other’s company -- and if you'll look closely at that photo of the late Beauregard in the chair with Subby, you'll see that the big ol' Lab has the TV remote right where he wants it. And in the photo of them in the doorway, you can see that they're taking a break after doing some household labor -- they've left their tools laying about while they nap. This demonstrates why a household needs more than one dog --  a human is nowhere near adequate for a relationship with a dog. Dogs are above us when it comes to affection, loyalty and dozing and household repair. We’re lucky the Creator let us stay on the planet with them. Soon as I finish this, I’m going to go hug a dog or two. Maybe even a cat. Might hug my wife, if she’ll stop talking to Wendy the Dog and let me hug her.]
[REMEMBER: To nominate your slumbering critter for our dynamic Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap spotlight, send the photo of the sleeper/napper and info to [email protected]. Our mission is to make insomnia a thing of the past for all of our fellow sufferers. Dogs and cats know how to sleep - no reason humans can’t learn from them. That's the first photo we ran of Beauregard -- back in July of 2009. The big fellow knew how to squeeze into a chair, didn't he!]

PUT THIS ON YOUR CALENDAR: Our tipster pal Patty Sprong, who is fostering one of the ol‘ Animal Guarians dogs from the Celina seizure, reminds us that these dogs are going up for adoption. Here’s the poster -- copy it and send it around to as many people as you can. Placing these dogs will open space at the Humane Society of North Texas in Fort Worth.

Click on the artwork to make it larger and you'll see the big announcement part is on the right but the locations of all the HSNT sites is in the art on the left. 
Fort Worth's shelter has many opportunities to acquire animals from all sorts of situations and give them a life better than any of them - wait, I was going to say "better than any of them could expect," but the thing about dogs is they always expect that humans will be good to them. For some humans that's an impossible burden. They can't hack it. So the rest of us need to take uip the slack and make sure the animals have a decent chance.
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STRINGS, PICKS & SHAGGY

As I've repeatedly said, "Some of the best people people I know are animal people."
For example, on Sunday afternoon the animal-supportive folks at Stratos are boosting our pal Nancy Moore, the singer/songwriter/writer/swell person in her drive to save her family home from the taxman. We wrote about that effort  earlier this summer. See the poster for the entertaining details. And Nancy's called Shaggy becaue that was her radio name when she starred on KNON.

 

Sentence in the Justice case; Hugging dog gets a home, roaming dogs in Dallas, contemplating life...

 

THIS IN JUST BEFORE 10 A.M. -- In a special hearing this morning in Judge Larry Mitchell's 292nd Criminal District Court, the judge decided that the state had proven a deadly weapon (fire) had been used in the fatal burning of Justice the Dog and Darius Ewing has been sentenced to 5 years in prison -- report from the courtroom. More to come. 

Ah, Friday! Wiggle your toes -- or ears -- and think “Weekend!” Then remember to enjoy every moment. In today’s report you’ll find an example of enjoying life.
Has to do with a dog formerly known as One-Eyed Lana.
And, to balance the happy story, we’ll note that there are stories on the brink of happy endings. And, of course, we’ll dash some lemon into your sweet tea with mention of the City of Dallas budget. 
FYI: These next two items  one about a town hall meeting and the other about roaming dogs needing help, are related. Oh, and these two dogs are in Dallas Animal Services -- that's Great Dane Darla and Earhound Bonnie (too much ear to fit in the frame!) They're available.
Today's report:
ABOUT THE CITY’S BUDGET & FREE-ROAMING DOGS: Around 6 p.m. yesterday I got a phone call on the house phone -- it was a recording from City Councilman Dwaine Caraway reminding us (we live in his district -- District 4 on the south side of town) that he was about to host a town hall meeting on the city budget and that constituents could access it by phone or computer if you didn’t have time to get to the meeting. 
I clicked in on the computer just in time to hear a woman named “Bobbi” express her concern that when people call the city about roaming dogs, no one answers the complaints.
Councilman Caraway responded that Dallas Animal Control is “working extremely hard” in this area. He said that he hears complaints “throughout District 4 over the proliferation of dogs -- where these dogs are coming from, we don’t know.”And he promised that the city would respond to calls. 

[LARRY ASIDE: If you recall, yesterday’s Readlarrypowell.com had information about Dallas Animal Services’ proposed 2013-14 budget which, at first glance, and maybe at second, too, looks like a case of “do more with less.” Stay tuned. Check with your Dallas City Council Member to see how that elected official feels about roaming, unfixed dogs having puppies nobody wants, getting struck by cars, etc. And, of course, we noted in yesterday’s report that the city sets aside more than a half-million bucks a year to handle removal of the remains of dead animals. You can scroll down and read about it. Oh, and in yesterday's Contemplations you can click on a story about roaming packs of dogs in the crumbling city of Detroit, Mich. Not that Dallas is crumbling -- so why can’t vibrant Dallas do better? See the next item.]
FREE-ROAMING DOGS IN DALLAS: We were tipped to this situation in Dallas by Rekka Melby of Duck Team 6, the rescue group that will get animals off the street but only if those animals have some place to go. As of yesterday, on person had agreed to foster “either Fern or Juno, but that’s about it. The other two dogs still need a safe place to go,” Rekka told us. “We’ve been surprised at the lack of interest as they're really cute dogs and when they see the family that feeds them, the dogs trot up to them wagging their tails.  So they're friendly, just a bit cautious but that's what also helps keep them safe from people with bad intentions.”
You see photos of them in this report. And you can see a video of these dogs nobody wants HERE. 
Rekka’s note reads, “I'm writing to see if you can please help get the word out about a family of street dogs that we are hoping to rescue as soon as possible!  Otherwise we fear the family of 3 will turn into a family of 15-20.
“The story starts with a cute little momma dog. Sadly her family moved out of their home over a year ago and she and another dog were left behind. 
“Neighbors took in the other dog but they haven't been able to catch this momma dog. We have named her Momma Mia.  They feed her though and look after her the best they can - she eats out of their hand but is a bit cautious. Dogs are so loyal - Momma Mia continues to hang out at the house her family abandoned.”
You can guess which one of these is Momma Mia -- just look at the abdomen. 
[LARRY ASIDE: I don’t know what the statute of limitations is on animal abandonment, but that family that moved off and abandoned the dogs might ought to start sweating it - you know, if Texas is at all serious about making people treat animals with respect. Sorry, I think I was daydreaming when I started this aside. Forgot where I was, you know? Native Texan -- I know better than to trust elected officials to care about an issue if the beneficiaries of that law can’t vote.]
Back to Rekka’s note: “Momma Mia has two juvenile pups; named Juno and Fern that have stayed right by her side on the streets. Her most recent litter included at least four puppies, one of them - Ringo is now a Duck Dog and we think other people passing by picked up the remaining puppies. Momma Mia gets excited when the nice neighbors feed them so we think she and her juvenile pups will follow them into a pen. We would like to try and catch all 3 dogs at the same time as we worry that the young dogs won't know what to do if we catch the mom first. Momma Mia is also favoring her right, front leg so needs vet care.  We are hoping to catch these dogs asap as if we wait much longer, instead of having 3 to rescue it'll be 15-20 as the juveniles are at the age where they could get pregnant.
“We need a safe place for the dogs to go before we can ‘deploy’.”
To offer to help by fostering, email [email protected] -- take one, two or three of the dogs. They’re all friendly but cautious “We think they will do well once in foster homes and it's ok to split them up,” Rekka says. (Foster application is HERE.
LANA AND A HOME: Back on August 16, which seems a long time ago in animal shelter days, we mentioned a dog with an eye problem -- One-Eyed Lana, they were calling her. She was a beaut.
And now she’s got a beaut of a story with a happy ending. We’ll let her new human, Nancy Stephenson tell the story of Lana’s transformation from One-Eyed Lana to beloved new dog Lucy. 
Lana was in the Arlington Animal Services Shelter and, Nancy says that “it was the shelter that did the good work.” The eye problem was seen as a drawback to an adoption but things worked out and, Nancy says, “The focus here is that a wonderful (special needs) black dog was overlooked time and time again… All it took for us was 10 minutes outside in meet and greet  to see that this girl has a loving and warm heart who deserved all the love in the world.”
The top photo is the picture of down-on-her-luck Lana.
And that second photo captures what happened over the weekend when Lana came into the “meet ‘n’ greet” and saw Nancy’s husband Greg.  “She went up to him and wrapped her legs around his leg and literally hugged him! We left and he kept saying, ‘She is such a sweet dog.” .. So, on Monday, I just went and brought her home.”
So, Lucy the Hugging Dog is now living in a household with two adoring humans and 3 other dogs who get the benefit of human adoration.
Nancy told Readlarrypowell.com, “I really wasn’t ready for a 4th dog and we’ve had a very hard year with our current pack ourselves.  But, sometimes they find us and then the same question pops up: ‘Just who is saving who?’ ”
GOT A PHOTO OF A SLEEPING DOG OR CAT? Or any critter? Deadbeat relative? Remember, we feature them on weekends in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. World-wide read. Make your critter famous. Send the photo and info to [email protected]. These photos do two things: (1) Encourage insomniacs that they, too, can nod off and (2) encourage people to adopt animals because even when they’re asleep, they’re great companions. Life’s good when you and the cat can nap through a Dallas Cowboys game and awake without having seen all the fumbles and interceptions. [That's Porche Noel sleeping on her couch at our house. From the serene look, we can only guess that she's dreaming of a career in politics.]
CONTEMPLATIONS: That last quote from Nancy Stephenson about “Just who is saving who?” is something to think about. I’m pretty sure they’ve all saved me through the years, though, of course, Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, feels that things are still  up in the air and the final decision is a treat-to-treat situation. No treat, no comfort. No treat, no wisdom. No treat, no guidance in the key issues of life. He says he works cheap -- treats not checks -- because, he says, “I’m off the grid and I like it that way.” ... Heard a story on the radio about a labor strike by fast food workers. No problem to me -- I only go to fast food joints to get something for Martha when she’s ill or I’m just being nice. That’s  how infrequently I go -- now. Ah, there was a time, when I was a carnivore, when I’d roll up to that window and order that charred dead flesh like it was the best food in the world. ... Enjoy your weekend. Be kind to animals -- eat more vegetables.
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Ears of the cat, budget of the city, colors of the GAP school, a clinic, a fundraiser and contemplations...

We’re going to start today’s report with a sophisticate. Wait, that may be a sophisticat. Then we'll get into the City of Dallas budget, GAP Club dog colors and other topics.
THE EARS HAVE IT: Stephanie Daniels is our veteran SPCA of Texas Earhound Assessment Expert. She’s the EAE - we thought about designating Stephanie as the "Earhound International Expert In Observation" but nobody wants to put EIEIO on their resume.
Anyway, look at the ears on this cat! Are they not fabulous? Very sophisticated earcoiff.
Stephanie augments her generous Earhound Assessment Expert income by working as Communications Specialist with the SPCA -- suddenly it occurs to me how appropriate it is for a Communications Specialists to be able to spot Earhounds! 
Well, moving along, Stephanie wrote, “I have another EarMEOW for ya! Casey has such a wonderful set of curly-cue ears! Casey is currently at the PetSmart in Duncanville [an SPCA off-site adoption area]. Looks like this sweetie pie was surrendered because  of the cost of pet maintenance.”
Yeah, I’m with Stephanie on this one. Cat maintenance is outrageously expensive. There’s the cellphone, the high-speed computer line, the limo, the assorted sleeping chairs for different times of day, the cable, though some are switching to a dish set-up so they can get CBS and NFL football and The Big Bang Theory.
But seriously, don’t you think Casey looks as if she belongs in one of those sophisticated motion pictures of the ‘20s or ‘30s, enjoying a martini with William Powell and Myrna Loy? She’s only 3 years old, but she has the presence of an Earhound twice her age. She has what is known as "tuftness."
LET’S TALK BUDGET: The City of Dallas is going through its budgeting process right now and some of you citizens of the city may not realize this but in a democracy the budget is everybody’s business. These elected officials and bureaucrats are spending your money. You need to see what they’re spending it on. [That artwork is a picture of page 146 - click on it to make it larger. It’s not as cute as a puppy but it is more challenging than a greased pig running through a council meeting and shouting “Trim the fat!”]
Every now and then something shows up in our email that is not an announcement about winning a lottery in India or a royal title in Ghana or something. This time I opened an email and it had links to key parts of the City of Dallas’s proposed budget. Like, for example, on Page 141 in the “Key Focus Area 3: Clean Healthy Environment” section you find that the portion titled “Animal Remains Collection and you’ll discover that the city sets aside more than half-a-million bucks to handle this. This money, the budget says, “provides for the prompt and respectful recovery and disposal of approximately 29,000 animal remains annually from residence, right of way, Dallas Animal Services and veterinary clinics within Dallas City limits. Expense are recovered through the residential sanitation fee and direct charges to veterinary clinics and customers for animals 100 lbs or more.”
Holy horrification, that’s just about the saddest budget entry I’ve ever seen -- and I covered municipal, county, state and school district budgets during my newspaper days.
Moving along, you can get a look at the entire budget by clicking HERE -- it’s a PDF and it’s long. 
I’ll save you some trouble. You can go to Page 146 -- again, its labeled “Key Focus Area 3: Clean Healthy Environment” and look at the Dallas Animal Services proposal for the next budget year. There’s a decrease. Not sure why, but the theory is its because rescue groups are working to help get animals out of the shelter so that they don’t have to be killed and that takes an expense off the city.That’s one theory. I’m sure there are others.
And if you want to see the line item proposals for Dallas Animal Services, click HERE. 
How can you comment on these budgets? Contact your city council member. Go to the City of Dallas portal HERE and you can navigate to the public hearing schedule and you can find who your city council member is. 
[LARRY ASIDE: Democracy is set up so that citizens can participate -- the elected officials get really lucky because citizens don’t bother to participate. If you aren’t involved, elected officials don’t interpret that as “too busy to be involved,” they interpret it as “don’t care what we do.” True fact. And remember, a vote is a very powerful instrument. Put several votes together and any elected official will quiver with excitement.]
THE COLORS OF ADOPTABLES: Well, of course, school is about to rev back up in Texas and that brings us to the Girls Awareness Program -- the GAP Club -- at Euless Trinity High School and the students‘ support of the Euless Animal Shelter.
GAP supporter Karen Lee sent us a raft of available animals at the shelter and a note that the GAP-endorsed adoptables will be at the Grapevine PetCo, 1250 William D. Tate, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday -- and since it’s an indoor event, there will be dogs AND cats. 
You can see the Euless shelter animals and GAP foster pets HERE.
That colorfully attired German Shepherd mix is Finney (#14801) who is said to be quite smart, a gentleman and “let us dress him up in Trinity Trojan colors for his photos.”   Yep, he’s a fellow who’ll be happy to cheer on the home team.
That cat? Karen’s note explained, “Voters in the ‘name this kitty Facebook contest’ chose Lyken for the name because she has the markings of the thumbs up ‘Like’ symbol for Facebook!” She’s #14790  and “a super soft cuddling cat that is very loving.” Call the shelter at 8d17-685-1594. It’s at 1517 Westpark Way.
THE COLONY OFFERS CRITTERS AND VACCINATIONS: As you can see from the artwork (click on it to make it larger), there’s a Saturday event at The Colony’s Animal Shelter that will offer inexpensive help to people who need to get the shots for their critters. 
Now, let’s say you don’t have an animal.
The Colony can fix you up with that, too.
For example, that waiting boxer (mix?) girl is Misty. 
The shaggy lookin’ fellow is Delbert the Retriever.
And that cat is Freeman.
All of them are available for adoption. 
And there are many more in the shelter. All of them on the clock. There are several small dogs, large dogs, a medium dog or two. And there are cats of assorted colors. 
To ask about any of them call the shelter at 972-30-9250 or email [email protected]. 
About that vaccination clinic on Saturday, we're pretty sure there won't be feline or canine measles vaccinations available. Nobody's ever seen a case of Cat Measles that I know of though we have seen Dog Spots. Relax, I'm kidding. 
DINING FOR DCAP AT TIN STAR: “Spay Days can sure use the money,” says Maeleska Fletes, vice president of the Dallas Companion Animal Project. [Click on it to make the art larger.]
And, look, DCAP is reaching into the good-hearted pockets in Plano -- the venue is the Tin Star at Coit and 190 in Plano -- official address is on that artwork.
When you dine at Tin Star Thursday evening, a portion of the evening’s sales will go to DCAP.
You  can read about DCAP at its online site HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Spotted this horror story about Detroit online -- read it and weep. Click HERE. Think this roaming dog packs can't happen in North Texas -- check back with us tomorrow when we tell you about a Duck Team 6 project. ... The President is against breed-specific legislation, another story reported. He also has acquired another breeder dog (They need homes, too.) instead of leading the nation into a shelter to adopt a mutt or a down-on-its-luck purebred. Geez. I’d like to see one of our foundlings in the White House. I mean, geez, Inky the Cocker Laureate of Texasl has the smarts for the job and Porche Noel, the street dog, has the toughness. And, of course, stick a cat in the cabinet and look out. I’ve always thought every adminsitration needed a good ratter standing by. We don't have one -- ours are from the Sit-and-Observe side of the feline family tree. ... And here’s a little song for the arid State of Texas. Ladies and gents, the incomparable Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. Click HERE.
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