DATELINE: SEPT. 26, 2013, DALLAS, TEXAS (PETPOWELLPRESS) -- When is the next election? Oh never mind. I’m sure someone will let us know. The clock is ticking in Arlington's shelter -- 2 p.m. today. Now,
here’s our report for Thursday. You've probably noticed that cat photo. Not really a "cat" but REALLY a cat! We got a note about this little Dallas girl from Bekki Harvey who volunteers with the Animal Rescue Corps.
She says Trinity is a 4-week-old Bobcat kitten who was found in the Trinity River bottoms over the weekend by some City of Dallas workers. Trinity was "on the verge of death from dehydration and starvation but thanks to animal rescue people, like Kelly Hilliard, a licensed wildlife rehabber with the State of Texas, the kitten is on the mend. This photo shows Trinity on an IV drip for fluid.”
Kelly is a vet tech at VCA Preston Park Animal Hospital and says the kitten needs donations of raw meat, fish and chicken - they eat up to 2 pounds a day. (Call 972-985-0081 to arrange a donation.) Bekki says the cat will be going to a Texas ranch to live as nature intended -- as a Bobcat.
We’re also reporting another first today: teaching cats to use the toilet. Read on.
DEVELOPMENTS IN DALLAS:
-- NOTE ONE: The Dallas Animal Shelter Commission meets today at 1:30 p.m. in Room 6E South at Dallas City Hall. The agenda is on the City Secretary’s page at the City of Dallas Portal website. It will do you good to look at it and discover what else it takes to make up a city government.
-- NOTE TWO: There are several members of the Dallas Companion Animal
Project leadership on the animal shelter commission. And, coincidentally, we got a news release Wednesday revealing that there’s a new president of DCAP, the original City of Dallas No-Kill Task Force that has morphed into a wide-ranging organization aimed at reducing the numbers of animals euthanized in the city’s shelter. Chris Watts left the presidency in June burt remains on the board of advisors. The new president is veteran Realtor and civic-minded resident Philip Walker, a TCU grad. DCAP Vice President Maeleska Fletes said, ““Philip brings extensive experience in building strong relationships with both individuals and businesses. DCAP’s unique approach of partnering with area businesses to address Dallas’ homeless animal problem requires someone with long-standing community relationships. We believe he brings the right experience.”
As you may recall, the new version of DCAP resulted from the merger of the original DCAP, Metroplex Animal Coalition and Dallas Animal Advocates. Check out DCAP at dallasanimals.org.
NOTE THREE: The DAS Rescue Team folks sent out a bit of a desperate note yesterday. Too many cats. There are probably too many dogs, too, but the note focused on cats and, you know, if you want to rescue a dog or cat you can email [email protected] and if you want to adopt one email [email protected] . Or you can just go to the shelter and shop around -
- it’s at I-30 and Westmoreland. You can’t miss it.
Now, about the cats, DAS Rescue’s note read, “We have lots of cute kittens and a few wonderful cats available for transfer at Dallas Animal Services.”
You’ll note the cat Lilah on the left and Red on the right.
Their story? Surrendered to the shelter when the “owner could no longer care for them.” They’re both “fixed” and have
had their front paws declawed. [LARRY ASIDE: Do not declaw cats. It’s an awful thing. Nobody actually “de-claws” them, the procedure simply calls for cutting off their toes at the first knuckle. Ain’t that nice?]
Lilah is said to be sweet and may hiss at you which, the DAS folks say, is a common warning from declawed cats. I guess they know they have no defense and they don’t want to bite a human -- who does? Lilah likes to rub the bars and talk to passersby. Poor Red is failing to adjust. Hides in the litter box or wherever he can. But he does like to have his ears scratched and tummy rubbed. Just need someone to rescue them.
Like me, neither Red nor Lilah will be at Thursday’s Animal Shelter Commission meeting though the actions or inactions, reports and questions interested the three of us.
GREGORY AND OTHERS IN ARLINGTON
Sure, click on the art to make it larger.
Early this morning (5:47 a.m.) Susan Tandukar sent a note from Partners of Arlington Animal Services about Gregory, an abuse case who is now on the clock for 2 p.m. today. Nice, huh?
When I went to the PAAS Facebook page, I found photos of many dogs from Arlington Animal Services that, PAAS says, are scheduled for euthanasia at 2 p.m. Thursday, including Gregory.
Susan focused on Gregory, but all need a break.
She writes, “Gregory (ID #20788620) was seized in a cruelty case back on
08/21/13 with 5 other dogs and 2 pigs. All of the dogs were in HORRIBLE shape and one of them was so bad that when they found him, they thought he was dead. All the other dogs and even the pigs have found rescues/adopted EXCEPT GREGORY!! Gregory has come a long way since 08/21/13 but he is now on the EU list and will be EU'd today at 2 p.m. if someone doesn't step up for him. He can be tagged by rescue OR adopted. All of the volunteers are networking him like crazy. He deserves to have that forever family that will love him for the rest of his life. He does NOT deserve to be killed. He has survived so much. If at all possible, could you please add him to your column today? We are all praying for his safety.”
Reach the Arlington shelter at [email protected]. The shelter is at 1000 SE Green Oaks in Arlington. Call 817-459-5898. The PAAS Facebook page is HERE.
FROM FORT WORTH
-- Saturday is Customer Appreciation Day at the TCAP (Texas Coalition for Animal Protection) Fort Worth Clinic, 2400 Westport Parkway, Suite 100. It’s a new clinic (at I-35 and Westport, way north of 820). The family-oriented event will feature free dog training, door prizes, snakes -- wait, that’s SNACKS -- and other fun things. The puppy socialization training is from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The “Training Your Cat To Use the Toilet, Not a Litter Box” is from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. From 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., there’s a Basic Canine Manners Training class and at 11 a.m., there’ll be a raffle drawing. [Larry aside: You can win a tomcat that knows how to flush the toilet and lower the seat. I’m kidding.]
MEANWHILE IN DENTON
The SPCA of Texas is hosting “Bunny Hop” Saturday at the Denton PetSmart - it’s an adoption event for rabbits and guinea pigs.
According to a news release, the SPCA has dozens of rabbits and Guinea Pigs “which were recently rescued from cruel livng conditions.” And, if you don’t like what you see at the special event, drop by the SPCA of Texas shelters -- both the Dallas site and the McKinney site -- because they’ve got extra bunnies and Guinea Pigs, too. The rabbit fee is $20 and the Guinea Pigs are $15 each.
[LARRY ASIDE: All the rabbits have been either spayed or neutered and why is that? So they won’t breed like rabbits. Of course.]
This event is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Denton PetSmart, 1441 S. Loop 288. [LARRY ASIDE: This will be the most notorious display of Bunnies since Hugh Hefner’s grand opening of the Playboy Club at Krum. Oh, I made that up. Concept was funny, And Krum could use the ink.]
A JOB OPENING IN ROCKWALL
As you may know, the Collin County Humane Society long ago contracted to run the Rockwall Adoption Center. We got a note yesterday from CCHS President Molly Peterson announcing that CCHS is looking for a “Shelter Manager” for the Rockwall site. It’s a real job and “only serious applicants” need apply. Send resume and cover letter to [email protected]. This is a working position, we’re told. Hard work. Don’t know what it pays, but you rarely see animal shelter managers being driven to work n a Bentley.
MEANWHILE OUT AT THE LAKE
This has to do with the Mabank Jubilee, the celebration Saturday at the Mabank
Pavilion in downtown, where else, Mabank, the city on Highway 175 on the eastern bank of Cedar Creek Lake. The city was not named for an errant riverboat pilot who would shout “May bank!” - there’s no river and no such thing as a creekboat pilot. The city is named for each owner of the Mason-Eubank Ranch.
But that little trip down History Lane means I’m mentioning a colorful destination for Saturday -- the Mabank Jubilee where you can see the folks at the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake operating their booth. Bet you can even pickup some $10 legendary Pampered Pets Calendars, the famous publication of the Friends.
Friends, as you know, operate, so to speak, the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas, right there on the lakeside.
Our Friends tipster Sydney Busch is looking for volunteers to work the booth on Saturday. (She has shifts from noon to 3 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. to volunteer, email [email protected] or call 903-451-4701 or 214-808-4701. The Friends are on Facebook HERE. So why would Friends have a booth at the Jubilee?
Sydney’s note summed it up: “We will be selling our stuff and preaching our gospel (that would be spay/neuter).”
Can I get an “AMEN”?
CONTEMPLATIONS: One day last week my funspouse Martha and I were driving somewhere inside the City of Dallas when we came to a complete freeway stop because of construction detours or something. I asked, “Do you think Dallas will ever stop growing?” and my nativeDallsitespouse said, “No.” I noted
that I’d never seen a city that quit growing and, fishing for a sociology term to match that concept, I asked, “Wonder what you call a city that has stopped growing?” and Martha replied, “Detroit.” ... What’s this? Fourth full day of Fall? Leaves turning in your yard yet? My pal, the retired NBC-TV/radio/print journalist Andy Fisher lives in Denville, N.J., and it’s been actual autumn up there for weeks. Maybe since July 4 -- I’m kidding, but at least for 2 weeks. Sweaters and everything. I bring this up because while we’re still in the 90s in afternoons here, I do have evidence of autumn. You see this photo of the blossoming plants? Those are some of my late-summer pumpkin plantings. I got the seeds into the ground a little late -- sure didn’t have to worry about a frost around here. And I know the real farmers have their pumpkins already at market, but, I’m no farmer. I just plant some pumpkins every year and hope to get one or two out of the effort. One year I got five or six Jack-Be-Littles. If this plant produces pumpkins, the package says they will be the size of Volkswagens. I’m going to ship the largest one to Andy so he and Annie can hollow it out and use it as a pleasure boat on Indian Lake. Autumn does bring out the day-dreamer in me. It is my favorite time of year. Colors, Big Tex, football, World Series, Halloween, the Macy’s Parade, Thanksgiving, arrival of Christmas. I may drive over to Tyler -- could be time for me to stop and smell the roses. Pumpkin blossoms -- not so aromatic! But beautiful.
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