DATELINE: DALLAS A Town In Need of a Real River, Texas (Nov. 14, PetPowellPress) -- In case you wondered, and you can Google this info, November 14 is both National Pickle Day and National Guacamole Day. Best pickles in town may be at Kuby’s in Snider Plaza or at Bolsa in Oak 
Cliff (horseradish pickles by Nathan’s!). Perhaps the best guacamole in the area is at the Candlelight Inn in Arlington. When gas is too high to drive west, we stay in Dallas and I pick Gonzalez on Jefferson in Oak Cliff for a great guacamole chalupa. (Related to the guacamole, 
National Cornchip Day is Jan. 29 and National Tortilla Chip Day is Feb. 24, in case you wondered. Unrelated, National Chocolate Chip Day is May 15.) National Chip Your Dog or Cat Day is every day. I ran that photo of 
the Candlelight Inn and Gonzalez’ sign because I’m fighting cravings as I type. I ate at Kuby’s (best pimento cheese in town) over the weekend. Click on the photos to make the images larger or simply visit the places and see how big they are in person -- Gonzalez' building has been under renovation (the whole block!) but the kitchen remains magnificent! Things to think about as you enter the weekend. Now that I’ve misdirected or deflected my cravings, here are some reports on other issues.
STORIES OF TWO DOGS
When I checked on this dog Shiloh on Thursday, Dallas Animal Services reported that nobody had tagged the little inured rascal. Danielle Fry, the DAS Animal Transfer Coordinator, had issued an appeal for the 2 year-old dog (A862398). It explained, “He is lame on his left front leg. Our vet staff is not sure what the injury might be, so this boy definitely needs some x-rays to
determine the issue. He is a love bug and won the heart of the person who found him. They have offered to help with medical expenses...up to about $500 depending on costs for his treatment. We also have another guardian angel who has offered $100 donation to his care! This boy is so loved that someone out there has to have a space for him! He even does pretty 
well with other dogs! He might like to be the alpha dog in the family but he did not show the other girl any sort of aggression!” Email [email protected]. For crying out loud.
And, while we’re at it, we’ll mention that when you go to the DAS Facebook page you’ll find this new way the shelter is raising money. T-shirts with adorable Bentley The Non-Ebola Dog. [LARRY ASIDE: Yep, the city’s taxpayer-supported shelter has to sell T-shirts to raise money. Might be fun to put the faces of city council members with anti-animal voting records on T-shirts and see how well they sell. I’ll be happy to write the captions. Perhaps, in light of the recent election, “I Got My Raise. The Animals Are On Their Own.” Just a thought.]
THE TIED-UP DOG IN LANCASTER
You may recall that our pal Tomi Ortiz has been working to either set free or protect a dog in Lancaster. This is that dog. And, yes, help is on the way.
Tomi writes, “I was able to take a picture yesterday [Wednesday] of the dog in Lancaster. It’s not the best picture but the owner’s neighbor was outside watching me. You can see his beat-up dog house, and the pole he’s attached too, but you can’t see the chain around his neck very well.”
Several people responded to her plea for help with this situation. “It warms my heart to know there are people out here that truly care about animals.”
Tomi is meeting with a dog house donor tomorrow and will take the new house to the dog’s human. “Now all I have to do is pray the owner doesn’t run me off their property with a gun or something! But it’s worth the risk! I’m going to be sweet as pie and if that doesn’t work, can I borrow your Two-by-Four of Enlightenment?! Just joking!” [LARRY ASIDE: Honestly, I’m going to have to open a Two-by-Four of Enlightenment factory just so we can make enough money to hire lawyers for situations where a Two-by-Four just isn’t enough! Send your “Way to go Tomi!” notes to [email protected] . She deserves a load of credit for working to save this dog.]
PUD THE PRICELESS PUDDYTAT
Pardon the irresistible alliteration. Alexandra Kelsey, the Houston tipster who spots these stories, sent us a copy of a note from Kendall Gouldthrope about her 
grandpa’s cat, Pud, a Blue Seal Point Siamese in Lake Jackson, Texas. The lady cat is about 6 years old, neutered and up to date on shots. Kendall adds, “Unfortunately because Pud only ever knew my grandfather, she would need to be re-homed into a patient home with no children and no other pets.” (To offer to help Pud or somehow place Pud permanently, call Kendall at 770-294-3141 or email [email protected].
FROM OUT AT THE LAKE: ONE CAT; TWO POINTER SISTERS
Our lakeside tipster Sydney Busch of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake, sent an email with the subject line “6-mont-old black/white kitten needs new 
home please -- SPAYED!” Who among us is surprised to get a note from the Friends that announces “spayed!”? After all the Friends operate, so to speak, the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City, Texas, each Tuesday. This cat is a surviver -- roaming dogs killed her siblings. [LARRY ASIDE: Don’t blame the dogs, blame the jerk humans who are too stupid to socialize the world’s 
most social animals. Idiots.] To ask about this kitten call Connie at 512-875-5854 or email [email protected].
In addition to an available cat, there are The Pointer Sisters, Lily and Rose, who, according to a note Sydney forwarded are also SPAYED!. They are a year old, Pointer/Lab mixes and they preferably will go to one home. They’ve never been apart. They weigh 70 pounds each and are crate-trained. They are “great with other dogs and kids.”
Call Dorothy at 903-849-2432 or email [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS: I’ve been monitoring some behind the scenes discussions of Trap-Neuter-Release cat issues in the City of Bedford. City Hall seems to be more 20th Century than 21st Century on this issue. So, just an FYI to the elected folks in Bedford: Check with the City of Garland about how things turned out there when it paid no attention to the pro-animal forces. Hint: We’re told things 
have changed for the better in Garland. Don’t know how that translated at the ballot box or at the staff pay window at city hall. Why is it so hard for some municipal governments to do the right thing for animals? ... On my way through Downtown Dallas on Thursday afternoon, I snapped a photo of the shaft of this attractive City of Dallas utility pole. Behind it you may be able to make out well-bundled people at work on that Christmas tree in Main Street Garden. Cold. Very cold. It appears that the framework will soon be wrapped in silver foil garlands. No other signs of Christmas assembly downtown yet -- Neiman’s windows are still autumn, but that’s probably about to change. AAnd where will the big, wonderful, red Christmas ornaments on the lawn of the Omni be this year now that the lawn of the Omni is being converted into some money-making venture? ... In the decades that I’ve been writing columns for newspapers and online, I’ve referred to Martha as my tunespouse, catfanspouse, laughingspouse, harpspouse and many other combined spouse words. The one that fits her best is the one I use most often: “funspouse.” And now I am about to show you why. It has to do with a conversation about chewing gum and the “stupid virus” featured in national news stories on Wednesday. This is real, actual husband/wife dialogue from a quick conversation with her at she sat at her desk and I stopped by to say hello.
I walked into her office and she was chewing gum like a schoolkid, really giving it a workout.
"Why are you chewing gum?" I asked, marveling, "I never see you chewing gum."
"It helps combat a double chin," she said.
"How much did you buy?" I asked with a smile.
"You are a stupid, stupid man," she responded.
"Did you see that story about the stupid virus today?" I asked and she replied, “Yes -- and I know who Patient Zero is.”
--- To comment or compliment Larry on his stereotypical stupid husband inability to keep his mouth shut, click below. ---
