EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28, 2015 (PetPowellPress) -- Well, well, well. Look at that artwork. Found it by accident on the Dallas Animal Services Facebook site -- it tells its own story. The live release rate has increased.
Stats. There are other bits of artwork on the SITE HERE that indicate a rosier picture than in the past. I also cribbed the intake vs. euthanasia chart (below). And, indeed, it shows the number of euthanasias dropping through the years. We’re down to around 15,000 -- which means, if my math is correct, the City of Dallas Animal Services kills more than a thousand animals a month. Not the fault of DAS. It’s the residents. Irresponsible, don’t care, dimwitted,
unloving people.
But, you know, things have sure changed at DAS since Dallas Police Lt. Scott Walton heroically stepped in to take over after the previous administration allowed a cat to die while trapped in a wall of the building. (Lt. Walton is now Deputy Chief Walton. Nice guy, too.) While he was working hard to change attitudes and images the city, with the help of the rescue community, found Jody Jones to take over as DAS manager. Every day has to be a giant challenge at a shelter
And, of course, you can still adopt critters from DAS. That dog is Bentley and that cat is Oscar and they’re available at DAS. And here are the euthanasia stats.
A TRANSITION SANS SURGERY
Another tip arrives from Stacey the Stylist, as Stacey Carney is recognized because of her email handle. This tip is about this “Code Red” dog in the Weatherford/Parker County Animal Shelter. Watch THIS VIDEO while you read this odd little story.
This dog was originally named “Sadie” but upon further inspection, says Cheryl Tanferno of the shelter, the fellow’s name was changed to Shadie.
Except among the people who’d had him first.
Cheryl writes, “I discovered that Sadie is a male so we renamed him Shadie, even though he is an owner surrender and that was the name they gave him. Too confusing so we picked one similar so he wouldn't get confused. “
He’s #492056, a neutered Shepherd mix, a young fellow who was an owner surrender. “We were told he doesn't like men but we have tested him staff and volunteer men and he seems fine. He is energetic and sweet. Seemed friendly with other dogs.”
Ask about him by emailing [email protected]. Call 817-598-4111.
Adopting Shadie will cost you 25 lousy bucks. Hardly any expense at all to get a super dog for a roommate.
URGENTS IN IRVING
[Wednesday morning update: Russell Posch reports that Juno, the cleft-palate dog in the Irving shelter we wrote about Monday, was rescued by Paws in the City Tuesday. More to come on this story -- the pup will need a good home.]
These are the urgents at Irving Animal Services and they all have a story which you can read (thanks to shelterwalkin’ photographer Russell Posch) by clicking HERE. Some are available to the public, some to
rescue groups only. And that guy Duke (that’s his mugshot to the right) is a 2-year-old, 75-pound guy who is healthy but shy and he is a stray who is now “showing stress” and is “barrier aggressive.”
No wonder. He’s been in the shelter for more than a month. He’s going nuts. Who wouldn’t?
The shelter’s rescue hotline is 972-721-3597. Follow up your call with an email to [email protected] or [email protected]. Call the shelter at 972-721-2256 or 57.
MEANWHILE IN BURNS FLAT
We got several notes from the resilient rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher in Burns Flat, Okla.
We’re mentioning the content of three of them -- a picture being worth a thousand words, here are about 2 million words in photos.
“This is urgent,” Terry Lynn wrote about that puppy photo. “These 7 puppies were just dumped at a very high kill rural pound. Please. Can anyone help?”
That big brindle dog is one that is going to the pound in Burns Flat unless Terry Lynn can find someone to take the dog before the drive-by-dump-off occurs. Obviously she’s comfortable in a couch. Terry Lynn writes, “The sweet brindle girl is a doll... she is crate trained and loves dogs and cats... she is such a good dog.... her owner is leaving this weekend and she will wind up at the pound.”
Oh, goodness, that final photo. Terry Lynn explains, “Then there is this sad boy... He was taken to a pound 35 miles from me. He was so sad and scared they thought he was ill. Turned out it was total depression. He is doing better and loves to be loved on but he is still so very sad. So if anyone has room, please take this young sweetheart in and show him life can be good.”
Get in touch with Terry Lynn at [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS: Long work day Monday and my observingspouse Martha came home, took a look at me (after I complained about the lack of sleep) and said, “I can tell you’re tired.” “Is it the giant bags under my eyes?” I asked and she replied. “No. It’s the bags you’ve got OVER your eyes.” She was serious. ... I’m nodding off. Good thing we’re between football and baseball season around here -- I won’t be tempted to stay up watching games in which I have no monetary interest. ... I was up Monday night from about 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. -- no particular reason. Insomniacs don’t need a reason. I watched an episode of Psych on my Kindle and nodded off until Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson walked up my body to check to see if I might still be breathing. As you can see in the photo of Kittie Leigh, her “arm” across her eyes, she had no trouble sleeping at 3 a.m. -- likes to curl up on the quilt next to my feet. She’s protecting me from whatever it is that keeps me awake. Did a lousy job Monday night. But it was nice to see her getting in her snoozetime. Nice to know someone can sleep.
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