EDITION OF TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to Tuesday and, of course, let’s jump right into the day’s report, but remember to check Monday’s extra edition to help some on-the-clock animals -- and in this edition we have two Denton dogs in quite a fix. Keep reading. We even have a dog named Flutterby in the report.
PIGS -- THEY’RE NEVER TEACUP
In an earlier edition we reported on the attempt to help three pigs in Wichita Falls. The tip came from Alexandra Kelsey in Houston and put us in touch with Sue Hempfling of Little Dogs Big Hearts Rescue. Sue succeeded in finding help for a Vietnamese Potbellied Pig abandoned when someone decided to change addresses and not take the pig. And there were two other pigs that needed help because of human decisions. Congrats to Sue for handling all that. And, I know, Dear Reader, you’re wondering about that pig in the picture. That’s Frank the Pig, currently available at the SPCA of Texas. He is “medium.” Based on that photo, he is not “teacup” and definitely not a lap pig.
Sue has some experience rescuing pigs. And she explains, “Everyone wants a cute piglet, but, just like with cats and dogs, they don’t train them, spay and neuter, and they end up with a large unruly animal that is too much for them. Breeders push the teacup pig myth, buyers don’t do their research, and the animal suffers. Pig rescues are always full. When we get pigs here, I prefer to send them to established rescues where I know they will be spayed/neutered if not already, and adopters can be screened by experienced pig people.”
[LARRY ASIDE: We’ve long agreed with Sue that the world needs more EPPs. Experienced Pig People. And we also need people who realize that pigs grow. Yes, they do.]
HOW ABOUT HELPING A HORSE
Beginning April 26, the SPCA of Texas will participate in the annual ASPCA Help a Horse Day. The SPCA will be “competing for a chance to win $30,000 available in grant prizes.”
What’s the contest about? An SPCA of Texas news release reads, “The nationwide competition for rescues, shelters animal control agencies and sanctuaries that adopt out equines is designed to raise awareness about the year-round lifesaving work that is done to find homes for horses.”
Here’s what the SPCA of Texas wants to do: “Showcase equine available for adoption and highlight success stories of previous adopters. The goal of this campaign is to match adopters with our adoptable equine to not only enrich the lives of their adopters, but to give the equine an overall higher quality of life.” (That horse is Rihanna, a 2-year-old currently available at the SPCA of Texas -- there are other horses, too, at spca.org.)
Why is April 26 Help a Horse Day? The SPCA says that’s the date in 1866 that ASPCA founder Henry Berg stopped a cart driver from beating a horse and started a movement making it illegal to mistreat a horse.
TWO HANDSOME FELLAS IN DENTON
ARE ON A QUICK-MOVING CLOCK
Our Denton tipster Amy Posey wrote this Monday. “I just got the dreaded news I never want to hear, but it’s a sad reality. Krums and Maximus Decimus have only until 5 p.m. Saturday (4/28) to make it out alive. Look at these two angels just begging for love with those big, brown, beautiful eyes. Come on y’all, these two handsome boys need a miracle so PLEASE consider saving them!”
Krums has a fascinating story. He’s a youngish Pittie mix “who had been running loose for 3 years! He is somewhat distrustful of humans but very submissive and will roll over for belly rubs. He can jump fences so he will need to go to a home with a 6-foot wooden privacy fence or supervised outside time. He has spent too much time on his own and it's now time for him to live with a loving family!” (He’s vetted, friendly and heartworm positive, darnit.)
Maximus Decimus is about the same age. He’s an owner-surrender who “is a sweet boy and loves to play in the yard or go on walks with his people. He enjoys people but can be choosy with his dog friends.” He’s vetted, heartworm negative and weighs in at 61.7 pounds.
The contact points are Amy at dale.amy@verizon.net and, at the shelter, gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, paul.o’neill@cityofdenton.com, dentonshelterdogs@yahoo.com, and/or dentonanimalservices@yahoo.com. Call the shelter at 940-349-7594. Remember, there's a deadline for the dogs.
THE BEAUTY IN WACO
Once again our Houston contact Alexandra Kelsey offers a tip about an animal. She writes, “Leonberger Rescue alerted me to this gorgeous dog. She is in the Humane Society of Central Texas in Waco. The shelter profile on her sounds wonderful, and the rescue would love to find a foster or foster-to-adopt. This sweet girl should fill out at about 85 pounds, I think.”
The contact for fostering Flutterby the Leonberger Mix is nvadim@me.com.
Flutterby (A082268) is 3 -- she’s been in the shelter since the 4th of April.
The profile describes her as an easy going, polite, smart, sweet, absolutely gorgeous companion dog.”
Soft coat, great manners, delightful personality. Needs some attention paid to her by a loving human.
CONTEMPLATIONS
BACK TO THE WEEKEND
Back to what I was writing about in the opening of Monday’s report -- before I got all browned off -- to use a 20th century phrase -- about the way Sampson and Luna have been cast aside in Mesquite (See Monday morning’s report for that info). So, while other people were dumping their cats and dogs, I was playing with our dogs and cats.
And I was fretting over a neighborhood feral who looks dynamically pregnant. We’ve gotten several really good kittens through the years because our property has been somehow declared to be
“The Maternity Ward.”
With the exception of Annie the Heeler Mix (born under a neighbor’s shed), dogs wander up to our house. The cats are born here -- usually in shrubbery or somewhere we’ve never been able to figure out.
Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson, an adorable girl, (that's us editing on the left) was one of the feral kittens. She was a light gray, black-striped, cross-eyed kitten. (Her fur got a lot darker!) As soon as she could walk, she was friendly and wanted to be held. Still kept her distance. Timid. Only took about a week to convince her to walk near me and
expect to be loved.
I’m glad we have her. But we don’t get all of them. Not even close to all of them. Many are born to vanish. They avoid a cat trap and a friendly hand and they disappear.
Spay and neuter. Honestly, we’re not going to have to worry about running out of cats any time soon -- no matter how many ferals we spay and neuter.
An example: Look at the gentle “posing grip” used on Dallas Animal Services Cat A1027797, listed Monday as “just 0 days old.” He arrived at the shelter on Monday. One of several. He needs a home. Kittie Leigh and I endorse him as a potentially fascinating cat. We also don’t know if he’s a he. Can’t tell from a mug shot in custody.
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