Forgotten Dog's Christmas~

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there

The children were nestled all snug in their beds

With no thought of the dog filling their head

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap

Knew he was cold, but didn't care about that

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter

Away to the window I flew like a flash

Figuring the dog was free of his chain and into the trash

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear

But Santa Claus - with eyes full of tears

He un-chained the dog, once so lively and quick

Last year's Christmas present, now painfully thin and sick

More rapid than eagles he called the dog's name

And the dog ran to him, despite all his pain

"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!

On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONNER and BLITZEN!

To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!

Let's find this dog a home where he'll be loved by all.

I knew in an instant there would be no gifts this year

For Santa Claus had made one thing quite clear

The gift of a dog is not just for the season

We had gotten the pup for all the wrong reasons

In our haste to think of the kids a gift

There was one important thing that we missed

A dog should be family, and cared for the same

You don't give a gift, then put it on a chain

And I heard him exclaim as he rode out of sight

"You weren't given a gift! You were given a LIFE!"


~Author Unknown






Photo courtesy of Paws In The City

Thanks to the Humane Society of Lewisville!

Many thanks to the kind women at Humane Society of Lewisville - a MAC Member Group - who have been a big help in assisting MAC volunteer Angie Manriquez with her ongoing ministry to the animals in West Dallas . Rebecca, Debbie, Dana and Sarah of HSL generously provide MAC with frequent donations of dog and cat food that is given to Angie to feed animals in West Dallas - animals that otherwise would not eat. Thanks very much HSL

More Photos from Dallas City Shelter Grand Opening Day!

Dallas Animal Services & Adoption Center Grand Opening

On October 20th, the new Dallas Animal Services Adoption Center celebrated its Grand Opening. Mayor Tom Leppert was there along with representatives of the city council and various city officials as Dallas residents who had been instrumental in getting the shelter built. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was at 10 a.m., followed by a day of celebration, featuring animal adoptions and family-friendly activities. Kids enjoyed games, crafts, coloring, face-painting and much more. Grownups will get to talk with local experts, including a top dog trainer, a cat behaviorist, wildlife experts and more.

Urban Animal contributor Larry Powell said, "when you walk inside the shelter, you can be forgiven if your jaw drops". It is a huge facility -- and state of the art. Other cities are sending people to study it as the leading model for municipal shelters. " The cost - $11.755 million from 2003 bond program; $3.5 from 1998 bond program, and a $1 million grant from the Ivor O’Connor Morgan Trust. The new 52,000 square foot building replaces both the Oak Cliff shelter, located adjacent to the Dallas Zoo; and the Forney Road shelter, located at 8414 Forney Rd. The new building has a total capacity of almost 800 cats and dogs, including the adoption area and all holding areas; compared with a combined capacity of about 400 provided by the two shelters it replaces.

The new facility, like all capital improvement projects of the city’s Department of Public Works, is designed as a “green” building, meaning it conforms with criteria for LEED Silver Certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council. For example, 50 per cent of the building materials, by cost, were derived from recycled content, and 50 percent of the waste generated during construction was diverted from the landfill. Other “green” features will be more apparent, such as the extensive use of natural lighting inside the building. Six large planters located in the public parking lot actually have a secret identity: they will house the cells that are part of a wastewater treatment system to clean and re-use up to 10,000 gallons of water a day. Energy for the system will be generated by a wind turbine to be located at the north end of the row of planters. This will double as an outdoor sculpture, adding a touch of whimsy to the surroundings.

Now Available! A Counter Surfer's Dream Cookbook

Now available - "A Counter Surfer's Dream Cookbook", a collection of 400 delicious recipes from Paws In The City and Metroplex Animal Coalition

All proceeds benefit Metroplex Animal Coalition's "Patt Davis Memorial Spay/Neuter Program" as well as Paws In The City's foster and adoption program for the City of Dallas municipal shelters.
These programs strive to decrease the euthanasia rate in the DFW metroplex and make Dallas a "no-kill" city.

There is even a section of homemade dog and kitty treats!

Purchase your copy at any Paws In The City adoption event, or order online! $10 per book, $2 shipping and handling if ordered online.
Visit www.pawsinthecity.org for a schedule of adoption events, or to order your copy now!

Pet Emergency Kit

In celebration of National Disaster Preparedness Month, Companions For Life is continuing our series of short weekly articles to guide you through preparing your pets - and your family - for a disaster.

Pet Emergency kit

One of the most important things you can do to prepare your pet for an emergency is to make a Pet Emergency Kit. Keep your kit in a safe place where it is easily accessible in a crisis. Should an evacuation be ordered, you’ll have everything you need in one handy place. You can just grab it and go.

So what should you include in your kit? Start with a medium size contained, waterproof is best, and include the following:

-Pet Food. Dry food, canned, food, and supplements. For dry food, free sample packs from pet supply stores work well. If you feed your pet canned food, don’t forget to include a spare can opener. It is also a good idea to include some paper plates or disposable bowls.

-Water. In a disaster, bottled water may be all there is and our pets, like us, need water to survive.

-Cat litter. Cats must have litter. You can store extra in a large storage bag inside a shoe box in your kit. The shoe box can double as a disposable litter box.

-Leashes. An extra leash can come in handy. A harness is a good idea, too. Even the best behaved pet may be frightened during a disaster and a harness can provide extra safety.

-Collars and Identification. Your pet should wear a collar with rabies tag and identification at all times, but if your pet is prone to losing his collar or has allergies that prevent him from wearing it, an extra collar with duplicate identification tags should be included in your kit.

-Medicines. If your pet take prescription medicines, make sure you have a supply of those drugs in your kit, along with the basics – flea treatment and heartworm preventative.

-First Aid Kit. Be sure to include a first aid kit for your pet. Specially designed first aid kits for pets are available online from a variety of sources, or from your area Red Cross.

-A photo of your pet along with current vaccination records, information on any medical conditions, and microchip registration papers. These should be stored in a waterproof baggie inside your kit. Be sure you have your pet’s name, your name, and your contact information, as well as a description of any unusual identifying marks on your pet, written on the back of the photo.

-Your vet’s name and phone number, as well as a list of boarding facilities and kennels in the area.

Preparing an emergency kit for your pet takes only minutes, but in a crisis it will make all the difference!

Look for our 4th and last installment shortly. Well discuss a few final tips for preparing not just your pet, but your family as well!

-Rebecca

PETAPALOZZA-September 29th 1:00-5:00

PETAPALOOZA – September 29 – 1:00 to 5:00
Just across from City Veterinary Center – 2727 Oak Lawn Ave.

On Saturday, September 29th, City Pet Companies will host Petapalooza, a community event for pets and their owners. Petapalooza is now in its 2nd year and will be bigger and better than ever. Please join us for an afternoon of fun with the animals.

Activities planned to include: stupid dog tricks, best dressed contest, Mr. and Ms. K9 Dallas. Ricochet K9 presents tricks, stunts and entertainment as seen on Letterman and Leno. Also, on-site micro-chipping and behavioral advice from City Vet staff will be offered.

Metroplex Animal Coalition and Companions for Life will present information regarding spay/neuter programs. These programs are vital to the reduction of the unwanted pet population and offer an alternative to the termination of dogs and cats in municipal animal shelters and humane societies.

All-Natural pet food vendors including: Big Bark Bakery, Chilly Dawgs, Innova , California Naturals, Solid Gold, Canidae, Nature’s Variety, Merrick , Natural Balance and Eagle Pack.

Adoptions: Dog and cat adoptions will be available through Paws In the City

Silent Auction benefiting:
Metroplex Animal Coalition http://www.metroplexanimalcoalition.com/

Auction items include box seats to the Cowboys and Stars, gift baskets from All natural pet food companies, art, prizes and more.

PLEASE MAKE PLANS TO JOIN US.

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month and Metroplex Animal Coalition urges everyone to be sure their families and their pets are prepared in case of an emergency. Never leave your pets behind if you have to evacuate – even for a few hours. If it’s dangerous for you to be there, it is dangerous for them.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the best resources on the web for the Disaster Preparedness page of our website at http://www.metroplexanimalcoalition.com/disaster/index.html.

In addition, all these sites offer wonderful tips and information to help you plan ahead and prepare an emergency evacuation kit for your pets. Don’t delay – get ready today!

-Rebecca

Ready Your Pets? A free download from Department of Homeland Security
http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/pets_tagged.pdf

Emergency Pet Preparedness, a website of the ASPCA
http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/pets_tagged.pdf

Disaster Resource Center , a division of HSUS
http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/hsus_disaster_center/

Information from Pet Owners, courtesy of FEMA
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/animals.shtm

Disaster Preparedness Library, Companions For Life
http://www.companionsforlife.org/library_disasters.html

Dallas City Animal Shelter Grand Opening Saturday, Oct. 20

The long-awaited Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center officially opens for business Saturday, Oct. 20. The new, 52,000-square-foot facility is located at 1818 N. Westmoreland Rd. at I-30. City officials and Dallas Animal Services staff will mark the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. , followed by a day of celebration featuring animal adoptions and family-friendly activities. Kids will enjoy games, crafts, coloring, face-painting and much more. Grown-ups will get to talk with local experts, including a top dog trainer, a cat behaviorist, and even an American Red Cross officer with first-aid advice for pet owners. All events will be open to the public.

Dallas Animal Services is consolidating all its shelter and field operations at the new facility, including animal adoptions, impoundments, redemptions, registrations and rescue functions. The new building has a total capacity of almost 800 cats and dogs, including the adoption area and all holding areas – compared with a combined capacity of about 400 provided by the two shelters it replaces. The adoption area can house about 90 adult dogs and about 65 cats, with the number of kittens and puppies varying. Additionally, there are 12 “get acquainted” rooms that allow a family to spread out and interact with a prospective pet.

The new facility is designed as a “green” building. For example, 50 per cent of the building materials, by cost, were derived from recycled content, and 50 percent of the waste generated during construction was diverted from adding to landfill. Other “green” features will be more apparent to visitors, such as the extensive use of natural lighting inside the building. Also, six large planters located in the public parking lot actually house the cells that are part of a wastewater treatment system that will clean and re-use up to 10,000 gallons of water a day. The energy for the system will be generated by a wind turbine that will later be located at the north end of the row of planters. This also will have a double function as an outdoor sculpture, adding a touch of whimsy to the surroundings

Texas New Anti-Tethering Laws Begins 9/1/7

Effective September 1, all laws passed by the Texas Legislature this spring will go into effect, including many that will improve the lives of animals in Texas. Among them is HB 1411, which addresses the UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT OF DOGS, commonly known as the chaining or tethering of dogs. In general, it is now against the law to leave a dog chained up between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.; for longer than 3 hours; when the temperature is below 32 degrees; or during a heat advisory or tornado warning.

The new law also addresses the length of a restraint—at least 10 feet or fives times the length of the dog—and the types of collars that cannot be used.

If you know of someone who is violating this new law, contact Animal Services or call 911 immediately. YOU can make a difference in the quality of life for a neglected dog. For a printable copy of the entire law, click here.

The dog in this picture? She's been chained in East Texas all her life, but thanks to some hard-working local rescuers, she'll soon be safe in the arms of Homeward Bound Animal Rescue and looking for a new family who'll help her start life over.

-Rebecca

8,355 Spay/Neuters - Countless Lives Saved!

MAC's Patt Davis Memorial Spay/Neuter Fund has now provided 8,355 spay/neuters to pets of low income families in Dallas!

Did you know? Approximately 3 to 4 million animals are euthanized in shelters nationwide. The City of Dallas' two animal shelters euthanized over 22,500 cats and dogs during the last fiscal year. How do we end over population? Very simply - spay/neuter our pets. Spay/Neuter saves lives. Won't you help MAC provide spay/neuters for families who love their pets but cannot afford the cost of the surgery? Find out more on our website at MetroplexAnimalCoalition.com.

Have A Heart Success!

On Sunday afternoon, May 20th, MAC hosted a patio party to honor the pets who raised the most money for our spay and neuter program during our annual Have A Heart Campaign.

Held at Pooch Patio, The Ulti-Mutt Place to Congregate & Socialize with Your Pet, 3811 Fairmont in Dallas, guests enjoyed Java, beer, wine, and munchies while participating in a fabulous Silent Auction.

Our 2007 Canine Queens of Heart, Belle & Peaches and their mom, Pat Rodriguez were honored, along with other special groups and campaign contributors. Peaches & Belle alone raised funds for 53 spay/neuter surgeries by inviting their four-legged friends to contribute!

The 2007 Have A Heart Campaign raised over $ 16,500.00 to help fund MAC's Patt Davis Memorial Spay Neuter Fund for pets of low-income Dallas residents.

Did you know that every three minutes a dog or cat is killed in our Metroplex area (an average of 200,000 healthy animals per year)? We at Metroplex Animal Coalition are trying to preventthis by providing a spay/neuter program for low-income families who cannot afford even basic services for their pet −much less a spay or neuter surgery.

Want to help? Make a donation online now. Just visit our website at http://www.metroplexanimalcoalition.org/donate.html.

Over 8,000 Spay/Neuter Surgeries To Date!

We're over 8,000! Surgeries that is! Since our inception, MAC has provided over 8,000 spay/neuter surgeries for low income Dallas residents!

Have A Heart Campaign Update

MAC's annual Have-A-Heart campaign ended April 8th. We're tallying donations now and will have the results of the contest and fundraising totals shortly. Thank you to everyone who participated in this event!

Texas Legislature Is In Session!

The Texas Legislature is now in session and many bills affecting animals are being debated. You need to make your voice heard on all the current issues. Learn all the latest by checking the Action Alerts provided by the Texas Humane Legislation Network at http://www.thln.com/action_alerts.htm.

Pet Food Recall Updates

For the latest information on recent pet food recalls, visit the Pet Connection blog at

http://www.petconnection.com/blog/