I wouldn't normally post 3 entries in a day, but this is too important not to pass on. Yesterday, Amy Sisson, a Houston-area writer, found a beautiful, friendly black lab mix puppy, who has been a stray, is now at a shelter where she'll be euthanized if she isn't adopted soon, and desperately needs a home. Here's what Amy says:

This little girl seemed to be stray -- she came right to me, but was really scared, quivering all over and tail between her legs. She was a little bony but seemed mostly healthy. She had a few scabs that made me think she's been living outside without proper veterinary care.

I had to take her to a city animal shelter, because I work 10 hour days (too far to drive home for lunch -- I have a half-hour lunch break and it takes 35 minutes to get home!) and we have seven cats at home and I'm also going out of town at the end of the week. Crap crap crap crap crap. She's eminently adoptable because she's young, fairly healthy, and utterly adorable, but I'm still going to worry every minute until I know for sure she's been adopted -- by city law (Pasadena), they keep her x number of days in case the owner claims her, then put her up for adoption, but they don't guarantee adoption and they do euthanize if they have to. I kept it together until I left the shelter and then I just started sobbing. At one point I'd had her on my lap and she put both paws on my shoulders and just clung to me, shaking but seeming to calm down.

So, I'm putting out the call to Houston-area folks -- if you know of anyone considering adding a puppy to their family, please mention this little angel. She is listed at the shelter with my name and I will be calling to check on her status often. I would guess that she's 3-4 months old and that she's either a black lab mix or possibly even pure-bred black lab. She'll be a good-sized dog someday, judging by the size of her paws. I can be contacted at amysisson AT prodigy DOT net or 281-218-6147.

If anyone who reads this journal knows anyone in Texas who could help, please, please let them know. It's so hard to turn a puppy in to a shelter, knowing that euthanization might be the end result. I grew up with a wonderful black lab mix, and it breaks my heart to think that things might not work out for this puppy. She's already been saved once, by Amy - I really, really hope she can be saved again, for life.