Shorty's in Old Town Helotes

On Monday, July 25, 2011, this sign was seen at the entrance to Shorty’s Bar and Grill.  I’m not sure when it opened, but I don’t think it’s been open even a year.

This restaurant closure is just another in a string of closures here in Helotes, but this one makes me sad.  I was so hoping they would make it.  The food was good, the atmosphere was pleasant, the waitstaff were all very sweet, and it couldn’t have been more conveniently located.  I was very sorry to see this.

We ate there last Friday night (in fact, I think my husband ate there three times last week while I was out of town), and they were talking about opening another Shorty’s in Austin, so we thought they were doing well.  According to Katie, Shorty’s daughter, they just weren’t even clearing enough to break even let alone make a profit.

Their sign does indicate you can book special occasions and events with them by calling 210-383-5800.

It makes me wonder if any new, unique restaurant can survive in Helotes.  Those that have managed to stay open are part of different chains of restaurants.  That way, the older, more established restaurants can help support the new one until it gets on its feet.

Too bad.  We’ll really miss Shorty’s.

Chase

Chase is a 1 year old, 30 pound, male black labrador retriever mix.  He is a very smart dog.  He was homeless and one night he decided to follow a couple home while they were out walking their dogs.  That couple just happened to be fosters for the Helotes Humane Society (HHS).

After they tried but failed to find his owners, the HHS accepted him as a foster and Chase is now hoping to find his forever home.

Chase is your average fun-loving lab.  He is crate- and house-trained.  He walks on a leash and enjoys long walks.  He wants to make friends with everyone, whether human or canine.  He does bark at cats but hasn’t tried to harm one.

He is a goof with children.  Chase loves to run and play with other dogs or alone with his toys.  He can be a bit of a trickster around the house; he thinks it is great fun to relocate laundry from one room to the next!

He may be a big boy, but as far as he is concerned he is a lap dog that prefers to be by your side.  He is a house dog not a backyard dog.  He has a lot of energy and would do best with an active family who can keep him busy.

If you would like more information about Chase, contact the HHS at 210-422-6242 or email at hhsanimals@yahoo.com.  You can visit their website at www.hhsanimals.org to see pictures of and information on their other animals.  All of their animals receive vaccinations, testing, and altering appropriate for their ages.  All pets will be microchipped prior to placement.

They want to find permanent loving homes for the many older cats they have in their care. 

They are also offering a “two-fur” special on kittens – two kittens for $100.

You can see their cats and kittens at the Petco at 11398 Bandera Road (1604 and Bandera) on Sunday, June 12, from 12 noon to 3:30 p.m., or you can go to their website (www.hhsanimals.org) to view pictures and information of the cats HHS has to offer.  They can also be contacted at 210-422-6242.

All cats will come spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.

You can also shop at their thrift shop.  The HHS Second Chances Thrift Shop, located in Old Town Helotes at 14837 Old Bandera Road, Suite D, was opened to help support their mission.  By shopping there, not only will you find incredible bargains, but you’ll be helping homeless animals find families.

Second Chances is a small gem in your own backyard.  If you love searching for that special treasure, plan to stop in and visit.  They are staffed primarily by volunteers, and an occasional foster animal always seems to be visiting.  Best of all, your purchases go to help a great cause in your own community.

The HHS gladly accepts donations of merchandise in good condition during store hours (10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays).  The phone number at the shop is 210-372-1255.

Unfortunately, the HHS did not have a foster available for Sweetie, so Joe agreed to foster her for the organization.

Sweetie had not been microchipped and efforts to find her owner were unsuccessful.  She was spayed, vaccinated, and placed up for adoption.  Joe and his wife, Diane, continued to foster her, and through word of mouth, an adopter was found.  The Paciencia family was happy to find a good home for her but immediately felt the loss of Sweetie in their home.

An important thing to learn from this story is to microchip your animals.  Your local veterinarian can do this for you.  Then if you pet does get lost, it can be returned to you.  Returning animals to their loving families is a goal of the HHS.

Another thing to keep in mind is the importance of spaying and neutering your pets.  The consequences of strays can be staggering.  In 7 years, one unspayed cat and her offspring can produce hundreds of thousands of kittens, and an unspayed dog and her offspring can produce close to 100,000 in the same amount of time.

The Helotes Humane Society is in dire need of fosters, good folks like Joe and Diane, who are willing to open their homes to strays and assist in getting them adopted.

Kitten season is upon us, and we can’t take in all the strays we find.  It’s a daily quest to find more foster homes.  If this is something you would consider doing, HHS will provide everything you need, including kennels, food, medical services, and spaying/neutering.

All you need to provide is love and help in getting the animal to adoption events.  HHS holds adoption events on the second and fourth weekends of each month at the Petco at Bandera Oaks, as well as events at other locations, and advertising on the HHS website (www.hhsanimals.org), Petfinder.com, and several other websites.

There is tremendous gratification when the animal is placed in a good home, in their FOREVER home.  Just stop by Pipes Dreams and ask Joe.

Go to the Helotes Humane Society website, www.hhsanimals.org, to sign up to volunteer, foster, become a member, donate, or look for a new family pet.

Josie is Looking for Her Forever Home

Josie is a 2 year old female Boxer mix who weighs 45 pounds.  She was found as a stray in fair condition.

It appeared that she had just had puppies, but no puppies were ever found.

She was very skittish at first, but with a little food she was coaxed to accept her foster caregivers.

Josie is sweet and playful.  She loves playing with toys and bones and will entertain herself with various things.  She is very affectionate and wants to be loved on all the time.  She will cuddle and loves attention and would be very content having her belly rubbed all day long.

Josie is being crate- and house-trained.  She walks on a lead.  She is tolerant of the neighborhood kids petting her on her walks, but it is not known how she would react to toddlers.  Her foster home has two cats, and she has never shown any aggression toward them.  Josie can be very protective of her new foster family and house, though she is well-behaved when out of her territory.  Ideally, she should be the only dog in the home and get lots of attention from her family.

If you would like more information about Josie, contact the Helotes Humane Society at 210-422-6242 or by email at hhsanimals@yahoo.com.

Please visit their website at www.hhsanimals.org to see pictures and get information on their other animals.

All HHS animals receive vaccinations, testing, and altering appropriate for their ages, and all pets are microchipped prior to placement.

Laboratory testing continues to show elevated levels of PCBs in fish tissue.  A smaller section of the creek has been under advisory since 2003.

The DSHS notes that elevated levels of PCBs in fish do not pose a health risk for people swimming in the creek.

For more information, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)page on Fish Consumption Bans & Advisories.

Jon believed strongly that all children need to establish a connection with nature, increasingly so in our highly technological world.  He also knew that the healing of children who have been hurt in some way is furthered when they have the opportunity to enjoy a natural environment.

With that in mind, this memorial fund has been designated for two specific purposes:

- Caring for the natural environment (trees and other vegetation) at the Residential Treatment Center, located on a beautiful property where abused children ages 5 to 12 can heal in the peace of a park-like setting, and

- Funding activities for the children, activities which focus specifically on nature or the environment.  Those activities would include, for example, field trips to local nature centers, botanical gardens, or parks and outdoor classes and other educational programs focusing on nature and the environment.

Those wanting to honor Jon’s memory can do so by donating to his memorial fund.  Checks can be made out to The Children’s Shelter, noting the ‘Jonathan S. Allan Memorial Fund’ on the memo line.

Checks should be mailed to The Children’s Shelter, 2939 West Woodlawn, San Antonio, Texas 78228.

HHS Opens Second Chances Thrift Shop in Old Town Helotes

The shop is located at 14837 Old Bandera Road, where Scenic Loop Road meets Old Bandera Road (across Antonio Drive from the First Baptist Church).  As of now, the hours of operation will be Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Drop  by and see the shop and meet the HHS volunteers who run it.

Second Chances supports the many goals and activities of the HHS.  They have placed over 600 animals in forever homes since incorporating in 2008.  They also operate a pet food bank, feeding/supporting over 1,000 animals.  Over 64,000 pounds of food have been distributed to families with financial issues, the Helotes Senior Center, the Battered Women’s Center, and more.  HHS also provides low cost/free spays and neuters.

If you are interested in donating items to the HHS for the thrift shop, they list the following as things they would be interested in receiving:

Decorative items and artwork
Jewelry
Small working appliances
Books
Clean clothing in good condition
Collectibles
Antiques
New/unused pet items/supplies
Gift ware
Furniture

They would also welcome shelving or display cases.  Think of them when you are cleaning out your closets or your garage.  Before dropping anything off at the thrift shop, please contact Melanie Marx at 210-695-3741 or Janice MacRossin at 210-218-0835.

Currently all animals are housed in foster homes provided by volunteers.  If you would like to volunteer to work at the thrift shop, become a foster for the HHS, or make a donation, you can call them at 210-422-6242 or email them at hhsanimals@yahoo.com.  Monetary donations can also be mailed to P.O. Box 908, Helotes, Texas 78023.  You can also visit their website at www.hhsanimals.org.

I love teaching, but I do that for the students.  I love my family members and sharing all their special moments, but my bottle-babies I foster for myself.

When they stare up at me, the only mother they know, with loving eyes, I forget the sleep deprivation, the constant cleaning and laundry, and the intense sorrow when one doesn’t make it.  Each little kitten is a bundle of love and trust, a beacon of hope for the future, and a way to pay back the world for all the joys cats have brought me throughout my life.

Fostering animals is the hardest job you’ll ever love!  They come to you at the most inconvenient times.  Many are dirty, infested, and sick.  Few are really healthy, and all are hungry.  Some arrive in boxes, sacks, and cages.  Others just wander in, having been dumped in your neighborhood.

The one thing they have in common is need – for warmth, protection, food, and love.  So I gather them in and try to save them.  No matter how much I give of myself to their rescue and rehabilitation, they give me back more in return.  I make a difference in their lives, even for the ones that don’t survive.  Especially for them, because I provided the only comfort and love they ever knew.

Give me the helpless, the lost, the homeless wee ones struggling just to live, the innocent refuse of an uncaring society.  Send these, the weak, abandoned lives, to me.  I offer warmth, care, hope, and love.  They are so tiny, and I am just one rescue worker in a city that doesn’t seem to care.

But I care.  I know it’s the right thing to do, and when I see one of my babies adopted and settled in its “forever home,” I experience enormous satisfaction and joy.

What began in anxiety and concern ends as a purr-fect day.  I am energized and strengthened by each foster experience, and I rededicate myself to rescue work.

Try it.  I say again, fostering animals is the hardest job you’ll ever love.

(Editor:  Mary Finch is on the Helotes Humane Society’s Board of Directors.  Above, she has eloquently shared her thoughts and feelings on the satisfaction and joy she receives from fostering rescued kittens.  If you would like to become a foster to rescued animals, please contact the Helotes Humane Society at 210-422-6242.  You can also visit their website at www.hhsanimals.org.)