Laredo Morning Times Sunday, June 6, 1999 PAGE 5D Local News Animal Corner Kindness is the important thing BY ISABEL MENDEZ Animal Shelter director Paw Imprints: A well known comedian from the вЂњGrand OlвЂ™ OperaвЂќ stage wore a trademark вЂ�Sunday BonnetвЂ™ with the price tag prominently displayed. Her name was M i n n i e Pearl. Her words of w i s d o m were disp e n s e d under the guise of a country girl with sheer Isabel Mendez common sense. The following statement made by this warm-hearted lady has lived on, long after her death. вЂњSo often, when you start talking about kindness to animals ... someone comments that starving and mistreated children should come first. The issue cannot be divided like that. It isnвЂ™t a choice between animals and children. It is our duty to care for both. Kindness is the important thing. Kids and animals are our responsibility.вЂќ The need to be caring, responsible, and loving parents cannot stop with your relationship to children. Because children learn from your actions, too. Your words and actions will pack as much of an impact on your childrenвЂ™s attitude and reaction as any lesson you may try to teach with words. The вЂ�Golden RuleвЂ™ must apply to all creatures ... or else the horrors that are occurring throughout the United States schools can only escalate. Some Laredoans may have a few memories of tragedies that made a turning point in their lives. Everytime we try to teach children the right way to care for themselves, their family or their pets, they learn more than a lesson, they learn a way of life. Feline Fine: When a pet dies, you may feel: * Guilty. * Angry. * Surprised. * Empty. * Very, very sad. * Unable to feel anything - just numb. * Lonely. * Relieved (the pain is over for the pet). * Scared. Any and all of these feelings may surface. We know animal have shorter lives than we do. They can not live as long as humans can. It might make you feel better to write a letter about your pet, your feelings, and to say goodbye. Too often, friends try to dis miss your sorrow, your anguish, by saying, вЂњget another.вЂќ This may not be a solution for you. But it is okay to get a new pet when you are ready. The new friend cannot вЂ�replaceвЂ™ the other. You will develop a different relationship that will help you to remember your good friend with fondness and a smile. Pet Helpline: Q.: I know there may be different opinions about why a dog acts a certain way, But what are the signs of a dominant dog or a submissive dog? A.: Dogs are very sociable animals. They seek each other out for comfort. A dog вЂ�learnsвЂ™ to signal his need to lead by various behaviors. He can also signal friendliness, tolerance, and lack of aggression. A pup may display his maximum size, growl, bark, or show his teeth ... even as a little one, he will let the other littermates know he is in charge. It could chase, pounce or ambush the other puppies. He could mount (with or without pelvic thrusts), or by actually attacking and biting. These actions could indicate a dominant dog. But dogs and puppies are good company for anyone because they are really вЂ�packвЂ™ members. They need togetherness and seek each other to sleep together, feed, walk, run, sit or lie down together. The puppies learn from each PET OF THE WEEK: These two young ladies have been friends since middle school and now are juniors in high school. Isabel Huacuja goes to Alexander High School, and Ceara Byrne attends St. Augustine High School. They love the puppies and kittens like вЂњCalitoвЂќ and вЂњCalicoвЂќ, both five weeks old and hungry for attention. Adoption is only $50 for dogs and $30 for cats. That fee covers the cost of (1) rabies vaccination, (2) Parvo-distemper vaccinations, (3) De-worming medication, (4) A bath and dip (for fleas and ticks) and (5) the spay/neuter surgery. other by studying their smells and actions, they may also groom each other. The sniffing, pawing and licking of each other is part of their pack good conduct. This would be the best indication for you to look for in the pup of your future. Tail-wagging News: With summer weather and summer outings come different activities. Some young people have decided that the animal shelter is a great place to spend hours doing what feel good. St. Augustine High School, John B. Alexander High School, Martin High School and United High School representatives have been coming through our doors at 2500 Gonzalez to do just what feels good .... a random act of kindness. Whenever possible, the young people spend a few hours, or a full day giving the animals much needed attention and a cooling bath. The cats get brushing and stroking, and the cages for the cats are cleaned, the litter boxes replaced. The older dogs need exercise. Everybody gets food and clean water. These are chores that give back a great deal of satisfaction ... to everyone. Paws & Claws: The Laredo Animal Protective Society has an overload of puppies and kittens right now. The shelter receives approximately 50 animals each day. Dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, turtles, rabbits, snakes, gerbils, roosters, geese, and even a pot-bellied pig are our most recent arrivals. The greater majority of these animals have been вЂ�disownedвЂ™ - that means the owner no longer wished, or is unable to keep these pets. Too many are disowned because they have health problems that the owner is unable to take care of financially. Whether a pet is turned over to the Animal Control Officers, or brought personally by the owner, there is always a feeling of sadness and resignation. Too often, there are simply too many in a litter that cannot be placed in other homes. Yet, we see in the daily want ads that there are вЂ�pure breedsвЂ™ of all kinds that are for sale. Those hundreds of dollars that are paid to acquire a puppy seems to be the death sentence for the ones at the animal shelter. For every one sold from the back of a pick-up truck, from a backyard, from a pet shop, that is one less that will be adopted at the shelter. Father, son team up for guard A father and son combination have taken oaths re-enlisting in the Texas Army National Guard after completing a total of 40 years of military service. First Sgt. Adolfo Gonzalez of CO. D, 3rd BN. 141st INF and Spc. 4 Adolfo Gonzalez Jr. of the 449th chemical unit took oaths extending their military вЂ“obligation by two and three years respectively. First Sgt. Gonzalez completes 31 years of military service on May 25. Spec. 4 Gonzalez completes nine years of military duty on June 19. The senior Gonzalez is an 18year member of the teaching profession at United High School of UISD and the junior Gonzalez is the present county commissioner for Precinct 3 of Zapata county and manages the family business in Zapata. Both men are career soldiers who enrolled after taking a year of college. Adolfo (Popo) Gonzalez joined the Texas Army National Guard on May 25, 1968, after graduation from J.W. Nixon High School in 1967 and attending classes at Laredo Junior College. Adolfo (Pope) Gonzalez Jr. joined on June 19, 1990 after graduating from Zapata High School in 1989 and attending classes at Laredo Junior College. The Gonzalezes have gone up in rank with the first sergeant holding various positions within the local unit as dining facility manager and motor pool sergeant before getting promoted to first sergeant in November of 1994. The junior Gonzalez has gone Adolfo (Pepe) Gonzalez Jr. and Adolfo Gonzalez from Pvt. E-1 to Spc. 4 as an NBC specialist with the 449th chemical unit. First sergeant Gonzalez is the administrator for the 109 member infantry unit preparing to go to annual training June 19 вЂ“ July 3 at Fort Hood, Texas. His son is scheduled to attend summer training also at Fort Hood, June 12-26. The Zapata County commissioner is one of the youngest to be named as county commissioner in the state of Texas being named Precinct 3 commissioner in 1993 and being elected to the same post in 1996. He will run for re-election in the year 2000. вЂњIt is a gratifying experience serving your country at the same time that you are doing something with your life in the civilian world,вЂќ said the senior Gonzalez. Texas Army National Guard members completing 20 years of military service are eligible to receive retirement at age 60. According to Gonzalez, young men and women can enlist and get college tuition money besides other benefits. This retirement payment is more than a pension since a 20-year member also gets medical benefits and PX (Post Exchange) privileges. вЂњThe new students enlisting enjoy the discipline established by the military and the Texas Army National Guard,вЂќ said Gonzalez. First Sgt. Gonzalez is married to the former Juana Maria Lopez Gonzalez. They have daughter, Annette Marie and a son Alejandro Jose. The first sergeant also has three sons, Adolfo, Alberto and Ricardo who live in Zapata. Texas Agricultural Extension Service Learn how to beat mesquite BY GEORGE L. GONZALES County Extension Agent This is a follow up article to last weeks where we discussed rangeland brush management strategies. We are currently in the peak season of the year for ranchers to consider leaf spray or steam spray application methods for controlling mixed brush on fence lines, improved buffelgrass strips on pastures or unimproved native South Texas brush species. The mesquite tree is one of the toughest, most invasive species of brush in the world. It thrives across the western two-thirds of Texas, both in rural pastures and or urban lots. It is the number one invader brush species in Webb County and most of South Texas. There is a threestep way to control mesquite thatвЂ™s easy, inexpensive, environmentally responsible, and effective. Using the Brush Buster Methods, which involved spraying a small but concentration potent concentration of herbicide directly on each plant, youвЂќll be able to keep the mesquites and others shrubs and trees you want and get rid of those you donвЂ™t. Just keep in mind that controlling mesquite is not a onetime job . Livestock and Wildlife do an excellent job spreading seeds, so youвЂ™ll need to go over your land regularly to get rid of unwanted seedlings. Professionals with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, both agencies of the Texas A&M University System, have developed and approved these three-step Brush Buster methods of mesquite control. Your results may vary with weather and other conditions, but you should be able to knock out more than 7 of 10 mesquites treated. Brush Buster recommends two ways to control mesquite, depending upon tree shape. If most of your mesquites have a few welldefined stems or trunks coming out of the ground, you will find the steam Spray Methods works best for you. If your mesquites are bushy, have many steams at ground level, and are less than six to eight feet tall , try the Leaf Method. Whichever may you choose, with these simple directions, you will find you can successfully control your mesquites the 1-2-3- Brush Buster way. Small pump-up garden sprayers, backpack sprayers, cattle sprayers or mounted on 4-wheel all-terrain vehicles (ATV) work well. Garden sprayers are best for small acreages. Backpack sprayers are usually the most efficient in dense mesquite, while ATV sprayers become more efficient in large acreages or as the distance between plants increases. Make sure your sprayer has an ajustable nozzle capable of delivering a coarse spray (large droplets) to the tap of an 8-foot tree. You can achieve 76% to 100% rootkill by spraying with a mixture of the herbicides Reclaim and Remedy. To prepare the spray mix, add Remedy and Reclaim at concentrations of 1/2% each of water. To ensure a thorough coating of the foliage, add either liquid dishwashing detergent, a surfactant, or diesel to the spray mix. If diesel is used, add an emulsifier such as Triton X-100 to make the diesel and water mix. It may be helpful to add a dye, such as HiLite Blue Dye, to mark plants that have been sprayed. For further information on Brush Busters, contact your County Agricultural Agent at 721-2626, e-mail [email protected] or access the Extension Web site cnrit.tamu.edu/rsg/exsel. The 3rd Annual South Texas Youth Wildlife & Environmental Camp is slated for June 22 and 23 At Camp Huisache Lamar Bruni Vergara Youth Center in Laredo, Texas. The objective of this camp is to better acquaint the youth of South Texas with the wildlife in this area, and to instill and an appreciation of the importance of managing wildlife and the environment to ensure an abundance of quality wildlife for future generations. The camp features presentation from experts in the field as well as hands-on learning. The camp is limited to 150 participants plus chaperones and parents. Participants can be any youth with an interest in wildlife, their habitat, conservation, and having fun. The cost of the camp is $30.00. This fee covers meals and a commemorative T-shirt. Depending on preference, participants may camp out, bed down in the pavilion (on the floor), or stay in a hotel. We ask that each group[ bring their own equipment and chaperones. Showers are available at the camp , but you will need to bring your own towels , soap, etc. Registration deadline is June 14, 1999. For registration forms and more information, contact Kathryn R. Menke or George L. Gonzales, County Extension Agents-Webb County, 7209 E. SaundersSuite 5, Laredo (956)7212626. Webb County Master Gardener Association The Webb County Master Gardeners Association will be meeting on Tuesday, June8, 1999 at 6:30 p.m. At the Hillside Recreation Center located at 320 Wyoming, Laredo,Tx. All local Master Gardeners and interested home owners who want to learn more about urban horticulture are encouraged and invited to attend. Contact the Webb County Extension Office at 721-2626 for more information.