the kid's favorite new show is ...

... Pit Bulls and Parolees?

I shouldn't be so surprised, as she loves watching any show that features dogs, cats — all animals, really.  She may actually end up a vegetarian/veterinarian someday.

The show is pretty compelling stuff. I'm still not sure how Tia Torres makes ends meet at her Villalobos Rescue Center, as she seems willing to take in any dog, no matter their breed. Obviously having the television show is helping, but it's only been airing since 2009, so how about before that? Maybe the adoptions help fund her efforts. The parolee part of the show is less prominent than the animal part. It may have been the gimmick to get the show on the air, and it is an interesting factor in Torres' work and efforts to help people who have had a few strikes against them in their life get a new start, and to help dogs that have gained a bad reputation in the world find forever homes. Not every dog or human story ends happily. Some of the dogs get ill and Torres must make a hard decision. Some of the parolees just can't get it together and Tia has to fire them. In the four shows that we have seen so far, two workers had to be let go because they were either lying and not showing up for work, or worse, mistreating one of her canine charges.

Pit Bulls and Parolees may not have been my first instinct to turn on, but I have to admit that I am interested in Torres and so respect what she is trying to accomplish. I'm more of a cat person, and have thought off and on in the past that if I hit the jackpot I might want to set up a similar place to rescue abandoned cats, or to finance a spay and release program for some of the local feral kitties.

When we adopted our dachshund Angel from the local animal shelter I was amazed at the large number of pit bulls in the pens. Torres started out in California and then relocated to New Orleans, where the show is now filmed. They also have a second location in New Mexico, where the older or "un-adoptable" dogs can live out their days. I wonder if Pit Bulls and Parolees will inspire some similar efforts here in Florida and elsewhere in the country.

must love cats

We love to watch Animal Planet. Right now one of the kid's favorite programs is Must Love Cats, which is a fun and fluffy tour of the U.S. (and occasionally farther afield, like Great Britain or Japan). Each episode has host John Fulton meeting with people and their cats, usually focusing on something slightly wacky or amusing, like a cat that prowls the neighborhood and steals things from neighbor's yards, or some people who like to shave and paint their cat's fur in decorative patterns. Fun, but kinda silly.

Host John Fulton and friends

But the most recent episode, "Kitty Kidney Transplants and the Cat Who Jogs," featured a segment with a team of doctors from Philadelphia who take cats quite seriously. They have a kitty kidney transplant program. Viewers got to see a very needy Siamese cat, Opie, who had had kidney problems most of his nine lives, which were now all almost up — he had been given two months to live. The clinic had a group of kitty kidney donors, cats that they had rescued from nearby shelters, who were being saved from being euthanized by becoming donors. These donors were not only being saved, but would be guaranteed a forever home. The cat being prepped for organ donation for Opie was a cute black cat named Cadbury.

In most cases the grateful cat owners of the donor recipient end up adopting the donor kitty (how could you not?) and that was also the case for Opie and Cadbury. It was quite a touching segment. Love is love, and pets bring a lot to people's lives. It's hard to know how far I would go for a beloved kittie, but Opie's owner had no hesitations to save her cat, who had been on medication and a special diet most of his life. Watching the happy owner with her two new kitties was great, but even greater was watching the two cats together. Opie and Cadbury were inseparable. They seemed to develop an instant bond, as if they intrinsically knew that they shared something very special. I'm growing to love this show as much as my daughter.

the cats of palm beach

Every city has stray animals, but this island near the sea seems to have more than its fair share. Every morning as I walk the kid to school I see at least three or four stray cats. They are all breeds, shapes and sizes.

A long-haired ginger bobtail, a black and white shorthair, some gray tabbies, black cats — one who has really lived a street life, as he only has one ear ...

Some are friendly and some are very standoffish. It's hard to tell how many are strays and how many are just outdoor cats, as some always seem to be hanging out around the same houses. This little ginger kitten was very friendly, but I only saw him once this week.

It's so tempting to rescue these critters, especially Ginger Boy. But I'm not sure how our two cats would feel about him, and I don't want to bring any street cat diseases into the mix. I don't want to become a "crazy cat lady," and apparently Palm Beach has already had one of those.

When we adopted our dog from the local shelter it was depressing to see the dogs and cats in pens and cages and know that I couldn't help them all. I know the shelter is doing its best, but wouldn't it be nice to create a space for cats to roam free, but also be fed regularly and get their shots, etc. On the kid's favorite show on Animal Planet, Must Love Cats, they profiled a woman who did just that. Of course she also has a monthly cat food budget of over $20,000.

Even if I could solve my stray cat guilt, what about the gray fox roaming the streets at night ...