This place is really going to the dogs (or maybe not)

We have the Arts District. That's a good thing. We have the civic district, where City Hall and all the county and federal government buildings are located. We have the fashionable playground district, sometimes referred to as Victory. We have the Fair Park district, the Deep Ellum District, the Animal District, the ...

Hold up there. The Animal District? Well, um, yes, that's what they're calling it. You see, the new Dallas Animal Shelter is located at Hampton and I-30 and soon the SPCA will re-locate to its new digs just a Milk Bone's throw away on Lone Star Drive (actually, the way the streets are configured around there, a Milk Bone thrown from one location to the other would travel about one-tenth the distance of an automobile making the same trip).

But, hey, I think that's reason enough to throw a party, don't you? The sponsors of this shindig are calling it "An Animal Attraction," and it will take place at the new home of the SPCA, 2400 Lone Star Drive, between 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday, April 5. According to the official invite, dress for this occasion is "elegant casual," which means it's a little high brow. And although the official city notices of the event don't mention it, I'm thinking this is going to be a fund-raising affair because the Animal District Web site (yes, it already has its own Web site), mentions something about $30 donations that will be doggone appreciated.

Wine from Lakewood's Ten Times Cellars will be served as will "heavy" hors d'oeuvres from Exposition Park Cafe. Kiehl's Highland Park Village is supplying gift bags. There's going to be a silent auction and a old-fashioned auction that will include one painting of and another painting by (trust me, I'm not making this up) Minnie, a "rescued" dog. Ron Burns will autograph his appropriately named book "The Dogs of Ron Burns."

Da Mayor is going to be there, along with some City Council folks and some folks who serve on various animal commissions.

But here's the rub. I might attend this event if I could bring my dog. Now that could be fun. My dog (actually my son's dog) could mingle with Da Mayor's dog and others. But apparently this "Animal Attraction" in the newly minted Animal District is not going to be Animal Friendly. Nothing I have seen says I can bring a four-legged companion. So I'm undoubtedly going to skip the inauguration of the Animal District and the Animal Auction and, instead, just head for the neighborhood park to play with the son's dog.