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3. When dogs or cats are outside their home or yard, keep them on a leash. The only exceptions to this are designated off-leash dog parks or freeroaming feral cats that are part of a trap, neuter, return program. When a cat is spayed or neutered through a T-N-R program, the vet “tips” one ear, so you can easily identify a participating cat in your neighborhood.

4. A dog that barks while protecting his home isn’t a dangerous dog; he’s just doing what dogs do. But one that causes injury could be officially deemed a “dangerous dog”. If a dog is outside its home or yard and causes serious injury to a person or another animal, a resident can request a city hearing to determine whether the dog should be declared dangerous. No fines are involved and no monetary damages are awarded, but if a dog is determined to be dangerous, its owner faces serious consequences. The dog may be euthanized, ordered out of the city, or allowed to return home if the owner complies with a stringent set of rules that includes paying a “dangerous dog” registration fee of $50 per year. Currently, 21 dogs that have been deemed dangerous live in Dallas.

5. Other good rules to know, whether or not you own a pet, is that it’s illegal to place poison where it is accessible to a dog or cat; to sell or give away pets on any property except for pet stores, animal shelters and animal rescue group adoption sites; to offer animals as prizes in auctions, raffles, giveaways or other promotions; to transport a dog in the open bed of a pick-up truck, unless it’s in a carrier; or to fail to pick up after your dog.

—REBECCA POLING

GOTA MAZE YOUC AN’T FIND YOUR WAY THROUGH? Email howitworks@advocatemag.com with your question.

TO VIEW A DETAILED DALLAS MAP of dangerous dogs, find state rabies statistics, and learn other animal tidbits from Rebecca Poling, visit the Back Talk blog at lakewood.advocatemag.com

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Funny People

Though it’s just the early show, the floor at Mouth comedy club in Deep Ellum is approaching standing-room-only status. Seconds after the lights dim, five energetic women take the stage to rock music, whoops and hollers. Sure, the audience is composed partly of supportive buddies and family (Lori “Lori-tab” Valle Wright, of Lakewood, notes that members of her large Hispanic family can be counted on to fill audience gaps), but considering that this is only their second performance as a group, the all-girl improv act known as Heroine Addiction is already gaining a respectable following. The women met while taking classes at Ad Libs school of improv. They landed at Ad Libs for various reasons — Dawn “Dawn Syndrome” Douglass wanted to improve her public speaking skills, for example, while others, such as Catherine “Cathastrophic” Brockette, wanted to build upon previous acting experience. And Jenny “Estro-Jen” Clifton just wanted to test herself. “It seemed like the most frightening thing possible, and I wanted that inner challenge,” she says. The troupe also includes Lynsey “Hale Storm” Hale and Christa “Christa Meth” Haberstock, also of Lakewood. There’s also the nickname-less sound guy Michael Alger, who says working with the women has been a blast — “but what else is he going to say with all of us here?” Clifton chides. Joking temporarily aside, the women say they have bonded over the experience. Improv requires you to be open and vulnerable. To bear your soul, Brockette notes. “You have to trust those you are working with. And yourself.” Next step? “Letterman,” Clifton says. And we’re pretty sure she’s not joking.

—CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

CHECK OUT HEROINE ADDICTION at 7 p.m. July 17 at Mouth, 2626 Main Street. Tickets are $10 at the door and $5 if you reserve them early by calling 214.754.7050.