Today is National Mutt Day, and Aug. 1 marks the universal birthday for shelter dogs and the start of “Dogust,” or National Dog Month. 

This week also marks the one-year anniversary of finding my dog on a Houston overpass during a storm. 

Now, Rosie is living her best life and is the most spoiled dog to ever come off the streets. 

How can you make a difference for shelter dogs? 

🐕‍🦺 The Houston Humane Society is asking for donations for shelter pups and for folks to adopt, rather than shop, for their next furry friend. 

🐶 Citizens for Animal Protection is hosting a free dog adoption event on Aug. 1, with 50% off all other animal adoptions. There will be snacks, games, music, and an art show. 

As we get to know each other, I want to make sure this newsletter reflects what matters most to you and your community. Tell me what kind of stories you want to see land in your inbox:

Are you most interested in political news, food and art, things to do, or stories about your neighbors?

Your news roundup—a quick stop for stories happening across the state that deserve a little more attention.

Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, an employee of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, was released from custody Wednesday amid rising Houston calls for action. (E Rojas/Shutterstock.com)

🫕 Barbeque Inn, a restaurant that has served its famous fried chicken to Houston for 80 years, is set to close tomorrow. (KHOU)

🚨 One of the witnesses in the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo has been released from ICE detention under a judge’s order and visited the memorial for Araujo Wednesday. (NBC News, Houston Public Media)

🏛️ A longstanding Houston program, designed to award more government contracts to minority-owned businesses, has been ruled unconstitutional. A federal judge ruled in favor of a white couple who sued the city over the program. (Houston Public Media) 

🦸🏿 Dream Con, a Black community-centered nerd convention, may have to look to other cities outside of Houston to keep the convention going due to lack of financial support. (Houston Public Media)

A story worth sharing with your neighbor.

Names in Houston are a big deal, down to street signs and neighborhood nicknames. (Cire notrevo/Shutterstock)

Have you ever wanted your neighborhood to be named after you? That’s exactly what happened to a post office worker in Alief 130 years ago. 

It can be hard to distinguish between neighborhoods in such a highly developed city, with strip malls, health clinics (who is Kelsey-Seybold, anyway?), and brand new box-style townhouses stacked next to each other on every block. But each Houston neighborhood has its own identity, with a name rooted in its history.  

Low-cost & free resources to elevate your day-to-day.

American bumblebees are some of Houston’s most sought-after pollinators. (Shaila Palamand/Shutterstock)

✍️ Looking to ace the US. citizenship test, improve your reading skills, get your high school diploma, or enroll in ESL? Now, you can build a new skill set at a time that works for you. The Harris County Public Library is offering free classes in all of these subjects.  

🐝 Tune in for the last of three free workshops helping Houstonians build sustainable homes and resilient communities. This pollinator workshop will teach you how to create a healthier ecosystem in Houston for popular pollinators like the American bumblebees—starting from your backyard.   

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Anna Raj and edited by Joi Louviere.

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