ReadLarryPowell.com

Happy new year! Yawn all you want...

Though we have yet to win the big Lotto Texas, we will still celebrate the New Year at Readlarrypowell.com.
I suspect this cat is not going to be the only mammal giving off a big yawn this weekend. And I’m not talking about the people who watch the Dallas Cowboys game and lose hope early.
We wish all of you who click on our site the best of things for the upcoming year. If you don’t have a dog or cat around the house, get one. It’ll help you have a happy 2012.
We’re focusing on the homefront for this holiday weekend’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
As you can see, I have photographed our big orange and white cat in full yawn. That is Griffin and I've been trying for years to catch him in an "action shot." Finally got one. He's generally inert. And not that he’s real big, but Southwest Airlines always insists that he purchases two seats when he flies. OK with him, he’ll take up both of them.
As you can tell, he lounges on the back of a chair in our living room – in fact, when he walks into the room, the dog who is sleeping on the back of the chair will wake and move so Griffin can get the spot.
He also will sleep on a blanket on a box on an end table that is in its special Christmas spot while its usual spot is taken up by a festively decorated tree. Yes, we may leave it up until spring or summer. Depends on the household mood.
And, in what can only be regarded as a museum-quality art shot, that is pure black Annabelle Bob slipping along the sill and disturbing the vertical blinds en route to try to nuzzle Griffin off the blanket. Didn’t work.
These animals will probably maintain their usual schedule through the holidays proving, once again, that dogs and cats have more sense than humans.
Enjoy your yawns and have an incredibly happy 2012, even if it is an election year.
[Nominate your slumbering critters for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap by sending photos and info to dallrp@aol.com. We publish photos of sleeping critters to give hope to our fellow insomniacs, many of whom will be staying up for the annual countdown to the New Year and will also greet the dawn -- bitterly, of course, and not for the first time. I’m pretty sure that insomniacs can’t even pass out – I know I’ve tried it.]
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As we look toward Friday, some real opportunies for good deeds...

Surely the area’s “sheltered” animals are not going to be victims of “Holiday Syndrome” – rescuers, groups and usually big-hearted individuals have taken the day off.
That’s the only reason I can figure this adorable one-eared dog named Daisy hasn’t been claimed from being on the clock at the Collin County Animal Services Shelter in McKinney.
Go figure – you’d get a conversation piece and a loyal friend in one nice move.
This edition of Readlarrypowell.com will be the last of the year – well, the last that we’ve planned.
Unplanned stuff pops up all the time.
Like why this handsome pit Dino from Sachse is still in a shelter and can’t get a break. He’s got a great recommendation, as you’ll see.
About our time off, it’s not that we’ll be partying for three days, but there are computer things – I nearly typed “thangs” (lifelong Texan, you know) – that need freshening, changing, deleting and, if possibly, moneyfication, if that’s a word and I hope it is. Voodoo spells and the lotto aren’t working for me. I’ve got to develop an alchemistic formula for turning vowels and consonants into gold. Anybody interested in buying a story called “Inky Invents Pantyhose”?
It’s a  Texas-sized story of drama and achievement stretched over a wide expanse. Opening sentence is “Call me Inky. Having nothing in my purse, I wanted to support mankind. And womankind, too. It was the best of stretching times – it was the worse of stretching times. I feared never the twain should meet.”
Yes, I expect to hear from the disgruntled heirs of Melville, Dickens and Kipling.  OK, enough of that. I just know that someone who took Daisy or Dino would wind up having a companion I adore as much as I adore that goofball literary Spaniel Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas. Life's good when you and your pal are glad to see each other.  Here we go with our Friday report:
DAS CRISES: In the past few days, in addition to the usual on-the-clock crises, Dallas Animal Services has been trying to find places for two moms and their litters to go and also a place to take in a pneumonia stricken basset. As the afternoon turned into evening Thursday, the rescue liaison Mark Cooper told us that one of the moms and her litter were in rescue, but one stilled need a place to go and, rather than be euthanized before the weekend, they have been given until Tuesday.
Also, someone has spoken up for this poor Bassett mix who was adopted from DAS and has been returned because of pneumonia.
The DAS can always use help in keeping animals from having to be killed to make room for the next load of unwanted animals. There are ways: adoption or rescue, for example.. And another way is never getting them into the shelter in the first place, but that would take some human cooperation.
To ask about helping the left-behind momma and pups or any other critter, call 214-670-8298 or e-mail mark.cooper@dallascityhall.com.
SEARCH CONTINUES: [SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE: Word is Aggie has been found and is safe at home. We'll post details as we get them. larry]  A late evening check with Trey Trenholm reveals still no luck in finding the missing dog Aggie. You may recall from an earlier post that she broke her leash while being walked near Arapaho and Central Expressway in North Dallas. Could be anywhere, of course. People pick up dogs, move them to different shelter jurisdictions, decide to keep them, get them into rescue groups, give them to relatives. But Aggie has a microchip. If you’ve seen her or know her whereabouts, call 214-415-3236.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT: Back on Dec. 21 around 1 in the afternoon, a 3 ½ year old poodle named Cece took off from her yard and kept going. It’s not her first “episode” of running madcap to daylight, so to speak. She’s one of those dogs that hits the open space and just runs.
Ann Fesmire says the 10-pound dog, who was between groomings and is a little fluffier than in this photo, was out with the family’s other poodle, a puppy, and saw an opening and took off. “I feel like somebody just picked her up to keep her out of the street,” Ann says. (We got the original story on this runaway from Desiree Britt, who says she and Ann board their horses at the same facility and that “I actually rescued this pup a couple of years ago.”
Cece was last seen in the North Mesquite area of Galloway/Town East and Belt Line. She was wearing a collar and she’s microchipped.  If you know her whereabouts, call 972-977-9835.
MORE PUPPIES? ARE YOU KIDDING? MORE PUPPIES?  We don’t know yet. Earlier we mentioned the Lab (now named Anna) who had arrived extremely pregnant at Collin County Animal Services. Volunteer shelter walker Allison Roberts says nobody wants the dog to deliver in the shelter. They want her to have a nice, quiet safe haven.
A dog is a shelter is on the clock. So is a family of dogs in the shelter.
And when we were checking on the pregnant Lab, I asked Allison whatever happened to a “well-defined puppy season.”
She replied, “Tonight [someone] brought in a Pyr mix with 10 newborn puppies. I don’t know what’s going on. It’s crazy.”
A proper two-word summation. “It’s crazy.”
Yep, and for some nutty reason, nobody has claimed Daisy our mono-eared Earhound, a darling dog with great manners and a loving manner. That's her getting the ol' chin-chuck at the shelter.
To ask about any animals in the Collin County shelter, e-mail ldrummonds@co.collin.tx.us  and animalshelter@co.collin.tx.us  or call 972-547-7292.
Late in the evening, Allison sent out one more note that the shelter is suddenly full, putting pressure on the death row animals. She says “We had 2 great days of rescues and then BOOM - tons of intake today.”
PUPPY MILL RAID IN DE LEON: The SPCA announced Thursday afternoon that authorities in De Leon, about 130 miles southwest of Dallas, sought help with a puppy mill being operated near the downtown area of the town. When local police and the SPCA went to the property, according to the SPCA report, they found 14 Chihuahuas in “cruelly confined” conditions and a dead dog on the property. The owner said she bred dogs to sell at flea markets and to individuals.  Read the details in a press release and see some ugly photos at www.spca.org.  Remember, the SPCA also adopts out animals and has many other pro-animal programs – you can reach all of that at the website.
A CAT WITH A STORY AND SOME GUARDIAN ANGELS: We’re endeavoring to get a photograph of this cat – in the meantime the vivid word picture from Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake will have to do.
Sydney writes, “So this lovely, caring elderly couple calls me - they rescue and spay/neuter cats that come up to their house - with a special case. This huge, gorgeous male cat showed up with a badly broken leg  -- bones were sticking out of the skin on both sides of the break.
“The wonderful people at Morton Animal Clinic in Athens took the cat on Tuesday, amputated his leg, neutered him and the kindly couple took him home.
“Morton did all this (several hours of surgery) at about 1/3 the normal price. The couple is on social security and cannot afford the bill so I told [them] our kind, generous supporters would help. The couple is going to provide a home for this cat as an indoor cat. That's the toughest part of all.”
Yes, dear Readers, as you know, finding an adoptable home is a tough proposition. But the folks with Friends of the Animals know coming up with the dough is tough, too. So Sydney has issued an appeal that both honors the vet for the work and the discount and the couple for stepping up for the mangled cat.
She wrote, “If you can help, please make out a check to Morton Animal Clinic for whatever you can afford to give and mail it to us [Friends of the Animals]. The total is $500 so I think if a bunch of us chip in, we can get this covered. Most of the time, it's easier to write a check than to try to take in another cat, especially one that needs this kind of care.”
That address for checks to Morton Animal Clinic is Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake, P.O. Box 5455, Mabank, Texas, 75147.
And Sydney writes, “The kitty thanks you and I thank you.”
WAITING AT THE COLONY: On Thursday, as the old year was crawling toward the finish line, we got a note from Patricia Barrington, the Animal Control Division Manager at The Colony, just north of Carrollton.
All year long we’ve been featuring animals that show up in The Colony’s shelter (heck, we even helped our pal Jo adopt Marsden, a perfect butterscotch-coated cat from The Colony and we helped The Colony judge St. Patrick’s Day costumes at its annual celebration).
You can find almost any kind of critter at The Colony – that shelter has had a big lizard, cats, dogs, kittens, puppies, gerbils and other rodents, etc. If someone dumps a kangaroo on the shore of Lewisville Lake it would hop right to The Colony’s shelter.
In the meantime, with no kangaroos to adopt, you can go the shelter and adopted cats and dogs – among the cats is this black-and-white beauty, Cassidy. And, for all you people who simply must have a purebred, there’s a Scottie – this Scottish Terrier – named Jackie. (Don’t know for sure, but I do wonder if he’s named for the famous Scottish racing driver Jackie Stewart. Perhaps  Cassidy is named for either Hopalong or Butch or David or Ted.
Names can change. All you have to do is claim the animal and give the critter your favorite name.
To ask about adopting any of those animals at The Colony, call the shelter at 972-370-9250 or e-mail pbarrington@thecolonytx.gov.
You can see The Colony’s shelter animals by going to the website HERE.
A PAIR OF STORIES FROM HOUSTON:  For several years now Readlarrypowell.com has enjoyed a working relationship with a couple of exceptional animal people in Houston – Edna Taylor and Alexandra Kelsey.
I don’t even know if they know each other, but they’ve bound to crossed paths at some point. They’ve both had a hand in saving a number of dog and cat lives and pointing Readlarrypowell.com toward the sort of predicaments that you great Readers are prone to solving. We’ve got two today – one is an all-too-common cat tale and the other is about a dog’s battle. Here goes:
-- THE  HOUSTON CAT: Well, of course, this is a beautiful, distinctly coated cat who doesn't mind being a shoulder accessory. Poppy is an 8-year-old Birman. We learned about her from our reliable Houston tipster Edna Taylor of Texas Siamese Rescue. Poppy needs a home because her human developed health issues. That happens frequently in the animal world and people step up to help. Sometimes you can plan ahead – sometimes you can’t. Planning ahead is better.
Poppy is up –to-date on shots and spayed. She also has been declawed on her front paws. Though she has lived with other cats, Edna says that it’s been a few years. “According to her owner,” Edna says, “Poppy is a sweet cat but she still has a little catitutde and is also playful.” To ask about adopting her, call 713-822-2011.
--JACK, THE DISTEMPER VICTIM:  While some places may kill suspected distemper victims wholesale (i.e., in Longview two weeks ago), other places fight like the dickens to save the animals.  Distemper is tough enough but it isn’t always fatal.
Our reliable Houston tipster Alexandra Kelsey sent us this note about Jack.
He’s described as a “large-boned retriever mix. The 4-month old dog weighs about 26 pounds and has been very ill. He’s on antibiotics, fluids and a special diet at Central Houston Animal Hospital.
He had been in Houston’s BARC (Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care) shelter when some dedicated animal folks claimed him.
His spokes human Karoline Carlson of Mountain Dog Rescue, says that “Jack’s bill is now $1,500 and he isn’t even all-clear yet. Jack hasn’t given us any reason to stop fighting for him and we would love to win this fight for him and still be able to help other dogs in need, but you know how bills pile-up quickly, limiting our ability to help.”
She asks that anyone who has “even loose change sitting around your house ... donate to Jack’s cause. ... Our group is in the process of getting a 501c3, but we do not have it yet. So we ask for all donations to go to our vet.”
That would be Central Houston Animal Hospital, Kelsey Rescue Account: Jack, 1638 Westheimer  Road, Houston, Texas, 77006. You can also call 713-526-1306.
QUICK ADOPTION STAT: As we approach the final/first weekend of on-site and off-site adoption events, we feel compelled to note what A Different Breed’s Joni McConnell reported in her latest reminder about Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. adoption at Pepper Square, Preston at Beltline.
The adoption total for 2011 through today is “approximately 285 dogs,” she says. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could end up at 300 dogs adopted this year?”
[LARRY ASIDE:  These rescue group adoptions may prove to be critical next year when Dallas makes its push to become a no-kill city. Stand by, I guess.]
THE DINO STORY: Rebecca Taylor, a volunteer at the Sachse Animal Services Shelter, sent Readlarrypowell.com an e-mail last night on behalf of a Pit Bull who has charmed the shelter personnel and volunteers and everyone he meets except someone who’ll adopt him and give him special treatment.
Yeah, he’s got a history. You know why? Because some people are thorough idiots and bleepbleeps. Had to clean that up a bit – I don’t want my attitude to affect Dino’s presentation.
Rebecca sent along a story that was put together by the folks at the shelter and I’ll hit the high points (or low points if you think about it).
I asked if Dino was on the clock and, basically, he is when the shelter is full. When is the shelter full? When is the earth turning.
She said, “He was found all torn up and he was thought to be a fighting dog and we later found out he is no fighter. Still have no clue what happened to him the owners said he did that to himself.”
He’d been brought in after a cruelty investigation and the court awarded custody to the shelter. And, according to the shelter’s story, “At first Dino was very scared. He had defensive wounds all over his body and terrible sore on his face and mouth.”
This would make anyone irritable, so that was the initial label. In fact, the shelter story says, “Most people thought Dino was just plain mean. But he wasn’t He had been so mistreated by people that he didn’t trust. He would bark, growl and charge at people to get them to leave him alone.”
But at the Sachse shelter, Dino encountered something extremely important in these cases of mistreated dogs: Patience. Dedicated shelter workers and volunteers worked with him, talked to him, visited him and talked to him – they had faith that somewhere in that abused and neglected dog was a good boy.
According to the story, “After a few weeks, Dino quit barking at the people he saw every day. Pretty soon Dino was seen wagging his tail.
“One day a volunteer left the gate open to Dino’s area and he ran out into the yard. He ran straight for the volunteer!
“And rolled over for a belly rub!”
Nowadays, the shelter folks say, he’s a great companion on long walks and he is a sucker for belly rubs – or maybe they’re the suckers who rub his belly.
Whatever the case, the shelter story also has this key passage: “Unfortunately, Dino doesn’t just have years of cruelty to overcome. He is also a Pit Bull Many folks won’t even give him the time of day because of that.”
So, if you’re interested in giving a leash-walking, bellyrubber the time of day, contact the Sachse Shelter Manger Terri O’Neal at toneal@cityofsachse.com  or call 972-495-2271. (The Sachse Police Department answers the phone and when you punch option 1, you get animal services.) The shelter is at 6436 Sachse Road.
[LARRY HELPFUL NOTE: Where is Sachse? It’s on Highway 78, just north of Garland, which is just northeast of Dallas, which is just 30 minutes east of Fort Worth, where the West begins. All roads can lead to Dino if you make the right turns.]
CONTEMPLATIONS: Quick. Name something you like pickled other than a cucumber and don’t say your favorite uncle on New Year’s Eve. You’ve got pickled jalapenos, pickled beets, pickled quail eggs, pickled – OK just fill in the pickle blank. ... I really don’t like it when Christmas and New Year’s Day are on Sundays – we get cheated out of an extra day off in the week and it fouls up the football schedule. ... Story on Channel 5 last night about rats run amok all over North Texas. Pest shop guy was pitching his product. Does anyone have a memory of the original, mythical purpose of our friends the cats? Yeah, I know they call ‘em “mousers,” but, really, you can call most of them lazy. Today, cats keep the pest guy’s number on their cell phones.
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An Earhound, a pregnant dog and a Chow; a missing dog; party animals and other tales...

When I think of the vastness of our universe, I consider the odds against a one dog meeting up with another dog and having puppies.
Apparently, compared to the rest of the universe, North Texas is the most fertile region between Andromeda and the Neutral Zone. If only it could be the Neutered Zone.
FYI: That is a Vulcan Spaniel. Oh, I’m kidding, that is Inky, the neutered Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas. He is also the Readlarrypowell.com staff impersonator and here he is giving us his impression of a Trekker Spaniel from Vulcan transporting into the Enterprise Spaceteria and gleefully (for a Vulcan) spotting a big steaming platter of Mom’s Martian Meatloaf with a side order of Liftoff Mashed Potatoes and a dessert of Moonpie.
Now, let’s move along with an edition of Readlarrypowell.com made very special by an Earhound, a pregnant dog and some other critters who need some help in these final days of 2011, the Year of the Litter.
HOLY SMOKE, A GENUINE EARHOUND AND MORE! Yes, finally it has happened. Someone has found a literal Earhound. One ear. Ear hound. Naturally occurring, they say. We got the nomination from assorted folks including Allison Roberts, the volunteer shelter walker at Collin County Animal Services in McKinney. We also got the “Earhound Alarm” from Miranda Fick at Doggies Wonderland K9 Rescue.
Now before you fall in love with any of these animals, let me remind you that CCAS is a taxpayer-supported shelter and, as such, has a responsibility that is unpleasant: killing animals nobody wants. All of these animals are on the clock, no matter how much the staffers love them. That’s just the way it is.           1
Allison writes, “Daisy is a favorite of the shelter volunteers!
“Her small Lab frame, soulful eyes and adorable one ear are just too much not to love! She is a sweet girl who didn’t know what petting was when she first showed up but now can’t wait to give the biggest kisses to whomever will let her. She was introduced to a few kids of different ages and did well.
“She was born with one ear and it doesn’t cause her any problems and it just makes her more unique.”
She's beautiful in the still shots (in one shot it looks like she has 2 ears, but that's a shirt cuff standing in for an ear). She is even more attractive in her shelter video HERE.
I don’t know how a good-looking, friendly, adorable dog winds up in a kill shelter, but it happens every single day.
For example, look at this beautiful Lab or Lab mix. When this photo was taken, she was considerable pregnant. She may be even more pregnant as you read this or she is less pregnant and has a bunch of puppies to tend to though Allison sent out a note last night declaring, “We don’t want the puppies born in the shelter.”
And then there’s middle-aged chow mix Carter. Maybe 6 or 7 years old. And, Allison sent us a note from one of the CCAS volunteers about this dog. “Carter would love to just hang out with his new friends on a couch or bed and relax it seems. He is very calm, relaxed yet happy to see me when I go by. He quietly 'picked' one of our volunteers as his 'person' like Chows sometimes do and just goes and sits quietly next to her, waiting for a good pet or just loving to be next to his friend. He did great with a few young boys petting and messing with him as well. .... He does great on a leash and takes direction well. He does well with other dogs but he is so calm that I couldn't see any problems with him at all.  He is probably housebroken as well.”
And, as long as your reading about CCAS, we’ll mention that Allison says the shelter still has the “the litter of 8 Lab/Boxer(?) mix puppies that were dumped on the side of the road on Christmas Eve!”
To ask about any animals in the Collin County shelter, e-mail ldrummonds@co.collin.tx.us and animalshelter@co.collin.tx.us or call 972-547-7292.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT: This is Aggie and she’s been missing since around 5 p.m. Monday when she broke her leash during a walk, according to Trey Trenholm who is handling the search on behalf of the dog’s distraught human.
Trey says Aggie made her break around Arapaho at U.S. 75 – that’s right, a busy area. She could be anywhere from a friendly neighborhood to any one of several shelters.
The year-old dog had a collar but Trey says it may be gone by now. She does, however, have a microchip. And she’s “well-trained,” he says.
If you know the whereabouts of Aggie, call 214-415-3236.
ON THE CLOCK: There are many animals on the clock at Dallas Animal Services. Maybe that’ll be different next year.
But as this year draws to a close, the clock is still ticking. In this case there are two cats and 13 dogs that have euthanasia date of Tuesday, Jan. 3. These have been in the DAS adoption program for 45 days or longer – they’re spayed or neutered, vaccinated and otherwise healthy.
The two cats are Rella the Orange Cat and Teddy the Tabby.
Those three dogs? They are Onyx (left), Dickens (right) and the happy-eared Buckshot.
Why did I choose them from the 13 available?
Don’t know – except they sure look as if they’d be gregarious at a New Year’s Eve Party.
They’ve got party faces and ears that say, “Go ahead, I’m all ears.”
The adoption fees for these VIP critters are cut-rate as the year ends: $43 for the dogs and $27 for the cats.
Here’s the contact information for adoption: Catherine.baxter@dallascityhall.com, nicole.self@dallascityhall.com or teresa.cleek@dallascityhall.com or call 214-671-0249 or 214-670-8312. Rescue groups should contact mark.cooper@dalascityhall.com   or 214-670-8298.
The shelter is at I-30 and Westmoreland. It’s open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Year’s Eve, but will be closed on New Year’s Day.
NOT ALL THE DOGS IN TROUBLE ARE IN NORTH TEXAS: Nope, here’s one from Houston. We get the story on this dog from one of our Houston tipsters, Edna Taylor, who usually deals with cats. This, obviously, is no cat.
She got the story from Tiffany Haines, vet tech at Summerwood Clinic in Houston. Tiffany wrote that she was “just wondering if you could pass this around. He is scheduled for a shelter on Friday. I think we know what will happen. If you could post it and send it out as a mass email that would be awesome. He is about a year old, neutered and heart worm negative. All vaccines are up to date. 
“The dog will come with a dog house and a large supply of food.  Courtesy of K9 Airlift. We just need a temporary home for him until something comes along. I am hoping we can fit this guy in somewhere. He is great with kids, dogs and cats. Actually is pretty submissive And mild mannered.”
To offer to help, call Tiffany at 832-868-0383.
CONTEMPLATIONS: OK you have to pick: The Peter Falk/Alan Arkin or the Michael Douglas/Albert Brooks version of The In-Laws. Heck, yeah, may be the toughest original-or-remake choice in movie history. And it occurs to me that some of you may be too young to have seen the first one – it was released in 1979. Only yesterday to some of us. ... Oatmeal – best in a breakfast bowl or best in a cookie? ... On the first night of the year, the Dallas Cowboys play the New York Giants in the final game of the season.  It's the biggest game of their season, the game that decides whether start their off-season in the apparently traditional no-playoff position. Has it come to this? Are the Dallas Cowboys ordinary? Somebody sue somebody for fraud.
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Olympic effort on the slopes...

The staff of Readlarrypowell.com will be away from our desk, er, desks most of the day.
And while I’m gone enjoying a vacation day with my funspouse Martha, Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, is also gone.
He is skiing at an undisclosed location under the direction of top secret U.S. Olympic Team advisors. “It’s all about the gold,” Inky told Readlarrypowell.com.
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a highly-regarded Olympic skier in training, but Inky takes this quite seriously. He and his attorney, Nathan Wolfmann, have convinced the International Olympic Board of Governors that there are no rules that say “two skis per competitor.”  
Thus, he is allowed to use the Canine Quatro Glide system he invented. More on that as the Olympic trials begin.  And, of course, there is a movement in France to get the Quatro Glide thrown out of competition. One of the French attorneys referred to it as “the Lance Armstrong of the Slopes.” Inky had no comment in the French press.
In the meantime, as Inky points out, the 2014 Winter Olympics will be in Sochi, Russia, the only city on the planet that has an international competition treaty with the World Cocker Spaniel Downhill Skiing Federation. How’s that for luck. (Aside: Some of the preceding passage may have been made up.)
He will be competing in 2012 in the Summer Games in London. More on that later, but he is grateful to his sponsor, the multi-dimensional Lightfoot Track Shoes & Waffle Hut.
[FYI: Readlarrypowell.com will file reports as necessary for the rest of the week. And, of course, we encourage you to monitor shelters, rescue groups and roadsides for dogs and cats in need of help. Humans make the difference.]
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Cat-only Carrollton (for now), tense situations and other notes...

It’s Tuesday in the week between holidays and, son of a gun, when it comes to animals it could almost be any day of the year.
So, with a sense of perpetual critter déjà vu, let’s see what’s in the mailbag.
THE CATS IN CARROLLTON: The euthanasia date for Carrollton Animal Services’ animals this week is Wednesday.
Not a dog on the list. Not one. That’s right, the combination of efforts by the Carrollton Animal Rescue Enterprise (that’s the shelter) and rescuers and other factors managed to get dogs off the list.
There are five cats on the list, including this beauty, Angel, #25175, an 8-month-old owner surrender. To borrow from her official on-line explanation, “This beauty was released to the shelter by her person who had too many animals to care for (which will happen when you have unaltered pets).”
Yep, there’s the ol’ drift. Spay/neuter or death row stays active.
To ask about any animal in the Carrollton shelter, call 972-466-3420, or email CARE@cityofcarrollton.com. See more Carrollton animals HERE.
GEEZ, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW: Maybe people mean what they say. Like when they allegedly say they’ll shoot a dog.
Those sad things do get said. And they do happen.
And sometimes there are people who step up and stop things.
We got this tip via Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake – if dogs ever needed a friend, it’s these two right now.
Tina Hamilton of Happy Tails Rescue reports in a terse note “Husband is threatening to shoot these boys. Wife says they jump on him in excitement to see him. She can’t break them from it. They have their shots.”
[Larry aside: Let’s not get into who needs their shots...And, really, some day that guy may want someone who is happy to see him arriving.]
That little puppy? A Christmas delivery. “This little girl was dumped in the road by my house,” Tina says. “She needs a good home – now!”
Just FYI: Tina says she rescued six dogs over the weekend.
To help her with these dogs and others, e-mail txtina1201@yahoo.com
MEANWHILE IN BURNS FLAT: OK, as a reminder, here’s the story of Burns Flat, Okla. It’s a little town in western Oklahoma, about 2 ½ hours north of Wichita Falls, Texas, and it has an enlightened rescuer named Terry Lynn Fisher who works to get critters out of the city shelter in the face of tough odds and potential euthanasia.
She’s been doing this for a while – and now and then things get extraordinarily tough. It isn’t like the citizens throw a parade to honor her every year or that the city sets aside a little in the budget to finance a new shelter.
Still, she plows ahead. And now, she reports, “We are out of space. There are no more pens at the pound. My temporary holding places are full. I need some [animals] moved ASAP. If I don’t they will take them to be killed. Please help me stay ‘no-kill’ another year. If you have any room, let me know. I will get them to you.”
Among these animals at peril is this girl Roudie who wound up tossed away by her family because she was “too rowdy” for the kids.
Also available, kid-friendly Landon who we’ve featured before and, Molly, Badge, Baby Boy, ChiChi and Skippy. They all have names. They all have faces. They all have stories that involve humans letting them down.
Terry Lynn will be happy to tell you about them as you arrange to get them to a safe haven. Contact her by e-mailing remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or calling   580-330-1459.
(Just FYI: If space travel ever becomes practical, Burns Flat may get a break. It is the home of the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority, according to this website HERE. (Try not to mention the omitted “s” in the headline on the page. A Google search for Oklahoma and space turned up a few links to space sites. I’ve met people from Oklahoma and, well, maybe there’s a reason for the connection to space travel – wait, I can say the same thing about people from Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, too. New Mexico? No doubt. Cue the spooky space music HERE.)
CONTEMPLATIONS: This is a generational question. What’s your favorite Disney movie? Darby O’Gill and the Little People (with Sean Connery)? Disney’s A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey)? Tonka? Oh, that’s one not many of you will remember – probably you might not have been born in the era of Sal Mineo. ...People – are they from this planet? OK, what percentage of the population might be from another planet? ... Read a book? What book? Ah, re-read a book. There's a calming idea.
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Puppies, whiskers and Orion the Wander-up Pit...

Well, that was all holly jolly! What a weekend. And now, with a take-it-easy holiday week facing us as the New Year advances steadily, here at Readlarrypowell.com we’re going to be a little less intent with our postings this week.
There probably won’t be on each day, but there will be some and we’ll try to make them count.
Thanks to all of you for continuing to support not only Readlarrypowell.com but our wonderful advertisers, loyal and strong on behalf of animals and the people who love animals.
Now, we have some news of the puppy season, a dog named Harry who may have a special head scar and a dog name Orion who just wandered up.
And we’ll find a cat or two to spotlight, too. Why? Because we like cats here at Readlarrypowell.com. We’re very partial to black and white cats, believing that they may not have originated on Planet Earth. This cat Hope, 7 pounds and young, was left in the overnight drop cages at Dallas Animal Services. Can you imagine surrendering a cat with such a championship set of whiskers? A cat with whiskers like that ought to have an advertising career. “I may not always drink milk, but when I do, it’s ...” Well, you get the drift. More on DAS cats later.
THE ARRIVAL (BIRTHIN’ BABIES): Remember last week when Rekka Melby of Take Me Home Pet Rescue sent around an e-mail about a dog named Carmello who was being cared for by a family that faced financial challenges this year?
Tammy Lewis volunteered to foster Carmello, now known as Carmelita. And at 10:30 this morning, Tammy sent out an e-mail reading “Well, folks, we have a puppy.”
[UPDATE: By 6 p.m., Carmelita was nursing all four of her puppies. Tammy says things went well and everybody seems to be doing fine. More later. Read the rest of today's report by continuing to scroll. But you probably already knew that. -- Larry]
As the morning continued more notes announced subsequent arrivals. We’re waiting to get the final count.
But, rest assured, the dog is experiencing multiple births. By 11 a.m., two more had been more.
To help with subsequent vet bills and expenses, e-mail rekkamelby@yahoo.com or canadatl@hotmail.com.
SOME PUPPIES ARE ALREADY HERE: These pups, in fact. They are Lab/Boxer mixes, according to Allison Roberts, the volunteer shelter-walker at Collin County Animal Services in McKinney.
You don’t think the Spirit of Christmas is alive? Get this.
These EIGHT puppies were “dumped on the side of the road on Christmas Eve” and picked up and taken to safe haven in McKinney.
Yes, some knucklehead dumped puppies on the side of the road. What on earth was wrong with that person on Christmas Eve? And is it wrong the other days in the year, too? You shudder to think what they did on Christmas Day. Probably smiled and pretended to be a pillar of the family and didn’t let on that they’d dumped puppies and driven on.
To offer to help these puppies, e-mail ldrummonds@co.collin.tx.us and animalshelter@co.collin.tx.us and call  972-547-7292.
If you recognize these dogs and know who used to have them, contact the authorities. Such behavior is illegal in Texas.
IS HARRY A CANINE WIZARD?: As regular visitors to Readlarrypowell.com may recall from a pre-holiday posting, Harry the Lab Mix apparently got clocked by a car on Harry Hines in Dallas and wound up under the care of the vet staff at Dallas Animal Services. It took 15 staples to close his head wound.
Good Samaritan Robin Loveman was the person who saved Harry’s life after the collision. And Rekka Melby (mentioned earlier in her role with Take Me Home Pet Rescue) sent out an e-mail fretting that because Harry was in Dallas Animal Services’ shelter, his luck may have run out. But the folks at DAS stepped up for Harry and noted a number of “holds” that would keep a good distance between him and the needle.
Then, Rekka felt like she just couldn’t take a chance that things wouldn’t work out – come on, how many rescuers have that “Canine Anxiety Gene”? Lots of us! So, Rekka reports her decision in this note:
“I couldn't get him off my mind so went and pulled him at 5p.m. Christmas Eve.  He was really scared when we were trying to get him out of his kennel, when I put the leash on him he flailed himself back into the corner of the kennel and was shaking and panting, poor guy.  I don't think he realized that he is one lucky dog.  It was so hard seeing all the others there and having to leave them behind, it just sucks.  The staff was great, they got him loaded into a crate and then into my car.  Once we got home he stuck his head out of the crate to eat within about 45 minutes and within another hour he came out and was following me around.  By Christmas morning he was coming up to get petted and to hug me so he's definitely warmed right up now that he's safe.”
Harry’s been at the vet’s this morning and he’s not happy about it. Report due later.
In the meantime, Rekka says, “My friend reminded me that Harry Potter has a lightning bolt scar so looks like Harry might now have a last name.  He is available for adoption through TMHPR so folks can email info@takemehomepetrescue.com for more info.”
ORION NEEDS A HOME: If you ask the question, “Where do dogs come from?” your answer probably isn’t “They all just wander up.”
But, indeed, that’s what can happen. Anna Hurst sent out a note asking for help placing the guy on Dec. 21 and says today that Orion still needs a place to go. This “wander-up” happened in the TCU area of Fort Worth and the dog has drawn a sponsorship from the Gap Club (Girls Awareness Program) at Euless Trinity High School.
Here’s the story, according to Anna’s note on the 21st: “A stray pit bull walked up to my husband about an hour ago. He is barely a year old, if that. His ears have been crudely cropped. I don't know how he is with other animals, but he is extremely friendly towards people. We cannot keep him, as we already have 5 dogs and 5 cats, but I do not want to take him to the shelter. either, as his chance of survival there would be slim. He seems to adore people, men in particular. He would be a wonderful friend to someone that has some experience with pit bulls or any other powerful breed. He would be a great companion to someone active, as he is a young and powerful dog. He lives to be with people and after some training you could take him anywhere with you, as we do with our pit bull.”
Now, here’s a curious note. Anna writes, “Whoever cropped his ears, did not bother to even take the sutures out. They are sticking out about 3 inches out of his ear. ... He's got a lot of scars and scabs, but he is a gorgeous dog and super friendly, at least towards people. I spent the last 30 minutes sitting by the fire with him curled up in a ball lying on my feet.”
As you can see in this photo, Orion is quite handsome and very familiar with the concept of “napping on the couch.” You can see more photos on his Facebook page HERE. To ask about adopting him or helping him, e- mail a.hurst@yahoo.com.
ANOTHER CAT: Among the felines favoring the Dallas Animal Services with their presence is not only Hope (the opening photo today) but this Russian Blue-type cat named Frost who may actually be a Russian Blue, I guess. Frost was an owner-surrender -- couldn't take care of the little guy, they said.
He's available now -- not the only one at Dallas Animal Services. Stop by -- it's at I-30 and Westmoreland -- and visit them in the get-acquainted rooms. Look for adoption directions and more adoptables online at www.dallasanimalservices.org.  
There has been a bargain adoption rate on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in December. Call it a "year-end close-out."
CONTEMPLATION: Note to the Dallas Cowboys who got whipped like a junior high team Christmas Eve by the Philadelphia Eagles: You have to practice winning. You can’t just write off a game. Is Jesse Holley the only guy who is trying on that ridiculously inconsistent team? Here’s a line: You ruined Christmas for everybody. OK, maybe that’s too sweeping, but for crying out loud. ... Haven’t seen a darker Christmas since Jimmy Carter was in the White House. Anybody got a different take? ... Remember those hats on the royal cousins at the William/Kate wedding? Know of anyone who got one for Christmas?
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One Christmas Eve...

[Dear Readers: Usually on weekends we present the world-wide-read feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap – always highlighted with a photo of a slumbering critter, such as this shot-from-overhead  picture of Inky, the Cocker Laureate of Texas snoozing with a full-on snore on the floor in his spot next to my writing chair in the international headquarters of Readlarrypowell.com. Our purpose is to combat insomnia. And, perhaps, that is the core of the origin of this story of two little boys and their plan to do something nobody had ever done. Were they successful? Read on and discover and, of course, have a merry Christmas. From all of us at Readlarrypowell.com]

THE SANTA PLAN

By Inky, The Cocker Laureate of Texas
    There was a cold wind coming in from the north.
    Perhaps it was bringing snow. There was talk on the radio and TV news.
    Didn’t matter. Johnny Knowsall and his brother Jeff were ready.
    They had a plan. They would get a good look at Santa this Christmas Eve. A real good look. And a picture, too.
    J-One and J-Two, as their friends called them, weren’t particularly bad boys.     They had a streak of what used to be called mischief but these days would be regarded as a sign that a kid was going to eventually need a lawyer.
    They were not the first kids to try to snap a photo of Santa. And, during his time as The Great Deliverer, Santa had learned to dodge the lenses. He could plan, too, you know.
    “Is the battery charged on the camera?” J-One asked.
    “Check,” replied J-Two.
    “Got the air horn?”
    “Check.”
    “Cold weather gear?”
    “Check.”
    “Walkie-talkies”
    “Check.”
    “Sandwiches.”
    “We’ll have to split a peanut butter sandwich,” said J-Two. “I already ate the baloney.”
    “Fine,” said J-One. “I’m not hungry. I’m just ready to catch Santa.”
    Now, just as surely as a pair of boys can make the “Naughty List” without even knowing it, Santa can know two boy’s plan and prepare for it.
    He knew exactly what to do on one block in one town where snow would be falling on Christmas Eve for the first time in 35 years. Santa also knew that a little snow would not detract the Knowsall Brothers from their mission. He would give them something to remember for Christmas.
    “Set the clock and I’ll double-check it,” J-One told his brother. The clock was an old-fashioned windup alarm clock – the reliable kind that didn’t take a lot of know-how to work.
    One a.m. was the wake-up time. It was nearly midnight now. They thought they would not go to sleep and they didn’t. They watched the clock, they watched the sky through their bedroom window. They watched the arrival of snow. It began in small particles that inspired each of them to ask excitedly, “Did you see that?”
    Finally the flakes grew bigger – storybook flakes that covered their yard, the neighbors', the driveways and the streets. It fell fast and it fell thick.
    And soon, just before the alarm would have sounded, J-One said quietly, “Turn off the clock and let’s go. No more waiting.”
    Quickly they dressed in their warm winter clothing. They would pad down the hall and out the kitchen door into the yard, then along the wall of the house to the back gate.
    J-One and J-Two would quickly slip into the “Santa Stand” they’d build out of two big sheets of plywood and a blue plastic tarp that was so big it would serve as the floor, the back wall and the roof at the point where the plywood met.
    The wind whipped the plastic ferociously as the boys quickly assembled the stand and ducked inside to get out of the weather. They’d pulled a wagon in front of the shelter and turned it on its side to offer protection and an obscured vantage point.
From where they were, they could see the rooftop of seven homes. “He’s gotta land on one of ‘em,” J-One said. “We’ll be ready.”
     As the winter wind blew snow inside the shelter, J-One worked with the digital camera to make certain it would snap pictures in the cold. He wore gloves, so his hands were warm, but  his ears were getting cold even though they were inside a hood. His toes might have been feeling the cold, too.
    In fact, he was getting cold through and through. So was J-Two.
It was about 2 a.m. when the snow began to ease up just a bit. It had been very enthusiastic snow. There was nothing that was not covered. Nothing. Including the rooftops. The reindeer would be able to land without making a sound. It would be another quiet delivery.
    J-One was thinking about that when he nodded off for a split second and then quickly was wide away. No time had passed, he was convinced. His brother snored. He woke him with an elbow to the ribs.
    “Ouch,” he said.
    “Shhh. I think it’s time. Look how quiet everything is.”
    In silence they looked out at the neighborhood. Nothing was moving. Christmas lights brightened the snow in front of houses. No wind was blowing. No longer could they hear the hiss of snowflakes falling on snow.
    Suddenly, J-One saw something move in the slight area between houses two yards down. Not enough to make out for sure, but enough to suggest that something was going on.
    “Come on,” he said, and he led J-Two quietly out of the shelter and into the yard and he dropped to one knee and held up his camera. He fired off two shots and yelled, “I got him! I got him!”
    J-Two saw something that appeared to be small and orangish-brown with horns dash across the neighbor’s yard toward the alley and that was followed by a red blur.
    He was sure it was a red blur.
    “I saw him! I saw him!” he yelled. Lights in homes began snapping on. He and his brother, grins wide as their faces, took off toward the back door of their house just as the porch light snapped on. Their parents were awake. No doubt they had opened the door to their room and found no little boys sound asleep in their bed.
    “I got him, Dad, I got him!” J-One said in a hushed voice as he and his brother came barreling into the house, leaving tracks of snow on the kitchen floor.
    “We got him, Dad, we got him!” echoed J-Two.
    “Got who?” asked Dad, still sleepy and wondering what in the world was going on.
    “We got Santa! We got pictures of Santa!” J-One exclaimed.
     Dad immediately thought of Mr. Watson two doors down, a short, chubby man with a white beard and what would have been white had if any had hung around on top of his head. And, it’s true, he could have been out in the middle of the night walking around – but not in the snow, surely.
    “Was it Mr. Watson?” he asked.
    “No, Dad, no! We got Santa. And a reindeer, too,”
     A reindeer? He thought maybe they’d seen the Stillsons’ Great Dane Tiny.
“Was it Tiny?”
    “No, Dad. Really. We got a picture of a reindeer running through the snow.”
Dad was amused by the sincerity of his boys. They really thought they had something.
    He decided it was time to look at the pictures.
    “Let’s go download the pictures,” he said.
    The three – Dad in a robe and slippers and the boys still in their snow gear -- went to the computer, and Mom, still sleepy, but still being mom, said, “I’ll make some hot chocolate. Call me to see the photos.” She had her doubts.
    Dad knew what would happen. He’d tried this when he was a kid. He used an Instamatic with a big flashcube on it that sounded like a small explosion when it fired. At three in the morning, he snapped two pictures and a week later, when he got the prints back from the drug store, all he had were photos of a tree next to a rooftop.
    In a minute he’d downloaded his little boys’ photos. And what he saw made him laugh out loud.
    On down the Christmas route, still delivering, Santa smiled, knowing that his helpers had successfully served as decoys and two more little boys would have a story of a cold Christmas night to tell their kids years from now.
    It would be “The Time We Photographed Santa.”
    And, they could click on their computers and show their friends the decoys who raced through the neighbors’ yard in the snow: a cocker spaniel in a Santa suit and an orange cat wearing plastic antlers.
    The realization that they didn’t catch Santa or his reindeer overwhelmed the question, “Who puts a Cocker Spaniel in a Santa suit and antlers on a cat?”
    Everybody had a merry Christmas, though the cat retained some resentment about having had to run through snow in bare paws. But Santa knew,he was a complainer cat and always, eventually, was on the "good" list.

(Author’s note: These authentic photos provided by The Santa Sighting Museum, courtesy Johnny & Jeff Knowsall Photography of Reindeer Gap, Texas.)

--- The End ---

Harry -- all stitched up and no place to go...

  It’s Christmas and a dog need a break. Got to be an elf out there somewhere who can make the right move, dial the right number, deliver the goods.
Harry – that’s him --- is a Lab Mix and he’s in a fix and there’s a Christmas countdown. Yep, that’s him with the big stitches holding his head together. Run-in with a car, apparently. Not sure if he's facing any other problems.
[On Christmas Eve, we got notes confirming that Harry has some people who have placed "holds" on his little bonkered head. He's safe for now and, as feared initially, nothing bad will happen on Christmas Day. People who have asked for the "hold" will have to live up to their word. And if somebody beats them to Harry, maybe they can use their "Would-be Harry Hold" on another animal at DAS.]
We learned about him in several e-mails including one from Rekka Melby of Take Me Home Pet Rescue and my ol’ newshound pal Aline McKenzie, writer and animal fan.
The concern, according to Rekka, is that he’s injured and in Dallas Animal Services and, she says, “His time is up on 12/25 and I’m pretty sure he’ll be put down unless a rescue steps up for him.”
People are already pledging money to help his vet bills in the event he’s rescued.  Normally I don’t mention the pledges because I don’t want to draw unsavory people who take in animals just so they can get access to money. Yep, ever since those pledges started showing up, so have the vultures. (Aside: We may start listing them by name in the new year.)
But this is Christmas and, heck, maybe the good people in the world still have some energy and a place for a beat-up dog from Dallas.
Rekka says the angel who picked up Harry is Robin Loveman.
And Robin sent around this e-mail Friday afternoon. The note reads:
“Harry was found the morning of Dec. 21 in the gutter on busy Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas, shivering in the below-freezing temperatures and bleeding from a head wound. He is a black Lab mix, very sweet but very scared and shy in the Dallas Animal Services shelter. He wasn't eating or drinking when he first arrived, but after just a little coaxing Thursday, I was able to get him to take his meds, eat his food and drink some water. He is up for review Dec. 25, but I'm hoping someone can come to his rescue and give him the Christmas miracle he so desperately needs. I have donated funds to the shelter to help cover his care, and can pledge another $100 to any group that can take him.“
Rekka has actually met Harry. “I stopped by the shelter to check on him last night [Thursday] and he's really cute and very sweet.  His head wound looks pretty painful but he was still in good spirits (they are treating him and have him on pain meds). 
“He's gentle and likes being petted.  Harry's review date is this Sunday, yes, on Christmas.  Due to his injuries he likely won't get a chance on the adoption floor so we really need a rescue group to step forward to save him.”
The official Dallas shelter contact is the liaison officer Mark Cooper (mark.cooper@dallascityhall.com ) , but, as it is Christmas, he won’t be there. He is, however, monitoring messages. Harry’s official info is “DAS dog ID: A704779, intake date 12/21 and review date 12/25."
As rescuers know, the shelter is at I-30 and Westmoreland. The numbers are214-671-0249 or 214-670-8312 or 214-670-8298. The website is www.dallasanimalservices.org.
It would seem that Harry should be able to find someone to save him, especially during a season when human hearts traditionally rise to a level of decency we wish existed year round.
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On a sleepy Friday... assorted notes and a Christmas Cookie...

Holy rooftop hoofbeats, it’s the 23^rd and the Christmas clock is ticking.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, I slept until 5 a.m., then fell back over about 5:15 and inexplicably slept until 11:30 a.m.
That’s why today’s edition of Readlarrypowell.com has a distinct PM edition feel to it. But, as my beloved Cocker Spaniel Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, said to me when I finally stirred, “I’m famished.”
Of course, he says that at any time of day under any circumstances. As our staff impersonator, he does a great job in this impression of an office-worker spotting the company Christmas lunch buffet complete with a big steaming platter of Mom’s Year-end Savory Profit Meatloaf and a special dessert of No Tax Exposure Pie – it’s full of fruits and nuts and ifs and buts. The owner really likes that pie.
Now, let’s proceed with some seasonal notes. Remember, shelters have animals immediately available for adoption: big shelters in the city are open and the inventory is waiting. Small suburban shelters are open and doing business at the adoption desks.  It’s Christmas – somebody in a fur suit loves you and I don’t mean the clown in the next cubicle who showed up dressed like a reindeer.
OUT ON THE LAWN, THERE AROSE SUCH A RABBIT: Well, of course, you don’t really think “rabbit” at this time of year. But, maybe you don’t live in Dallas’ Lakewood area.
Yesterday we were discussing sleeping dogs and cats (our usual weekend feature) with Ginny Booth and she said she would “settle for Santa bringing me the domestic rabbits that someone dumped in our neighborhood that we’ve been trying to catch for several weeks. They are just too fast for us and too smart for the trap. Poor babies probably won’t last the winter if we can’t get them. Do you know any rabbit catchers?”
Always the critical question, of course. Who do we know who is nimble afoot, quicker than a bunny rabbit and isn’t too old to bend at the waist and scoop up a rabbit? Must be someone. If you know of someone, e-mail ginbooth@gmail.com  and or call 214-596-8045.
Ginny writes that there are “at least two solid black bunnies – no idea of gender. They may have been “on the loose for about 4 months (or there are more of them around Lakewood – always possible with rabbits, I guess!”
[Aside from Larry: I understand Clement Moore opted for using 8 tiny reindeer in “A Visit From Saint Nicholas” because he found the concept of flying rabbits just too unbelievable. Also, bunny rhymes were not quite as dramatic as his intent with the poem. You can see that. The word “bunny” traditionally is rhymed with honey, funny, money, punny and, as the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, Inky, points out, it inspires the famous poetic message:
“If you don’t spay and neuter, hey,
you’ll be hoppin’ in the bunny way."
ASSORTED NOTES: We’ve gotten a bunch of stories that tend to be on the sad side, i.e. the SPCA of Texas and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office saving half-dozen horses from lousy conditions – too late for some others. (Go to spca.org or Google it.)  And there are crowded shelter stories and tales of animals found wanting and abandoned and...well, it goes on and you all know it and I can’t bear to write it all today. Let’s just have an agreement that if you are reading this you’ll tell someone you know who needs a friend to go to a shelter because there are lifelong friends there. And they need a place to stay that has a warm couch, a working TV and some focused affection with a promise of a season of love that lasts beyond these holidays.
A HOLLY JOLLY MOMENT: All during the month we’ve been including a holly jolly moment at the end of our daily report. With help from our pal Jonnie England, we have this one. Jonnie has seen a lot of Christmas seasons at shelters – from her long, long career as the guiding light at Operation Kindness to her current endeavors as the Metroplex Animal Coalition’s  Director of Animal Advocacy and Communications.
Jonnie happened to be at the Dallas Animal Services shelter yesterday with her perpetually handy camera and snapped this photo.
Here’s the story, according to Jonnie: “All Mark Swindell's 4-year-old daughter, Robyn, wants for Christmas is a ‘black kitten named Cookie.’”
[Larry aside: With a specific request like that, Santa assigns a hustling helper to make sure that request is fulfilled.]
Jonnie says, “Mark came into DAS Thursday, and there was one black kitten.  And the name on the cage card was . . . Cookie!
“It's easy to find a black cat in a shelter; this time of the year it's not as easy to find a black kitten, but it can happen.
“But to find a black kitten who had already been given the name Cookie?
“Coincidence -- or a Christmas miracle?”
So, thanks to Jonnie, there’s your Holly Jolly contemplation, folks.
In the meantime, we’ll assume Cookie is being readied for a sleigh ride with Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick.
We’re grateful to all who helped with our Holly Jolly Moments. We’re grateful to all of you for your readership and your participation and, especially, your love for animals and the hearts you have that guide you to help them.
Yep, like the movie says, “It’s a wonderful life.”
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The lost, the found, the stories, the shelter numbers...singing sheep, too

[We have an update on Lucy the Lab in today's first item. She was found and there's been a happy reunion. Mom Jennifer Eiman reports: "My son was so excited when she got home. He kept hugging her and climbing all over her." Read on and be merry.]
We’re at the Thursday of a week of increasingly empty offices and freeways. On Friday, well, don’t expect anybody to do anything but leave. So on Thursday we’re going to try to catch the attention of good hearts today.
Read on to learn about the missing and the found and the figures. Heck, as long as we’re at it, “Merry Christmas!”
Oh, and the term “one percent” is happily applied to the Carrollton Animal Services shelter – yeah, keep reading.
And, speaking of “season,” didn’t “puppy season” used to be in the spring?
BE ON THE LOOKOUT: (A happy update on Lucy: We've just heard at 12:49 p.m.from Jennifer Eiman about her missing dog Lucy: "We found her! We got a few calls from neighbors today saying they had seen her in our neighborhood. We think she kept trying to get home but was confusd. We have only lived here for about 3 months." Yep, sometimes you just keep the faith and keep looking.) Here's the early report: Well, goodness, this is a missing dog in Frisco. Her name is Lucy and, yes, she’s a bit overweight. Maybe that’ll help people spot this missing dog.
Lucy is a 9-year-old Chocolate Lab with a gray chin, says her human Jennifer Eiman. The short, stocky dog was last seen Wednesday night in Frisco in Eldorado Fairways where the nearest big intersection is Eldorado and FM 423.
Jennifer says this morning that there may have been a neighborhood sighting Wednesday afternoon. But, there's uncertainty and the search continues.
Lucy is an only dog and, Jennifer says, “We think she slipped out [Tuesday] night though the garage. Every time she’s been out in the past, she’s come home. It’s been a very long time since she got out.”
Lucy’s fans have contacted shelters, put up signs and talked to neighbors. They’ve also asked the Homeowners Association to send out e-mails about Lucy.
If you’ve seen Lucy or know her whereabouts, call 469-387-8310. Lucy wasn’t wearing her collar when last seen, but she is microchipped. Jennifer says, “We miss her very badly and want her to come home.”
FOUND THIS MORNING: We get this tip from Maeleska Fletes of the Little Forest Hills Animal Alert.
And, of course, the theory is this is a Miniature Pinscher – yep, a Min Pin. Maeleska reports, “This little girl was found running on the service road of Central Expressway between McCommas and Mockingbird. She has on an orange collar but no tags or microchip.
Could be a runaway. Could be a burglar robbed a place and dumped the dog. Could be the dog was “set free” in a park and ran toward a freeway.
No telling what terror the past held, but at least she’s safe now. If you recognize her or think you know her, contact Little Forest Hills Animal Alert at 214-930-5910 or e-mail maeleska@yahoo.com. You can read about the Animal Alert HERE.
BOSS COMES HOME: In a story that will give hope, perhaps, to everyone whose dog is missing, we report that Boss is back home. On Dec. 16 we told the story of Boss, this handsome pit fellow, who’d wander off from his home in Scurry.
We ran his “before the loss” photo – that’s him on the porch. Today we present his “after the adventure photo” – that’s him, drowsy on the arm of the couch and absolutely demonstrating that he is right back where he wants to be with Tina Nichols and her hubby Robert>
They’d had adopted 2-year-old Boss from the Seagoville Animal Shelter earlier this year.
Tina says he came home Wednesday evening. She sent us an update and wrote, “You can only imagine how thrilled we are!  What a wonderful early Christmas gift.
“He's a bit banged up -- cuts on his paws and under his belly but mostly the horrid looking cut on his face seems to be the worst.  He's a bit skinnier too!  The good doc said this morning that he'll be OK. She gave him some meds to help with any infection.”
Tina says his return started with a phone call – but Boss was ahead of the signal. “Well, he showed up [back at home]. We received a call that he was seen running down the road - about 2 miles away - so we went over there but we couldn't find him.  We pulled in the driveway and there he was!  We really feel that someone had him and he finally broke free.  The cuts on his paws and under carriage would certainly lead to the fact that he scratched his way out of somewhere.”
Here’s one more paragraph from Tina. It has to do with the widespread effort on behalf of animals. She writes, ““We are so blessed and extremely thankful that he made his way home.Thank YOU for all the work you do and to all the volunteers, shelters, rescue groups ...Be blessed this holiday season and thankful for all that you have.”
(Larry aside: The definition of “miracle” may not include “a lost dog comes home” but, you know, maybe it ought to. I’ll bet it felt like a miracle when they were able to wrap their arms around that big ol’ dawg again.)
THE STORY OF TOBY, FROM OUT AT THE LAKE: Here’s one for the books, folks. This story has an ugliness, but it has some hope in it, too. Still, the ugliness is kind of difficult for a civilized person to handle.
Not that I’m civilized, but here goes. And, yes, that’s Toby all stretched out in the photo.
We got this story from Krista Mc Anally, the manager of the Humane Society of cedar Creek Lake’s shelter at Tool, Texas.
“Toby is a happy Catahoula mix puppy about 4 to 5 months old that was found [Wednesday] in a cemetery not far from the shelter. A very nice person called the shelter and said she had been at the cemetery and found Toby and wanted to know if she could bring him to HSCCL.
“When she arrived with Toby, she said that while she was petting him, he rolled over on his back and she realized he was cut open near his penis.
“Upon examination, it appears that some person decided to neuter Toby at home. But it is a botched job and his testicles and penis have been removed. At this point, we are not sure how he is urinating. We have taken him to the vet and at this point, we know that he has to have surgery.
“So what are we looking for to help Toby??  A foster home would be a great start. We will need to raise $500 for the surgery and vet care. And he will have to have a permanent home to be cared for. Donations for Toby's care can be made at hsccl.org. ...You can also mail checks to HSCCL, PO Box 43531, Seven Points, Texas, 75143.”
Krista also told Readlarrypowell.com, “Even after everything I have seen, people can always outdo the other stupid and heartless people I have come across.  I do not think we will ever know who did this because Toby was dumped.”
[Larry aside: OK, folks, maybe someone who visits Readlarrypowell.com recognizes this dog and knows where he used to live. And maybe you’d like to turn in the name of the person who mutilated the dog. If you do, call the authorities – looks like cruelty to me. And, of course, if you ID the actual villain, I’ll buy you a new 2-by-4 and we’ll all go have a Hardwood Enlightenment Party on the head of the worthless SOB. Pardon my French.)
A DIFFERENT BREED’S BIRTHS: We got a note from Joni McConnell, the volunteer coordinator for A Different Breed, regarding the fact that the rescue group will be operating its Pepper Square Shopping Center adoption center from noon until 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve – that’s on the southeast corner of Preston and Beltline.
Then the note gives us a followup on Nikki, the small Lab from the Arlington Animal Services Shelter who was claimed by ADB last week.
You may recall that ADB at first thought she’d already had her puppies. This photo illustrates how wrong that guess was.
She had six puppies and they’re all doing well in the care of ADB’s foster, the Lutz Family.
If you want to help ADB take care of these puppies and get them and mom ready for adoption, visit the website at www.adifferentbreed.org or e-mail jkmcconn@yahoo.com
AT THE CARROLLTON SHELTER: Longtime visitors to Readlarrypowell.com will recall that we’ve periodically featured the animals from the Carrollton Animal Services shelter. Why? Because the shelter hustles to get its “inventory” exposed in any way possible to the good hearts who help animals.
In the e-mail today, we got a copy of the greeting sent to area rescue groups, volunteers and others by Animal Services Manager Carl Shooter.  (Keep reading for some important figures.)
From Carrollton Animal Services: “It is that time of year again when we have the privilege of sharing with our rescue community how valuable our partnership is and how successful we have been this year.  With your support less than 1% of the adoptable animals in our care were euthanized.  This is a direct result of your commitment to support our community by dedicating countless hours and resources to matching pets with prospective rescue groups, foster homes or placement with their new permanent human companions.  On behalf of our C.A.R.E. Team, I want to thank each and every one of you for your support of our program.  It is overwhelming to know that we have such a huge number of supporters and just how much can be accomplished through trust, teamwork and out-of-the-box approaches to Animal Services.”
Here are the stats, according to Carl’s note:
Total Animals Sheltered : 1,860
Animals Returned to Their Companion:   454 (435 Dogs & 19 Cats)
Animals Adopted:   576 (403 Dogs & 173 Cats)
Animals Rescued:  422 (206 Dogs & 216 Cats)
Animals Euthanized:  408 (204 Dogs & 204 Cats)
Unadoptable Animals Euthanized(1):  394
Adoptable Animals Euthanized:  14
Carl’s note explains, “Animals that are sick, injured, aggressive, or released by their human companion for euthanasia are considered unadoptable.”
Humans have to do better, but the humans at Carrollton Animal Services are certainly setting a standard for keeping animals off death row.
AND, MEANWHILE, AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES: Is there no end to puppy season? Has it become year-round? Was it always? Does it matter when it is as long as someone is there to help the puppies?
Is there a way to remind people to spay and neuter their animals without having to pick up the official Spay/Neuter Rubber Chicken of Ignorance and beat them about the head and shoulders with it?
Look, here’s what Dallas Animal Services rescue liaison Mark Cooper wrote about these litters and their moms.
“These are two mommas we presently have in our shelter and they are super sweet and have a healthy litter of pups, but they don’t have anyone who will help them to feel safe, loved and wanted.
“If you can help rescue either of these families for Christmas, please let me know soon. Without your help, they will not have a good new year. In fact, they won’t see the new year! Please help me help them.
If you are trying to think of a good gift for your family, what better gift can you give than the gift of life. Which is exactly what these families need. The chance to live, grow and love!”
Seriously. As you folks may know, the stats at DAS are nowhere nearly as encouraging as the Carrollton figures – probably because there are too many (Larry is now going to use a kind phrase) unenlightened people (rather than refer to our oversupply of village idiots).
To ask about helping these animals find safe havens, e-mail mark.cooper@dallascityhall.com. See shelter info and contact points at www.dallasanimalservices.org.
HOLLY JOLLY NOTES AND CONTEMPLATIONS: Point of discussion? Wrapping is the most torturous part of the entire holiday season. ...Sometimes kindness shows itself in the Christmas season. ... A few days ago my hollyjollyspouse Martha and I were driving out of downtown Dallas in the dark and as we passed under the Triple Underpass headed west, we saw the immense dark Lew Sterrett Criminal Justice Center and the ol’ jailhouse. And Martha says, “You know, I think they ought to put Christmas lights on the jail.” Yep, that might be just what's needed to make the jail something besides a building nobody wants to be in at Christmas.  Of course, maybe some of the inmates don’t deserve a brightly lit Christmas. Could be a tourist attraction, though: The Holly Jolly Jailhouse. Wait, I think I'll start writing that book.  ... A friend of Santa’s sent me a link to sheep singing a Christmas song and wrote, “Wonder if that was what was going on in those fields when the angel arrived to talk to the shepherds?” The singing sheep are on a Brooks Brothers page and I don’t know either of them. Also, one reason I don’t go caroling with other voices is biblical. When it comes to my hitting the notes, “All we, like sheep, have gone astray.” The link to the Yuletide singing sheep is HERE and the phrase "Yultide singing sheep" is one I never expected to write.
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