ReadLarryPowell.com

CATS, DOGS, A CALIFORNIA CREEP AND A TASTE OF CLINIC LIFE

EDITION OF APRIL23PM-APRIL24AM (PetPowellPress) It’s a 24-hour world and about 20 of mine have been consumed by insomnia lately. And that brings us to this delightful photograph of an upside-down cat waiting at Dog ’n’ Kitty City, the famed no-kill shelter operated by the Humane Society of Dallas County. More on Mischief later. Keep reading.
HARPER — NEEDS AN
UNDERSTANDING HOME
How about the face on this dog!
What makes her special? It’s her situation. 
We got the ex- planation from our reliable volunteer Denton shelter monitor Amy Poskey. She wrote, “This beautiful girl is Harper and she needs our help!  Why?  Because she has been adopted three times and returned three times for the same reasons…  She is deaf and energetic.  Yep, that’s it.  And, yes, each adopter was told that she was deaf and energetic, so go figure. Please give this gorgeous, young gal a chance!”

Harper’s about 2, a Catahoula Leopard dog who is healthy, “house-trained, energetic, sweet and beautiful.”
How can Household #4 get started on giving this girl a good life? Call the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter at 940-349-7594. Email gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com, julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com, dentonshelterdogs@yahoo.com, and/or dentonanimalservices@yahoo.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: I hope Harper is adopted for good by the time you read this. The other thing is, maybe Harper would be the ideal dog for someone who is thinking about getting married. You can practice living with someone who isn’t listening to whatever you’re saying. I’m kidding. The deal with this dog is she wants to be her human’s best friend. Give her a chance.]
THE ABANDONED PUPPIES
LIVING UNDER THE TRAILER
Yep, six puppies need some help. We got the tip on them from Karen Lee, the voice of barkleyworld.com, so we contacted Pattie Baranowski at her office on the Bosque Systems Luna property where where a momma dog gave birth and has since vanished.
You see here that the pups are old enough to be adopted. They’ve been living under a work trailer at the Luna property.
“We’re just afraid that the coyotes are going to get them,” Pattie says.
Momma was a Pittie mix stray who’d mated with another stray, a hounddog fellow. As the puppies got old enough to live without here momma’s milk, she vanished. Like dad.
Now, the puppies need some human homes or a rescue group to help get them into those homes. To offer to help, call Pattie at 817-289-9936 or email Patricia.Baranowski@bosquesystems.com. [LARRY WEATHER REMINDER: Rain is in the upcoming forecast, so, perhaps, now is a good time for someone to sweep up six puppies and keep them fat and happy and available for adoption. You can even name them. Just get in touch with Pattie before the rain or the coyotes get these babies.]
NOW AND THEN, A HOME
NEEDS AN APPROPRIATE CAT
Well, of course, read larrypowell.com has never met an inappropriate cat.
These two are among the adorable adoptables at Dog ’n’ Kitty City, the shelter run by the Humane Society of Dallas County.

Mischief, born Oct. 23, 2015, is listed as a “Spotted Tabby/Leopard Spotted” small boy cat. His bio reads, “Mischief is a handsome guy who loves belly rubs. He will even roll on his back as soon as you touch his belly. He would love to be a lap cat.”

You may notice in that large photo that there is a white cat behind Mischief. We believe that to be Grant, born in July of 2011 —that makes him a well-aged cat. His bio describes him this way: “Grant is uniquely white, aside from his quite-pink ears and a little smudge of gray on the top of his head, as if someone had been reading the newspaper and reached over and gave him a little head-scratch, leaving some prints.” He is, the bio says, “a long and lanky bundle of energy, he demonstrates impressive athleticism on many fronts (e.g., speed, high-jumping skills, fast reaction time, attack-and-hold tactics). While craving an outlet for that energy, he is a bit resistant to being touched even briefly, so it will take a very special human to help him become comfortable in that regard.”

See how to adopt these handsome fellows by going to www.dognkittycity.org or by stopping by the shelter at 2719 Manor Way, just off Denton Drive, just north of Inwood and (landmark!) just west of Love Field.
MEANWHILE IN BURNS FLAT
As you may recall, Terry Lynn Fisher, the resilient Western Oklahoma rescuer headquartered in Burns Flat, has been taking in all sorts of challenges lately, including a litter of young puppies who came down with parvo, a horrid disease.
Yes, there are shots to prevent it, and there are ways to nurse puppies through it. Bad odds for the puppies most of the time.
“How I hate that virus,” Terry Lynn wrote. “It is such a horrific thing to have to deal with and so contagious. We fought for them. They started getting fluids and whatever treatment they needed. But we lost four of them. The fifth one was so close to dying, we honestly was afraid he would die as well. Thank goodness over the weekend he took a turn for the better and we really feel he will survive and be fine. The remaining three never got as bad as the others and continue to be well. As most of you know, we do what we do as volunteers... So we often have to ask for financial help. Several of you have helped with so much lately.and I honestly can not put in to words how grateful I am for that help. Without it, they would not have a chance.”
 The puppies still need some financial help, Terry Lynn says. Get in touch with Elk Cree Clinic, 1301 airport Industrial, Elk City, Okla., 73644 or call 580-225-4863. Or email Terry Lynn at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com.
ON THE OTHER, EVIL SIDE
OF HUMANS AND PUPPIES...
First, we have rescuers and advocates who will break their bank accounts and their backs to try to help save a puppy or a litter of puppies or a cats and kittens. People with great hearts. Then you get people like the woman in Coachella, Calif., who got caught throwing seven newborn puppies into a trash bin. She’s been charged with seven counts of animal cruelty. And further investigation found she had 30 more dogs at her house. You can google it — just use “Coachella puppy dumper.” (Coachella is about 2 hours east/southeast of Los Angeles.)
We spotted an absolutely accurate comment from our pal Ilise Lipton, a dedicated animal advocate. She posted, “There are people out there who do things like THIS. So glad she was caught.” And Illise is absolutely spot-on about people “out there” who do this — the “out there” is right here. Right here in North Texas. Dumped litters of puppies and kittens. 
Not a person in rescue who hasn’t heard the stories.
Here’s a link to the KTLA report.
CONTEMPLATIONS
OUR WEATHER; MORNING DELIGHTS, TIME TRAVEL
I’d do a weather report for today, but let’s give the TV and Radio professionals another shot at getting the rainfall and hail predictions right. Still, I’m suggesting there’s a 96.3 percent chance of earthquakes and a 42.3 percent chance of volcanic eruption. …. How about this photo! We spotted it on Facebook with this comment from Dr. Glen Campbell, the vet at Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic, the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic and breakfast sweets emporium in Gun Barrel City, Tx. Tuesday is the clinic’s busy day — lots of volunteers accomplishing the mission. Dr. Campbell wrote, “Lots of desserts at the clinic this morning.” And readlarrypowell.com thought, “I put on 3 pounds just looking at the photograph.” Oh, my. From my house to the clinic on Tuesday morning it’s about 65 minutes if nobody gets between me and the dessert table. But, of course, I don’t need the calories. Go to friendsoftheanimals.org and donate money in honor of either my waistline or the hard work of the cook/volunteers and the vet. Just thinking about that banana pudding set off an alarm in my doctor’s office. Yeah, I’ve got a special communications chip in my brain’s wishlobe. …I watched Three Days of the Condor (again) Monday evening. There are three historic notes about that 1975 film (1) Robert Redford’s hair, (2) the Cold War theme and (3) the fact that you have to look really hard to see a foreign car on any of the streets in the background and action shots. A VW microbus was about the most prominent not made-in-the-USA vehicle. Watching that film is like a ride in a time machine.
—- Offer opinion or time travel secrets by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com from the future or the past —-

AN ASSORTMENT TO HELP DOGS & CATS; SOME CONFESSIONS ABOUT SOLES & SINGING

EDITION OF APRIL 22-23, 2019 [PetPowellPress] — The greatest life-saving tool for the animal rescue community is the computer. Anybody else remember when the telephone held that title?
Of course, neither of them works all that well without the key power source: a human heart. Never mind a battery. Got to have a heart.

If you’re in rescue, see if you can get yourself cloned — animal can always use new helpers. Never mind cloning more animals, clone more rescuers and fosters.
That cat? Former stray. Currently in the care of Take Me Home Pet Rescue. Anastasia is a couple of years old and living with a foster. She’s FIV positive but that’s a manageable condition. And Anastasia is a Maine Coon — among the most luxurious of cats. Plus, TMHPR says, “Her foster mom reports she is really the perfect cat.”  [Go to tmhpr.org to see how to adopt her.]
A DALLAS DOG OR TWO
As you may know, not all adoptable Dallas Animal Services dogs and cats are in the city’s big shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. Some are in foster homes.
Among the fostered dogs is Candy. DAS says you can arrange to meet her by emailing dasfoster@dallascityhall.com.

DAS, on the 17th, was declared winner of the 2019 Petco Innovation Showdown and will get $200,000 to help with, according to DAS, “our ground-breaking Dallas90 Shelter Service System app, which will help DAS improve our customer service to increase our adoptions and decrease euthanasia for space.”

 In the meantime, while we wait for DAS to catch up with technology, there’s an EIGHT YEAR OLD tan and white Cocker Spaniel girl named Misty (A0512435) on the clock at the Big Shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. SHE CAME IN ON APRIL 18.
[LARRY ASIDE: In the name of all Cocker Spaniels who have ever lived on the planet, why is an 8-year-old Cocker anywhere except in somebody’s lap or on someone’s couch waiting for the humans to get home? To save this girl’s life, call DAS at 214-670-6800 and ask about dog number A0512435.]

And there’s an “older cat” in DAS care, too. Zoe — she may be 13 years old. She’s been in DAS care since March 31 and she’s available at the PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center, 16821 N. Coit Road in Dallas. She’s A1062775. Stop by to see her. Call ahead at 972-381-1588, ext. #5. THIRTEEN — barely middle-aged in the life of a cat that is loved!
SMALL SHELTERS
CUTE DOGS & MORE
As you know, there are people who are working hard to help small shelters south of Dallas in the I-45 corridor. Population grows, animals get the boot — sometimes that’s the way it works out.
Here are the contact points — because you’ll see a dog you want:
text or call 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
You may want that adorable Corgi-Basset mix, Sandi. She was a stray. And her bio reads, “She has chocolate-brown eyes that will just melt your heart.”

Max is the that Bulldog mix boy with the great face. His bio says he’s “so sweet. Wants to be petted and held and loved. Big lap dog…He was an owner-release from someone unable to care for him.”

[LARRY NOTE: There are several more and because I have lousy technical skills and there were so many dogs, I picked these two and then posted the email from these volunteers at THIS LINK. Big dogs, puppies, etc., all in need of human hearts.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOLES
Yeah, I’ve been trying to figure out which new “sneakers” to buy — workout shoes, cross-trainers, etc. I am baffled by the array of opportunities. Why is that? Because I am from the era of having two pair of shoes — school shoes (“tennies) and Sunday shoes. And a pair of boots. What I really want is a model of New Balance running shoes that the company quit making a decade ago — best shoes I ever owned. Say a prayer for my soles and arches. … I have never seen an episode of Game of Thrones, nor watched Dances With Wolves nor attended an opera. I did once stand on the stage of the Grand Ol’ Opry and sing with the tourists. “Now you can tell people you sang at the Opry,” the guide said. Until this very moment, this is the first time I’ve thought about it since I got in the car and drove away from the Opry. … You’ve heard of the Million Dollar Quartet — Jerry Lee Louis, Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash on Sun Records in Memphis? I saw all of them perform. Elvis at the Tarrant County Convention Center, Jerry Lee Louis at the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport and Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash on the same show at the now-demolished Texarkana College Auditorium. The ‘60s were great for music — The Beatles didn’t play Texarkana College.
—- Offer opinions, advice or favorite Jerry Lee Louis songs by clicking on “comment” below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com or just click HERE with your speakers up at the melancholy level after the dadblamed ad. —-

MONDAY MORNING COMFORT DOG?

Just an old dog? No. This is Angel.
One more attempt to write Angel into someone’s heart in honor of all the older dogs we’ve loved and all the older dogs rescuers have loved and all the older dogs who didn't find a way out of an animal shelter.

The needle may be next for Angel. 8- or 9-years-old. Stray (#41246824).

Came to Mesquite Animal Shelter on April 6.
Definite Earhound.
Weighs 63 “pudgy side” pounds.
“She’s got the biggest heart,” is the shelter assessment.
When checking out the yard, it appeared “she was looking for her owner.”
That person has never come for her.

She is on the “urgent/critical” list. Needle — could you put the needle in this dog? Could you?
Rescue or adoption saves her life. Send this on to anywhere your email/Facebook go -- someone needs this dog. Link people to www.readlarrypowell.com.
Call Mesquite Shelter at 972-216-6283, email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

—- Older dogs are good for your soul. —-

A CONFLUENCE OF CELEBRATIONS; SAVING ANIMALS, HONORING THE QUEEN

EDITION OF MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Because of the 2019 calendar, Easter Sunday, a day that touches so many hearts and souls, is followed this year by Earth Day, commemorating, celebrating and, yes, encouraging careful use of our planet. The days seem to fit together. 
You may recognize this photograph — for generations after 1968, that’s Earthrise, taken Dec. 24, 1968, by Apollo 8 Astronaut Bill Anders while in lunar orbit. How much has Earth changed since then? When was the first Earth Day? April 22, 1970. More later.
A MOOSE REPORT
The down-to-earth animal report in this edition begins with the latest episode in The Story of Moose. You may recall seeing this photograph. It was

snapped when the dog had found his way into the yard and was hiding in this obscure spot at the home of Casey Voorhies Bonano and Will Bonano. He’d gone just about his last steps.
 And you may recall that Moose is afraid of going outside. This was discovered once he was inside. Go figure. Something happened to this guy somewhere along the way. Now people are working to help him live a good life.
Stephen Foster of DFW’s Furgotten Friends, wrote, “He was so fortunate to have found his last days’ shelter at their [the Bonano’s] yard. I honestly believe he laid there to die. They were a little afraid to walk in this 15-foot by 3-foot area to pick him up and take him to a vet. I say Kudos to them for what they've done for him.”

Casey sent Stephen a note that read, “We are so happy to help.” And he replied that “happy to help doesn’t even come close to what you guys are doing. You are not just helping him. You are the only reason he is alive today. That’s so much more than helping. Don’t be shy. Own it. You both deserve the praise from every dog rescuer out there.”

Where is Moose being fostered? Stephen posted a note over the weekend explaining, “I just got home from dropping Moose off at his foster home. The fosters are the same people who found him laying in a small alcove area at the front of their house. They're all in for saving this boy. Thank you Will Bonano and Casey Voorhies Bonano. I have no doubt if this boy was found by someone else he would have been sent to the shelter. In his emaciated shape with heart worms and his incredible fear of the outdoors, I know for sure he would have been put to sleep. Now he has a chance.
“Moose is now part of the DFW's FurGotten Friends family. He has a very long road ahead but he's alive to make that journey. If you want to help Moose you can donate at this site: http://www.dfwfgf.org/"
TWO TO SAVE:
BUNNY AND ANGEL

Here’s the thing about these two dogs. You don’t have to chase them down to save their lives. Someone else has already taken care of the “capture” portion of rescue. So, all you have to do is go to the Mesquite Animal Shelter and get the dogs. 
You’ve seen them before. But time has a way of moving dogs higher and higher on the List of Desperation. 
Our tipster, the volunteer biographer at Mesquite Animal Services, Judi Brown, visits the animals she writes about. 

You see young Bunny with the magnificent ears and the oddly bent ankle. Judi writes, “I can’t believe we’ve come to this point with this sweet dog. Bunny is on the urgent/critical list. Help! I took her out today and she’s just as happy as ever. She’s got an innovative way of getting around. She just hops along.
”
A rescue is preferred over adoption right now, Judi says, because Bunny has medical issues after being hit by a car on April 6, the day she arrived at the shelter. Mainly, 6-month-old Bunny may have suffered nerve damage to her left paw. She gets around OK, but not perfectly. And she gives “lots of kisses,” Judi says. 
At six-months old, she weighs 24 pounds. And is an active tail-wagger. She's #41243527.
Angel (41246824) “is on the urgent/critical list,” Judi says. “She’s getting passed by because she’s not the prettiest dog at the shelter. But if anybody would take her out and spend time with her they would see that she’s got the biggest heart."
Angel, around 9 years old, came in a a stray on the 6th. Judi describes her as “a pretty girl with beautiful dark brown eyes. She has one ear that flops over and one that stand straight up. This adds to her appeal! She’s also on the pudgy side weighing 63 pounds. Since she walks relatively well on a leash she would be willing to go with her new owner on a  walking exercise regiment. Angel was friendly and wagged her tail but was more intent on checking out the yard. It appeared to me that she was looking for her owner. When I sat down she did come to me to have her ears scratched. After she checked out the yard she wanted to be inside as it was rather warm outside. She went nose to nose with many of the dogs in the bay wagging her tail.”
[LARRY ASIDE: It grinds my heart anytime I see an older dog in a shelter — somebody quit loving that dog or decided Angel was “too much to bother with.”]
So, you’ve got two dogs with different challenges but with only two possible results in their future: saved or killed. All these dogs need right now is a loving human to stand up for them. Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
 You can also save cats at the Mesquite Shelter — this larger fellow is FOUR-YEAR-OLD Harper. He’s #41162242 and described as “Large.” He came in on March 26.
See the Mesquite animals online HERE.
[LARRY ASIDE: I’ve consistently preached The Gospel of Black & White Cats — we’ve had two and they offer a curiously entertaining playfulness — maybe it’s a genetic thing, maybe it’s the fact that they are cats. Our other cats are also curiously entertaining and playful. But, on the whole, the black and white cats have demonstrated an “oddness” at times. They’re nearly human and you can’t get much odder than that. Amen.]
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
TO HELP DOGS FLY
Tawana Crouch and the team at the Society For Companion Animals alway can use more help. As you know, SFCA take animals that are unwanted locally and delivers them by air to places where they can become beloved family pets. 
Takes some lifting now and then. Coming up on Tuesday and Wednesday, Tawana’s team needs “volunteers to load dogs on the bus.” The Loading of the Bus is from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Boykin Kennels, 2705 Coombs Creek Dr, in Dallas.
And on the 24th and the 25th, the venue is DFW Airport and the time is 4:15 a.m. — you’ll beat the rush hour traffic! The volunteers unload dogs, weigh them and un-crate them, etc. To offer to help with these important tasks, contact Tawana at tawanacouch@mac.com. Read about the organization and its mission HERE.
A HAPPY NOTE
ABOUT MAE
It’s always good to know of the victories in the animal world. Our Denton tipster Amy Poskey who monitors the city’s shelter, sent this note, “I’m happy to report that our little Mae was adopted…Thank you so much to Pug Rescue of Austin for offering to save this love sponge!”

And, there you have it: A 2-to-5-year-old Chihuahua/Pug mix, 18-pounds of affection and facing heartworm treatment in her future, finds someone to love her.

[LARRY ASIDE: And that was the last animal available at Denton’s McNatt Animal Shelter — hang on. Let me check my facts. Here’s the LINK to the animals waiting in the shelter.
At the site you’ll see a photo of the remarkable face of Harper (81050), a young Catahoula girl. And you’ll see Alan, a young feline fellow who likes to lounge.]
CONTEMPLATIONS

CARDS, EARTHDAY & THE QUEEN
These cards are for sale for the benefit of a spay/neuter clinic. Call it artistic endorsement. The work is by Celene Terry, the award-winning artist and a friend of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. Our tipster, the Friends’ guiding light Sydney Busch, reminded us that Celene has created “a package of 10 beautiful cat artworks note cards” to help raise money for the Friends Spay/Neuter Clinic, the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas. For $15, you get 10 Celene Terry cards — there are 5 different designs. Where can you get them? At the clinic on Tuesdays from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. You might be able to work a deal to get cards delivered — email sydney@friendsoftheanimals.org. Read about the clinic HERE or on Facebook HERE … Learn more about the history of Earthday HERE. ... Whoa, Queen Elizabeth turned 93 on Sunday?!.
At this History Channel SITE, you can learn a lot about the queen including this tidbit: “The queen remains the only female member of the royal family to have entered the armed forces and is the only living head of state who served in World War II.” She drove a truck and worked as a mechanic for the Allies in The Big One. This Time Magazine photo shows Princess Elizabeth discussing her work with the beloved Queen, her mother. So, in closing, we do wish Queen Elizabeth the very best and we offer this song from four lads who rose to prominence during her reign and The British Invasion.
—- To offer advice or opinions, click on “comment” below or email dallrp@aol.com. —-

A SLEEPING DOG, A NAPPING CAT

"This is one of my favorite family photographs," typed Larry Powell, the dog and cat writer who found these two.
This is the perfect demonstration photo for this weekend’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

Yes, a sleeping dog and a napping cat.
Texas Earl the Cheeseman is the dog and the cat is Simon Mycroft Holmes.
They both have histories. But they both have also have this: They are adored.
I snapped the tandem photo last week. I had time to shoot — these boys weren’t interested in waking up to chase off the paparazzi.
That Rottie gentleman Texas Earl the Cheeseman was named after he was rescued from Kiest Park where he’d been dumped. No idea why I named him that — it just fell out of my head.
How’d I find Earl? I saw him in the shade of a tree on an arid day in the dry, waterless park. He was near the parking lot for a soccer practice area. Every time a car parked, this dog would jump up, trot to the driver’s side, look in the window and if he didn’t see the person he wanted, he’d go back to his spot and wait for the next car. I watched him do this for about a half-dozen cars and decided he could do better than the lout who’d dumped him. That rescue happened nine years ago.
And, of course, like all Big Dogs, Earl likes to go for a ride. Here he is lit by the sun. Then he’s about to nod off while riding shotgun. And, in the third photo, Earl has decided the console looks like a great place to rest his chin while napping.

 His partner in sleeping and napping is, now and then, our baby boy cat Simon. I rescued him when he was abandoned by his feral mom under the shrubbery in our front yard. I’ve rarely had to cross the property line to rescue cats in our neighborhood.
 Simon’s rescue was in the fall of 2017.
I’d been monitoring Mom and her 4 kittens — two grays, an orange and Simon — and one morning Mom and three kittens were gone. Simon, barely a month old, was sitting in “his place,” screaming at the top of his little lungs. Just to make sure that the kitten was abandoned and not just in a holding pattern, I carefully waited about 10 hours to see if Mom was coming back. She wasn’t.
You’d think he’d have been exhausted after a day of announcing he was ready to eat, but he wasn’t. We took him in and fed him.
 Convinced that this tiny kitten was a girl, we bestowed the name “Ivy Diane” — found in the ivy and named for our pal Diane Combs. Ivy Diane. It was a wonderful, meaningful combo.
 On Ivy Diane’s first visit to the vet, the wonderfully dear Dr. Vladi DeJong held the kitten up, looked at the indicators, smiled his big smile and said, “Congratulations, she’s a boy.” 
That photo of the kitten sitting outside the carrier shows a crestfallen Kitten Formerly Known As Ivy Diane about a minute after getting the gender news. We think he has now adjusted to the sudden change in his future. You can see how he’s grown through the past year and a half. The photo on the left shows that he's beginning to from kitten to "flamepoint" cat.
We’d been bottle-feeding the rascal — that’s Martha feeding in self-defense. He was an aggressive nurser — lots of claws and lots of biting on that rubber puppy nipple. The pet store was out of kitten nipples — true story — so I opted for puppy nipples, suspecting they’d work just fine. Simon had no problem getting plenty to eat. He has maintained the attitude ever since.
The other photos show Simon helping Martha read. And then you see him learning to edit by sitting on my shoulder and learning about Mr. Subject and Mr. Verb agreeing — and if I dangle a participle, he’s quick to slap it back into place. The final photo shows him in a favorite lounging area — on the desk behind my computer screen. Now and then he’ll reach under the screen and slap my fingers while I’m trying to type The Lesser American Novel. He’s a critic at heart.
But, as you can see, he has a top-notch role model for manners and sleeping — his buddy, Texas Earl the Sleeping Cheeseman.
These are two very beloved family members. Our recommendation is the each household should have at least one pair of matching sleepers like these. How well do they match? Neither of them snores and both of them enjoy the company of people who adore them. That’s a great match.

[DEAR READERS: I know YOU have wonderful photos of your sleeping dogs and napping cats, maybe a snoozing iguana or dozing duck. We’d love to spotlight them in our weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Send photos and bios to dallrp@aol.com. There’s no charge and also no prize. It evens out. Remember, your photo may inspire someone to save a life at a shelter. We believe these slumber photos encourage members of the Global Insomniac Community to believe that they, too, can get some sleep if they can just find the right partner or figure out a way to curl up in the front seat of an American-made SUV.]
--- To praise these pals or offer sleeping tips, click on "comment" below or email dallrp@aol.com. ---

IT TAKES FAITH TO HANDLE THE CHALLENGES OF ANIMAL RESCUE AND WEARING A BEARD

EDITION OF FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2019 [PetPowellPress] This is Good Friday leading to Easter Sunday. Passover begins Friday evening. In our family, as in many families, there are some who celebrate Passover and some who celebrate Easter. Same thing in our Dear Readership. From our heart, may God bless you and strengthen your faith. Believe that you can get good things done. 
Our report today will include hustling for Oklahoma dogs, the Moose story, Mario’s challenge, a State Fair “first” and other notes including beards and bunnies. Here goes.
THE MOOSE SITUATION
You may recall seeing this first photo of Moose — he’d apparently wandered up in a yard, given up and flopped down in a corner hoping not to be noticed. But he was at the home of animalfans Casey Voorhies Bonano and Bill Bonano and they got him into the care of DFW FurGotten Friends. President Stephen Foster posted an important Moose note on the rescue Facebook page. He wrote that “as the head of DFW Furgotten Friends we stopped asking for donations for every dog we take in but I have this special dog we really need help with. Moose has been at the vet for over a week and he's ready to go to a foster. He's so terrified of going outdoors it will break your heart.”
[LARRY ASIDE: 
I’ll let that soak in as we note that he’s coming up on a $600 bill for heartworm treatment, needs to gain weight and will need extra confidence-building behavioral treatment that’s expected to hit the $1,600 mark.]
Stephen says, “We’re trying to raise $2,500 for everything he needs including the food and supplies for him for the next three to four months before he'll be ready for adoption.” Go to this site and click on DONATE in the corner.
MARIO’S CHALLENGE
AFTER SURGERY
Oh, boy. Some story. We got the tip on it from veteran rescuer Kimberly Jones who sent us to the Facebook page of Angie’s Friends where we found a Thursday morning report that said Mario is “resting comfortably but is still tough and go” after having a mangled leg amputated. 
According to the Facebook page, Mario came into Angie’s Friends “after he majorly injured himself while escaping his yard. It appears he jumped a chain link fence and shredded his Achilles tendon.” Damage was so great that the folks at City Vet said he’d be better off without having the leg. [FYI: We’re trying to find someone who knows which leg is now missing.]
 Angie’s Friends hasn’t won the lottery lately, either, so you can help by donating to Mario’s bills at MedVet Dallas (972-994-9110), 11333 N. Central in Dallas. Or go to Angie’s Friends website HERE. 


THE BEAUTIFUL MAE
NEEDS A PLACE TO GO
Our traditional Denton tipster Amy Poskey writes, “This cutie patootie is Mae and she’s been waiting for love for way too long just because she is HW+. Poor baby, it’s not her fault."
Mae is somewhere between 2 and 5 years old, weighs 18 pounds and is heartworm positive. She’s described by the shelter as “sweet as pie and ready to go home with you today. Please note that Denton Animal Shelter Friends will provide a $200 voucher to go toward her heartworm treatment when adopted or rescued. Her ID is 81311.
 Call the shelter at 940-349-7594 or email gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com, julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com, dentonshelterdogs@yahoo.com, and/or dentonanimalservices@yahoo.com.
THE CAMILLE CHALLENGES
This sick little kitten was tortured by just trying to live the life of a stray, mange- stricken, ignored and unwanted kitten in Houston.
 As Barbara Louis of Loving Arms Pet Placement wrote, “It breaks my heart to think what she endured," then added a truth that rescuers know all to well, "But, it is on to the next one. You know there are more out there.”

Our pal Alexandra Kelsey, who tipped us to this attempt to save the kitten’s life, wrote, “Her life ended with love and care, and that was a blessing for her.  But it is heartbreaking to have lost this brave kitty.”

In the end, Camille's assorted challenges led the medical professionals to believe that she would not improve. Barbara wrote, “The kindest thing was to let her go and we did. She is running free now.” See how to help with “the next one” by going to www.lovingarmspetplacement.com.

MEANWHILE, IN BURNS FLAT,
UNWANTED CAT, UNWANTED DOG
The resilient rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher continues to be challenged by the appearance of animals other people don’t want in and around Burns Flat, Okla., a town so far west it could pass for the Texas Panhandle. We’ll start with this cat. 
Terry Lynn writes, “This precious girl was left behind when her awful owners moved away. She is timid at first, then once she realizes you aren't going to hurt her, she is very sweet and loving. She is fine with dogs and other cats.” 
The challenge is Burns Flat doesn’t have a kennel for cats, so the cat, currently in a short-term foster, needs a place to go. Email Terry Lynn at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com. 

There’s also this old guy Otis. Terry Lynn told us, “A couple days ago, I was sent a picture of an old dog laying on a hard cold floor in a pound in Oklahoma City. If you know me, you know the elderly, whether it be animal or human, touch my heart and soul. This old guy looked so sad and depressed. He was blind and deaf — so lost and confused.
“I have so much going on... Pound is filling up. I still have one in the boarding facility and owe thousands there still from all winter. I have the Parvo Puppies at the vet, fighting for their lives, with the bills adding up daily. I have several here in town wanting to surrender their dogs... And I have the I-40 momma Pit (Momma Blue) with her 10 babies that survived.

“Taking on a dog like this is not something I could do alone.So I sent out an email asking about him. I have had several offer help.We even had some offer to take him.”
What’s Otis’ medical condition? “He has a heart murmur and has started medicine for that. He had three teeth left, in horrible condition, so we pulled them... The are some back issues, that may cause a little pain, so he will have meds for that.He is totally blind and almost totally deaf.
“BUT he has the will to live. He wants to be touched. He wants to be held. All he wants is to be loved.”
Terry Lynn is caring for this dog. “I will continue to get the things done he needs, then he is going to a friend's home to live whatever time God allows him left to live with love and kindness.

“I love this old guy... When I picked him up the other day, I cried the entire 2 hour trip to my vet. I just wanted to pull over and hold him.”

Terry Lynn can use some funds to help with Otis, the Left Behind Cat, Momma Blue and her puppies, another litter of puppies fighting parvo, assorted other dogs who have been abandoned by others and found their ways to Terry Lynn’s heart. To ask how to help her, email remembering_oddball@yahoo.com.
BUNNY IN MESQUITE
STILL NEEDS HELP
This dog with the tall ears and the floppy left forepaw is Bunny (41243637), the German Shepherd Mix who came into Mesquite Animal Shelter after she was hit by a car on April 6. Her biggest injury may be to the nerve that controls her paw. She’s about six months old, weighs 24 pounds and is, according to our tipster, the Mesquite volunteer biographer Judi Brown, “a sweet, friendly girl who doesn’t let her injury stop her from exploring her environment. She gives lots of kisses….” [LARRY ASIDE: Hit by a car and there’s not a rescue or a big heart who’ll take this dog in and help her? If no one does, she’ll get the needle.]
Tag Bunny by calling 972–216–6283 or emailing rescues@ cityofmesquite.com.
Also waiting for help or a home is this 2-year-old Alaskan Malamute, Sebastian — he’s deaf. Judi writes, “The owners were not willing or able to deal with this disability.” So, he was surrendered — a returned adoption on April 15. He’s got one brown eye, one blue eye and a “gentle, friendly, happy and very alert” demeanor. Fifty pounds “of love and cuddling,” Judi says. Good with kids, too.
This “Hershey-colored” Pittie mix Ethan, 67 pounds, came in as a stray on April 11. He’s “extremely sweet” and he’s sad, Judi says, “He doesn’t know why he’s at the shelter and not in a loving home. After all he’s a very good boy! Ethan is very gentle and doesn’t jump on you. He’s friendly and gives kisses. He stays close for extra attention….He’s got a very long tail!” [LARRY ASIDE: And it moves too quickly for the camera to catch, as you see in that photo.]
Then there’s 55-pound, year-and-a-half Buddy, a year-and-a-half-old Chocolate Lab Mix, surrendered on the 16th. Why? Judi says, “The reason given for surrendering him was that he plays too rough and sometimes play bites. The owner surrender form said he was mostly an outside dog. I, too, noticed this behavior; however, once he got out in the yard and played a bit he settled down. He does want to please. He knows the sit command. He is still very young and obviously intelligent. There’s no doubt that he would be transformed when given more attention and obedience training.”
To ask about any of these dogs, call the shelter at 972–216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. See other dogs and, also, the cats in the Mesquite Animal Shelter HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS
STATE FAIR, EASTER EGGS AND BEARDS
The State Fair of Texas Board of Directors has its first first female chairperson, the veteran banker and civic leader Gina Armour Norris. The Fair was chartered in 1886. FYI, Mrs. Norris was raised on a dairy farm in Illinois — so, she may also be the first dairy farm kid to serve as chairperson of the Fair’s board. The 2019 State Fair of Texas runs September 27-October 20 in Fair Park with the theme “Celebrating Texas Creativity.” The new board leader’s news release quote reads, “I believe the State Fair is the heart and soul of Texas – a diverse kaleidoscope of Texas culture and a fun gathering for all of Texas.” She also notes that funds from the fair are “invested back into Fair Park, scholarships, and our neighboring communities.” …
As Southern Baptist kids, my brothers and I were big on Easter. So were the other kids in our neighborhood in Texarkana, Texas. Our neighbor, Mrs. Fisher annually hosted an Easter Egg hunt for her descendants and the kids who lived on either side of her home. Families would contribute colorful eggs to the event. And, annually, you could count on Mrs. Fisher’s two oldest grandsons, Walter and David, decorating raw eggs on the sly and hiding them so younger kids would have no trouble spotting them next to Mrs. Fisher’s chicken coop or in one of her magnificent flowerbeds. Walter and David have been gone for decades, but I can still hear their laughter as a younger cousin or playmate was talked into cracking an Easter egg on his own skull. That’s a photo from my days as a newspaper columnist — I was doing some kind of promotion for The Big Paper Downtown three decades ago. Clearly it didn’t work. But I didn't crack a raw egg on my head. … A lot is being made over a study that says men’s beards are dirtier than dogs. So what, I say. My dogs’ beards are immaculate. And I’ve had my beard since 1971, shampoo it daily and never had mange though I did once have (click here) a spell of lycanthropy.
— Offer grooming advice or lucky lotto numbers by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. Ah-wooooo. —-

BIG DOGS IN COWTOWN; BIG D GAME OF HOMES; CONTEMPLATIONS AND SLEEPERS

EDITION OF THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019 [PetPowellPress] So, in honor of the dire weather forecasts for the DFW Metrosprawl, we’re posting our Thursday edition early in case big winds, big hail, big rain and big electric outages cause big irritations. 
We already know of one meeting cancelation. This news arrived Tuesday, but we didn’t see it until we woke Wednesday morning. 
Fort Worth Animal Care & Control canceled its Partner Panel meeting, originally scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Silcox Animal Care & Adoption Center. 
Ah, but you see here photographs of four dogs. Why is that?
Because the enlightened folks at FW AC&C thought to include this appeal on the meeting notice: “We are at capacity with our large dogs and we’re reaching out for your assistance….”
This is not a new situation — the “exceeding capacity” has been the status for the past few weeks, the note read. These four are some of the dogs who need a spot in rescue or a home. And the people to contact to ask about helping get these dogs to a good, safe place in rescue or a home are our ol’ pal the great Ginger Leach (email
ginger.leach@ fortworthtexas.gov) and her colleague in do-good shelter work Jessica Brown (email jessica.brown @fortworth texas.gov.)
And, yes, there are cats available in Cowtown. On Wednesday morning, as I scrolled the animals at Fort Worth AC&C, I found a Siamese-mix kitten with the improbable name: Pumpie Umpy Umpkin. Age and gender are unknown, but the kitten is small and feline. Everything else will have to be determined by people who adopt and love #41323358. You can bet that, if the Siamese part is dominant, you will have a cat that’ll talk to you.
AND IF YOU NEED SOMEONE
TO OCCUPY THE ANIMAL THRONE

[LARRY CONFESSION: I have never seen an episode of Game of Thrones. I saw about a 5-second clip that had dragons and my first thought was, “I hope they don’t start dumping ‘em in Kiest Park. I’ll never explain our singed backyard to the neighbors.”]
The SPCA of Texas has a promotional take on Game of Thrones and homes for animals. If you’ve watched the series, you’ll get the drift in this opening to the news release: 
“Winter is here and if you've been looking to adopt an animal from the SPCA of Texas to help you make it through the Long Night, you're in luck! The SPCA of Texas is having several Game of Homes adoption specials during the final season of Game of Thrones at its two Metroplex-area shelters, starting with a special discount on big dogs. From Monday, April 15 until Tuesday, April 30, anyone who adopts a dog weighing 40 pounds or more will receive 50% off adoption fees. To see all available dogs, visit www.spca.org/findapet.
“Come find the Prince (or Princess!) Who was Promised to bring happiness to your family. Whether you support House Bark, House Puggaryen, House Labbister or the White Hoppers, the SPCA of Texas is ready to help you find the pet of your dreams! Tune into the SPCA of Texas Facebook page for future Game of Homes adoption specials and adoption updates.”
The SPCA animals “on the Iron Throne” — Mama and Bambam, Little Girl the Chihuahua, the Kitten and others are viewable HERE.
Read more about the Game of Homes adoptions HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS
A RESCUER'S CHALLENGE; PROTECTING ANIMALS IN WEATHER; CELEBRATING A SLEEPER'S PUPPIES
Challenges come in many ways. We’ve written for years about the rescue efforts of Dawna Carabajal, most recently with Friends of Rowlett Animals and as a member of the Rowlett Animal Shelter Advisory Board. But now she’s kind of in a tough fight with something called Occipital Neuralgia which she has described as feeling like “being hit in the back of the head with a brick.” There’s a treatment. And her sister has set up a gofundme site for her HERE. There's an explanation in the text. … Do we really have to remind people to properly shelter their animals in advance of the expected awful weather? Any of you SOBs — pardon my entirely appropriate French — who leave your dogs staked out even though you know a storm is coming, well, you’re going to have to answer to Somebody who is more influential than a dog and cat writer. … Our pitch for animals to feature in our weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap will focus on an alumna — you may remember Momma Blue, the dog who survived a car crash when she was involved in a high-speed chase near Burns Flat, Okla. Turns out she was quite pregnant when taken in by a foster — 10 of her 12 puppies survived and this is a photo of Momma Blue being what rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher calls “such a great mom.” Homes are needed for these now-safe dogs. Email Terry Lynn at remembering_ oddball@yahoo. com. And, remember, your dog or cat doesn’t have to have experienced a single traumatic moment to be the featured slumberer in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Send the photo and info about your beloved snoozer to dallrp@aol.com. We love telling the story of animals that are loved. Thanks, Larry.
—-To offer advice or recipes, click on ‘comment’ below or email Larry Powell at dallrp@aol.com. He reads all email and chuckles knowingly at the political promises. —-

AT MIDWEEK: CELEBRATE PUPPIES, SAVE THE CATS AND DOGS, CELEBRATE & CONTEMPLATE

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 [PetPowellPress] You know we don’t really have a press, of course. We don’t even have a garlic press. Or a mimeograph machine. Our hearts live in a different time. Doesn’t matter. Here are the four days celebrated on April 17 according to our online source, Holiday Insights.
We’re going to show you this list and two kinds of bats — the 17th is National Bat Day -- it honors the flying mammals. The other bats? Well, sometimes their cousins provide excitement at Texas Rangers games. Celebrate them on more than one day -- we hope.
But now, we’re going to address the incredible delivery by Flora the Denton Dog.
FLORA AND HER PUPS;
HOW ABOUT THAT LITTER!

Much as we promote spaying and neutering, we still can’t help but fall in love with puppies and their mommy. We don’t even have to meet ‘em to fall for them.

We’ve been monitoring the attempts to find a good birthing place for Flora for the past several days, thanks to Amy Poskey, the veteran critter watcher at the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter.
The rush was to find Flora a place to live before she delivered. But Amy told us Tuesday around noon that “the shelter staff arrived to 11 puppies this morning — 3 males, 8 females!  Flora and her little angels have been moved to a clean and padded kennel but Flora and her babies still need rescue!”
 Amy writes that the shelter’s Gayla Nelson “reports that Flora is a sweet momma but she looks exhausted.”
 (That's a "pre-delivery mugshot.)
WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE: Amy, in an early AM email reports, "I am sooooo happy to report that Kelley with The Love Pit Rescue has tagged Flora and her 11 little angels." Keep up with the Love Pit Rescue and see how to donate to help Flora and her angels HERE. FYI: We're leaving the next paragraph in this story because you may be on the Denton website and see a shelter dog you'd like to adopt or help. That contact info is in the paragraph.]
To offer to give this Mommy and her babies a safe place for their early days as a family, call the shelter at 940-349-7594 or email
gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com, julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com, dentonshelterdogs@yahoo.com, and/or dentonanimalservices@yahoo.com.
COOL CAT NEWS
FROM DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES
We spotted this note about kittens and upon reading realized that it went deeper than saving the babies. 
The DAS text read, “These two cuties are Midnight (black) and Sunburst (black and white)! Our awesome rescue partner Coppell Humane Society rescued them from DAS when they were just 4 weeks old and fighting URI infections, poor little guys!
"Midnight & Sunburst are brothers that have been with their foster family since Thanksgiving and have been well socialized with children of all ages. They are both very playful and love to sunbathe together. Midnight is very curious and likes to explore all around the house. Sunburst is playful but a bit shyer. Both kittens will cuddle up next to you and purr.” And now they’re available. To audition to adopt Midnight and Sunburst, email moreinfo@coppellhumanesociety.com.
And, relax, there are still cats at Dallas Animal Services. You can see the online inventory at dallasanimalservices.org. While many, many of the DAS cats are quite young and many are kittens, there is this girl Zoe, a brown and white Tabby who is THIRTEEN YEARS OLD. As of this writing she’s at DAS’s PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center at 16821 N. Coit Road in Dallas. [LARRY ASIDE: I’m sure there’s a good reason she’s 13 and up for adoption — her human must have been kidnapped by space aliens and all the relatives were concentrating on building a pursuit space ship instead of taking care of Zoe properly.]

ANOTHER NOTE ABOUT
THE HELL HOUSE DOGS

This was on the Dallas DogRRR Facebook page — the video of the dog Seb freed from a stake-out chain. Remember, this was in Marion County, east of Tyler near the Marshall/Jefferson Piney Sprawl.
The DogRRR text reads, “As we were exploring the area to better understand the magnitude of 'Hell Property', we saw two chained dogs outside of a trailer.”
One was a guy named Nitro. The other was this dog Seb.
The video shows, “the moment Seb was freed from the chain and surrendered by his owner. The moment his life changed for the better. You see that black, bulging eye? According the our vet and even Seb's owner, he had that for a YEAR. A YEAR!!” See the video HERE
Not only will Seb have surgery to remove the eye, he also will be treated for heartworms. And he needs to be neutered and vaccinated. As the Dallas DogRRR text reads, “You can do the rough math, but bills continue to add up. PLEASE consider helping with Seb and the other 90 dogs from this area... it's been overwhelming.”

To volunteer to foster Seb, email foster@dallasdogrrr.org You can donate at www.dallasdogrrr.org.
One more note about the Hell House rescue. Dallas DogRRR President Patti Dawson told us that when the group showed up at the site, “We rescued 80 animals from the property. We started Friday night and rescued the rest Sunday. We have vetted all the dogs and more then half are heartworm positive. We had volunteers on the ground in Marion County and here in Dallas. The volunteers helped bath, transport to and from vet appointments. It was amazing how everyone came together. We are working to get the rest we still need a few more in foster care!”
CONTEMPLATIONS
AN ASSORTMENT: NOTRE DAME; WEATHER; MUSIC
This whole Notre Dame thing is depressing — until you see the response which appears to reveal that there are a lot of people with good hearts responding. People with a good sense of God in their souls. … Heard the Channel 5 weatherman urge viewers, “Be weather-aware.” Everybody from Texas knows this — twisters are the worst. Hail is next. Flooding ties with hail. Drought — well, heck, that’s just normal weather, y’all. Earthquakes? Not weather. Quakes are like a cold spell in the Dallas Cowboys schedule — a natural occurrence throughout the ages. …. We need some music today. Don’t anybody dare try to argue with this one: CLICK.
 Unless, of course it opens with a dadburned commercial, by cracky.
— Offer advice or stock tips by clicking on “comment” or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —

THE ART OF RESCUE, A CAT YAWNS, BAILEY NEEDS A HOME, A KITTEN, PULITZERS

EDITION OF TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2019 [PetPowellPress] The art of animal rescue is so personal. And it’s an art. It’s not a trade; it’s not a profession. OK, so maybe it’s a mission. But for today we’ll call it an art.
The online Oxford Dictionaries define “art” this way: “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”
 As you may suspect, rescuing an animal needs an “application of human creative skill and imagination” and what results can be appreciated for “beauty or emotional power.” 
If you’re a rescuer, you still remember what it took to save that first dog, cat, litter, etc. It took an artful effort.
Speaking of art, that’s an action shot of my cat The Senator. He’d been reading some of my literary fiction and I caught him as he stopped to yawn. Work of art, he is. How’d I rescue him? I opened the front door and he walked in off the porch. Yep, work of art.

BAILEY — THE RESCUED DOG
WHO NEEDS A NEW HOME
Our longtime pal and rescue tipster Deborah Verner has had this dog Bailey available for adoption since July 2010 — yes.
We’ve written about Bailey many, many times as Deborah tried to find the ideal home for a “petite Staffordshire Terrier girl with high energy and the ability to scale tale fences with ease.
Bailey REALLY needs that new home now. Deborah’s health has become a challenge. She writes, “Due to my severe orthopedic problems, along with a newly diagnosed heart problem, it is imperative that I rehome her, preferably to a rescue.”
Bailey is about 10 1/2 — she was rescued in July 2010 from what Deborah describes as “a desolate back road outside Seagoville, at what's called the Tree Farm. She was dumped with her pregnant Mom, out in the middle of nowhere with no food, water, or shelter of any kind.” [LARRY NOTE: Mom had nine puppies and they wound up in the care of Dawna Carabajal until they were adopted.]

Bailey, in the mean time, has been Deborah’s personal project. FYI: Bailey’s clever, can give high fives with her right paw and climb over a six-foot fence. It’s time for Bailey to be in a new loving home, Deborah says.
You can email Deborah at DTrevino60@aol.com or contact her via Facebook HERE  where you can see other details about Bailey.
THE TINY KITTEN
RESCUED IN HOUSTON
We got the tip on this kitten from our pal Alexandra Kelsey who monitors animal issues in the Bayou City. She wrote, “It is hard to look at this photo of this tiny baby.  Loving Arms needs our help to save Camille, who has a wonderful team of vets trying to help this brave little girl.”

The original note, from Barbara Louis of Loving Arms Pet Placement, carried this subject line “The Harsh, Unforgiving Streets of Houston.” She refers to the photo and writes, “No, this is not a scary character from the latest science fiction movie. … Only 13 weeks old and near death. Loving Arms pulled her as quickly as possible from BARC [Houston’s Animal Services] and took her straight to the animal emergency clinic, VERGI. She is emaciated and struggling to live, but Dr. [Michael] Seeley and the amazing crew at the clinic went to work on her immediately and are doing everything they can to save her as this is being typed.  Camille is receiving the very best medical care possible.

“Her temperature was too low to register.  She weighs less than two pounds and has TERRIBLE Sarcoptic mange.  Camille deserves to live and know love.”

Two ways to donate: Directly through VERG at 713-932-9589 or at the Loving Arms website HERE. [LARRY ASIDE: Kittens in this shape face a tough challenge. Sometimes, with caring humans applying talent and love, they pull through.]
CONTEMPLATIONS

NEWSPAPERS, PRIZES AND DELIVERY
The Pulitzer Prizes were announced Monday. Because I spent so much time at The Big Paper Downtown, I may, now and again, know someone who is honored by the Pulitzers. This time our favorite Pulitzer Finalist is one of the coolest people on the planet, the great Melinda Henneberger who toiled as a top-notch reporter and writer at Dallas’ Big Paper Downtown when, in the profession, it was a "destination paper" for ambitious, dedicated journalists. She left to go to Washington, D.C., to cover politics and now is at the Kansas City Star.  Here’s a LINK to the Star’s handling of the Pulitzer story and you’ll notice a photograph of Melinda talking with a Kansas City Star editor, Colleen McCain Nelson who, yes, once was an editor at The Big Paper Downtown — as was Colleen's husband, Eric, one of my many former editors in my columnist days. FYI, The Big Paper Downtown did not win a Pulitzer this year — but as fans frequently say in Arlington in both Globe Life and AT&T stadiums, “Wait ’til next year — again.” … Every now and then I miss newsrooms. I loved The Fort Worth Press newsroom. I went to work there in December 1972 and it wasn’t until a hot spring day in 1973 that I discovered The Fort Worth Press was not air-conditioned. Yeah a reporter failed to ask a key question during the job interview: “Y’all got air-conditioning?” … Newspapers are important to democracy — they have to protect their own mission by sticking to ethics and honest reporting whether they arrive in print or on a screen. They sure do need to rebuild the trust, don’t they.

—- To offer advice or opinion, click on “comment” below or email me at dallrp@aol.com where we read all emails and scoff at very few. —-

ON MONDAY, DOGS, CATS, RABBITS, PEOPLE, MUSIC AND A 'FAVORITE BREED'

EDITION OF MONDAY, April 15, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Well, the world appears to be realigning itself — Tiger Woods has won the Masters and the sun is shining on Dallas. Now, while that’s all going on, some things are normal — the roads are under re-construction and dogs and cats still need heroic humans. We’re dressing up this opening with a photograph of Faith (A1039781), a year-old German Shepherd mix who came to Dallas Animal Services on April 5 and was on the weekend list for adoptions at the PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center at 16821 N. Coit Road in Dallas. She is clearly an Earhound. And combine those ears with eyes and the markings that look like musical notes, you’ve got a dog you can stare at for as long as she’ll stare at you and wag her tail.
 She may have been adopted. But she wasn't the last adoptable at DAS.
ALSO IN THE BIG SHELTER IN BIG D,
DOGS, CATS, GUINEA PIGS & RABBITS
As Tiger was still celebrating Sunday afternoon, the count at Dallas Animal Services was 269 dogs, 23 cats and 5 “other,” i.e., two guinea pigs and three rabbits. (Monday morning the count was 250 dogs, 26 cats, and the same 5 others.) The bunnies included this boy Luna (A1063872). He’s about 9 months old and arrived at the shelter on Friday.
Among the cats is Redd (1014580), about 2, a neutered fellow who is clearly a casual cat.
And that dangling dog is NINE-YEAR-OLD Scooter (A0921495), a Shih Tzu who has been in the shelter since March 27.
Most of the dogs at the big shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland are sizeable — you know, Pittie mixes.. Oh and Lab mixes, too, such as NINE-YEAR-OLD BONBON (A0934142), who arrived at the shelter on April 5.
To ask about any of these animals, call the shelter at 214-670-6800. And to see them, drive or Uber or bicycle or somehow get to the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. Also, go to dallasanimalservices.org to see the online list of adorable adoptables.
MEANWHILE IN THE DENTON SHELTER:
A STORY OF TWO DOGS PLUS FLORA
This girl is Patty. When you first read about her in an edition of readlarrypowell.com, she and a very similar dog, Midnight, were being described as urgent and rescue appropriate.
 Both were listed as 2- to 5-years old. Both were girls. Both had been in the shelter a while.
Midnight was heartworm positive and not suited for a multiple-dog household. Patty was “stressed at the shelter.”

So, over the weekend we got this note from our reliable Denton shelter-watcher Amy Poskey. “Once again, I’m in tears as I type this…  Precious Midnight was EU yesterday. Run free beautiful baby girl, we’ll see you at the Bridge.”
[LARRY NOTE: I posted Midnight’s photo because I think it is important for people to remember that these shelter statistics had faces and emotions and were not just trash blowing down the highway.]
Monday morning, we got this note from Amy: “Well, folks, I’m happy to report that Patty was adopted on Saturday!  I can only hope and pray it’s the PERFECT, FOREVER, LOVING HOME!  A very special thanks to Lorraine Sakli for her generous donation offer to save this beautiful girl AND a very special thanks to the Denton Animal Shelter for giving Patty lots of extra time to find her happy ending!” (Patty had been moved from rescue-only to adoptions, Amy reports.)

In the meantime, as Monday arrived, the extremely pregnant dog Flora had was still waiting for rescue so she can have her babies in a home environment. Call the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter at 940-349-7594.
CONTEMPLATIONS
DOGS, MUSIC, MUSING
Last week we saw this photograph on Joyce Conley’s Facebook page. She was using as part of her message, “Happy National Pet Day.” You may remember Rowdy (lower right) from 2017 when Joyce, of the Sadie Foundation, “extracted” the little bitty puppy from a difficult life in an RV in Terrell.
What was Joyce’s message with this photo? Lots of you will relate. “My 3 rescued dogs. Coco Puff, Tessie, Rowdy. Rescue is my favorite breed. Happy National Pet Day!!!”...
MUSIC THAT IS RELATIVE? Let’s see. How can I get into this music situation. OK, here goes: Hello. My name is Larry and I am the cousin of a right-reverend musical performer. 
Yes, it’s true. My cousin, the Rev. Mike, is a musician, performer and preacher. Hand him a guitar and he’ll play it. Hand him a microphone and he’ll perform. Hand him a plate and he’ll pass it around — he’s Baptist and that’s a habit, you know. Relax, he’s also got a sense of humor that people talk about — nicely.
So I spotted this on his Facebook page and thought I’d share it.
Mike, a veteran bluegrass performer and minister to out-of-tune humans, doesn’t know I’m doing this. But when I send him the invoice for the advertising, he’ll really think it’s funny and ignore it. When I send him the past due notice, he’ll think it’s a riot. Maybe.
He wrote on his post, “In less then 3 weeks I will be here in Central Louisiana with some mighty fine folks. The Nugent Family puts on a great family friendly GOD honoring event!” The event is in DeRidder, about 2 1/2 hours south of Shreveport on I-49. [LARRY ASIDE: I mention Shreveport in case Texans want to stop at the casinos to win enough money to pay for the gas for the trip. Probably won’t get an “Amen” for that last sentence]. …
We may be approaching postcard time in downtown Dallas — you can run out to the observation stands on the western levees and take photos of the Trinity River with Big D's Downtown in the background. Spring rains can make the Trinity seem like an actual levee-to-levee river running beneath those fancy bridges. It's an illusion -- the city has a genuine big-stream river just like it is home to a National Football League team that offices in Frisco and plays in Arlington.
—- To offer advice or agreement, click on “comment” below or email dallrp@aol.com. —-

HEIDI -- A FOSTERED SLEEPER

The spotlight of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap falls on a “mood piece,” a tranquil photograph of a beautiful dog named Heidi.
This peaceful mood photograph is of Heidi. She’s being fostered by Team Heidi for Greyhound Adoption League of Texas.
A member of Team Heidi, Abbie Lee Winfield-Seidel, who posted the photo on Facebook, says Heidi is “about 8 months old and becoming a wonderful girl.”
Abbie wrote, “This baby girl …. once abandoned at a shelter, saved by the folks at Greyhound Adoption League of Texas (GALT) and now our foster. She is growing up, she is learning to trust humans again and she is becoming an amazing Saluki girl.”
Great phrase: “Learning to trust humans again.” Credit Abbie and partner-in-fostering Lisa, the humans on Team Heidi -- it also includes the household’s canine advisors who tip the Saluki on how to act.
[LARRY PAUSE FOR A HINT: Abbie says Heidi has two sisters — same age — currently in boarding and in the care of GALT — and the girls need fosters. As you can learn at galtx.org, April is Adopt a Greyhound Month. And you can foster 12 months of the year whether Greyhounds, Salukis or whatever GALT pulls to safety— see how to foster for GALT by clicking HERE.]
Back to Heidi’s photo and her foster home: That trust is a wonderful thing for a dog whose been rescued and it explains why this beautiful dog is able to nod off and snooze as the human takes the picture. It's the "I'm safe here and I feel loved" sensation.
[REMINDER: Please send photos of your trusting snoozers — sleeping dogs, napping cats, dozing dromedaries, whatever you’ve got. We’ll post them in our long-running weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Send those photos and bios to dallrp@aol.com. Thanks. Remember, you’ll be encouraging other people to give an animal a chance. And you'll be encouraging insomniacs to believe that they, too, can get some sleep if they can just find the right place to rest the chin while soothing light illuminates their good features.]
--- Make a wise comment by clicking below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

HELPING PEOPLE HELPING ANIMALS; ASSORTED ANIMAL NOTES & RADIO KING RON CHAPMAN

EDITION OF FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Here we go with our Friday edition. The big question facing the nation these days: Will Tiger win the Masters? OK, with that out of the way let’s get into people and animals we can actually help on the course of their lives. And we’ll mention coming attractions, including a Vocal Majority tribute honoring Ron Chapman, the great Dallas radio broadcaster. (That's a photo of Kittie Leigh explaining to your writer/golfer how to draw a bead on a putt at The Masters. "You don't want to miss by even a catwhisker," she told me.]
THE NEEDS OF LUCY,
A BELOVED DOG
This is a human story about a dog. 
We got it from our Houston contact Alexandra Kelsey.
 She wrote, “A friend of mine has a niece who is having some surgery very shortly. The young woman’s health issues are such that she cannot keep her dog Lucy.

“Lucy is a Mastiff/Rottweiler mix and is two years old.  She weighs about 125 lbs. and is a very sweet girl who is good with other dogs.  Lucy’s mom is allergic to cats, so we don’t know how Lucy might be with cats.”


The quest, of course, is to find a good home for a great dog. Email Alexandra.Kelsey@ bracewell.com. She says, “I am sure we can find transport help, if needed.”

ONE HAPPY DENTON UPDATE;
ONE DENTON EXPECTATION

The 4-week-old Lab mix puppies we featured yesterday — Fee, Fi Fo, Fum and Sleepy — have left the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter thanks to Operation Kindness in Carrollton, reports our tipster Amy Poskey. See how to adopt them (when they’re ready) at operationkindness.org. Still waiting to hear about the “ready-to-pop” Pittie girl Flora at Denton. Needs a rescuer. Call the shelter at 940-349-7594 or email dentonanimalservices@yahoo.com.
FOUR SUBSTANTIAL DOGS:

THE MESQUITE CHALLENGE
Whoa, this time Judi Brown has presented four dogs that readlarrypowell.com would immediately adopt if we hadn’t already immediately adopted other dogs years ago. Know what I mean? Judi helps understand these dogs by visiting them personally.
She says the Mesquite Animal Shelter is looking for a rescue group to help with Bunny (41243527), a “6-month-old glossy black Shepherd mix who came to the shelter on April 6 after being hit by a car. She has some open wounds/scrapes but the main concern is that her left paw flips under. She has been seen by our vet, and we were told there was no fracture or dislocation but that there is possible nerve damage. She doesn’t seem to be in any pain. She manages amazingly well by hopping along putting a little weight on her ankle. However she will probably need support help on stairs and getting up and down. She is truly a good example of  being resilient!” 

THEN THERE’S JAYLYN (41225547), a maybe 2-year-old, 40-pound “sleek black Shepherd mix” who came in on the 4th as a stray. She has “a tail that is in constant wag,” Judi says, and adds, “When I saw down, she wanted to crawl onto my lap.”
ZELDA (41223196), A 2-YEAR-OLD, 53-pound Rottweiler came to the shelter as a stray on April 3. Judi writes, “In my work as a volunteer I work with many dogs and they all are special in their own way, but this one spoke to me. Due to her coloring and her glossy coat she is very handsome! But besides that, she has an outstanding personality. She’s gentle and very sweet and yet very playful. She sought out balls and would entertain herself with them. She didn’t tire of fetching and retrieving. She sits for treats. She has a strong pull on the leash. She went nose to nose wagging her tail with big and small dogs.”

THIS DOG CHAVO (40705272) was apparently an ill-conceived idea — he’s 2 and was surrendered to the shelter on April 4 “because he wasn’t happy living in the confines of an apartment,” Judi says. “That’s understandable as a 54-pound dog like Chavo needs plenty of space where he wouldn’t feel confined. Chavo  is an exceptionally handsome dog due to his beautiful coloring. He’s also very energetic and playful. He loves balls! He will chase them and most of the time brings them back to you. He is friendly and affectionate. His previous owners stated that he loves to cuddle. He has been raised with children. He has also been raised with small dogs. There is a need for further dog testing as the previous owners stated that he does not get along with big dogs.”
And the surrendering owner said the dog loves to be outside, but also loves to be with his people.

For all of these dogs and any animal in the Mesquite shelter, the contact points are 972–216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.- com. The shelter has many cats, also. Among them, this girl Mellow (41265781), ust over 5 years old, and gifted with a stunningly interesting face. She’s medium-sized and is a candidate for President of the United States — wait, I misread my notes. See Mellow and other dogs and cats online HERE.
THE EAST TEXAS HELL HOUSE
Here’s a link to a TV report on the “Hell House” rescue that Dallas DogRRR has been involved in for the past intense week. Click HERE to navigate to the story. Go to Dallas DogRRR on Facebook to see how to help. Originally, "Hell House" was described as being near Tyler, but it's actually northeast of Tyler and in a rural area of Marion County.

HOW ‘BOUT THEM GREYHOUNDS
Busy weekend for the folks with Greyhound Adoption League of Texas — and there are still tickets left to the 2019 Greyt Retired Athletes Athletes Benefit Dinner & Auction —- Dallas Cowboys fans will understand why the theme is “Hail Mary for the Hounds” — named in honor of the featured guest Drew Pearson who caught the fame “Hail Mary Pass” from Roger Staubach on Dec. 28, 1975, in the playoffs. Greyhounds throughout the world cheered. That’s my sentence directing you to this artwork. 
The website is GALTX.ORG.

MEANWHILE IN BURNS FLAT,
THE PUPPIES FIGHTING PARVO
Terry Lynn Fisher, the resilient rescuer in Burns Flat, Okla., has 8 puppies at her vet and they’re running up a parvo bill, but, she says, the medical people “feel it is very early and these little puppies have a great chance at recovering — BUT, it will be expensive.” Perhaps $700 to $800 per dog.
 Terry Lynn says, “I know many people will say do not waste the money on them when there are so many healthy ones in need, and I understand that is how you feel. That is fine.” Then, in her note, she basically says if that’s the way you feel, just forget about it “but I HAVE to try to save them. I placed them at the foster. I feel like It is my fault.” Here are places to donate: Elk Creek Clinic, 1301 Airport Industrial, Elk City, OK, 73644 (Call 580-225-4863) or call Terry Lynn at 580-330-1459 or email her at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com. On PayPal she’s bfvfd_109@yahoo.com. Write to her at P.O. Box 5798, Burns Flat, OK 73624.

How did this crisis develop? In March, a young couple contacted her about a litter. “They didn’t think their dog would get pregnant with no males around.  SURPRISE!!!!  … I searched and found rescue but it would be the middle of April before they could go…
“In the meantime, the lady was sitting near a bonfire and her leggings caught fire.  She ended up with third degree burns and in a burn center in Oklahoma City. I ended up taking the babies and placing in boarding. They were there nine days.  The lady transporting had a foster so she took them to boarding.”
Somewhere along the way, the pups encountered parvo. Since the diagnosis, Terry Lynn has been trying to make sure they have the best care.

CONTEMPLATIONS
MOVIE MONSTERS, COMING ATTRACTIONS & A RON CHAPMAN TRIBUTE
This week I heard a TCM spot describe King Kong as the “ultimate monster classic” Hmmm, maybe not “ultimate.” I’ve seen Invasion of the Saucermen, Attack of the Crab Monsters and I Was a Teenage Werewolf. Not to mention, The Brain From Planet Arous and the original Not of This Earth! I'm still getting chills from the 1950s -- King Kong's debut was 1933. … COMING ATTRACTION HERE? Yes, this weekend for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, we’re featuring a mood photo of Heidi, a foster dog from Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. …Ron Chapman was the King Kong of radio broadcasters in Dallas, reigning famously at both KVIL and KLUV. And he also earned the devotion of Dallas’ celebrated men’s chorus, the Vocal Majority, because he played their recordings on his busy air. So for VM’s spring shows, there’s something special. The VM folks say Ron “made the Vocal Majority famous. As the chorus has enjoyed countless Gold Medal moments during its history, VM would like to celebrate and honor Ron by declaring this the Ron Chapman Gold Medal Weekend during our Spring Shows, April 13 and 14, 2019.” To buy tickets to the shows at the Eisemann Center, here’s THE LINK. And if you’d like to see the last 7 minutes of Ron’s last radio show, this is THE LINK. Tim Rogers of D Magazine did a nice thank-you to Ron in June, 2005. Read it HERE to get a proper perspective of Ron Chapman's significance when radio reigned. Uf you can, tell us how much radio has change since then! Quick, what song is leading the Top 40? Yeah, changes. Here’s a thought from Bob Dylan. "Who?" you ask. Hah. He's in the history books. Book? What's a book? Please, hand me a sedative.
— Offer opinions or answers by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com —

FAE'S FARAWAY EYES; NOW HB295; HELL HOUSE; DENTON'S EXPECTING; MESQUITE HEARTBREAKS; AND TAKING STEPS WITH MOOSE

EDITION OF THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019 [PetPowellPress] The world is full of mysteries, so, of course, isn’t it good to know that scientists have found a black hole 55 million light-years away! That’s not right around the corner. If you want local black holes, consider the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl record since 1996. Well, that aside, let’s move on and help some undrafted animals. We’re also going to have a contemplation about odd behavior. Not yours. So relax.
That cat with the faraway eyes? That is Fae who has been looking into space. No, really, she’s an available adoptable at Dog ’N’ Kitty City — she and her 3 kittens were left in a box at the shelter. The kids were adopted and now Fae is available — possibly for the home of an astronomer, astronaut or psychic. See dognkittycity.org.
IN AUSTIN, CELEBRATE
AND LEGISLATE FOR ANIMALS
Shelby Bobosky of the Texas Humane Legislation Network posted this artwork and letter on Facebook yesterday. Texas Senate Bill 295 had just passed the Senate and now has to get through the House. Click on the art to make it larger. And you’ll see that Shelby wrote, “We are far from the Governor’s desk, but I celebrate every one of my friends who testified, called, wrote and showed up.”
On Thursday morning a THLN email read, “We have HUGE news: SB 295, our bill to require adequate shelter for dogs and ban the use of chains, passed the Senate yesterday 27-3! Such a strong and bipartisan show of support from the Senate gives SB 295 strong momentum as it goes to the House….What next?! As introduced, SB 295 and HB 940 are identical companion bills, and now they are both in the House! All State Representatives need to hear from you so please send another email today to your Representative so we can build on the momentum of the Senate’s passage with a strong show of support.”
The note added this important reminder: “Just 45 more days before the legislative session ends! Because the legislature only meets every two years, if these bills don’t pass, Texas dogs will have to endure two more scorching hot summers and two more freezing cold winters before we can try again. LET'S GET TEXAS DOGS SHELTER NOW!”

Don’t know who your state rep is? Go to this Texas House information page HERE.
MEANWHILE, THE PUPPIES
FROM THE HELL HOUSE RESCUE
Dallas DogRRR is seeking donations specifically of puppy items and adult food to help get through the recovery of scores and scores of animals from "Hell House," the abandoned property in the Tyler area.
 A note says nebulizers are needed for puppies and adds, “We’re hopeful they don’t get sick, but those nebulizers are critical if they do.” Also, small collars, harnesses and other puppy supplies. Here’s the organization’s Amazon wish list LINK.
Go to the Dallas DogRRR Facebook site and you can keep up with the needs and the total rescue effort. Click on that artwork to make it grow!

HOW ARE THINGS AT DENTON?
ALWAYS GREAT EXPECTATIONS
We got the tip on Flora from Amy Poskey, the veteran critter-watcher at Denton’s McNatt Animal Shelter and Adoption Center. Amy wrote, “This beautiful girl is Flora and she’s about to pop with puppies!  Flora would really like to bring her little angels into this world in a loving home, not the shelter environment!”
 She’s 2- to 5-years old and is “very sweet, social and submissive!”, her bio reads.
Amy also forwarded five post-delivery pups who are in the shelter and NOT related to Flora. Amy writes, “Needless to say, it doesn’t get any more ADORABLE than these five little angels named Fee (male), Fi (male), Fo (male), Fum (female), and Sleepy (female)!  The shelter is no place for these babies so we would like them to go to rescue ASAP!”
Call the shelter at 940-349-7594 or email gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com, julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com, dentonshelterdogs@yahoo.com, and/or dentonanimalservices@yahoo.com.
THREE TO GO IN MESQUITE;
TWO FROM HEARTBREAK
All shelter animal stories have an element of heartbreak, but geez….Sometimes they’re really rotten. The Rottie/Dobie mix is Buddy Budaboo, 83 pounds, and the little terrier girl is Lucy Goosey, 22 pounds. Both are 10-years-old; both have medical conditions that need vet care (possible tumors and odd growths). But, their owner was extremely emotional when he surrendered Buddy (41276426) and Lucy (41276440).
 Our tipster Judi Brown wrote, “This was not something the owner wanted to do It was very emotional for him as he said these two dogs were his best friends.”
Judi wrote that on Wednesday, when she visited Buddy, “In the yard today, he was intent, I’m sure, in trying to find his owner as he kept looking through the gate. He’s a sweet dog that is well-mannered.” Lucy is “extremely sweet, friendly” and “craves affection.”
That third dog is a genuine earhound, Angel (41245824), a 63-pound stray who is about 9 years old. She came in on April 4.
Nobody has been looking for this dog. Surely someone loved her at some point in her nine years.
In the “yard,” Judi writes, “Angel was friendly and wagged her tail but was more intent on checking out the yard. It appeared to me that she was looking for her owner. When I sat down she did come to me to have her ears scratched.
To save the lives of these three dogs, call the shelter at 972–216–6283 or email rescues@cityof- mesquite.com.

Save the lives — that’s what you’ll be doing.
CONTEMPLATION
THE MYSTERY OF MOOSE THE DOG
For this Contemplation, we ask you to consider what dogs can go through if they have no one to love them. And how does it affect their lives when they run into people who love them no matter what and want to help them?
Ah, some people should get gold stars on their permanent records and some people….well, let’s be kind. Some people should not get gold stars.
We pieced this together through the eyes and Facebook posts of rescuer Casey Voorhies Bonano and Bill Bonano and our pal at DFW FurGotten Friends Stephen Foster. There is a gofundme HERE for Moose’s vet bills.

Casey’s note came with that photo and read, “We found this beautiful boy this morning in our front yard between our brick wall and fence. We are not sure how long he has been there, we rushed him to the emergency vet. They think he’s been on the street for a while. They estimate he’s 2-4 years old. He is malnourished, in need of refeeding and IV fluids…”
DFW’S FurGotten Friends stepped up to help and it’s been an adventure. Here’s veteran dog rescuer Foster's latest note and you’ll find it both amusing and interesting and, also, a little bit sad.
 Stephen wrote, “Here's a new one. So Moose doesn't want to walk. Because of that we thought he was in too much pain, or maybe too weak. Well this happened. When our vet got him out of his kennel he wouldn't walk. He just stood there frozen in place so they had to carry him out to the yard to potty. As they do with all the dogs they left him out there for a few minutes to poop and try to stretch his legs. When they opened the door to get him he RAN back in the building and walked back to his kennel. Now we think his issue with walking is total fear of being taken outside. I can't imagine what someone did to make him so terrified of being taken outside.”

Whatever was done, it’s being undone by people who love. You find them in the ranks of individuals known as rescuers, advocates, fosters, adoptors and, this badge of courage, “animal nuts,” a term of endearment at readlarrypowell.com.
—- Offer advice, cautions or better Lotto Texas numbers by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

FROM SAVING DOGS, FIXING CATS AND ADOPTIONS TO VOTING FOR GRANBURY

SPECIAL EDITION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Temperature is supposed to nudge or pass 90 today in Dallas. Ah, springtime. Here are some opportunities.
MEADOW AND BRIANNA AND

A NEW CHALLENGE AT WILMER

In an earlier edition we spotlighted two sweet dogs who are under the pressure of the clock. Meadow and Briana are in the low-traffic Wilmer Animal Shelter. Laura Macias, active in the effort to save animals from small shelters, says the situation has been aggravated by the arrival of three more animals, unwanted Pitties that need homes, too.
Stray and dumped animals from Hutchins and from the unincorporated county join the animals already in the Wilmer shelter. Ferris, nearby on I-45, has no dogs right now, Laura told us Wednesday morning. (Usually you’ll see appeals for animals under the Wilmer-Hutchins-Ferris Umbrella, but this is a special circumstance.)

So, what to do? Get the dogs out and into a rescue group or a good forever home. Call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
You’ll recall that Meadow is “the best bully girl you could meet anywhere,” according to her shelter bio. And, you may recall, “She CLEARLY belonged to someone.  Great on a leash - she was actually found with leash still on her collar.  She is very well behaved and very well socialized.”
Then, Brianna, the “very chunky, lovable girl” is described as “extremely, and we mean EXTREMELY, sweet.” She’s the dog with a blue eye and a brown eye.
The bullies will be available, too. When you text or call 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com, to help Brianna and Meadow, ask about helping the bullies, too. Save lives, that’s the goal.
THE SAVING OF DOGS
FROM THE HELL HOUSE PROJECT
Boy, what a mess. Thank you unpleasant humans who abandon animals.

Dallas DogRRR continues its work on the “Hell House” near Tyler, Texas. You read the count of rescues and the needs in yesterday’s noon edition of readlarrypowell.com. We’re looking for more info from Dallas DogRRR and, yes, the organization can use more human help with the scores of animals rescued from this deplorable abandonment situation. 
You can donate on the website HERE  or at Paypal (donate@ dallasdogrrr.org) or through Venmo (@Dallas-DogRRR). And Dallas DogRRR has an Amazon wishlist with needed supplies. Also needed, volunteers (transport help and other things) and fosters (oh, my, do the Dogrrrers need fosters!). See how to volunteer HERE and see how to foster HERE.
And you can read more about the continuing efforts by going to the Dallas DogRRR Facebook page. You might find THIS POSTING to be a bit interesting.
MEANWHILE, DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES

HAS A DEAL FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
Here’s a cool deal for the First Responders, those folks who show up and move into danger while helping the rest of us. Free adoptions for first Responders at Dallas Animal Services through Friday, April 19.
So, we looked at dallasanimalservices.org's online adoptables list for potential dogs and cats that might be fitting for a First Responder.
That girl is NINE-YEAR-OLD American Bulldog named “Angel” — how’s that for a good First Responder name! She’s A0768955. Angel came into the shelter on April 4, so, she needs a quick rescue. No need for a 9-year-old dog to be in a city shelter except for a brief visit before going to a new home. 

Meanwhile the cat population under DAS’ care keeps growing — it was in low numbers for a while, then in the 20s for a while and as of about noon Wednesday, there were 34 cats listed. (There were TWO-HUNDRED-AND-THIRTY-EIGHT DOGS!)
This kitten is — appropriate for First Responders — “Speedy,” about 13 weeks old (A1063606). She came into the shelter on April 9.
And, if you want a kitten in a command role, DAS has three 9-week-old fellows in foster homes. If you’re familiar with the Star Trek universe, you’ll recognize these tributes to three space captains, Next Generation’s Jean-Luc Picard, the original’s James Tiberius Kirk and Deep Space Nine’s Benjamin Sisko.

Go to dallasanimal services.org to see how to adopt.

Or stop by the big shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland in West Dallas.

ABOUT ALL THOSE KITTENS,
TWO THINGS:
 A NURSERY
AND SPAY/NEUTER
Yep, lots of kittens showing up in North Texas. It’s both baseball and kitten season. Heck, the DAS has reacted — to the kitten season. Not baseball — that might be hopeless, "Bless the Texas Rangers."
According to a note on its website www.dallasanimalservices.org, “For the second year in a row, DAS is running a 24 hour-a-day Kitten Nursery to provide top-notch care to neonatal kittens and help increase the number saved. Neonatal kittens are one of the most vulnerable shelter populations because, like any newborn, they require around-the-clock care.”

IN THE MEANTIME, the SPAY NEUTER NETWORK is running a special in DALLAS. The note reads: “$10 Spay or Neuter for kittens between 12 weeks and 5 months old. Free rabies shot and microchip included with surgery! Good for City of Dallas Residents Only. Make your appointment online or call 972.472.3500. Must ask for the ‘Fix by Five’ Special. Funded by the Summerlee Foundation .”
GROUP DUMPING
AT MESQUITE SHELTER
Three Minpin/Doxie mixes were surrendered to the Mesquite Animal shelter on the 9th — Angie and two larger boys, Coco and Frances.
Angie (41260879) is the small one —she’s 9 months old, as is Frances (right, in the photo). Coco, is 2 years old.
The shelter’s volunteer biographer Judi Brown, reports, “The reason for the surrender was that they had too many animals and that these were unwanted!”

Angie didn’t handle the sudden loss of a home as well as the boys did. 
Judi says 13-pound Angie “is a real sweetheart and will no doubt blossom outside of the shelter.” 

Coco (41260872), at 27 pounds, thinks he’s a bit of a lap dog but is “very sweet and basically affectionate.”

Same is true for 21-pound Francis (41263036). “He loves to snuggle,” Judi says. “He was the friendliest of the three.”

Then, there’s former stray Willow (41098678), the year-old happy Pittie/Lab mix in the shelter since March 18 — approaching a MONTH. Constant tail-wagger. Loves to play. Already spayed. Weighs 60 happy pounds. “She’s happiest when she’s around people,” Judi wrote.
To ask about saving the lives of any of these animals, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. 


CONTEMPLATIONS
GRANBURY NEEDS VOTES; NOTABLES; SLUMBERFOTOS
We’ve got a get-out-the-vote tip from my dear friend (and former boss) Kristine McCarty, the Granbury-based blogger of Mom’s Mimosa, “A Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.” She’s excited about helping Granbury win the Best Historic Small Town category in the current USA Today 10 Best Competition. She writes, “This is a great opportunity to support a wonderful local community and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. I have lived here for the past five years and I feel so blessed to be a part of this town. If you have not visited Granbury, you really need to come see everything we have the offer.” You can vote HERE .… Did you know there’s a legend that Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth escaped capture and hid out for years in Glen Rose and Granbury? And the Granbury Opera House is also said to be haunted by the ghost of Booth. You can look it up. And if you have an extra hour to drive slightly southwest from Granbury, you’ll be where ol’ Brushy Bill Roberts revealed that he was really the escaped New Mexico gunfighter Billy The Kid. Ah, Texas, land of legends. … Speaking of legends. This is my legendary companion, Porche Noel, who says, “Hey, you’re keeping me awake because you haven’t sent a photo of your sleeping dog or napping cat to dallrp@aol.com so my bozo human Larry can post your critters’ bio in his weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. So get busy. The world needs to see how you’ve made a happy life for your dog or cat or whatever you’ve got dozing around the house.”
—- Offer info or opinions by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. -—

DALLAS DOGRRR AND THE 'HELL HOUSE'; SAVING ANIMALS AND CONTEMPLATING HUMANS

EDITION OF TUESDAY NOON APRIL 9/WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2019 [PetPowellPress] This project has drained resources and energy -- but not determination -- of Dallas DogRRR (Rescue. Rehab. Reform.). It has been going on for a 7-day week now.
The first Dallas DogRRR notice was posted at 10:14 p.m. on Wednesday April 3 and it began, “ We received a plea for help tonight. Starved dogs left behind after a family abandoned their home and we have committed to help! I am starting to PANIC that what started out as about 5-7 dogs is now over 25 and still more around the home that needs help!”

The place in East Texas has been named “Hell House.” Why? Because 25 dogs was too low an estimate.

Dallas DogRRR President Patti Dawson reports that the organization has “officially rescued 72 dogs from the property” and “rescuers are estimating there are about 40 more dogs remaining at the site. We have not seen intake numbers like this since Hurricane Harvey and we are in desperate need of support.”
Of the 72 dogs, 38 are puppies. “Three litters were found with their nursing mothers, seven puppies were young but weaned and found without their mother, and seven puppies are estimated to be around six months old.”
The initial call for help mentioned “5-7 dogs.” 
Patti’s note says, “All these dogs were covered in urine, feces, fleas and ticks. A few had been recently hit by cars. At least one had been shot.”

Here is how anyone reading this can help. As Patti writes, “We continue to work tirelessly to get all dogs vetted and into foster homes. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to do it alone … Many have asked how they can continue to help: You can donate on the website www.dallasdog rrr.org/donate or at Paypal (donate@ dallasdogrrr.org) or through Venmo (@Dallas-DogRRR).
The Dallas DogRRR Amazon supply wishlist has been updated to include the most critically needed items. Click HERE for the wishlist.
And there is a great need for volunteers (help with transporting to vets and foster homes). And there is a great need for fosters. To volunteer, click HERE. To foster, click HERE.

[LARRY ASIDE: Geez, how in the world does a “dog collection” such as this occur? Why isn’t someone in legal trouble or locked up? We’re exploring. But rather than spend time chasing the bad or misguided people in this edition, it was more important to get help for the dogs and for this great rescue organization Dallas DogRRR. The website is dallasdogrrr.org and you can keep up with the hard work on Dallas DogRRR’s Facebook page. You’ll see this VIDEO  on the Facebook page. And you’ll want to praise the rescuers and, perhaps, be angry anew at the villains in this piece. You see the photo of inside the house. The video looks inside an abandoned RV.]
SOME GOOD NEWS
AMONG THE PUZZLING
Well, goodness, it took the law — specifically the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office — but Scooby, the paralyzed veteran’s dog, has been returned. Remember, Scooby was in San Antonio. Where was he recovered? With a new adoptive family in Poteet, 40 miles or so south of the Alamo City. There’s video of the reunion on the KENS5 TV website HERE. Worth watching to see how this dog’s recovery worked out and how the sheriff is still involved in solving the mystery of who took the Great Dane.
MEANWHILE SOUTH OF DALLAS,
DOGS STILL WAIT FOR THEIR HUMANS
As you may recall, the advocates working for the small shelters south of Dallas have managed to unite efforts to save animals in the Hutchins, Wilmer and Ferris shelters.
Among the animals waiting for help are these two. Laura Macias, longtime save-the-shelter-animals advocate, cites Meadow and Brianna and writes, “Sweet babies have had no interest at all! Fully vetted and super sweet! Three is a donation of $300 to approved rescue groups for each of them!” 
Text or call 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
Meadow is the Blue Bully girl who, her bio reads, “clearly belonged to someone. Great on a leash — she was a stray found with the leash still on her collar.” Well behaved, loving.
And Brianna is the “very chunky lovable girl” Bulldog mix who is, her bio reads, “extremely — and we mean EXTREMELY — sweet. She has a blue eye and a brown eye and it’s very cute.”
[LARRY ASIDE: The challenge with the small shelters in small towns is small budget, no foot traffic and not much interest anywhere. While big shelters have marketing budgets, small shelters budget for food and euthanasia expenses. It’s up to humans to change things for the better.]
THREE NICE DOGS
WAIT IN MESQUITE
The lookalike dogs are Joey (41221043) and Nacho (41221028), surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on April 3 “because the owner had too many animals,” reports our tipster, the volunteer shelter biographer Judi Brown. They both weigh 53 pounds.
Being in a shelter has depressed Joey (left) — Judi writes, “She lays at the back of her kennel in a depressed state.

That third cute dog is 9-month-old, 44-pound Pittie stray Tyson (41203184) who arrived on April 1. “He had a collar with his name on it, so we were hopeful that his owners would come and claim this sweet boy,” Judi writes. No dice. “He’s frisky and perky and yet he has manners. … He sits for treats. He wants to please.”
For these dogs or any animal at the Mesquite shelter, call 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
CONTEMPLATION

Somehow after that first item about Hell House and the dogs on the clock in assorted shelters, I just couldn’t summon up whatever it takes to get to be lighthearted in this edition’s Contemplation. The thing to do, I guess, is to think my way out of this trough of depression I slide into when I hear of humans abandoning animals as if the dogs can pick up a cell phone and order a pizza and call for Uber to take them somewhere else. I find myself contemplating the practical application of the famed readlarrypowell.com Two-by-Four of Enlightenment. Then, I’ll think, “Why waste all that effort on humans? They’re not going to change.” Possibly they will change — but do the dogs and cats have to suffer because the humans are slow to evolve? And, there’s this: Why must child abuse and animal abuse get the most attention when they reach “emergency status” — isn’t there some way to help kids and critters BEFORE the crisis arrives. Can’t someone make some calls, make some visits, make some impressions on the humans in question? OK, I’m back in a bad mood again. For crying out loud, everybody just remember to be kind. Be kind. No make a list of who to be kind to — just be kind. Somebody help me off this soapbox before the boards snap and I find myself in an emergency situation brought on by my own stupidity. That photo is of my cat, The Senator, my editor and confidant, who is showing me that it’s possible to relax anywhere, even on the narrow arm of a living room couch. I’m too wide and my legs are too long to dangle like The Senator’s. He is a Cat of Wisdom. And I am a human with admiration for the rescuers at Dallas DogRRR and anybody else who helps an animal beat the odds. Thank you ALL for being good hearts.
—- Offer advice or tips on relaxing by clicking on “comment” below and remember to use your Two-by-Four of Enlightenment wisely (email us at dallrp@aol.com). —-

GOLF AND COCKERS; DOGS AND SHELTERS; DOGS AND COURSE HAZARDS

EDITION OF TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 [PetPowell- Press] OK, let’s save ‘em all. Here we go with a Tuesday report. It’ll involve dogs and cats and people, the three primary ingredients in my workday — though I once would have included raspberry-filled donuts, but they don’t even temp me any more. Not a bit. Not as long as Wendy stares at me when she senses that I’m having a craving. She is a Diet Service Dog — if I look like I’m going off the eating plan, she steps between me and the donut. Or she suggests that she will. Very effective. We do share my morning oatmeal — no sugar, no milk, no butter. I’d get her a Diet Service Dog vest but if she grows out of it, I’m afraid it’ll depress her. I’ve had that sensation.
OK, on with this edition:
TEEING IT UP FOR
COCKER SPANIELS
Quite possibly you are familiar with Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." 
I’m betting he never played golf. The golf ball doesn’t play by that rule. You can swing the club straight and rather than going straight, the ball will fly off course into the nearest clump of trees. 
But I’m sure that will just not happen at all on May 5 when DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue hosts its 7th Annual Dogleg Classic Golf Tournament. This year, the venue is Fort Worth’s Rockwood Park Golf Course. The sign up site is HERE. 

[LARRY ASIDE: My sons and I have played Rockwood and it’s a fun course with lovely challenges. We’ve also played the Dogleg Tournament and it’s a fun event with lots of laughter and happy golfing.]

The tournament, like the rescue group, is dedicated to making life better for members of the great breed of dogs who may have fallen on rough times. [LARRY DISCLOSURE: For many, many years readlarrypowell.com's confidant and advisor was Inky the Cocker Spaniel. He also served as the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas and our staff impersonator. Found him in Kiest Park when he was a puppy, hairless on every inch of his body except one ear. Someone had dumped a philospher/poet. He triumphed and so did any human who loved him.]
So, to summarize, here are two suggestions: (1) Enter the Dogleg tournament to have a good time for a good cause; (2) go to dfwcockerrescue.org to see the available adorables. We’ve cited two adoptables. First is Buddy Boy, who is 10 and that’s barely a teenager in a Cocker’s carefully tended life. Buddy Boy is buff and white and has a natural tail — that means he hasn’t been docked and that’s a good thing — a Cocker’s tail is an expressive device.
You may be looking at that second dog and saying, “Never seen a Cocker with ears like that.” And you still haven’t. The rescue group is helping Chevy, a 7-year-old sable and white male Pomeranian mix. Weighs 17 pounds. Only recently rescued, the website says. Needs a home. You don't have to be a golfer.

MEANWHILE IN SMITH COUNTY
The Smith County Animal Control folks posted 67 newly featured dogs on their Facebook page and one of them is Jacie, all dressed up for Easter but in a shelter predicament. She’s #0652. The 10-month-old, 34-pound Pittie mix was found “off Country Road 233.” Had no chip. To adopt her or any dog on the list call the shelter at 903-266-4303 or email shelter@smith-county.com.
Then there’s Lab mix Brisco (0109) who, clearly would answer to “spot” since that’s all he has — one spot. Well, except on those cute ears. He’s about 4, weighs 60 pounds and was found on CR 2216. No chip.

And the handsome “mixed breed” Gavin (0143) is in a shelter at the age of 7 years. The 43-pound pup was found on Country Road 167. Also no chip.
You can see more Smith County dogs info on the Saving Animals Page HERE and on the Smith County Animal Control link HERE.
The County shelter doesn’t label particular dogs as “urgent,” we’re told, but immediately sends appeals when the facility appears to be filled. And, yep, filling up right now, it is.

This last artwork is what you see when as many of the animals as possible are crowded into one photo assembly — the reality of a crowded shelter is much worse than this illustration.

CONTEMPLATIONS
SMART TV, TIME-TRAVELING, GOLF DOG
We’ve got a smart TV that quit being smart — something went sour inside, so now I’m back where my Pop and I started in the 1950s with TVs: Do we take it to a shop or try to fix it ourselves? Are there TV repair shops? That’s another mystery of the 21st Century. … My former columnizing colleague at The Big Paper Downtown Jacquielynn Floyd, a cat-fan, posted this note, “I have nothing to add” and a link to a New York Times story about a rhino poacher who was killed by an elephant and eaten by lions. I’ll add something, of course: I hope veterinarians were summoned to help the lions deal with the after effect. …
HERE’S ONE MORE GOLF NOTE for the day. It came from our pal Jeff Crilley at Real News PR. He spotted it in British newspaper — a dog named Louis, taken for walks along a golf course, swallowed five balls. Here’s the LINK. Anybody who plays golf will wonder if the dog grabbed a ball while a golfer who hit it was distracted and spent the next 15 minutes wondering where his finely struck ball had vanished. Do you lose a stroke if a dog swallows your golf ball? In West Texas, there are probably course rules about finding your golf ball surrounded by a curled up rattlesnake with an urge to strike. Remember, you’ve got a club in your hand but you couldn’t even hit a stationary golf ball straight, so what chance do you have against a lightnin’ quick rattler? Add a stroe and play through, duffer, play through.
—- Offer advice and information by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

FOR MONDAY: DAYDREAMS, DOGS, CATS, FROGTOWN & FLOWERS

EDITION OF MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Now and then there is a daydream about taking an extended vacation. It usually involves not working on several Mondays in a row. But, don’t let my idle thoughts get in the way of your showing up at work and helping the American economy. Now and then, on a day off, you can spot something that reminds you that you’re in Texas. These Texas Longhorns were snapped in the levee-side pasture at Fuel City on the western edge of downtown Dallas as I was getting my car washed. Two of them were interested in the vacuuming process. I don’t know why. I rarely know what a cow is considering. I’m around them now and then, but we don’t talk. Vegetarians, both of us.
WHERE IS THE VETERANS DOG?
We got the tip on this from animal advocate Jan Chapman Green in Dallas. Someone has a paralyzed veteran's big dog, Scooby. 
The story has been spreading like wildfire on social media and is also getting coverage in the San Antonio area. As you know, the highways have been paved for some time and a dog in the Alamo City can easily wind up somewhere else, even in Big D and Cowtown and all the other cities, too. 
That’s the dog, Scooby. Here’s the FACEBOOK LINK and here’s the story from Marvin Hurst of KENS5, the San Antonio TV station that’s covering the plight of a veteran who trusted someone and things went sour.
MEANWHILE IN SMITH COUNTY
Just under a hundred miles east of Big D on I-20, you’ll reach the area Smith County Pets Alive works — the organization, according to President Judy Master, has “rescued more than 70 dogs since January 1.”
 Yep, it’s foster-based and always in need of donations to support its life-saving efforts.
 Judi writes, “We are constantly finding homes for dogs so most dogs are in our care 3-9 weeks.  Because we are extremely small, we find excellent approved homes as quickly as possible . It is the only way we are able to help to the extent we do.”
Among the current dogs in need are Brick, the dog with the great blaze on the chest, and Aspen, the dog posing chin-up for the camera. Both are heartworm positive — that costs money and requires an experienced foster to make sure the dogs do recuperation correctly.
Aspen is a 4-year-old, 65-pound mixed-breed girl. Brick is a 2-year-old Pittie boy who weighs 58 pounds.
Judy says both of them were “found as strays on country roads. No owner ever came for them and, f course, neither was chipped or had collars or ID tags.”
Aspen had been in the city shelter for 63 days, Brick for 77 days, when Smith County Pets Alive claimed them on March 27. 
See Smith County Pets Alive on Facebook HERE . If you have questions about these dogs or how to help the organization, email smithcountydogs@gemail.com.
AH, THE GREAT ROOFTOP PARTY!

There’s the artwork promoting East Lake Pet Orphanage’s great annual fundraising event Wine on the Roof, one of the area’s great fundraisers for animals.
It’s scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, May 18, atop the ELPO headquarters at 10101 E. Northwest Highway in Dallas. This year there’ll be a Paws Vegas Pet Fashion Show, “wines paired with gourmet food” and live and silent auctions. Get tickets HERE.
ELPO, as you probably know, is the non-profit shelter/rescue arm of East Lake Veterinary Hospital — it’s the brainchild of the renowned veterinarian/animalfan Dr. Karen Fling.

 See adoptable East Lake animals by clicking HERE. That ELPO available adorable cat is Bobbie (and I think you can seek a couple of kittens photobombing Mom). The puppies are, from left, Rhiannon, Allanah, Murphy and Aiko. These are some of the animal your donations and ticket purchases help. They’ll all find homes and you can celebrate the good deed you did. The world can use more good deeds.

CONTEMPLATIONS

FLOWERS, FROGTOWN AND SOME SINGING
Over the weekend my funspouse Martha and I went in search of flowers. One of our stops was Poston’s Gardens in Waxahachie to see the tulips — all colors and designs from regular to parrot, tall to not tall, vibrant to sedate, etc. Among the “million” tulip bulbs planted by machine in December, were the Vampire Tulips in this photograph. Go figure. I’ve bought Martha a lot of tulips in 27 years, but never Vampire Tulips. We also went to Ennis, the Bluebonnet Capital of Texas, with 40 miles of “Bluebonnet Trails” — we couldn’t find ‘em. The next day we drove southwest rather than southeast. Still didn’t find a big slash of Bluebonnets other than those thoughtfully planted next to the road by the highway department or the FFOT, Flower Fans of Texas. Perhaps someone knows where to find Bluebonnets. Let us know at dallrp@aol.com. … Speaking of things disappearing: Pretty soon, if the developers keep whittling away at Downtown Dallas, the only historic site of note will be the scene of a world-famous murder and its museum. And there’ll be only a few people left who know that the famed Belo Mansion was the funeral home where Depression Era criminal Clyde Barrow (of Bonnie and Clyde) was “laid out” for — the news stories said — more than 10,000 to walk by and see him. Already gone is the historic section of downtown Dallas known as “Frogtown” — it existed from the West End to the big basketball/hockey gym ’n’ rink. Frogtown? Surely you know how important that area was to Big D — it was the officially authorized “red-light district.” And if you don’t know what a “red-light district” was/is, look it up — google “Frogtown Dallas.” Learn something about the culture that was helping Dallas develop a reputation more than 100 years ago. … By accident we ran across this entertaining performance demonstrating that music is a great uniter and it looks like fun, too. Click HERE. Turn your speaker to a gentle level and enjoy this.
—- Offer opinion or info by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email dallrp@aol.com. —-

MOMMA BLUE -- RECOVERING, EXPECTING

For this weekend’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, we are spotlighting a dog who is trying to beat the odds and has a helper who is accustomed to the challenge.
We first mentioned Momma Blue in our Monday edition last week. 
That’s her sleep- ing/recuper- ating on a big comfy chair in her foster family’s home. She is also awaiting delivery.
Momma Blue and another dog, her mate, were passengers in a stolen car that crashed during a police chase. Both were thrown from car. The boy dog was hit by a car and killed. Why are we able to get the details from Terry Lynn Fisher, the resilient rescuer in Burns Flat, Okla.? Because Momma Blue, the dazed, very pregnant dog, wandered up to a business and the person there placed a call to Terry Lynn. 
She stepped up to help Momma Blue and the dog is now in a foster home and doing well. “The babies checked out OK,” Terry Lynn says. “From what the family said, they should arrive in the next 10 days. … Isn’t she beautiful?”
And, Terry Lynn says, “She is a very sweet girl. Isn't concerned with the other animals in the home she is at and LOVES children. She is a little cautious of men at this time, but slowly comes around when they speak to her.”

According to the family that surrendered Momma Blue to Terry Lynn, the dog has had “a couple of other litters” and each one was 8 puppies.
“So, basically,” Terry Lynn says, “we are looking at saving nine lives here.
“She will be spayed after this, so these will be her last babies ever. … We have spoken to the family members and they have surrendered Momma Blue to me for the owner is paralyzed from the neck down and facing several charges from this incident.”

This last picture is the first photo taken of Momma Blue as she attempted to be invisible after the life she knew was destroyed by a horrible event that resulted from unwise criminal activity -- as if there's "wise" criinal activity. Bless the rest of Momma Blue's life and keep her happy.
Terry Lynn is there for Momma Blue, who will be incurring veterinary expenses as she delivers. To offer to help with Momma Blue’s expenses, email Terry Lynn at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or call her at 580-330-1459.
[DEAR READERS: There’s a certain beauty to a trusting animal’s ability to sleep in a home. Please send photos of your slumbering dogs or cats to dallrp@aol.comand we’ll post the beautiful story of your friends in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap in our weekend edition of readlarrypowell.com. That’s my writing partner, The Senator, taking a, yes, cat nap on his editing platform next to my desk — a TV tray with a fluffy towel. Our slumbering animals may inspire other humans to adopt. And your slumbering critter may give insomniacs hope that they, too, can get some sleep if they can just find the right couch or TV tray.]

--- In honor of beloved animals everywhere, leave an opinion or sleeping advice by clicking on "comment" below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

FLOWERS, CRITTERS & CONTEMPLATIONS

EDITION OF FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2019 [PetPowellPress] We’re going to check the holidays — so we went straight to Holiday Insights where we discovered that April 5 is both National Walk to Work Day AND National Read a Road Map Day. I’m not sure if there's a connection, but it could be that the guy who walked to work got lost and needed a map. It’s also National Dandelion Day. Are their Dandelions in Texas? We have Mountain Lions, Bobcats…wait. Wrong lion. Texas Parks & Wildlife says, “Dandelions are common over the eastern half of the state. The Texas dandelion is different from the common dandelion, however. It is much larger and taller and is sometimes called ‘False dandelion.’" We also have Daisies or Daisy in Texas — this dog, in fact, is Daisy (A1061893), a 4-year-old Pittie girl at Dallas Animal Services since March 23. FYI: The DAS $5 dog special continues through the 7th. Get a bargain dog and some flowers with the money left over.
ABOUT ROWLETT’S
SHELTER PROMOTION
You may recall that earlier in the week we featured the effort to safely unload some of the animals that were being threatened by population stress at the Rowlett Animal Shelter. Melissa Thomas of the Friends of Rowlett Animals tells us that as many as 9 dogs have been moved out of the shelter.
One of the fellows still waiting is this pup, Brundy. Melissa says that “he’s been there 8 months he always gets passed over.”

He’s 3, likes “most dogs,” no cats and “loves belly rubs and laying in the sun. he’s a staff and volunteer favorite. Poor guy thinks the shelter is his home — he knows his kennel.”
The big challenge for the boy is he is “heartworm positive and really needs a foster or adopter to he can start treatment.” The Friends of Rowlett Animals will pay for his treatment. How about that!
Clearly, Brundy is congenial enough to pose for photographs and wear props!

MIDNIGHT AND PATTY—

STILL WAITING IN DENTON
Astonishingly, these two dogs have managed to survive not only their pre-shelter lives, but their shelter lives.
As our Denton tipster Amy Poskey writes, “All I can say is that these two beautiful girls are still alive and still waiting for their miracle cuz they are such AWESOME pooches! When I initially sent out a plea we thought it would be their last call but, thankfully, adoptions have been fairly steady which means that Midnight (left) & Patty still have a place to hang out; however, we don’t know how long that will last so please scroll down and read all about both of these gals and PLEASE CONSIDER SAVING THEM!!!
Here’s a link to Patty playing ball which she absolutely loves to do …She is a super fun gal but settles down when the shelter volunteers spend alone-time with her.” WATCH HERE.
Patty (ID 79470) is an owner surrender and listed as “rescue only.” Midnight is ID 78346 — she’s from 2 to 5 years old. Loves people.
Call Denton’s McNatt Animal Care and Adoption center at 940-349-7594. It’s at 3717 N. Elm St. in Denton. To ask about helping Patty and Midnight, email
gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com, julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com, dentonshelterdogs@yahoo.com, and/or dentonanimalservices@yahoo.com.
PUP SQUAD’S MISSION INCLUDES
HELPING THE OLDER DOGS
Right here at the outset of what’s known as “Puppy and Kitten Season,” the folks with Pup Squad Animal Rescue in Houston continue their noble mission with the “Adult Dog Showcase.”
PupSquad, as its appeal says, “specializes in the pregnant and nursing mamas as well as puppies under 6 months old. So, naturally, through our mission we will always have adult dogs due to the mamas. But we also take on some daddies, older pups, and some dogs get returned after several months or, even worse, many years.”
While the puppies always get the attention at adoption events, Pup Squad works to spotlight the adults, too. That’s why you see Nicki, Abbey and Penney.
Nicki, 3 in June, weighs 50 pounds. She was “found loose with her day-old pups in May 2018 in Dayton, Texas ….” Abbey, a former Pup Squad Momma dog, is a Lab mix and “was found delivering puppies in a ditch.” First at Pup Squad in 2011, she was returned this year. And Penny, 6 or 7 years old, is a Pittie girl who is “sweet and playful” and needs a home. 
Here’s A LINK to Pup Squad’s appeal to help the older dogs.
CONTEMPLATIONS
FOR THE BIRDS; FOR THE CITY; FOR DRIVERS

A walk in Kiest Park about 12:30 p.m. Thursday was a bird tour — cardinals, a robin, blue jays, mockingbirds and some kind of hidden bird who must have been imitating a slide whistle at the top of his lungs. No other bird was even trying to compete with that guy. How nice a walk it was. Two dogs — both on leashes with their humans. … Let’s talk history: A story in The Big Paper Downtown this week says the property that currently holds the downtown El Fenix, right there in the shadow of Woodall Rodgers Freeway, is for sale. A quote in the story said the plan is for the restaurant to continue to operate. May those words be true. Many Dallas families have used that fab El Fenix as a gathering place. Romances have sparked there; business deals made; friendships launched. It’s a place that means something to people. Of course, the tradition in Dallas is to ignore emotional connections and just look for the money. … Anybody else think that a lot of the new apartment buildings around here look like something from the Cold War Soviet era? Also, anybody who’s been driving in Dallas’ many construction zones agree with this theory? The Russians have been colluding with freeway planners to make life more difficult, more challenging. More STOP-N-GO for no good reason? That’s a 9:30 p.m. photo of being stopped-on-a-65MPH freeway -- I35E south -- Tuesday night near the Illinois exit. Construction had closed most of the exits, so you can’t
flee, either. I’m sure it’ll change. Oh, and for the better, too, as evidenced by the downtown area where signs show up too late and lanes mean nothing. That's my rearview mirror on the back of that motionless truck.
—- Offer agreement or opposition by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

FOR THURSDAY, A CAVALCADE OF ANIMAL STORIES -- IS THERE HELP?

EDITION OF THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Here are three words to make you smile: Wait, I forgot what I was going to write. Had something to do with Dallas freeway construciton, but never mind.
In the meantime, we’re going to discuss: the Trinity High School GAP Club’s annual Walk-a-Thon; someone’s shooting cats (that’s one who's been shot -- twice); dogs on the clock; nobody wants a dog from three small shelters -- not kidding. Here we go…
APRIL 27 —
GAP CLUB’S GOAL
IS $20,000 TO HELP ANIMALS
People are already lining up pledges to support them when they participate in the Euless Trinity GAP Club’s annual Walk-a-Thon Fundraiser on April 27.
By now, probably, you know the story of the GAP Club — Girls Awareness Program at Euless Trinity High School. It was founded to help the students and evolved into a force of nature that also helps Euless Animal Services save animals from awful fates. 
The annual fund-raising Walk-a-Thon and “festival” is from 10 a.m. until noon on that last Saturday in April on the big track at Euless Trinity High School. It’s the GAP Club’s biggest fundraiser and the goal is $20,000. You can donate online or at the walk. Also, email trinitygapclub@gmail.com for more information and for a “sponsor sheet” so you can get pledges from other people to help each step you take benefit animals in need.
 The great Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com, a dedicated supporter of the GAP Club and the rescue facet writes, “Many of the dogs that come into the shelter have major or minor injuries/ill- nesses that require vet care to help them heal, become well, and more easily adoptable. There are no provisions for dogs who come into the shelter sick or injured.  All vet care is provided thru recycled adoption fees and thru donations to Trinity GAP.  Adoption fees don’t even cover the basics of spay/neuter/vaccinations but we strive to keep adoption fees low to be competitive in helping these dogs find homes.  … If we can make these dogs whole again, and help them find good homes, our mission is accomplished.  Through donations, Trinity GAP also provides boarding to save the lives of the dogs when the shelter is full.”
See the adoptables at GAP HERE. This dog is Luna, a 35-pound Earhound who is also a Staffie/Cattle Dog mix. She was dumped at a shelter when she became pregnant and had her pups in the shelter. She’s good at taking a ride, but if you adopt her, she’ll probably be a perfect Walk-a-Thon companion and a living advertisement for the other adoptables.

AMONG THE VICTIMS
OF A ‘LITTLE JERK’
We got this story from Terry Lynn Fisher in Burns Flat, Okla. She’s a tad mad and rightly so.
She writes, “There is some little jerk going around in town shooting birds and cats. I am working with the police to catch this little demon. We’ve had several injured cats in one block. 

“This old guy is one in bad shape. He is semi feral. He has been in the neighborhood for over five years, never bothering anyone.

“Now, he has been shot at least twice and is doing poorly.

“We caught him and he is at my vet. He is running a temp and has some infection.”

To ask Terry Lynn how you can help her or to ask about adopting that victimized cat, email remember- ing_odd- ball@yahoo.com.
You can also get in touch with her understanding and supportive vet clinic: Elk Creek Clinic, 1301 Airport Industrial, Elk City, Okla. 73655. Call 580-225-4863 — they’re familiar with Terry Lynn’s mission.
AT MESQUITE, A SARGE & A SIR
ARE ON THE CLOCK
Mesquite Animal Services’ shelter is “100 percent full,” we’re told. When you adopt or rescue from that shelter, you’re buying time for the rest of the animals there.

Here’s a tribute passage about this dog: “It’s hard to believe that someone hasn’t already snatched Sarge up. He such a good guy,” writes the Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer biographer Judi Brown. Sarge (41068881) has drawn at least one pledge. 
He’s 2 or 3, possibly a Black Mouth Cur mix who came in as a stray on March 14. 
“He’s a beautiful boy with a  soft reddish coat and a ready smile. He does have some scars around his nose. These give him character,” Judi writes. “He’s a fun loving happy, friendly guy that wags his tail a lot. He actually whines for attention. He is highly motivated by treats so should be easy to train. He sits for them. He walks very well on the leash.” 
To ask about Sarge or any animal in the Mesquite shelter, call 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Go HERE  to see the other animals at Mesquite.
Among them is this fellow, Sir Kittington (41212054). He’s around 2 years old and is neutered. He’s been in the shelter since April 2. And he looks as if he’d be quite at home on the lap of a human being.
THESE WORDS ARE STARK
“Poor babies ABSOLUTELY NO OFFERS ON THESE POOR SWEET BABIES WHO WILL SAVE ONE!!! Look at their faces! Their eyes are begging for someone to save just one!!!!!”

Here’s what it’ll take to save these dogs: Call or text Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
That’s first paragraph is the opening to a followup appeal from Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden and others who are trying to save the lives of dogs who wind up in the small shelters south of Dallas on I-45 — Wilmer, Hutchins and Ferris.
These shelters have no foot traffic. The cities may not have an animal control officer in charge of adoptions.
Things are working against the animals.
You may recall an item earlier in the week in which we featured the dogs pictured here in this order from the top:  Tia the Boxer mix; Meadow the Blue Bully; Brianna the chunky Bulldog mix; Shelby the Pocket Lab mix; and Kyler the “baby” Jack Russell.

CONTEMPLATIONS

SITUATIONS, EXPERIMENTS AND A ROADSIDE PUZZLER
Sometimes you just don’t know exactly what to do when it comes to life itself. And animal situations can be really tough. Or really simple. I don’t know. Keep reading. …In the case of this CNBC story about ending experiments on kittens and cats, seems to me that’s a pretty easy “Hey, jerkface, let’s stop this madness.” Here’’s the LINK.
… On Wednesday afternoon, I exited 35E North at Illinois to turn left. Working the corner was a woman who looked old to me. I didn’t have time to snap a photo. Barely had time to read her sign that read something like “Homeless. Need help” and had three or four more lines. I looked past her to the grocery cart on which she had draped her coat. In that basket, stacked atop each other, were two small dog carriers with what appeared to be two Chihuahuas shut inside — grown dogs. They were quietly watching this uncertain traffic on this dangerous corner of the world. Is there someone to call to get the dogs into a better situation — how about getting the woman into a safer place? The woman may be completely happy and may not want to be bothered by other humans’ do-gooder ideas. But those dogs, well, is there a Homeless Animal Care Task Force in Dallas? I wish I had not seen the faces. Do I have a hard heart? Maybe when it comes to people. You can’t just steal the dogs. This is a problem that needs negotiation. Join me in taking some aspirin and contemplating the reality of life on our patch of Earth.
--- Offer answers or insights by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing me at dallrp@aol.com. ---

ROWLETT'S CHALLENGE; DALLAS' $5 DOGS; FLYING DOGS; PATRIOT PAWS; DOING BETTER

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019 (PetPowellPress) — How's that for the most fantastic dog face in the known universe?
Let’s just stipulate that there are dogs and cats in shelters and rescue groups working hard throughout the greater MetroFertilitySprawl.
And we’ll stipulate that spaying and neutering and adopting will help keep unwanted animal populations at a minimum. We’re going to focus on a few situation, including the Rowlett Shelter’s efforts to maintain a no-euthanasia-for-space environment. 
[FYI, THE FANTASTIC FACE: While that may appear to be an actor from Star Wars or Star Trek, it’s really Polly the Brindle Girl (ID 03-22-2019-4) at Rowlett. She’s 4 months old, 28 pounds and friendly.] Keep reading. …
HANG ON — PHONE CALL…
Someone is telling me I now qualify for zero interest rates on all my credit cards. So, they want to help me use my credit cards. Ah, but if i use my credit cards, maybe that qualification will be dashed on the rocks in 24 hours. I’m going to stick to my Lotto Texas strategy.
Yesterday, someone called to tell me to tell me they could help me unload my student loan debt. I have never had a student loan — paid my own way through 3 1/2 semesters of junior college. These phone people won’t listen to my pleas to be removed from their almost daily call list. They keep calling anyway. I don’t want to put anyone out of work, but it would be nice if the people who run those phone businesses would take their earnings and buy restaurant franchises and focus on serving us rather than annoying us. I used that photo of my struggling wisteria plant in the front yard -- color is darker this year, blossoms not as strong and I haven't seen a lot of bees. But do the student loan people have an answer for this situation. Of course not.
BACK TO DALLAS ANIMALS
Now, you’ve probably noticed, amid my whining, that there’s a special this week at Dallas Animal Services.
At dallas animalservices.org you can see the $5 dogs — see ‘em at the shelter, too, at I-30 and Westmoreland.
There were (about noon Tuesday) around 250 Dallas dogs available, according to the list on the website.
One of them is this girl Mary (A0704832), a white Pittie girl whose age is unknown. She came into the shelter on March 26. Her look is one of those “Are you here to help me or should I just give up? Please give me a chance.”
FYI: There are cats available (20-something) — this handsome fellow is Cooper (A1061927) and he’s about 4 years old — why has he been in the shelter since March 23? Human folly.
Surely someone loved this cat for 4 years.
See him at the PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center, 16821 N. Coit Road, in Dallas (Call 972-381-1588, ext. 5). [LARRY ASIDE: “He’s not a $5 cat — pretty sure there’s no such thing as a cat who isn’t worth a million bucks,” responds my personal cat The Senator.]
THE PRESSURE IS ON
AT THE ROWLETT SHELTER
We got a note from Melissa Thomas, a volunteer with Friends of Rowlett Animals, about the current stress at the city’s shelter. 
The bottom line was in this paragraph: “We have had numerous dogs come in over the last few weeks, but hardly any adoptions. The shelter is full. Rowlett has not euthanized a dog for space since 2014. Yes, 2014! Please help us keep it that way."
Ways to help? You can adopt a dog for TWENTY FIVE BUCKS. That’s right, save a life for $25. Adopt a dog, such as this guy Ozzy (click on the art to read the captions). You can see more of the appeal sent by Melissa HERE.
And you can see more Rowlett animals, including Polly, HERE
If you can’t adopt, foster a dog. Melissa’s note reads, “Foster a dog for the shelter. We have a few heartworm positive dogs and we would love to start their treatment. We need a committed foster for 60 days for these dogs.”

And foster a dog for a rescue that’s working with the shelter — rescues can’t take a dog if they don’t have a foster.  To offer to help, email Volunteer@friendsofrowlettanimals.org   See friendsofrowlettanimals.org.
TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR SUNDAY’S

SFCA FURTASTIC FUNDRAISER
Tawana Couch and her devoted rescue-by-transportation fans will celebrate from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Ozona Grill, the Greenville Avenue site of spectacular dishes! 
And to get tickets, go to societyforcompanionanimals.org. "
As you know, the Society works to save lives by transporting unwanted dogs from our area to places where they’ll be loved and respected. These fabulous Texas dogs go from being “a problem” to being “a blessing” because of the efforts of the SFCA. 

CONTEMPLATIONS
ONE WITH PHOTO, ONE WITHOUT
We’re opening with this LINK to a Facebook post by veteran animalfan Terri Gunn Stringer who tells the story of this photograph. It's a  Patriot Paws story of a human and a dog. Read about the organization at patriotpaws.org. You might want to help after you read how much this dog means to this veteran. When you go to the website you’ll see the sentence that is the mission statement. But on one photo you’ll see the summary: “Patriot Paws Service Dogs. Serving Those Who Have Served.” You may, as you read about this particular incident, want to keep a tissue handy. Blame the pollen count, of course. Don’t admit that a heroic, well-trained dog has touched your heart! ...
Our second Contemplation is a post by our longtime pal Beverly Fyfe, a dedicated rescuer and animal protector. We have frequently been aghast at the same situations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Beverly has posted a long story of a dog whose injuries were so horrible that she could not bear to post the photo. That is why we have posted this empty frame -- in honor of Jericho, in the care of a rescue group now. But that doesn’t mean animal fans can relax —there are still people roaming free who need to be reminded to love and care for their animals. Here is BEVERLY’S LINK. As Beverly writes, “We must do better for those with no voice.”
—- To offer an opinion or a solution, click on “comment” below or email readlarrypowell.com at dallrp@aol.com. And, for crying out loud, BE KIND TO ANIMALS. —

THE LOVE THAT INSPIRES PEOPLE TO WRITE ABOUT DOGS AND CATS AND HELP THEM...

EDITION OF TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019 [PetPowellPress]— A moment of philosophy from readlarrypowell.com:
When life gives you lemons, kiss the nearest dognose and enjoy the puzzled expression. 
Well, here’s the deal: I was typing and he’d walked up beside me to say high, so I just leaned down and smooched the nose of this guy Dudley The Angel, our wander-up dog. He is (possibly) a Border Collie/Chocolate Lab mix and (positively) among the sweetest dogs on this planet. And in response to my surprising display of affection, the close-up is the face he presented. The other picture is his driver’s license photo.
 It’s April 2 in the year 2019 — I hope that at some point every day, you have a cat or dog who senses that you need to be tended to in the time-honored fashion of “I’ll interrupt the human and help him set his mind right.” 
You see, Dudley appeared to want attention and I needed a friend between paragraphs, and, son of a gun, if he didn’t arrive at precisely the right time. Psychic dog. Simon the Psychic Cat dodged the moment.
 I may start spelling his name Psymon.
We’ll be mentioning other animals in this report. Some of them need homes — but you already knew that.
FOUND AT A SERVICE STATION
IN GUNTER, NORTH OF DALLAS
Look at these beauties!
Found dogs. In Gunter, about an hour-and-10 minutes north of Dallas if nothing stalls the traffic.
Beau Jones reports, “We found a couple of dogs hanging out around the gas station in Gunter, TX. I was hoping to try to get them to someone to be adopted or put in a foster situation. They are both very sweet and friendly. … The one with the white fur is a female and the one with the black fur is a male. They are probably about two years old. They both look to be unaltered.”

To ask about helping these dogs or to take them into your rescue group, text Beau at 469-818-9065.
WHEN THE DOG CHASES CHICKENS
THERE MAY BE TALK OF GUNFIRE

 Oh, boy, here’s a rescue attempt from Gail Whelan of the Companion Animal Network.
She’s sent out a note regarding this handsome dog, tethered to a clothesline in a rural area not real far from Dallas.
Gail writes, “The people got him ‘free’ on Facebook.  He is chasing their chickens and they will shoot him.  I will bring him to Dallas and I can offer $150 toward his vetting.  MALE.  ONE YEAR OLD.  LOVES OTHER DOGS.  That is all we know.”

To offer to save this dog and get him to a place without chickens or any other chase-able fowl, call Gail’s Network at 903-967-3226. Email can.adoptions@yahoo.com. See Gail’s adoptables at www.ca-n.petfinder.com.
MEANWHILE, SOUTH OF DALLAS,
THE SMALL SHELTER CORRIDOR’S DOGS
For several years, the volunteers who have been spotlighting animals in the smaller city shelters south of Big D have been focusing on one shelter at a time.
But there’s a change, according to their Monday note. “Hutchins dogs will soon be joining Wilmer dogs at the Wilmer Shelter per a new contract between the cities.  And as you are aware, Dallas County dogs are already part of the same shelter. We are also attempting to now help Ferris Shelter which could mean posting not only dogs, but some kitties in the future too, since Ferris does take in kitties.  Rather than post separately from these areas, to save some time, we will be posting them together since we have the same contact information for all.”
The contact info is this: call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. Text during the daytime. And transportation is available if you’re a 501c3.
Now, that first dog has the face of a circus clown — she’s Tia, the Boxer mix. And while the dark eyes make her look sad in a still photo, as you can second from the second picture, her tail wags too swiftly for the camera to catch it! The report is this spayed and microchipped girl “is just as loving as can be.” She’s house-trained, too. And one of the dogs in the The Small Shelter Corridor who needs a home.

Meadow is the “Blue Bully” girl who, the Corridor team reports, “clearly belonged to someone. Great on a leash - she was actually found with leash still on her collar.  She is very well behaved and very well socialized.  Truly pretty girl with such sweetness and love for everyone.  Very friendly.  “
Please, help save her!
The comfy-in-loving-arms dog is Shelby, a girl described as a “Pocket Lab Mix.” She’s “calm, gentle and everything a dog should be.” And, as you can see, she’s the right size to be picked up and held lovingly so she can admire her human!”
OK, two more: Kyler is a “baby” Jack Russell Mix, found “out and about on his own” in the unincorporated area of Dallas County near the three small shelters. A temp foster has him right now but he’s available.

And the “chunky loveable girl” Brianna is a Bulldog mix who is extremely, and we mean extremely, sweet.”

She also has a blue eye and a brown eye. The whole package of adorable Brianna needs a human adoptor or rescuer.

Again, call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. Text during the daytime.
SOME REMINDERS ABOUT
VIOLET & TATERTOT!
You'll remember Violet and Tatertot -- two former housemates rescue from Dallas Animal Services and now in need of a home. Click on the pictures to make these illustrations grow.

 

 

 

 

CONTEMPLATIONS
A REGRET; PEOPLE 'N' HATE; TAXING MOMENT IN THE GOOD OL' USA
I am confident that I can declare without argument that the meanest part of being a human is the passage of time. It’s quicker than you think and it’s used up before you know it. You’d think this is a family note, but it has to do with someone I never met, Lu Mitchell, the Dallas folksinger/songwriter. I always intended to get to one of her shows. But, she has died at the age of 95. Mercifully, google her performances on youtube. Maybe you don’t know that you ought to appreciate her wit, or that of Tom Lehrer or the Smothers Brothers or Arlo Guthrie and many others from the "folk" movement. Well, look ‘em up. Sometime, maybe, when you wake up with a little protest blood running through your veins, you’ll see how valuable they are. The great writer Mike Granberry at The Former Big Paper Downtown has the Mitchell obit HERE and, if you check out the Nathan Hunsinger photo with the story, you’ll see the singer/writer had a cat hanging around the house. … Recalling the folk era made me look up the great Tom Lehrer and I found this quote from him: “I know that there are people who do not love their fellow man, and I hate people like that!” … Speaking of satire and life, over the weekend my smartspouse Martha did our taxes. I was not happy. I rarely am at tax time. So, I complained about the check I had to write. I said to Martha, “You just don’t get a tax break for being a dumbass” and she replied, “No, usually you just get a congressional salary.” And that is our "Taxing Moment" for 2019. I hope the money goes to a good cause.
—- Offer agreement or opposition by clicking on “comment” below or e-mailing dallrp@aol.com. And click HERE to enjoy (that's a show photo) Lu Mitchell’s The Fake Spanish Song. —-

ON A SPECIAL HOLIDAY, SOME ACTUAL/FACTUAL STORIES OF ANIMALS

EDITION OF MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Happy, April Fool’s Day. You’d think Congress would make it a federal holiday. That easy wisecrack aside, here’s our report including news about dogs on a highway and dogs on a clock.

Oh, wait: Remember, Dallas Animal Services and the Spay Neuter Network have free spay/neuter opportunities for dogs throughout April. The info is on the DAS Facebook page HERE. If you’re reading this you probably don’t have a candidate for the procedure in your home, but you may know someone who does, so pass it on. That kitten? Remember a few weeks ago when there were only 8 cats on the DAS online shelter listing? What season is this? That's rights. Kitten & Puppy Season. The cat care list was at 20 about noon on Sunday — this is Andre (1062610), one of the many kittens now in the care of DAS. He’s 7 weeks old, has some lookalike siblings on the roster at DAS, and is in a foster home awaiting a permanent home. Email DASFoster@dallascityhall.com.
Yep, how about this! Andre is a member of the very last litter of kittens ever to be born in Dallas, Texas. April ____ —fill in the blank.
SOME GOOD NEWS
FROM MESQUITE’S SHELTER
As the weekend arrived we got a desperate note from Mesquite Animal shelter volunteer biographer Judi Brown about sweet Ria, the 7-year-old, thin, recent-mom who’d been dumped “for financial reasons.”
 The shelter’s population was at the “full” mark and animals were on the clock — as is too frequently the case in city shelters, the only way to make room for the incoming dumped animals is to kill some that haven’t been adopted. That’s why Ria was at peril.
Over the weekend, Ria was adopted, Judi happily reports. Ria’s situation had touched a number of veteran hearts.
We also too the opportunity to catch up on the case of this dynamically-eared Chihuahua named Peanut Butter, a 4-year-old stray. Only weighed 8 pounds and most of that was ears. Judi fell for him and wrote, “Actually, he’s too pretty to be a boy.” The loving, affectionate, human-adoring Peanut Butter was claimed “by one of our wonderful rescues,” Judi reported over the weekend.

Now, there’s not a dog or cat in Mesquite that readlarrypowell.com wouldn’t adopt if we hadn’t already bagged the limit in Big D, but there is one that has touched our ol’ heart. He is this guy Tank. He’s 411409922, 90-pounds and 11 years old. 
Why was an 11-year-old dog dumped at a city shelter? Judi told us, “The reason given was that he didn’t get along with their other dogs! When walking him through the bay he went nose to nose with many dogs wagging his tail. … He is surprisingly energetic and spirited! If it wasn’t for his gray muzzle and his teeth, it would be hard to believe that he’s a senior.”
 To save the life of Tank the Dumped Ol’ Dog, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com

PACK MENTALITY CHIHUAHUAS??? Say it ain’t so. But, here you go. These next two are among the small dogs available in Mesquite. They have a story.
 Dewey is this 3-year-old Chihuahua who came in as a “stray along with three other Chihuahuas on March 25. Two of them have already been adopted. The story goes that they developed a pack mentality and were terrorizing the neighborhood. However, each one individually is really very timid."
Dewey (41153788) is a 7-pounder.”

Lewey (41538042) is a 5- or 6-year-old Chihuahua — all of SIX pounds — who was one of Dewey’s running buddies. Judi says, “Lewey needed time to decompress as he was reacting to the staff out of fear. With time and patience Lewey warmed up to me. He decided I was his best friend. He wanted to snuggle in my neck and gave me lots of kisses. Every opportunity he had he wanted on my lap. However, he can have an attitude so he probably would do better in a household with older children only.”
So, there you have it, the Mesquite report. To summarize: Some goods, save Tank and save the two former marauding Chihuahuas.
Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com
You can see many other Mesquite adorable adoptables by going to this shelter LINK
.
Among them is this interestingly-coated 5-month-old girl, Jinx (41162861). When I first saw her photo, I thought she was a mouser with a mouthful of lab rat.
Nope, that’s just her “look.” She’s small and house-trained. She came in on March 26.
[LARRY ASIDE: We’ve had several black and white cats at readlarrypowell.com's international headquarters and we’ve never had one that wasn’t prone to fun and affection and entertaining behavior. Of course, so are most of the rest of the cats in our history, too.]

THE NEXT RESCUE IN BURNS FLAT
(THERE’S ALWAYS A NEXT ONE)
Terry Lynn Fisher continues to be the saving grace for animals in and around the western Oklahoma town of Burns Flat. Her determination is an example for rescuers in Anyplace, USA. And this story has a number of angles. It needs more angels.

“I have waited to share this story until things were all settled," Terry Lynn told us. "Last Wednesday, there was a bad wreck up on Interstate 40 near the Burns Flat exit, 8 miles from me. Within 30 minutes of the wreck, a very pregnant Pit showed up at a business. This is a rural area near a very small town, so we knew the Pit wasn't from the area.
“I didn't know if there were dogs involved in the wreck at that time, but wondered if the wreck and the pregnant Pit were related. The business owner contacted me, worried that the pregnant dog would get hit by a car and afraid she would have the babies and the coyotes would get them. So I went up and got her.
“Later, I learned there were TWO dogs that were ejected form the car, so I was pretty sure this was one of the dogs. I was watching for another Pit and had several other people watching. I had no information on the dogs, so other than be on the lookout for a stray Pit, I had no idea what we were looking for. I had left a message with the Highway Patrol, but never got a returned call..
“Yesterday [Saturday], the Washita County Sheriff Department called me and gave me the information for the family of the lady involved in the wreck. They had been told one of the dogs had been hit by a car at the scene and the other was still missing. I spoke with the family and informed them she was safe with a foster.
“They were not sure if the male had been killed so I called the Highway patrol and it was verified that yes, he had died. That night, I sat and wondered about him. What happened to his body? So the next morning, I went up to where the wreck had happened and started searching the area. When I found him, it broke my heart — he was just laying in the ditch with his collar, where they apparently threw him after he had been hit. I could not stand it. I called my son so he came up and picked his body up and buried him for me..So now, this sweet boy has been laid to rest...
“Due to the injuries the lady has suffered from this wreck, the family has asked if we can help them find a safe place for Momma Blue and her unborn babies.

“The situation itself is a bad one. She and her boyfriend were in a stolen car and the wreck happened during a high speed chase with Highway Patrol. She is now paralyzed from the chest down. With three children, facing charges, and the severe injuries she suffered, her family just feels the Momma will be better off placed elsewhere so they surrendered her to me.”

Terry Lynn, now that she knows Mom was in the car crash, is getting her to the vet Monday.
Mom, a “very sweet and friendly dog” is the dark-colored Pittie. Blue, on the couch with Momma Blue, is the boy who was killed when hit by a car after the crash.

“If anyone can help this girl, please let me now,” Terry Lynn asks. Email her at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com or call her at 580-330-1459. There’ll be vet expenses, maybe boarding expenses and puppies to place if all goes well.
CONTEMPLATIONS
CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR; NO JOKING WITH THE NEWS
Yeah, I can’t get that stolen car chase with the dog victims out of my brain, either. Why in the hell (pardon my entirely appropriate French) would somebody take their dogs on a stolen car escapade? Once again we have an example of what the rest of us are up against in this world: Free-roaming people without good sense. God bless their dogs and cats and keep those animals safe while the authorities make room in the local jails for the misguided perps. Good grief. And if these people are dealing with drug problems, put them some place where they can get some sincere help. Don’t set them free; help them. And if they can’t be helped? Don’t set them free — they’ll only harm themselves and maybe someone else. … 
Traditionally this is a day I lay low. People, including my witspouse Martha, have been known to blame me for unfortunate April Fool’s Day pranks. As my late, great Texarkana Gazette Editor J.Q. Mahaffey told me when I was about 16, “Son, don’t play with the news.” That is, without a doubt, extraordinarily wise advice. Oughta be spread throughout journalism. But, of course, if you want something to spread throughout journalism, make up a rumor. I say that as a longtime daily occupant of a newsroom chair. I once wrote a fake memo and posted it in the city room at The Big Paper Downtown asking if the person who took the press from the basement of the building would return it — no questions asked. A newspaper press is so big — two stories tall — that it takes a train to deliver it and a team to get it installed — nobody ever expects to move it after that. Yet, people were sincerely asking if the press had been returned and how would we publish without it. That’s when I realized the power of my written word. I’ve still got that press our garage. Every now and then we’ll fire it up and let it rumble so the cats can enjoy the soothing vibrations throughout the house. If you need a press let me know — willing to sell at a substantial discount.
—- To offer opinions, solutions or to bid on the April Fool Press, click on “comment” below or email dallrp@aol.com. —-

RIA -- HAS SHE BEEN DUMPED TO DEATH?

“Ria is on the MOST CRITICAL list. Our shelter is 100% full. This is really, really scary. This poor girl never has had a chance at a decent life.” — 
Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer biographer Judy Brown.


A SATURDAY EXTRA EDITION [PetPowellPress] — As you can see from the photos, the 7-pound, too thin at 44 pounds dog, “has either very recently had a litter or has been over-bred or possibly both,” Judi wrote.

And this is quite the urgent appeal for a dog who has captured some hearts but not a home or rescue.
Ria first caught our eye about three weeks ago — she’d been 
dumped at Mesquite Animal Shelter on March 12 “for financial reasons,” Judi wrote.
 The clock has been ticking right along as people have ignored Ria or said “so sad” and moved on to save others.
But there may be hope.
Ria may survive if she can get a two-week foster so she can simply live long enough to get to, Judi writes, "an adopter in Kentucky who would love to have Ria but cannot take her for two weeks.”

There are financial pledges to support caring for Ria (#40703656). 

Judi says, “It was difficult to get good pictures of her because she stuck so close to me. She just looks up at you with adoring eyes and wants so badly to be loved on.”

Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

— Save them all and offer opinions by clicking “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

ART has the COOKIE CREW enjoying puppyhood! PLUS, we see WHAT'S NEW with VIOLET & TATERTOT

You know how it’s said “A picture is worth a thousand words”? A happy pup picture must be worth a million words and a picture of this many puppies snoozing? Well, that's way too many words to count.
This is a rescued litter currently in the care of Animal Rescue of Texas, the Dallas-based all-foster organization.
Having fostered puppies before, readlarrypowell.com is well aware of the joys and rewards and challenges. One or two puppies is a snap. When you get litter this big, you are exceptionally blessed.
That’s why these siblings are the spotlighted snoozers in our long-running weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
The story and other photos of the “Cookie Crew” -- their mom is a girl named Sugar -- are on the ART Facebook page. And there’s a video HERE
that shows the kids being kids and HERE'S A VIDEO that shows the romp toward the grub.
The lone puppy photo? That's Gingersnap and here's her caption from ART: “Gingersnap is giving you the secret wink! #artcookiecrew."
The explanation of the Group Snooze photo is this: “Just a few minutes before dinner time the #artcookiecrew was sacked out! Look at big ol’ Chunk in the upper right hand corner! And tiny Praline, second from the left. Last week we were very worried that she wasn’t thriving, but good food and big love has changed the outlook for her.”

Ah, some day, they’ll all be in their own homes and enjoying the love all puppies ought to have. At animalrescueoftexas.org you can see how to adopt, how to foster, how to get involved.

You may not want a puppy. Aha, here’s Sophie. She’s a 3-year-old, 10-pound Cairn Terrier/Dachshund mix who was “rescued from a local shelter by ART.”
Two views of the rescued pup — both cute. She’s clearly a dog whose mission would be to elevate the human condition.
[PLEASE SEND YOUR PHOTOS of your sleeping dogs or cats or any other critter you love — and their stories — to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll post the bio and photos on readlarrypowell.com in our weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be setting an example for people without animals — they’ll realize they, too, can benefit from having a loving companion around the house. You’ll also inspire insomniacs to realize that they, too, can get some sleep — like this cat, our own Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson who likes to nod off on my printer so much that I finally just threw an old sweater atop it and she calls it her “Comfy Catnap Contemplation Platform.” She gets more use out of the printer than I do. She also gets more sleep than I get.]
A REMINDER ABOUT VIOLET,
AND HER SIDEKICK TATERTOT
This notice about Violet comes from Mary T. Sullivan of SOS Fosters For Pets In Needs. So does the follow up on the little Tatertot. Click on the art; it'll grow.
Perhaps you recall that Tatertot, who had been dumped with Violet, had lived with a family for years and never had a name. His rescuers picked "Tatertot." 
He was seen by a vet late in the week, Mary says. “His bloodwork looks great, but he’s got a Grade 3  heart murmur and some enlargement of his little ticker, so he’s a special needs guy. The vet pegged him at a bit younger than we thought – maybe seven. We’re going to have him neutered next week and we’ll have his teeth done, too.  Then he’ll be ready to go to a family that’s willing to take on a guy with heart disease.  We’re optimistic that he’s got several more good years ahead of him, especially with the right diet and regular exercise. … He’s super sweet, as is Violet, and very adorable.”
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