ReadLarryPowell.com

THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE RIGHT DOG, THE RIGHT CAT & THE RIGHT STUFF

EDITION OF TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We have a veritable cavalcade of critters for this edition (and we’re going to cyberpress a little earlier than usual to give these guys some extra time in the spotlight). We’re starting with Jolene.
SURRENDERED TO BE EUTHANIZED,
JOLENE, INSTEAD, GETS SOME HELP
If you’ve been involved in animal rescue in North Texas over the years, you’re probably aware of the work of Mark Cooper — at Dallas Animal Services, at Operation Kindness and, for the past few years, The Colony Animal Services where he’s the Division Manager. 
In his career he’s seen a lot of animals in trouble. That experienced eye helped this girl Jolene survive being surrendered last week for the sole purpose of being euthanized.
 She had horrendous swelling in her mammary area, she was in pain and her owner said he thought the problem was probably cancer and brought her in to be euthanized. The shelter chose to make its own decision about this beautiful dog and the vet exam showed mastitis, inflamed mammary glands.
 Mark, in a video designed to help Jolene find a loving home, says she looks as if she’s been “bred multiple, multiple times.”

[LARRY ASIDE: Yeah, at readlarrypowell.com, we figure Jolene was kept around just to make puppies and when her medical situation was going to be more expensive than feeding and breeding, she was surrendered to the needle.] 

Jolene’s personality has developed without the benefit of being a “companion animal.” She’s not sure what is going on when a human is nice to her. As Mark said in the video he posted on The Colony’s Facebook page,”Somebody’s gonna have to teach this dog love.” [LARRY ASIDE: As you’ll see in the video, that’s the hand of Mark scratching the head of the dog who may never have been loved. Doesn’t that “never been loved” thought break the heart of anyone who has ever loved a dog and been loved back.]
Take some time and watch the video HERE. Thanks to Tami Kukla for spotting the touching video for us.
To offer to help Jolene, call the shelter at 972-370-9250 or email mcooper@thecolonytx.gov or animalserices@thecolonytx.gov.
And Mark Cooper said this, too, about Jolene: “She only needs patience and lots of love. There will be a day Jolene will make an amazing companion pet, she just needs the chance!”
MISSING DOG DAWSON
We’re reposting this bulletin about Dawson, the missing rescued dog.
You may recall this quote from his original story: “We don’t know who he belonged to or how long he was gone before my friend found him floating in a ravine.”

The dog was rescued, taken to a vet, taken in by a rescue group but even a deaf dog who is going blind can be “too clever for his own good.” And Dawson found a way out of the yard and vanished once again.
The search for him has been ongoing but our tipster, the animal advocate Janie Perelman, reports that Dawson has not been found. So, there's your hint to keep looking.
[LARRY ASIDE: If my technoskills are holding up, you can make that poster grow larger by clicking on it.]
JB, AIDEN, ETC.: LET’S DO
A LANCASTER ROUND-UP
We’re going to celebrate JB’s latest good break at the end of this segment. First we’re going to try to help Aiden find a helping hand.
We posted Aiden last week but that was before the big lump on his chest became an open wound, possibly an abscess that burst on Sunday. Whatever it is, Laura Macias, Leighann Hayden and the other 4-Legged Helpers are trying to find someone to take this boy into their caring hands and help him beat the odds. The latest report on sweet, loveable, picked-up-as-a-stray Aiden is this, according to his advocate Helpers: “Very interesting story. Microchipped and apparently owners were reached and they said he was stolen out of their yard three years ago. Then, they chose to not come for him. Just heartbreaking.”
That brings us to Mazy, a “young, spayed Anatolian Shepherd/Retriever mix.” Her bio reads, “Mazey was at the Lancaster shelter back in the April timeframe.  She came in already microchipped and spayed - apparently someone had adopted her from another shelter back in the December timeframe and could not care for her.  A Denton trainer has been fostering her and she has really done well and is ready for her new home.  This is a high energy fun loving girl. She has been going to doggie day care with this trainer. … Very athletic, very sweet dog. Would do great in activities like agility, etc.  Probably best in a cat free home, per the trainer.” 
Then there is Tessa, the Pointer/Bulldog Mix who came in with Tad (already rescued). “She adores people so very much. Very loving. … very sweet alpha female — fine with other dogs — just doesn’t want them in her face or jumping on her.” 
And, of course, the very handsome Staffie, Grayson — found wandering “in the Hutchins/Dowdy Ferry area sporting a harness and chain-type prong collar.” Captured when a “Good Samaritan filled a dog bowl with every type of human food imaginable.” 
For any of those beautiful dogs, call or text 4-Legged Helpers President Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
And that brings us to the latest news about JB (aka Tyler), the dog who has been on a countdown to the needle at Lancaster. If things go sour, he’s got a week left.
 J B’s the guy who loves — at this point — only one person, shelter staffer KB. On Monday we got this update from 4-Legged Helpers. “Hopefully JB will be leaving the building today to go to the new boarding facility and trainer where KB will work with him.” (We may have updates on Tuesday, too.) A good-hearted Dear Reader who wants to remain anonymous stepped up last week to help JB get into a training school. If you want to help with this effort to make JB a totally adoptable dog, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726. Tax-deductible donations can be made via PayPal at helpingshelterbabies@gmail.com. 
And, yes, that is the calming touch of BK reassuring JB that he’s in good hands.
A FELINE REMINDER
North Texas’ shelters and rescues have plenty of cats. We clicked in on the Dog ’n’ Kitty City inventory and found Batman. Yep, Batman. He’s a 5-year-old (born 7/21/15) black and white fellow who is in Dog ’n’ Kitty City because his “owner had to move.” He’s a little uncertain in the shelter. So a kind human would be the best adoptor, right? 

And, of course, in the heart of Dallas you’d expect to see Tabby Cats. There are two of the many on the roster at Dog ’n’ Kitty City, the shelter operated by the Humane Society of Dallas County, 27191 Manor Way, Dallas. (Closed the first Tuesday of the month, so come by on Wednesday. Go to dognkittycity.org to see how to adopt or how to help — volunteering always helpful. The Humane Society’s motto is “Making a better life for abandoned animals for over 40 years!”
CONTEMPLATIONS
RIPPED OFF; A BIT OF HAPPY JUSTICE; A MOMENT WITH TOM WOLFE
A Handley resident posted this on a Fort Worth neighborhood bulletin board: “To whomever ripped my vegetables out of the pots and stole the pots you are scum. We planted them to help feed our family because we don’t have the funds for much. Taking our ability to feed ourselves is low. I just don’t understand.” …
That’s pretty sad, isn’t it. We noted Monday that August is, according to the online calendar Holiday Insights, “Admit You’re Happy Month.” You know what would make me happy? Possibly an arrest in the purloined pots case or possibly hearing that the villain dropped a heavy pot on his or her bare foot and will suffer dramatic toe discomfort until people start wearing Bass Weejun penny loafers again. Justice. Right? …

I watched part of the splashdown coverage of that NASA/SPACE X mission Monday and immediately realized I had a sudden urge to re-read Tom Wolfe’s book The Right Stuff. I may also re-read The Bonfire of the Vanities. I once had a conversation with the great author Tom Wolfe. I met him in the 3rd floor elevator lobby just off the city room of The Dallas Morning News and I recognized him and his constant white suit right away. He looked at me and asked one of the most important questions a man could ever ask, “Where’s the men’s room?” Yes, I knew. I had the right stuff and gave him the direction. “Right there,” I said, pointing proudly to a door down the hallway. It just wasn’t the right time to discuss building characters or finding an agent. Besides, we each had different business we needed to attend. He was taking a break while promoting a book. I had a column to write.
Here’s a favorite Tom Wolfe quote, particularly pertinent during an election year: “The problem with fiction, it has to be plausible. That's not true with non-fiction.”
—- Offer literary advice or plots by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and expect no pay. —-

FOR A MONDAY EDITION WE ADDRESS 'HAPPY,' CLOWNS, DOGS, CATS, PEOPLE AND 55 YEARS...

EDITION OF MONDAY, AUG. 3, 2020 [PetPowellPress] August is NOT being celebrated as National Hard to Believe All This Stuff Month. It is, however, Admit You’re Happy Month, according to the online calendar Holiday Insights. We’re probably more in the mood for “Admit What Legally Makes Me Happy Month.” (That happy dog is Copper of Mesquite.)
 Oh, and Aug. 1-7 is “International Clown Week.” Always occurs during a presidential election campaign. Unintentional connection, we’re almost sure. More in Contemplations.
That boy kitten is no clown but he is among the Tabby Cats and kids awaiting a home at Dallas Animal Services where all adoptions are free during August and the virtual “Clear the Shelter” event.  [LARRY FYI: Dallas is not running out of tabby cats, as you can see from the M on the forehead of 1103855 — we can’t guarantee what he’ll look like when he’s grown but you can bet your lotto winnings he’ll have stripes. See more at dallasanimalservices.org.]
ONE WAITING IN EAST TEXAS;
ONE SAVED IN DALLAS, TEXAS
(I.E., SOMEONE SAID ‘GET SHORTY’)
We got the updates on both of these from our pal Kimberly Smith, rescuer/adoptor/foster /advocate.
 This dog, Anderson, is described as the “3rd longest resident” of the Smith County Animal Control at Tyler. Kimberly’s note carried this description: “The eyes on this baby say it all! Doesn’t he look like the sweetest little boy there ever was?? A volunteer agrees that he’s one of the happiest dogs she’s ever met, which is saying a lot given how many dogs the volunteers see. In spite of all of this, Anderson has climbed his way to the top of the URGENT list..”
The report on Sunday was that at least $150 had been pledged to the rescue that takes Anderson (A45023305). He’s a 2-year-old terrier mix, 57 pounds, who was found on County Road 490. No chip. Call 903-266-4303. The shelter’s at 322 E. Ferguson St. in Tyler. Email both shelter@smith-county.com and smithcountydogs@gmail.com.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO SHORTY, or as Kimberly referred to her, “Precious Shorty.” She’s the Dallas Anmal Services dog with the “droopy eyes, wrinkly skin and a personality that are all 100% guaranteed to make your heart just melt.” The staff and volunteer favorite was claimed by a rescue group over the weekend, Kimberly reports. And as soon as we learn which halo-wearing group saved this baby, we’ll let you know so you can (a) adopt the dog and/or (b) donate to the rescue group as a show of support for a good deed done nicely.
TWO FROM THE POPULATION
IN THE MESQUITE ANIMAL SHELTER
As we noted in our opening paragraph today, August is “Admit You’re Happy Month” and from this panel of pictures you can clearly see that Copper is a willing-to-be-happy dog. He’s a mixed-breed 8-year-old dog who, our tipster, the volunteer biographer Debra Chisholm reports “was surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 7/29. Reason for the surrender was that the owner was unable to continue to care for him.  Copper was obviously given the name because his coat is a beautiful coppery color. …  You would not guess Copper is 8 years old because he is such an energetic and lively boy.  Former owner says the following of Copper--he lived both indoors and outdoors, he is OK with other dogs and cats.  He knows the sit, stay, lay down and go commands and is house- trained.  Former owner reports that he is ‘very gentle and lovable.’ In the time I spent taking pictures and evaluating Copper, I heartily concur.”
He’s #45180375 at the shelter. To ask about adopting or rescuing Copper, use that number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
Use those contact points when you ask about darling Pippa (45157574), clearly an Earhound. She’s also a Brindle mixed-breed girl. And in that second photo you can see how the shape and color of her ears and her coat have combined to create the illusion of a skillet-sized ear on her her left side! Relax, she’s got two pointy ears. The 40-pound, 7-months-old, not-yet-spayed dog arrived as a stray on July 26. Debra’s descriptions says, “She's a real standout.  Pippa has lots of puppy energy and playfulness.  She is happy to chase balls, but doesn't know what to do once she reaches the thrown balls.  …  There's so much to like about this spunky charming pup.”

THE COLONEL IN GARLAND;
LOVING HELP IS NEEDED

We got a forwarded email Sunday regarding this dog, The Colonel, who was said to be at the Garland Animal Shelter. 
The note said the Rottie mix was left in a vet clinic parking lot on July 30 — Animal Control Officers were called and found him outside under the care of staffers who’d called for help after being alerted about the “dumping” of the dog on the clinic lot. He was on the ground, unable to move his hind legs, suffering from eye ailments and clearly miserable. He was listed as “Code Red” — no feeling in his back paws, wasn’t attempting to move. “Could be EU at any time,” the note we got read. A later check said he’s still waiting at the shelter. His shelter ID is A246404. To offer to help him email rescue@garlandtx.gov. Garland Animal Shelter is at 600 Tower Street, Zip 75040. Call 972-205-3570, Ext. 4.
[LARRY ASIDE: If anyone knows who may have let him get into this shape — well, I don’t know what we can do except pray for enlightenment. We can’t use the Readlarrypowell.com Two-by-Four of Enlightenment — that would be wrong — but it would be so right.]
FOR YOUR LAKESIDE
CALENDAR NOTES
From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday the 8th, Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic in Gun Barrel City will host a low-cost vaccinations, microchipping, heartworm testing “and more” event. No appointment necessary, just show up with your properly leashed dog or properly carriered (that a word?) cat. And if you know someone with a dog or cat that needs to be spayed or neutered, call 903-451-4701 or 214-808-4701 and ask about appointments for the Tuesday operations days. Read more about the Friends and how you can get involved by donating time, money or supplies at friendsoftheanimals.org. The Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake operate the world's most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas.
CONTEMPLATIONS
CLOWNS, 5 LEGS AND CHECKS ’N’ WORDS
In our opening paragraphs for this edition we noted that we’re well into Clown Week, as per Presidential Proclamation 4071, issued on Aug. 2, 1971. Research reveals the Proclamation made Aug.1-7 National Clown Week. What’s that? Yes. A Presidential Proclamation. Which president? Richard M. Nixon. That was 1971. In 1991, the name was changed to International Clown Week — proclamation by George H.W. Bush? Nope. A bunch of clowns got together and changed it. Clowns of America International. The organization’s 2020 convention has been canceled by the pandemic. The 2021 convention is scheduled for Niagara Pratfalls — wait, sorry. Niagara Falls. Here’s the clown link. …
HOW MANY LEGS? I opened the inbox one day last week and saw this subject line on an email: “5 LEGS TO GO!!!!” Immediately I thought, some backyard breeder has figured out a way to add an extra leg to a puppy. But, upon further examination, the note was simply a situationer on the status of a dog transfer project. …
COUNTING THE DAYS AND THE MONEY: I didn’t keep the check stubs (nobody knows what those are any more, of course) from my first newspaper job, but August 1965 -- 55 very fast years ago -- is when I first began writing for money. Allow me to insert an important quote from the English author Samual Johnson (1709-1784): “No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money.” And England was old and the U.S. was quite young when Johnson wrote, “Power is not sufficient evidence of truth.” Use that quote at any level of politics.
—- Offer wisdom or epithets by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

CATCHING UP WITH IVY JOY, FORMERLY A HOUSTON FREE-ROAMING KITTEN

This weekend’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie and Napping Cats Nap is a visit with old friends of readlarrypowell. com — people and animals we first wrote about a decade ago.
[LARRY ASIDE: We so frequently write about dogs and cats who  are in shelters because they've lost their homes to human folly. But in this case, we are celebrating an enduring family unit. And that is a wonderful pleasure.]
In late 2010 or early 2011, we started writing about a kitten named Ivy who had been rescued from a desperately solitary life in a Houston field by Frank and Edna Taylor.  [We opened this edition with a photo of grown-up Ivy Joy curled up in the bed that belonged to her canine pal Luna Rose -- more on that in a moment. The photo of the cat in the trashbin is the first we ever published of little Ivy.]
Ivy's rescue by Frank and Edna was the first act of kindness for that cat. And that glorious act, plus her "Dallas family life," have earned the spotlight for this beautiful all-grown-up cat in our weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

Connections were made and made and Ivy was adopted by Lezli and Michael Ragland in Dallas. Frank and Edna drove the cat up to Dallas to make everyone’s acquaintance. The Raglands kept Ivy’s name and added “Joy” because she was. Consider the photo of Ivy Joy caught in a moment of reflection.
She has, in fact lived up to the name Ivy Joy.
In 2016, we did an update on Ivy Joy and reported that she was enjoying life with the beautiful Boston, Luna Rose, and a Chi-Pug mix named Honey Bun. (Yes, all 3 are in that nose-to-nose-to-nose photo.) 
Earlier this summer, Luna Rose moved on to the next stop for all dogs — our readlarrypowell.com theological stance is “All dogs go BACK to Heaven.” We figure they’re angels sent here to help us learn patience and how to love with our hearts.
Lezli says, "Princess Ivy Joy will be about 10-11 years old in August.” [LARRY ASIDE: FYI. Last week Ivy Joy was diagnosed with a bone spur at the base of her spine and, as Lezli says, “So, that is why she is not as active as in her early older years.” The hope is her meds will help her keep up her usual Ivy Joe pace.]

Lezli continues, “She picked us for her family on August 27, 2011. She has grown into an amazing cat full of personality and love. She still has her feral moments and can be spirited at times (like going to the vet) , but her love for her people has truly grown...and our love for her is immense.
“She has brought so much joy to our lives. Her spirit is amazing and her ability to trust and adapt has proven successful. Ivy Joy has had a lot of adjustments recently since her best friend went to the Rainbow Bridge a couple of months ago....
She has never been without Luna Rose, until now. We see her grief and yet, she knew what was happening and sat with Luna Rose in her final hours. It was her way of saying ‘Good-bye and I love you.’
"We all miss Luna Rose so much. Ivy Joy [She sleeps in Luna Rose’s bed now and then] is learning to find friendship with Honey Bun, our Chug rescue.” 
Honey Bun, for a while, after Luna Rose went on, refused to leave her pal’s kennel.
Lezli says, “Honey Bun has been a member of the family for 8 years. She was not in good shape when we got her and love does wonderful things. She is a ‘Chipug’ or a a ‘Chug’.”
Luna Rose, Lezli says, “was the glue on the family — everyone is … adjusting.’ In the near future, Ivy Joy will have to adjust yet again when we combine households with my mom (AKA ‘Meemaw.’) …Mom has a senior cat, Louie Blue. He, too, is one of our rescues. This should prove interesting to say the least....and yet, we have faith, it will work out. We plan to keep them separated so neither is greatly stressed. Ivy Joy loves the sunshine and napping....she is our hearts and the Princess of our family...always. Our hearts are connected by paws.”
[LARRY NOTE: What a tribute to Ivy Joy, Luna Rose, Honey Bun and their humans! Write a tribute about your sleeping dog or napping cat and send it and photos to dallrp@aol.com and we'll feature
your beloved friends in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be inspiring people to give their love and their homes to wonderful animals. And you’ll be inspiring insomniacs to believe they, too, can get some sleep if they can just figure out how to curl up without becoming frozen in an oval!]
—- Offer happy thoughts and appreciations for animals by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com (I’ll probably be wide awake no matter what hour of the day it arrives. I can’t curl up.) —

CELEBRATING WITH FRIENDS! (AT THE LAKE)

Here's a little newsy note we got Friday morning from Sydney Busch and it contains a significant notice about the Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic, the world's most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas. 
The first email I opened today came from Sydney and it reads:
"18 years ago today, Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic opened its doors with the goal of providing affordable spay/neuter surgery for those families wanting to be responsible pet owners.
"Dr. Glen Campbell has been our surgical veterinarian since we opened those doors - along with a wonderful group of volunteers who have been with us from the beginning.  Today, around 35-40 volunteers come in every Tuesday and make the day run smoothly.
"In these 18 years we have spayed/neutered over 45,000 animals which translates into literally millions of little lives prevented/saved.  AND it's improved our community with fewer packs of stray dogs, feral cats and fewer animals being turned into local shelters.

"So:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!"

[LARRY ASIDE: Congratu- lations to this enduring legend of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake and its Spay/Neuter Clinic. They also do "shots" there and that opening photo, from 2016, is of "patients in post-op" -- the photo was titled: "The Burritos."]

Sydney always has a handle on the needs of the clinic, so she also included this passage in the birthday notice. She writes, "Oh, and by the way, we could use the following:
bleach
distilled water
Q-tips
39 gallon trash bags
13 gallon kitchen bags
cotton balls
cases of drinking water for our hard-working volunteers
$$$ to help subsidize surgery costs for feral cat communities
these items can be brought by the clinic in GBC any Tuesday from 6am-4pm!"
Call 903-451-4701or 214-808-4701 to offer to help or arrange to bring supplies to the clinic. Click on the website friendsoftheanimals.org to donate. The U.S. Mail address is P.O. Box 5455, Mabank, TX, 75147. And you can read about Friends and the clinic on Facebook HERE.
--- Offer Friday thoughts by clicking on 'comments' below. ---

CELEBRATING GOOD HEARTS, ANIMALS THEY HELP AND THAT BIG GRIN FROM LOLA!

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Dear Readers — and specifically one Dear Reader — because of you and the work of 4-Legged Helpers, the handsome dog JB, currently in the Lancaster Animal Shelter, is one step closer to a happy life. 
Leighann Hayden of the Helpers opened our day Thursday with the revelation that a Dear Reader (who wants to remain anonymous) saw JB’s story and read comments regarding the dog and donated “a large amount towards” JB’s training and, consequently, success as a beloved dog in someone’s home. For more info on adopting or helping this dog who trusts only one human, his shelter handler KB, call or text 4-Legged Helpers President Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. You can still donate to JB’s cause — helpingshelterbabies@gmail.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: It’s good to know, as a guy who types, that there are big-hearted people working so hard every day to rescue animals in shelters and out of shelters. You folks are earning some mighty bright halos. That was the first photo of JB we saw -- in a cage because he couldn't abide people. He's changing.]
ON THE NORTHERN SIDE
OF THE ANIMALFULPLEX
I couldn’t think of another way to describe a region that has so many taxpayer-supported animal shelters and volunteer rescue groups — Animalfulplex seems to fit. And that brings us to Cinnamon, the terrified, shaking dog in Denton’s McNatt Animal Shelter and Adoption Center. We’ve written about her before and nobody was wanting her but — STOP THE CYBERPRESSES, THERE’S GOOD NEWS.
Our Denton-watcher Amy Poskey writes, “I am sooooooooo happy to report that Cinnamon has left the building!!!  Diana Fields with 4Paws2Love Rescue pulled this sweetie pie today [Thursday] and Cinnamon will be in a loving foster home where she will be spoiled rotten!!!  THANK YOU,  DIANA!!!”
 You may donate to Cinnamon’s care by going to www.4paws2love.org and follow the organization’s work on Facebook HERE. 
In an earlier note, Amy explained that this “Timid Angel” was one of nearly 20 dogs suddenly homeless because their human died. Many of the animals wound up in the Denton Shelter. And Cinnamon, believed to be a 2- to 5-year-old English Pointer Mix, is the one who was “terrified in the shelter and just sits in her kennel and shakes.” That awful situation appears to have been remedied.
SOME SUCCESS WITH KITTENS,
BUT MOM AND BABY WAIT
In Tuesday’s edition, thanks to Amy Poskey, we had a note about a momma cat and 5 kittens who were being cared for by a good soul in Carrollton. They’d been found on the brink of disaster and rescued.
Amy reported Thursday, “Four of the five kittens went to rescue (YAY!), but the last little kitten still needs help and the momma kitty (Splash) also needs our help. Splash is a 1 yr, 6 mo young Calico who is on the smallish side and the last little kitten is just precious.  Splash has a spay appointment with TCAP to get spayed on August 19th.  She has already had her rabies, distemper, and leukemia vaccinations.
“So, if anyone can give this beautiful momma and her last kitten a loving home or rescue, please contact Ute Sander if you can help.  Thank you!  Amy.” Ute’s contact points are email ute.s.queen@gmail.com or call
972-330-3328.

CLOVER NIPPED A LAWN WORKER;
FORMALLY ATTIRED JEFF’S A STRAY
Oh, brother, here’s a dog in a tough spot. The bio about him from Mesquite Animal Services volunteer Debra Chisholm began, “This friendly fellow is Clover.”
Well, he is friendly, but there was this one incident….Debra reports he came into the shelter on July 16 “to serve time in bite quarantine. Details of the incident are that there is a chain link fence between the property of his owner and a neighbor.  A lawnworker was using a weed eater along the fence line of the neighbor and Clover jumped up and scratched him in the face. When the quarantine time was up, the owner decided not to reclaim him.” [LARRY ASIDE: At readlarrypowell.com we figure that someone who’ll give up his dog that easy isn’t good enough to have a dog.]
 Clover is 5, weighs 85 pounds, is neutered and “walks well on a leash but is a strong puller.  He knows the sit command and takes treats gently.  He is a high energy boy with a confident and outgoing personality... He is friendly and his tail rarely stops wagging.” His ID is 45088952.
The second dog is Jeff, a Pittie/Staffie mix who came in as a stray on the 24th. He’s about 2, weighs 53 pounds and will weigh slightly less once his personal surgery is completed. You know what I mean.
But look at him. He’s beautiful! He’s formally attired — black and white, right down to the tip of his happy tail.
 Debra writes, “He walks well on a leash and when led through the bay he did not have an unfriendly attitude toward the other dogs. He is a calm boy, yet lively and active.  His energy level is moderate. … He is amiable and has a sweet nature.  He has a mellow personality.”
Jeff is #45151297.
To ask about either of these dogs, email rescues@cityofmesquite.com or call 972-216-6283.
See more Mesquite animals on the shelter website HERE. Plenty of dogs and cats, and among those cats continuing to be un-adopted and un-rescued is #44425216, the 5-year-old fellow known as RuPaul.
CONTEMPLATIONS
ONE RESCUED DOG LEADS TO ANOTHER
If you could smile that big, would people wonder what you were up to? When I was putting together the item about Cinnamon the Terrified Dog being rescued by 4 Paws 2 Love Rescue, I went to the organization’s Facebook page and discovered this wonderful photo of Lola wearing her “drive-away-from-a-shelter-look."
That picture made me smile in my heart and I think, maybe we all need something to contemplate that makes us smile there these days. Bless that Bulldog Lola's Beautiful face!
— Offer reasons to smile and advice on life by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE SOME ANIMALS; CONTEMPLATING THREE FANS

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Life could be worse — I could be waiting for a home — like this ultra-cute black dog Benny or this deserving of goodness brown dog JB — both of whom we’ve written about before and we’ll get to them again in a minute. And don’t miss the story about Mesquite’s Brandy, either. Still waiting.

Speaking of sweating things out. We’re still concerned about JB, the dog in the Lancaster Animal Shelter who has a fan-following but can’t get adopted because he needs some training to get past his history with a mean human. He’s around two weeks from his euthanasia date. The folks with 4-Legged Helpers are raising money to get training for him. He’s signed up and just needs donations, according to 4-Legged Helpers President Laura Macias. Text or call Laura at 214-949-2726. Send PayPal donations to helpingshelterbabies @gmail.com and note that it’s for JB, to save his life.
We’re not kidding. He’s doomed if he doesn’t get some training.
MEANWHILE, WE’RE SMITTEN
BY THIS DOG WITH SLOBBER
Yeah, that ability to slobber is not Benny's best point in this appeal, but it is, as is said in my native Northeast Texas, “just the cutest liddul thang.” Our contact on Benny, Mary Sullivan sent the note saying that Benny has “gotten along with every dog he’s met. Adores people, too (especially those who like a little slobber), and enjoys training.” [LARRY NOTE: As I said when I wrote about him and his slobber a couple of weeks ago, “He had me at slobber.”]
As Mary wrote to us in the latest appeal, “I’m surprised that we haven’t gotten any action on him, because he’s such a sweetie.  However, I realize all too well that there are lots of big, black Pitties out there with temperaments like Benny’s who get passed over.  Very unfortunate.  On my bucket list is to adopt just such a dog someday.”
And she sent photos of “Big Ben, including one of him training with is awesome trainer, Cathy Painter at VBS.”

This 9-month-old, 55-pound dog has completed heartworm treatment and is ready to go to a loving home. Contact Mary at SOS Fosters for Pets in Need for more info: 214-783-2060 or msully2011@gmail.com.
[LARRY NOTE: I like the training photo — when I first saw it I thought, “Now, there’s a dog who knows how to engage in a thoughtful approach to life — sit and ponder.” Then I realized that his trainer was testing his patience when it came to a treat. Benny has more patience than I do. I got up twice and went to the kitchen while typing this note. I’m sure my funspouse Martha has chocolate hidden in there somewhere.]
PERIWINKLE'S PERPLEXIFICATION

& HANDSOME, PRETTY DOGS WAIT
What’s perplexing to Periwinkle? Not sure she realizes it, but it’s her state of being that’s perplexing at the present — she’s pregnant for perhaps the first time in a city animal shelter and the rush is on to get her out so she can deliver in a calmer environment with personal attention for her and the kittens. That’s the mission of 4-Legged Helpers — get Periwinkle to a serene delivery experience. Periwinkle, with the delicate Tabby insignia on her forehead, may be an Abyssinian mix, according to some of the “cat rescue people” who have seen her photo. She waits, but as we all know, maternity waits for no one — when it’s time to deliver the goods, it’s time.
Also at the Lancaster Animal Shelter, there are also some handsome dogs, in addition to JB who we mentioned once again in our opening paragraphs.
Consider this guy, Grayson, a male Staffie who will be available on Monday, Aug. 3 if no one claims him.
 Check out those eyes. The story from 4-Legged Helpers reads, “This BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL, EXTREMELY LOVABLE dog was spotted originally in the Hutchins/Dowdy Ferry area sporting a harness and chain-type prong collar.  He was easily captured when a Good Samaritan filled a dog bowl of every type of human food (grilled meat, sausage, you name it) enticing him to come eat.  He is really stunning.  Appears to be an expensive purebred that someone probably originally purchased.  We sadly expected and hoped to find a microchip but there was none. Such a sweet dog with some of the prettiest eyes we have seen.”

And that brings us to Aiden, the Hound/Shepherd Mix the nearly fawnish highlights over his eyes — he’s available on July 31 at Lancaster. And there is Kenzie, a “little sweetie pie (female Bulldog mix) who was found by a Good Samaritan in Lancaster.”
 he Good Sam can keep the dog only for a few days. If no one claims her, she’s going to the shelter. So, to ask about her, or any of these other animals — JB, Periwinkle, Grayson, Aiden, etc., — call or text Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
MEANWHILE, MESQUITE’S BRANDY
STILL ‘WAITING FOR A HUMAN'
Like so many of us who see incredible dogs and cats waiting in shelters, our Mesquite Animal Services volunteer biographer Debra Chisholm is puzzled as to why Brandy, surrendered on July 1, still hasn’t scored a good home. Adopt or rescue, either way works for opening up shelter space via movement and not a needle.

Debra writes, “She has become my buddy when I volunteer at the shelter and is so special that I wanted to resend her information and pics and make another plea for a rescue or adoption for her.

“Stated reason for the surrender was that the owner was ‘no longer able to care for her.’  Brandy is an American Staffordshire mix, is 12 years old and is a lightweight at 35 pounds.  She is not spayed and it appears as though she has had more than one litter of pups in her lifetime.  Former owner reports that she has lived outdoors as a watchdog.  Although not good with cats, she is friendly with children. 
“Also reported was that Brandy is ‘going blind" and that she "can't hold her bladder."  It is difficult to believe she is going blind because she gets around so well and does not seem to show signs of this.  She walks well on a leash.  When led through the bay she did not show an unfriendly attitude toward the other dogs, even those who were barking at her.  However, it is always a good idea to request a dog test from the shelter staff.  She is so friendly and affectionate and enjoys receiving attention, being petted and loved on.  Would you help give this girl a chance at an life inside with her people where she will be pampered and receive the TLC she deserves?  Please network or tag at rescues@cityofmesquite.com, typing in the subject line TAG, ID 44986439.  Call the shelter at 972-216-6283.”

That brings us to Buddy (upper left), a 3-year-old, 62-pound, intact PittieStaffie who arrived on July 23. He’s excitable so he’ll need some manners training, Debra says. But he “loves treats and takes them gently,” so training may be a snap. His shelter ID is 45140502 — use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityof mesquite.com. [LARRY ASIDE: Does his tail wag? Look at it in that photo — so fast it’s a blur! Good boy!]
There are two German Shepherd mixes -- yes, definitely Earhounds
Tiara (right), about 3, weighs 70 pounds and came in on July 22 - she isn’t spayed. Yet. Debra writes, “She is a high-spirited girl with an exuberant and confident personality.  Tiara is friendly and enjoys attention and being petted.  She knows the sit command.  She will sit for treats and takes them gently.  Tiara walks well on a leash.  … There is so much to like about Tiara and she is highly adoptable."  Use her ID 45132636 when you call or email the shelter.
That brings us to Mercedes (#45128721), a 4-year-old, 57-pound German Shepherd mix who came in as a stray on the 22nd. Debra writes, “She was wandering alongside a busy highway and brought to safety to the shelter. …  She walks nicely on a leash.  When led through the bay she was intimidated by the dogs who barked at her.  She seems uneasy in the shelter environment.  She is a bit cautious, timid and nervous.  However, she is a girl with a sweet and mellow nature.  She pooped and pottied in the shelter yard so may be house-trained.  She is happy to sit for treats and takes them gently.  She has probably recently had a litter of pups.  This timid calm girl would undoubtedly warm up and respond to TLC in a quiet home environment.- Please help Mercedes find her very own perfect forever home by networking or tagging at rescues@cityof mesquite.com, typing in the subject line TAG, ID 45128721.  If additional information is needed please call 972-216-6283 or email at rescues@cityofmesquite.com."
See more animals in the Mesquite shelter by clicking HERE. You’ll see a lot of other dogs waiting, but you’ll also see a lot of kittens and several grown-up cats. Among the grownups are these two beautiful felines. That orange, white and black cat is “Kitty,” currently in the “Feral Room” and the orange and white cat is Cash, currently in the “Cat Room.” [LARRY ASIDE: They both look huggable and pet-able and don’t you wish people could say that about you when you’re posing for an important photo!]

CONTEMPLATIONS
PHOTOS OF FANS AND A FAN
We have photographs to augment our Contemplations. Three fans.
As you can see in that first photograph, my own personal confidant cat, The Senator, carefully supervises the work of my funspouse Martha. Her typing is rapid — note the blurry fingers on her left hand. The Senator’s thoughts frequently outrace the keys — he has spent time counseling others on proper behavior in elected positions. They didn’t all listen, as you may have guessed.
The second photo is of my office cat, William Powell, comforting me (and himself) as I attempt to navigate a particularly difficult passage in what will, no doubt, become a best-selling novel about a cat who once ran for the U.S. Senate and was talked into getting hairplugs to enhance his electability. He won….
Those two cats are fans of treats.
That third photo is also of a fan — it’s shows a fan that betrayed me. The glass “globe” fell off and shattered on the office floor. Made a loud noise. Movie loud. I’ve been to six hardware stores and several “we sell everything” stores and gone online, too — as yet I have been unable to find a shallow globe that fits this fan — there’s no brandname on the fan — it’s like it was manufactued in a plant run by people in the Federal Witness Protection Program. [LARRY ASIDE: I’ve had brain surgery so I know that not all the challenges of life are great, some of them do qualify as greatly annoying.] Anybody know of a one-size fits all fan parts store? Yeah, me, neither. I blame the pandemic.
—- Offer shopping advice or hope for the future by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

JB GETS A BREAK; NIALL NEEDS ONE; 5 KITTENS; CINNAMON SHAKES!; CONTEMPLATIONS

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to the mid-week edition. We’ve got animal tales today and, of course, we’ll mention, once again, the countdown on the Lancaster dog JB (that’s his handsome mug). Less than two weeks between him and the needle. We have an update on his story.  And we’ll mention a dog we thought we’d never write about again because he’d been adopted and didn’t need any more “adopt me” publicity. Yes, people are at the core of this continuing story of Niall. Read on, please.
Oh, and this virus thing must be serious -- it just canceled the annual Texas High-Arkansas High more-than-a-century-old cross-state-line rivalry football game on Sept. 4 in Texarkana. Is NOTHING sacred? Back to animals.
‘SWEET NIALL’ RETURNS
TO THE SAGINAW SHELTER
Honestly, ladies and gents, when I saw this news from the animal rescuer/advocate Tami Kukla, it was very clear that this dog's world has been turned upside down. How’s that for linking a situation to a picture of a dog. 
Yep, that is Niall in a happy moment. So, why was he returned to the Saginaw Animal Shelter? Tami reports, “Because his adopters are moving after adopting him recently. This poor boy can't catch a break. He has such a personality and is 52 pounds of cuteness. Loves all dogs and even cats. Oh and is great at dog yoga. Niall needs us to help him. November is a long time to be waiting. Then he finally gets a home only to be told after a few weeks ‘we are moving to a place that doesn't allow dogs’.”
[LARRY ASIDE: How might one react to such news if you’ve worked so hard to find a home for this dog? I’ll give you a hint. I can’t print the expression here.]
Oh, and get this: Tami reports, “The people didn't give him his heartworm medication, either, so he can't start his injections. Livid. But we will be okay.”

You may recall that Niall’s former human had left him outside and unprotected from Texas parasites, so he wound up needing heartworm treatment.
Then, someone adopted him and it looked like everything was all set up. Ah, humans — the authors of illusions of love sometimes. 
So, now, he’s back at Saginaw. [LARRY NOTE: We should be grateful he was returned to Saginaw and not dumped on a lonely road in the heat or rain.]
The dog with the expressive faces — and you can see his damp pawprints on the shelter cement! — is available to someone who’ll love him forever. Here’s the Saginaw LINK. Email aco@ci.saginaw.tx.us or call 817-230-0460.
FIVE KITTENS
READY TO GO
We got this tip from Amy Poskey, the reliable advocate for animals who need a hand. Five kittens — five will need hands, the voice of experience confirms. 
This feline quintet is currently being cared for at a home in Carrollton.
The original appeal from Ute Sander reads, “These kittens need homes or foster or adopters/rescues. They where found dying but we can’t find any help and where they’re at, they can’t stay — the family is out of work and had no response from possible new owners. 

“So, if we can’t get help, they will get euthanized." To get “them, or any of them,” Ute wrote, email ute.s.queen@gmail.com or call 972-330-3328.
CINNAMON WAITS, SHAKES
IN HER DENTON KENNEL
Amy also tipped us to the story of this girl in Denton’s McNatt Animal Shelter and Adoption Center.
The note reads, “This beautiful, sweet girl is Cinnamon!  Bless her heart, she is terrified in the shelter and just sits in her kennel and shakes. She has never shown any aggression at all, she is just scared.  She probably hasn’t had a lot of socialization with people cuz she was in a home with 18 other dogs when her owner passed away.  She does very well with other dogs and would probably adjust better in a home with a pooch pal or two.  All she needs is a little time, patience, and understanding from a loving human.  Please give Cinnamon a chance to blossom and trust!”
She’s 2- to 5-years old, possibly an English Pointer/“Mutt Dawg Mix,” Amy writes. And the 35.4-pound dog is healthy, heartworm negative and dog friendly. She's #88466 at the shelter.
 Call the shelter at 940-349-7594 or email these shelter heroes: gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com,  julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com, Ethel.Strother@cityofdenton.com, roxanna.burson@cityofdenton.com.
THE UPDATE ON JB,
THE UNEASY DOG
We’ve told the story of JB several times — likes only one person, but needs to find a home or within two weeks this handsome boy will be euthanized at the Lancaster Animal Shelter.
Why? Because a previous human made him uneasy around other humans. He’s been betrayed by a human being and now, outside of one kennel staffer he loves, JB has nobody he can trust. That’s an ugly fix, thanks to a don’t-care human being. 
The good news is, 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that focuses on small shelters, has scored something on JB’s behalf. A note from the organization’s president, Laura Macias, reads, “ We need funds ASAP to save JB’s life. We found a trainer willing to work with JB (also known as Tyler at the shelter). Four weeks of training will run $1K.  He will stay and board where this trainer works. One of the animal control staff, KB, that we have mentioned that this dog loves, will help care for him.  Ideally we would like to raise enough money for him to stay 8 weeks.”

Laura also writes, “You may wonder why we are trying so very hard - it is because he is so very deserving.  These dogs are like little children that never had a chance - that have seen the worst of humanity.  He deserves someone to care.  PLEASE, this is his ONLY chance!  PLEASE -  text or call Laura at 214-949-2726.  NO donation too small - contact Laura for more information or our snail mail address.”

Those are some photos of the handsome JB. Be a crime against the world to let circumstances lead to the needle, wouldn’t it.
CONTEMPLATIONS
POLITICS, DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL & WILD WEST BORDER TOWN TEXARKANA
You know, I spent part of my long newspaper career writing about politics — when you write about anImals, you can see hope. Politics is iffy. ….
Earlier this week I saw a TV commercial for the “Official personal injury attorney of the Dallas Cowboys.” Kind of makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Not sure anybody advertises as the “Official Criminal Law Attorney of the Dallas Cowboys.”
Here’s my favorite headline from a recent edition of The Texarkana Gazette: “Murder and Mayhem Walking Tour gives spectators a taste of history” — yep, my hometown, the Twice as Nice Twin Cities, Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas, not really known as "Murder and Mayhem," but I may write that novel, now that I think about it. I’m from the Texas side, born in a former asylum two blocks inside the state line. That headline was on a Gazette story inspired by an authenticated historical incident tour of the city led by Texarkana Museums System Curator Jamie Simmons. And, to top off, it turns out that the score in the September 4, cross-the-state line-football rivalry between Texas High and Arkansas High will be this: Covid 19- Tigers & Razorbacks 0. Wait ’til next year. Yep, this game has been played annually for more than a century but it can’t beat the virus.
—- Offer social distancing condolences or coping advice by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com —-

LOTS OF DOGS AND CATS TO SAVE AND WE DO SOME BABY BOOMERIFICATION MEMORIES...

EDITION OF TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Here we are in the dwindling days of July and sometimes it feels like each day ought to open with a big cloud that has a lit up sign that reads, Once Upon a Time.
Fairy tale existence aside, we’re facing some of the situations we saw at the outset of the month. For example, there’s that guy JB down to around 2 weeks on the clock at the Lancaster Animal Shelter if no one claims him for adoption or for rescue. I’m using his photo again because it bugs me that humans made him almost “unadoptable” and he’s going to pay for their sins with his puppy dog life. That ain’t right, is it. Next up, we go to Garland. Read on and avoid anything that isn’t good for you. FYI: Helping animals is good for ya.
CODE RED IZZIE IN GARLAND NEEDS
AN UNDERSTANDING PERSON — NOW
We got news of Izzie the Rottie over the weekend and checked with Garland Animal Services Monday to learn that this boy is still available.
 He’s been on the shelter’s “urgent” list since July 8. But patience is winning in the effort to save his life. Ask about A245952 when you email rescue@garlandtx.gov.
 The appeal for helping “intact” Izzie began by explaining that he was “an owner-surrender due to the owner being unable to provide care for Izzie any more.”
And here’s a hint of the challenge: The shelter’s note read, “When Izzie was surrendered to us, Izzie did okay on a leash but froze up once the other dogs started barking at him when he was being taken to his kennel. Medical staff member noted that Izzie was standoffish. He would back into the corner when the medical staff member would enter the kennel. Izzie would just stare at the medical staff member. Medical staff member did not feel comfortable putting a leash on him to give him intake vaccines and had to be safely restrained.”

This went on for a while and, according to the report, once when an evaluating officer attempted to interact with him, Izzie “was quick to start to back up to the side of the kennel” and eventually “gave the evaluating officer the stink eye and stared him down as evaluating officer made another attempt to pet him. ….”
OK, basically you get the drift about this handsome dog who is bewildered by unfamiliar circumstances. Eventually he “sat very still” when the leash was put on him, and he “eventually started to walk on his own on the leash…” He made it into the evaluation room without showing aggression, though he was “very scared.” And he took his meds without a problem.
The Garland Animal Services Rescue Team sent me this note about Izzie: “He has gotten better as time has passed, but still needing rescue’s assistance.”
Izzie’s 3, weighs about 75 pounds and is in desperate need of a rescue group to give him a way to have a happy life. Again, ask about A245952 when you email rescue@garlandtx.gov. [LARRY ASIDE: This is grinding the ol’ heart. We have a senior Rottie at our house, Earl, and I cannot keep from remembering how he needed someone to save his life and he has rewarded us with great joy and companionship. It’s not a breed thing, it’s a dog thing — dog’s show gratitude by love and human’s oughta do that, too.]
THE LANCASTER SHELTER
DOESN’T JUST HAVE DOGS
Oh, goodness. Kitten Season is continuing. How do we know? Laura Macias of 4-Legged Helpers sent us photos of Lancaster cats including this baby Periwinkle, a lightly defined Tabby who is well-defined pregnant. Laura’s note says the shelter will release her to rescue to help her get through this significance moment in her young life. She’s not much more than a kitten herself. Has big eyes and is “very, very loving,” Laura wrote.
Then there are Cupcake and Biscuit, maybe 10-weeks old, and available for rescue. They’re smaller than their photos make them look. “They are the only babies at the shelter right now,” the note read.

Among the dogs on the clock are the majestic Husky, Oliver, said to be “a very sweet boy,” and this Boxer mix named Max, about 2 and “he’s just a great boy. Just sweet and adorable and extremely loving.” 
Then there’s Franklin, a Lab/Boxer mix who is “an absolute sweetheart” who is “really stunning in person. Very beautiful fur and the sweetest disposition.”
And that brings us to JB, about 2 weeks left in his life if not rescue or a good-hearted, patient adopter steps up to save him. He has behavior challenges that are getting better but not quickly enough. He only loves his favorite shelter helper but is working on learning to trust other people, too. 
There is a fund to help him adjust. According to the note about JB. “YOU CAN DONATE TO our PayPal at helpingshelterbabies @gmail.com but be sure to let Laura know  it is for JB's training fund.
To offer to help any of these animals, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
ONE MORE LANCASTER NOTE: As you may recall, there was a period of “communication fog” between rescue groups and the City of Lancaster Shelter. But things have changed and the shelter’s leader, Jonathan Harris, is making sure the community support is developing for the animals in the shelter and the people who work there, too.
Laura Macias tells us that there is an “Amazon wish list from the team that works at the shelter to help the animals.   Please, won't you help?  Several items here do not cost much.  There are things like dog food and toys and flea preventative desperately needed.  Mailing address and phone number below.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.
The Amazon link is HERE. Lancaster Animal Services is at 690 E. Main St., Lancaster, Tx. 75146. Call 972-268-2211 (Jonathan Harris is the leader who has put new enthusiasm for rescue into the shelter’s daily activities.)
CONTEMPLATIONS
ASSORTED NOTES FROM A BOOMER
I had not yet started my newspaper career on March 7, 1965, when I saw TV reports — in, ironically, black and white — on the “Bloody Sunday” situation on that bridge in Selma where, on that one day, they may have beaten John Lewis, but they sure didn’t beat him down, did they? In August of that year, I was hired by The Texarkana Gazette and, learning on the job, I even found myself writing on Civil Rights issues and personalities involved in challenging things on local schoolboards and city councils. Those were exciting times and they were heartbreaking times when you realized you’d spent your entire public school education seeing only white faces. That wasn’t good for America. Neither was the poll tax. Neither was taking sticks to people who simply wanted the American right to vote. But the names a kid reporter learned through the news continued to show up in historical accounts of American life. U.S. Rep. John Lewis, for example. Read more about him and the mission -- it'll help you understand how far the nation has come and how much further it has to go. … Looking at the list of celebrity deaths in recent days we saw Regis Philbin from decades of TV. And there was movie star Olivia de Havilland, peacefully passing at 104. Here’s one of her quotes — I’m dedicating it to anyone from the 20th Century. She said, “I’m all for typewriters, with instant carbon copies, and seeing films in cinemas.” I like typewriters, I miss the cinema and I’ve wrestled plenty of carbon paper in my time. The other notable I’ll cite is actor John Saxon. He was 83 when he died over the weekend — the first time I remember hearing of John Saxon, I wasn’t even a teenager. I was at my Uncle Charles and Aunt Ann’s house and two of my older girl cousins (high school age!) were about to go on a double-date to the Paramount Theater to see a movie with teenage heartthrob John Saxon, not much older than my cousins. Might have been Rock, Pretty Baby (1956; photo is from that film) or Summer Love (1957) — my memory fades. Whatever the case, the Paramount Theater had a “Colored Entrance.” Sheesh. John Saxon made a lot of movies through the years and every time I saw John Saxon in a film  it took me back for a moment to that era when you could spin a 45 rpm platter and hear At The Hop by Danny and the Juniors. … Let’s close out this segment of Baby Boomerification with some hot wax from 1958. CLICK HERE. “You can swing it, you can groove it, you can really start to move it at the hop.”
—— Offer your advice, opinions or condolences to time-travelers by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com —-

ANIMALS LISTED AS 'PETS ONLY' AND OTHER STORIES FOR A MONDAY EDITION

EDITION OF MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We’re going to try to make this quick so we can all avoid living up to the words in that long-ago Karen Carpenter song: “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.” May have to wait for Tuesday for a genuine rainy day. Moving along:
WHAT WE SPOTTED
ON FORT WORTH’S LIST

Yep, they call it “Cowtown” but now and then among the dogs and cats you’ll find pigs and chickens. Same thing happens in Dallas. This is, after all, the Lone Star State.
Ginger Leach of Fort Worth Animal Care & Control reports that the “laying hen” has been “tagged.” Pet only, you know. And “pet only” goes for the three pigs. 
She reports, “Tagged by My Pig Filled Life but needs help with transport.” They are two teenage pigs and a baby (click on the photo to make it larger) — all three “surrendered to the shelter,” she writes. “The shelter is very stressful and they need out ASAP." Contact the shelter by emailing fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov. You can see the three pigs video by clicking HERE.
MEANWHILE, IN BIG D’s SHELTER
THERE WAITS A GIRL NAMED SHORTY
This face was spotted by the veteran dog-spotter, adopter, foster and advocate Kimberly Jones.
Shorty’s bio reads, “Droopy eyes, wrinkly skin, and a personality that are all 100% guaranteed to make your heart just melt! This is Shorty (#A0869538). She has quickly become a staff and volunteer favorite! She is sweet, gentle, and so SQUISHY! Adopt Shorty online at https://bit.ly/2WZp0M5
And, in keeping with the tradition of having available Tabby cats at Dallas Animal Services, there is this grown-up girl Baby Meow Meow (A1104663).
Remember, animal adoptions at DAS are free.
[LARRY ASIDE: Speaking of free, we’ve had many, many Dallas street dogs and formerly feral cats in our home through the years — never had to pay for any of them after we picked ‘em up off the street or out of a Dallas park — you know, where ever the good residents of Dallas decided to dump them. Save the animals — there are worse things you can do with your time during an election year.]
FOUR DUMPED IN EMORY;
HELP NEEDED TO SAVE THEM
Yeah, they’re not all dumped in Dallas. Though sometimes I think people from the Metrosprawl take the time to drive to East Texas and dump dogs and cats.
Not sure how these four wound up dumped in Emory, about 90 minutes east of Dallas. But we get the story via an email appeal for help from Allison Smith.
Allison writes, “There are 2 sweet cats and 2 dogs that were abandoned at my father’s house. There is NO yard and they are in small kennels in a metal shed. Cats are in small kennels in a bedroom. This is not ideal for animals!!  We need a rescue to help.”
To ask about helping these four, emailasmith6kids@gmail.com.
Allison says the family will make a donation to any rescue who helps them and adds, “I work with a local rescue but they are full and I'm already full up on taking care of animals! I can NOT take on these animals! My father can NOT take care of these animals. My mother has Alzheimers and my father can NOT take care of these animals and he has NO yard for the dogs to even be out that is why they are in individual kennels in his storage shed with out a door with a fan and that is attached to his carport. All kennels go with the animals. …We don’t know much about the animals other than both dogs are female. The white one is very sweet, calm and gentle. The black one is scared.

“The cats, grey one is female and orange is male. Neither seem comfortable being outside hence why my father put them inside. They are in kennels with a small cat pans inside and are VERY friendly.”
TWO SURRENDERED TOGETHER,
ANOTHER IS A STRAY IN MESQUITE
“Delightful girl” Molly and the other “family dog” Eddie were surrendered at Mesquite Animal Shelter on the 24th. Why? “Family is moving.”
Molly [45148887] is the 6-year-old mostly black Pittie mix — spayed, weighs 45 pounds and “OK with other dogs and children,” the ex-owner says.
Eddie, is about 7, neutered, and 60-pounds of congeniality, getting along with other dogs and kids.
[LARRY ASIDE: Here’s the thing that’ll grind you veteran dog-lovers. These dogs have been with the family since they were little puppies. They’ve never known another home. Certainly never known what life is like in a shelter.] 
Our biographical source, volunteer Debra Chisholm, said Molly is a “frisky and perky girl with a moderate energy level." She is outgoing, friendly and has a sweet nature and “is affectionate and wanted to climb into my lap as I sat on the bench.”
Eddie [4514895] is also a mix. He reported as “fine with other dogs and children” and, like Molly, knows some basic commands. He “takes treats gently and …is a friendly, well-adjusted fellow. He seems to have a confident outgoing personality and is a well-mannered boy.”
 For these dogs, email rescues@cityofmes- quite.com or call 972-216-6283.
Use that information, also, to ask about this Shepherd mix Raven who came in as a stray on July 16. She about 3, weighs 51 pounds and “walks well on a leash. In the yard she is playful and has a moderate energy level.  She is somewhat cautious and a bit skittish. 
"But Raven seeks out affection when she warms up to a human friend.  She will sit for treats and takes them gently.  She appears to have lived as an outside dog.  Doubtless a healthy diet, living arrangements inside with her people and good care will give her coat a fuller and more glossy look.”
OK, one more from Mesquite. This is an older girl — maybe 10 — a mixed-breed named Baby Girl. She’s spayed and weighs 62 pounds. Debra wrote, “Doubtless she has lived her life outdoors.  She does have a calm and gentle spirit and a mellow personality.  She is friendly and has a sweet nature.  She enjoys receiving attention.  Baby Girl does walk nicely on a leash and she did do her business in the shelter yard.  Baby Girl deserves to find a home in which she will be allowed to live inside with her people, given a proper diet and receive lots of TLC.”
 When you contact the shelter about Baby Girl, be sure to use her shelter number: 45136513.
CONTEMPLATIONS
Pop Tarts; The Shed; Blue Suits
I spent most of my adult life without even tasting a Pop Tart. They were, research shows, introduced in 1964, then, in 1967, frosted Pop Tarts were introduced. I was, of course, working late nights and weekends at the local newspaper in that era and focused entirely on learning to drink coffee and where to get hot donuts in a small town after midnight and before 5 a.m. I’m almost certain my kids didn’t eat Pop Tarts. But, who knows. I didn’t keep a food diary for them. And I’m afraid to ask. I’ve seen them eat donuts — some things run in the family. Oh, yeah, I've had several Pop Tarts lately. They make me feel guilty. Not like donut guilty, but like nutritional guilt.… I read that the first person to hit a regular season home run in Globe Life Field was Joey Gallo. He did it Sunday. The story I was reading — an online source — referred to the homer as the first in “The Shed.” I’ve seen the ballpark from the outside. “Shed” is too kind a description. Texas has now lost two of three games played in the air-conditioned building. In a 60-game season, they are knotted in last place with the Angels and the Mariners. Tied for first, the Athletics and the Astros. It’s early in the season but it’s also late in the season. … Personal baseball note: I miss Arlington Stadium, the first home of the Texas Rangers. That was an outdoor stadium with few extras and plenty of good views of the field. It was a hot place to watch the games. I guess it’s going to be hard to have a “throwback night” in a stadium with a sliding roof and air-conditioning. I do wonder what it’ll sound like inside during a North Texas hailstorm. I’ve written the last sentence to avoid trying to describe those powder blue uniforms without wondering if concessions sales (when the league allows ‘em again) will suffer when the team has to wear those powder blue suits.
—- Offer opinions or explanations by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

REX, THE LOUNGING LIZARD...

This is not the original “Lounge Lizard,” but for our purposes, the reptile is a “Lounging Lizard,” the spotlight animal in this weekend’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

We got the photograph from our longtime rescue and animal advocate pal Della Wallace. 
“Found relaxing on my counter top,” Della wrote. “I’ve named him Rex.
Lizards rarely carry all the proper papers, so we don’t know if he’s a he or if his first name is an initial, “T.”

Della and hubby David live north of Dallas in an area we’ll call, for publication purposes, “an impromptu animal sanctuary.” I think they'll laugh at that. And there is evidence beyond Rex and the household dogs.
Della says she's not sure where Rex has gone. He didn't leave a note, so he may still be lounging in the house or he may have skittered out the door. In Texas, lizards will do that..
For a while, the family garage had a regular visitor, a full-grown raccoon named Zorro. That’s him coming through the “doggie door” or “cat door” or “raccoon door” in search of an evening meal.
A few weeks ago, Della snapped this photo of some local residents enjoying the cats’ buffet on the porch. I asked Della, “Are these Zorro’s kids?” And she explained, “They are at a different location. Zorro moved out. He must have found better digs. That hurts my feelings.”

Of course, Della does have a genuine sleeping dog we can put the spotlight on — that’s Alastair sleeping on not one, but two cushions making his recliner even softer. 
And, of course, as you see, Alastair’s a little dog who knows when to throw himself at the feet of his loved ones and elicit some “he’s so cute” reactions.
You may recall Alastair from previous events.
That’s him on his ride from Dallas Animal Services to David and Della’s house on Christmas Eve, 2012. He was known at the shelter at Chico, but that changed before the ink was dry on the paperwork. He became Alastair in honor of the Scottish actor Alastair Sim who portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 film of ol’ Charlie Dickens’ story, A Christmas Carol.
And some of you will recover that about 4 years after Alastair rode home with Della and David, he became a hero. Della recalled for us once that “Alastair saved David’s life by alerting me at 4:30 one morning that David was having a stroke. We saved him from the Dallas pound, he in return saved David!!! Hero Dog!!!!”
So, in one edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap you have a hero dog, a cavalcade of hungry raccoons and a fellow named Rex who is much too young and well-behaved to have been the inspiration for the term “lounge lizard.” That was, according to The New York Times writer William Safire in 1987, a term introduced in 1912.
Our dear Rex could be “T. Rex.” — that goes back well beyond 1912.
[SEND PHOTOS and BIOGRAPHIES of your slumbering animals to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll post their stories and pictures on readlarrypowell.com in our long-running weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll inspire people to open their homes to animals they can love and animals that can love them. And you’ll inspire insomniacs to believe they, too, can get some sleep if they can just find the right, well-fitting lizard suit.
That’s a file photo of our late Cocker Laureate of Texas and staff impersonator, Inky, -- he was giving us his impression of a Texas Lizard walking into a pre-virus cafeteria and spotting, on the buffet, a big ol’ steaming platter of Mom’s Good For What Ails Ya Meatloaf with a side of Hot ’n’ Hungry Lizard Mashed Taters with Summertime Gravy and a desert of free-range dewberries and home-made vanilla ice cream. Lizards eat well. How they stay so slim is a mystery. There is no “Eat Like a Lizard Diet” book on any bestseller list.]]
— Offer advice or encouragement by clicking on ‘comments’ below or email dallrp@aol.com. —-

EXTRA EDITION: JB'S NEWPHOTOS; SULLY ADOPTED; RUPAUL WAITS; CODE RED SNOOT; SAD FACE OF SWEET SEAN

EXTRA EDITION OF FRIDAY, SEPT. 24, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Our regular edition of readlarrypowell.com was very long and worth reading because of the emotion from people involved in rescue. Because it’s so long, we’re posting these notes in an Extra edition. And we’re adding to the Extra some Lancaster notes because we have new photos of this caged dog, JB, the young fellow with less than 3 weeks to live if nobody steps up to save his life.
Read and find a way to celebrate animals that makes them safe…
We’re starting with one that charmed two hearts yesterday, then we'll segue to Snoot (right) and sad-faced Sean, in a Lancaster note below.
THE NEWS FROM MESQUITE
First e-mail we opened Friday morning was from Debra Chisholm, volunteer biographer of critters at Mesquite Animal Services. The good news has to do with a dog we featured in the Friday morning report. That’s Sully — he was adopted late Thursday after we all put the “paper to bed,” as we used to say in newsrooms with deadlines.
Debra says, “The volunteer who interacted with the adopters and Sully gave the following report: Sully was adopted today. Nice young couple, big yard, fenced in, no kids. They even paid for additional dog’s adoption!” 
Sounds like people with hearts now have a dog named Sully.
You can see Sully’s bio when you scroll down to our earlier Friday edition. You’ll also be able to see the beautiful Sapphire [44981461] who is waiting at Mesquite. Sapphire is about 3 and a 44-pound spayed mix. She also is a little timid and is in the shelter because of a landlord decision. Use her ID number when you contact the shelter at rescues@cityofmesquite. com or call the shelter at 972-216-6283. 
In our morning edition, we gave the Mesquite Shelter LINK HERE.
We focused on a "clowder" of Mesquite Barn Cats in the first edition. In this one we’re spotlighting quite a handsome fellow, RuPaul (#44425216) who ISN’T A KITTEN, but is a 5-YEAR-OLD black-and-white fellow who is neutered. He’s also waiting in the Cat Room. He’s been at Mesquite since June 1.
THE PHOTOGENIC SNOOT:
CODE RED IN COWTOWN
Look at the face on that dog Snoot! [LARRY REFLECTION: I look in a mirror and I’m envious of the charm on the big dog’s mug.]
We learned about him from our pal Kimberly Jones, the advocate/rescuer who spotted him on the Fort Worth Animal Care & Control list of available dogs. He's on a second list, too. Keep reading. Kimberly also included info that FWACC lists Snoot (44035093) as “4 years, 4 months and 7 days” old. You’d think being heartworm positive was bad enough, but 56-pound, white/gray Bulldog mix Smoot has a condition worse than a defeatable parasite: He’s listed as CODE RED at Fort Worth Animal Care and Control. He’s on the clock and he can hear it ticking with his every breath. CODE RED, Kimberly emphasized, means this handsome, adorable fellow is “at highest risk of being euthanized. Foster, adopter, rescued needed ASAP.”
Step up to save Snoot by emailing fwacctag@fortworthtexas. gov. Adoptions are in person. Don’t call the shelter. [LARRY ASIDE: Times are odd. Sure be sad if any animal is a victim of a virus’ fouling up human lives and accessibility.]
NEW PHOTOS OF JB
& A SAD-FACED SWEET DOG, TOO
Our earlier edition today had a heartfelt wrap-up of the Lancaster Animal Shelter situation from Laura Macias of the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers. She, Leighann Hayden and their critter-saving pals are trying like the dickens to get JB off of death row — he’s under 3 weeks from an appointment with the needle. You saw his first photo — used for weeks — in the opening paragraph of this Extra Edition. These are his latest. Note the hand that’s petting his back — that is the hand of a man he loves, KB at the Shelter. 
It is the hands of others that give him an unsteady nature. He needs behavior training, thanks to the jerk who used to have him and didn’t treat him with love. That’s all outlined in the early edition. The purpose of this one is to show you a couple of fresh photos of JB OUTSIDE of a kennel. He’s pretty handsome and even seems to have a smile on that puppydog face of his. [LARRY NOTE: Is that not a GREAT tail on that dog! Love to see him wagging it for many loving humans -- and I can tell him there are loving humans.]

A note from Leighann demonstrates there is a definite effort to get this dog some help. She wrote, “You can donate to our PayPal at helpingshelterbabies@gmail.com but be sure to let Laura know it is for JB's training fund and right now we have NOT found a trainer making things incredibly difficult. 
To offer to adopt or rescue JB  or any Lancaster animal get in touch with Laura by calling or texting 214-949-2726 or by emailing cat_girl_71@yahoo.
And this sad-looking dog is a newly arrived on the list 4-Legged Helpers sends to rescuers and advocates (ask Laura to put you on the mailing list). This is Sean, an Anatolian Shepherd. The boy is available right now. He’s described as “an absolute sweetheart. very loving, very cute. He is a gentle boy that just so very much wants to be loved.”
CONTEMPLATIONS
EXTRA EDITION EXPLANATORY NOTE
It’s a 24-hour world. People making news and spotting news are working around the clock — and by using “news” I’m stretching beyond politicians and millionaire athletes and reaching into the lives of people who are rich in the experience of saving dogs and cats and horses and other beasts that have had unfortunate encounters with humanity.  Run-on sentence, but you get the point. Some mornings we look at the inbox and spot things that simply require early, widespread dissemination in order to help save lives. This was one of those days. Plus, I was so happy to see that Sully had a home and that JB had new pictures. Congratulations to all of you “animal nuts” in the Metrosprawl whose hearts and souls are devoted to a tough and worthy cause. I hope one of us wins Lotto Texas -- and the rest of us have a dog or cat who loves to sleep on the back of the couch, like my adored Porche Noel, or rexlax on the back of the recliner, like The Senator, my feline confidant.
—- Offer opinions by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com where we love happy mail and our bills cleverly are sent to another address. —

A LONG FRIDAY EDITION -- IT'S DEDICATED TO HUMANS AND THE BEINGS THEY HELP

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We don’t really know where to start today. So, we’re just going to post these things in no particular order — maybe it looks that way every day! This one’s long, folks, but it’s because the animals are worth the effort
. Consider the entire edition an attempt to praise the hearts already at work while it also serves as an attempt to put the emotional paddles to the hearts that need a jump-start in this time weirdness.
 We’re illustrating this segment with a photo you’ve seen before — people are trying to get more photos of JB/Tyler. He’s got less than 3 weeks to live if some behaviorist and a kind heart can’t team up to get him out of the Lancaster Shelter. All dogs and cats in shelters are urgent. In fact, Rachel the Dog only got out AFTER she’d had her puppies. (More in a minute on that event.)
 This boy JJ needs to be saved from what a human has done to him — made him reluctant to trust enough to believe that humans won’t hurt him. (Ask about him by calling or texting 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.)
[LARRY ASIDE: I hope the next item I write about this dog has the phrase “has been adopted” or “has been rescued” or “is going to the home of Lotto Texas winner Larry Powell.” That third one is the long-shot, so work for the first two.]
NOW, LADIES AND GENTS,
LET’S GO TO DEEP ELLUM
The legendary musical area of Deep Ellum has always drawn a lot of really hip cats. It also has drawn a lot of feral and free-roaming cats. Thus the organization of Cats of Deep Ellum is working on saving the namesake felines. We learned about this from our pal Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com who got the tip from one of her supporters/friends. The contact on this cat Lucy is deepellumcats@gmail.com.
 (Click on the artwork to make it grow.)
Kathy’s friend is fostering Lucy and she writes, “There’s a lot of feral cats there. She’s [Chelsea Wendell, the founder of the organization] feeding and doing TNR. Well I’m fostering a young cat for her that turned out to not be feral. She’s super sweet. A little timid but you can hold her and love on her. Chelsea …is able to transport out of Texas. Do you know anyone that is willing to give a sweet cat a second chance at life?”
 And there’s the photo and info on Lucy, the sweet cat who wasn’t feral after all.
[LARRY ASIDE: People who help feral cats — tough hearts, determined souls.]
RACHEL DELIVERS
AND GOES INTO BOARDING
It’s not that simple a story. Several days ago we posted this photo of Rachel and described her as being very pregnant in the Lancaster Shelter. The background, from Laura Macias of 4-Legged Helpers, is Rachel had the puppies Sunday “and sadly 3 died before we were told and couldn’t get them out. Ugggh.”
Now, she says, “Rachel and family are in boarding and will go to a Northern rescue as soon as they are 8 weeks (Mom’ going, too), so you can just report good news on her.” We also have these photos of the offspring Rachel is dealing with now.
Though, of course, she doesn’t really look old enough to have puppies.
  [LARRY ASIDE: Time for someone to launch a sincere spay/neuter campaign in Lancaster in addition to turning the shelter into a city-run no-kill shelter. That would speak well of Lancaster, wouldn't it.]


 

 

 

CATCHING UP ON TWO OTHERS IN LANCASTER — Blue, the dog being carried by loving shelter employee KB, is “in boarding and needs a rescue, but one is interested if I can just get a video of him interacting with other dogs,” Laura told us. 
And that girl Kimberly— remember her story? A woman asked her nephew to take the young dog to the shelter in hopes of getting her adopted. The nephew dumped the dog and she wound up on the clock at the shelter. Laura reported Thursday, “Kimberly was adopted yesterday.” We’ll probably get an update on Kimberly’s adoption at some point. The dog was quite sweet.
A RESULT OF A DOG’S LIFE
THAT NEEDS CONTEMPLATION
It is against the background of these rescues that we must consider what Laura has to tell us about the dog JJ. We posted him a few times. Maybe we all need to share the responsibility for this tragic outcome.
Laura writes: “One EMERGENCY dog can no longer be helped … Very sad news late yesterday. JJ passed away in his kennel.  This was an emergency case of a starving little guy that sadly, no one in rescue in Texas wanted  No one even inquired about him although we posted several times. An out of state rescue did ask about him, but he needed someone immediately and he just ran out of time.  We failed him..We want to bring attention to him, because he was so very deserving and we cried many tears today thinking of him.  He wasn't a Poodle, or a Corgi, or a purebred Lab or Boxer or GSD.  No, he was just a sweet little guy that adored everyone he met, wagging his cute little tail, and he deserved better in this life. We believe he has some type of organ failure based on his malnutrition probably from not eating in such a long time. 

“Please, we deal with some of the saddest and most deserving dogs.  They are not always beautiful.  Many might not be what some people would call cute although we do — we see their wonderful spirit and they all become beautiful or cute in our eyes, but not everyone sees what we see. Sometimes they are purebred but quite often they are not.  They have the sweetest spirits.  The most gentle souls.  THEY KNOW THEY ARE IN A SHELTER WHERE OTHER DOGS/CATS HAVE NOT MADE IT OUT.  The puppies and kittens do not always know where they are.  But we see it in the eyes of the adult dogs/cats that come into these shelters. They just know it is their last chance.  They have no voice, they know it is their last hope. 
“We try desperately to be that voice, but sometimes we fail...we failed today.  JJ deserved to be loved. To be happy and well fed.  To have someone love him.
“What do we see in those eyes?  ‘If only someone would choose me... please... choose me... I want to live... I promise I will be the best dog/cat ever... I have so much love to give…'  We see love.  Unconditional love."

 To show support or offer to get involved in these noble efforts, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat-girl_71@yahoo.com. 
You see other photos sprinkled through this text. Use Laura’s contact info when you ask about sweet but ragged (from neglect) Great Pyr Ava. She’s available for adoption.
That possible Border Collie/ Pointer mix is 4-5-month-old Tad. Adorable cute and silly, and either a sibling or an offspring of Tess (to his left) who came in with him. She is maybe about a year old and she has the same “sweet” personality” as Tad. 
And that dangling dog is Trina, maybe 2 years old and believed to be a Boston Terrier mix. She was picked up to demonstrate her size. And, as it turns out, she’s OK with this pose. Her bio reads "very sweet little girl and was fine with everyone holding her.”
Those are some of the animals (dogs and cats) who are waiting in Lancaster. And as JJ demonstrated, they’re not always waiting for the needle or a rescue — sometimes they’re just waiting for the end.
TWO READY TO GO
IN THE MESQUITE SHELTER
We got the info on these two babies from the volunteer biographer Debra Chisholm at the Mesquite Animal Shelter.
 Sapphire [44981461] is the nearly 3-year-old mixed-breed girl who has been at the shelter since July 1 when her owner surrendered her because the landlord had forbid her to stay at the apartment. Sapphire weighs 44 pounds and is spayed. The bio reads, “She is timid, shy, nervous and fearful though is making progress in feeling a bit more comfortable.  She is cautious and slow to warm up and seems to want to trust.  She does not seem comfortable with human interaction, leading to the assumption that she may not have had a lot of socialization. … Sapphire does walk well on a leash and the former owner reported that she is ok with other dogs and children but not with cats.  She would need to be in a home without cats.  She is alert and very aware of her surroundings.  One of the shelter volunteers is working with her to help make feel more comfortable, relaxed and therefore more adoptable.”
The Shepherd mix is Sully (45079542), about a year old and 67 pounds — he’d been adopted last week, then brought back on the 21st because “he is too big and strong and not a good fit for the adoptors.” He’s neutered, up to date on shots and microchipped. Housetrained. Likes walks. Debra’s bio of Sully reads, “I found him to be friendly, energetic and with a pleasant and confident personality.  He enjoyed the shelter yard climbing equipment.  He had his nose to the ground and was very interested in exploring the smells so much so that it was a bit difficult to get pics and a video.  However, he did enjoy attention and petting I offered.  He has so much potential with a person or family who would be willing to invest the time, patience and effort with training.”

For either of these dogs, use their shelter IDs when you email rescues@cityof mesquite.com or call the shelter at 972-216-6283. You can see more Mesquite adoptables at the shelter’s LINK HERE. That includes being able to spot loving cats and working cats such as this bundle of kittens listed as “BARN CATS.” Barn cats need love, too.
HOW RECENTLY DID YOU SAY,
‘CAN’T WAIT ’TIL AUTUMN GETS HERE.’?
Could have been in the last 20 minutes, right? Well, on Thursday I was looking through the SPCA of Texas’ latest edition of Paw Street Journal and saw this note about a deal on cats. Companion cats. Yes, cats that need a companion or would make great companions — that sort of thing. When you adopt a cat for your cat the fee is just $30. If you want to adopt two cats that already get along, the SPCA will work a deal with you. 
So, among the cats currently on the adorable adoptables list at the SPCA is this girl Autumn, 7 years old and waiting at the Greenville Avenue PetSmart. She’s a “Blue, Cream and White Domestic Short-Hair Calico” in the shelter because her “owner fell on hard times.” What’s her big challenge — like so many during the viral shelter in place era, her doc says she “needs to lose a few pounds.” See her and learn more at spcafindapet.com. [LARRY NOTE: Readlarrypowell.com endorses cats, dogs and all other animals as companions — some are more huggable than others but you can talk to all of them though I’m not certain snakes are listening. They never come when called. Relax snake people, it’s a joke.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
REPETITION, BASEBALL AND PRICES
“If you do something for 100 days, you really improve.” — a guest on LIVE with Kelly & Ryan on Thursday. So I heard that and went into an immediate depression — I’ve typed a lot more than 100 days in a row and the quote that came to mind was Truman Capote’s, “That’s not writing, that’s typing.” Then I thought, bad luck for the Texas Rangers, they’ve only got a 60-game season. … Be great if the Rangers could win the World Series and I could sell a book that’s made into a movie and spins off a TV series then becomes an amusement park. Is that creative thinking or the musings of a lunatic? … Wear your mask. If you don’t have a hat, don’t get one. But masks are cheaper than hats and a hat is a matter of style and cool. I got special permission from The Hat People to wear this one. Otherwise, I’ve got a permit to wear a baseball cap. After all, it’s opening day for the Texas Rangers 2020 Irregular Season and at the ball park Friday night I’ll be … oh, wait. I’ll be at home watching this on TV. Like a good American who wants to stay healthy and who can’t afford a ticket but REALLY can’t afford concessions or a parking permit.
— Offer advice, affection or winning Lotto Texas numbers by clicking on ‘comments’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

SAVING A DOG THAT NEEDS SOME HELP; A RESCUED PYR; MOM & PUPS; MUSINGS

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Here is how the end of this dog’s life story may have begun — if no one helps him.
"Found at a construction site laying by the construction workers' equipment at a lunch break. They were scared to go near him and asked animal control to come get him. I think we need a good dog trainer in a hurry…” — Laura Macias, President, 4-Legged Helpers
Three weeks. That may be how much life JB the Boxer/Bulldog mix has left. Could be even shorter if the population of the Lancaster Animal Shelter continues to grow and put pressure on the kennel limits.
What may save this dog is a behaviorist who can help him become the peaceful, loving dog that exists inside his unsettled exterior. He’s shown positive signs.
JB, who appears to like only one human on the planet, is going to be deader than a doornail pretty soon if no human steps between him and the needle.
Four-legged Helpers, the non-profit, continues to work for JB, also known as Tyler at the shelter. 
And, according to Laura, JB's only friend is shelter staffer “KB.” She says the dog JB/Tyler is “a puzzle to many people. He loves KB, who works at the shelter, but no one else. Because he is so sweet to KB, we know this dog has it in him. We need your help. If you know of someone who works with dog aggression — He barks, he growls, one of the ACOs said the dog doesn’t like him — we desperately need that help now. He is on the clock for a three-week time period as of the 21st and they plan to euthanize him.”
To help JB via training or any other way, call or text Laura at
214-949-2726 or EMAIL cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. Those are photos of KB, the shelter staffer, who has a way with dogs — in these pictures he’s carrying the Pittie baby Blue, also waiting for a home via 4-Legged Helpers. KB is the guy JB/Tyler adores.
[LARRY ASIDE: Who knows what environments dogs such as JB and Blue came from. For Blue, it might not have been so tough that he won’t accept a “carrying” from a guy who has a way with dogs. For JB, it could have been a horrible existence with someone who didn’t care — doesn’t care — if he lives or dies. And to have a human heart that works like that villain’s is a sign that something is seriously wrong with that person.] 

You can also donate to JB’s cause by going to PayPal at helpingshelterbabies@gmail.com.
Among the challenges: Some trainers are booked and can’t take him in right now, Laura says, adding, “It needs to be a place where he could stay for several weeks and be worked with.”
And, Laura reports, “He also liked a couple that came in looking to adopt but they did not choose him.” 
Perhaps the next couple will be able to take this dog and help him forget the things that made him tough to adopt.
THE TRIUMPH OF A BIG DOG
TIED TO A TREE AND LEFT….
My dear friend and one my former beleaguered editors at The Dallas Morning News, Paula Watson, sent me a tip on this dog Noelle. Paula’s always been a big fan of horses. So, there you see a photograph of Noelle hanging out with a couple of puppies and a couple of horses. [LARRY ASIDE: That’s dedicated to my equestrian friend who used to keep tight rein on my grammar and punctuation!]

Paula has always known a good story when she sees one and this story of Noelle’s rescue by Sasha’s Pals is, indeed, a great story in search of a fantastic ending. [LARRY ASIDE: Beware, Dear Readers, there’s a whole sentence that is going to make you want to slap someone. It’s the one about the tree.] 
 The bio on Sasha’s Pals Facebook page begins with “Adopt Noelle” and then explains, “Noelle is a gorgeous Great Pyrenees pup (8 months old) that is looking for her forever home. Her previous owners tied her to a park tree and left her with burn marks on her neck. Thankfully, dogs are always forgiving, and she hasn’t let her past stop her from being a loving, happy pup. Her favorite pastime is playing with other dogs. She has the perfect amount of energy.
"Her eyes are beautiful and look like she has eyeliner on. Noelle seems to be potty trained and can use the doggy door.
"She will make the perfect addition to a lucky family!”
The Sasha’s Pals folks say Noelle is going to be “completely vetted this week, but is available for pre-adoption through Saving Hope Rescue and is being fostered in Southlake.” Click here to see a VIDEO of Noelle.
MOM AND THE KIDS
WAITING AT WILMER
[A THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE: Friends of the Rowlett Animals have taken in these Wilmer pups and their mom, reports 4-Legged Helpers. You can see how to adopt them or donate on their behalf at friendsofrowlettanimals.org. The original post is below. All together now: It takes a networking village.]
Obviously there’s a family resemblance. We learned about these three from Laura Macias at 4-Legged Helpers which, as you know by now, focuses on small shelters in the Dallas area. Wilmer is a small shelter in a small town on the southern side of I-20 at I-45. 
The bio of these three reads, “This poor sweet little mom and babies are at the Wilmer Shelter.
 They desperately need a rescue group ASAP.  Can you help?  Momma dog had a tiny bit of blood in her kennel, but she does not appear to be sick so she may have cut herself on something in that kennel.”

The need is always urgent in small shelters — when they come in three at a time or a litter all at once, it puts a real pinch on the facilities and on the budget.
To save their lives, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. Laura’s the go-between for area rescues and the busy shelter’s ACO.
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE CHEWY STORY, BASEBALL AND MASKS
Here’s something to Contemplate. An old dog, some new tricks and an empty parking lot. First the dog:
This came from Stacy Smith of Humane Tomorrow  in Flower Mound. We wrote about Chewy in our Wednesday edition. Stacy had more to tell: “When you don't think sharing makes a difference, remember Chewy. On 7/20 he was surrendered to the Mesquite shelter because his owner went into a nursing home. He's said to be 22 years old, and they had him his whole life.
"Patty Sprong heard about him from Recycled Poms, who took his buddy, a 12-year-old Pom. She couldn't foster him but shared him. Christy Howard shared her post and that's the one Lea Van Vleet saw, and told her husband, ‘We're getting another dog.’ So, tonight thanks to networking, and a ride courtesy of Mocha Austin, he's safe and settling into his new home. When we ask you to share, DO IT! It matters. Big thanks to Kris O'Brien Casteel for staying late at the clinic to check him in, and to Cathy Neth for keeping him company this evening. He's had a big day. And yes, we'll try to contact his owner to let him know his dog is okay.” Yep, it’s a teamwork thing in animal rescue....

 On Wednes- day, as I drove through a big shopping center at I-30 and Cockrell Hill in Dallas, I saw a woman pull her SUV into a highly visible parking spot, get out, and get ready to do some business during the Covid 19 Economic Boom. Yep, selling masks on the roadside. That's a lot of work and I hope she makes a bundle before the selling season ends next week (wishful thinking!)...
The night before, Tuesday night, during the first exhibition game in the new Texas Rangers stadium, Globe Life Field, I decided to drive out to the ballyard and see what it looked like during this opening game of the 2020 season (exhibition and regular). That’s what it looked like from the front of the building -- at least I think it's the front. I won't know until someone gives me a free ticket and they open the thing up to spectators. No matter what stadium the Rangers call "home," this is what the parking lot usually looks like in October during the World Series. Sprawling, empty parking lot on the outside and no pitching on the inside — Rangers lost 5-1 in the opener. To emphasize the point about arms, the Rangers lost 7-3 Wednesday night. Wacky times in the Big Leagues. Not sure where they buy their anti-virus masks.
—- Offer help for the future or understanding of the past by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and send a copy to your shrink. —-

AN UN-FERAL CAT RESCUED AT SMU; A 22-YEAR-OLD DOG'S FATE; A STOP SIGN AND A COMET

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Still haven’t seen that comet. But we know people who have. We’ll get to that later on in this edition.… We feel the need to note that Holiday Insights, the online calendar, lists July 22 as Hammock Day and also as Ratcatcher Day. Hammock Day was an idea of one of the creators of Holiday Insights and Ratcatcher Day grew out of the folk tale The Pied Piper of Hamelin. (Surely you read about the Pied Piper when you were in elementary school — read about him while you were relaxing in the backyard hammock. Yeah, we didn't have a hammock , either.)
Yes, that big boy is our formerly bottle-fed baby Simon relaxing on a table — we don’t have a hammock his size and to our knowledge he’s never chased a rat or any member of the rat family. He does follow me sometimes, but I’m not paranoid.

A CAT NAMED MONKEY
GETS A GOOD BREAK…
Here’s a story about a rescue by the Feral Cat Group at SMU, though this baby isn’t really “feral.”
Kim Pierce, my former colleague at The Big Paper in Downtown Dallas, has long been active in cat rescue. That black at under the vehicle is the latest triumph for the Feral Cat Group at SMU.
 Kim describes the rescue as “a team effort, especially involving an engineering student from China and a law school grad, both of whom are among our volunteers.”
 She says that “Yulan, the Chinese student, also got some [photos] of her kenneled. She took all but the one of Monkey in her fosters digs – I took that.” [More photos will be on soon.]
Here’s the short version of the tale. Kim writes, “Strange, starving cat showed up Wednesday night (7-15) at SMU. Through a series of maneuverings (starting with food), we got her into a carrier and off to the vet. She has a skin condition, the starving thing, but otherwise healthy. A total love bug who immediately made herself at home her foster’s. We hadn't thought to check for a chip, but will on her next vet visit. This is somebody's baby. We call her Monkey. 10-12 mos. old, 4 lbs.”

And here is the way this evolved for Monkey and Feral Cat Group at SMU.
Kim writes: “I first spied her Wednesday night – this emaciated Golub-looking thing flying by me that took refuge under a car. I knew she had to be starving, so I grabbed a can of wet food and put it next to the car. Eventually she came out and ate it – with me at a distance.
“I immediately put a temporary feeding station by the spot, guessing she’d come back to the place where she’d found food. Sure enough, we saw evidence she had. One of our volunteers, Yulan, monitored the feeding station as we step- moved it to a safer place for trapping. We were assuming this was a feral that we’d eventually TNR and bring back to campus. On Sunday morning, she proved us wrong.
“I had just moved the station once more, when the engineering student arrived to check things out. I left, and while I was gone, this student coaxed the kitty out from under some golf carts over the new location. Once the cat finished feeding, she hopped up onto the bench where student was sitting and begged to be petted.
“We knew instantly that she was no feral – just a very cautious and hungry cat. One of our other volunteers, a law school grad, corralled her into a carrier, and the rest was, as they say, history.
“If there are donations, I will put them toward her care or, if they exceed her care, I’ll donate to our program: Feral Cat Group at SMU.
“It will be several weeks before she’s ready for adoption – and we will be checking her for a chip (I completely forgot at the vet). Monkey was definitely someone’s beloved pet.”
 Kim also says, “As scraggly as she looks, her darling personality shines through. I am just so glad that whatever she went through did not do more harm!”
To offer to help this cat by giving her a home, you can reach Kim on Facebook or email kpierce1@airmail.net.
AN OLD SOUL
FINDING NEW FRIENDS
Patty Sprong, the Queen Mother of Fosters (how’s that for an admiring royal title?) posted an update about this ol’ dog. [LARRY ASIDE: My apologies for not knowing this dog’s actual name, but I will simply refer to him as “Sir” should I have a conversation.] [HOW ABOUT THIS UPDATE (See Patty's comment below): The dog's name is Chewy. And one of our favorite organizations, forward-thinking Humane Tomorrow, has taken in Chewy! Read Patty's note to see the heart of this rescue.]
On her Facebook page Patty wrote, “My amazing friends stepped into action and are in the process of saving this old soul. I am in awe of my rescue tribe! …
Aw, man, 22 years old and left at the Mesquite shelter. Yes, twenty two! His owner had him for 21 years before being put in a nursing home.”
The small 22-year-old Jack Russel Mix appears to be healthy and mannerly.
[LARRY ASIDE: The people who saved this guy have big hearts. And I hope word gets back to the heart of the human who had to give up this dog and a senior Pom, too. He needs to know the babies are safe. What happened to the Pom? Recycled Poms and Schipperkes stepped up.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
SIGNS & FERALS (STOP), PUMPKINS, A COMET
A few weeks ago I wrote a little note about the stop sign that was at the intersection of Polk at Tarryall in the southernmost Oak Cliff section of Dallas. It had become so faded that it looked more like a suggestion than a traffic law. Over the weekend, I was in the old neighborhood and as I started to exit I was brought to an immediate halt by this brand new stop sign. The other one had faded and leaned for more than a quarter-century. This one has authority! Congratulations to the Southern Hills Neighborhood Association. I like to think that my funspouse Martha and I had some effect on getting feral cats on our block to recognize that the “STOP” sign didn’t restrict its message to drivers — we spayed and neutered a dozen or two feral cats during nearly 3 decades on our street. Big Boy Simon in the opening photo is one of those feral kittens we saved -- he was so helpless, we kept him. … I finished planting my new pumpkin patch Tuesday. Plants emerge in 7 to 14 days and, if all goes well, jack-o-lanterns and Jack-Be-Littles by Halloween. Or we’ll ignore the empty pumpkin patch, put up the Thanksgiving decorations and vow to try again next year. … Now, about the comet, Neowise. We still haven’t seen it. We’ve tried. And we have good vantage points from the Broadcast Hill area of Eastern Fort Worth. Alas, no dice. But on Facebook this week, we got a comet view posted by the great Kathleen Tolbert Ryan (of Tolbert’s Chili Parlor fame
in Grapevine —her dad, Frank X. Tolbert, was a columnist [Tolbert’s Texas] at The Dallas Morning News and an internationally recognized chili expert!) Nice guy and entertaining writer, too. His book A Bowl of Red is the gospel for chili fans. Anyway, Kathleen posted this photo of the comet over the beautiful area of Texas that is so remote that it beckons anybody who wants to be alone for a while. It probably felt crowded with that comet in the neighborhood. Look at that sky. Not a victim of “Metroplexian light pollution.”
—- Offer chili advice or comet wisdom by clicking on ‘comments’ or by emailing dallrp@aol.com with vegetarian chili recipes. —-

CIRCUMSTANCES PUT THE SQUEEZE ON DOGS WHO NEED HOMES; WE MEET A HUMMINGBIRD; ADOPT A CAT AND LEARN ABOUT NATURE

EDITION OF TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020 [PetPowellPress] I’m wondering if hummingbirds are into social distancing. I’ll tell you why in Contemplations. First we’ve got dogs and cats to help.
HERE ARE THE LEO RULES:
ONLY DOG, EXPERIENCED OWNER
Meet those two qualifications and Leo could be yours.
We got the tip on him from our longtime pal Gail Whelan, the veteran rescuer with Companion Animal Network. [LARRY ASIDE: I think we started writing about Gail’s work shortly after Wolves tossed their cuddly cousins out of the pack and called ‘em "dogs." Maybe not that far back, but you get the drift.]
Leo is quite attractive — he’s 22 months old, weighs 51 pounds — oh, he’s likely to be a mix, but he sure has the Boxer looks, doesn’t he? 
Fully vetted, microchipped and in need of a home. [To volunteer to help him, call Gail at 903-967-3226 or email can.adoptions@yahoo.com.]
His bio reads, “He loves to chew on bones, his favorite is a Bionic rubber toy (only thing he can't destroy in 1 day). He enjoys being outside, rolling in the grass and running zoomies around the yard. He will fetch a ball, but won't give it back to you. He is very energetic and mischievous, he will do anything to get attention. Loves to cuddle and sleeps in the bed at night. He is housebroken, crate-trained and walks well on a leash. He knows basic commands (sit, stay, down, come). Will respect a baby gate and not try to jump over it.

“He is afraid of rain and water in general (bath, water hose). He startles at loud noises (trucks, motorcycles, ice maker, etc).
"He is also afraid of many household objects such as the broom, vacuum or anything that makes noise.”

And we’ll reemphasize what Gail says:
“LEO MUST BE THE ONLY PET and really needs an experienced dog owner -- not a first-timer.”
MEANWHILE IN LANCASTER,
THE POPULATION INCREASES
Yes, the population is growing, but, as 4-Legged Helpers President Laura Macias points out regarding this “extremely critical situation": “Dogs are in extreme trouble — please help. When out of space, they [Lancaster shelter] must euthanize. No choice.
“Look at the poor pregnant dog Rachel and JJ….Kimberly and JB will be first to be PTS if no space.”
That’s Rachel, an owner-release, looking very ready for a litter. The 4-Legged Helpers note reads, “There is nowhere in this shelter where puppies can be separated and they will be born in one of these tiny kennels around all the other dogs, with the water and hoses, etc. Right now they cannot even fit Kuranda beds in these kennels.”
JJ is the skinny boy picked up on July 15 — he may have suffered from heat exhaustion. He also may not been receiving good care from whatever human used to be the person he probably loved — you know how the heart of as dog works.
The dog on the left is Kimberly — you may recall she’s the dog who was “dumped” by the nephew of a woman who asked him to take her to the shelter. So, she’s been in a bit of trouble ever since — on the clock. And JB is that dog who behave nicely with one staffer, but has a problem with other people — he’s afraid. Something in his past changed him and now and then, Laura’s note says, his handlers see signs that he is changing back to being a loving dog.
There are a LOT more dogs on the clock at Lancaster. To help any of them call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. Ask to be put on the 4-Legged Helpers’ mailing list — you may see a dog you can’t live without.

A DOG NAMED CINCH —
HAPPIER THAN YOU’D EXPECT
Paige King at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control posted this story of Cinch and the video, too. The dog had been adopted, but then turned up as a stray 5 days later. Here’s the VIDEO LINK .
The story of Cinch was posted by Paige and this is how it reads. “Cinch came back as a stray 5 days after adopted! I just love him! 🧡 He’s been there a few weeks now (again) and look how happy he still is! Cinch (43810425) is a sweet boy that has the best smile! He doesn’t have an age estimate but he’s a little older. He is 48 lbs, neutered, heartworm positive. I like him a lot and he likes me 😆 he is friendly and likes attention. He has an orange dot that means he doesn’t go out in groups.
“He was with a foster and returned for a bite. The foster for Cinch said the night (before the bite) her husband came in the garage on his motorcycle and the dog completely freaked out, peed/pooped, tucked his tail and was just terrified. The next day the husband was beside him and he rolled over for a belly rub so he was rubbing his tummy and then he just bit him. She said he otherwise a great dog. Maybe had some bad experiences in his life before? He’s not had any issues at the shelter where he has both male and female techs/staff.”

To ask about adopting him, you have to go to the shelter in person. To ask about getting him into rescue you must email the shelter at fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov.
TWO SAGINAW DOGS,
TWO OPPORTUNITIES
We got this info from Tami Kukla, the advocate/rescuer who pays particular attention to life-saving efforts at the City of Saginaw Animal Shelter.
[LARRY ASIDE: I fell for this puppy when I saw the photograph that Tami had posted. Looks at this face! Makes you want to smooch on that puppy face, doesn’t it!]
Tami wrote, “Special thanks to Second Chance Farm in Granbury for stepping up and saving a deaf and possibly eye-impaired puppy that came in as a stray to the City of Saginaw Animal Shelter on Thursday. Miss Caliente is loving life at Second Chance and the amazing care Sandy and her team are giving her.”
Tami also posted this one and the video: “Have you ever wanted to adopt a dog that thinks they are a hippo? Meet Alexa. This girl loves the water. ‘70s music and likes to imitate a hippo. She starts her heartworm treatment this week and has been waiting over 120 days for a home. She hopes her chance to show off how amazing she is to a family this week." She is available for adoption at the City of Saginaw Animal Shelter.  Call 817-230-0460. Watch the Alexa video HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE HUMMINGBIRD I MET…
I’d just finished planting the first third of my annual pumpkin patch Monday morning and was leaning on the garden rake handle because the heat was getting to me and my eyes were stinging and unfocused — you have to bend over to plant seeds and the sweat runs into your eyes. But you farmers know that.
So, there I was, facing west, looking down at the pumpkin-less patch when I instinctively dodged what I thought was a giant bug. Only I looked back up quickly and realized that hovering just out of arm’s reach from my giant nose was a beautiful hummingbird. I said, “Hello” and started to interview the bird but he or she flew a tight circle in front of me and left. The attraction is the tall, orange Cannas that stand next to the wall of our house. From my office window, my Office Cats William Powell and Stevie Ray have seen such birds hovering and shoving that great beak into the blossoms. They react with a gutteral sound that I cannot replicate. I’m pretty sure it’s a friendly sound…I’m kidding. I think it’s “The Self-Taught Bird Greetings of the Formerly Feral Cat.”
 Monday morning’s encounter was the closest I’ve ever been to a hummingbird. It was a privilege. Such a beautiful bird with such remarkable aerodynamic talents. And, clearly, the bird was practicing social distancing while in flight. No, I don’t have a photo — yet. Oh, my eyes are hazel, my hair is grey and I’m to big to fly by flopping my arms, so I’m almost certain the bird didn’t mistake me for a flower.
—- Offer hummingbird advice or ways to chill in the sun by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

WATER PAILS FOR FORT WORTH; HOMES FOR DOGS AND CATS AROUND THE AREA; LOOK, UP IN THE SKY…AND THE VEGA...

EDITION OF MONDAY, JULY 20, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Fort Worth Animal Care and Control needs “at least 40” water buckets — heck, yeah, it’s hot weather. More on this in a moment.
 My starryeyed- spouseMartha (no Klingon or Borg — I’m pretty sure — in her family tree) and I made a concerted effort to see the Comet Neowise over the weekend. We’d have had better luck trying to spot the Loch Ness Monster dog-paddling on the Trinity River under the one of Dallas’ designer bridges. We were tired of the news on this planet, so we focused on outer space.
 Now, here are some stories for Monday’s edition that will look beyond the horizon to help animals that could get a happy day because humans made room for them. That dog? He’s out of this world — look at those ears. That’s Murphy, waiting in the Mesquite Animal Shelter. Someone caught him as he was doing his look that says “You say you’re from another planet? I don’t know whether to bark or call the kennel attendant.” More later on Murphy; keep reading.
ELEVATED TEMPS CAUSE NEED
FOR LARGER WATER PAILS IN FW
This request was posted by Ginger Leach as the temperature in Cowtown reached 500 degrees — wait, let me check that. It was only 93 about 6:30 p.m. Sunday. But here’s the plea from Ginger: “Fort Worth Animal Care & Control is needing at least 40 more water pails for the pups. Some of the kennels currently have small bowls and they run out of water too quickly. The 9-quart, flat-sided stainless steel pails are the best ones. You can purchase them from the shelter's amazon wish list: https://a.co/7CUfCUs or feel free to ship from another vendor.” The address for the shelter is Attn: Jessica Brown, 4900 Martin Street, Fort Worth, TX 76119. Or you can put on a mask and drop off buckets between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.”
And Ginger adds, “Ren, Luna, and all the dogs thank you for your continued support. 💙 Both are available for adoption and sweethearts!” FYI, Ren is the dog with his paws in the pail — that’s a photo from Kristen Barg Morrison. Luna’s the dog next to the water bucket — that’s clipped from her video on Ginger’s Facebook page..
BONDED CATS
NEED A HOME
Laurie Tanner sent out a note appealing for help with two cats in Granbury. The note reads, “I’m trying to find a good loving home for siblings. Their owner passed away.  They are 5 years old.  Tang male neutered tabby.  Robyn female spayed black.  They have been together since birth and are very bonded and need to keep them together.  They are indoor cats and very friendly and sweet.”
The contract points are Kathryn at 817-395-2205 or Laurie at l-tanner@sbcglobal.net.
BOXER FROM ‘OUT AT THE LAKE’
NEEDS A PLACE TO LIVE
We’ve mentioned him before, but we’ve got a better mugshot of the dog — thanks goes to Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. She forwarded the appeal from Sharon Coker who is the contact for the dog at sa_coker@yahoo.com.
The story goes, “This boy was rescued a few weeks ago from a situation where he was being starved. The rescuers have given him his shots. He has been neutered and microchipped and is on Heartworm preventative. He’s approximately 6 years old. He does have food aggression but that’s due to the situation he came from."

His rescuers love him but, the note explains, “They feel like he is healthy [enough] now to pursue a new home. They were never in a position to keep him as they have big dogs and small children in a small house but they could not watch him starve to death.” 
[LARRY ASIDE: Bless those adults for teaching their small children to be kind to animals. That should always be among the lessons kids learn in their homes.]
COCONUT’S SAVED IN DENTON: GOLDEN
RETRIEVER RESCUE OF NORTH TEXAS
This upbeat news came from Amy Poskey, our “eyes on Denton” tipster for years. She reports. “Coconut has left the building!!!  Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas (GRRNT) picked this baby up from the shelter [Saturday] afternoon so she is SAFE!!!  THANK YOU GRRNT!!!” Amy suggests that a donation for Coconut’s care can be made at the GRRNT website HERE.
Coconut, somewhere between 2 and 5, had been doing lousy in the shelter environment. As her bio read, “Bless her sweet little heart, she doesn’t understand what has happened to the only world she ever knew before arriving at the shelter.  Coconut’s owner passed away and was transported to the shelter with several other dogs who were also living in the home.  She most likely had very little interaction with other people, so she is fearful but has never attempted to bite anyone.  She does great with the other dogs at the shelter and seems to follow their lead and behavior.”
WAITING IN MESQUITE,
BIG DOGS NEEDING HOMES
We’ve got photos and stories of three dogs among the many animals waiting for good hearts to come get them at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. Our tipster is Debra Chisholm, one of the volunteer biographers who’s been working hard with shelter staffers to gets animals adopted during the odd viral episode we’re all experiencing.

Murphy (#45046108 on the left), whose tilted photo was in our lead segment for this edition, came in as a stray on July 10. He’s a German Shepherd mix who is about a year old. And, Debra said, “He is high energy! In the shelter yard he raced around seemingly thrilled at the chance to stretch his legs.  He has an outgoing and confident personality. …So much potential with this boy to be a wonderful companion once the energy is harnessed and manners training is obtained.  You can't help but like this pup." 
Now we come to two German Shepherds who came in together — surrenders because of financial causes, according to the report. Tortilla (right) is a 7-year-old GSD who was surrendered with 13-year-old Brusco (left) on July 12.
The bio reads, “ Both dogs are in pretty rough shape and neither is neutered. Though the owner reported that they lived both indoors and outdoors, they appear to have spent most of their time outdoors.” 
Neither is friendly with cats. Brusco (45056795) is an “extra-large” German Shepherd boy.
Use their ID numbers when you email rescues@cityofmesquite.com or when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283. Same instructions for Murphy.
AMONG THE CATS WAITING
AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES
As you may recall, the City of Dallas is the most fertile city on the face of the earth — oh, OK, there’s no official declaration, but there is anecdotal evidence in the form of the year-round kitten season.
We went to the website dallasanimalservices.org and clicked on the available cats and saw these four right away. You see that there are both young and adult in this quartet.
At the website, you can see many dogs and many cats and if you navigate to the Daily Report button you can see such information such as this — the most recent daily report on the site on Sunday afternoon.
It gives you an idea of what the shelter may be facing during the pandemic, a time when adoptions are made using 21st century technology. Bless the animals, bless the humans bless the computers.
CONTEMPLATION
TIRES, CARS AND MODELS…
I have 4 new tires on my 2013 Ford Edge. But that smooth ride is not the topic of the day. The guy who sold ‘em to me said they were priced at $109 each and instead of a bill around $436 I got a final bill for $518. But they’re balanced and the old ones are thrown away legally (I guess.) So, please, ignore the fact that if a fast-food restaurant operated like a tire shop, your $12 vegetarian cheeseburger would cost about $40 because of the add-ons, i.e., lettuce, tomato and the mustard. Pickles might push it up to $50. …
BACK IN 1967, I owned a solid black 1963 Volkswagen “Beetle,” 4 on the floor, no air-conditioning, no radio, no seatbelts — if it was optional, the car didn’t have it. I only blew the engine up once. That required a real mechanic. But one time the gearshift lever under the backseat broke and I fixed it with a paper clip. One winter the heater dial (a knob you twisted under the passenger seat) broke and I fixed it with a guitar string. Cars have changed. Tires were about $30 each. Thank you for indulging this 20th Century Memory Moment. … 
The model of which I speak in the CONTEMPLATIONS headline is the Chevrolet Vega. I had two of them -- I'm an automotive genius, you know. Both of them had engines made of aluminum that were absolutely unsuited for a Texas environment. Maybe they ran well in the Arctic Circle. The Vega turns 50 this year. For anybody who owned one, it’s a half-century of lousy memories. I happily drive a Ford. Here’s a LINK TO POPULAR MECHANICS’ 2010 assessment of the Vega as the car that nearly killed GM. The Vega. Where’s the apology for selling me a car inadvertently designed to increase the business in your repair shops, GM? I’m kidding. No need to apologize now. I’m happy with my Ford. Vrrrroom. Vrrrrrooom. Burrrrnn rubber on my new tires. I’m kidding. I drive quietly so I can hear the top-notch sound system. Vega didn’t have a radio. Wasn’t standard, though the transmission was.
—- Offer motoring memories or advice by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

THERE WAS AN ODD SOUND... AND THEN...

It was a quiet morning in the office -- the kind of sunny early hour when birds sang happily in trees just outside the front window and inside you could Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
Office Cat William Powell and his apprentice, Stevie Ray Treeboy, had the morning off. So they weren't staring out the window at unreachable birds. That's them in an earlier photo, William napping atop an unopened moving box and Stevie Ray staring at me as if I had treats in my pocket.
This particular morning they’d chosen to leave the brightly lit center of typing clatter and literary ambitions to chill in a quiet place in the house.
As my computer's speakers presented a long version of the beautiful Claire de Lune, I was typing on three projects: (1) A lesser American novel; (2) a screenplay about a Cocker Spaniel that can read minds and predict the market; and (3) trying to create a clever phrase to rhyme with the expression “snores like a short, plump dog.” That was for a poem about a Thanksgiving visitor.
[Stevie Ray shot that selfie with some older gentleman he's been trying to help plot a novel about a cat who has the power to hypnotize politicians. It's in development.]
As I stalled at the keyboard, suddenly I heard an odd sound from down the hall. It wasn’t quite a crash, but it clearly wasn’t a pillow falling off a bed onto a rug, either.

Grateful for the interruption, I stood and ignored it. I went to the kitchen, brightly illuminated from the sunlight blasting through the eastern window, and made another cup of decaf, hot with a sprinkling of cinnamon and some calorie-free creamer. Holding my treasured morning brew, I walked into the living room -- lit only by a big screen TV and checked to see what was up on the news channels. I took a moment to admire the snoring dogs and started to walk back to the office.

Then I thought, “I ought check that sound in case a limb fell through the roof or something.” I didn’t anticipate an invasion by the neighborhood’s zany, roof-leaping squirrels. And I was almost certain the Oak trees' limbs were in place. But, still cautious about plummeting objects, I stepped back into the office, put my coffee on the desk, then left and crept down the dark interior hall to the bedroom, still cool and dark on the western side of the house.
There, my keen powers of observation,  used now and then in a long newspaper career, spotted something you could only call “out of order.” Well, I guess you could call it “amiss” if you wanted. Not quite “disarray.” But whichever phrase your inner editor will let you use, something that was up was now down.
My decoratorspouse Martha had a wooden quilt rack next to her Recumbent Exercise Bicycle, a smooth ride if there ever were one -- you never hit a pothole on that bike.
But I realized almost immediately -- at first I thought I was looking at a folded blanket on the floor -- that the rack was on its broad, quilt-bearing side.
Quickly I came up with a theory: A lively cat without much experience had jumped from the floor to the top of the not-quite-perfectly-balanced quilt-covered rack and tilted it gently on an unblocked path toward the floor where, upon touchdown, that mystery sound was created and traveled down the hall to the office.
The quilts fell with it, then arranged themselves between the wooden shafts on which they are usually hung.
With a prosecutorial fervor, I looked for what -- no, I looked for WHO might have caused this rack tumble. I couldn’t see Stevie Ray, the legendary "usual suspect." He's about a year old -- a rookie cat.

By now you have seen the photos demonstrating that the rack fell and the quilt went with it and formed, between two wooden slats, a padded area perfect for the napping desires of the formerly feral cat, William Powell. He’s a large fellow, basketballish in shape and gentle and he is a lovebug. He also isn’t the kind of cat who finds himself atop something that will tumble. He learned things when he was out in the world. I cite that photo of him atop my desk, snoozing in full view of his assigned area of responsibility.

At his slumberzone on the quilt rack, he was napping when I took early photos, but then, the sound of the electronic shutter woke him and he gave me that “What the h….?” look. When he realized the intruder was me, he went back to sleep.
But where was Stevie Ray, the other Oak Cliff-born cat who usually is anchored in the office? Not snoozing with William. Not on the bed. Not in the clothes basket with the dirty towels.
I caught a hint of a movement behind the bike. And there, quietly studying human behavior from a vantage point that was a narrow space between curtains (click on the photo to make it grow) was the adult version of the yowling handful of kitten I’d pulled out of a mimosa tree about 10 months ago. 
He’s learned affection and office-tending from William.
Both are on a career path to work their ways into the FDC (Feline Diplomatic Corps) with my long-time confidante The Senator, snoozing here on an autumnal blanket in the summer — that was during one of his Friday morning naps — wake, eat, nap, wake, look around, nap, etc.
Napping cats. They know what they’re doing.
And, in the spirit of making sure something good happens in this era of bad things, I left the quilt rack exactly where it landed. William likes it there. And I love William.
[LARRY REQUEST: Please, please, in the name of Fido, Kittie, Flicka, Wilbur, Flipper and any other animal you can name, send photos of your slumbering critters and their stories — why you love them, how they help you — to dallrp@aol.com. The Senator (foreground) and Simon -- two more guy with Oak Cliff origins -- urge you to give your critters the spotlight.  Readlarrypowell.com will post their bios and photos and praise your treasured relationship in our weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be helping people decide to open their homes and hearts to “domestic” animals. And you’ll be helping insomniacs believe that they, too, can get some sleep if they’ll just find the right place to curl up — could be a quilt rack, an old mattress, a rug or a briefcase that hasn’t been opened since Ian Fleming enjoyed his final James Bond bestseller in the 1960s. My ultra-suave confidante, The Senator, may be up for the role of James Bond when Daniel Craig leaves it -- that's what I heard, anyway.]
—- Offer napping tips or reading tips by clicking on ‘comments’ or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

FRIDAY'S EXTRA EDITION: A CRITTER CAVALCADE AND QUEEN'S REHAB!

EXTRA EDITION OF FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Oh, boy, is that a collection of great puppy faces or what? Yeah, they need help and we’re going to tell you about it. Keep reading. There are several tales and many tails in this Extra Edition at readlarrypowell.com.

FIRST, TWO PUPS
GET SOME HELP
You saw these two babies in our regular Friday edition — a pair of “stray” Border Collie mixes picked up in Lancaster — their mom and a sibling escaped capture, so, hello Lancaster, keep your eyes open.
Anyway, the first email we opened Friday morning was a followup on these beautiful Border Collie mixes. The morning email from Leighann Hayden had this subject line: "HAPPY UPDATE!!! ABSOLUTE EMERGENCY…." As you may recall, we all learned about these two because 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit, focuses on small shelters and their populations and conditions. The non-profit and the Lancaster shelter have built a stronger bond between the facility and its new ACO Jonathan Harris. [There was a broken line of communication with the previous manager, we’re told. Email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com to get on the mailing list for 4-Legged Helpers. Cats are in Lancaster, too -- such as this one from our first edition -- scroll down and see more in that version of Friday's report.]
So, who is taking up the case of these two dogs? Leighann reports, “Cody’s Friends. Tina Austin.” Go to codysfriendsrescue.org to see how you can help these two pups, adopt these two pups or help Cody’s Friends rescue even more animals. Heck, volunteer to foster -- it's the work of angels! [LARRY ASIDE: When you visit that link, take time to read the story about the reason Cody’s Friends Rescue exists — it’s teardroply inspirational. I’m not sure “teardroply” is a word, but "teardroply" sure as heck is an emotion.]
DON’T PUT YOUR TISSUE AWAY;
A VIDEO OF QUEEN OF THE SPCA
In our early edition today, we told the story of Queen, the Chihuahua mix the SPCA of Texas took in after some BLEEP shot her and damaged her spine.
Marlo Clingman of the SPCA’s Marketing & Communica- tions area told us a video was being prepared to show Queen’s progress.
I clipped a scene from Week 9 of the video to illustrate this case of humans with hearts responding to the act of a human without a heart. [LARRY ASIDE: Case is under investigation. Not sure what the law is about shooting a dog, but I’m for making it a felony that results in a lifetime reservation at Texas’ least-enjoyable Graybar Hotel.] 
Enough suspense: Click on THIS LINK to see hard-working Queen. [LARRY'S NEXT ASIDE: Yes, it’ll be another “teardroply touching” moment for you if you’ve got any kind of heart at all. If you don’t have one, please find a therapist. The planet needs people with heart. We have empty places nowadays that need statues of inspirational people with good hearts. Just a thought.]
WELL, AT LEAST THEY DIDN’T
JUST DUMP 'EM ON THE ROAD
You saw those lively, beautiful puppies in our big opening photograph. Here’s what it looked like when they were found at the Circle Star Pet Resort in Murchison.
Yep, in a carrier with a “lock” made of sticks.
Our pal the rescuer/ advocate Janie Perelman tipped us to this and put us in touch with Bridget Ray, a trainer at the Circle Star Pet Resort.
Bridget told us, “One of our employees got to work at 4:50 a.m. Monday morning and these 5 sweet babies were in a crate with a stick holding it closed outside of our gate (picture included).,
“It looked like someone tried to leave water in the crate with them, but with 5 small pups, in one large-ish crate, of course it got knocked over. They were covered in fleas. I would guess that they are 6-8 weeks old, 4 girls and a boy.” He’s the one with the brown patch on his eye, Bridget says. (That's him in the playful pose in the grass.)
The siblings need homes or safe rescue sites. To help them, email bridget@circlestar.info or call Circle Star at 903-469-4320. Murchison is in Henderson County, about 10-15 minutes (depending on traffic and your law-abiding speed) northeast of Athens.
A DOG WHO WANTS
TO KEEP ON MOVIN’?
Who knows what gets into a dog's mind. This one is missing near Krum, about seven miles northwest of Denton. When Janie Perelman was alerting us to the dogs dumped in Murchison, she also told us about this guy.
She reports, “This pup was found swimming in a ravine then went to a foster -- he is a free spirit and escaped the yard during a potty break. Desperate to find him! He loves water and brushy areas.”

“Loves water and brushy areas” indicates he’s definitely a Texas dog. The number to call is on the poster and you can leave a message if you know his whereabouts or if you want to help in some way.
CONTEMPLATIONS

STATE FAIR STOCK SHOWS PLAN! WHAT’S A BARROW? AND SPUR A PINTO?
Yep, that’s a young woman using a cow as a relaxation prop at the State Fair of Texas. Other photo is a young woman and a championship chicken. [LARRY ASIDE: I’d show a photo of young Larry Powell on a horse but nobody caught a picture of the long fall from the saddle to the ground. Horses are higher up than you think.]
These photos are from the archives at the State Fair of Texas and we got them because the Fair’s Senior VP for Public Relations Karissa Condoianis sent this Livestock Show LINK
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EN7y9ffAgHfNg1LT7 when she forwarded the news that there’s a new schedule for the State Fair of Texas Livestock Shows — though the actual Fair is canceled. The goal is to continue supporting the Texas youth who get involved with raising these show animals. The categories are market steers, barrows, lambs, goats and broilers. And the press release is HERE. [LARRY AGRICULTURE NOTE:What is a barrow? Pig that’s been neutered before sexual maturity, according to the Ol’ Saddlesore Cowboy’s Handbook of Agriterms & BarnSlang. I haven’t written it yet, but I may work on it. Though I am a native Texan and I do love to look at the livestock, I am a vegetarian wrangler who’d prefer to lasso some ears of corn, solemn-eyed taters and a few head of lettuce. Yeehaw. You cannot spur a pinto bean to get a better performance. And you oughta just hug and cuddle a pinto pony. Right?]
—- Offer vegetarian recipes or opinions by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put ‘yeehaw’ in the subject line. —-

SOME ANIMALS SAVED; A BUNCH NEEDING HELP; A QUEEN AIDS SPCA; WHAT ABOUT PARADES?

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Just past the middle of July, when our attention would usually be turned to the approach- ing summer camp quarter- back controver- sy for the Dallas Cowboys and the dismal record of the Texas Rangers, we will dodge anything political and focus on a story or two with an upbeat tone. OK, read on about Queen, Annabelle & Ruby and other topics.

What? Oh, those big floppers are also animal-oriented. Those are the Elephant Ears (Colocasia) my florafaunaspouse Martha planted in the spring. (See the angelic harpist in the middle of the flowerbed? It's a windchime but the successful plants block the wind!) We’ve never had Elephant Ears before. Next year we may plant the really big ones. They’re hard to chew. I’m kidding. Though they’re said to be edible. Not interested. I'll stick to spinach and turnip greens.
SPCA HELPS QUEEN BEAT THE ODDS;
BEEN SHOT IN THE SPINE -- NO ARREST
Maybe you got a copy of this SPCA email with the photograph of this little dog named Queen. 
She was the poster dog for a campaign that triples SPCA donations.
The email arrived on Wednesday. And it contained a note from SPCA President and CEO Karen Froehlich. It began, “When we met Queen, her time was already running out. This sweet Chihuahua mix was suffering from a gunshot wound that shattered her spine. She couldn’t move her back legs and the rest of her body was in intense, unbearable pain.” (Here’s the LINK to the donation page.)

Having spent a lot of time loving dogs and cats and some time loving reporting for newspapers, I needed to ask a question or two about this dog Queen. So I emailed the SPCA and learned that Queen is a project of love. The photo was taken a few days after she arrived after being shot. Nobody has been arrested. “At this time the case is still open,” Marlo Clingman of SPCA Communications told me.
In the meantime, Marlo reports, “Our veterinary technicians have been getting quite creative with her physical therapy and she is learning how to move around without the use of her back legs. Next step for her is a foster home, where she’ll learn how to navigate obstacles and move around on different surfaces. We’ll share an update in the next day or so showing off her mobility progress!”
[LARRY ASIDE: Note to the person who shot this dog: It’ll be a happy day on the planet when you’re facing a cruelty charge. Go ahead and turn yourself in.] 
TWO DOGS GET SOME HELP
IN FINDING A NEW HOME

You may remember this appeal from last week — Annabelle, the 6-year-old Black Lab, and Ruby, the 10-year-old Terrier Mix needed help from rescue or a new home. Why? Their 99-year-old human had died.
Debra Myers wrote the first note about them and Amy Poskey forwarded it and we got a copy — we have older dogs and we have older sensitivities, too. 
So, yep, we were smiling when we got the midweek note from Amy that read, “I'm very happy to report that Sharon Rode with SAVE OUR STRAYS RESCUE in Sugar Land, TX, has offered to take these two babies!!!  THANK YOU SHARON!!!  In addition, Annabelle & Ruby's family has offered to transport them and they are working out the details! If anyone would like to make a donation for Annabelle & Ruby's care, please click on the link below.  Thank you!  :) Amy." That link is saveourstraysfortbend.org/home.
IN THE MEANTIME, THE POPULATION
AT LANCASTER’S SHELTER GROWS
We got the news on this from 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that focuses on small-shelters that sometimes have big populations. And that may be the proper description for the Lancaster Animal Shelter, according to the latest email. In red letters, the note from Leighann Hayden and Laura Macias read, “BIG GROUP — SHELTER IS FULL, FULL, FULL. THIS IS CRITICAL SITUATION.” 
Two dogs we’ve mentioned before — J.B. and Kimberly (the dog who was dumped as a stray by a nephew who didn’t deliver her to safety) “will be the first to be euthanized…” the note reads.
The shelter contact for all of these animals is ACO Jonathan Harris at 214-436-6424 and email jharris@lancaster-tx.com. Also, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
In addition to dogs, there are these kittens. Alex is the little boy Tuxedo Cat.The 3 siblings are, maybe, 3 months old. They are Shannon the Calico (right) with a bobtail. Then Aubrey is the Tortie. And Kia the Torbie is described as “Baby female? Or male?” Yeah, a cat can keep a person guessing sometimes.
JJ is that hunkered-down, hungry fellow who was picked up on Wednesday but appears to need vet treatment so is available on a quick release. The note reads, “They are wondering about heat exhaustion…and said he is just skin and bones, poor baby.”
Brock is that handsome Staffie boy — nobody wants him right now even though his bio description reads, “he is cute, funny, lovable. Just a complete goober that adores people and is so happy and sweet.”
THEN HUTCHINS HAS THESE
BORDER COLLIE MIXES
This sounds dire, according to a note from 4-Legged Helpers. This is a “family dumping” situation. These two beautiful puppies were spotted loose and roaming with their mom and another pup — Mom and that baby haven’t been seen since.
But these two are in the care of Hutchins animal services and, if not rescued or adopted soon they are destined to be handed over to Dallas Animal Services, the big shelter with the big population. Leighann Hayden’s note reads, “No one wants to foster to save them so they could go to an out-of-state rescue in a few weeks. 
To offer to help save their lives, text Carrie at 214-683-2159 and Laura at 214-949-2726.
[LARRY ASIDE: Border Collie mixes — we have one (Hey, Dudley!) — are affectionate, trainable, they pay attention to you and they are with you when you need them and quietly with you when you’re doing something else. There are worse things to do with your heart than give it to one of these dogs or to both of them!]
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE MINDS OF METROPLEXITES AND OTHER MUSINGS
— SHELTERING IN PLACE POPULATION: It’s this constant re-loading of shelters that really is starting to tick me off. The general population goes ape during Empty the Shelters, then as sure as ice cream melts in August, the humans around here re-fill the cages and cat and dog rooms from one side of the metrosprawl to the other. Is there some way to stop this madness. It would have to be a way to repair the faulty human hearts that decide to dump their dogs and cats rather than love ‘em forever like they said they’d do. OK, help me off the soapbox before I decide to turn this into a political speech and run for office on the Housetrained Platform. …
— A KEYBOARD IS STILLED — We got word from his “Sweet Jenny” that Andrew Hewett has died. We might have quoted him a time or two, but we had a long-running e-mail arrangement with him. Without request, he sent us copies of his daily product, Weird, Bizarre and Unusual. I’m not sure where all it was published or read on radio. Jenny sent us a note Wednesday that Andrew (1941-2020) had died in a local hospital Wednesday morning — not COVID, she says, but the doctors said pneumonia. He’d been ailing for a while and was also experiencing dementia, Jenny said. He had a little dog named Charlie Brown who died in 2018 at the age of 15 — they were pals. In his writing, Andrew focused on odd stories — like the time a guy got in trouble for trying to convert a restaurant gift card into a police identification card and neglected to erase the name of the restaurant. We’ll miss his emails and his questions about grammar, religion, facts and fables. ….
— A PARADE OF CANCELLATIONS? The State Fair of Texas has been canceled for 2020 — and on Thursday, Rolling Stone reported that the 2021 New Year’s Day Rose Parade in Pasadena has been canceled. So far we’re still good on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 26. This will be the 95th Macy’s Day Parade (as the locals say) — rubber and helium shortages caused the cancellation of the parade 1942-44. Why? Little thing called World War II. Given the current Covid climate, it may take a Miracle on 34th Street to see a 2020 Macy’s Parade — though it is, as of this typing, still scheduled!
—— Offer calming chants by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put Ommmmmmm in the subject line. —-

A QUESTION OF BREEDING; WOLVES & DOGS & MANKIND; SAVING SHELTER ANIMALS; A GUNSHOT VICTIM

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Our theme of the day? Breeding. Intentional and accidental. In East Texas, the challenge is Wolf Dogs — and it’s a big challenge. It’s a story with “tragedy” all over it. Keep reading. I’m easing into the East Texas story by first citing a North Texas dog, a girl who needs a good home — foster or permanent — for this 26-pound fully grown dog. 

What makes 2-year-old Maxine special? We ran across the reasons when we read her biography in a Paws in the City appeal for a foster: “We think she is a Saint Bernard/Pug/Aussie mix, but we don’t know for sure.”

That’s quite a combination, isn’t it! I’ve included two photos of Maxine. Go to pawsinthecity.org to get an adoption or a foster application. 
I don’t know where you can go to find out how in the heck somebody allowed a Pug, a Saint Bernard and, maybe an Aussie to meet up at a critical time in their lives. There probably isn’t a genealogy site that keeps up with such family trees.
 Just know that Maxine is a “happy-go-lucky-gal” who, Paws says, “likes nothing more than walks and rides in the car.”
THE WOLVES/DOGS TRAGEDY
IN THE ATHENS AREA
This challenge  was launched on June 28. It has human tragedy, too. According to assorted reports, the fellow who was running a hybrid wolf breeding business decided to end his work by his own hand.
The Athens Review reports that the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office was checking into a death report and found dozens of wolf hybrids “left neglected on seven acres of East Texas woods.” Here’s the link to that story.
FYI: In August 2010, a decade ago, research reveals that the Henderson County Commissioners Court banned wolf dogs. Still, this breeding persisted.
One of our reliable sources says that the “the new management of Athens Rescue Shelter and the Henderson County Sheriff's Dept. contacted Villalobos Rescue Center and they took over.” [Some photos are from Villalobos and some from Twisted Tails, just FYI.]
"Team effort" is the term to use. You can read more about this challenge of trying to capture more than 40 wolf/dogs, dogs and pups on the Twisted Tails Animal Rescue Facebook Page.
Also, there are more stories and photos on the Villalobos Rescue Center Facebook Page. And on Wednesday, those folks posted a round up that began with this paragraph, “So our saga continues but in case some of you have missed the story from the beginning, I will go over the details in brief. About 3 weeks ago now, a backyard breeder committed suicide leaving behind his 50-plus dogs and wolf-dog mixes. These dogs are on a thickly wooded 7-acre piece of property and many of them are loose.”
One morning this week, the rescuers report, some of them “heard puppies … itty bitty puppies, in an extremely dense enclosure with approximately 8 adult dog. There is no way we’ll be able to get those babies until we’re able to secure the adult dogs of the pack.” The rescuers started building new enclosures.
 Also, the rescuers report, “Every day we go out there rips a little more of our hearts out. We’ve found deceased dogs, we’ve found old, decrepit dogs, we’ve found dogs with gunshot wounds. It’s devastating and exhausting and I’m honestly not sure how we keep going.”
[LARRY NOTE: We'll have more in Contemplations.]
ASSORTED NOTES
ON ASSORTED ANIMALS
— In our previous edition we posted the appeal for helping Melanie, the Great Pyr mix with the bad leg who was being held in Lancaster’s shelter until help could be acquired. We got word Wednesday evening from Leighann Hayden of 4-Legged Helpers, our source on the story, that, quoting her, “Out of state rescue offered today to help! She is being pulled tomorrow. Whew!!!” Lancaster’s a small shelter without a vet, so it was imperative that things fall in place to help this beautiful dog get some relief from her circumstances.
— This little guy is Tinker, a Cairn or Wire-haired terrier, according to the 4-LeggedHelpers. He is a dog in the cat room at Lancaster right now. A rescue fell through and now the 2-year-old “tiny little miniature gumdrop-size” dog is waiting to be sprung all over again. His big problem is he is “a feisty little terrier guy.” He’s cute but he’s scared and appears to be prone to fear-biting. That can be cured. Email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com or call or text 214-949-2726.
— Chula, a 2-year-old, 45-pound, spayed mixed breed dog was surrendered with another family dog on July 10 to the Mesquite Animal Shelter. Why? “Owners are moving.” Shelter biographer Debra Chisholm says Chula is “a work in progress. She is very uncomfortable in the shelter and is fearful and nervous.” Needs some TLC to help her trust. Her # is 45047898. Email rescues@cityofmesquite.com or call 972-216-6283 for Chula and the other Mesquite dogs.
— Mesquite also has beautiful Maddie, a mixed-breed stray who is about 2 and weighs 42 pounds. Debra’s bio reads, “At first she is timid and shy, but she warms up and is friendly and responsive to attention paid to her….” She’s #45046904.
— Tess (#45047906) is a year-old, 51-pound, high-spirited dog who is believed to be a “Treeing Tennessee Brindle Mix.” Debra writes, “She will jump on you in her exuberance.” The energetic puppy has a “confident and outgoing personality.”
— We’ll close with Max (444069571), a 14-year-old, 16-pound Lhasa Apso/Shih Tzu mix surrendered to Mesquite on 6/29 “due to a bite.”  Debra writes, “The older couple who adopted him reported that it was not a serious bite, but nonetheless the bite broke the skin and so Max served his 10 days in quarantine.  Max has been adopted and returned twice. …   Max walks well on a leash. … He is a calm dog with a low-key personality, but is lively and active.”
Remember, with all the Mesquite animals, email rescues@cityofmesquite.com or call 972-216-6283.
A SLEEPING DOG, NAPPING CAT
REMINDER FOR THE WEEKEND
Wendy the Dog and the cat Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson doubt that any other animals in the known universe are as soothingly quiet as they are when they are enacting the title of our weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
Please challenge their assertion by sending photos of your sleeping dogs and napping cats to dallrp@aol.com. We’ll post them for weekend viewing on our internationally-read website. We’ll take photos of any slumbering beast — lizards, raccoons, possums, hamsters, aardvarks and in-laws. Thank you. FYI: I love these two — Wendy and Kittie Leigh help me get through the day. Maybe you feel the same way about your critters. Let us know.

CONTEMPLATION
A YOUNGSTER NAMED ATHENA…

I have no idea what percentage of “wolf” this dog may be. Probably there’s a test that can tell you. But the thing is, whatever percentage of this canine is wolf and whatever percentage is dog, it was in quite a fix in East Texas. Canis familiaris, canis lupus or canis lupus familiaris— doesn’t matter. The animal needed humans with hearts.
On the Villalobos Rescue site you can see a report titled “THE LITTLEST VICTIM OF THE ATHENS, TX WOLFDOG SITUATION (FORMERLY KNOWN AS STARCROSS KENNELS).”

Here’s the way Tia Torres’ story begins: “I waited to post this because I wanted to make sure there would be a happy ending. It is a very sad story of abandonment and survival.
"About 2 weeks ago now, the former owner of this breeding kennel killed himself on the property. He was getting evicted and felt he had no option and took his own life and left behind 50 or so dogs and i[er loose on a 7-acre property of woods, thick brush and weeds so tall that a grown man can get lost in them.
“Sadly, no one discovered the owner for about a week and the dogs began to get frantic, hungry and thirsty so they did what any pack of dogs would do....their survival instincts kicked in. They began to break out of their enclosures and started roaming the area looking for something to eat.
“This is rural Texas and there are lots of farms and ranches and one of the pack came upon some goats and...yeah....you can guess the rest. The owner of the goats came out and began shooting at the dogs and this little pup got caught up in the crossfire of bullets. Her injuries were extremely serious (as you can see the softball size hole in her stomach). Her intestines and liver were actually hanging out (sorry..I know it's graphic) and she laid down to die underneath the truck.
"Lucky for her, the heroes of the day (and continue to be) Twisted Tails Animal Rescue were alerted about the situation and came running. There they found this sweet little girl, dying in the dirt all by herself. She was rushed into the ER vet but none of us held much hope. Even the vet said her chances were not good. So I made the decision to go ahead and try to save her life and and emergency surgery was performed.
Well this little girl made it through surgery and is now doing amazing!! We brought her back with us (to VRC) and named her "Athena" (one of the three Greek moon goddesses and we all know how wolves and the moon go together). She is a bouncing bundle of joy and is currently playing with my daughter Mariah's Pit Bull, Tater.
So many thanks go to Twisted Tails Animal Rescue. There just aren't enough words for these amazing women. Straight out Super-heroes!”

Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary from Canada paid “Athena's hefty vet bill.”

[LARRY ASIDE: That’s the final bit of today's report -- what we’ve gleaned for now from assorted sources. It’s an ugly story for humans, wolves and dogs. Needless. Absolutely needless. All we have to do is simply remind people to be wise and good in their treatment of animals and careful in their attempts to turn living beings into “breeding inventory.” When this stuff goes wrong, it goes horribly wrong. Be cautious with the lives of animals. How hard is that?]

— Offer opinions or advice by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

AMID THE ANIMALS: SPCA'S GREY GRANT/CALENDAR CONTEST; DOGS & CATS; BIG TEX SAVES CONTESTS; 'WARSHINGTON'; BELIEVING IN BASEBALL

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to Tax Day 2020 and won’t that put gray in your muzzle! As it turns out, there’s an important note about the SPCA of Texas and “Grey Muzzle Grant” later in today’s report — and, of course, there’s the important note about this gray-muzzled dog Bella (41463157) at the SPCA. She’s just over 9 years old and “60 pounds of senior love.” Happy as that face is, Bella came in to the shelter as the result of a cruelty case. The SPCA says she needs “a life as a couch potato,
 but is a “cranky old woman” when it comes to other dogs — yep, an only dog girl is her future. And she’s got arthritis, so she needs gentle people. She's a Lab mix. Go to spca.org and click on the adoption button. Keep reading to learn about dogs, cats, the word "gray" aand the SPCA's Grey Muzzle connection.
THE POPULATION EXPLOSION
FILLS UP SPOTS IN MESQUITE

When you go to Mesquite’s “Animals-in-the-Shelter” SITE HERE, among the many animals you can see is this girl Olivia and her six 3-week-old little boy puppies. They all came in as “strays” on July 9, reports the shelter’s volunteer biographer Debra Chisholm. 
Pittie mix Olivia is about 4, weighs 45 pounds and is described as “one sweet and friendly girl.” Also, Debra wrote, “ She is a bit timid and shy but was amiable.  She has a low-key and calm personality.  She may be housetrained as she pooped and pottied in the yard.  She knows the sit command and takes treats gently.  She walks nicely on a leash.  Olivia enjoys loving attention.  Please help her and her precious pups if you can by networking or tagging at rescues@cityofmesquite.com, typing in the subject line TAG, ID 45040043. You can call the shelter at 972-216-6283.” [LARRY ASIDE: I love puppies, but this is sure an example of the importance of spaying and neutering. One litter a year in a shelter is one thing, but Olivia isn’t like to be the only “stray” dog who gets pregnant in North Texas this year. There are some things neither the virus nor publicity campaigns can bring to a halt!]

 These next two dogs may already have been adopted or rescued. But when Debra send their photos over the weekend, I was enamored — and, yeah, I’ve been enamored by every dog I’ve met and most of ‘em I’ve seen in pictures. If someone has adopted these two, congratulations. If a rescue group has claimed them, let us know and we’ll link to you. If they’re still available, somebody get busy!
 That Black & Tan Coonhound/Plott Hound mix is Sparky, about 3 months old, 27 pounds and a stray who arrived on July 11. Yep, one blue eye, one brown eye. Debra’s report reads, “He walks well on a leash and when led through the bay did not react or respond in an unfriendly way to the other dogs.  He did his business in the shelter yard.  He was quite the explorer in the yard, with his nose to the ground checking out all the interesting smells.  He is a frisky and lively pup, though not hyperactive.  He is friendly and affectionate and wanted to climb into my lap.  This precious youngster has so much potential and deserves an inside home with lots of TLC.” He's #45052003. Use the number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
Then there’s Dexter, believed to be an English Pointer mix. Dexter came in as a stray on the 9th with his brother but the brother already has an adoption contract. So 2-year-old, 46-pound Dexter was waiting. His ID is 45035973. “Friendly youngster who enjoys attention,” Debra wrote. Perhaps he’s already getting it in a really good home.
When you go to the Mesquite site HERE you can see a lot more dogs and a lot of cats, too.
That kitten is October (44903120), almost 2 months old and in the shelter since June 19. He’s a small orange tabby — small for now. And he’’s one of several kittens named for months at the shelter — August, May and February are there, too. There are adults there, also. For example, the cat with what may be the longest cat name in the county, 3-year-old spayed Plumpernickle (44956801), in the shelter since June 27.”

Plumpernickle may prove to someone that living with a cat is the greatest thing since sliced bread (to resurrect a slang term from the 20th Century).
A BIG PYR IN LANCASTER
NEEDS A BIT OF LEG HELP
The tip on Melanie comes from 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that keeps an eye on small shelters and their challenges. 
Melanie is in the Lancaster Animal Shelter and available for “medical release,” according to the Helpers. The email appeal reads, “This sweet precious girl has double dew claws so we know she is at least part Great Pyrenees. She may have been shaved and her fur is growing back or she is part Lab.  Shelter is not sure but they are sure of the double dew claws and how completely sweet she is.  She is just as sweet as can be. Someone found her out and about and noticed she is not putting full weight down on a back leg.  They rushed her to the shelter in the back of their pickup truck and the shelter asked if we could please try to find her immediate rescue.  They know she needs a check by a vet and do not have a vet on staff.”
To ask about helping with the medical release, call the shelter ACO at 214-436-6424 or email jharris@lancaster-tx.com. Also, call or text 4-Legged Helpers President Laura Macias at 214-949-2726.
SPCA’S GREY MUZZLE NEWS
& FILLING THE 2021 CALENDAR
In our opening we posted a photo of a gray-muzzled SPCA dog named Bella. We are using Her Beautifulness to introduce the news that the SPCA is beneficiary of a grant from The Grey Muzzle Organization that works to make lives better and safer for older dogs. You can see the SPCA’s news release HERE. And you can learn about The Grey Muzzle Organization at www.greymuzzle.org. [LARRY FYI: “Gray” is the traditional American spelling of the color while “Grey” is common elsewhere. That’s what research shows. Muzzle is still spelled “muzzle.” “Dog” is usually “dog” though in Texas it can be spelled “dawg.”]

Speaking of dawgs and cats — no matter how big their muzzles, no matter their muzzles’ color, dogs and cats are needed for the SPCA 2021 Pet Photo Calendar.
Because we’ve been annoyed so far this year by a virus season that doesn’t end, we should perhaps celebrate the fact that the SPCA has declared that entering its photo contest will actually end on August 31. 
You can get all the information on how to enter, how to vote (“vote often,” the SPCA says) and how to support this project by clicking HERE. This contest is open to any critter who can be photographed lovingly, cutely, preciously, smoochily, etc. -- you get the drift. It's a happy calendar for the new year. Bless the SPCA for helping with that happy new year thing! [LARRY REMINDER: That entertainly photogenic boy Apollo is still available at the SPCA. Look him up on the spca.org website!]

CONTEMPLATIONS
STATE FAIR SAVES CREATIVE CONTESTS; A BLANK TEAM; IF THE RANGERS WIN...
Karissa Condoianis, the Senior Vice President for Public Relations at the State Fair of Texas, has a revelation of hopefulness in her most recent email. While the 2020 Fair has been canceled, she wrote, “We are committed to maintaining as many participation opportunities as possible for our community members who participate in creative arts and livestock each year. Creative arts has been a part of the State Fair of Texas since the very beginning, in 1886. As promised, we have found a way to keep the creative arts tradition alive, even with the absence of the Fair this year. The revised 2020 Creative Arts
Handbook is now available online HERE and includes more than 900 arts & crafts contests that can still happen this year. The registration deadline for these contests has been extended to September 1, 2020.” 
These are photos from the past — one is a prize-winning bit of art from the State Fair and two are from the black and white photo era -- those big machines on the table are what we referred to in those long-ago days as "typewriters." Word processors without screens. Also, you can see more contest photos thanks to the Fair’s archives by clicking HERE. And to get the latest news release on Creative Arts and other Fair elements from everybody’s Midway friend Big Tex, click HERE … The Washington NFL team is probably going to face a long journey in picking a new name, so, as a veteran Dallas Cowboys fan (they got me when the Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City in the '60s), perhaps we should all agree to refer to the Cowboys' former prime rival in the traditional way, using Tom Landry's accent: "Warshington." Or we could just call 'em the Washington Blanks.... Is there a way to get beyond thinking that the 2020 Major League Baseball arrangement is not a real season? It just doesn’t seem like the real thing. Unless, of course, the Texas Rangers win it all and then we’ll be convinced it’s official. That'll take some suspension of disbelief.
—- Offer therapeutic answers to the questions of life or complain by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com where we already have a strong list of complaints, so yours better be good. —

A MISSING DACHSHUND; AN EARHOUND; LANCASTER; CONTEMPLATING EMOTIONS...

EDITION OF TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We have stories of available animals who we hope will stir a human heart to respond.  One of them even has a "slobber note."
And we also have the story of a Dachshund named Sweetie who went for a walk in East Dallas with her human on July 4 and hasn’t been seen since. Her “confused mom” was found on July 5 at a 7-Eleven in West Dallas. Here’s our Tuesday report — Sweetie and her posters are the final item. First some dogs needing homes.
THE EARHOUND BENNY
NEEDS A PLACE TO LIVE
It could be that Mary Sullivan, the noted animal advocate, has found a way to boost spirits.
You see to your right the portrait of Benny, clearly a VDLE (“variable display lop-eared”) member of the wondrous division of dogs, the Earhounds.
Deep in her one-page appeal for this fellow, Mary allowed Benny to “write” his own message. It reads, “C’mon, lose those Covid blues and come meet your new best friend—me! You’ll be glad you did.”
 Normally we avoid first-person notes from animals, but in this case, Mary at SOS Fosters for Pets in Need, had a good point. This dog might really help you get past being shut-in or miffed by the circumstances of our lives. The way to apply is to call 214-783-2060 or email msully2011@gmail.com.
Benny’s 9 months old, has completed heartworm treatment and is “ready for the next step in his journey,” Mary wrote. She also called him a “lovely guy” — got along with daycare dogs —and he rides well in the car”, though the entrance and exit need some working on! Sits on command, “walks well on a harness” and “enjoys training.”
I’ve saved the last sure-fire magnet for adoption for last. Mary writes that he “adores people, too, especially those who like a little slobber.” 
Like Renee Zellweger’s character said to Tom Cruise in Jerry McGuire, “You had me at slobber.”
SOME ANIMAL AND HUMAN
REMNDERS IN LANCASTER
Yep, you’ve seen most of these photos before. Kimberly (right) and Heather are in the Lancaster Animal Shelter. Valkyrie isn’t, but she has fallen under the “sphere of influence” of the non-profit organization 4-Legged Helpers which focuses on small shelters and small-town situations in North Texas.
 About Lancaster, Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden of 4-Legged Helpers remind us that Lancaster is now gearing up to work with rescue groups after a period of cold-shouldering. New management. ACO Jonathan Harris is the link when a rescuer spots a Lancaster animal the rescuer or the group can help. Email jharris@lancaster-tx.com or call 214-436-6424 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (And, of course 4-Legged Helpers is still involved with helping Lancaster and other smaller shelters — text or call Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.)
We’ve told Kimberly’s story before — young spayed Lab/Boxer/Bulldog mix who was “dumped” rather than cared for properly as her initial owner had wished. So, she’s in the Lancaster shelter and waiting for either a good-hearted soul to adopt her, a rescue group to claim her or — well, you know what could come next.
***
UPDATE ON KIMBERLY: An e-note Tuesday AM from 4-Legged Helpers reports that there has been a "$400 donation to a 501c3 rescue that can help save her."
***
Then there’s Heather, about a half-year-old and a Boxer mix who, her bio says, “is the SWEETEST girl.  Very sweet and submissive.  A bit bashful on first meeting but just as sweet as can be and adores other dogs.  She is still just a big puppy “
That brings us to a dog that is NOT in a shelter but is in the care of a “good Samaritan.” And her contact is Laura (call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat-girl_71@yahoo.com).
Valkyrie is a spayed Lab/Shepherd/Border Collie mix. She’s about 10 months old, spayed, and microchipped. Her bio reads, “She is absolutely adorable and is cat friendly and dog friendly.  A sweetie pie that so desperately wants to have a home that will love her.

A STORY OF SWEETIE HAS
ELEMENTS OF HEARTBREAK
BUT A CHANCE, SOME HOPE
This may be a situation solvable by someone along Westmoreland on the western side of Dallas. This story grinds the heart of anybody who has a dog with a mom or a friend with memory problems. It oughta grind the heart of anybody who’s drawing a breath.
Our pal Kimberly Jones, the veteran rescuer, tipped us to this story on the Facebook page Lost and Found Pets of Dallas Texas.
You see the posters and the photos.
This is the story that as posted on Facebook: “Sweetie is a 13-14 year old female Dachshund mix weighing 15-20 pounds. She is not microchipped. She is possibly wearing a faded collar with a tag that says Sweetie and a phone number. She is very sweet. 
“Her elderly mom (who has dementia) and her were on a walk in their East Dallas neighborhood on Sat July 4 when they went missing... They were both seen at the Westmoreland Dart Station at 3am Sun morning (July 5). Sweetie’s mom was found at 10am Sun morning (7/5) at the 7-11 at N Hampton and Singleton but Sweetie was not with her....Sweetie is lost in West Dallas South Oak Cliff)... Please share this email far and wide. It is imperative that Sweetie is found.
There is a reward.”


CONTEMPLATIONS
Sweetie, people & the odds

This Sweetie thing is such a long-shot situation. The dog hasn’t been seen for about 10 days. Ten awful days in Dallas weather — too stormy, too hot. May Sweetie’s Guardian Angel be handling this situation so that a good human has this dog and has her happily waiting to see the face she loves. Kimberly Jones has been visiting the area and putting up flyers and checking Dallas Animal Services online reports — efforts that you’d hope will be rewarded with a happy ending.
This story, Dear Readers, is getting to me. Too much sadness in this story.
 Probably you don’t need to be told to take extra precautions with loved ones who are exhibiting problems with dementia. Love is a great barricade between behavior and mishap. It’s a matter of being aware and alert. But you don’t need to be told that.
I’m just feeling really lousy about this situation. It could have been avoided. Or, maybe it could not have been avoided. We weren’t there. This may have been the first “goin’ for a walk” incident. 
We’ll hold the Mom and Sweetie in our hearts. Just as we’ll hold other dogs and cats who don’t realize that something is wrong and, as they always do, they proudly, happily, go along with the person they have loved for all those years.

I have no answers. I only have feelings. And I’m prayin’ that somebody finds a tail-wagging dog with a faded collar and a tag that reads “Sweetie.”
—- Offer advice or your feelings by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

LANDFALL & HANDFALL; BRANDY'S VISION; DALLAS FACES; HOCKEY AND SEASONS

EDITION OF MONDAY, JULY 13, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We’re heading toward a Brandy report in this edition, but first we’re talking storms.
 As you may know, our Eastern Seaboard Bureau, a reliable news anchor in the State of New Jersey for years, avoided being slammed by a powerful tropical storm over the weekend.
Still, the Bureau is on Indian Lake in Denville, N.J., and it did experience some unpleasant weather from Tropical Storm Fay. Our longtime Eastern Seaboard Bureau Chief Andy Fisher, the veteran print and broadcast journalist, reported “The tropical storm has come and gone, giving our vegetation a much-needed drink." Kind of sounds like Texas, doesn't it? Also, "A big branch came down in the driveway of the house across the street..." Yep, sounds like Texas. And, another Jersey-as-Texas moment, "The lake was so low that the two or three inches of rain we got brought the level up just a little bit.”
I told him that I’d been chilled by an early Saturday morning radio news report that Fay was “making landfall in New Jersey.” We’ve both covered stormy weather in our careers.
And I was just typing about hearing that “making landfall” report and was about to whine (as only a native Texan can in hot weather) to Bureau Chief Fisher about the 109 degree-discomfort reading at DFW Airport when suddenly, as I typed, a visitor moved in like a water-logged storm over the Gulf Coast — full and ready to leave an impression. My personal confidante, The Senator, jumped onto the table, sauntered over to my laptop and literally made “handfall.”
 Yes, made “handfall.”
I caught that shot of him flopping on my left hand as I was typing the note to Andy. Shot it with my right hand and my phone — couldn’t have pulled that off in the 20th century. There were no injuries or property loss in the handfall, thus no need to file for federal recovery aid. My goal is to help the government. 
[LARRY FYI: This report brought to you by readlarrypowell.com, the only news site in Texas that covers New Jersey’s animals and the people who love them — we’re almost sure. FYI: That second photo, shot in the last couple of days, shows typical lake activity in Texas, only this one is in New Jersey at Indian Lake, a scene from the Eastern Seaboard Bureau's observation platform. Notice, if you blow it up, the photo shows the skier and the boat maintaining safe social distancing in the wake -- so to speak -- of things.]
BRANDY THE DOG:
A MESQUITE CHALLENGE
We first wrote about this girl Brandy on Tuesday the 7th and over the weekend, as she continued to wait in the Mesquite Animal Shelter, a flurry of interest was stirred up by a change in her description.
We learned about it from our reliable tipster Debra Chisholm, one of the devoted animal biographers at Mesquite’s shelter. Initially the report was this 12-year-old, 35-pound girl Brandy was blind. You may recall that her owner, as he was surrendering her, described the dog as an excellent watchdog — even though she was blind.
But, now, the staff has had time to be with her. It turns out that she is not completely blind, may just be “going blind,” but still gets around like a sighted dog. Debra says the surrender form also said she “cannot hold her bladder.” 
Then Debra writes of a weekend visit, “While I had her in the shelter yard today, I would like to add the following to my original evaluation. She is a calm girl with a low-key personality.  She is curious and investigative in the yard, but was happy also to spend time with a human friend being loved on.  She did her business in the yard.  Brandy would easily capture your heart after hanging out with her.  Such a sad state of affairs to spend 12 years with a family and then end up in a city shelter.  Please help Brandy if you can.
 The Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix was surrendered on July 1 because, the owner reported, “No longer able to care for her.” The original evaluation by Debra also read, “She is not spayed and it looks as though she has had more than one litter of pups in her lifetime.”
So this looks like one of those instances where a human heart simply needs to decide to give Brandy a chance at a happy life with affection and understanding — like we all want.
By the time you read this, I hope she’s already been adopted and is being cuddled like a new baby at a family reunion. Just in case, to talk about her use her ID #44986439 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
On Sunday I looked through the Mesquite Cats online and found that the shelter had some named for rock stars, some for states, some for no particular reason and this fellow, a small black and white cat listed as “Foghorn.” I’m betting there’s a reason for that name. He’s on hold right now, but the 2-year-old small, magnificently accented in color and design boy cat came into the shelter on June 29, so should be available soon or adopted soon. See the cats and dogs awaiting at Mesquite with brandy by going to THIS SITE.
One of the Mesquite dogs, by the way, is this guy Sawyer (#45005442). Debra says he’s an Aussie Shepherd mix who came in as a stray on July 5. [LARRY ASIDE: A stray on July 5 always makes me think he was scared to the point of escaping on July 4 and left wherever he was living to avoid the horror of explosions. He’s about 6, weighs 69 pounds and isn’t neutered — another reason to be out straying.] … Debra’s bio says, “He has a low-key personality and is a calm, gentle and well-mannered fellow.  He has a moderate energy level.… It's probable that this boy has been an outside dog due to the condition of his coat and general appearance.  Those beautiful brown eyes, cute ears, and attractively colored coat make him a standout.”
STARVING BOXER GETS ONE BREAK,
NEEDS TO GET ONE MORE BIG ONE…
His next big break oughta be getting a loving home. 
We got the report on this guy from our reliable tipster Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. She sent this story of the Boxer:
 “This boy was rescued a few weeks ago from a situation where he was being starved. The rescuers have given him his shots. He has been neutered and microchipped and is on heartworm preventative. He’s approximately 6 years old. He does have food aggression but that’s due to the situation he came from.
“They feel like he is healthy now to pursue a new home. They were never in a position to keep him as they have big dogs and small children in a small house but they could not watch him starve  to death.”
 To offer to help the Boxer boy, email sydney@friendsoftheanimals.org.
FOUR FACES OF DAS,
TWO CATS AND FREE IS ENDING…
The last couple of days have been the Bissell Pet Foundation’s Empty The Shelters event at Dallas Animal Services. In the time of the virus, the event may not have emptied the shelters. Only 20 adoptions on Saturday, according to the DAS Facebook site. Plus, the site says, “Regular adoption pricing resumes next week so this is your last chance for a free best friend for a while! View adoptable pets and adopt online [HERE].
"
In hopes of helping, we grabbed four great faces’ photos to present in our Monday edition. I hope those four were adopted Sunday, but, just in case they weren’t, pass ‘em on to your friends and remind those friends that animals are still adoptable in Dallas. (See the inventory at dallasanimalservices.org). 
P.S. Can anyone at DAS let us know if Craw’Dad, the one-eyed cat, was adopted? [Email dallrp@aol.com.] We posted him several times in hopes of helping the ol’ gent find a home. In the meantime, there are still cats waiting at DAS including this little girl Tammy. She was still on the adoption list Sunday.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
NO BULLS RUNNING; A UNIVERSITY HOCKEY NOTE; AUTUMN AND THE FAIR
Looking for some empty hospital beds? Try Pamplona. The annual Running of the Bulls, scheduled July7-14 was canceled, so there won’t be as many chuckleheads needing “I’ve been gored” surgery or concussion protocol this year. At readlarrypowell, we always root for the bulls just enough to keep them safe and to teach some lessons. We’re kinder than the runners and the people who force the bulls into this barbaric behavior. … Anybody know if the University of Beringia Gray Wolves have already canceled the 2020 hockey season? (Some of you are smiling, right?) … When does autumn begin in Texas? 8:31 a.m. Fort Worth/Dallas time on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Unless, of course, someone in a government office somewhere cancels it. FYI, had things gone on as planned, the State Fair would have begun AFTER the arrival of autumn — running Sept. 25-Oct. 18 with the theme “Celebrating Texas Icons.” Maybe for the 2021 Fair (Sept. 24-Oct. 17) one of the Texas Icons will be the Lone Star scientist who comes up with a quick, easy, cheap, 100 percent effective vaccine for this virus. FYI, in 2021, Autumn starts at 2:21 p.m. Fort Worth/Dallas time on Sept. 22. I mention this for those who look forward to some stability in the universe, i.e., Autumn arriving each Fall. Yeah, I smiled when I typed that.
—- Offer a way out of all this or suggest coping skills by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

BIG TEX, SLEEPING DOGS, NAPPING CATS, TEXAS HAPPINESS...

My office cats Stevie Ray and William Powell were working on their own project Friday -- could be another noir film such as this one Tom Cat and The Kid from a year ago.

[LARRY ASIDE: I hear from industry sources that the working title of the new film is Midway Fangs: The Rescue of Big Tex. It's an action flick set at the 2021 State Fair. The climactic scene has the boys helping Tex into his boots and...well, by contract I can't disclose any more...]
Back to my office. No dog had wandered into the Sanctorum of Misfiring Paragraphs.
 And, as I was solitarily typing nothing in particular in my gently musicked (that a word?) office I found myself feeling the need to see a living human being. In the Era of The Virus this is much easier to accomplish than it used to be inasmuch as my previously attheofficespouse Martha was working at home instead of in a sky-scraping tower in Downtown Dallas. 
So, baffled by a short story plot that was going nowhere (working title The President's Microchip Matches His Cat's), I walked down the long darkened hall, past the living room and beyond the dining room into Martha's office where, because she was involved in a remote office telephone conversation, I could only lean down and kiss the top of her blondish head. That's a run-on sentence. I'll stop it right here.

As I turned to quickly exit her office, I caught sight of something cherished on her desk. Right there, next to Martha's mousepad, was this tile with the image of Big Tex, the giant midway cowboy at the State Fair of Texas. It was as if, in moments of stress, she might reach over to sweetly touch the image of one of the calming personalities that has been a constant in her entire life -- Big Tex, the giant midway cowboy at the State Fair of Texas. He was born before she was. I think that in this 1952 photo, Big Tex's oddly wide-eyed look suggests he is astonished at what he sees before him at the Fair. Haven't we all felt that way.
And that is how we begin this weekend's edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. We are certain that all Texans sleep better when Big Tex is on the job. That may be an overstatement, but this is a political year and the traditional theme is "make overstatements."

So back to the sleeping dogs and napping cats. You see that long narrow photo above with the wonderful pair of pals on the back of the couch -- in the foreground is my personal dog, the great Porche Noel (found on the porch at Christmas, hence the name). She was a wander-up dog who walked with a pronounced limp and could not actually bark because she'd been collared too tightly for who knows how long. She squeezed her starving body through the bars on the porch gate to eat the front porch feral cats' daily buffet, then, having gained girth, she was too wide to exit through the bars. So we kept her.
At the other end of the couch is The Senator, my personal confidant, a wander-up cat with a hairline that looks like its been augmented by traditional U.S. Senate plugs, hence his name, The Senator. [In a cameo role in the recliner is the well-behaved Wendy, an unwanted puppy Martha rescued from an uncertain situation in Oak Cliff more than a decade ago. That dog is more loving than a roomful of Mister Rogers fans. Also, note the shadow of the cat on the front arm of the couch -- no idea which cat.]
When Porche is not sleeping on the back of the couch or in the bed between her humans, she's on her favorite fluffy white rug. Now and then she shares it with a fellow who may just be the world's most gentlemanly dog, the found-in-Kiest-Park Rottweiler, Texas Earl The Cheeseman. I don't know why I named him that -- but it seems to fit.
 Though he could wear the moniker, he never goes by "Big Tex." In fact, he frowns on it and, should someone use it, he barks back assertively, "Only one Big Tex. Grrrr." At least I think that's what he's barking. It sounds different than his bark that says "TREAT NOW!" or "CORNY DOG, PLEASE." And his stubby tail doesn't wag unless there's a treat in the conversation.
I guess I wrote this sleeping dogs/napping cats tribute with the Big Tex ingredients because, well, the folks at the State Fair of Texas ought to know how much some of us animal nuts really appreciate the work they have done each year to give us some happy Texas times in autumn. [I cite the Creative Arts Contests teams and our pal Jo Bowen who has been delivering cookies to us at the Cookie Baking Contest for more than two decades. A lot of people will miss familiar faces this autumn. It's the theme of 2020 for all of us, I guess.]
So, there you have it. A sentimental dog- and cat-lovin' goofball types a tribute to the great State Fair of Texas and links Big Tex to the sleeping dogs and napping cats of the universe, in particular those that make his quiet life a daily joy.
As any fan of the Fair knows, Big Tex began life in 1949 as a 49-foot-tall Santa Claus promoting holiday shopping in downtown Kerens, Texas. That's Tex on a postcard from the '50s. Thanks to the book The Illustrated History of the State Fair of Texas by the Fair's PR Legend Nancy Wiley, we know that when the 49-foot Santa put on the Cowboy gear as Big Tex, he was suddenly 52-feet tall. Elevated Cowboy boot heels, that's my theory.
That's a photo I took at the 2019 Fair --- it'll have to do until 2021 when the State Fair of Texas is again presented to the emotional benefit of Texans and visitors coming to see the legendary exposition.
I've used that photo of Porche Noel and Earl sharing the white floppy rug next to the dining table where I typed this on a laptop. Stevie Ray and William Powell had vacated the office to snooze on our bed, so I moved my operations to a place that would attract the personalities that give Martha and me happiness every single day. I can honestly recommend many things in life, but on this occasion I will eschew suggesting high-calorie treats and simply tell you that you can enjoy appreciating the State Fair of Texas and you can thrive by sharing your life with dogs and cats.
[WE'D LOVE to publish the photos and stories of your sleeping dogs and napping cats in our weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Email info and photos to dallrp@aol.com. You'll be helping people open their hearts to dogs and cats. You'll also be helping insomniacs realize that they, too, can get some sleep if they can balance on the back of the living room couch. It's an art.]
--- Offer advice or opinion by clicking on 'comments' below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com.  ---

LOOKING FOR PHOTOS; SEEKING RESCUES; CONTEMPLATING LIFE WITH RED COLLAR

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Our familiar companion “Normal” must feel like it was taped up in a cardboard box and left in a locker at a bus station somewhere near Area 51.
 Let us all work on rising above abnormal and reaching for happy days.
Now, with a slippery grip on reality, let’s proceed. 
FYI: Dear Readers, send photos of your sleeping dogs and napping cats to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll post their stories in our weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Otherwise, we’ll have to publish photos of sleeping humans and you don’t know where our camera has been. Please send us those photos of the dogs and cats. [LARRY PHOTO ID: The normal companions in that photo are Simon (left) and Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson showing off her stripes. Neither will be featured this weekend.]
FIRST WE TURN
TO MESQUITE’S CREW
Well, goodness, now and then there are rebounds. That’s the case with Rusty, we learn from the Mesquite volunteer biographer Debra Chisholm — and we’ve mentioned Rusty before, thanks to his original biographer, Judi Brown.
The story this time is this: “Rusty (44916051) was adopted from the Mesquite Shelter and returned soon afterward through no fault of his own.  Adopter says that Rusty is too active and was not a good fit for their home with an autistic child.”
 Judi’s earlier evaluation described him as a “high-spirited youngster.” He’s 56-pounds, healthy, neutered, microchipped — just needs a home. He’s a “2-year-old Shiloh Shepherd” who came in on June 22 as a stray. Judi wrote, “With a reddish golden coat and expressive brown eyes he’s a very handsome dog.  He welcomed me in his kennel with enthusiasm. He’s definitely friendly, affectionate, energetic, playful and fun loving.”
Then there’s Buster, a 74-pound Rottweiler mix who came in as a stray on July 4 — might have been fleeing July 3 fireworks is the readlarrypowell.com theory.
Debra’s report says he’s not neutered. And, “In the yard [at the shelter], he chased balls but didn’t know to return them.” Calm, moderately active, playful — “There is a lot to like about this Rottie mix,” Debra writes. He’s #45004581.
That brings us to “lovable Scooter,” as Debra refers to this Chihuahua. He came in on June 30, having been injured, possibly in an attack by another dog. He’s 8 years old and weighs 8 pounds. Scooter (44972216) “has bite wounds on his hindquarters and favors his left back leg…walks well on a leash. He is a frisky and perky boy for his age….He enjoys attention and affection.” 
To help any of these dogs, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
A COLLEGE APARTMENT DOG
NEEDS A PLACE TO BE A DOG
We got this appeal from veteran rescuer Gabriela Patero. The dog is Buster and he’s a Cattle Dog. [LARRY ASIDE: There are no cattle in apartments — well, that we know of anyway, though I’ve seen some strange things in Dallas apartments. Moving along….]
 Gabriela reports, “Buster is in DESPERATE need of removal from his current home [in College Station]. This must be done BEFORE July 20! While he has never been abused, he is not thriving in a small apartment with a college student. He has been with the student less than 11 months.” 
Buster is 4-1/2-years old and weighs 65 pounds, though he needs to weigh a bit less — neutering will take care of some of that. He’s “very loving, protective of his humans  though not aggressive, has lived with children. Requires daily exercise - loves running and hiking.”
He needs a yard to romp in, Gabriela says. No cats. And, she says, “He loves going places and snuggling. Buster knows and displays gratitude. He is an intelligent and loving boy.”
 The contact: Email GabrielaDallastexas@gmail.com
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE RED COLLAR CHALLENGES
There are animal rescuers all over Texas, all over the Great Southwest. Every now and then I realize we don’t pay enough attention to these groups of people who unite for a single heartfelt mission: “Save ‘em all.” 
We’ve written before about Red Collar Rescue, the group founded to help the “tough cases” in Houston by Charlotte Liberda. On Thursday morning, readlarrypowell.com was in admiring conversation with our Houston tipster Alexandra Kelsey about the latest email from Red Collar Rescue. Specifically, we were enamored of the Earhound Squirt. We have two photos of Squirt the Earhound that came from that email. As you can see, Squirt is very clearly an Earhound. 
The story is something to contemplate — it’ll make you wonder just what the devil is going on in people’s heads. Squirt’s story is awful, but wait until you get to Conrad’s. Contemplate these stories when you ask the question, “What makes people work hard to save the lives of animals.”

The Squirt story opens with the revelation that— gird yourself for an ugly quote — “Squirt's body was ravaged with thousands of maggots when we rescued him. His eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and head were a gruesome sight to see!  There was a high probability he would not make it, but Squirt surpassed everyone's expectations!  After a week in the ER, Squirt was strong enough to leave!  His left eye was decayed and had to be removed.  His right eye is damaged, but the ophthalmologist feels he has some vision capability, and it may improve with time.  Squirt is still healing, but moving in the right direction!  He is too cute for words...even without hair!”
[LARRY ASIDE: Just remember that for every one jerk mistreating an animal, there are even more that would like to deliver a beating to that jerk — only after they saved the animal! Animal people are too kind to be in a fist fight with a [insert appropriate epithet here]. I’m using words that rhyme with “sick.” But that’s just my unpolished nature. Now we turn to Conrad. One other thing, before you read about Conrad, know that you’ll have an opportunity to think good things about the Houston Police — and, as a guy who has known many peace officers, it’s important to remember this:
Good guys wear badges, too.]
CONTEMPLATE THIS: Red Collar reports, “Conrad was brutally attacked with an axe, and found near death by the police. They rushed him to the shelter, and the staff immediately called RCR for help! Conrad's front leg was almost severed, and he had deep wounds around his neck.  It took a week in the ER with blood transfusions, IV pain meds, antibiotics and more to stabilize him.  Conrad was then transferred to an orthopedic surgeon, who was able to save his broken leg with plates and screws. Conrad will need weekly exams and bandage changes for 2 months, but we are hopeful he will regain full use of his injured leg.  Conrad is the sweetest boy to everyone he meets...both human and canine.  We are still in shock that someone lookcommitted such a horrible act of animal cruelty.  We have been told the authorities are investigating this case, and we are hoping a prosecution will follow.”

You can volunteer to help by emailing info@redcollar.org. See the website at redcollar.org.
Seriously, exercise your powers of contemplation to try to come up with a way to protect animals from the drastically flawed human beings. Protect other humans from them, too. Good grief, we’ve got some real peaches among our species.
—- Offer advice or solutions by clicking on ‘comments’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-