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LUKE THE CAT; MONA THE MOM PLUS NINE; 4 TO GO IN EVERMAN & THE OATMEAL DOG

EDITION OF THURSDAY, FEB. 27, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to Thursday. I'm energized with a cup of coffee and a desire to help animals. Coffee -- it's what I have when I'm dodging milk chocolate. We're opening with a fantastic formerly stray cat who is in need of some special help.
We learned about him from Vanessa Johnson, the Senior Animal Care Specialist at Carrollton Animal Services. She's the heroic staffer who made the key appeals to help the dog Nala, in the "on-the-clock" photo below, beat the needle and find a spot with Marleigh's Friends Rescue. (See last weekend's Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.)
Now 5-month-old Luke is developing a reputation for -- well, Vanessa tells it best in this
passage: "He came in as a stray but has so much love to give!! He is a fearless guy who has no fears, even when it comes to his meds. The second you look at him he starts purring and looking for love!"

Here's why he needs to be in the care of an "approved 501c3 rescue organization" so he can, Vanessa note read, "get on the road to recovery."
What's he's needing to recover from? It is "suspected" that he has "herpes as well as ringworm."
Here's the bad part of the note: "Due to the highly infectious nature of feline herpes and ringworm, we will not be able to hold him past Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at 5 p.m."
 So, rescue groups, volunteer to save Luke's life by contacting Vanessa Johnson at 972-466-3420. Email vanessa.johnson@cityofcarrollton.com.
 And when you work out a deal to save Luke's life, let us know -- we love to post the success stories and the links to contribute to the organization that will spend money to save a life.
AND HERE IS A
SPAY/NEUTER LESSON...
Look, I've never met this dog, but I love her. You know, Dear Readers, what I mean. You probably feel the same way. I also love ALL NINE OF HER NEWBORNS. Holy smoke. 
Ginger Leach of Fort Worth Animal Care & Control provided the background on Mona (#43906553). Mona's a 2-year-old Shepherd/ Beagle mix and Ginger labels her as: IMMEDIATE RESCUE NEEDED.

"Mom is a little stressed right now since they just came in and she had to be darted," Ginger wrote Wednesday evening.
She added, "We need this family to go to a rescue or foster as soon as possible since we all know shelters are not the best place for them." 
To tag Mom and the kids, email fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov. 
[LARRY ASIDE: Yes, anybody with a working soul loves Mona the Mom and her babies. We also know that they are all at peril in an era of unwanted dogs. You think Mona was wanted? Hardly -- why would she be out having babies on her own and then having to be darted to be caught? Some human let her down by not properly giving her a loving home. Let me know if your rescue saves her and the kids. I'll make an appeal for money to help you finance this good deed. Email me at dallrp@aol.com. And keeping telling people why spay/neuter is important in North Texas.]
4 DOGS OF EVERMAN
STILL WAITING IN SHELTER
We wrote about these dogs and post their photographs a few weeks back, thanks to Heather Harrison, the volunteer who monitors things in the town of Everman on the southern edge of Fort Worth.
She has reissued an appeal to help these four dogs. Get in touch with her at nickale7@yahoo.com.
Here are the mini-bios of the dogs no one apparently wants. Please feel free to copy this and send it across the nation -- somebody somewhere surely will fall in love with one of these dogs and maybe all of them will be adopted rather than euthanized. Here are Heather's descriptions:

"JJ -- 2yr old, male Rottweiler mix.  Large, handsome fella with lots of energy!  Loves toys & playing.  Fully vetted, Heartworm Negative.

"Dodge -- 2yr old, male Hound mix.  Sweet, docile guy that just wants to be loved.  Very submissive & loving.  Dog friendly. He was brought into the shelter after being hit by a car.  Has since recovered & is doing excellent. (REQUIRES A FOSTER HOME SETTING, NOT KENNEL)
"Teddy -- 3yr old, male German Shepherd mix.  Gorgeous guy that will steal your heart with his endless love.  Cautious of new people but warms up quickly. Fully Vetted, Heartworm Positive (undergoing treatment).
"Cleveland -- 2yr old, male Lab/Pointer mix.  He is a big, stout boy that loves to explore!  Always has his nose to the ground looking for something good.  Loves to get tummy rubs & scratches.  Fully vetted."

And Heather's appeal also reads, "These dogs have been at the shelter for months without any adoption interest due to minimal foot traffic.  The shelter is filling up again so they are all in need!!   They are all so deserving of a home to call their own!!." (Again, email NICKALE7@YAHOO.COM.)

CONTEMPLATIONS
THE OATMEAL DOG WITH A CIRCUS HISTORY
Sometimes when I'm sitting at the dining room table and typing on the laptop, our girl Wendy comes to visit me. Wednesday night, that's when I snapped this photo. It was after Modern Family and before I started watching Royal Wedding (1951) with Fred Astaire and Jane Powell (no kin) but right after watching the end of Swing Time (1936) with Mr. Astaire and the incredible Ginger Rogers. Anyway, I think Wendy is a possibly a showbiz dog. When I look at her, I can see some Boxer and some Birddog and maybe something else. But mostly I see this great face of a fantastic friend. And I suspect that when my rescuespouse Martha picked her up off a Dallas street, Wendy was between gigs as a circus clown dog. 
Don't tell me you don't imagine the true history of your adopted rescues.
 Look at the natural makeup on those great brown eyes. Those are the eyes of a star! You think I can concentrate on writing The Lesser American Novel when this dog walks up to say hello? Usually, each morning I have oatmeal for breakfast and so does this slim dog. I get a bite, she gets a bite. She doesn't like bananas. Last week I made a batch of oatmeal and offered her a spoonful and she looked at me, looked at the spoonful plopped on her "breakfast site" next to my chair and stared at me. Then she glared and said, "NO bananas!" I quickly gave her a bite with the fake sausage patty. She wagged her tail and the stars in her eyes lit up. I hugged her. Can't resist. 
Wendy was never a shelter dog. No dog ever should be. No cat, either. But, outside of Martha, I don't know how many people drive around with one eye on the road and the other on dogs needing a lift home. 
That last photo is of Wendy (full name Wednesday Louise Wagstaff Arden) demonstrating how she used to curl up so that she could fit in the circus clown car and suddenly jump out with 25 other clowns and a mini-horse. Sometimes Wendy's "history" can offer opportunities for fanciful imaginings.
--- Offer ways to make people smarter by clicking on 'comment' below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

LITTLE DOGS, LOVELY CATS, BIG DOGS, POLITICIANS WITHOUT HATS: 2020

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Holiday Insights, the online calendar, reports that February 26 is “Tell A Fairy Tale Day.” The origin is unknown, the site says, but readlarrypowell.com will suggest without shame that it was created during an election year. Now, let’s talk about some small critters who could cast spells. Once upon a time…Oh, wait, these aren’t fairy tales. And who needs the drama? It’s time for happy endings.

THREE LITTLE SLEEPERS
You’d think Readlarrypowell would have saved this for our weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, but, nope. We’re using it as a hint that you should send photos of YOUR sleepers, nappers, snoozers and dozers to dallrp@aol.com. We’re proud to show off the love you have for your critters.
In the meantime, Stephen Foster and the folks with DFW’s FurGotten Friends have a trio of Chihuahua girls who need a home. Or homes. The Facebook post with the sleeping photo read, “Our three Chi-Dolls are searching for their forever home!” [LARRY ASIDE: They appear to be dreaming of the perfect homes. A dream we hope comes true before February can leap to a close!]
The pups are “around 4 and 6 months old” and they are named Denise, Reba and Marcie, as you can see from the photo of the girls wide awake. To audition to adopt them, fill out the application form online at https://dfwfgf.org/.
Oh, and don’t forget that among the dogs Mr. Foster and gang are trying to place is one we’ve already mentioned, the adorable almost 3-month-old Murphy, still just a puppy. Same contact point — your heart to DFW Furgotten Friends.

THE FRIGHTENED CHIHUAHUA

AND SHE’S MAKING PROGRESS

Debra Chisholm, one of our volunteer tipster at Mesquite Animal Services, sent us this touching story of a Chihuahua mix named Flo, one of the wandering little dogs we seem to have all over North Texas. Flo arrived as a stray on Feb. 17. She’s 3 years old, weighs 12 pounds and — what else! — NOT spayed. 
Debra writes, “She came in as a frightened girl and has struggled with adjusting to the shelter environment.  Her fear is manifested not in trembling or cowering, but in attempting to bit or nip at anyone who gets too close.  She has possibly been abused.

“Three volunteers have worked with her and though she is a work in progress, forward movement has definitely been made.  With Flo, trust needs to be established before she is comfortable with you.  She does not like to have a leash put on her, but will walk on a leash.

“One of our volunteers, Bill Duncan, has offered to help her further as he was the one who was able to ‘break the ice,’ and begin to build a relationship of trust.  Another volunteer is working daily with her and is helping her to become more trusting.  Flo has been kenneled with other dogs at the shelter and is fine with them.  

“She would not be good for a family with small children.  She also would most likely be more comfortable in a quiet and ordered home environment.  Flo has so much potential and will make someone a wonderful companion with some work and a generous dose of TLC.”
Her ID is 43839148. Email the shelter at rescues@cityofmesquite.com or call 972-216-6283.  

THREE CATS IN A CUDDLE
AND TWO DOGS WAITING
As we’ve reported, the folks with the non-profit, small shelter-focused 4-Legged Helpers moved animals out of the Lancaster Animal Shelter in order to give them a shot at a better life. The small shelter and the Helpers aren’t working together, but the rescue group has several Lancaster-origin animals on the adoptables list.
4-Legged Helpers President Laura Macias sent a note about these “3 babies” who are “about 6 months old and they were originally at Lancaster’s shelter. They are all just as sweet as can be. A foster has had them. They desperately need a rescue group or home — the foster can no longer continue to care for them…. All 3 love to be held and petted and are very friendly. They adore other cats and love dogs, too. They are the sweetest big cuddle kittens.” 
Call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.

The male (top photo) with the adorable look and the “adorable fluffy mitten paws and long bushy tale” is Nicky.

 Benji is the white and tiger tabby boy who is “just so very sweet,” Laura’s note says. 
And the tuxedo fellow with the championship whiskers is Teddy. His eyes, Laura’s note says, “have an orange tint…He is a very sweet little Teddy bear.”
We’ve mentioned these two before. Murphy is that smiling dog who was saved from the Wilmer Shelter by 4-Legged Helpers. He was found “in a known dumping area by Malloy Bridge” on the southeast side of Dallas. Laura’s note reads that a friend of the finder “convinced her to that taking him to the Wilmer Shelter would be a good thing. Sig. Not sure how anyone can be more wrong.” The shelter doesn’t have regular visiting hours, so animals that go in, well, unless they get really lucky, well, you know…. 
 And Peaches, who “likes to play ball and fetch,” was rescued from the Lancaster Shelter. The note reads, “Peaches’ time was up at Lancaster and we had to get her out to save her but no one has shown any interests and she is such a good girl.” She was an owner-release.
Again, to ask about the 4-Legged Helpers’ animals, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS
ODD THOUGHTS AT THIS POINT IN TIME
Politicians in hats? Only on Texas TV commericials. Will anyone write a presidential nomination campaign book titled Jokes I Wish I Hadn’t Told? How about What I Wish I’d Said? Or, from the electorate, LearningTo Speak To My In-Laws Again. I mention these fake titles to remind people that we are only in the nominating process for every race. The real race comes after the conventions. I don’t vote in the primaries because I’m not a member of any organized political party. Is there an organized political party at this time?
Here’s a quote from the great Will Rogers. “When the votes are counted, let everybody, including the candidates, get into a good humor as quick as they got into a bad one.” …In case you wondered if a Boomer can have a favorite Richard Nixon quote, I have one regarding the TV Age, an American era that came between radio and tweeting. Nixon, who is said to have lost his historic TV debate with JFK because Nixon sweated on TV, later said, “In the television age the key distinction is between the candidate who can speak poetry and the one who can only speak prose.” Not so sure in 2020. ... A reason to not vote early? You never know what a candidate will try to pull at the last minute. I’m sure that’s negative thinking. But this isn’t my first election campaign.
—- Offer advice or reprimand by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

A VARIETY PACK FOR TUESDAY, INCLUDING COYOTES, DOGS, DUFFERS & A CAT QUOTE

EDITION OF TUESDAY, FEB. 25, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We’ve had a coyote alert in our neighborhood in Eastern Cowtown. Coyotes and Cows. Never had a Cow alert. Matter of time. Our house backs up to a nature preserve — so do several other homes.
 The coyotes were here first, of course. That photo was posted by KERA-TV in April 2019 when there were several coyote-spottings in the Metrosprawl. My theory is this guy was trotting along in the proper lane and about to enter the Dallas North Tollway — he clearly has a pass and is focused on his steering, unlike many other DFW-area drivers.
By the way, we haven’t spotted any coyotes yet — our neighbor has. I figure all of the back gates on our street have a little mark that only coyotes can read. It’s Coyotean for this: “Fake being a happy dog and you’ll eat free the rest of your life.” (That’s Porche demonstrating her version of the "Happy Hungry Dog Why Don't You Feed Me Face"  on Monday afternoon.) 
More in Contemplations. And before you get there you’ll be able to read about dogs in need, including one in Wilmer and one in Lancaster.
HERE WE GO WITH SOME ASSORTED NOTES IN THE WORD OF ANIMALS:
THE WEARIN’ O’ THE GREEN
BY DOGS THAT ARE O’ THE GREY

I was reading an announcement about the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas participating in the North Texas Irish Festival in Dallas and ran across this phrase: “Because of the Greyhound’s Celtic connection.”
Time to ask Google. Look what I found en route to learning that the Greyhound was a favorite Celtic region hunter in England. Several references say the Greyhound is “the only dog mentioned by name” in the Holy Bible — Proverbs 30:29-31 in the King James Version. That’s Old Testament! Way before Westminster.

OK back to GALT at the Festival. It runs March 6-8, but hours for GALT are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 7 and 8 at Fair Park in Dallas. And the notice from GALT says, “Because of the Greyhound's Celtic connection, GALT will be featured in our usual location in the cultural area of Centennial Hall and will be offering t-shirts, collars and shamrocks for sale. Come visit Clan Greyhound!”
 Read the latest GALT newsletter HERE . And read about the 38th annual North Texas Irish Festival HERE.


TEEING IT UP TO BENEFIT
THE FABULOUS SPANIELS
Golf — it’s just a game. Unless you’re playing for Cocker Spaniels and then it’s an important game. Last year’s DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue Dogleg Classic raised $18,700 to help the organization help the dogs. And, according to the DFWCSR folks, in the past 7 years, the event has raised “nearly $90,000.” So, when they tee up the 8th Annual Dogleg Classic on Sunday, April 5, the goal is to raise “more than $19,000.”
 Volunteers have been signing up. People are buying advertising and promotional spots on tees, fairways, greens, flags — just about any place you can stick a sign. Lots of prizes have been donated. 
To volunteer to help with the tournament or to sign up to play, go to dfwcockerrescue.org.

Usually we’d post photos of Cocker Spaniels currently under the organization’s care. But there’s this special case we first heard about from Amy Poskey, the volunteer tipster at the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter.
Coco is a “senior female” Cocker who came into the shelter as a stray maybe more than a week ago and she may have been out on her own for a while. She weighs in at 25 pounds was found to be blind and deaf and suffering from an awful ear infection. She was just a mess.
But she still has some affection and life in her. And Amy reported over the weekend that Coco had been tagged by DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue. And, Amy wrote, “If anyone would like to make a donation for Coco, please click on the link below.  No amount is too small and this precious girl will be needing lots of TLC.” Here’s the link: dfwcockerescue.org.
And, remember, you can help Coco and other Cockers with less dire physical problems by grabbing your clubs and hitting the links on April 5 and Fort Worth’s Rockwood Park Golf Course on on Jacksboro Highway just north of downtown Cowtown. Click HERE.
TWO DOGS ‘DESPERATE’
FOR THE HELP OF HUMANS

Laura Macias of 4-Legged Helpers sent out an appeal for some assistance with two dogs — Murphy from Wilmer and Peaches from Lancaster. 
Laura doesn’t speak well of either of the low- foot traffic shelters. Cites things that’ll curdle your hemoglobin. We’ll put those things aside to focus on the two dogs that were, basically, claimed and, Laura says, “put in boarding situations to save their lives.”

Murphy is the dog who came in with an injured “boy part” and has recovered but still needs a place to go — a home, a foster or a rescue group. Not a single inquiry for this handsome guy even though, Laura says, “he is extremely sweet, extremely lovable and sill very shy.” The photo of smiling Murphy was taken when he thought he was going to a home, Laura theorizes. He was going to boarding. 

As you may recall, 4-Legged Helpers hit the end of the line with Lancaster Animal Services and its new management after trying for nearly a year to make sure every animal in the small shelter was rescued.
“Peaches’ time was up at Lancaster and we had to get her out to save her but no one has shown any interest and she is such a good girl. Just as sweet as can be, just like her name.  Loves everyone.  Seems to get along well with dogs we observed her interacting with when we had her out. She is fully vetted and housetrained and loves children (and is great with them)  Super sweet. Look at that cute face.  She loves to play ball and fetch. Owner release by someone unable to care for her.”

To offer to adopt or somehow help these two, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat-girl_71@yahoo.com.
THREE FROM MESQUITE
WAITING FOR GOOD SOULS
The volunteers Debra Chisholm and Judi Brown provided the info about these three dogs in the Mesquite Animal Services Shelter.

The German Shepherd mix is Harlow, about 2, 62 pounds and a stray who came in on Feb. 17. Not neutered and his bio reads, “He is one high-spirited youngster who leaps, bounds and races around the shelter yard.  He is a fun-loving, tail wagging bundle of energy who would be a great pet for an active person or family willing to walk or run with him or take him to the dog park for some exercise. His number is ID 43843259.
Coconut (43847623) is a year-old , 21-pound terrier mix who arrived as a stray on the 18th. Judi wrote, “The shelter had him down as a Chihuahua  but appears to be too stocky and heavy to be a Chi. My pet scanner said he’s part Jack Russell terrier and Lab mix. Because of his long body it looks like he may also be part Dachshund. Whatever he is he is adorable, cute, and sweet. He is low to the ground, has a long body, is very soft, and has one blue eye and one brown eye. In spite of the fact that he is very low to the ground he was easily able to jump up on a table in the volunteer room! He is timid at first but quickly warms up. He is calm and gentle. He’s receptive to affection and gives affection. He gives kisses.”
Koda (#43846631) is also a former stray. The year-old, 46-pound Pittie mix arrived on Feb. 18. Judi writes, “You would be sure to get lots of compliments on this good looking dog if you took him on walks. Besides being good looking, he’s also got a wonderful personality. He’s the right mix of being laid-back and spunky. He appears to be very happy as his tail wags constantly. He’s gentle. Sometimes he forgets and jumps on you because he wants some attention but even that is in a gentle manner. He’s not likely to knock you over.”

For any of these animals, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS
DEMOLITION, A SMILING DOG, COYOTES
After watching a little bit of the wrecking ball/Leaning Tower of Dallas confrontation, I began to wonder, “Is Dallas tearing down the toughest structure in town — the only one that could withstand a tornado or nuclear attack?” …

Leighann Hayden shared this on Facebook — the dog is Burreaux and he’s currently delivering that toothy grin with the Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana, based in Shreveport. Zip right down I-20 from the Metrosprawl and you can audition to adopt a dog who knows how smile even when he’s been watching the news on TV. You can reach the no-kill HSNWLA by goin to hsnwla.com. [LARRY FYI: I was a sportswriter at The Shreveport Times for a little over a year in the late ‘60s. Shreveport’s the big town in an area of hunters and fisherfolk and people who love animals. I like to think that the entertaining elements of Shreveport/Bossier City were created and built because of all the Texas money “donated” at the casinos and the horsetrack.] …
In the meantime, for those of you who have just moved to North Texas from the planet Mars or some place without an understanding of nature, coyotes are wild animals and must be respected. They are predators and will come after your unattended cat or dog. So, love your animal and keep him or her out of the reach of a fence-jumpin’ coyote. 
Canis latrans is the official name. Some people call coyotes “ghost dog.” 
Here’s something to remember: Humans are the invaders who have to terraform land to live on it — coyotes don’t have to do anything except be coyotes and avoid humans and they’ll get along just fine. [LARRY FYI: Not having a mugshot of a coyote, I decided to use this photo of me and Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson, our household peace officer givng her Clint Eastwood "squint." She enjoys quoting classic motion picture lines. In this case, she looked into the camera and, summoning The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, said, “Coyotes? Coyotes? We don’t need no stinkin’ coyotes.” Being a housecat for more than decade, she’s not really sure what a coyote is, but she prefers to stick to the safe side of things. So, like the Deputy Chief says, keep your critters ’n’ kids safe from coyotes.]

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

A BUILDING AND CAMELOT; A MODEL AND A PET ORPHANAGE; HISTORY FROM THE '60S

EDITION OF MONDAY, FEB. 24, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Ah, The Leaning Tower of Dallas. Reports are it’s going to finish coming down on Monday. Usually Dallas is a city that is able to demolish everything it designates on first try — ask the guy whose house was flattened last week. That’s a photo of the Leaning Tower -- I got it from KRLD-AM 1080’s site. It’s evocative of Pisa. 
And, when the tower falls, perhaps the rumbling sounds of the crash will evoke some words from the great Alan Jay Learner of Broadway musical fame.

“Never let it be forgot
That once there was a Dallas spot

with a piece left of a building
that amusingly leaned a lot.” 
 [LARRY ASIDE: See Contemplations for the real lyrics and other notes. But first, we have rescue stories and other notices, such as the appearance of international model and writer Anneliese Aeria on behalf of East Lake Pet Orphanage. She's a dog and cat fan and those are the mugshots of her little pals.]
THE ARRIVAL OF 50 DOGS
PRESSUES BUBBLES AND BENTLEY
As we moved toward the weekend, Bubbles and Bentley were in a bit of a fix on their own and then, suddenly, Denton Animal Services had to take in 50 more dogs from a hoarding situation. 
Bubbles (sitting alone on his bed) and Bentley were already working toward their own rescue situations when the new dogs put pressure on the shelter’s population.
We learned the details from Amy Poskey, the volunteer tipster who monitors Denton’s McNatt Animal Services.
The operative update as this is being typed Sunday is that Bubbles, Amy wrote, “is in dire need of a temp foster cuz  the Denton Animal Shelter took in 50 dogs from a hoarding situation, so I’m very worried about Bubbles now.  She has been at the shelter for almost a month and has medical needs, so I have no idea if or how long the shelter will be able to hold her. 
“The temp foster would just need to foster her until transport to Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue in Colorado and then get her to the transport site in the DFW area the day of transport.  There will also be some required vetting before she can cross into Colorado and Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue will cover that cost.”

 A note from the shelter reports that the staffers there are “working very diligently to be able to comfortably accommodate the needs of the animals in our care and the community.” Basically, if you’ve found a stray, try to hold onto it until Denton can create some space.
We’ve mentioned Bubbles before. She’s the Labby mix, a stray, who at under 6-months-old has suffered a lot of bone-breaking violence in her life. Bentley is the maybe 10-year-old Schnauzer mix, also a stray, who has arthritis in his hips and severe dental disease.
To offer to help Bubbles, contact the Denton shelter by emailing gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com,  julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com or ethel.Strother@cityofdenton.com or by calling the shelter at 940-349-7594.

And what of Bentley? Amy reports, “Holly Dool with Camo Animal Rescue has tagged Bentley for rescue and they are in the process of making arrangements to pick Bentley up from the temp shelter foster!!!  THANK YOU HOLLY!!!   If anyone would like to make a donation for Bentley’s care, please click on the following link:  https://www.camorescue.com/."
ELPO GETS ATTENTION FROM
INTERNATIONAL MODEL/AUTHOR
We got this from the PR wizard Vicki Young of The Young Company — she’s our great tipster for extra-special events at East Lake Pet Orphanage. 
You may have noticed that great photo of the striking young woman and two friends. That, folks, is the international model and author Anneliese Aeria and, as Vicki wrote, “her own rescue pets, Felicity the pup and Giselle the kitty.”
And, FYI, that model/writer also happens to be familiar with ELPO in a maternal sort of way — her mom is Dr. Karen Fling, the legendary vet who founded the pet orphanage and honors rescuers and pro-animal people annually at Wine on the Roof.
On Tuesday, March 3, Anneliese will be at Lucky Dog Barkery, 8320 Preston Center Plaza, for the luxury publication AAPETPEOPLE Pop-Up & Book Signing. She’ll be signing copies of the “inaugural monograph” of AAPETPEOPLEM Magazine and pet-themed T-shirts that will be on sale. And, “a percentage of all proceeds will go to benefit the homeless pets of East Lake Pet Orphanage.” The event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and, according to the ELPO release, “People Sips and Nibbles will be offered.” It’s “free and open to the public.”
And, no doubt, animal fans will be able to strike up a conversation with the celebrity model/writer animal fan. Anneliese says, “Traveling internationally I find that I am never without friends when the topic comes up relative to the mutual affection for pets, and the plight of homeless animals.”

Readlarrypowell.com would be remiss if we didn’t mention some of the adoptables at East Lake Pet Orphanage. That beautiful dog is Charlie, a young lady whose bio declares "she should be a dog model..." And that cat is Otis, one of several siblings found living under a backyard deck — they’re waiting for adoption at ELPO.
FYI: AAPETPEOPLE is described as “a luxury publication and photographic essay showcasing the unique and tender relationships between people in arts and fashion and their pets. The first issue offers a glimpse into five influencers homes, along with their treasured companions for an inside view of their lives together.” Connect at this link: aapetpeople.com. 

CONTEMPLATIONS
CAMELOT AND SOME JFK QUOTES
We mentioned the musical Camelot in the opening and the gifted Alan Jay Lerner’s song from the 1960 Broadway production -- it ran 873 performances from Dec. 3, 1960, through Jan. 5, 1963, research shows. While we twisted the lyrics to meet the forced fall of a building in Dallas, the actual lyrics read this way:

"Don’t let it be forgot

That once there was a spot

For one brief shining moment

That was known as Camelot."
You can listen to the Camelot star Richard Burton singing (there may be commercials) by clicking on CAMELOT. 
Some history. President John F. Kennedy was said to have enjoyed singing the song in the White House. The Guardian newspaper, in 2017, wrote about the story behind the film Jackie, about First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. And noted that after her husband’s assassination in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, Mrs. Kennedy was being interviewed 7 days later — Nov. 29, 1963 — by the Life magazine journalist Theodore White, author of The Making of the President 1960. Mrs. Kennedy said to him, “There will be great presidents again. But there will never be another Camelot.” ... Yep, “for one brief shining moment" JFK reigned over a "Camelot."… History matters, kids. Make sure you read up on your world. Here’s a JFK quote: ““The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” Kind of fits in with this one: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” I wonder if that has translated adequately from the 20th Century to the 21st.
—- Offer opinions or soothing words by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

NALA, NICK AND TONY -- LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE IN NEW LOVING HOMES...

We begin this February 22/23 edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap with a face you may have seen before.

That is Nala. She was very sincerely awaiting the needle at Carrollton Animal Services just before Valentine’s Day. But, the shelter’s Senior Animal Care Specialist Vanessa Johnson issued an appeal. Nala was scheduled for the needle at 5 p.m. on the 13th -- she beat the odds, thanks to human hearts.
Nala was an owner-surrender and, mercifully, the shelter people decided she needed another chance. 
People pledged hundreds of dollars to support her cause. And by Valentine’s Day, she was sprung, tagged by Marleigh’s Friends Rescue. What has happened since then? Here’s an indicator.


Yep, she’s out like a light! This was posted on Marleigh’s Friends Facebook page with the note, “Just look at this beautiful, sweet girl!!! Can you believe Nala was going to be euthanized for being ‘aggressive’ last week? She's sweet, smart and dog friendly! ❣❣”

Marleigh’s Friends Rescue reports on its Facebook page that Nala got support from “dog lover Sunny Chaparala, who is running as a Republican for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 24th Congressional District.” [LARRY NON-PARTISAN NOTE: Seven Democrats, Six Republicans, a Libertarian and two independents are in the race to replace retiring Congressman Kenny Marchant. We’re just talking Sleeping Dogs & Napping Cats at readlarrypowell.com. Plus, we’re committed to a campaign in support of our colleague with the Upper House hairline, The Senator.]
According to the post on Marleigh’s Friends, candidate Chaparala issued several pleas for help to her supporters and followers. Marleigh’s Friends also reported that with fosters for Nala and the candidate’s help with medical and training expenses, “Nala has a second chance!”
You can tell by the “relaxed photos” of Nala, that she is, as the rescue said after she'd begun her foster life, “adjusting rather well to life outside the shelter and receiving plenty of love and attention. She will be going in for a health evaluation soon and then assessed by a behavior specialist. She is a very smart and loving girl who will benefit greatly from training. She is NOT aggressive like she was recently labeled in the shelter. Nala is just a big, happy girl with a lot of energy. No one has ever shown her the appropriate way to direct her energy and she had no way of releasing it in the shelter.”
Marleigh’s Friends Rescue promises updates “on this beautiful girl" and declares, "Her transformation is going to be amazing and we have no doubts she will make the perfect addition to a wonderful family.”

While we were looking at Mar- leigh’s Friends post- ings, we hap-pened to run across two genu- ine sleep-ing ca- nines. These snoozers are Nick [on the 'top bunk'] and Tony. The rescue is hoping to “adopt them as a pair. They were rescued together in December but had only met briefly before going to their foster home. Since being rescued they have become the VERY BEST FRIENDS. Nick has helped Tony overcome his insecurities and these boys just love each other beyond words!! Surely someone has room for them both? They follow each other everywhere and refuse to be apart!!" Here’s the link to the adoption information: MarleighsFriends.org/adopt.

We chose, also, to use their holiday photos to show off their beautiful dog faces.
Kind of a good thing to know that dogs such as Nala, Nick and Tony are now on the “adopt” list rather than any other list — and I think you know what I mean.
[Remember, readlarrypowell.com happily posts photos of sleeping dogs and napping cats and any other snoozing critter — can be a family member, a rescued animal, a shelter animal, an animal that needs to be rescued.  Send photos and stories to dallrp@aol.com. These photos remind people that a sleeping pet is a tribute to a human — the animal trusts you enough to nod off while you’re in the room. We’ll post photos and stories in our long-running weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Your photos will also remind the world’s insomniacs that they, too can get some sleep if they’ll just figure out the right way to flop or to pair up. Dogs and cats make it look so darned easy.]
—- Offer upbeat responses or surefire Lotto Texas numbers by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. We answer the mail, unless those Lotto numbers work and then we’ll pay someone to answer the mail. —-

EXTRA EDITION: REMINDERS OF DOGS AND CATS AND SHELTER PRESSURE...SAVE 'EM ALL

MID-MORNING EDITION OF FRIDAY, FEB. 21, 2020 [PetPowellPress] As the sun forces us to reacquaint ourselves with a cloud-free daylight this morning, we have some Extra Edition stories for Friday. That’s the readlarrypowell.com Office Cat William Powell, a fellow who is going to really be miffed when I finally unpack the moving boxes stacked around the facility. He has a lawyer and may get a “restrain unpacking” order. Here goes:

BENNY BOUNCED BACK;
SOCKS HAS THE FAB FACE!
[LARRY NOTE: Last week we did several reports on the bulging population at Mesquite Animal Services and how the facility’s euthanasia needle was becoming active. Mesquite isn't the only shelter that encounters this pressure in ultra-fertile North Texas. In hopes of helping the shelter safely reduce the current population, here are  more stories of Mesquite dogs who deserve to live out their lives in a home full of love. That’s a genuine emotion. Readlarrypowell.com believes in saving ‘em all. That's Porche, one of many we personally saved through the years -- Dallas girl. Wandered up a decade or so ago.]

The story on Benny was sent to us by Debra Chisholm, one of our reliable volunteer tipsters at Mesquite Animal Services. 
Benny’s a 4-year-old, 32-pound Pointer/Jack Russell mix who first arrived at the shelter on Feb. 10. He was adopted “shortly after his hold date was up,” Debra says, “but then returned a few days later on the 20th”
Why? Older gent who adopted him “quickly realized that Benny was too lively for him to handle.”
Debra’s bio of this boy reads, “He is up-to-date on his shots, is microchipped and neutered.  He walks well on a leash and is a spunky and active boy with an outgoing and confident personality.  He is friendly, playful and has a sweet nature.  He did potty in the shelter yard upon arrival for his photo session.  He knows the sit command.  This little live-wire needs a home with people who are active and will take him for walks, runs and who will give him the exercise he needs.”

Benny’s ID is 43794165. Use it when you email rescues@cityofmesquite.com or call the shelter at 972-216-6283.
Same contact points for asking about Socks (#37757338).

Socks may have one of the most fascinating mammalian
faces we’ve ever seen — that’s on humans, cats or dogs! 

Debra says Socks, a 3-year-old, fun-loving, high-spirited Pittie-mix girl was surrendered to Mesquite’s shelter on January 31. “She has spent some time in isolation due to kennel cough but is now out in a kennel in the general population area.  Former owner reported that Socks lived both indoors and outdoors and is OK with children, but not with cats or dogs. She walks well on a leash, but I noted when I led her through the bay that she was reactive to the dogs who barked at her.  Therefore, a face-to-face dog test is recommended.  She is a friendly and affectionate girl.  She takes treats gently.  Her former owner had her for most, if not all, of her life so it is sad that she is now in a city shelter.”
Socks is #37757338 — use that number when contacting the shelter by phoning 972-216-6283 or emailing rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

[LARRY FYI: After you’ve learned that Socks was dumped by her lifetime home, maybe you’ll also have a “teardrop moment” when you realize the guy hugging her in the photo is a Mesquite Animal Services shelter staffer who wanted her to know that even though she’s in a shelter, someone loves her enough to hug her. He can’t be the only person who’ll hug and love that dog.]
OK, one more. And I’ll be brief:
Pepper (43840673), a 2-year-old, 45-pound, already spayed Lab mix was surrendered on Feb. 17 after, her owner reported…[LARRY PAUSE: Oh for crying out loud!] that back in December Pepper “ate some mushrooms and became ill.” The owner said that after she recovered, her personality had changed and she became “unfriendly” toward the other family dogs.
Debra’s note reads, “She is very uncomfortable in the shelter environment and until yesterday [Thursday] was too uncomfortable to even move about much.  One of the volunteers got her on a leash and took her out to the yard.  Much of the time in the yard, she had her tail tucked and would shake. Former owner also reported the following:  Pepper is house-trained, lived indoors, knows the sit, lay down, go to sleep and play dead commands.”

Idiot. Play dead? Idiot. Ooops. Did I type that ‘idiot’ out loud? — sorry, but not real sorry, Larry.
And here’s the LINK to Mesquite’s shelter site. You can see more dogs and plenty of cats, too.
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE APOLLO EFFECT AND A CAT’S MEOW
For our previous edition we reported on the SPCA of Texas had joined with Hunt County authorities to seize 146 allegedly cruelly treated animals. That’s a sudden population bump at the non-profit SPCA — dogs and cats came to the SPCA’s facility in West Dallas and the horse and donkeys went to the SPCA’s McKinney facility.
This dog is Apollo — he was not a member of that rescue seizure this week. Nope, Apollo arrived at the SPCA on Feb. 7 because of ANOTHER CRUELTY CASE.
 Readlarrypowell.com decided to highlight Apollo, currently “very scared” and working on his adjustment to a new circumstance.
We looked at his photo and first saw an Earhound working on being “normal” and then we looked at the second photo and thought, “He’s told the photographer ‘Hey, take one of me upside down and grinnin’ — that might help charm a patient adoptor!” 
So, that photo produces The Apollo Effect — a guy in an office 30 miles away from Apollo is suddenly fascinated by a dog who understands marketing through an upside down pose. I’d go get him if we hadn't already bagged the limit on entertaining dogs at our house. I hope someone with a kind and patient heart will contact the SPCA at foster@spca.org — he’s not ready for adoption, but he sure might be ready for a “foster failure.” 
Oh, and one more thing. A meowing cat insists that we give felines more time today. Here’s her testimony:

—- See us this weekend for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap and feel free to click on ‘comment’ below and email dallrp@aol.com. Save ‘em all. —-

HUNT COUNTY SEIZURE; SWEET DOGS NEED HOMES, SPAY/NEUTER FIGURES & THEATRICAL CONTEMPLATIONS

EDITION OF FRIDAY, FEB. 21, 2019 [PetPowellPress] As we were about to hit the “go” button on this edition, we got a news release from the SPCA of Texas about a raid on a property in Hunt County, northeast on I-30 about an hour from Dallas. 
[LARRY NOTE: I’d hope to finish the week with an uplifting paragraph or two for the lead, but, darn it, humans failing animals got in the way. The good side is the SPCA stepped up.]

On Wednesday, the SPCA, the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office and the Hunt County Constable's office — following up on citizen tips and an SPCA investigator’s work — seized 128 animals from lousy conditions. They went back Thursday and got 18 more — 119 dogss, 19 puppies, six donkeys, a horse and a cat. 
SPCA medical personnel are evaluating the animals — dogs and cats at the Dealey Animal Rescue Center in Dallas and the donkeys and horse at the Perry Animal Care Center in McKinny. 
The custody hearing is scheduled for February 27 with Hunt County Precinct 1, Place Justice of the Peace Sheia Linden presiding in Greenville.
The SPCA says 40 dogs, 19 puppies and the cat were living inside a resident “on the property which was filled with feces and urine and debris up to two feet high in some areas.”
Most of the animals didn’t have access to food or water. And the amonia level was high enough to be dangerous to humans. 
Outside, there were 79 dogs in makeshift pens and enclosures. /the horse and donkeys roamed freey.
The SPCA reports, “The animals appear to be suffering from severa health issues, including scrapes and wouns, long nails, diarrhea and dirty and matted fur. 
See how to help the animals by going to spca.org. More photos are HERE.
MURPHY — A GIRL
WHO NEEDS A HOME

This is one of the dogs currently in the care of DFW’s FurGotten Friends, the non-profit rescue founded by Stephen Foster. Here’s the story of Murphy, based on the Facebook post:
 “Adorable Murphy is searching for her forever home! 

- Murphy is around 14 weeks old
- Her baby teeth are transitioning
- She easily crates overnight and when unsupervised
- She has mastered the doggie door and races to be the first one outside
- She gets along well with other dogs
- She loves her humans, playtime, and toys!
- Spayed and UTD on vetting
Murphy is available for adoption!! If you want to meet this adorable girl, please fill out our adoption application here."
[LARRY ASIDE: We included Murphy’s slumber photo to remind you, Dear Readers, to send photos of your snoozing dogs and cats to me at dallrp@aol.com and their stories. We’ll post them in our long-running weekend feature, “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.” This weekend we’re featuring a dog who was a close call at a kill shelter. We like to feature the happy tales of animals who are loved.]
A READING TIP
ABOUT SPAY/NEUTER
The Big Paper Downtown in Dallas has an animal-loving columnist named Sharon Grigsby, longtime pal of mine, who has written an interesting assessment of Big D’s “Let’s Fix This” project. The goal has been to get spaying and neutering into the hearts and minds of people who have animals in Dallas. The project was inspired by attacks by free-roaming dogs on humans. Cats didn’t attack; they simply had more cats — you know how cats work.
As you read Sharon’s column HERE, consider the math cited in the project’s report: “approximately 82,000 surgeries over three years.”

Let’s liberally suggest that surgeries were done 5 days a week during 3 years. Five days times 52 weeks equals 260 workdays in a year times 3 years equals 780 days of surgeries. If there were, indeed, 82,000 surgeries, how many is that a day? Let’s try dividing 780 days into 82,000 surgeries. Am I right? Is that 105.1 spay/neuters a day? Are there enough vets around here to pull off 105 surgeries a day for 3 years of workweeks without needing some sort of therapy? Neuters might take 10 minutes, but spays are invasive surgery. That’s some pace, isn’t it?
And, yet, puppies and kittens continue to be born and dumped in the Dallas shelter.

Sharon makes a good point:  “It would be a terrible shame to see this unprecedented surge stop before the job is finished.”

They’re not all puppies in the care of Dallas Animal Services. If you go to dallasanimalservices.org you’ll see there’s this 13-year-old boy Luke (#A0476742), an already neutered “tan and black tips Airdale Terrier." He came in on Feb. 15. There are many other older dogs in the shelter’s care. And there are puppies, such as Lenny (A1091835), that 8-week-old German Shepherd mix who came in on December 18 and is in a foster home. (Lenny’s on page 12 of the more than 40 pages of dogs — 392 dogs and 38 cats listed during the noon hour Thursday. That little kitten is a no-name boy (#A1096464) who arrived on Feb. 20 at about 4 weeks of age proving, in the dead of winter, that kitten season is year-round in Dallas, Texas, the most fertile city in North America. Go to dallasanimalservices.org to see how to adopt.
WELL, IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR
IN THE MESQUITE SHELTER
Oh, boy. This is kind of a really disturbing story of human failure.
 Our Mesquite Animal Shelter tipster, the volunteer biographer Judi Brown, says Moma (left) is a 5-year-old, 63-pound Pittie mix (#43822173) who came in as a stray on Feb. 13 with Harley and Domino (last photo). }
“Harley is probably her daughter as she has recently had a litter and Harley is about four months old,” Judi writes. “Moma has gorgeous gold and reddish  coloring. She is short and low to the ground. She also has sad eyes which seem to be imploring you to love her. She is timid but much friendlier and outgoing than Domino or Harley.” 

Harley (#43822207) is 4-months old and, though she’d been at the shelter several days, Judi says she was “still decompressing. The shelter environment is overwhelming to her. It was difficult to get her out of the kennel. I had to carry her part of the way. I was not able to introduce her to other dogs as she was too fearful. I left the leash on her out in the yard because she was skittish. She did make moves to come towards me but then she decided better of it and she would back off. She did allow me, when I held her leash and talked softly to her, to pet her. She sometimes flinched. She is a work in progress. There’s no doubt she has a lot of potential to be a friendly outgoing dog once trust is established. I have enlisted  the other volunteers to help socialize Harley. I will follow up with hopefully more positive reports in a few days.”

Domino( #43822085), a 5- to 6-year-old “smoky gray” Pittie mix, arrived with Mom and Harley and, Judi says, “Harley is probaby his daughter. The story that was related to me is that the three of them were wandering the neighborhood and an elderly lady started to feed them but was not able to keep them. When the original owners were contacted they said they did not want these dogs anymore. They surrendered them to the shelter. As with Harley, Domino is and will be a work in progress. At first, I am told, he would not even walk on a leash. Today he hesitantly walked out into the yard on the leash. However, when he got out the yard he just froze. He will need more time and TLC to decompress and build trust. The volunteers and staff will work with him to help him know what love is. Domino is very sweet and there’s no doubt that he’s longing for love and companionship.” 

To help this family — all together or one at a time —- call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Use their ID numbers.
CONTEMPLATIONS
THEATER, THEATRICS AND SCARY FILMS
Pegasus Theatre, famed for its Living Black & White stage productions, also does “thrilling RadioVision!” shows, i.e., staged readings as if the audience is actually watching a radio mystery from the ‘30s an ‘40s. The next one opens March 12 in the Dallas Public Library’s Lochwood Branch’s Black Box Theater — these shows are usually done at the Bath House Cultural Center but playwright Kurt Kleinmann says that facility is is undergoing “much-needed building renovations, so Pegasus will present A Critical Case of Murder! at the Lochwood Library. The schedule and tickets are at the Pegasus Theatre site HERE. The plot is this: “Someone is murdering the theater critics in town one by one.” Naturally, Harry Hunsacker, the “would-be actor turned would-be detective,” and Nigel Grouse, his “paid-by-the-hour friend and assistant,” arrive to investigate. Kleinmann has written a script that plays with equal hilarity and mystery on both the theatre stage and in the radio studio. Kind of amazing. [LARRY ASIDE: Do Dallas-area papers have theater critics any more?] … Speaking of theatrics: I was watching the Democrats’ debate and, now and then, the Trump appearance (a swift TV remote!) and it occurred to me that if a novelist had created some of the dialogue from either program, the book’s editor would have said, “You need rethink this approach. No reader is gonna buy this stuff as real.” … While watching the Wednesday afternoon news on NBC5, the weatherguy asked his co-casters, "What movie traumatized you as a kid?" and his answer was Jaws. I read it when it first was published, then saw the movie — so I was a loosely stable grownup for Jaws. But the movie that traumatized me was the 1957 Roger Corman-directed black-and-white sci-fi film Not of this Earth. The guy who was not of this earth (actor Paul Birch) looked like a 1950s door-to-door insurance salesman in sunglasses. When he took them off, he had no pupils and his terrifying eyes would burn out the brains of earthlings to get their blood and save his planet. A few weeks after I saw the film with my buddy Barry Birmingham, I was walking home from school and saw a man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, businessman’s hat and sunglasses walking toward me. I crossed the street. He crossed the street. I crossed back. He crossed back. I turned right and might even have run the rest of the way home. Eerie. I’m still not sure that guy wasn’t from Mars and harvesting blood.
—- Offer insomnia cures and thoughts about scary movies by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email dallrp@aol.com — don’t wear Martian sunglasses. —-

DOGS, CAT, PIGS AND THE CONCEPT OF 'AGGRAVATED STUPIDITY'

EDITION OF THURSDAY, FEB. 20 (MAYBE ALSO FRIDAY FEB. 21) [PetPowellPress] All the rain and cold temps -- they've got to be good for us and our flowers, right? I'm still not quite to the point that I am looking forward to August. 
In the meantime, we're jumping right into a weird dog rescue story from Terry Lynn Fisher.
Yep, second edition in a row we've led off with Terry Lynn, but I think you'll see how she earned this mention. Oh, and there'll be some pig talk, too. And we'll highlight some cats at the SPCA of Texas, too. Tom Selleck is one of them.

CLEARLY, ANGELS ARE AT WORK
IN FAR WEST OKLAHOMA
Readlarrypowell.com has presented some odd rescue and adoption stories through the years thanks to Terry Lynn Fisher in Burns Flat, Oklahoma -- 50 miles east of the Texas Panhandle.

When you read this story, you may agree with the theory that the Angels of Oklahoma guided these dogs to the Guardian Angel of Burns Flat. 
Here's Terry Lynn's story. She writes:
"This story is a weird one...
"A couple weeks ago, I got the call that a tiny baby had been found, very sick...  I was afraid it was parvo, but it turned out she was half-frozen and dehydrated. We rushed her to the vet.  With care, she was fine in a couple days.
"Three days later, one of her littermates showed up at home of a lady who feeds ferals. He was eating the cat food.

"We took him in and he went to the same foster. They are about 8 weeks.
"
A week later, THREE more and the momma showed up eating cat food, too.

"Momma ran off, but the foster took the babies in. We searched for owners and watched for momma, with no luck. A rescue offered to take them all Monday, so I took to vet for shots and to board for the week..
"Rescue didn't get them Monday so I spoke with her today [Wednesday]. She had a parvo outbreak and cannot take the babies now.
"
I have three in boarding along with five adult dogs. I need a place for these five babies ASAP ... 
"PLEASE... if you have room, let me know. They are sassy and healthy and full of love.. one female and four males."

NOW, gird yourselves, animal fans, here's Terry Lynn's last paragraph and it is going to -- I really need to use some 'French' here, but I'll stick with the phrase "tick you off."
Terry Lynn writes, "For the record, the owner was found. They have three more and are keeping them. They are bat crap crazy and never even looked for the missing ones."

So, to help Terry Lynn help these puppies, email her at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com.

[LARRY ASIDE: To help the people who are "bat crap crazy," well, we're probably down to praying that the Angels of Oklahoma discreetly have some influence over them. Pretty certain we've never shipped a Readlarrypowell.com Two-by-Four of Enlightenment to a Western Oklahoma Outpost for Angels. And when I read about people with animals being "bat crap crazy," my first thought is always, "They must have fled Dallas after warrants were issued for suspicion of IAS -- Intentional Aggravated Stupidity.]
PEOPLE WHO ARE
PIGHEADED ABOUT
THE REALITY OF PIGS
Years and years ago I was interviewing Terry DeGaw, founder of Serenity Springs Animal Sanctuary at Forestburg, for a story about "little" pigs and "pocket pigs" that were being marketed. Terry, politely sighed and patiently said, "It's a pig! They grow!" 
Terry's gone now and so is Serenity Springs. But the pig problem persists. There is no "pocket pig." Need some mighty big pockets for a pig.

On Facebook this week, Ginger Leach of Fort Worth Animal Care and Control, added another sermon to the pig problem.
She wrote, "No such thing as a 'micro pig' or 'teacup pig'. They are starved pigs and it’s called cruelty!

"Just like 'teacup' dogs that are cruelly being bred to be that way just for your money. 
Yes they are cute but they have lots of medical issues & less life expectancy.
"Stop being gullible. Go to a rescue or if you have to have a purebred or specialty breed go to a reputable breeder. People doing the above [breeding just for money] are not reputable. Be smart and responsible."

So, on Wednesday, Ginger posted a photo of #43846458 and wrote, "Another piggy needs a home. We believe it is a male. And he is a big boy. I got to meet him for a brief moment and he seems like a nice boy. For pet only!"
Tag the pig by emailing fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov. You can meet this formerly stray pig at the Fort Worth Animal Care & Adoption Center, 4900 Martin Street.
In a bit of coincidence, the porcine rescue My Pig Filled Life, had posted a Facebook message with photo of two pigs. [LARRY ASIDE: Reading this, I could swear I could the voice of Terry DeGaw seconding these emotions!]
My Pig Filled Life wrote: "Folks!! Listen up.....
"This is not a teacup pig, micro mini or whatever other dumbass breeders term is used to sell a mini pig aka potbelly pig. These are underfed, starved pigs — ages 3 and 6. If you’re believing the BS about a full-grown mini at 20 lbs this is what you’ll have. It’s inhumane, it’s cruel and it’s tragic. If you’re like so many that just didn’t know, that’s fine but here’s your chance to learn. We are happy to offer insight on proper nutrition anytime. Mini pigs should be 80-150 pounds full grown. They, like us, do vary in skeletal size...short or tall, long or stout, thinner and fatter based on diet, exercise and genetics BUT this is ABUSE! #teacuppigsdontexist #micropigsarefake #justfeedthem #animalcrulety #animalabuse #neglect #savethepigs."
Read about pig rescue on Facebook HERE.
LET'S TALK CATS

AT THE SPCA OF TEXAS
Always some interesting cats and interesting cat names among the "adorable adoptables" at the SPCA of Texas. 
We teased in the opening with Tom Selleck, named in honor of the enduring TV and film star. The story on this Tom is he's 2, a "black and white domestic shorthair" and -- get this -- a "super sweet guy who was previously adopted from the SPCA of Texas." 
Why is he back at the SPCA? Because he was "found abandoned in an apartment complex." [LARRY ASIDE: See Terry Lynn's post above and note the reference to the charge of Intentional Aggravated Stupidity.] FYI, Tom has been waiting at the Cedar Hill PetSmart in the SPCA's dedicated display area. SPCA Volunteer Linda is quote as saying, "He loves to sit in your lap and has a beautiful purr. He is very sweet and loving."

 Names of SPCA cats also led me to show off these three. Two are obviously Star Wars inspired -- Vader and Yoda.
The other has the hilarious cat name -- heck, it might have been a "family" name edited out of The Godfather: Freddy Spaghetti. [LARRY NOTE: Truth is, if we weren't already loaded with cats, I'd adopt Freddy just to watch him cock his head when I was talking to him. I get that look from dogs, cats and my patientspouse Martha all the time.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
ELLEN, RADIO, SCARY FILM
I'm probably late to this. I happily watch Kelly & Ryan in the morning and get really busy in the afternoon, usually missing The Ellen Degeneres Show. But, on Wednesday I tuned in at the right moment to see her promoting her pro-critter site: @PawsUp on Instagram. She's a fan of canines. ... Speaking of fans of canines, it is well-known that the Radio Voice of the Texas Rangers, Eric Nadel, adores dogs. (He was the guy who talked Dallas into creating its first dog park, then got the Hall of Fame Hurler Nolan Ryan to cut the ribbon at the official opening.) Anyway, I was driving along on a westbound highway Tuesday night and surfing the radio dial trying to find something interesting and it hit me that pretty soon we'll be able to listen to Mr. Nadel and Matt Hicks doing Texas Rangers play-by-play and color and Jared Sandler doing the pre- and post-game duties. In the Metrosprawl, you can catch games on FM105.3. First spring training game broadcast is at 2:05 p.m. Arlington time on Friday -- Rangers vs. Kansas City Royals in Surprise, Az. Baseball -- how nice to think of the pleasure of the game. ... Here are two truths about animals: If you open the door to the backyard during a steady rain, a dog on a regular schedule will look at you as if you are nuts and return to the couch in the living room. If you leave an open box on a floor or table, a cat will crawl into it. If you put an open box into the backyard during a rainstorm, the dog and cat will call their lawyer, then go back to sleep and wait for you to come to your senses.
--- Offer weather forecasts or lotto advice by clicking on 'comment' below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

FOR THIS EDITION, SOME MOODS AND SOME ANIMALS AND SOME CONTEMPLATIONS

EDITION OF TUESDAY, FEB. 18 (MAYBE WEDNESDAY THE 19TH -- DEPENDS ON THE MOOD), 2020 [PetPowell Press] Welcome to Tuesday and that’s about all a sane person can say at this point. Monday was an enjoyable holiday…But, there’s this: We’re plum outta holidays until Memorial Day on May 25. It’s too soon to declare another mid-week or Monday holiday, but I’ll work on creating National Give Me a Quiet Break Day. 
OH, NO! I looked at the calendar. Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8 — Maybe we can make March 9 “National Re-Regulate Your Well-Trained Dog Day.” Spring forward, wake up the dog and run the puzzled pup out into the yard an hour early. [That's Porche snoozing/in the cat bed next to my desk as this is being typed. She wakes when she wants.] Back to the upcoming DST: 
 Add that system-shocking time-change to the combination of politics and iffy spring weather and we all deserve a surprise holiday for meditation without bitterness.
THEY’RE NOT ALL IN SHELTERS;
SOME ARE IN A PERSONAL FIX…
I think the term “personal fix” fits this situation for both the dog and the person trying to help her, Sara Shepperd, the longtime rescuer and founder of D.A.S.H. Dog Rescue — Dallas Australian Shepherd & Herding Dog Rescue.
Here’s the way her Facebook appeal began at this SITE: "I’m VERY heartbroken that NOBODY has donated a dollar for Sydney. … WE HAVE DISCOVERED HUGE LIPOMAS UNDER HER CHEST AND BELLY / they’re not cancerous, I doubt since we have had many dogs before who have had them, but poor SYD CANNOT MOVE UNDER THE WEIGHT.
“I’m going to tag everyone I can think of. Nobody reads my personal page and I’m too busy for it most of the time but I thought CERTAINLY Aussie Lovers would see her sweet face and donate $25 or something. Anything.”
Read the rest of the appeal HERE. It has the donation sites for easy giving on behalf of beautiful Sydney.
THE MARKETING THEME
CHANGES AT DALLAS’ SHELTER
Here’s the latest theme for promoting adoptions at the City of Dallas’ Animal Services and Adoption Center. 
Marketing — that’s a key to keeping the population down. Maybe a key to getting responsible people involved in the life-saving process. One hopes.
 Now, on Tuesday afternoon at dallasanimalservices.org you could see that DAS has 378 dogs, 42 cats, 5 rabbits and 2 hamsters available for adoption.
The dog gets the spotlight in the poster, but we’re going to point out a cat, too. That’s #1095974 — about 3, the shelter thinks. No name. He’s on stray hold. At least he’s not out in the lousy weather. If he’s your cat and you want him back, email DASlost@DallasCityHall.com. You might use that address and the ID# to reserve him for a rescue group or for adoption. 
[LARRY ASIDE: This is, after all, International Cat Day. I’m kidding. Everyday is cat day for intellectuals, right, Dear Catfans?]

MEANWHILE IN BURNS FLAT,
TERRY LYNN HAS SOME DOGS…
We’ve mentioned the great Terry Lynn Fisher frequently through the years, outlining her efforts to save dogs and cats in and around the far western Oklahoma town of Burns Flat. 
Tuesday morning she sent a note with a subject line that reads, “TOO MANY DOGS IN URGENT NEED.” 
You see their photos and the content of the appeal from Terry Lynn. Contact her at remembering_oddball @yahoo.com.
BIRDIE: What an Earhound! Terry Lynn writes, “This beauty was found just on the edge of town...  She has been spayed (tattoo) and knows many commands  I hate to think she was dumped, but nobody has been looking for her yet...  Her hold is up tomorrow (Wednesday).
BUBBA: Terry Lynn says, “This wonderful boy has been in boarding since his stray hold was up... He is a great dog.. loving friendly and just a sweetheart…"

COOPER: “Dumped by his owner,” Terry Lynn says. “He has something going on with his eye... Doc cleaned out all the scar tissue and said it was either a very old wound or he had been born that way.. no eye…very friendly and a wonderful boy.”

DAISY: “This girl has had too many babies,” Terry Lynn declares, then adds, “Thrown away, she came in and I was worried for I feel she would have bit me in a heartbeat. … It turned out to be fear only… She is now the first to greet me and loves ear rubs and getting treats. She needs [a home, a safe place to go] ASAP.”
JASPER: “I love this guy,” Terry Lynn confesses. “He is a big baby… loves to play and getting belly rubs.”
LILA: She was “found at the edge of town,” Terry Lynn says. “She was a walking skeleton. Still thin but putting on weight. She is tall. A great girl.”

Terry Lynn closes with, “All are urgent. I have THREE PITS that are taking space and I am terrified I am going to lose.” [LARRY FYI: Terry Lynn turned Burns Flat into a no-kill shelter with years of work and heartfelt influence in the small town.]
“Please, if anyone can help with any of these, let me know,” Terry Lynn asks. Again, email remembering_oddball@yahoo.com to reach Terry Lynn.
CONTEMPLATIONS

FLUSH, PANIC, WEATHER

I saw a story on the news that the new Texas Rangers stadium tested its “system” by having a “Super Flush” event in all the new bathrooms. I almost immediately wondered if it would change attitudes at municipal and legislative levels if those governmental bodies staged a Super Flush once a year. Might have been funny if the Rangers had brought in a relief pitcher to start the flushing. … The online calendar Holiday Insights says March 9, the day after the Daylight Saving Time arrival, is “National Panic Day.” The site says it has no idea who declared March 9 “National Panic Day” — might have been a politician, a Dallas Cowboys coach or the Texas Rangers pitching staff. …At around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, I looked out the office window and saw that a wind was causing the iris plants to quiver like a cold front had them in its grip. I think that may be an accurate assessment as the temp that in the upper 70s Monday is in the low-50s right now. What did that groundhog say? Oh, yeah, early spring.
—- Offer wisdom or sing something by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

FOR A HOLIDAY EDITION: DOGS, CATS AND CONTEMPLATIONS

EDITION OF MONDAY, FEB. 17, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Hello and Happy Presidents Day. What does this cat have to do with President's Day? Nothing -- except if you look under the cat you see the ancient and honored usage of an American newspaper -- shelter cage liner. Don't know what people will do when newspapers all go digital and the most recycled product in America disappears from household use. 
This cat, by the way, listed as Kitty (#43578874), is a 5-year-old girl who has been spayed and came into the Mesquite Animal shelter on January 9. More on Mesquite challenges in a minute, but as a veteran cat fan, I can testify that Kitty looks like a girl who'd love to cuddle up and nap, maybe speculate if any presidential candidates will wind up on a stamp or on Mount Rushmore. Or, as in this case, as a figure on a "commemorative" Mt. Rushmore Shower Curtain. (Ah, Google, thank you for the guidance to this site.)
LET'S TALK FOSTERING
FIRST, THE BIG SHELTER,
THEN A RESCUE GROUP

Dallas Animal Services' Facebook page made me laugh Sunday afternoon as I was checking it out. With this photo of a kitten-in-a-blanket, the author asked, "Who wants a purrrito?" Perfect description. The answer quickly followed: "Become a foster for DAS! We need to recruit more kitten fosters now to prepare for kitten season in the Spring and Summer months. All you have to do to get started is come to one of our weekly foster orientations! We hold them on Wednesdays at 5:30 PM, Saturdays at 11 AM, and Sundays at 1 PM. #BeDallas90 #FosterDAS Learn more at www.dallasanimalservices.org." [See our Contemplations for a Dallas Shelter recollection.]
THIS LITTLE GUY DENNIS is 4, weighs a whopping 6.5 pounds and is a Chihuahua mix. Possibly the only one in the world like this. Well, the only one in his local situation, maybe. He's in need of a foster at Paws In The City, the venerable Dallas-based rescue and adoption organization.
The folks at Paws In The City say "he is a curious and very affectionate boy. He is also quite talkative. He is well-behaved. His fur is a soft light tan color." 
The non-profit's website is pawsinthecity.org and the application to foster is HERE.
TWO DOGS GET A BREAK;
TWO AMONG THE WAITING
Last week when the Mesquite Animal Shelter became pressured toward euthanizing dogs because of a packed shelter, Judi Brown and Debra Chisholm stepped up their efforts to get notices into the hands of rescuers and other advocates. 
We got good news from Judi about Dexter (left) and Dusty. She reports, "Dexter was reclaimed by his owner and Dusty, after being there forever, got adopted!"
 Dexter had been surrendered on Feb. 7 because "the owner cold no longer care for them [one other dog] properly." [LARRY ASIDE: We're trying to learn what happened to the other dog in the surrender, Kuvo.] 
In the meantime, Dusty came in on 12/26 as a stray and the handsome fellow finally was adopted when the clock was ticking toward a bad fate. 

NOT ALL ANIMALS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AT MESQUITE...
Judi sent us several photos of Midnight. She describes him as "show-stopping gorgeous 1- to 2-year-old Chow/Shepherd mix who is a "majestic ball of fluff." The 56-pound dog came in as a stray on Feb. 11. The bottom line? Judi writes, "I just can't Say enougH positive things about Midnight." He's handsome, a sweetheart, wags his tail constantly -- you've heard these things before for dogs who turn out to be the love of a family. He's #43799609.
Beamer is the American Staffie/Pit Bull mix surrendered on Feb. 10 "because the former owner said he was destructive in the house." [LARRY ASIDE: Patience and supervision. Patience and supervisions. Kennel training. Sheesh.] Beamer is about a year-and-a-half old and originally adopted from the Mesquite Shelter last June. He was described as "house-trained" and "OK with other dogs and lived both in/outdoors." He's got energy, so he needs someone to help him burn off the energy, then teach him to take care of his home. He's #41577117.
To ask about either of these dogs ore any animal in the shelter, call 972–216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Use their numbers to help the staff ID them.
And if you want to see more dogs and cats (i.e., Kitty in the opening) at Mesquite, click HERE.

CONTEMPLATIONS
A RECOLLECTION, A PREDICTION & SNAPSHOTS
We'll start with this LARRY QUERY: Can any "veteran" of changes at Dallas Animal Services confirm my memory? Wasn't it only about a decade ago that DAS discouraged foster programs? This recollection was inspired by the "purrrito" above. Every now and then I sit back and marvel at the changes at DAS since the year that poor cat was allowed to die inside the wall of the employees' break room in May of 2010. Yes, readlarrypowell.com believes there should be a statue honoring that un-named cat whose pitiful, needless, cruel death changed so much about the shelter. ...
We found this item by accident. It has to do with horoscopes and the future. This comes from the Elite Daily online HERE: "Get in touch with your feelings, because the sun enters Pisces on Feb. 18, flushing the universe with kindness, creativity, and spirituality. Pisces season is a reminder to lower your guard and allow yourself to be truly affected by the world around you. [LARRY ASIDE: We'll see how that works out, typed the skeptical Scorpio.] ... 
Our pal Jeff Crilley posted this note with his daily news tip collection for PR News, the organization he founded and leads. The headline read: "Study: Dog owners take more pictures of their pet than their spouses." The study came from rover.com and said "65 percent of dog owners admitted to snapping more photos of their dog than their significant other." I agree with my perfectlyfocusedspouse Martha that any of our animals are infinitely more interesting and more pleasant than I am.
--- Offer photo advice by clicking on 'comment' below or sending a note to dallrp@aol.com with the subject line "Don't break the camera by shooting Larry's photo." Trust me, sage advice. ---

THE WINTER DREAM SHARED IN SLUMBER

Once, when the weather outside was, indeed, frightful, the living room couch, with its protective striped cover, was so delightful that two ol’ pals, The Senator and Porche Noel, fell asleep while watching — what was it now? … 
Let me interrupt to say that as their aide — i.e., préposé spécial au Sénateur Cat un chien de paix — I have no idea what they’d been watching when they nodded off, but I suspect it may have been either a news program focused on politics or an exercise program. They will exercise but they have blocked the diet programs on the household cable boxes. [LARRY FYI: We are using them as part of the focus of this week’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.]

Now, it came to pass that as I was preparing evening meals for these two they began to discuss the dream they had experienced. Fans of Mr. Spock from Star Trek, they had long ago learned the technique of “mind-melding” but had been surprised to discover that they did not need to be awake to be mentally connected.
“I’ve always been good at reading people," The Senator explained, "But after all these years it is refreshing to peer into the mind of one of the world’s smartest canines.”

“The vote is still out on that ranking,” Porche cautioned with a smile. “If I’m so smart, why wasn’t I properly bathed and prancing at Westminster last week?”

“Well,” replied The Senator, “You did pass the written exam without any help — it was the surprise DNA test combined with having to paw onto the scales that made the judges shred your ‘Toy Semi-Hairless Silent Snorehound’ application’. Is it any wonder that only a daft human will let you onto the bed? You rattle the windows, my pudgy little friend.” 

“Yes, I know,” Porche said, “But let’s focus on our shared dream. OK? As I recall, it began with a single Rottweiler asleep on a hardwood floor between a cat bed and the end of the couch.”

“That is correct, sir” the Senator replied in a courtly fashion “I believe not even the wildest mind in the House of Representatives could protest that description.”

“After that,” Porche continued, “I got the impression that the Dream Rottie had morphed into some sort of mixture. Possibly a Border Collie/Chocolate Lab mix with an angelic name — was it...”
“DUDLEY!” interrupted the film-fan Senator triumphantly. “Yes, Dudley — as in the angel Cary Grant played in The Bishop’s Wife. I studied human contact under Cary, you know. That’s how I became so charming.”
“Yeah,” said Porche, “Your moods are why we keep Band-aids in the house. But, never mind that. I believe the Rottie image in our dream was conjured up from the image of a real life Rottie, Texas Earl the Cheeseman. Handsome fellow, good temperament, loves to slumber. Also loves catfood, but who doesn’t, right Senator?”
“Ah, my delightful pate’,” the Senator said wistfully, his mind drifting away from the mental picture of the pair of dream beings that had replaced the big Rottie.

Then, suddenly, he was back at the challenge. “Who, dear Porche-pie, is that cat, that Tortie-esque Tabby feline with the big stretch going nose-to-nose with handsome Dudley?”

“Ah, Senator, they are peas in a pod, aren’t they? If being rescued while roaming free in the same yard in Oak Cliff, Texas, represents a pod.”

At this point, my responsibilities as préposé spécial au Sénateur Cat un chien de paix came to the fore and I reminded The Senator that he had to take a phone call from Washington and reminded Porche that her time in the back yard was at hand. Each week she lectures the squirrels on “Civilized Behavior in Respectable Neighborhoods.”
[CREDITS: The part of the sleeping Rottie was played by Texas Earl the Cheeseman, rescued from Kiest Park one hot day many years ago. The part of Dudley was performed by Dudley T. Angel, a wander-up visitor who stayed. And the part of the Tortie-esque feline was played by Esme, a formerly feral kitten who, many pounds later is proud to have been named after the python in the 1978 Chevy Chase/Goldie Hawn film Foul Play. (For all you fans: "Kojak! Bang! Bang!") Stage and film veterans The Senator and Porche appeared as themselves. The last photo is of Porche and her pal Earl waiting for the always-late squirrels to show up for the evening lecture in the amphitheater.]
[LARRY NOTE: If you, by any remote chance, have sleeping or napping cats and dogs in your home, your rescue group or your shelter, snap some slumberphotos of them and send the photos and the animals stories to Larry Powell at dallrp@aol.com. We will spotlight them in our long-running weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be helping people realize the joy of having a dog or cat laying around the house and you’ll be helping insomniacs gain confidence that they, too, can get some sleep if they can just come up with the right plot or their dreamscape.]
—-Offer sleeping tips by clicking on ‘comment’ or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. Today’s romantic advice: Never drive a lime green 1959 Plymouth Savoy with a loose three-on-the-tree transmission on a date. —-

ON VALENTINE'S DAY, SOME SIGNS OF LOVE AND OPPORTUNITIES TO RESCUE...

THIS IS OUR OFFICIAL VALENTINE'S DAY DOG FROM WILMER'S SHELTER.
 CALL IT PUPPY LOVE ON THE PART OF READLARRYPOWELL.COM.

ROSE IS THE VALENTINE'S DAY CAT -- SHE'S #A1079233 AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.

We have a Wilmer item coming up and you can ask about Rose by contacting the Dallas Animal Service Shelter and Adoption Center.
Two distinct faces -- opportunities to fall in love.

 

EDITION OF ST. VALENTINE'S DAY, FRIDAY, FEB. 14, 2020 [PetPowellPress] It is hardly news that February 14 is Valentine's Day. So, we'll save discussion of the day of love until Contemplations because, outside of the assorted facets of the 2020 presidential campaigns, what is worth contemplating more than love? 
And you see that dog Nala? Apparently she inspires love.
We wrote about her situation Thursday. But the real credit for saving her life goes to Vanessa Johnson and the team at Carrollton Animal Services and everybody who forwarded the Nala note and, ultimately Marleigh's Friends Rescue, the non-profit that tagged her.
Vanessa sent out the note that told Nala's story. The dog was on the clock for 5 p.m. Thursday and by Thursday afternoon we got a note from Amy Poskey, our tipster on this issue and (usually) Denton appeals). She reported people had pledged $500 to help Nala get through the challenge.
The bottom line was Nala's personality had become unpredictable in her month in the shelter. The theory was she could be saved with the loving help of a rescue group.
[LARRY THEORY: Nala is about 2 -- she was an owner-surrender. When someone surrenders a dog, no dog can understand it. The dog only feels the loss of its human. When the human isn't there day after day, and there are strange sounds, new animals, new people, new tastes in food, new routines, no familiar soundings....Well, damnation, why shouldn't a dog experience a bewildering anxiety-driven personality change. The mission of saving animals is a noble mission. The dumping of dogs has got to be some kind Sin of the Broken Vow of Love.]

THE WILMER SITUATION:

SMALL SHELTER AND
DOGS STILL WAITING
Laura Macias, president of the non-profit, small shelter-focused 4-Legged Helpers, sent these photos and stories of animals in the low-human traffic Wilmer Animal Shelter. Low-human traffic means NONE. So Laura's rescue is the best way to help these animals.
Murphy you've met before. He's the young Bully who had some kind of flesh wound in his boy area. He was dumped in the area near Malloy Bridge, a frequent "get rid of the dog" area on the southern side of Dallas. That's Murphy before with an unsettled look on his face. The second photo is Murphy when, the note reads, "when he thought he was going home to someone. Heartbreaking...Please...."

And Gabriel, the Lab/Boxer mix, we've mentioned before. "Gentle, loving, just as sweet as sweet can be. Found as a stray."

Austin is the skinny mix with the white flash on his forehead. He's sweet, thing and also was a stray.
Peaches is the girl -- Cattle Dog/Boxer mix -- owner-released "by someone who was unable to care for her." The young pup gets along with other dogs and humans, too. Loves to play ball and fetch.
And that brings us to the distinct face of Lyssa, described as a "baby female American Bulldog." Why is she in a shelter? The note reads, "Lyssa is a precious little baby found by a Wilmer citizen while [the pup was] out and about on her own. Picture taken by the finder. Look how adorable she is. She is the sweetest big baby girl....Please help safe her life. She needs you."

So, to help any of these dogs and the 4-Legged Helpers, by calling or texting Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. 

MEANWHILE, MESQUITE STILL
TRYING TO SAVE ITS ANIMALS
We've explained this week that Mesquite Animal Services has been facing a full shelter and that has resulted in some euthanasias to make room for the next unwanted dogs -- this results from people failing to properly love and take care of their animals. Yep, it's a human problem, not a dog problem. But the dogs will pay for it.
There are some to save and Mesquite is running a $14 adoption special through Saturday.
For example there's this 8-year-old, 62-pound Bulldog Gus (ID 42984073) who came in to the shelter on Oct. 14 as a stray. Then he was adopted and returned on Feb. 3. Why? The volunteer biographer Judi Brown wrote, "The reason they gave for returning him was that he didn’t like the husband. We did find he was fearful of men so the male shelter staff has been working with him. ... Gus especially likes our male Rescue Coordinator! He will need a slow introduction to a man for trust to be built. ... He’s one of the sweetest dogs ever if you just take the time to get to know him. He stays close. If you sit down he puts his head on your lap. ... Gus has cauliflower ears and currently an ear infection. He is going to be taken to the vet tomorrow to have that treated. I think he’s absolutely adorable."
The "photogenic Pittie" is Tucker. Judi says the year-old Pittie arrived on Feb. 3 as a stray. "He looks sweet and he is sweet. It's hard to understand why his owners did not come looking for him....." Gentle, sits for treats, gives kisses, walks well on a leash, weighs 45 pounds, shows no aggression. His # is 43749729.

And that brings us to the Earhound, two-year-old, 44-pound Demi (43617192), a stray who came in on Jan. 15. [LARRY NOTE: I used two photos to show her great ears and the white tip on her tail. She's beautiful.]

Judi says, "My dog scanner app said she’s probably a Staffordshire/Pit Bull Terrier. Whatever she is, her stand up ears, her almond shaped eyes, and her distinct markings make her a very attractive girl. People would stop you to comment on her if you were taking her for a walk. She has been at the shelter since 15 January.  She was in the back because she needed to decompress. Well, she is relaxed now as she has decided that people can be trusted and she can enjoy being around them! She appears to be very happy and wagged her tail almost constantly. 

"She also had a medical issue when she came in and was taken to the vet because one of her front legs was not working. The vet said it was a neurological problem. It is working now and she walks relatively well, but she does have a slight limp. She also slipped on a wet floor which indicates she doesn’t have good traction yet. Apparently with exercise and time this condition  is remedying itself. She’s a sweet friendly girl that stayed close like Velcro. I get the feeling she has not had much socialization. Could you remedy that?"
To ask about any of these dogs, call the shelter at 972–216–6283 or emailrescues@mesquite.com. Use their ID #s to communicate with the shelter. Remember: Lives are at stake.
CONTEMPLATIONS

ROMANCE, SHAKESPEARE & A COMIC'S CONCERN
What would Valentine's Day be like without roses? I don't know. My Valentinespouse Martha's favorite flower is the tulip. Always has been, she says. She loves tulips and warm weather. She's getting the tulips -- I can only control so much of the universe. Her favorite song? Best of My Love by The Eagles. I'm partial to the great Valentine-toned hit Bob Dylan's Things Have Changed, but I can't decide between Diana Krall's version of Fly Me To The Moon and half-a-dozen Beatles songs, the Tony Bennett catalog and -- oh, I can't pick. It's probably impossible for an actual Baby Boomer to pick one favorite song. I mean, heck, we were raised on rock and roll and stacks of wax. I'll get back to you after I re-listen to Heart's Barracuda. ... We cannot mention the theatrics of love without summoning The Bard. For Valentine's Day 2020 we reach back to 1600 or, perhaps 1601, depending on sources, for lines from William Shakespeare's Hamlet. They're from a letter written by the "melancholy Dane."
And are they not certain when it comes to the strength of love? "Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move. Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love." ... We'll follow that dramatic expression of love with a similar quote from the great American philosopher Lewis Black: "What I find most disturbing about Valentine's Day is, look, I get that you have to have a holiday of love, but in the height of flu season, it makes no sense."

--- Enjoy a day of love and keep it going and offer a loving lotto tip by clicking on 'comment' or emailing dallrp@aol.com. We're thinking of starting a love advice column online, i.e., "Never date anyone with a negative balance on a debit card." ---

CAN VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIALS SAVE THE DOGS?

EDITION OF THURSDAY, FEB. 13, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Did you watch any of those dogs happily being paraded around at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Monday and Tuesday? Look at this happy dog! 
Tail up and wagging. The look of happiness on the face. He’s headed toward that ball just in the edge of the frame. Dexter loves to play. He wasn’t in a dog show, but he is on display.
How wonderful is it to see a dog that is enjoying life.
Do you have what it takes to shove a needle into this dog and watch that light go out?
Because, someone is going to do that if nobody rescues Dexter from the overcrowded Mesquite Animal Shelter. Well get to Dexter and Dusty and their Valentine’s adoption bargain fee in a moment. Geezalou, somebody save this dog. And the rest, too.
Keep reading and keep thinking of people you know who'd be willing save some lives. 
[Readlarrypowell.com's mission is to help animals and the people who help them. We’ve already helped dogs and cats into our own home. I home someone reading this can help Dexter find his happy home. Read on.]
TWO MORE WHO NEED HELP
IN THE DENTON CITY SHELTER
Here are two more dogs you can help, according to a tip from Amy Poskey, the reliable volunteer \at Denton’s McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center.
Amy writes, “We have two very sweet, over-the-top awesome pooches who need our help!  So, please take a look at their pictures along with their bios … contact the shelter if you can help.” (Call 940-349-7594 or email gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com,  julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com, ethel.Strother@cityofdenton.com.
)
he dog Bubbles (Here’s her LINK) is available only to rescue — she’s 3- to 6-months-old, weighs 28.3 pounds, was a stray and try to read the vet report without getting ticked off at her former humans. The note from the vet read, “Bubbles has multiple healed fractures to the right pelvis as well as one healing fracture of the right femur.  She ambulates well despite her decreased range of motion. Her comfort and freedom of movement may be improved by an FHO of the right rear. Amputation would also be an option for her, but she is not well muscled on her uninjured leg, and may not ambulate as well as if the affected leg were salvaged.”

Then there’s Bentley, an 8- to 10-year-old fellow who may be a Schnauzer or a Schnauzer mix. Whatever he is, he’s a dog who needs some help. He’s “fully vetted, heartworm negative, has a good temperament and weighs 35 pounds…..Poor baby has arthritis in his hips, severe dental disease and needs a thorough vet exam.” Here’s Bentley’s LINK. How did Bentley wind up in the shelter? He was a “stray.” Also available only to a rescue group because of his health.
[LARRY JUDGEMENT: Some jerk probably dumped him or “set him free” and never bothered to find him and take care of him. I’m failing to find charm in the human race again. But the heroes who save these babies are helping to turn me around — it’s a slow turn.]
NOW, THE TWO AT PERIL
IN THE MESQUITE SHELTER
There are more than two. But if you get these two, that opens some places for the next two who’ll be dumped or show up stray. The note from the volunteer biographer at Mesquite Animal shelter, Judi Brown, says Dusty and Dexter are on the urgent list. “I mean URGENT,” she writes. “We have zero empty kennels! If you cannot adopt, tag or rescue, please network. The good news is the shelter is running a Valentine’s Day Special and all dogs are $14 through the 15th.”

Dusty (43492133) is a 3-year-old, 53-pound Aussie Shepherd/collie mix who showed up as a stray on the day after Christmas. Nobody came looking for him. Judi writes, “He’s a beautiful boy with beautiful markings, soft fur, and gentle hazel eyes. Unfortunately he has apparently not received the love he deserves as he is very timid and fearful. The first day I tried to interact with him he did a lot of fear barking.”

The next visit, she was “able to get him out and he would cautiously come to me to be petted and have his ears scratched. But his favorite position when you would approach him was to lay down and sometimes roll over as he was intimidated. Laying close to the doors seemed to give him a sense of security. He did explore the yard briefly,  and he did watch through the gate when there was activity on the other side. He is very sweet and docile. He has a strong pull on the leash. … [When one dog] barked angrily at him he reciprocated. I would suggest further dog testing.  Dusty is a work in progress and will need TLC to build trust.”
And that brings us to Dexter [43772288] — kind of a heartbreaking story.  And isn't that a sad face on a happy dog!
Judi says he’s an “Anatolian Shepherd mix who was surrendered with another dog, Kuvo to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 2/7.  Reason for the surrender was that the owner could no longer care for them properly.  Dexter is 3 years old and weighs 75 pounds.  Former owner reported that he is house trained, that he lived both in and outdoors, that he is OK with dogs and cats and is fine with children as well (theirs is 6 years old).  Dexter knows the sit and shake commands.  He was quite interested in scouting out the shelter yard (even though it was wet and muddy from the rains).  He is lively and active.  Dexter takes treats gently and is a friendly fellow with a sweet temperament.  There is so much to like about this well-mannered boy.”

[LARRY NOTE: I looked for Kuvo on the Mesquite Animal Shelter site and could not find him, but I did find a photo of this available dog. Maybe he’s the adoptable dog you are looking for.]

To ask about any of these dogs or any animal in the Mesquite shelter, email rescues@cityofmesquite.com or call 972-216-6283. Include their ID numbers in the exchange.
REMEMBER, NALA HAS
A 2/13, 5 PM DEADLINE

 NALA, an owner-surrender at Carrollton Animal Services, has an appointment with death at 5 p.m. Thursday unless some human steps between her and the needle.
We reported her story earlier in the week. She is high energy, but after a month in the shelter “she began showing signs of aggression.”
Who wouldn’t? She’s not in a home with someone who loves her.
She is available only to a non-profit who can gently regain her trust.
Rescue groups should contact Carrollton’s Senior Animal Care Specialist Vanessa Johnson at 972-466-3420 or vanessa.johnson@cityofcarrollton.com.
THE PETEY STORY CONTINUES;
SO FAR NOBODY WANTS HIM…
Oh, for crying out loud. I’d take him if we hadn’t already loaded up with other dogs nobody wanted. 
Look at this little guy. He’s Petey. He could have shown at Westminster with that aura of handsomeness.
 He’s 5 years old, weighs 15 pounds, is heartworm negative, microchipped, sweet and “will cuddle at times.”
He’s not good with cats, but does like to “sleep in bed under the covers.”
He’s a human’s dog, know what I mean? 
Petey needs a new home because he’s, basically, warting the much older dogs who were there first. So, Petey needs a new home where he can be the center of attention.
 He was adopted from a shelter — only he knows what he went through before he got to the shelter.
To ask about adopting this handsome little lad, email Elaine at tigerlady69@verizon.net or call 214-802-1134.
And, our pal Karen Lee at barkleyworld.com notes that “Barkleyworld and Elaine are both offering a donation to a reputable rescue who can help.”
MEANWHILE, DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES
HAS A DEAL FOR SWEETHEARTS

 This girl Mocha was presented Wednesday as the Valentine’s Day focus at Dallas Animal Services.
 One of them, of course. The text on the DAS Facebook page read, “Looking for something sweet for Valentine’s Day? Look no further than Mocha (#A1088863)!
“This very good girl is available for adoption at Petsmart  #1044 (our PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center) located on [16821] Coit Rd.
“Remember, a furry Valentine like Mocha is just $14 to adopt as part of our #SmoochesForPooches adoption special which ends on Sunday! Don’t miss out on a chance at a forever love! #AdoptDAS #BeDallas90"
 Here’s the VIDEO LINK to this lively sweet girl.
 CONTEMPLATIONS
A RECOLLECTION, WEATHER AND A CAT
We got a note Wednesday from our reliable Houston tipster Alexandra Kelsey and it really touched the ol’ heart. The subject line read, “Remembering Dianne Watson ~ 2/12/13.” She wrote, “The rescue community has lost so many wonderful people in the last few years, and Dianne was beloved by many of us and is missed so much.  She loved the Chows and whenever I see a Chow, I think immediately of Dianne. It’s hard to believe that it has been seven years today since her death on Feb. 12, 2013.  I hope that she got to the Rainbow Bridge and had a magnificent welcoming committee there.”
You know she did! And in her honor, we’re including a photo of her beloved “Chan, the Golden Chow.” As Dianne was becoming quite ill in the fall of 2012, she and husband Ben hosted a “party for animal people” at a hotel in northern Garland. It was a great event that filled the ballroom— I met a lot of fabulous rescuers and advocates. Most of all, I think, it was important for Dianne — I think she got to see the love of people she had reached with her determination to help animals. Pretty darned cool.
… As I write this, there’s a squirrel in my front yard digging around the soggy iris bed. I can see him or her through the office window. The squirrel is carrying an umbrella. I’m kidding. This squirrel is wearing a bright yellow 1950s schoolbus stop raincoat and four matching galoshes. If only I understood animation. …
Speaking of animation, I call this photo Rainy Day Cat. On Thursday, as rain peppered our neighborhood, I caught our young but large boy Simon on the bedroom dresser, using the bedroom TV’s cable box for a pillow and staring away from the window. We rescued him when he was about three weeks or a month old and we bottle-fed him and taught him to appreciate television. And there he is, much larger than the hamster-sized kitten warming up on the cable box. At least he’s not outside wearing a bright yellow raincoat and galoshes. He’s a certified dignified housecat. Get a cat -- discover a whole new world.
—— Offer opinions or hope for the future by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

MESQUITE'S CROWDED SHELTER APPEALS; THE EYE-OPENING LIFE OF AN INSOMNIAC & CAT

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We begin today's report with a cat adventure at bedtime.
Insomniacs are optimists. Maybe that's too optimistic a declaration.
So I hit the sack about 10:30 p.m. Monday convinced that I'd drop off like a worn-out puppy. I’d missed opening night at Westminster because of a long, annoying day.
 In fact, I was the only human in the room at the time I spied the bed of my dreams. My cat, The Senator, came padding in shortly, jumped up onto the bed, stomped across my thorax and flopped down onto my chest. I sleep in sweatpants and an old white dress shirt and he likes to chew the buttons on the sleeves. [He had the nerve to yawn as I photographed him Monday afternoon for this edition. Below you see him in a more traitional Senatorial about-to-nod-off pose.]
BACK TO MONDAY NIGHT: I decided I needed to set the alarm for 7 a.m. to catch up on tasks I’d missed Monday. Since I was tired of the non-gentle "bell tower" alarm, I held my multi-purpose cellphone up and began to search for alternative alarms while The Senator, weight ever-increasing on my chest, watched intently.
 I tried "sonar" first and its echoing “ping” was more irritating to me than alarming. The Senator was not annoyed by the "ping."
Then I picked "Sci Fi" and got something faintly but fiercely reminiscent of the music in the early 1950s classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. Holding the phone in my left hand, I touched the “Sci Fi" button and on the first note The Senator stood up. I touched the button again and as the high-pitched Sci Fi tone pierced the quiet night, The Senator cocked his handsome head to the right, leaned down and bit the wrist of the hand pushing the button.
He's done such things before -- it's the relationship we have: I show sincere affection for my cat colleague and he bites the hand that feeds him. 

I pushed the Sci Fi button again and he bit again, then pulled back and glared at me. I started to reach for the button again and, in the spirit of an Old West gunfighter with one hand right above the pistol, he twisted his head, slightly opened his mouth and I backed off, pushing the "save" button. 
I scratched between The Senator's ears (Nobody says that in Washington), and turned out the light as The Senator stepped off my chest, curled up next to me and went to sleep. (Maybe they say THAT in D.C. before the lawsuit.)
And, that, Ladies and Gents, is of many reasons I love The Senator. He IS the Great Communicator.
MESQUITE CHALLENGE: FULL SHELTER
AND FIGHTING EUTHANASIA
We've gotten several notes from our Mesquite volunteer tipsters, the canine biographers Debra Chisholm and Judi Brown.
The note we opened Tuesday read that "due to a very overcrowded shelter" dogs have been put on an "Urgent List" and, also, "Two were euthanized [Monday] due to lack of space."
Debra's note focused on tri-lingual Scooby and Judi's was an appeal for Claus.
[LARRY ASIDE: I am virtually certain that no shelter wants to kill animals because it has run out of room. But when it happens (as it does in Dallas and in other taxpayer-financed shelters), the blame is on the people who dump their animals, who let their animals run loose, who refuse to spay and neuter animals in The Lone Star Fertility Zone. Idiots. If Claus and Scooby are killed for space, those are the idiots who are to blame. The don't care/so what people of diminished capacity of the soul.]
Judi's note about Claus included this important suggestion, "If you cannot adopt, tag, or rescue, please network Claus. He’s begging you and I am also."
 Claus (43373534), a year-and-a-half-old, 47-pound "smoky gray Pittie" arrived at Mesquite Animal Services on December 6 -- he was a stray. Judi says he "was overjoyed to see me when I went into his kennel... He’s very energetic, playful and fun loving. He absolutely loves balls! He would chase them but did not want to give them back. He loved running with a ball in his mouth and squeaking it. He would entertain himself with the ball. He loved prancing back-and-forth in the yard. He’s very alert and watched what was going on beyond the shelter gate. When he tired of romping, he came to me for attention. He likes to have his ears scratched. ... He would fit in nicely with an active family with a large yard."

Scooby's note reads, "This high-spirited, 1-year-old is Scooby (43485129), an American Pit Bull mix who was surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 12/23 because Scooby kept jumping the fence and the neighbors complained.  Scooby walks well on a leash, but is a strong puller.  Former owner says of him that Scooby lived both in and outdoors, that he is OK with other dogs, that he lived with and is fine with cats and that he does well with children (their child is 4 years old). Scooby likes to run, can catch a Frisbee and knows the sit command in 3 languages, as well as will give you his paw while sitting. ... He is exuberant and high energy and would benefit from obedience classes.  He likes treats.  Scooby is a friendly pup.  His former owners say he likes to give kisses and hugs."

Both of these dogs may be enjoying petting and hugs and kisses as the death needle goes in -- unless some human heart is touched and they are saved.  Use their ID numbers when you email rescues@cityofmesquite.com or call the shelter at 972-216-6283.

IN COWTOWN, A PIG
IS ON THE ‘PET ONLY’ LIST
Ginger Leach of Fort Worth Animal Care and Control has been trying to find a home for the porcine beauty Brooklyn Marie (ID 43788979), a 10-month-old Pot Belly Pig who, the brief bio reads, was "surrendered due to moving. She is a nice, young gal."

Adopters would be responsible for getting her spayed and, importantly, she is "available only for a pet." 

She's at the Fort Worth Animal Care and Control/Chuck Silcox Adoption Center, 4900 Martin Street in southeastern Fort Worth. To ask about her, visit the shelter or email fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov. Email only -- don't phone.

CONTEMPLATIONS
THANKS TO STARS; CELEBRITY AGE; DOORKNOB INSOMNIA
Orson Bean, at 91, gets killed by a car while walking in Los Angeles. How fair can that possibly be? As a kid, watching any show with him on our black and white TV was a treat. He was a wonderfully funny game show participant. I should have written him a note of appreciation years ago. As I'm typing this, I have the cable tuned to a movie I've seen umpteen times, Love Actually. I missed writing a thank-you note to Alan Rickman (for so many films, especially Truly, Madly Deeply in 1990). But I feel the need to write one to the great Bill Nighy for his wonderful performance as "Uncle Billy Mack" the rock star in Love Actually and his work in other films. Maybe I need to write one to Hugh Grant (haven't seen his latest, The Gentlemen, and, yeah, I oughta write his co-star Matthew McConaughey a thank-you, too, for his work in the John Sayles film Lone Star, possibly the best film ever made about Texas. Especially I should write a thank-you to Emma Thompson for so many wonderful performances. So many stars, so little time in a day for an insomniac. … After the Oscars broadcast sort of tanked, I saw a headline in an online paper that suggested "Oscar ratings show Age of Celebrity is dead." Not as long as there are movies and newspapers. So, yeah, maybe the Age of Celebrity will last another half-hour or so. I'm kidding. I have faith in films and newspapers, whatever form they take, as long as the people in both professions remember their missions and, of course, get paid living wages. ... Back to insomnia. Here's why I had trouble sleeping Monday night and Tuesday morning. On Monday I'd suffered BDKS. Broken Doorknob Syndrome. I have a French door on my home office and the contractors put a "vintage" doorknob on it. They called it "vintage," I call it "used." It's always felt iffy. For about a half-hour Monday evening, I could not get into my office because the knob's internal workings came loose. Then, once I got inside, I could not get back out again. Fortunately, because I had been working on the entry-side doorknob, I had two screwdrivers in my jeans pocket --- the interior knob has both flathead and PhillipsPhillips screws. And I was able to dismantle it, re-connect it all and, if used gently, it will open from either side now. [LARRY NOTE: You see on the left, Apprentice Office Cat Stevie Ray at the door and, supervising from his desk, Office Cat William Powell.]
All that thinking about a labor discipline for which I am not suited kept me awake and because I was awake I began to think about my Tuesday schedule. Miraculously, I fell asleep before Harrison Ford was scheduled to appear on Jimmy Kimmel, but at precisely 2 a.m. I woke again. I didn't groggily wake, I woke fully aware -- as if I were on guard duty in South Korea and a southbound snowball had just bounced off my guard shack window at the North Korean DMZ. I was awake until sometime around 4:30 a.m. Watched a movie (Midnight in Paris) and tried to read, but couldn't. And that concludes my daytime whining for mercy and understanding on behalf of crabby and exhausted insomniacs. I have no idea if a feeling of guilt has anything to do with my insomnia -- if so, I have a list of things that will keep me awake until there's a cable TV network on Mars. I have so many things that could be keeping me awake. Now and then, it’s a dog. Sometimes a cat. Sometimes the dog, the cat and I join in plotting a novel about an insomniac who can’t find the right pillow. It’s semi-autobiographical. I’ve never seen a dog or cat have trouble finding the right pillow. That campaign sign does NOT keep me awake. I am comforted by it.
--- Offer sleeping tips or practical advice on doorknob repair by clicking on 'comment' or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

A LANCASTER CHALLENGE; DOGS AND CATS WAITING; CONTEMPLATIONS...

EDITION OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2019 [PetPowelPress] For this edition, we’re going to explore a shelter situation, some dogs in needs and, of course, Contemplations that probaby will cite a cat because, yes, we think nearly everyone can benefit from having a cat.
ANOTHER CHALLENGE AS TIES
ARE SEVERED IN LANCASTER
Early last spring we wrote about a parting of the ways — there was a political breakup as the City of Lancaster excused its longtime volunteer helpers, Furbabies of Lancaster (aka the non-profit Paws-itively Takes a Village), from access to the shelter. Furbabies is still not welcome in the shelter, according to our contact with the organization.
When Furbabies was disallowed, a group of good-hearted volunteers who focus on small, low- adoption traffic shelters, stepped in to help Lancaster’s shelter save the animals rather than euthanize them. This effort evolved into 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit with the small-shelter goals.
Then, suddenly, we learned from 4-Legged Helpers President Laura Macias that the second organization is out at Lancaster. [The Helpers continue to work with Wilmer and other small shelters in the area.]
Laura and her organization had built up a team of helpers via email appeals with photographs of the animals. And they were getting Lancaster animals rescued and adopted — some even were moved to other states to save their lives.
But, no more. And, Laura says, the Lancaster city shelter doesn’t “post them [the animals] out except for a select few on the City of Lancaster page. Some go on petFinder under ‘Lancaster shelter’.” She adds, “So sad they have no one now! I am so sick about all of this.”
[FYI: The city has an Animal Shelter Advisory Committee that, according to the city’s website, last met in June, about the time of the Furbabies change. We’ve reported previously that Furbabies lost its spot because some Furbabies leaders opposed the city’s bond election to build a new city hall — when the city hall proposal lost, so did the animals who could be rescued by the Furbabies.]
We're quoting from Laura’s long letter to a city official (no response yet, Laura says). Laura wrote, “As I am sure you are aware, we supply heartworm tests to the shelter … We arrange and pay for transport and take care of health certificates, rabies vaccinations, and have often done needed heartworm treatments before sending these dogs to these no-kill rescue organizations that have been carefully checked. We have supplied de-wormer and flea medications when asked or aware that they are needed.  We also use local fosters, and find suitable boarding when needed and have helped take care of surgeries or medical needs for dogs or cats.  We have received grants and donations to make much of this possible, but we have also donated a great deal of our own time and money since we truly care about these pets….”

4-Legged Helpers also obtained photographs of animals brought into the shelter, but, her letter reads, “Unfortunately, things have changed in the last 2 months…” 
New management came in with a different attitude about helping the animals on the city’s clock, to summarize Laura’s letter.
In addition to a list of complaints about rude and puzzling behavior, Laura included this note: “Our main concern IS and always has been the welfare of the animals at the shelter, their treatment, and giving each and every one of them the opportunity every living creature deserves, to be happy, and in a home,  just as I am sure the previous rescue group or groups that have attempted to work with Lancaster have had as their main concern.”

So, now, the challenge appears to be reopening an avenue of cooperation between rescue groups and the city’s shelter. [We invite a spokesperson from Lancaster to explain if there’s a new plan for exposing animals to potential adoptors or if the philosophy of holding animals until its time to euthanize them is being embraced by the City of Lancaster. Email Larry Powell at dallrp@aol.com. Having seen citizen voters and office holders resolve conflict to benefit animals in several area cities, we have hope that Lancaster will respond to the good hearts trying to help the city’s animals. To get in touch with Laura with suggestions and support, email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com or call or text 214-949-2726. (We’ll get to 4-Legged Helpers and the Wilmer Challenge after we mention Zack and Halo in Mesquite and Nala in Carrollton.)
CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARISE
AT MESQUITE; ZACK, HALO AT PERIL
Debra Chisholm, one of our reliable tipsters at Mesquite Animal Services, sent a note about this handsome dog Zack around 8:30 p.m. Monday — the Westminster Dog Show is underway and New Hampshire is getting ready to vote and, son of a gun, Zack is at the top of the euthanize list.
Debra’s note reads, “Due to overcrowded conditions at the shelter, a Critical List has been compiled with Zack on the list as one of the dogs who has been at the shelter the longest.  He needs out ASAP.  There simply are not enough kennels to house all the dogs who continue to stream in as strays and owner- surrenders.  Can you consider helping Zack by networking or tagging?”

Zack is an American Pit Bull mix came in as a stray on November 22. He’s about 3 and neutered. So he’s ready to go. His bio reads, “This is one high-spirited youngster with an outgoing personality.  He is very friendly and loves to receive attention. ... He walks well on a leash but is a strong puller.  This is one playful boy who has a zest for living.  He likes interacting with a human friend and would seem well-suited for an active person or family who would take him walking or would play and exercise with him.”
His ID is 43291077. Use that number when your email rescues@cityofmesquite.com or call the shelter at 972-216-6283.

Right after reading about Zack, I got another message from Debra about this girl Halo, surrendered on December 23. She’s 5, weighs 52 pounds and is spayed. Why was she surrendered? Debra’s note reads, “On the surrender form, the former owner gave the reason for surrender as ‘needs to be alone, not with other pets in the house.’ However, when asked whether Halo lived with and was friendly with other dogs, the answer was ‘yes’ so the information is confusing.  Also stated was that Halo lived indoors and was okay with children, and a very loving dog.  This is one high-energy girl who ran and played in the yard during the photo session.  … She is a friendly girl and seems confident, with an outgoing personality.  Though the former owner reported that Halo has been to obedience training, it would help her chances of adoption if she repeated manners training. … She needs someone who will stay committed to her.  She has the most interesting  coloring and is a real beauty.”

Once again, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 and email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Halo’s number is 43486703. 
[LARRY ASIDE: Yes, these dogs are on the clock. They need human hearts on their side. Mequite would like nothing more than to hand these dogs over to someone who will love them or someone who is with a rescue that doesn’t have a countdown clock.]
THE NALA SITUATION:

TIME TO FIND A NON-PROFIT
BEFORE 5 P.M. THURSDAY
The tip on this dog in Carrollton Animal Services came to us via the veteran animal advocate Kimberly Jones. She forwarded an appeal from Vanessa Johnson, the Senior Animal Care Specialist for Carrollton.
 
The appeal reads, “Nala came in as an owner-surrender, with very little feedback regarding why she was being released to the shelter. During her time with us, we recognized that she is very high energy and very active. For the most part she presented as a friendly, outgoing and playful dog. 

“Unfortunately, after being with us for just over a month, she began showing signs of aggression. Initially, this aggression was object focused, but would redirect to people. She is very unpredictable and will switch from happy to focused driven aggression. 
“Our volunteer behaviorist felt that this is a case of displaced aggression that will get worse in the shelter environment. With this assessment, we will only release Nala to a 501c3 approved rescue organization. Because we feel that holding her an extended period of time will worsen her behavior, we will not be able to hold her past Thursday at 5 p.m.”

To help Nala survive this challenge contact Vanessa Johnson at 972-466-3420 or email
vanessa.johnson@cityofcarrollton.com
THREE DOGS STILL WAITING
IN THE LITTLE WILMER SHELTER
We’ve mentioned these three before. But, according to the appeal for help we got, response has been “none.” The note from 4-Legged Helpers and its President Laura Macias also read, “Not one person wants any of these babies! They are in a hellhole….Can anyone save one?”
CALL or TEXT Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
Murphy is the one with the medical problem — he’s got an odd “swelling” in his “boy area” and no treatment to fix it. Laura notes that “this shelter…is quite small and closed to the public as we have mentioned in the past.” There are also suggestions that heat sometimes isn’t turned on and there are sanitation challenges, too.
4-Legged Helpers is trying to find non-profits that can move these dogs into the rescue community to save their lives.
Shelby (right), an owner-surrender, is advancing but still need a foster. The report is this: “She has an interested rescue in New York but needs a foster till end of Feb beginning of March next transport! She can’t go unless she gets a foster!”

And Gabriel, the Boxer/Lab mix, was found as a stray and is now waiting for either a rescue or something awful in the little, closed-off Wilmer Shelter.

CONTEMPLATIONS
Big Tex, Baseball & Cats
One of the first emails we got Monday morning was from the State Fair of Texas’ public relations Senior Vice President Karissa Condoianis about the death of Robert “Bob” Boykin, the voice of Big Tex for the past seven years. Along with the story of this loss, Karissa sent a link to the Boykin version of the famed “Howdy” message heard at the Fair every fall. Click HERE to listen. And that amusing State Fair photo shows The Voice of Big Tex with the actual Big Tex. You can read the Boykin tribute HERE. …
People are abuzz (Really?) about that new football team, the Dallas… the Dallas — hang on, let me look it up. (Dramatic pause) Ah, the Dallas Renegades lost to the St. Louis BattleHawks, 15-9, in XFL action in Arlington. In the meantime, the Texas Rangers website, which seems to be more concerned about the field than the players on the new field, reports pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Feb. 12. Of course, veterans of watching the Rangers’ seasons think it’s probably more like “catchers and experiments” report to spring training. … See this cat? That’s Mr. Emerald (A1094417) who remains in the “available” category at Dallas Animal Services where he’s been in city care since Jan. 27. There's not a better photo of him at dallasanimalservices.org. We’ve mentioned him before and he’s currently in a foster home — he’s 7 years old so if he’s set in his ways, people need to know what ways he’s set in. Ask about adopting him by emailing DASadopt@dallascityhall.com. In the meantime. I’ve got two quotes about cats that may entice you to open your home to some sensational beings. Cat's don’t snore as much as dogs and they don’t bark at anybody leaving boxes of food on the front porch. The late British writer Terry Pratchett wrote: “In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” And the American actor/comedian Bill Dana offered a practical viewpoint: “I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It’s not. Mine had me trained in two days.”
—- Offer advice or solutions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

ON MONDAY: MEMORIES OF '64, ANIMALS OF TODAY; MOVIE SENSATIONS OF YEARS AGO

EDITION OF MONDAY, Feb.10, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Maybe we’ll get to the Oscars later. First, a history note: We opened the daily news tip sheet for Sunday from our pal Jeff Crilley, founder of Real News PR. In the calendar listing we saw that February 9 was the anniversary of The Beatles first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
“So, what, Boomer?” you may ask in the tone of current times. Well, here’s what, kids: February 10 is the anniversary of the date in 1964 that high school boys across America began showing up at school with their hair combed down over their foreheads to look more like The Beatles and less like folk singers from the ‘50s. What? That car? 1963 VW Beetle — no musical value at all — I had one like that one without a radio (in ’68). Transmission lever broke and I fixed it with a paperclip. Can’t do that these days. Engine was in the back; trunk was in the front. More Beatles and movies in Contemplations. In the meantime, some critters. ….
A CAT NAMED TAZZ
Well, she’s probably never seen the movie Cats, but that doesn’t mean Tazz isn’t acquainted with misery, i.e., life in a shelter rather than a loving home. Here’s the story from Dallas Animal Services. The shelter folks think Tazz is around 7 years old. She’s been in the shelter since Saturday — imagine that, a 7-year-old, already-spayed, Tabby cat walking around unwanted in Dallas, Texas. Well, ah’ll swan. 
Yeah, some human probably said, “Tazz just really loves to be outside. The weather’s not that bad. She alway comes back. Open that door.”
Mercifully, she’s in a shelter that, after decades of a store-‘em-’til-the-needle’s ready, is preaching the gospel (these days) of live release, rescue and adoption (click on the smaller DAS illustration to make it grow like a Great Dane puppy). So, for now Tazz, according to her listing on dallasanimalservices.org, is “currently on stray hold as DAS looks for my family.” People can come into the shelter and “pre-adopt” Tazz so that when and if the cat’s latest family turns its heart away, you can can seal the deal on giving Tazz a loving home. Call the shelter at 214-670-6800 and ask about Tazz, Cat # A0755094.
VALENTINE’S DAY IS THE 14TH:
A CHANCE TO DO SOME GOOD
This one has been forwarded via Leighann Hayden of 4-Legged Helpers and it has to do with a couple of dogs the East Texas-based Gail Whelan of Companion Animal Network has encountered. 
The story is these two small Aussie Shepherd mixed “babies, only 19-12 pounds at most, are scheduled to be euthanized on 2/14 — Valentine’s Day.” 
Leighann’s note reads, “Gail is trying to help the Sheriff in Wood County, TX (many counties in Texas sadly have only a Sheriff's Dept that picks up strays) and she is willing to drive these puppies anywhere if someone can save them.  Rescue or adopter needed.  Please.  Dallas, Houston, etc. “
Call or text Gail at 903-967-3226 or email can.adoptions@yahoo.com. 

CHECKING IN ON PETEY
We got this update from the great Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com. She asks, “How can this be?? No inquiries on Petey Boy at all!! C’mon—he’s a great little dog—he’s just in the wrong situation!!  Please contact Elaine for more information on this precious pup!” (Email tigerlady69@verizon.net.)
 Karen says, “I’ve met Petey and he is a really great dog. He is loving, fun-loving but a bit overwhelming at times!!  He is so full of life and just bursting with love--but he's just not in the right home.” The story is Petey needs a home where he can fit in. An, according to his bio, he was adopted into a house of girl pups that are older and sedate and “they don't run and play with him - which he loves to run and play.  Petey is a Chi/Jack Russell Terrier Mix (possibly),  5 years old, about 15 lbs, neutered, up to date on shots, heartworm negative and on preventative, microchipped, sweet, and will cuddle at times.  He is NOT good with cats.” 
THE FOLLOWUP ON PENNY

Our tipster on the Penny situation reports things may not be as dire as originally feared — Penny’s human had suffered an injury and it appeared that Penny would need a new place to live. But our tipster says the human mom “is recovering nicely in the nursing home from her broken shoulder and may get released. So, the daughter has decided to hold on to Penny. She also found someone to foster her long-term. So the matter is no longer urgent.” Penny is a 12-year-old “spoiled and pampered girl” so we hope this continues to be her lifestyle.
A TRIBUTE TO A DOG WHO
ESCAPED THE CRUELTY

As the week was ending and the weekend arriving, we got a note from animal advocate and protector Becky Dodge. She wrote, “Meryl, one of the few remaining Vicktory Dogs is gone. She had lived her life at Best Friends as mandated by the court in the ruling that saved their lives. She proved to be friendly to all who met her, both human and canine and even had a ‘boyfriend’ or two during her decade there.” 
Becky sent us a link to the story Meryl - A Life Well-Lived on the Best Friends Sanctuary. Click HERE.
Keli Harmon’s story has a touching passage about Meryl and her pal, the Rottie boy Buddy Arnold. It reads: 
“For many years she lived with Buddy Arnold, a Hurricane Katrina survivor. They had a special relationship. He allowed her to be boss lady, but when the weather was stormy she turned into a mush and wanted nothing but his company and cuddles. It warms my heart to think that Buddy Arnold welcomed her on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge with open paws.
“Meryl will be so greatly missed by those of us at the Sanctuary and everyone who knew her, but the lessons she taught us during her time here will last for a lifetime.”


CONTEMPLATIONS
WORLD VIEWS AND VANTAGE POINTS
Croissants — yes or no? Pancakes or crepes? Pancakes or waffles? English muffins or biscuits? Multiplexes or single-screen theaters (that’s the 2nd-run Strand in downtown Texarkana in the mid-‘50s) - with 25-cent boxes of popcorn? Anybody else miss the days when you could catch a great French detective film at the Inwood, a revival of The Red Shoes or Bladerunner or Harold and Maude at the Granada on Greenville Avenue in Dallas or a Marx Brothers double-feature at the 7th Street Theatre in Fort Worth? Yeah, I can see all that in my living room, but I really love that cinema sensation. Didn’t see a single Oscar-nominated film this year. Out-of-love with the current style of theaters. … In the opening, when I mentioned high school boys combing their hair over their foreheads to take on a Beatlesesque approach to their coifs, I was speaking from the perspective of a kid in an all-white high school. I have no idea what was going on across the racial divide in my hometown. I do know this: It wasn’t an all-white music market: Here’s a link to The Impressions and their 1964 hit, Talking About My Baby. “Yeah, yeah,” as the Impressions sang. … FYI, Jeff’s tip about that Beatles American TV anniversary (That's Ed Sullivan in the middle) said “73 million people tuned in that evening making it one of the seminal moments in television history.” Since the decline of intellect and the rise of color TV and sports, the Super Bowl long ago eclipsed 73 million annually. Just kidding about that decline of intellect, though, of course, evidence can be presented. Back to The Beatles: Heck, I stayed home from church to watch The Beatles that night in 1964. Coincidentally, I also had to translate Latin homework for class the next day. I became neither a Beatle nor a Latin professor. As Beatlemus Quatrus of Rome once said to Nero, “Sic friat crustulum.” Thank you, Mrs. R.C. Hamilton, for the translation from the English to the Latin.
—- Offer advice or objection by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

MILO — Trusting enough to sleep

At readlarrypowell.com, we think fosters are heroic figures.
One of those heroic figures is our pal Patty Sprong. She has the magic touch.
It’s challenged now and then.
We cite Milo.
Not his fault, as you will see in the story that Patty tells us.
This challenge to love may touch your heart.
 Milo is our featured pup in this weekend’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.” Clearly he is a certifiable Earhound.

Patty explains, “This is my new foster, Milo. He’s a 10-year-old Chi mix that came from an abusive home.
When the owners moved, they left him in the yard. Luckily a Realtor found him.
“Milo was so scared that he had to be trapped, and he is still very fearful and head shy. I hate to think what he endured over those 10 years.

“He is slowly learning to trust, and learning to be a dog. He
loves to be inside and on the chair or couch closest to me. I have to be careful when reaching for him, and it breaks my heart when my intentions are misunderstood. He still doesn’t know that I’m not going to hurt him. I can’t pet him while he is sleeping, or he wakes up in fear and cries out.
“Milo loves to give kisses and give thanks once he knows you. It will take a very patient adopter to accept him as he is, and give him time to trust again. He deserves it!”

Patty, the successful,veteran foster, says, “I don't think I've had one that was this fearful, at least not from a shelter. I've seen them in puppy mill and hoarding situations before. He seems happy though and I think he will be OK!”

Milo is working on being adoptable through Recycled Pomeranians. You can read his bio HERE. . 
And when you go to recycledpoms.org, you’ll be able to see how many little dogs wind up in need of a home. And you can also apply to be a foster mom or dad or family.

[LARRY ASIDE: We LOVE highlighting the animals that are loved — that's the ex-street cat who became William Powell, my office cat. Just needed some slight training and $6.50 an hour. The cats and dogs we spotlight in our weekly slumbering feature may be between homes, living in the only home they’ve ever known or might even be sleeping in a shelter while waiting for a loving human. Know some slumbering critter? Snap their snoozing photos and send the photographs to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll celebrate them in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be inspiring people to give dogs and cats a chance in their homes.T Plus, you’ll be giving insomniacs confidence that they can get some sleep if they can just find the right couch and figure out the right position while wearing big fake ears and a blue fluffy collar. Think I’m kiddin’? Insomniacs will try anything. Distinct collars, big ears. Spock was an insomniac — I’m pretty sure. You ever see him sleep on Star Trek?]
—- Offer sleeping advice or diet tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

RAYMOND NOODLE'S FATE, SHELTER DOGS AND IDLE THOUGHTS

EDITION OF FRIDAY, FEB. 7, 2020 [PetPowell Press] That is the photo that, inexplicably, got to me. For many weeks, Raymond Noodle was the first cat you’d see when you’d click on the “cats” selection on the Mesquite Animal Services’ adoptables pages.
Then, one recent day, Raymond Noodle’s photo was gone. 
The 3 1/2-year-old boy had been in the shelter since August 22. Long time to not be rescued or adopted or, sad to say, anything else. I feared “anything else” had happened.

Raymond Noodle was featured quite a few times on readlarrypowell. com, the resolutely pro-save-the-animals website — he was a shelter survivor who needed a happy home.  Plus, I have a soft spot in my heart for cats. I’m not alone in the universe. My dogs adore cats, too. Look at his photo — he looks like a cat who needs to be loved.

But what happened to Raymond Noodle? When I realized his photo was off the list, I quickly sent emails to my Mesquite volunteer contacts, Judi Brown and Debra Chisholm. Because I’ve been around a while and I know the score at taxpayer-supported shelters in cities and counties, I figured Raymond Noodle had quietly "gone on." But, NO. There are some hearts at the Mesquite shelter.
Judi and Debra both responded that the whimsically named Raymond Noodle had been promoted to “Shelter Cat,” an honored position in any shelter. 
Here’s Judi’s report.
She writes, “He is OFFICIALLY our shelter cat now! He’s been at the shelter for six months but was available for adoption. He has worked his way into our hearts and become such a regular fixture that the decision has been made that he will be a permanent fixture. 

“He’s a very friendly, affectionate cat that will take loving and affection from anyone. He even allows you to pet him on his tummy which is something that all cats wouldn’t do. He has the run of the shelter but stays in the lobby and office area most of the time. He is non-reactive to most dogs which helps when it comes to testing shelter dogs to see whether they are reactive to cats.”
And to show you how great a “tipster” Judi is, she wrote, “In a separate email I will send you some pictures of him... Probably more than you would want but I thought you could pick and choose.”
 Well, of course, I can’t “pick and choose,” because I found this cat charming in each picture. 

Here are Judi’s descriptions of the photos of Raymond Noodle at work as Shelter Cat.

You see him in his position “welcoming customers in the lobby.”

Then he’s “on the counter helping customers with paperwork as a customer brings in a stray cat.”
He also “hangs out in the hallway” in the third photo.
The 4th and 5th photos show Raymond Noodle “making himself comfortable on the table in the volunteer room.”

Photo 6 shows him “hanging out with the ACOs” and we’re not sure if that’s his Animal Services jacket in the background. (He might have a personal tailor at some point.)
  That's Raymond Noodle in his “favorite spot on the desk with the ACO coordinator.”
[LARRY NOTE: I'm so glad this cat is alive. He's been giving to a shelter staff and now, perhaps, he's giving to readers, too.Thank you, Mesquite Animal Services, for saving this great cat and giving him a job in the shelter. Thank you, Judi and Debra for the work you do for the animals. Readlarrypowell.com will now find photos of other Mesquite animals to feature. Oh, how fast is this! Here come two dogs! Keep reading.
]
KAI IS NOW UNTETHERED;
ZENA GETS SURRENDERED
The stories of these two Mesquite dogs came from Judi — as regular readers know, Judi doesn’t just look at the Mesquite Shelter dogs she writes about. She visits them, pets them, learns about them personally — it’s a mission.

About that dog looking beyond the shelter fence, Judi writes, “Kai is a 9-month-old Rhodesian Ridgeback/Shepherd mix that was surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter because they were told they could no longer tether him. To me, he looks like he might have some Lab mix in him, also. He spent his entire nine months as an outdoor dog only! He communicated to me that he loves people and would like to spend more time with his new family. In order to do so he would like to live in the house with them also. … His previous owners stated that he was raised with children from 2- to 9-years-old. They said that he comes when you call him. After he got done smelling and investigating the yard he did come to me when I called him. They also said he’s friendly with other dogs. He did go nose to nose with several of the dogs in the bay and when a smaller dog barked at him, Kai just ignored it. He’s got beautiful big soft brown eyes that just implores you to love him. That’s not hard to do because he’s a really sweet guy.”
Kai weighs 63 pounds. His ID is 43754191. Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
And Zena (43756852), a 56-pound, 4-to-5-year-old tawny-colored Pittie mix who was surrendered on Feb 4. Why? “The reason they gave is that they had too many animals, but the fact that she had just gotten into a fight with one of their other dogs prompted them to bring her to the shelter at this time. They were not sure whether she instigated the fight. 
“If they had numerous other dogs she has obviously gotten along with them in the past. However further dog testing is suggested. She did go nose to nose with several dogs in the bay without a problem. Zena is an energetic, fun loving dog that seems to enjoy life.  She even appears to be grinning in several of her pictures. She certainly enjoyed romping in the yard even though it was a very cold day. She’s very friendly and her tail went around in circles! Her previous owners did state that she loves attention. … She’s a fun-loving dog that would do well with a very active family. … Bonus: she’s already spayed!” Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
ANOTHER WAY A DOG
GETS INTO A SHELTER
How does a dog get into a shelter? Well, it’s pretty darned important to figure out how dog gets OUT of a shelter, too. This 14-year-old lady is Baxter (4375031), in the care of Fort Worth Animal Care & Control. I hope by the time you read this, Baxter has been rescued. That was the appeal posted by FWACC’s Ginger Leach. 
Her post says the spayed Schnauzer/Yorkie “was seen being attacked by a couple of dogs and hasn't been weight-bearing on her rear legs. Original owner gave her away many years ago but she was finally able to track down who had her. She [the latest human] came last night [Wednesday] but can't afford vet care.”
To rescue this girl, email fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov. Baxter’s at the shelter at 4900 Martin St. in southeast Fort Worth.

THE COCKER SPANIEL EMMY:

SHE’S A VERY SPECIAL GIRL
I’d clicked onto the DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue site — yep, I was looking for information about the 8th Annual Dogleg Classic, the rescue’s April 5 fund-raising golf tournament.
I also found this beautiful dog and a story of rescue and love. 
The dog’s bio reads: “Emmy is a lively 6-month-old puppy. She runs, she plays, she cuddles, she kisses, and she is totally blind. 
“I listed her as special needs due to the blindness, but she really is not a special needs dog. Emmy was born without a connection from her optic nerves to her brain. The first thing we did when we pulled her from the shelter was to take her to an eye specialist, but there is nothing that can be done for her to see. The good thing is that Emmy does not know what it is like to see as she has been blind since birth.”


Who can adopt Emmy? Someone special — but that goes for anyone who adopts a Cocker Spaniel. Or any other animal. But, here’s the Emmy suggestion from the rescue: “The ideal adopter for Emmy would be someone who works from home, who has at least one other dog for her to play with, and is willing to make a lifetime commitment to this little girl. She is an absolute doll with personality plus,. Only serious adopters need apply.”

Go to dfwcockerrescue.org to see how to adopt. And you can also see how to play in the 8th Annual Dogleg Classic at Fort Worth’s Rockwood Park Golf Course. It’s $400 for a team, $100 for an individual. And you can buy advertising space on the flags and other golf spots. There are other promotional opportunities, too. Plus, it's easy to make a hole-in-one at Rockwood -- I've got six of 'em and I'm lying because there are balls I hit out there that have yet to be rediscovered. It's a fair course, unless you're a lousy golfer and then it's a fun course because everybody with you has fun looking for the ball you just hit at a right angle off the tee.
CONTEMPLATIONS

Assorted notes from an empty mind

Out my office window right now, I see a sunny yard with irises in bloom and green grass. The afternoon on Thursday looks NOTHING like the afternoon Wednesday. I’m hoping Friday looks even better — I may need to mow and pretend it’s already springtime. Nearly is. (That's a rose currently blooming at our old home in Dallas. I love that rosebush -- maybe 60 years old.) The Texas Rangers pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 11 in Surprise, Arizona. … Our trash truck pickup is batting .500 at our house today. We roll out a regular bin and a recycling bin. So out my window I can see my recycle bin is upright and ready for the next load and the regular bin looks like it’s been hit by a stunt car in a Bruce Willis movie. I may go draw a chalk outline around it. I’m not sure the regular trash truck ever stopped rolling as he picked up and dumped the bin. It’s about 10 feet from where it started out. But, you know I don’t care — our drivers show up. Couldn’t always say that when we lived in Big D. … This morning before I started working, I was sitting at my desk petting the Apprentice Office Cat Stevie Ray (calmly looking out the window in that photo -- AFTER the incident!). I was petting the rascal when suddenly he left my lap by stepping on my keyboard. Inexplicably, he stepped on enough keys to delete the file name on my photo folder and an hour later I discovered I was cropping photos and filing them somewhere that I still haven’t found. Office Cat William Powell issued some demerits, as is his responsibility. I’m just happy I’ve left the training of Stevie Ray up to the veteran cat William. He has more patience. That’s him demonstrating how to be a cat-not-seen-but-ready-to-assist. He formerly was employed as a butler at the home of a certain British Prince who, well, no longer needs a butler...that's what I heard, anyway.
—- Offer happy stories or lotto tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

BIRDS, DOGS AND THE WORLD

EDITION OF THURSDAY, FEB. 6, 2019 [PetPowellPress] A moment of gratitude for one particular historic event on this date -- The New Jersey Duck Derby. 
I’m kidding. More on the ducks in a second. An appreciation first:
 Research reveals that it was on Feb. 6, 1959, that the world changed thanks to American legal property laws. Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments filed all the paperwork to get the, as history shows, "the first patent for an integrated circuit." 
Yep, the computer chip, to use the colloquial term. Without that advancement in communication, you'd be getting readlarrypowell.com in the mail and this sentence would (deafening silence here)
 ...Yep. No chip? No laptop. No cell phone. No "check engine" light. No "unavailable during update." Well, anyway. Thanks, Jack Kilby, for giving us a way around the challenge of carbon paper in the typewriter and moving us into the era of “Printer Offline.”

Those bird photographs? Digital camera work by our Eastern Seaboard Bureau Chief Andy Fisher who reported on Wednesday that, as of this morning writing, the temp in frigid Denville New Jersey and the Indian Lake area was 3 degrees “less cold, ‘warmer ‘gives the wrong impression,” Andy wrote, than it is in our part of the Metrofrigerator.
By sundown, my computer tells me, the difference was holding with wintry Denville at 39 and DFW at a less warm 36.
Now, the photos...and click on that first one to make it grow!
“Today’s guests on the lake are the migratory diving ducks -- American mergansers, hoodies, buffleheads,” Andy writes. “We never see them in the summer or (usually) in the dead of winter.”

As you may speculate based on the photo tone, “Slate-gray is the color, so it seems colder than it actually is,” Andy says. “The diving ducks are fun to watch; there will be a big flock out there, and a second later, they're all gone, plunging to the bottom to snatch up some of the algae we're all too eager to get rid of. Then they pop back up like corks.”

Those swans are usually found along the shore at Indian Lake. Not sure what they think about the ducks. They rarely give interviews.
[LARRY ASIDE: Yep, that’s what people in Texas do when the temp spends too much time in the mid-30s and below. We pop back up with cries of “I miss August! I miss August!” Reminds me of the old Texas summertime folkline: “You can put on enough clothes to get warm, but you can’t take off enough to get cool.”]
TODAY’S THEME IS
AVIAN IN NATURE?
Not really, but heck, who can’t love a wild bird? These are from Dallas and we got their photos from an announcement about a “Birding” event Sunday at the Twelve Hills Nature Center twelvehills.org in Oak Cliff. The info comes from the Nature Center’s president, Marcie Haley.
The official invite reads, “Join Master Birder Shannon Love for a stroll through Twelve Hills Nature Center.
“We'll look for and learn about resident birds and migrating birds that visit Dallas during the winter. We hope to see the red-bellied woodpecker, the brown thrasher, yellow-rumped warblers, cedar waxwings and many more birds. Bring binoculars if possible. There will be some to borrow.”

That brown bird with the speckled belly is a brown thrasher. And that bird with the long beak and a handy tree trunk? Yeah, but what kind of woodpecker? Marcie says that’s a “red-bellied woodpecker.”

Now, keep in mind this is a visit for humans, not pets — readlarrypowell.com understands that because we know for a fact dogs will bark at birds and cats will, well, you know. 

The center is at 817 Mary Cliff Road. Parking is on the road beside the center property.
The event is from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Sunday. RSVP at twelvehillsnaturecenter@gmail.com.
[LARRY ADMIRING ASIDE: That address reminds me that you ought to go to twelvehills.org and click on the About” button. The opening sentence to the Center’s history is absolutely a spot-on dramatic introduction to this story of good hearts reclaiming city property for the sake of knowledge. “Born from the ashes of crime-ridden apartments, the Twelve Hills Nature Center is a reclaimed refuge amid developed Oak Cliff.” Credit for the story of this rescue goes to Lauri Valerio of Advocate Magazine in Oak Cliff. It’s worth a read.]
THREE DOGS TO GO
AT THE WILMER SHELTER
The word on these three comes from Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden of 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that focuses on small, low-traffic shelters. The City of Wilmer Animal Shelter fits right into that description.
The note from Leighann reads, “We received word today [Wednesday] that this shelter, which is quite small and closed to the public…has three urgent dogs. 
Murphy is a “medical emergency.” The 4-Legged Helpers note is not complimentary about the way the shelter tends to its inhabitants.
And Murphy has some kind of swelling in his “boy” area. His bio reads,
Murphy is an incredibly sweet boy.  Picked up by a citizen (the one whose car he is in in these pics) by Malloy Bridge but brought to Wilmer Shelter on the bad advice of a friend of this person.  This poor dog doesn't stand a chance without your help.  Please.  He's a good boy.  Beautiful young dog.  Gentle. Well behaved. No one even noticed this medical emergency.  Just said he seemed to be having trouble attempting to stand up but was fine once standing.  Obviously the problem is probably what you can see in the picture.”

Then there’s Shelby, a female Aussie Shepherd/Smooth Collie mix who is described by 4-Legged Helpers as “a complete love. Stuck in this awful shelter. Found as a stray. No one has claimed her….Please help save her life. She needs you.”

Then there’s the boy dog Gabriel. A Lab/Boxer mix who, his bio reads, is “Gentle, loving, just as sweet as sweet can be. Found as a stray.”

To help any of these animals find a new life outside of the low-traffic Wilmer Animal Shelter on the southern edge of Dallas, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: And if you live in Wilmer, write a nice letter to the mayor asking that the animal shelter be upgraded in the next city budget so people won’t say unpleasant things about the way the city runs the facility. It would be good PR for the city and the mayor, right?]
FOUND AND AVAILABLE;
'FIXED' AND HEALTHY
From "out at the lake" comes this "adoptable" tip from Sydney Busch, the spokestipster of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. That's the non-profit that operates the world's most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas. 
The clinic is open on Tuesday's. There's a connection to this "gentle Border Collie."
Sydney writes, "This handsome NEUTERED boy was dumped, rescued by kind person who cannot keep him... They had him fixed/vaccinated/hw tested (neg and on prevention) yesterday.. He is great with their other dogs. Guessing he's about 2-3 years old. Very gentle."

The contact is Mary Becker at fb111939@aol.com or call 817-846-4459.
[LARRY ASIDE: My brothers and I were raised by a Border Collie named "Queenie." I still mist up when I think about how much I'd love to hug her neck again -- she's been gone since 1968 and I can still hear her barking because the brothers were wrestling in the back yard and a human adult in authority needed to know about it.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
WEATHER AND WORDS

As I was putting that 12 Hills Nature Center birding item together, it reminded me that there are wild birds in our region of Texas that may not be as beloved as a woodpecker. Grackles. Yep, kind of a pesty bird, but I once met a man who swore that he loved having grackles visit his yard. Know where he lived? In the Haltom City neighborhood known as “Birdville.” Yep, Birdville. Named for birds? Nope. The Handbook of Texas says the little town, established in 1841, was named for Texas Militia Capt. Jonathan Bird. Read more HERE. …
LUCKY DOG BOOKS, the store with used and collectible books (I’ve collected books from there) has reopened at its 911 W. Jefferson location in Oak Cliff. It had closed just before Christmas. And, reading on its Facebook page, you find that people are proudly working to reshelve books and continue doing business in what, if memory serves, is the only bookstore of any kind between downtown Dallas and Cedar Hill, Texas. Like movie theaters in that giant swath of well-populated land, time has shut things down. These books are among the “Books of the Day” that have been selected recently by Lucky Dog Books. Keeping with a semi-theme of the day, the duck book fits right in with the lake birds and the Oak Cliff birds. …
OK, that’s enough about birds for the day. Owl see you later. Oh, wait. Any of you ever read Jonathan Livingston Seagull? Well, out of the past comes a bird reference. And I believe 2020 is the 50th anniversary of Jonathan. You know what? I was able to quickly confirm that anniversary thanks to the treasured invention by Jack Kilby. How about that? From chips to birds and back to chips. The computer chip -- the second most important chip invented in Texas? What? How about Frito?
—- Offer a groan or encouragement by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email dallrp@aol.com. —-

AT MIDWEEK, A HERO IS CELEBRATED; SHELTER ANIMALS WAITING; A DOG IS FOUND!

EDITION OF FEBRUARY 5, 2020 [PetPowellPress] I know it’s cold outside. Might be precipitation. Could be snow, sleet…but here’s a true fact: It’s never too cold for cats and dogs to propagate — yeah, I’m writing about a puppy explosion at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control, too. And we’ll explore that and we’ll discuss the recovery of a dog named Rugs. Other stuff, too. 
But before we get to that I want to cite a note posted earlier Tuesday by our longtime pal Beverly Fyfe, the animal advocate/rescuer. She has worked with the fabulous Angie Manriquez (yep, hands-on rescuing a dog) for years and years. You may know Angie as “The Fairy Dogmother of Dallas.” When I first wrote about her, she was known as the “Fairy Dogmother of West Dallas.” Her legend grew. It grew because she is determined and persistent and inspirational. People were so inspired, they formed Angie's Friends. You can tell that in this note Beverly posted: 
“I am asking for prayers and good thoughts for Angie Manriquez. She will be out in the awful weather today, tomorrow, every day, feeding and checking on the chained, neglected, abused dogs and feral cats she cares for 365 days a year in West Dallas. All good thoughts are appreciated as she goes about doing the work that saves their lives and makes those sad lives bearable.”

 Coincidentally, late Tuesday afternoon, I saw this note on the Texas Humane Legislation Network Facebook Page. THLN wrote, “Today, we’d like to call attention to the amazing Angie Manriquez of Angies Friends, lovingly nicknamed 'The Fairy Dogmother of Dallas,' who has been doing everything she can to provide the best life for neglected and abused dogs in the economically depressed neighborhoods of Dallas for the past 21 years.
Angie brings daily food, water, and care to dogs in the yards of people who have neither the resources nor inclination to do it themselves. She sees to it that the animals she comes across are on lightweight tethers (that she purchases) and not on the heavy tow-truck chains that weigh down and deform their necks/spines. Her nickname is well-earned and we are awe-struck by the incredible work she does.”
WEATHER NOTE: THE COLONY
Mark Cooper, The Colony’s Animal Services Director, posted a note late Tuesday afternoon about plans for inclement weather. It reads, “Animal Services will be out responding to calls concerning dogs/cats left outside without proper sheltering. PLEASE provide a warm and dry space for your pets!! It's not only the humane, decent thing to do, but it's the law!! If you witness a dog out without any form of shelter, please call and report it. (After hours: 972-625-1887 #1)”
MEANWHILE, THE PUPPY SIDE
OF FORT WORTH’S SHELTER…
The request from our longtime Fort Worth shelter tipster, big-hearted Ginger Leach, was this: “Can you please help me spread the word about the 4 sets of moms and pups that need rescued? … All have great temperaments and are heartworm negative.”

So, they can be adopted and rescued.
Here we go with the info and photos from Ginger.
 Here’s what Ginger wrote from the working desk at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control:
 “We have 4 sets of moms and puppies (one even has a baby daddy)…” [LARRY ASIDE: That is the appropriately named “Romeo" -- a "Prisoner of Love" in that photo.] Ginger continues, “They all need out ASAP. As we all know the shelter is the worst place they could be, next to being on the streets.
“All are heartworm negative, around 2-4 years and all are sweet/friendly dogs…
— Juliette 43673379/Romeo 43673350 - bonded pair.
Mom had 5 puppies so far today, daddy was even helping but we have them separated for now.
— Frosty 43721679 - has 11 puppies, about 4 weeks.
— Bahama Mama 43600790 - has 8 puppies, about a week old
— Trudy 43665064 - has 2 fat rolypoly puppies about 3 weeks. Mom was in bite quarantine due to protecting her puppies. She has been super sweet and nice with us, never shown any aggression.

Here’s the deal, once the shelter hands the animals over, the recipient, be it an adoptor or a rescue group, takes over the vet care and the human care.
To ask about any of these dogs, email fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov. Don’t call the shelter. Use the modern email.
And you absolutely can visit the dogs and the FWACC/Chuck Silcox Adoption Center at 4900 Martin St., in southeast Fort Worth with easy access to I-20 and Loop 820.
[LARRY ASIDE: There’s almost no where in American that you can’t get into a car or pickup and drive straight to the Fort Worth animal shelter. It’s like all roads lead to an adoption opportunity.]
AS LONG AS WE’VE MENTIONED
COWTOWN, HOW ABOUT BIG D?
Yep, Dallas Animal Services & Adoption Center is running this special on dogs. But there are more than dogs at the shelter. As of about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the adopt-a-pet button at dallasanimalservices.org showed 398 dogs, 66 cats and 16 other (rabbits, hamsters and Guinea Pigs including this 3-year-old fellow named “SERGENT PEPPERS” (in honor of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, we assume with "sergeant" in our dictionary. Guinea Pigs can't spell, I understand.) He’s (A1094927.
And, of course, who can resist this Earhound, actually on the “bargain list.” He’s Kylo — yep, hello Star Wars and Kylo Ren fans. He’s “A1094790” and the DAS bio reads that Kylo “has been looking for love in all the wrong places! Help him out by being his Valentine and adopting this former stray. Kylo is tall, dark, and handsome with eyes that make any heart skip a beat! What more could you want?”
Well, you might want a cat. That one is Gavin (A1088879) who, in spite of the "mature" look of his kitten face, allegedly is just 15 weeks old (in the shelter’s care since Dec. 28) and currently living with a foster family. [LARRY ASIDE: I posted Gavin’s photo for three reasons: (1) To show that it’s always kitten season in Dallas — spay and neuter, please; (2) That is the most mature face I’ve ever seen on a kitten so he’s probably a wise old soul looking for a good lap to lounge in; and (3) In all my writing about animals over the decades, this may be the first cat named “Gavin” that I’ve ever encountered.]
CONTEMPLATION:

THE RESCUE OF RUGS

We rarely post a rescue for Contemplation, but, holy smoke, read this and tell me it doesn’t make you think about all the things that went right because people knew how to jump into the mission and engage anybody who sees a sign taped on a utility pole or stapled to a handy tree or shoved into a front door.
And I know how tough Foster Moms and Dads are — they give their hearts to an animal all the while knowing that they will soon have to live without that animal they love.
In the case of Rugs, a magnificent relationship with a Foster Mom may have saved the dog’s life.
[LARRY ASIDE: When you get to the “Rugs had begun to run away” scene, have some tissue handy. I speak from personal experience.]
We posted the story of how Rugs, a Red Collar Rescue dog who’d already had corrective achilles surgery and gone through rehab, had been adopted Saturday and then, that night, bolted and ran into unfamiliar territory — as a nervous and easily-frightened dogs will do. 
Red Collar reports that on Sunday and Monday the organization “flooded the neighborhood with flyers, searched miles and miles, shared through social media, and more.”

Then, on Monday afternoon, Red Collar says, “A miracle occurred! Workers with CenterPoint Energy were on a job in an adjoining neighborhood, when they noticed Rugs in the front yard of one of the homes. They recognized her from flyers they had seen earlier in the day, went back and got the phone number off the flyer, and called us!
“Several of us rushed over to the site, and from a distance we could see Rugs lying under a bush. She was petrified, and we knew if we approached, she would run off. Our only hope at this time was Rugs' foster mom, who had cared for her during the 3 months of her leg surgery and rehab. The foster mom lives 45 minutes away, so we waited anxiously for her to arrive. 

“As foster mom entered the yard, Rugs began to run away, but upon hearing her foster mom's sweet voice, she stopped, and slowly started to walk towards her. About half-way through the yard, she fully recognized her foster mom, and ran full speed into her arms! It was an emotional reunion! We all shed many tears of joy and relief!
“A quick trip to the vet revealed Rugs was dehydrated and hungry and tired, but otherwise okay! We thank everyone for their time, thoughts, and prayers to help bring our little Rugs safely back home!! XOXO!”
And, Dear Readers, there we have the opportunity to contemplate a lesson in patience, craftiness, sign-posting and use of the kindest human hearts. Bless, Red Collar, Rugs, the people who worked for her.
—- Offer advice or support or winning Lotto Texas numbers by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

FOR TUESDAY'S EDITION, SOME DO-GOODERS GET THE SPOTLIGHT!

EDITION OF TUESDAY, FEB. 4, 2020 [PetPowellPress] One of the joys of reporting on the animal advocate community is writing about the successes. In particular, we celebrate the great hearts who start out with a one-dog or one-cat mission and realize not only that they can do more, but that they WANT TO DO MORE. In the words of earlier generations, “How cool is that.” Our cool people today include Humane Tomorrow and barkleyworld.com and Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake.  That's my apprentice office cat, Stevie Ray, demonstrating his "CamoCat" technique for invisibility. Read on about heroes.
HUMANE TOMORROW:

THE GRAND OPENING
Big day coming Saturday for the determined team at Humane Tomorrow.
You see in the photo that the Glenn & Shirley Hulcher Family Animal Care Center will have its dedication and grand opening on Saturday in Argyle.
The event facts are the time is 10 a.m.-3 p.m. for the dedication an the open house at the new facility at 1961 E. Hickory Hill Road in Argyle. Send your RSVP to HTHQ@humanetomorrow.org.
On the organization’s website, Executive Director Stacy Smith has an eloquent explanation for this move into the future for Human Tomorrow. "This will be a place where ideas, resources, and solutions to the problems facing animals can come together.

"Creating a humane tomorrow for animals requires engaging more people through education, collaboration with the community, and innovative programs. We have an amazing team of volunteers who have accomplished a great deal while essentially working out of their homes for over 20 years. They will be even more effective when we can bring them together in a shared space, simplify day-to-day administration, and have all our operations in a central location."
And in a note about the new center, Stacy wrote, “We have so many wonderful things coming up at the Glenn & Shirley Hulcher Family Animal Care Center…an Animal Investigation and Response new volunteer orientation, and a coffee and donuts with legislators in March; adoption events and dog training classes; a seminar on how to handle wild animal babies in spring; and so much more.
“But the best part for me has been something that’s already happening. We have partnered with a social worker in Argyle who is bringing kids she counsels who are in foster care out to interact with our Humane Education Coordinator and her dog, Poindexter. While we can’t share photos of those sessions, trust me when I say the experience leaves my heart full knowing the difference that this place is making in both human and animal lives alike.”

At Humane Tomorrow’s website —- www.fmhs.org — you can also see animals that need a home. For this particular story about Humane Tomorrow, we picked two six-packs out of many dogs and cats. As you can see when you look at these faces of animals needing homes, these are not just six-packs. They’re “variety packs.”
[LARRY ASIDE: READLARRYPOWELL.COM is proud of the hard work that Humane Tomorrow has done to move into a new level of leadership in the animal advocacy community. We’ve watched it grow and and its mission grow for quite a while. The organization is an example of how doing good things is an enduring mission. And we’ll close this with three concepts embraced by Humane Tomorrow: “Respect. Responsibility. Compassion.”]
THE BARKLEYWORLD MISSION
HAS LOVE AND SUPPORT
And Barkleyworld.com can ALWAYS use more support. We’ve written about barkleyworld.com and the great Karen Lee before — many times. The opening sentence of the non-profit’s “who we are” explains: “Barkleyworld was founded in 2013 by Dennis & Karen Lee in memory of our little dog Barkley.” 
They’d adopted him in 1996 from Homeward Bound Animal Rescue and he was with them for 19 years. The experience — the good and the tough part with an older dog — touched their hearts and the goal became creating a “rescue dedicated primarily to raising funds for families who cannot afford catastrophic vet care for their sick or injured pets.
“In March of 2013 we were granted 501(c)(3) status and 5 months later, cradled in our arms, Barkley left this earth. But his legacy lives on in Barkleyworld.” 

Back on January 20, Barkleyworld sent out an appeal for help with some animals facing tough financial hurdles. What happened? Karen sent this followup to supporters: “Thank you all for your donations that allow me to reach out to help these families—even if the results aren’t always what we wish them to be at least we tried and the families are so grateful to you all for caring and helping them—complete strangers.  …
 And so, the Barkleyworld train rolls on as long as you roll with us!  Donations are ALWAYS appreciated thru our website at www.barkleyworld.com."

Why would Barkleyworld need more donations? Here’s a Karen update:
 “New ‘pet projects’ — Gray was gored by a feral hog in his own yard — thankfully the tusk didn’t do any major damage and he is now home from the vet recovering and plotting revenge (but only in his mind).  Close call!! 

“We also received a plea from a mom whose house sustained major damage from a fire and she and her son are living in a hotel while their 3 dogs and cat are being boarded. Insurance is paying for boarding but the pets needed exams, some vetting updates before they could be boarded, and the family cat needed to be fixed, so Barkleyworld picked up the vet tab for this family in East Texas. They hope to be back in their home soon. 

“We are also helping a little dog named Chloe with a much needed dental … Her mom is on disability and hasn’t been able to afford this and Chloe is now having major trouble eating.  Hopefully the dental will help.
|
“We also made a donation to Everman Animal Shelter to pay for heartworm treatments for 2 dogs and vetting for a 3rd dog. We hope it helps them become more adoptable.  And we donated to Pound Pals to help with their senior pet vet bills.”

When you go to barkleyworld.com, you can click on the “What’s Happening” button and read about the cases of such wonderful family companions as Nano the Cat, healed of a urinary track blockage, thanks to people who support barkleyworld.com.
There are many other stories of barkleyworld.com coming to the rescue of rescuers who find themselves overloaded with expenses on particular cases. So, what you see in barkleyworld.com is hope — and hope keeps animals from being surrendered into shelters with no hope.
MEANWHILE, OUT AT THE LAKE,
NEW SHIRTS, SHOTS & GALA TICKETS
As you all are probably aware, the Friends of the Animal at Cedar Creek Lake operate the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas. They don’t do it on lottery winnings.
People can help the Friends function successfully, efficiently by donating and by purchasing the organization’s new 2020 shirts. Sydney Busch, the longtime Friends tipster for us and guiding light out at the lake, says the shirts can be seen at the clinic, not just during clinic hours on Tuesdays but from 10 a.m. to noon on the Second Saturday of each month when the clinic hosts special vaccination and care events — there’s one this Saturday at the clinic.
Sydney says the dog shirt “is a fabulous dark military green. The cat shirt is a beautiful blue.” Prices? $14 for small-to-x-large and $16 for xx-large. The left over out-of-date designer shirts are being sold at $9 for small-xtra large and $11 for xx-large.
You also can buy the note cards created by artist Celene Terry for Friends of the Animals.
And coming up on April 18, the annual Whiskers & Wags fundraiser benefiting the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake and the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake. Get your tickets for the Cabaret evening by clicking HERE.

CONTEMPLATIONS
TREES, POPCORN PRICES, CHANGING JOBS
Is it my imagination or are more old-growth trees falling apart, falling over, demanding to be trimmed this winter than in previous years? I ask on behalf of my household budget. …
I gave my son Bret a theater gift card for his birthday thinking he’d use it to see a couple of movies. He took his nephew and nieces with him to see Jumanji: The Next Level. Four people. He used the card to buy popcorn and Cokes. He didn’t just “use the card” — he “used up” all but $2 and change of the $50 card. Dear Movie Theaters, Is it right to price a box of popcorn so high that you look as if your concessions have been taken over by a gasoline company during an oil embargo? Oh, relax. I’ve been bitter for years about needing a loan officer before I could made a transaction at a movie theater concession stand. … Monday, I got two emails offering to represent me in pursuit of jobs for which the notes described me as “qualified.” One reads "USA Truck is looking for someone with your skills" — my scoldingpassengerspouse Martha winced at that one. The other email subject line reads, "The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology has an open position." I’m not a physician, I’ve never been to a gynecologist and my open position has to do with being against the Oxford Comma. [LARRY ASIDE: FYI, I’m quite happy typing and pretending to write literature for the ages.]
—- Offer searing notions or sweet recipes for happiness by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

NEVER MIND THAT GAME, WE HAVE OTHER TOPICS TO CONSIDER

EDITION OF MONDAY, FEB. 03, 2020 [PetPowellPress] This is being written prior to the Super Bowl. Why? Because the mood struck me.
We’ll have a “moving right along” Monday. First, I saw a TV ad Sunday morning that insults cats, as my dogs will tell you. We’ll get to that later. Let’s see who we can highlight for this edition.
FYI: Punxsutawney Phil did not see his Groundhog shadow, so that’s a prediction of an early spring which means baseball season opens on Valentine’s Day at the new Texas Rangers ballpark. Wait. I may have misread that prediction. Rangers open Tuesday, March 31.

In the aftermath of the Super Bowl game between the original American Football League Dallas Texans (now the KC Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers), we signal the coming of baseball season with this photo of the the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs mascot atop the home dugout in Allentown, Pa. Photo courtesy of Iron Pigs fan Andy Fisher, our Eastern Seaboard Bureau Chief and baseball fan. More on the Iron Pigs and dogs in Contemplations.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE
TO ADOPT A DOG OR CAT?
Or a rabbit?
It’s personal. Ask yourself if you have time in your life and love in your heart. 
The bigger question is “Do I have enough love in my heart to take the next big step: Rescuing dogs and cats and whatever else needs rescuing?” Oh, boy. That task’s description includes a heart, time and ability to focus on the mission without wanting to do serious bodily harm to some jerk who doesn’t care. Some jerks don’t care; some jerks are not equipped with the emotional ability to give a hoot. 
Some don’t care about dogs, some don’t care about cats, some don’t care about gerbils, hamsters or guinea pigs and, yes, some manage to turn their hearts off when it comes to rabbits. That girl is Luna (A1094533), among the 21 “others” currently awaiting rescue or adoption at the big Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center. You can’t miss it — it’s on the southeast corner of Westmoreland at I-30. See more adoptables at dallasanimalservices.org.
HELPING WITH
LONG-DISTANCE RESCUES
We got the note on this from Amy Poskey who usually focuses on Denton’s McNatt Animal Shelter and Adoption Center, but knows the score when it comes to finding a safe place for animals to go.
She sent out a note about the Paws To Love Me Rescue efforts to move animals across county and state lines to safety. She says, Chris Grayling of Paws to Love Me Rescue is “looking for transporters.”

Kind of a shame to think that there aren’t enough ready hearts to take in the Texas dogs that need Texas saving by Texans. Chris’ appeal reads, “I am looking for volunteer (ie, non paying) transporters to assist our efforts of bring dogs from Texas to Arkansas.  Most dogs will be transported to Dallas from where ever.  I have someone in Dallas who can usually do a leg from there, BUT I would love having someone(s) who could do Dallas to Tulsa or to Joplin, Mo., or to Little Rock, Ark.”
If you have time and the wheels to go with your heart, email chris@pawstoloveme.org.
 Read about the organization at www.PawsToLoveMe.org. [LARRY ASIDE: Chris, by the way, is an author. More about the author at www.ChrisGrayling.us.]
AND, TAWANA WINS
WITH DOG RESCUE 911
We got a note about Tawana Couch, founder of the Society for Companion Animals and mainstay of Dog Rescue 911, winning a Bronze 2019 Telly for a documentary titled Dog Rescue 911. That’s her with the film producer Paul Vela of Velavision and they are with the Telly! 
From The Telly online site here’s the description: “The Telly Awards is the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. Established in 1979, The Telly Awards receives over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents.”

On the announcement on Facebook, there was this note: “Tawana would also like to acknowledge Rose-Mary Rumbley, her college drama professor who sparked her love of acting. Lastly, she thanks all her friends, animals, and everyone who has made this dream a reality. She is now on to working on the next film for 2020!” 
And, yes, you can see the film on youtube by clicking HERE.
[LARRY NOTE: Rose-Mary Rumbley is also a famed writer based in Oak Cliff and she’s appeared in films, including the great 1973 Peter Bogdonavich film Paper Moon. And, many a Dallas civic group has heard her entertaining lectures on history and other topics. Tawana may be her first ex-student to win a Telly!]

LITTLE FOXY JOY
SEEKING A NEW HOME
This appeal was forwarded to us by Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Cree Lake, the non-profit that operates the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas.
This dog, Foxy Joe, is already spayed. What she needs is a new place to live. It’s an energy thing, according to Vicki Gilford who reached out to Sydney for help placing a dog that is loved.

Vicki wrote, “Sadly, we need to find a better fit for our rescue Foxy Joy. She has a lot of energy our older pack (8 yrs & up) doesn't tolerate well.

“She is 2 years old. 13 pounds and needs a young playmate and/or lots of toys. She is house-trained, uses the doggie door, knows sit & stay (sometimes), spayed, current on her shots & microchipped. Absolute must is a secure fenced yard; she is a runner & fast. She is not a lap/cuddle dog. She loves being outside squirrel watching, so with that in mind do not think she would do well with cats. She is cute & funny, will keep you entertained. Hate to give her up, but our older dogs were here first and deserve to enjoy their golden years without being pounced on by the young whippersnapper."
Offer to give Foxy Joe that good home by emailing Vicki at vegasvicki@yahoo.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: Dogs are so human. Sometimes they don’t get along with their own kin or kind. May Foxy Joe find that happy home.]
IF YOU’RE IN HOUSTON,
BE ON THE LOOKOUT
We’re hoping that by the time you read this Rugs has been found. We got the note from Red Collar Rescue in Houston. Rugs’ dashaway happened on Saturday. She’d been adopted on Saturday — Rugs had been in Red Collar’s care since November 8 when she was rescue and began treatment for a “severely ruptured Achilles tenon on her right back leg.
After all that care, she was adopted into a home near the intersection of Bissonnet and S. Rice in Bellaire. 
Red Collar reports, “The new mom had Rugs on a leash out in her front yard around midnight. Rugs is very scared. She got away from her new mom, and ran down the street and has not been seen since. As she is in a new environment, she does not know her way home.”
So, be on the lookout for a 3-year-old, 14-pound, “grayish” Poodle mix “limping on her right rear leg. If you see her, don’t chase her, call Red Collar at 713-955-8698.

CONTEMPLATIONS
A CAT, AN IRON PUG AND A FARM

Have you cat lovers seen this Milk-Bone TV commercial about a cat as the ring-bearer in a wedding? It’s kind of funny. Until you get to the punchline: “Life’s more fun with a dog.” We’ve got some of each and it’s a robust tie for fun. Here’s the link to the ad. … Earlier we mentioned the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the Class AAA baseball team in Allentown, Pa. As I was doing research I ran across a Baseball Digest story about a special promotion the team ran last August after the general manager made a typo and spelled his own team’s name as the “Iron Pugs.” The GM blame “auto correct” on his phone for the error. [LARRY ASIDE: Wonder if MLB will accept “auto correct” as the reason for infield errors this year?] … Any animal fans reading this ever have this thought? “TURNING YOUR BACKYARD INTO A BARNYARD.” Yep, came in an email from The Old Farmer’s Almanac. I don’t know about this. One of the sentences reads, “Converting your backyard into a barnyard can make you feel like you have the working farm you’ve always wanted.” I grew up in semi-rural Texarkana, surrounded by agriculture on all sides. I became a writer because, due to eyewitness experiences, I found that farmers work too hard. I don’t care what they’re farming. They may have to push cows around, but all I had to push was keys.
--- Offer farm tips or lotto tips by clicking on 'comment' below or emailing dallrp@aol.com ---

THE MISSION OF AN OFFICE CAT

You may have asked at some point, "Exactly what does an Office Cat do?"
For this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap we will attempt to explain that "Office Cat" is a position with wide-ranging responsibil- ities. 
For example, an Office Cat must make certain a desk is stable, not floating several inches off the floor. You see Office Cat William Powell on the left and Apprentice Office Cat Stevie Ray Treeboy (found him in a tree in Oak Cliff) on the right. The desk is not airborne.
In one photo, Office Cat William can be seen influencing Housedog Porche Noel to nod off in the cat bed. William does this by performing a hypnotic yawn. 
Porche reacts in the desired fashion.
As William will tell you, babysitting the AOC (Apprentice Office Cat) is not a responsibility of the OC.
And that is how we got these photos of the AOC during a period of hijinks. Note, please, how similar Stevie Ray's face is to the face on the clock on the wall. In these photos you see Stevie Ray looking at the newly placed clock, then attemp- ting to stop the pesky second hand and, finally, worn out you see Stevie Ray napping in the cat bed formerly occupied by the sleeping dog. 
You may be interes- ted to know that the cat-faced clock no longer hangs on the office wall. 
It was found one afternoon on the floor of the office. It was face down. The battery had popped out and was on the rug on which sits the desk chair. 
The clock still works -- it simply is no longer telling time from a position on the office wall.
OC William, of course, had drawn a circular chalk outline on the hardwood floor and launched an investigation. Since the only two individuals in the office at the time the clock stopped working (1:10 p.m.) were OC William and AOC Stevie Ray, charges were prepared accusing the younger cat of "Willful Interruption of the Flow of Time." First offense. He got probation. And a hug. Well, several hugs. How can you be mad of a cat who knows how to crawl up a wall and meow charmingly at a look-alike clock.
The primary responsibility of an Office Cat is this: "Be there." The guy who works in the office may pick up the Office Cat at any moment and snuggle the purring OC. In fact, I'm going to stop this and snuggle my OC William. Stevie Ray will now finish this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

U;kafnr lkj8 aj u;annuynalk. Also, ai bafnej akqtiabna?!?
Wait. Wait. Let me apologize. I forgot that Stevie Ray doesn't take typing until next semester in pursuit of his Degree In Office Cat Philosophy and Analytics at the online university Tabby Tech.
[Send us photos of your slumbering critters -- dogs, cats, etc. -- and we'll feature them in our long-running weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. The address is dallrp@aol.com. The goal is to demonstrate how great a household can be with a trusting and trusted dog, cat, iguana, parakeet, etc. You'll inspire people to adopt, we hope. And you'll inspire insomniacs to believe they, too, can get some sleep if they can just figure out how to curl up in a cat bed and forget the frustrations of the day.]
--- Offer opinions or explanations by clicking on 'comment' below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

ON A FRIDAY, SOME MUSINGS AND SOME MUTTS AND CATS -- A MONTH IS ENDING...

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We are a little bit late getting to the keyboard. I had to take Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson to the vet Friday morning.
She suddenly had a problem with her left eye — lid kind of swollen, some bloody fluid obscuring the usually pristine white film that has gently covered her left eye since she was a brand new kitten in 2005. 
Mercifully, she was gently examined, got some eye drops and behaved nicely. That’s me and Kittie Leigh one day years ago. She’s my second-longest companion — if you count my funspouse Martha.  More on all that in Contemplations as we leave January 2020. We'll also get to that Earhound. Needs a home.…
ADOPTIONS AND RESCUES
AND GOOD HEARTS & CHANGES
There are so many city shelters around here and so many rescue groups across the sprawl of Metroville that it would be impossible to write about all of them on a single day or to visit all of them and their adoption events on a single weekend. 
Even Super Bowl weekend! See that “free” adoptions promotion from Dallas Animal Services which just wrapped up the $5 adoption special and still has hundreds of dogs and cats waiting.

I’ve been writing about shelters animals and rescue animals and animals at large for decades and I believe that we may be living in the most active era for rescuers and adoption groups. The credit goes to energetic animal advocates, people with hearts and social media. And you cannot discount changes of attitudes at city halls. New shelters have been built. Professionals in the animal shelter field have been hired to run things. Shelters have opened their doors to volunteers and rescue partners.
The road hasn’t always been smooth — Dallas’ shelter history comes to mind — but persistence seems to be working. I note the adoption special at DAS — I remember sitting in Dallas Shelter Commission meetings and watching rescuers an advocates getting stone-walled when they’d suggest such things because “the council would never OK that.” Bullfeathers.
Call this a congratulatory note to all the people who have worked and keep working to emphasize that these animal lives have a place in the universe that is Texas. 
As we have frequently noted: The Human Element is important to saving animals — and, yep, the sub-human element is the reason the Humane Element has to remain sharp, energetic and a little bit angry at the —- what’s a good word to describe the bad guys…. — angry at the bad guys. Yep, they’re the “bad guys.”
We’re featuring Dallas Animal Services critters in this segment. That fantastic happy mouth belongs to Kilo (A1035993), described as a “happy-go-lucky-guy waiting for his forever home … ready to rocket-launch his way into your heart.” I hunted down a summer photo of Kilo to go with the recent photo.
Rose the cat (#A1079233) is about a year-and-a-half old — she’s at the PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center at 16821 N. Coit Road in Dallas. See Kilo and other dogs and cats at the big shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. [FYI: I picked Rose because she’s got that fantastic face with those glorious eyes.]
MEANWHILE, TWO FAB FACES
ON TWO MESQUITE BEAUTIES
[LARRY ASIDE: Mesquite is an example of a shelter that has invited good-hearted volunteers such as our tipsters Judi Brown and Debra Chisholm to do all they can do to help animals find homes. We’re proud to help these two volunteers — and volunteers from other shelters and rescue groups, too. It takes a huge village to help all the animals in North Texas — a big-ass village, to use some colloquial French.]
That first dog is Goldie (43688375), a 2-year-old, 42-pound Shepherd mix who inexplicably was a stray and, just as inexplicably, hasn’t been claimed— came in on the 25th. Judi writes, “She’s a real beauty with a sprinkle of freckles across her nose, soft fur, and a fluffy tail. It’s hard to figure out why the owners have not come looking for this Southern lass as she’s a very special girl! She’s a gentle, calm, friendly dog that appears to be smiling in most of her pictures. That’s because she’s a happy girl. She’s especially happy if you take her for a walk.”
And that is Prada, the Earhound with a coat so magnificent that a person almost can’t quit looking at her! She came into the shelter on the 24th, so people may not be able to quit looking at her, but whoever her human is has quit looking FOR her.
She’s around a year-and-a-half, weighs 50 pounds and, Judi’s note reads, “This dog will catch the eye of any passerby. There’s no doubt if you take her for a walk people will stop you to give compliments on your beautiful dog. Her markings and her beautiful blue eyes give her a show dog quality. … She’s on the timid side but does like to be petted. Come and meet her and you will understand why.”

To ask about Goldie and Prada, call the Mesquite shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Include their ID numbers in any correspondence.

CONTEMPLATIONS
A Shadow on Dallas; A Cat Book; JACKPOT on the Porch...Well, Groundhog Day is Sunday. You know what that means. If the groundhog comes out of his den and either sees or doesn’t see his shadow, no Dallas Cowboys will play in the Super Bowl that day. … 
Is there a group called Lone Star Groundhog Rescue? I wouldn’t doubt it — probably will show up during a Super Bowl commercial. ... 
Back to my cat: I’d write a folksy book called Me ’n’ Kittie Leigh’s Lone Star Adventure except we have such a man-adores-cat tale that there’d be no drama. She’s the best comfort cat I’ve ever run into — happily joins me in a chair, on a couch, on the bed. Never complains about me leaving the light on too far into the night. Never suggests going anywhere I don’t want to go. Never fakes heaving when I read my poetry out loud. I’m kidding — I don’t read it out loud — don’t want to change the dynamic of our relationship. A cat can be a harsh critic. Now, about 15 years into the relationship, she looks about the same as she did in early adulthood and so do I — if you only look at a small portion of my face. … 
It occurs to me that Kittie Leigh is now the cat we have had the longest — The Senator, maybe pushing 20, is older, but he’s only been with us 7 or 8 years. He wandered up and stayed -- as you can see, he's a patient cat, always on the lookout for a spot in a Super Bowl Commercial. Kittie Leigh is from a feral colony my spayneuterspouse Martha and I finally conquered -- took more than 2 decades. Adopted some adults, placed adults and a number of kittens, gave some kittens as prizes in country-western singing contests. I’m kidding but if you’ve ever dealt with litter after litter, you’ll start wondering what you can do to magically place the kittens. …
One more note: Here’s a great thing that happens to an animal nut — he marries another animal nut. And, in our universe, “animal nut” is an honorable label. [That's my harp-pluckinganimalnutspouse with her ax, as the musicians say. When she plays, the dogs and cats form a semi-circle in front of her and, one-by-one, nod off. I think that's a tribute from the animals.] This weekend, when you’re out and about, be kind to animals and patient with animal nuts. And if you actually are an animal nut, good luck with the lottery. And when an animal nut wins the lottery, it usually means somebody left a box of puppies or kittens on their front porch. Jackpot!
—- Offer advice or cheerful notes by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing Larry Powell at dallrp@aol.com (He may not respond promptly if the right six numbers fall Saturday night.) —-

THE RANGE OF HUMAN EMOTIONS: From "Awwww, sweetie" to "Book 'em! Lose the key!" to "O, Civilization, for crying out loud!"

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JAN. 30, 2020 [PetPowellPress] This is being typed as the office cat William Powell and his apprentice Stevie Ray scramble to see who can fit into a cardboard box and not let the other one in. It’s a noisy process when two cats play a game. Stevie Ray won the box this time, but his kitten-aged attention span wouldn’t permit him stay. William, probably 3, moved into the space between a cabinet and the paper shredder to contemplate life. Moving along.
JETTA GAZED HYPNOTICALLY:

“YOU WILL ADOPT ME,”
SHE PROJECTED TO THE SOUL…
OK, so I borrowed the “gazed hypnotically” from the Mandrake The Magician newspaper comic strip of my childhood. Thought the power of suggestion might work with this 2-year-old, 62-pound Pittie mix Jetta. She arrived as a stray at the Mesquite Animal Services Shelter on the 24th. 

Our tipster, the volunteer biographer Judi Brown, included this key sentence in her note about Cupid, the Shepherd puppy mentioned in a few paragraphs. But I think it probably holds true for Jetta and any other animal in Mesquite: “URGENT The shelter is very full right now so rescuing or adopting her would empty a kennel and help other dogs as well.”

About Jetta, Judi wrote, “Her floppy ears and her distinctive markings will catch your eye. She’s actually handsome! She’s very alert and explored the yard. However for the most part, she stayed close almost to the point of being a Velcro dog. She’s a little cautious and on the timid side but definitely friendly. At first her tail was somewhat tucked but at the end of the photo session she was wagging her tail! I guess it meant that we were friends.”   The pup is “gentle and laid-back,” Judi says, adding, “When I sat down she came to me to have her ears scratched.” Then, Judi gestured hypnotically and typed, “Please come meet her. I think you will be captivated by her charms.” [LARRY ASIDE: Oh, OK, Judi didn’t gesture hypnotically, but she did write the come-meet-her appeal and the captivation prediction.] 

To ask about helping Jetta, call the shelter at 972–216–6283 or email rescues @cityofmesquite. com — use Jetta’s ID number, 43683178.
Cupid, a 3-month-old German Shepherd puppy — yes, a stray. Came in on the 25th. Judi says this dog has “a fun loving, happy easy-going personality. She’s fun to be around.  She thinks the world is a playground and she wants you to be part of it.  … She’s full of wiggles. She walked OK on a leash…Cupid weighs 25 pounds now and obviously is still growing. When she is full-grown I imagine she will be a majestic beauty!” Cupid’s number is 43688485. Use it when you call the shelter at 972–216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

Same “in danger from crowding” story for this boy Bingo, one of Judi’s favorites. “He always welcomes me at the window. He’s always anxious to get outside to do his business. He’s just a big love bug.” And there’s a $75 pledge to the non-profit that saves him. He’s a 5-year-old Staffie “with possibly a little bulldog mixed in.” Surrendered on the day after Christmas to field officers. The owners said they were moving. Judi says, “I think he would be content to spend his life being petted and loved on.” He’s #43492219.
Again, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@city ofmesquite.com.

OK, one more. Judi makes a pitch for Bossi, a year-old, 41- pound, possibly “Retriever/ Pittie/Whippet/Greyhound mix” who came in as a stray on the 22n. Friendly, affectionate. And, Judi writes, “When he got out into the yard, however, he was so happy to be free  that he ignored me for a while. He has an interesting way of romping around the yard. He literally pranced and galloped! He had so much grace.” You know the number to call, the email to write and Bossi’s ID is 43667346.
You can see more Mesquite animals by clicking HERE. Including this cat.
I’m now gesturing hypnotically and suggesting that some responsible, loving human being adopt this whimsically named cat, Raymond Noodle. He’s been at the shelter since August 22. If I didn’t have two office cats already…
AND, STILL WAITING
IN EVERMAN….
Holy smoke. The great Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com sent us a note about four dogs we’d mentioned before — four perfectly good, adorable and beautiful dogs waiting for rescue or adoption in the Everman Animal Shelter south of Fort Worth. Karen wrote, “These dogs are STILL at the Everman Animal Shelter — please keep sharing.” [LARRY ASIDE: So, yes, Dear Readers, please keep sharing and also contemplate adopting. We’re all full up at our house or we’d have all four of them, a number of new cats, a pig or two and, possibly, a goat — I’m thinking of taking up Goat Yoga. Not really. Wrong Lotto Texas numbers fell last night.]
Heather Harrison is the contact point at nickale7@yahoo.com.
JJ is the 2-year-old Rottie mix — loves to play.
Dodge, also 2, is a Hound mix who is “a sweet docile guy who just wants to be loved” and he came in after being struc by a car — he’s recovered. We don’t know if he’s named for the make of the car or for how nimbly he avoided total catastrophe.
Teddy is a 3-year-old German Shepherd mix who is “cautious of new people but warms up quickly.”
And Cleveland, a 2-year-old Lab/Pointer mix, is a “big, stout boy who loves to explore” an he also “loves tummy rubs and scratches.” 

Heather’s early note said the shelter doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic, so that’s a contributing factor to their continuing time at the shelter. Might also contribute to their end at the shelter. Depends on people.
***
A NOTE ABOUT EVIL
No photo with this item. It would break your heart. 
I don’t know how many readers we have with connections to Ohio, but spread the word across the nation about this story. And I’m warning you before you click on the link that it’s a startling, puzzling story about the death of a dog. If you have a heart, you’ll be sickened. If you have a brain, you’ll want to have the bad guy/guys put away and studied by medical professionals so that we might be able to prevent these people from walking among us. 
The tip on this came from the veteran animal advocate, rescuer and former member of the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission Andrea Allen. It’s a horrid story but when you read it you will want to do something. Perhaps create a hostile legal environment for people who dare to hurt animals. Here’s the LINK. 
As Andy Allen asked, “How does this even happen?” 
The other thing, Dear Readers, is this may have happened in Ohio, but we’ve all seen horrid individuals doing horrible things to babies, kids, kin and animals in our Texas Zip Codes, too. Got to be some way to stop this behavior before it happens. It’s awful when the key evidence in a trial is the coroner’s report.
***
CONTEMPLATIONS
REACTION TO THE DAY….
Pardon me for a moment: I’m still trying to move my anguished-for-humanity mind past the idiot behavior in Ohio. Ommm. Ommm. Arrrest. Conviction. Punishment. Ommm. OK. seriously. If you know someone who has cruel tendencies, what do you do? Is there an anonymous tip line? And if there is a tip line, is there someone financing an arm of the law to followup on the tips? You’d need veteran law enforcement types and some psychiatric specialists and some willing-to-testify witnesses. Prevention. Not post-trial statements to relatives of the victims. Geez, I just re-read what I wrote and wondered if I’m channeling one of George Orwell’s 1984 characters or a Ray Bradbury character from Fahrenheit 451. Civilization — it just gets scarier sometimes. … Whoa, that was a depressing opening to Contemplations. Let’s talk hopeful literature. So, I opened the inbox this morning and, being on a number of book promotion mailing lists, was still a little surprised to see this combination of reading being pitched: “Thrillers, Romance, Billionaires, Cowboys, Vampires.” That’s one of the books promoted in the Thursday morning email. I found it inspirational. Immediately I ripped off my shirt and began writing a sci-fi/horror/romance titled Animal Foster Shares Lotto Texas Winnings With Bloodsucking Taxman. Each time I don’t win Lotto Texas I am appreciative that I’ve dodged, once again, filling out all that IRS paperwork. Wait, that “Animal Foster” title is too long. How about this: “My Cat’s Vampire Fantasy.” It begins: “When my cat The Senator smiles, he has a bit of a fang look and he enjoys wearing his cape. 'It is my nature,' he once told me, “to embrace fantasy because reality is one tough monkey.” ... Fortunately, at readlarrypowell.com, we have never been walking in a city park an discovered that someone has dumped an unwanted monkey. I did once see a guy leading a Shetland Pony across Kiest Park in Dallas and I thought, “Oh, lord, don’t tell me they’re going to start dumping horses in the park. I’ll never explain the Shetland in the garage to Martha.”
—- Offer calming advice or happy thoughts by clicking on ‘comment’ or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-