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A CITY THAT CAN HELP ANIMALS AND AMAZON SAID 'NO' TO BIG D? NO? AND A DALLAS SONG

EDITION OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Well, the world is coming to an end. Rather than put one of two alternative national headquarters in Dallas, Amazon management went a step farther than King Solomon and sliced that cash cow in half -- giving one part to New York City and the other to northern Virginia, neighboring D.C.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings blamed East Coast bias and population shortcomings (i.e., talent). FYI: Amazon stock has dropped since the big announcement. Oh, my.
All part of “The Secret Dallas Plan,” no doubt.
And, as you can see, the City is bringing in the Expert Comforters to help heartbroken elected officials get over this defeat. What? Dallas Cowboys? No. Not hardly. [LARRY ASIDE: Yep, if you’ve suffered a professional setback, a purring cat on Purrsday, er, Thursday, is good therapy. I once held a purring cat for 3 years straight to help me get over seeing the wrong guy made boss. It all worked out. I swear. I no longer have to watch that guy.]

DAS’ Facebook note reads “Purrs-day at Kitty Hall is Thursday, November 15th. We are going to have 10 - 15 fantastic felines set up in the lobby of city hall from 11 am - 1 pm for you to meet, play with, or adopt (adoption fees waived!). Plus, our awesome staff be sharing information about how you can save lives through fostering and volunteering.”
And, maybe I’m wrong, but the cat in this poster sure looks a lot like Trey, the totally available adorable currently on the clock at Dallas Animal Services -- we’ve posted him a couple of times. I think he was up for “Amazon Spokescat” if things had gone right.
[LARRY ASIDE ABOUT DALLAS’ FUTURE: Please read this carefully. Since the moment the announcement was made that Dallas was out as an Amazon location, a secret municipal task force has been working on a project that sets the wheels in motion for the City of Dallas to annex the Maryland town of New Carrollton, about 19 minutes from the U.S. Capitol. A task force source said, “We think this is a good move because establishing a DNP -- Distant Neighborhood Population -- in a different state will (a) give us an East Coast foothold and (b) demonstrate that a city’s potential doesn’t have to be limited by being anchored to aging infrastructure, potholes and a wet-water stream that looks like a river maybe twice a year.” The source also confided, “Our alternative is to just go ahead and buy Amazon -- we have some local civic-minded zillionaires -- really big figures -- who’d like a hobby that wasn’t oil, land or technology. We’d move the whole shebang to Valley View Mall.” (As one photo shows, no pesky mountains to block your view of Dallas! Also, Dallas keeps its windows clean. And it has formidable figure -- Big Tex.) READER MUST PAY ATTENTION NOTE: A majority of the preceding passage is what is popularly referred to as “fake news.” There are, however, facts in the preceding: (1) There is a New Carrollton, Md., (2) It is as close to the Capitol as Valley View is to downtown Dallas and (3) Dallas has potholes. I hope this fun with words doesn’t get me banned from the White House press briefings. We’ll have a little more in Contemplations.]

ANOTHER ‘OH, COME ON’
REPORT ABOUT A DOG
Well, this is a big dog, alright. From the passed along, passed along appeal, here’s the story from a note posted by Jean L. Fox:
“This sweet girl’s name is Duchess. She wandered into our garage a few weeks ago with no collar. We actually found her owner, but she is having many personal issues and did not want her back.”

And there’s you’re “Oh, come on” moment. Yep, picked the “did not want her back” option in a dog’s future. I don’t now how “personal issues” is defined, but let’s just say we hope they’re soon fixed and the human gets better for the sake of the next dog or cat in her future.
Now, about this 2-year-old Anatolian shepherd mix: Up to date on shots, not sure if she’s spayed, definitely affectionate, happy, fun, house-trained, knows several commands (sit, shake, go outside, get down) and plays well with kids and toys.
All she needs is a home that appreciates a good dog. Put “Duchess” in the subject line when you email robinparkins@att.net.
The garage-owner wrote, “We definitely want her to go to a loving, SAFE forever home.
A BEFORE AND AFTER
AND A HUSKY APPEAL

We’ll start with Guy’s pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ain’t that something! Yep, before and after. Seven-year-old Shih Tzu stray who arrived in the Mesquite Shelter on June 11 and immediately went into careful care. We got his story, of course, from the volunteer biographer Judi Brown, who says that among his problems are chronic dry eye, a “small mass” on a delicate backside area, and lack of a good home. But first Mesquite is hoping to get him in some sort of “medical rescue” situation so he can be tended to and become somebody’s good dog. He’s perky, dances for treats, weighs 19 pounds and loves treats. (Ask about #40108889.)
And, then, there’s this year-old Husky. Sissy’s the name. Her number is 40109502. These photos would indicate (1) The 43-pound dog knows enough to stand at the window bark, “Hey, somebody get me out of here before they grab a needle!” And Photo 2 indicates “I know what’s planned and I’m concerned.” The third picture demonstrates that this 42-pound high-energy, formerly stray year-old Husky, in the shelter since November 6, is willing to “put my best paw forward.” She’s a “stunning” lively dog.
To help either of these dogs, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesaquite.com. See more of Mesquite’s on-the-clock animals at this link: https://www.cityofmesquite.com/916/Animals-in-the-Shelter.

CONTEMPLATIONS
COLD, THE CITY AND THE SONG
On Tuesday night, in the bone-jarring cold, I was walking in the Preston Center area of Dallas and as I neared my destination, a guy was walking toward me and I heard him say in a non-Texas accent to someone on his cell phone, “I’m down in Dallas and it’s COLD. I tell you, I’m freezing my ass off.” Pardon the French there, but I believe that is a perfect description of Tuesday’s temp. Though, of course, it was not cold enough to freeze enough of mine off to make a difference in the size of pants. ....
WHAT DOES not getting Amazon’s second-rank headquarters mean to the just plain taxpaying moke who lives in this city for the comedy. It means we’ll always wonder what might have been. One of those “failed romance” deals, right?
 Dallas, the city that looks best at night.
IN HONOR OF DALLAS and the people who tried to pull of a big deal, let me just point out the city probably isn’t going to go broke. It’ll continue to look best at night. And I’m trying to figure out a way to market potholes as souvenirs of Dallas.
BUT THERE IS A SONG....Yes, there is a song, written by the great Jimmie Dale Gilmore and recorded by The Flatlanders and, to mention one other, Dwight Yoakam. 
I’m a romantic, so this used to be my favorite part of the song Did You Ever See Dallas From a DC-9 At Night?: 
“Well, Dallas is a woman who will walk on you when you're down/ But when you are up, she's the kind you want to take around”
But, after this Amazon thing, I believe I’m going to have to go with these lines:
“Well Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes
A steel and concrete soul with a warm hearted love disguise.” 
All you other romantics, here’s the JOE ELY VERSION of the song .
The sad thing is, some of those corporate brains must think Dallas is reminiscent of a song byDwight Yoakam. Click on A THOUSAND MILES FROM NOWHERE. 
--- Offer an opinion or a suggestion for financial or lotto success by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

ELVIS -- BROKEN PELVIS -- 4 P.M. DEADLINE

Here's a dog in a fix. Name is Elvis, He's 40103396 in Mesquite and he's got a broken pelvis. On pain meds. Walks some. Described as "a big love bug" and has a very active wagging tail. But he's on the Mesquite Code Red Clock for 4 p.m. today. Not too many hours to save this dog from death. Rescue only. Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
--- To comment, click below or email dallrp@aol.com. Save Evlvis. ---

CATS, DOGS, WALKING AND MUSIC

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Pause with me for a moment to ask a cultural question: What has become of mallwalkers? Mall after mall endures collapse or bulldozing or refocusing in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Where do mallwalkers walk when the doors slam shut? More on this in Contemplations. Don’t expect a definitive answer -- this isn’t a senate hearing. Oh, and these cats? They are highlighted works of art, aren’t they? They don't walk malls. That little one is Mimi and the one in full autumnal regalia is Abby -- both are at the SPCA of Texas and available. At readlarrypowell.com, we believe in the companionship of cats. And dogs, too. And, now and then, people.

WHATEVER HAPPENED
TO ...WHAT WAS THAT DOG’S NAME?...
When last we wrote about this dog, he was being called “Tootsie” but after some observation, he is now known as Roscoe. Whatever you call him, he is “That Lucky Dog” saved by our friend, the veteran rescuer Della Wallace.
She and David have a number of rescued dogs in the household and now it’s time to move Roscoe into his forever home. 
This is one of my favorite puppy photos of young Roscoe -- he’s a youngster who knows when it’s time to flop over and snooze -- the way puppies who feel safe can do.
 We wrote about his rescue almost a month ago. Della said he “was running into oncoming traffic near Little Elm. Nobody even slowed down. I stopped and he got in my car, rather muddy, but friendly. He is now relaxing with my other guys after they decided to let him stay.” Well, stay until it was time for him to have his own home.
“He is very well and ‘yes,’ I would like to find him a good home,” says Della. “He is very playful and does well with other dogs.”
One of the dogs he “does well” with is Nipper, the little guy Della and David rescued from Mesquite Animal Shelter just as the clock was running out.
Roscoe and Nipper became pals almost immediately and that brings us to the other fave photo. That photo shows the boys after they teamed up to dismantle a stuffed toy.
Della sent this photo, explained it, and added, “My floors do not usually look like that!”

Roscoe -- that’s him taking it easy on the official Dog Couch (Who doesn’t have one of those!) -- is healthy, lovable and available. Email Della at dellaw@airmail.net to ask about auditioning to adopt this dog who would have been a highway statistic if Della didn’t have a heart.

TRUFFLE IN DENTON
Amy Poskey, the veteran supporter of efforts to save animals in all kinds of fixes, spotted this story of little Truffle and immediately wrote, “Hey, everybody, this little angel needs our help!!!”
 She included the bio for this 2- to 5-year-old boy Chihuahua/Papillon mix “who was brought to the Denton animal shelter as a stray and has been diagnosed with an old spinal injury, leaving him paralyzed in his hind quarters. He is unable to walk by himself, but is able to eliminate freely. However, he cannot control when he has to potty. Truffle has a SUPER SWEET personality and just wants to be loved!!!”
Truffle is “rescue only” because of his special needs. To ask about him, contact the Linda McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center via gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, paul.o’neill@cityofdenton.com, dentonshelterdogs@yahoo.com, and/or dentonanimalservices@yahoo.com. Or you can call 940-349-7594.
Here’s the LINK to Truffle’s page. 

NEW ONE ON THE LIST
AT THE WILMER SHELTER
We’ve pitched several adoptables at the Wilmer Shelter recently. They continue to be in danger at the small town small shelter. On Tuesday morning, we got info about this new baby. His name is EJ, short for Ethan James. 
Here’s why he’s in the Wilmer shelter: “He was an owner release from someone that adopted him, lost him, and decided they could not care for him.  Already fixed, vaccinated.  Very, very cute little guy. LOVES OTHER DOGS & LOVES CATS.  So cute.” 

He’s 10 pounds, may be about 2 years old and abandoned. I’m sure there was a good reason.
 To help any Wilmer animals, call or text the Great Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. 
Remember, Jenna the Aussie, Jonah the Boxer/Beagle Mix and Emily, the young purebred Cane Corso. All waiting to either die or live. Depends on humans.

ON THE CODE RED LIST:
WINSTON, TROY, SPICE
Surrenders and unclaimed strays, we’re told, have rendered Mesquite’s shelter full this week. Surrenders and unclaimed strays. Yes, human involvement. These guys aren’t pickin’ locks or Ubering to the shelter to turn themselves in.

We’re going to start with Winston, described as the 2-year-old, 55-pound “exuberant smoky gray pit”. He’s at the “full again” Mesquite Animal Shelter and, according to a note from the volunteer biographer Judi Brown, “For this reason, Winston is on the CODE RED list FOR ONE LAST TIME. There is not a time frame, but I am told he will not get any more reprieves.” He came in as a stray on October 18. “There is no doubt that he wants to please. He’s very curious and alert. He sits for treats.” His ID is 39958358.
Troy (ID 40043159) is Code Red, but not with a definite time. He’s about 2, a Shepherd mix who arrived on October 29 -- stray. Yes, stray. Curious, alert, and “very interested in what’s going on on the other side of the gate.” The thing is, as the needle looms, Judi, who meets these dogs, says Troy “does need to be worked on and is well-worth the effort. This is a good dog.”

Spice, 2, is a stray 37-pound Pittie with cropped ears -- she been at the shelter since October 18. (She’s ID 39954179.) Judi writes, “I nicknamed her Miss Wiggles as her whole body wiggles when she greets you. She’s very sociable, lovable, and sweet. She lavishes you with kisses and stays close to have her ears scratched. She has a regal stance and looks up at you with adoring eyes. She’s also energetic and playful. She’s just an all-around great dog! She’s probably housetrained. She walks well on a leash. She went nose to nose wagging her tail when meeting other dogs in the bay but was not interested in meeting the cats. ... Her name is Spice but it could’ve been Sugar because she’s that sweet.”
To offer to help these dogs or any Mesquite animals, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. See other Mesquite adoptables HERE.

THE PLEA FOR HELPING
WITH KITSIE’S BILLS
We’re always skeptical of accounts asking for money, but some checking out will clear up questions most of the time. For example, we have this note from the totally dedicated animal advocate Karen Lee of Barkleyworld.com. She writes, “I received this plea several times from a couple of my most trusted rescuer/networkers and I couldn’t ignore it.  I contacted the family and they said that donations can indeed be made directly to the vet: They are so grateful for any help received.  Kitsie is at Veterinary Specialist Hospital in Cary NC,  PH#  919-233-4911 under Connie Lilley.  I called in a donation yesterday from Barkleyworld, so if you would like to donate for Kitsie thru Barkleyworld and receive a tax receipt, you may donate here:  http://www.barkleyworld.com/   Just  note it's for Kitsie and I will call in your donation directly to the vet. (Barkleyworld does not donate to individuals).”

The story on Kitsie is one of human/dog love and devotion. It will touch you, I suspect. You can read it HERE.

CONTEMPLATIONS
WRR, WEATHER AND WALKING

The great Robert Wilonsky has a significant commentary in The Big Paper Downtown. It popped up on dallasnews.com about 3 p.m. Tuesday and the upshot is the Dallas is considering taking its broadcast of city council meetings off city-owned WRR-FM (101.1) -- ah, but you need to read this to be aware of the intrigue in this decision to take meeting voices of local democracy off the air. (LARRY ASIDE: Pardon my smile as I typed “voices of local democracy.”) WAIT. Some of you didn’t know WRR was a taxpayer-owned radio station and some of you never heard of WRR. Why, it’s the only place in the Dallas universe where you can hear classical music that isn’t part of a terrifying medical commercial or the opening them for TV’s The Lone Ranger.
ABOUT MALL WALKING: Here’s a confession. I’ve always been too young to mallwalk. And I’ve always preferred local parks, specifically Kiest Park. I have walked the dam a time or two at Joe Pool Lake. Know the differences? No turns or hills on the dam and no stray dogs or cats hiding in the shrubbery. Over the years at Kiest Park, I’ve picked up many, many dogs from a pair of white Akita-type puppies dumped on a soccer Saturday and left behind to our current Rottie boy, Texas Earl the Cheeseman. 
My ol’ pal Hambone Jack, the Canine King of the Blues (that's him in a traditional pose in his chair probably 15 years ago), and I once scared-up an orange cat while walking near the fountain in Kiest Park. For years, he expected that cat to be at the fountain every time he walked past it.
WE’LL FINISH with one of the greatest walking songs of all time. Take it away E.T. 
--- Grip your MallwalkingMouse and click on “comment before” or send an email to dallrp@aol. ---

FROM A COLD MONDAY, ODD THOUGHTS & SOME ANIMALS THAT NEED HUMANS

EDITION OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Monday was a dark, dreary, cold Winter day for an Autumn afternoon. The cat, Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson, sat at the window, looking out over the yard, and said, “I’m glad I let you take me in.”
Oh, and while I was running an errand that took me down Main Street. in Duncanville I ran across this Veterans Day U.S. flag coping with the chilly wind by doing an impression of the American flag left in Mare Tranquilitatis. 
That’s where the flag was installed by Apollo 11 during the July, 1969, first manned landing mission. FYI: The second, with Fort Worth’s Al Bean piloting the lunar module, was launched on Nov. 14, 1969. All that is creeping up on a half-century ago.
As you know, 49 years later you can visit spas on the moon, order pizza via space drone and contribute to the Lunar Surface Spay/Neuter Fund. I’m kidding. But if man had colonized the moon, I bet there’d be feral cats introduced to deter the Souvenir Green Cheese Mice Breeding Program that got out of control. OK, never mind all that fiction, let’s move on.


NOVEMBER, DOGS, CATS
AND A NEW DALLAS SLOGAN
November is my favorite month. Many reasons. Surprises, for one thing, i.e., I managed to collapse and quickly go to sleep shortly after the end of that Dallas Cowboys game -- surprise, they won -- Sunday night only to be awakened about 3 a.m. by what sounded like a driving rainstorm in mid-November.
Yeah, loving November is based on weather, too. And, the food, too, which reminds me that I got an email Monday morning that has this subject line: “61% of the population is unsatisfied with their weight.” I think the writer meant to use “dissatisfied.” I believe “unsatisfied” indicates a need for more dessert in order to be satisfied.
And, of course, when we look at dallasanimalservices.org we are dissatisfied by the number of dogs and cats -- hundreds of them -- just one click of the clock away from the needle during the holiday season.
 You see here the faces of four dogs -- these mugshots were pulled from the DAS website on Monday. I suspect there are not enough open homes in Dallas to handle the big load of unwanted animals at DAS -- after all the population of Dallas, the most fertile city in North America, is only around 1.5 million people and, gosh, they all surely already have their own dogs and cats, he typed sneeringly knowing full well that some of those residents are responsible for the massive number of unwanted dogs and cats. [LARRY ASIDE: The cruel thing is, I want all of them. I’d take every last one of them if we weren’t already full and if it were not for the fact that I consistently fail to pic the right Lotto Texas numbers.]
The cats? Well, that’s Whiskers (A1038258) with the question mark tail. And we’ve mentioned Trey (A1026829) before a couple of times -- he’s listed as a tricolor Siamese Mix who has been in the shelter since April. Someone must be looking out for him -- an angel, perhaps -- or else he’d have been stilled and that distinct face would never be seen again.
[LARRY ASIDE: LOOKING at the number of unwanted dogs and cats in Dallas, I’m moved to suggest that we need a new slogan in the city. “Spay and Neuter” works somewhat and “Let’s Fix This!” is said to be successful. “Big Things Happen Here” was tried in 2012. How about “COME TO DALLAS AND SEE WHO CARES”? Inspirational for current residents, don’t you think? What? Oh, no, it’s not supposed to be read “COME TO DALLAS AND SEE WHO GIVES A FLIP ABOUT THE ANIMALS THEY DUMP.” Read it kinder, gentler. Then find people who don’t care about animals and ask them to move out of town.]

A LITTLE DOG’S BILLS
AND THE CHALLENGES
We do know that people around here care.
Otherwise, Janie Perelman, a consistent animal rescue tipster, would not have gotten involved with the case of Boudreaux, the little dog featured in these photographs.
His name is, for now, Boudreaux -- he’s a “Stray No-Chip Poodle” which isn’t a breed, but more of hint of the lifestyle of his previous owner. Here’s an additional hint. On Nov 3, about 2 p.m., he was hit by a car in Irving. He crawled to a porch where he was allowed to lay and breathe in pain for 5 hours until somebody said, “I guess we oughta call somebody.” That’s when rescuer Paige Bradley got involved and got this poor baby and too him to the emergency vet.
The diagnosis was “fractured right front leg ulnar & right back hip dislocation that require surgery.  No internal injuries.”
He got the name “Boudreaux because he is a French Poodle.”
 Janie says Boudreaux has undergone surgery and is healing in the care of Cody’s Friends in Addison. “So much better but but has a very long way to go,” she writes. “His ER bill was about $1,300 --- surgery and care at about $3k and he needs to be fixed and needs some rehab.”
There are a few other things that need to be paid, so the GofFundMe page is still open HERE 
And you see that photo of Boudreaux standing as if he might be moving? See that moving picture HERE. 
[LARRY ASIDE: I clipped that “still” from the video of this little dog taking some steps and showing some spirit that, as a human who sometimes feels the sit-in-my-chair-and-stare blues, I envy. He’s a “keeper” if we can just find the right person to keep him.]

ONE LEAVES, ONE IS LEFT

IN THE JACKSBORO SHELTER
Once upon a time over the weekend there were two pregnant dogs in the shelter at Jacksboro, Texas. The brown dog Connie was rescued, but that left the white dog “still available and pregnant,” according to the note from Jessica Miller forwarded to us by Karen Lee of Barkleyworld.com.
Here’s the story on this girl: “She likes other dogs but no cat friends. She is very sweet. Our shelter has no ACO at the time. He moved so we’re trying to find a new ACO and various city employees helping out till new ACO is hired. Would like a place for this pregnant momma to go where people that are trained to deal with mommas can help. She has had her parvo/distemper and bordetella vacs and comes with a $35 donation to a rescue. Seeking rescue help for her and no individual adoption -- several people wanting her to sell puppies. We only believe in adoption and would like pups to get spayed and neutered.”
Here’s the contact: jessmiller27@hotmail.com.
[AND HERE’S THE PRIVATE NOTE to the people who want that dog so they can sell her puppies. Wait. I forgot. I’m trying to be a kinder person.]

WANT TO HELP SOME
KAUFMAN COUNTY CATS?
We got the note on this need from our reliable tipster, Sydney Busch, of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. The Friends, who operate the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas, keep up with things in the Greater Laketroplex.
One of the current needs involved Kaufman County Cats, a non-profit rescue. Sydney’s note says the organization has “on-going adoption space at T-Bar-T on Highway 175 in Kaufman. Help is needed with their Wednesday morning cat care -- arrive between 8 and 9 a.m., work for 2 hours, all supplies are provided.” And, the note reads, “This is your chance to make a difference.” To volunteer, call or text 214-502-6567.
Read about the organization at www.kaufmancountycats.org.
[LARRY ASIDE: The group also has a “barn cat” program. Yep, that’s from the website: a cat and a horse. They ran at Louisiana Downs in the spring and that cat won by two lengths. Here they are re-enacting their legendary finish as the cat jets past the horse and shouts “Giddyup!” I’m kidding. But read up on barn cats. They’re vital and loved.]

A VERY UNUSUAL
‘BE ON THE LOOKOUT!’
We’ve posted these alerts many times -- usually for runaway dogs, lost dogs and burgled dogs. This time the reason the dog is missing is quite personally unfortunate for his people.
The basics of Ziggy’s story appear on this online poster. (Here’s a Facebook LINK.
Click on the artwork on our page to make it grow -- the dog could be anywhere, but, according to those hunting Ziggy, he’s probably along the I-40 route west of Texas and maybe even west of New Mexico. You never know. Dogs and people have been known to make u-turns. So we’re posting it -- extra eyes always help.
 nd here’s a video of the investigation and tracking of Ziggy.
Take time to watch it and forward the link to people you know who can watch for Ziggy -- he might be in a shelter or in a rescue group or in a private home or standing on a corner somewhere. Bless his heart.

AND, ANOTHER CHIHUAHUA-MIX
GETS THE THUMB FROM A HUMAN
Holy smoke, how can people dump these wonderful little dogs? (Asked the guy who has two rescued Chihuahuas in his dog-filled past).
This is Brownie, a 7-year-old who is listed by Mesquite Animal Shelter as a “Chiweenie,” reports the shelter’s volunteer biographer Judi Brown. Surrendered on November 8. Why?
 Judi writes, “The reason given was she is aggressive to animals. Since no surrender form was turned in I have no other information. However, when I took her through the bay she did not appear interested in meeting the other dogs and she backed away from the cats. She did not appear aggressive. As you can see from the expression on her face and her eyes she is bewildered. She is timid and will need TLC to build trust. ... Unfortunately she has had another strike against her and that is she has tested heartworm positive. This little sweetie only weighs 10 pounds. She really really needs a hero!”
 To ask about helping this girl Brownie (and maybe even asking if that rug is for sale since it goes so well with her, call the shelter at 972 -216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Use Brownie’s ID 40127758 in correspondence and calls.

CONTEMPLATIONS


SHOWBIZ, STAN LEE & MOVIES

Suddenly my spirits are boosted by a note from the great Pegasus Theatre -- home of the beloved “Living Black and White” stage productions. In a note about getting season tickets to the Pegasus productions we read the joyous tidings. Clowning Around With Murder! by Kurt Kleinmann runs December 29-January 20 at the Eisemann Center in Richardson. The production is described as “a brand new Harry Hunsacker adventure in Living Black and White.” Yes. It’s comedy, it’s drama, it’s laughter, it’s legend -- Pegasus Theatre and Kurt Kleinmann’s creativity. See the details of the 2019 season at http://pegasustheatre.org. Call 214-821-6005 or email comedy@pegasustheatre.com.
Merciful heavens, we can use some good comedy after the election season and before the 2020 campaign really gears up. It hasn't, has it?
STAN LEE ... Well, goodness. What can you say about someone whose work has been around since before the day you discovered comic books? From Baby Boomer Childhood to guest spots on The Big Bang Theory. Enduring, that’s the word. Thank you, Stan Lee and we hope you appreciate that we appreciate the sentiment in your quote.

AND THEN THERE’S LONE STAR. Movies we all need to see on a regular basis for an emotional boost? There are movies you could watch at least once or twice a year. Possibly the greatest film of the 20th century, Casablanca, for example. Or The Maltese Falcon or The Thin Man. Or The Godfather (just once a year, that way you can work in Godfather II.) Or, John Sayles’ great story of modern Texas, Lone Star, from 1996. Here’s the trailer  with Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, Chris Cooper and, rest her soul, the magnificent Elizabeth Pena who has the best closing line in any movie ever about love in Texas. It’s a movie that’s so big it needs at least two trailers, at least. Here’s a second one. 
And here is Conjunto Bernal with Mi Unico Camino from the movie. This film is another reason to love Texas -- square deals, justice, revenge, come-uppance and romance. Heck, yeah, I love Texas.
--- To offer an “Amen” or advice, click on “comment” below or email dallrp@aol.com. Viva Tejas. ---

ON A MONDAY, WE OFFER OPPORTUNITIES, INFORMATION & ANIMALS NEEDING HUMANS

EDITION OF MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Well, here we are at another 2018 Monday. We’re happy to be here and, now, without the blare of trumpets, let’s move along. Except, let me just note that I still think 2018 sounds like a year way off in the future in a science fiction novel. And 2019? Yeah. Sci-fi, too. But 2020? That’s a marketing campaign, i.e., “2020 -- THE COWBOYS SEE THE PLAYOFFS.”

Oh, and that dog? Not science fiction. Looks like a cartoon character, but he’s not. He’s a real Earhound named Mickey. He’s in today’s report. But first, some other things.
THE GREYHOUND CRISIS
Greyhound Adoption League of Texas is working to get ahead of a crisis that appears to be coming thanks to Florida voters’ decision to approve Constitutional Amendment 13 that will ban “commercial dog racing involving wagering in Florida by December 31, 2020.” 
According to the GALT newsletter, the organization is “part of the Greyhound Adoption Action Alliance, and has reached out to the Texas Greyhound Association and the National Grey- hound Association to let them know that we stand ready to assist. We are also in the process of discussing plans that will increase GALT's capacity to handle many more Greyhounds than we have in the past. As soon as we are able to share more, we will let you know more about those plans. So far, GALT has already received five calls from farms and breeders asking us to take brood moms and retired racers from Florida. We have placed 21 hounds on our waiting list, four of which will arrive Monday. The others will follow as logistics permit.”
 At galtx.org, you can see how to foster and adopt Greyhounds such as these five adorables that were already in the care of GALT before Florida voted. Read GALT’s newsletter about helping and what the dogs may face HERE.

LET’S FIX THIS!
ADDS TO THE NUMBERS
Remember in the fall of 2016 when Boston Consulting Group recommended a vibrant spay/neuter campaign to the City of Dallas.
Quoting from the latest Let’s Fix This campaign news release, “The campaign is aimed at providing access for dogs to free spay or neuter, vaccines and microchip services for residents living in 23 southern Dallas zip codes.”
 So how’s it going? The news release reports, “To date, more than 22,000 dogs have been provided services since the start of the Let’s Fix This! campaign in April of 2017.”
That staggering figure was part of a news release describing the free Oct. 26-28 spay/neuter “event” at Oak Cliff’s Kiest Park as “one of the largest spay/neuter events to be held in Southern Dallas. At the event, Spay Neuter Network and the SPCA of Texas provided 471 FREE spay or neuter surgeries, as well as vaccines and microchips, at no cost, for dogs and cats of residents who live in 23 Southern Dallas zip codes as part of the Let’s Fix This campaign. The surgeries were completed at five locations in Dallas by the SPCA of Texas’ and Spay Neuter Network’s veterinary teams.”

Get more info at www.lets-fix-this.org. The Zip Codes with no-cost services are: 75116, 75134, 75203, 75207, 75208, 75210, 75211, 75212, 75215, 75216, 75217, 75223, 75224, 75226, 75227, 75228, 75232, 75233, 75236, 75237, 75241, 75249, 75253.

THE RICKY CHALLENGE

Lots of dogs and cats at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. They don’t all arrive as starved as Ricky. He’s a 7-year-old “Chiweenie” who came in as a stray on Nov. 3. Judi Brown, the shelter’s volunteer biographer wrote, “His nails are too long and and his skin is scaly and flaking, probably due to being malnourished. ... He’s got the sweetest face and the softest eyes! When he is nursed back to health, he would certainly be something to behold! Ricky, in spite of the fact that he has not had a good life up to now, is very sweet and loving.” This 10-pound dogs ID number is 40086184. Call 972-216-6283 to ask about him or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. See Mesquite’s dogs and cats online HERE.
THREE GALS, THEIR BRO AND MORE
ALL ON THE CLOCK AT WILMER
The Laura Macias/Leighann Hamilton team that monitors things in the Wilmer Animal Shelter just south of Dallas alerted us over the weekend about this cavalcade of interesting dogs on the clock in that small facility.


The story on these puppies is they haven’t entered the shelter -- yet. But they are on their way and efforts are being made to get them a place to go before they sadly have to go into the shelter. The boy is the white dog and the others are the girls.
Then there’s Jenna, a female/Aussie/German Shepherd mix -- some puppies came in last week and went to rescue, now their mom has been captured by the county officer and she’s waiting -- lonely -- for what comes next.
Mickey is that “young male Chug.” That is some face, isn’t it! He’s Chihuahua/Pug mix who, his bio says, “might also have Corgi with those ears.” Yes, he’s an Earhound -- a six- pound Earhound and it might be OK to guess that two or three pounds of that is ears.

Jonah is a Boxer/Beagle mix. “This little guy we believe to be full grown but he looks like a puppy and always will,” the story on Jonah reads.
And we’ve posted Emily before -- she’s a purebred Cane Corso who, the biography reads, “absolutely adores other dogs -- just completely adores them. She is very sweet and somewhat bashful, but just so much wants to be loved. She is truly BEAUTIFUL.  Very photogenic girl. One to two years old.”
 To offer to help any of these animals, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.


AN UPDATE ON CATS
Well, not on ALL cats, just on the cats a woman is trying to place before she goes into assisted living in Van Alstyne. Nobody was answering the initial appeals. Took a bit of time, but now, according to an update from Leighann Hayden, the veteran animal advocate, EIGHT of the TEN have found new homes and rescue groups.

The two still waiting happy placement are:
 Lux, 3, a neutered Tabby who, his bio says, “acts like a dog. Will follow you everywhere and he is extremely lovable.
”
Princess, a spayed Tabby, about 4, who is “very friendly and playful. Adores attention from people. Great with kids and needs to be with children that are gentle and loving because she likes people so much that if the kids were not good with her, she might not know to defend herself.”

To offer to help Lux and/or Princess, call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.  Or, you may contact arendallac@gmail.com or call 214-281-0210.

ELPO PET FAIR 2018:
DOGS, CATS & CLAUSES
The annual East Lake Pet Orphanage Pet Fair is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Free admission at ELPO, 10101 E. Northwest Highway.
And lots of things for animal fans of all ages. Also, there’ll be photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, the ELPO news release says. 

Other attractions include games, fair-style foods, entertainment, pet tips, etc.
There’s also a silent auction but you can get a jump on the bidding -- it’s opening early at https://aesbid.com/ELPO18#page=1.
We’d be remiss, of course, if we didn’t mention some of the adorable adoptables available at ELPO.
This beautiful cat is Godiva and that Border Collie mix is Jager.
How in the world can anyone resist these faces. And look at Jager’s toothy grin! I’m surprised he wasn't on the ballot for Congress last week.

CONTEMPLATIONS

RUSH HOUR, THE SEASON
AND
 A SURPRISE IN WAXAHACHIE

Something I miss on a Monday: Rush hour in Dallas -- though these days you only rush so far, then you have time to make calls, text, get out and check the air in your tires, get back in, drive 10 feet, hit "pause" on your temper... Yeah, the Southern Gateway -- the Southern Stallway. At least I don’t have to try to drive on LBJ any time of day. ...
Somebody posted this on Facebook over the weekend. I know there’s some reality in that sentiment, but, also, there’s some joy in working retail during the Christmas season. I did it at the now defunct department store formally known as Montgomery Ward but lovingly referred to by employees and consumers as “Monkey Wards.” It was among the big three in our part of the world in those days: Sears, J.C. Penny & Montgomery Ward. This was pre-WalMart, K-Mart and Target. It also was pre-online ordering, so stores were packed with customers after Thanksgiving. It was an amazing time. With only a slight elbowing of your imagination, you could pretend you were on the set of Miracle on 34th Street -- only we were in Oaklawn Village Shopping Center in Texarkana, the first big drain on downtown shopping. Things changed.
My funspouse Martha and I zipped down to Waxahachie on Saturday afternoon -- Martha had a hankerin’ for buing Fiestaware and there’s a store that sells a lot of it, My Father’s House. Carrying four bags worth of the assorted plates and bowls, we walked out of the store in time to hear, about a block away, heavy gunfire, the kind that would make a lesser pair of individuals drop the breakables and hit the deck. Fortunately, we’d been tipped by the clerks that there was an ongoing re-enactment of a World War II battle down the block in honor of Veterans Day. Lots of smoke, lots of gunfire -- it was like New Year’s Eve in our Oak Cliff neighborhood.
--- Got advice or info, click on “comment” below or email dallrp@aol.com. ---

FOR THOSE WHO SERVED AND SERVE

EDITION OF SUNDAY, 11/11/2018 -- We’re taking a moment to praise and thank the military people who have served our nation so honorably.
This is a good day to do what we should do every day.
One hundred years ago, 11/11/1918, was Armistice Day.
 It was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. There was good reason --  The War To End All Wars had not lived up to its name. World War I led to World War II and it was followed by the “Cold War” of tension and stress and Korea and Vietnam and Afghanistan and ...well, sadly, the list of human conflicts goes on right up to this very day.
And, yes, we honor those who served -- men and women across the centuries and people in uniform and in danger at the very moment you are reading this.

I’m selfish about our freedoms -- protective of them and I use them. Without all of these people, the rest of us wouldn’t have the ability to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of wisecracking in print or on stage.
These freedoms matter to the continuing freedom of our nation. Why? Because in our country the ability to speak up is vital to the course of the nation at home and abroad.

A simple thank you is inadequate, so all of you who served and are serving have this writer’s prayers, too. These are prayers for peace with what you’ve encountered and, also, peace in what you will meet. You are important and you, too, should know the peace that you give us with your service.
May your hearts be strong, your souls safe from war. Thank you for protecting this long-great nation and its people -- that’s from my sincerely civilian heart. -- Larry Powell

THE DOG WHO CAME TO BREAKFAST

For some reason I’ve been waking about 4 a.m. for the past week. I blame the time change. Or, maybe, the malfunctioning burglar alarm at a business across the thoroughfare at the western end of the block.
Or maybe my own lingering insomnia. Like that burglar alarm, it can go off at any time.
Whatever the reason, we’d prefer that the alarm and the world in general Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Let ol’ insomniacs snooze, too. 
This edition is dedicated to people whose nocturnal companions are dogs and cats.
Yep, dogs and cats. We're paying tribute to people who understand the joy of waking in the night and reaching out to pet a dog or a cat who needs assurance that everything’s good in life.
To illustrate this theory of human goodness, I’ll engage our former street dog, Porche Noel. As we’ve explained before, she gets her name because, on the morning of December 15, 2009, she showed up on our front porch. Front porch at Christmas, ergo Porche Noel.
You see above a photo of her arriving at the vet’s office with me the day she showed up on the porch. You can count her ribs. Her hip is clearly not healthy. But those ears are perked.
She was young. Looking back I explained that I’d heard a clamor on the usually quiet front porch that morning. Smidge the Feral Black Cat usually slept-in on the heating pad we kept in her camping chair. But there was noise, the sound of aluminum dishes bouncing on cement. And when I opened the door, Smidge wasn’t there!

That noise? In the past such noises had been caused by raccoons, possums and, once, an adventurous skunk.  Caught that one one in a cat trap on the porch -- I was trying to catch feral kittens. Fortunately we all escaped without “setting off the skunk” and I think you know what I mean. 
So, when I opened the door that morning, there was this dog.
She was starving. She was so thin she could squeeze through the bars on the porch gate -- but after she'd cleaned out the food left from the morning cat food buffet, she was suddenly too ‘thick” to squeeze her belly back through the bars.

Our vet, Dr. Vladi de Jong, diagnosed all the stuff she was suffering. Primarily she needed to be fed.
And, maybe, her limping would diminish the healthier she got, he said, and, probably, she'd learn to bark without rasping -- it was like she’d been tethered her entire life and the tight collar had damaged her vocal cords.
[LARRY ASIDE: As I’m writing this, I am moved to mention how much we miss our visits with Vladi -- he died Nov. 8, 2017, as a result of an accident on his East Texas farm. We are not alone in missing his happy personality and the way he loved our animals and the people who trusted him to care for them. Simon the Cat was the last of our animals he treated. We'd named the kitten "Ivy Diane" and Vladi flipped the kitten over, took a look, smiled and said, "Congratulations, it's a boy!"]
When it came to Porche’s future, Dr. de Jong was right. Porche put on weight. She strengthened her injured leg and runs and jumps with the big dogs -- has a little trauma-inspired arthritis that makes her gait a little odd now and then. But Porche leads the healthy madcap barking when the U.S. mail arrives.
The rasping bark -- I wish I had made a recording. She could not bark like the other dogs, but she gave it a big try with a rasp which quickly devolved into a robust enraged whisper at an intruder.
We originally intended to adopt Porche into a good home. One of our dearest friends even ponied up the dough to spay her. Porche, at the time unpleasantly protective of her food and not quite ready for prime bedtime, wasn’t adoptable. By the time she became adoptable, she had already claimed a home. No way were we going to let her go. Our hearts needed her.
As you can see in that one photo, it's possible to catch me napping on the sleeping dog while a drowsy cat, Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson, guards the perimeter.

[LARRY ASIDE: And, yes, we’ve kept a few rescued dogs and cats through the decades, but, we also have moved many, many dogs and cats through our little critter-at-a-time system into new homes and rescue groups and shelters. So, we’re relatively minor animal nuts, but we are animal nuts. Write a best-seller or win that lottery and watch out -- we’ll graduate to major animal nut ranking!]
Nowadays, Porche jumps onto a footstool, then onto the bed and takes up her position in the big middle. She is my back support as I lay on my side reading. In the deepest part of the night, when I wake up to turn off the TV or the Kindle or the radio (bad habits for an insomniac), it is comforting to reach out and touch this sleeping dog. And, you know what? She doesn’t move. You can’t make her wake up if she’s not in the mood. She weighs around 50 pounds but it feels like 500 -- if you want to pick her up, rent a forklift.
Sometimes she piles up on our Rottie, Texas Earl The Cheeseman -- Earl doesn't mind, most of the time.

Now and then, she’ll sleep in the recliner (third photo), resting her chin on the arm. I’m not much of a recliner person, but when I sit in it, she’ll stand in front of me and paw at me until I get up and let her have the chair. Some street dog, eh?
Sometimes, when she’s ready to go to bed, she’ll make it clear, standing in front of me and then shaking her head and walking off down the hall toward the bedroom.
Yeah, she’s all street dog. She quickly adapted to climate control, comfy beds and food and snacks. She also adapted to sleeping with cats and cats adapted to sleeping with her. You see her here sleeping while our youngest cat, the baby we bottle-fed, Simon, confirms that he sees Porche as the most dependable pillow in the house.
But look at that noble pose: That's a dog who deserved to be delivered from the terror of life on Dallas' streets.
[PLEASE SEND PHOTOS AND BIOS OF YOUR SLEEPING DOGS AND NAPPING CATS OR ANY OTHER ENTERTAINING SLUMBERER IN YOUR HOME to dallrp@aol.com. We’ll post their stories in our long-running weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be demonstrating to petless people how wonderful it is to have a dog or cat in their lives. And you’ll be encouraging the globe’s insomniacs to have faith that they, too, can get some sleep if they can just adopt the right street dog -- and, yeah, they’re all the right street dog. Adopt one and get some sleep.]
--- Offer sleeping advice or critter commentary by clicking “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

THE CHALLENGES ANIMALS FACE; ELVIS' BREAK AND OTHER NOTES, INCLUDING GAS PRICES

EDITION OF FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2018 [PetPowellPress] We’ll tell you about this handsome guy’s challenge in a minute. 
First, some routine business? Maybe? For yet another end-of-the-week message we pull out this reminder: Shelter animals are on the clock all over North Texas. Is there a new way to tell that story? 
The SPCA of Texas is celebrating 80 years of helping animals in Dallas. Probably, like all the rest of us who got into this mission, we thought we’d whip the problem in about a year. Wasn't the first time the human intellect had been overestimated. All we’d have to do is get the word out to our genius fellow residents, explain spay and neuter and respect for animals. Oh, well: You can train a dog with kindness to do his business outside, but there are some people who just can’t be influenced by kindness. They’re just way too smart.
This is PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend. Pass it on. Here’s the LINK SPCA of Texas has animals in area PetSmarts, so do many rescue groups. I searched for cats in my Zip Code and found these two -- demonstrating how different the adoptables can be. I also found a photo of this dog -- a 25-pound Dachshund named Cafe Supreme. [LARRY ASIDE: My critterfan funspouse Martha and I have never adopted an animal from a shelter or rescue group -- thou
[gh we did permanently foster Glinda the Maltese for Operation Kindness a couple of decades ago. Our animals have all been free-roamers or dumped in Dallas. We’ve kept a handsome population by just keeping our eyes open and moving ‘em along.]

WHEN ELVIS GETS
A SOMEWHAT LUCKY BREAK
This guy is a handsome and loveable fellow, as you can see in his video. And Jeanne Saadi, the Manager of Animal Services for the City of Mesquite, confirms his adorableness. She writes, “He has a great personality and really just needs cage rest and TLC. ”
She’s trying to find a place for him by 4 p.m. Friday.
According to Jeanne’s appeal, Elvis was taken in after he was hit by a car on election day. It turns out he is “the most loveable guy...but he has a broken pelvis. The fracture is split in the middle of the pelvis and may heal with dedicated cage rest or may be a candidate for surgery. Either option will require a rescue hero to help him, though. Elvis is full of wiggles and kisses and has been very well-mannered around the other animals in the clinic as well. His ID# is A40103396. Please email rescues@cityofmesquite.com if you can help him.”
 Here’s a LINK TO ELVIS’ MOVIE. You’ll see a sweet dog rising above his situation. Bless the hearts that may open to take him in a find him a good home.
And there are other -- many other -- animals available at the Mesquite shelter.
These three are Toby (40049718), a 48-pound Earhound who is a young Shepherd/Rottie mix -- came into the shelter as a stray. Judi Brown, the Mesquite volunteer biographer, wrote, “His coloring and his curly tail make him very attractive. He’s friendly. He is perky and playful. He’s very alert and had to explore every corner of the yard. He loves balls! He found balls all over the yard. He fetches and retrieves and doesn’t seem to tire of it. He sits for treats.
Yoda (400683900), is a 4-year-old Yellow Lab who came in as a stray on November 1. Judi wrote that during her visit “he remained literally so close that it was difficult to get a picture of him. He’s a very handsome dog!”
 And Romeo (40052162) is a 5-year-old Papillon mix who arrived as a stray on October 30. Judi wrote, “He’s got a perky, cute, personality to match. He is friendly and affectionate. He does a dance for attention and for treats . He likes to be held and is very cuddly. He’s a happy guy that makes you joyful just to be around him. He’s also very sweet. He actually pranced when walking on a leash.” FYI: Romeo weighs only 12 pounds -- he’d weigh more but he’s been “fixed” already! 
 For any of the animals, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
 Dogs we’ve mentioned before: Jake, Winston, Moses and Butch are on the Code Red clock for 10 a.m. Friday. That’s Jake on the left and Butch on the right.
Just need some human heroes.

CONTEMPLATIONS:
The weather change Thursday was more enjoyable and less annoying than the time change, don’t you think? ...
Anybody else feeling the “spending pressure” from the holidays already? Yeah, man, I really need to win the lottery this month. ...
Holy smoke, I found some spending relief. A 7-Eleven in DeSoto was selling “regular” for $2.19.9 a gallon Friday afternoon. I had to double-check the instrument panel to make sure I hadn’t run my Edge through a time warp and landed in 2016 which, I think was the last time gasoline was about $2.20 a gallon. I’m feeling about the price of gas as I do about the time change -- just pick one and leave it there.
--- Offer advice or disgust by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

GREECIAN BEAUTY; A DEPRESSED DOG IN WILMER; ASSORTED ANIMALS IN NEED & A BURGLAR ALARM, DUNCE DAY & ARLO

EDITION OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to Thursday and our assortment for the day.
Take look at that beautiful SPCA of Texas cat. Her name is Thalia Grace -- ask about #145397 in the SPCA’s Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney. [LARRY ASIDE: There may be a cat-namer at the SPCA who is a Greek scholar. If my studies are correct, Thalia is one of three “Graces” -- the other two being (thank you, Wikipedia) Aglaea and Euphrosyne. The online encyclopedia describes Thalia as the “goddess of festivity and rich banquets.” Oh, my. But, then there’s the biography penned for Thalia by SPCA volunteer Ashlie. Thalia, at 2 1/2 years old, is a “pretty bashful girl” who becomes a “really sweet cat once I trust you.” She needs a quiet adult home -- has a heart murmur, but is “currently a healthy kitty.” And the bio says Thalia “seems to be more fond of men than women. She will warm up to women though...” 
Go to spca.org to see how to adopt her or any of the many animals there, including a mouse named Ethel (166612), just 3 cute months old and at the Jan-Rees-Jones Animal Care Center in Dallas.

THE PRESSURE IN WILMER

We got this alert from Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden who work to help the small shelter at Wilmer keep animals moving happily on to the next home or next rescue group. 
On Wednesday the opening passage read, “Sadly, every sweet puppy and dog you see pictured below is at immediate risk of euthanasia. Shelter has rapidly filled yet again. This is an extremely small, VERY old shelter, that cannot currently do adoptions and must rely on 501c3 rescue. PLEASE, PLEASE, won't you help?
“We absolutely are begging you to consider helping.  You honestly will find no more deserving dogs anywhere and we sincerely mean that.  THEY ARE SO COMPLETELY BEYOND GRATEFUL WHEN SOMEONE SAVES THEM. We see it in their eyes. 
“They come in looking exactly like Kevin looks below.  Heartbroken. Defeated.  Hopeless. Helpless.  They leave with new hope and complete and unconditional love in their eyes for the person or people that gets them out.  They KNOW.”

 To offer to help any of these animals, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl@yahoo.com.
 Also, you probably know that, as the note reads, many dogs that make it to Wilmer come from known dumping grounds in and around southern Dallas. And, the note reads, “There is a very nice animal control officer for Wilmer and there are two county officers picking up dogs from Dallas County, since the county has a contract with Wilmer and they are the closest shelter to these known areas.  Some are owner-releases from Wilmer. We see in their eyes that they know exactly where they are.” 
Who are these dogs? The first two are (1) Kevin, clearly morose. He’s an Anatolian Shepherd mix and (2) Tasha, a young female Aussie Shepherd/Husky Mix. The baby’s are Troy, the blond Shepherd/Husky mix, and Kyle, a baby Aussie.
They all “came in from a home in the Dallas County area. Their paperwork says ‘stray’ and to look at the adult male and young female, it just breaks our hearts.”
Then there’s Emily, a Purebred Cane Corso who “completely adores” other dogs. She’s under 2 and “very photogenic.”
That Purebred German Shepherd is Shawn. He “had an owner who could no longer care for him so he was brought to the shelter in hopes someone would help save him.” 
Remember, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl@yahoo.com.

MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE
Here are a couple of great faces that need homes and you can find them in the Mesquite Animal Shelter. We got the tip on them from volunteer shelter biographer Judi Brown.
The Shepherd/Chow mix is 41-pound Jake (40067754), a 2- or 3-year-old who arrived as a stray on November 1. Friendly, affectionate, alert, “chases toys but does not retrieve them.” And, he “walks OK on a leash.”

 Then there’s Ava (40040196) a 2-year-old Brindle Pittie who also came in as a stray on October 29. “She’s got soft brown eyes and what looks like tiger stripes. She’s a very sweet girl that will capture your heart as soon as you meet her. She’s gentle and follows you around looking up at you with her gorgeous eyes. She’s so happy to get attention that her tail literally whacks you and her whole body wiggles. She gives kisses. She is obedient. She knows to sit and to give her paw. She walks well on a leash.”
To ask about these dogs call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
 To see more Mesquite adoptables, click HERE.

THE ROAMING EARHOUND
Yes, indeed, this dog is an Earhound. She’s currently called Precious and we learned of her in a tip from our reliable Houston animal contact Alexandra Kelsey. She summarized the situation this way: “Precious needs help ASAP or she may end up at a shelter soon.”
According to the original note, the dog showed up at a park near Parker Road and I-45 North in northern Houston about three weeks ago. The park is near a mobile home park and the manager saw the dog and, according to the tip, “said if anyone in the Park would adopt Precious, the pet fee would be waived.” 
To help Precious find a home, call 832-573-1304 -- that’s the cell number for the original tipster and she’s a teacher so be patient with the answering -- might just be in class when you call.


THE MOVEABLE DOG
OF BURNS FLAT, OK
Well, she didn’t intend to be moveable. Our reliable source, the resilient rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher of Burns Flat, Okla., way out west, has the story. Here’s what Terry Lynn wrote: 
“Under a year old, this girl has been dumped too many times. First family -- Owners are drunks and decided they could not afford her anymore. Second family -- Husband got ill and they did not want to be responsible for her...Third family -- Everyone loved her and she is a great dog, but she pooped in the house so they cannot keep her. She was left inside from 7:30 a.m. to 6 that night.” Terry Lynn added, “I may have pooped in the house, too.” 
Terry Lynn describes this dog as “a sweet and loving little girl who loves kids, cats and other dogs. I am getting her back Friday -- we’re already full at the pound and she needs a place ASAP.”
To offer to help save this girl, email Terry Lynn at remember_oddball@yahoo.com.


CONTEMPLATIONS
THE NEIGHBORHOOD NOISE; TWO DAYS IN ONE; A GENTLE LESSON
Down the street from us and across a busy thoroughfare there is an office complex that has a burglar alarm that, now and then, begins sounding at 5 p.m. and goes well into the night. That’s happening right now as I type this. We’ve called the authorities -- you know, in case the alarm isn’t actually malfunctioning but is working. I was having a conversation with the building’s manager once and told him that having a burglar alarm go off all night long was just too much. He said, “I wouldn’t have to have the thing if the neighborhood didn’t have a bunch of thieves” and I replied, “You can’t really blame the thieves because you invested in a lousy alarm system.” We haven’t spoken since. But, now and then the alarm goes off and we’ll dial the appropriate numbers. This is a problem that cannot be solved. Apparently. Fines and begging don’t work. I'll take suggestions at dallrp@aol.com.

On Wednesday, a lot of those political signs had vanished. We all realized that Tuesday was election day, but what is Thursday? We turn to Holiday Insights online to learn that November 8 is both “Cook Something Bold Day” and “Dunce Day.” I’ve attempted to cook; there may be a connection between those days. And “Dunce Day”? I’d have pegged it for November 6 this year, but, nope. Cook Something Bold Day is the child of Wellcat.com which urges, “Now is the time to create the heavenly, homey odor of pungently bold cooking.  Don’t forget the sauerkraut and garlic!”
 Dunce Day’s past is a little iffy. It’s said to “mark the death (November 8, 1308) of medieval scholar Duns Scotus of Duns, Scotland.” Nope, he appears to be real, not a gag with a play on words for shorthanding the Supreme Court of the United States. I’m just explaining, your honor. Just explaining.
And just because sometimes you have to be informed to understand gentle humor, here’s a bit of entertainment from the great Arlo Guthrie. Click HERE and listen gently.
--- To offer advice, commentary or collusion, click on “comment” below or email dallrp@aol.com ---

A NOVEMBER 7 CONTEMPLATIVE REPORT WITH DOGS, CATS, TWINS AND MEMORIES

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2018 (PetPowellPress) Which analysis are you more weary of -- politics or the Dallas Cowboys?
Here’s a suggestion: Get in touch with the City of Dallas and get the city to take over both the  Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys and THEN subcontract the people who are taking over the State Fair of Texas and let them run the Rangers and the Cowboys, too. 
Stupid idea, you say? Of course it is, but nobody else’s idea is working for the Rangers or the Cowboys. [That dog is Mac (10444820) of Dallas Animal Services. The 10-month-old dog had just been told the Cowboys had lost again. He’s been at the shelter since September 24 and is losing confidence in the Cowboys. But who isn’t?]
This is going to be a different kind of readlarrypowell.com because I’m taking the day off and, seriously, how many of you need to be reminded to rescue and adopt animals from shelters in North Texas? 
Ask this guy Trey (A1026829) at Dallas Animal Services. He’s a nearly 3-year-old “neutered tri-color Siamese mix” who has been in the shelter since -- get this -- April 13, 2018. He’s seen some things, but somebody must be trying to save him. 
For Trey or Mac, give the shelter a call at 214-670-6800. See Trey, Mac and more animals -- dogs, cats, rabbits, etc. -- at dallasanimalservices.org or stop by the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland.


A CONFESSION

On Monday night, I watched the CBS line up on TV and kept an eye on the Dallas Cowboys via my little Kindle screen. I really enjoyed the Cedric the Entertainer sitcom, The Neighbors, had to deal with laundry and chores during Happy Together, but sat with William Powell, our adorable boycat-in-training and watched Magnum P.I. and Bull. Every time I’d switch to the game, William would gack up a hairball -- iust like the Cowboys did.
 I’m kidding. But William is more aggressive and entertaining than the Cowboys.
You know what the Dallas Cowboys did Monday night? They re-emphasized for me how much I miss major league baseball now that the season is over.
Anybody still thinking about the election? Or have you returned to the important issues of our region: Protecting dogs, cats, the Rangers and the Cowboys.

ABOUT THE MISSING DOG
IN SOUTHERN GRAND PRAIRIE
About the time we were lamenting having tried to watch any of that Monday night Cowboys game, word was being prepared that Shadow had been found. Shadow is the former street dog who was moving from North Dallas to southern Grand Prairie and managed to “run to daylight” -- somebody introduce that term to the Cowboys -- and go missing for a while. 
Our tipster reports that Shadow’s human “thought he saw her on his way home from work ... So he parked and started tracking where he thought he saw her and opened the bag of treats. She was a bit disoriented at first but he has a very distinct voice and once she heard it, she came to him.” 
Trust, love, snacks and a voice -- the key to reuniting two pals.
(No photo, but we’re still working on it!)


A COURT RULING
HELP SPCA HELP ANIMALS
You may recall the October 26 seizure at Canton -- 110 animals in a seizure that began earlier in the summer in a Child Protective Service investigation. So, at a civil hearing the animals’ owner and the SPCA reached a custody agreement.
Van Zandt County Pct 2 Justice of the Peace Sandra Plaster OK’d the agreement and ordered that the owner pay the SPCA $31,263.50 for the cost of the investigation, witnesses, housing and care of the animals. [LARRY ASIDE: This is one of those “yeah, hold yer breath” situations, I suspect. Defense attorneys and the county get first dibs on any dough.]
 The seized animals included these dogs. The count included 39 puppies, 35 dogs, 24 cats, 11 kittens and a horse. You can see photos HERE.
To help the SPCA continue it’s anti-cruelty work and its rescue and adoption work (or to see about adopting an animals) go to spca.org.

CONTEMPLATIONS
FOOD ‘N’ THINGS
I got an email with the subject line “The Food Issue” and I thought one or more of my many doctors was writing to me about my unhealthy appreciation for ice cream and biscuits. Turns out it’s a local publication’s pitch for its next edition, its “Food Issue” not “food issue.”...
This is about as likely as me ignoring the existence of biscuits, but, geez, wouldn’t it be great if we Americans got a little less vitriolic in the wake of the election? Kind of settled down and got back to the business of loving the nation and our fellow Americans? Yeah, I believe tiny reindeer can fly, too. Oh, and when I voted on Tuesday, this is the sticker the lady gave me. Not an "I VOTED TODAY" sticker, but an "I REGISTERED TO VOTE" sticker. I've been registered since before Nixon's pals thought up Watergate. ...
For this November 7 edition here are some things I miss -- all evidence that time marches on: Maxwell’s Books with its literary and literate clerks in DeSoto; the annual American Association of University Women Book Fair in Arlington; the Texas Rangers in the big league playoffs; the ability to comfortably wear size 32 jeans; a regular paycheck and an annual bonus; both of my brothers; all the dogs and cats we’ve had who’ve gone on to “a better place” here and in the hereafter; also

Quiet, witty barroom philosophy and conversation (don’t be offended, I’m still a young Southern Baptist boy in my heart); a newspaper newsroom at deadline (that’s beardless me in a yearbook photo at a high school journalism convention in Texarkana in 1965 -- yellow shirt, yellow socks); my sons when they were babies (that’s a photo from early 1972) -- nowadays they are all grown up and too busy to skip class and go to a movie with me. Also, they’re not in class any more. I kind of miss school days, too -- theirs and mine. They were fun to watch -- twin boys bouncing around pre-school like they owned the planet. And they did. Good thing my funspouse Martha keeps me supplied with reasons to laugh.

OK, now I’ll move on, going back to wondering whatever happened to my typewriters. Are they still in a box in the garage? Next to my electric train and my Dingo boots from the ‘70s?

In the movie Once Around (1991), Richard Dreyfuss’ character declares, “People born in the ‘40s have passion.” Yeah, I think that’s right. And FYI to all you guys who are growing beards this century, I grew mine in 1971. Can’t remember why. Literary reason, I’m sure. So, in summation, everybody enjoy November 7. I’ll be calling Mom to say, “Thanks.”
--- Offer advice or suggestions by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

ON ELECTION DAY: PETE THE PYTHON, SOME DOGS, SOME CATS, SOME TV & SOME QUOTES

EDITION OF TUESDAY, ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Some people see pythons as pets. Some of us don’t. Some of us ol’ veteran newshounds see pythons as a “great story!” Something we might shout to an editor across the newsroom, i.e., “I’ve got a ...”

Recently, you may have seen the story about a python winding up in the Goodwill donations in Fort Worth.
As it turns out, Toki, now back in the hands of his human, was misidentified -- he’s not a python, but an “albino red-tailed boa constructor.”
Misidentifying snakes is not unheard of in Fort Worth. Keep reading.

Frankly, I’ve never stayed around any snake long enough to make a proper identification. “Snake” was all I needed to know.
And that takes me back to my days (1972-75) at The Fort Worth Press, known as that “spunky little PM tabloid” that competed with the big local paper, The Star-Telegram’s morning and evening editions.
That brings us to a legendary event in 1954.
Pete the Python -- 15-feet of man-killing snake, according to the local papers -- had escaped from the Fort Worth Zoo. He made headlines for quite a long time and around the country until he was found -- still at the zoo. He also was, reports confirmed, Patricia the Python.
As far as I could determine from my colleagues at The Fort Worth Press, the Python had never been part of any fatal incident involving a human. If you Google “Pete the Python Fort Worth” you can see a whole lot of “journalism” about this terrifying episode in Cowtown, the Texas city known for its snake escapes. Here’s ONE TO START WITH . Save it until you finish reading about today’s animals in need.
Some may think it appropriate to write about snakes on election day -- I think that may be offensive to the snakes. Relax, it’s a joke. In some cases.

Oh, and this artwork shows that, my favorite paper, The Fort Worth Press, managed to score that exclusive interview with Pete the Python -- he was helped in telling his story by The Press’ longtime staffer Caroline Hamilton.

TWO NOTES ABOUT
BALCH SPRINGS, TEXAS
The town of Balch Springs, population just over 25,000, is on the southern edge of Dallas, just across I-20 from Pleasant Grove. It has an animal shelter and this guy Donald is one of the dogs who needs rescue or adoption. The note on the shelter Facebook page says the personnel named him Donald because “we have no clue what he was called in his prior life. He was found roaming aimlessly and harmlessly.” (To ask about saving Donald, email balchspringsanimalshelter@gmail.com.)
The reason we discovered Donald’s plight was association -- we’d spotted a note about the Wednesday -- yes, Wednesday the 7th -- $20 spay/neuter clinic hosted at the Balch Springs Shelter and the Spay/Neuter Network and it led us to the Facebook page HERE. Click on that artwork to make it grow larger.
[LARRY ASIDE: Remember, spaying and neutering is as important as voting on Election Day. And if you can spay and neuter early, just as you can vote early, go ahead and do it. In North Texas you can find “bargain” spay/neuter procedures via a simple Google. If you have a dog or cat that isn’t “fixed,” your flirting with fertile disaster.]

FOSTERS NEEDED, HOMES NEEDED
FOR LUCY’S LOST LOVED ONES
Roberta Womack, who focuses on Chihuahuas via Lucy’s Lost Loved Ones, has a great need for people who’ll foster these little dogs or adopt them. 
These are some of the Chihuahuas Roberta is trying to help. The two boys are Johnny and Erik and the reddish brown girl is Lola.
To ask about helping Roberta help the dogs, email threeweedogs@yahoo.com or call 817-714-0990.
You can adopt or foster or applaud Roberta’s efforts. None of these dogs are on a ballot today -- they need a permanent address and, yep, 2020 is just around the corner!
[LARRY ASIDE: We’ve lived with two Chihuahuas, the adorable Vera and Rosie -- I miss them dramatically because they were dear friends. They gave warmth to our home. And, now and then, noise when a stranger stepped onto the front walk without their permission -- and they never gave permission.”]

THE VAN ALSTYNE CAT CRISIS
Lately this appeal -- a week or more old --- has been arriving with the subject
line “RESENDING -- NOT A SINGLE PERSON HAS HELPED -- EMERGENCY.” 
It is a sad tale of human illness/city law changing the fate of 10 cats who were loved and cared for by a 73-year-old woman named Barbara.
The appeal outlines a woman’s battle with the flu that damaged her heart, the city’s change of cat codes that changed her cats to “indoor” cats and and the need for her to place these litter box-trained, congenial cats in new homes. they range from 2 to 10 and are all calm and easy-going. 
These are a couple of the cats. 
Here are the contact points: arendallc@gmail.com or 214-281-0210. If you want to assist and need transport call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com

BE ON THE LOOKOUT
IN SOUTHERN GRAND PRAIRIE
We don’t have a photo yet, but the dog people are looking for is Shadow, a former street dog. She’s a small Border Collie-size dog -- solid black with gray around the muzzle and a bobbed tail. She is wearing a purple collar. During the weekend her human was moving to an apartment on the southern side of Grand Prairie between Great Southwest Parkway and Highway 360. Shadow bolted -- as dogs will do when in unfamiliar territory. Shadows a former street dog and “only trusts him [her human] fully” so, if you’ve seen this dog, don’t chase her. Immediately get in touch with janislee79107@yahoo.com.

CONTEMPLATIONS


POLITICS, TV, INDIRA GANDHI
& MR. HANDSOME THE CAT

For ELECTION DAY, this is about as political as I’m going to get because we’re not into covering politicians or issues outside of animals -- the animals you can trust more than a politician, i.e., rabid dogs, feral cats, irritated snakes, defensive spiders, etc. I’m kidding. Kidding animals and politicians. I’ve known politicians whose animals loved them. FYI: If you think you saw a lot of TV political ads this year in D/FW, you’re lucky you weren’t living in the Ark-La-Tex (that’s northeast Texas, southwest Arkansas and northwest Louisiana in the 1950s and ‘60s. It’s also called the “Four States Area” but Oklahoma didn’t have a TV station! In the pre-cable era the three TV stations (KTAL in Texarkana and KTBS and KSLA in Shreveport) sold political ads to candidates in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Stations broadcast from about 5 a.m. to midnight, so they had to cram a lot of spots for three very different states into a 19-hour day. Sometimes you’d want to move into another state just so you could vote against the candidate who’d bought 30 minutes and pre-empted your favorite sitcom! We all had one thing in common: We all said there was nothing on TV worth watchin’....


JUST FOR FUN ON ELECTION DAY here are a couple of quotes from the late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Selection A: “There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.” And Selection B: “Winning or losing of the election is less important than strengthening the country.” Of course, she never ran for office in the State of Texas.


A SPECIAL THANK YOU FROM THE SENATOR to all of you who wrote nice things about his photograph in Tuesday’s edition. He replies, “I am flattered by your comments. And, yes, it was a struggle to get that old guy to sit still long enough for the photographer to snap the shutter. Through calm negotiation, for which I was famous in the Senate, we were able to get him to stop fidgeting and sit still for a few seconds. Afterwards, we took him out for a Coke and some fries, the traditional treat for unruly children in the South. Again, thank you all for the nice words and, now, I’d like to dedicate this song to all of you who voted and all of you who may wish you had by the time the polls close.” Enjoy THIS PERFORMANCE of his American song by Woody Guthrie.

--- On election day, offer an opinion or solution by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

IN CASE YOU'RE WORN DOWN AND NEED A CAMPAIGN SPEECH; SOME ANIMALS WHOSE NEEDS ARE BEYOND VOTES

EDITION OF MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Before we get to dogs and cats and the people who love and help them, we can’t ignore the elephant/donkey about to enter the room.
What a campaign season! Whew! All those words! 
So, we present this Eve of Mid-Term Election Day Speech provided by the non-profit, non-partisan Office of American Electioneering & Rhetoric. This fits all levels, from congress to city hall. It is a speech with gesture suggestions. Nice gestures. If you are a candidate and you’ve run out of words, please feel free to use this speech to wrap up your campaign on a positive note. [LARRY FYI: That’s me and The Senator urging informed people to vote and those who aren't to skip Tuesday and study up for 2020. That's a bi-partisant stance since both sides think the other side is ignorant.]

HERE'S THE PRE-ELECTION FINAL SPEECH:

GOOD MORNING, my fellow Americans! We have reached a great day of promise for America. (GESTURE INSTRUCTION: IMMEDIATELY begin clapping to get audience involved in your emotions or to wake them. Then, after a few seconds, use down-spread hands to quieten the crowd. Silently, sincerely look around the venue as if you know each of them personally.)


I am genuinely moved by what I see before me, as I am sure you, too, are moved by what you see before you. Don’t be alarmed, we are the American process!

 And, YES, TOGETHER we can applaud America all day until the sun goes down and there still won’t be enough cheering for this great nation. (Pause for applause) 
We politicians have to remember that we don’t earn applause by just being able to stand upright and motionless in a spotlight. We’ve got to get out into the un-illuminated areas of the nation and turn on the American lights! Remember, I am here with you, seeking illumination! 

By now you know the difference between the candidates and you have just about made up your mind in this hard-fought election.
 As a veteran of the campaign trail, before you cast that vote for me, (Slight pause, then hold up hand and point with one finger around the auditorium as if you’re singling out each person. Continue with a catch in your voice.) I’d like to humbly ask each of you personally to forgive those of us who, in our campaigning zeal, may have stumbled along the way. Ignore the missteps and focus on the goodness in our hearts and minds. 
(Nod vigorously, pause, then continue...) YES. YES. YES!! My fellow American voters, I urge you to TRUST those who have used this experience to soar like an eagle, those of us who have a goal, those of us who understand that this election is designed to benefit ALL the people. (PAUSE, THEN SOLEMNLY CONTINUE)
 My fellow Americans, we join together to watch football games, to watch baseball games, to attend operas, movies and concerts. We share the highways and roads and national parks and lakes and rivers. We enjoy the morning sky, the setting sun and the bright days and the wonderful autumnal rains on the colorful leaves of our nation’s many trees. 
What we must do on election day is keep those images in our hearts and remember the words of the great American philosopher Will Rogers, "Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.”
Knowing that you and I stand foursquare on the fate of America and the needs of the nation, go out on Tuesday and confidently cast your ballot then confidently buy an election day Mega Millions ticket. It will be good for America. [Be gracious as you exit the stage -- make no gestures that could be misinterpreted by a spin doctor.]

---
LARRY ASIDE: God bless America, God bless Texas and God bless anybody who read this all the way to the end and smiled even a little bit. In the meantime, you may have noticed some animal photos inserted in this speech. They have nothing to do with politics and should not suffer or die because of politicians. Still, they’re all on the clock at Dallas Animal Services. The three dogs are Oscar, Bella and Rudy -- some of more than 300 dogs listed on the dallasanimalservices.org website Sunday. The cat is Paige -- one of 90 cats on the website. There are more in the Big Shelter that have not been listed yet. You can see them at the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. Paige is about 3 and has been in the shelter since October 3. Bless her heart. The Grim Reaper is surely watching the clock on #A0145391. May Dallas residents vote to rise above their don’t-care attitudes and help save animals who are living just to be killed.]

MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE
Animals come and go in smaller shelters, too. We know because we see CODE RED listings at tough times for Mesquite Animal Services. But, Mesquite reaches out to rescues and adoptors and, sometimes, the animals beat the needle.
They need help from humans.
For example, this happy looking guy is Bruno, said to be between six and nine months old, a “Boxer/Retriever mix” surrendered on the second because “his owner had a change in lifestyle.” Mesquite’s volunteer biographer Judi Brown calls him a “beautiful wonderful dog” and writes, “It’s hard to imagine how anyone could give him up.” He’s 40078576 in the shelter, weighs 44 pounds and wags his tail a lot, is house-trained and “gives kisses.”
Judi included this photo of Troy, a maybe 2-year-old Shepherd mix who came into the shelter on October 29 -- he’s a “stray” who, in this photo, is looking over the wall at the shelter. He’s a fellow who “wants to please” and is “very interested in what was going on on the other side of the gate.” He weighs 54 pounds and is listed at the shelter as #40043159.
Also at the shelter is this kitten posing in a “hanging on by my nails” photograph. This girl is about 2 months and 8 days old, the shelter says. She’s available, a resident of the shelter for about a week. One of many cats and kittens in the shelter.
To offer to help these animals or any Mesquite animals, call 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com . See the city’s unwanted but adoptable and rescueable animals at https://www.cityofmesquite.com/1239/Animals-in-the-Shelter.

CONTEMPLATIONS


MUSIC TO SOOTHE
THE UNCERTAIN VOTER
Here’s an appropriate song for a political season, All These Things. We first heard it from The Uniques back in 1966. And, for all you vinylheads, we offer a bit of thanks for the work of the great Robin Hood Studios in Tyler and the magnificent Paula Records of Shreveport, La. In a closet in a box somewhere I have my original, well-worn album from 1966 -- Uniquely Yours. Ah, for a time machine. I’d like to go back to downtown Shreveport, La, in the 1960s and go to Stan’s Records and pick up some NEW copies of songs by The Uniques and and the album 34:40 of John Fred and His Playboy Band.  For this edition, my contemplation offers comforting music from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. ... [Our history lesson continues: Those are "45 rpm singles" -- click on them to make them larger. The one on the right is the A side with All These Things an the one on the left is the "B" side or the "flip side" with You Know (That I love You) written by the lead Unique and later a country star, Joe Stampley.)

Remember when the term “counterculture” meant something but wasn’t necessarily frightening. Probably, if you’ve read this far, maybe “counterculture” is a term you, uh, encountered in a history book in grad school. ...
You know why I always vote ON election day? Because, after years of watching America’s politicians and even reporting on some of them, I am cautious. They can always foul up before the polls close and change a person’s mind. Yeah, the only party I vote for is the impromptu party after work.
--- Offer advice, information or wisdom by clicking “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

HOW SERI GOT HER NAME & A PLACE TO SLEEP

Now and then you run into a story that puts a smile on your face. That smile has lasted for a year and counting! You’ve got to be happy for this dog.
This story is about Seri -- the short version of her long name, “Serendipity.”

We wrote about her when she’d been rescued a year ago from quite an ugly situation. And, now, she is in the spotlight of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
And, you know what? It’s a wonderful thing to see her with a happy place to sleep.
This dog is a family affair. Our original tipster was Muriel Parker who, just before Halloween last year, told us about the canine adventure her son Steve and his new wife Nina had encountered.
As November 2018 arrived, Muriel sent an update with the subject line “HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, SERENDIPITY.”
And she included photos and text. And, in case you wondered, that is Seri costumed for Halloween as “Bark Vader.”

She’s a dog who owns some human hearts right now, but there was a time...oh, my there was a time. You may remember some of this story.
 Muriel writes, “About this time last year I wrote to you about my son and his wife finding an abandoned momma dog behind a Big Lots store in Plano.  
“She was starving, filthy, smelly -- and searching for her seven puppies.”

 [LARRY ASIDE: That’s the part that got me. Mom and seven pups dumped like somebody was expecting Guardian Angels to suddenly appear -- oh, wait! That’s what happened!]

Steve and Nina took care of Mom and someone else found the puppies.
Here’s a passage from last year’s story: “Nina spotted this sweet girl in the wooded area behind the Big Lots off 15th St. in Plano. Whoever abandoned her there left a big plastic tub, presumably housing her 7 pups, and a pile of kibble just poured on the ground. She was running around sniffing frantically, which we later came to realize was her trying to pick up the scent of her missing pups. She ran right up to Nina, ribs showing and stinking to high heaven.”
 Back to Muriel’s latest note: “Eventually they learned another kind soul had found the pups and taken them to the Plano shelter, where they also went with the momma dog.  A few days later they went back to the shelter and adopted her." [LARRY NOTE: The puppies also were adopted. I think that's an earlier mugshot of Seri, right, after she'd been rescued. Different look in the eyes, eh?] Back to Muriel's note:
“Because they found her only due to taking a unusual route to go to brunch that day, she was given the name Serendipity, but is mostly known as Seri.

“Fast forward one year - - Seri is happy, healthy (no more ribs showing) with a shiny coat, thoroughly loved and confident that she’ll never be hungry again.  

“Theta, the resident cat, has reluctantly agreed to let her stay, but retains her status as queen of the household.   Seri wants so much to have her be a friend/playmate, but Theta will let her get just so close, no closer.  One little hiss sets the boundary.”
[LARRY FYI: On Friday, a day after Muriel sent the note about this wonderful, serendipitous dog and the Queen of the Household, she followed up with this photo. “Just received this picture from Steve of Theta and Seri in an unusually close moment this morning.” This is good progress for a year of cohabitation!]
And how about that pink accessory on the sleeping Seri? Muriel writes, “In the couch picture, while snoozing on her favorite pillow, she is wearing what Steve describes as her ‘girly harness’ (cuz it’s pink? IDK) which she wears for walking on the leash.  It holds her ID, vaccinations and license tags in case she should ever run off or be dognapped.  I don’t know why she’s sleeping with it on … maybe charging her battery for a fun walk or trip to the dog park?  

“A Facebook post in which she’s wearing it brought a joke comment about the ‘convenient carry-on handle.' However, Steve says he has picked her up by it to escort her away from another dog who was upsetting her happy mood...
 “And so,” Muriel writes, “Happy anniversary to Miss Serendipity with all good wishes for many more.”
And, ladies and gentlemen, this is what can happen when you let your heart guide the way in a rescue opportunity. You may give up one end of the couch, but in return you win a loyal heart.
LARRY NOTE: You can read the original stories in our archives. Here’s the LINK TO THE FIRST STORY ABOUT SERI  and here is the FOLLOWUP TO SERI’S RESCUE.
 

[REMEMBER: SO MANY STORIES OF SLEEPING DOGS AND NAPPING CATS offer us evidence that rescuers and the rescued celebrate a serendipitous relationship! SEND  PHOTOGRAPHS and THE STORIES of your slumbering dogs, cats and others and we’ll spotlight them in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be inspiring other hearts to be the “guardian angels” for animals. And you will encourage insomniacs to believe that they, too, can get some sleep if they can just find the right couch and the right accessory with a slumber-inducing shade of pink.]

--- Offer praise for Seri, advice for the rest of us or lucky lotto numbers by clicking on 'comment' below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

SAVING ANIMALS, FALLING BACK, CAMPAIGNING AND A VULCAT NOSE MELD

EDITION OF FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 [PetPowellPress] If you didn’t know anything about the culture in Texas and Mexico, you might think Dia de los Muertos was the theme of the 2018 Dallas Cowboys season.
Well, that kidding aside, let’s move on to the day’s challenges and we’ll wind up getting political in Contempla- tions. Relax. Not THAT political -- I’m not running for anything. Yet. But I might be able to handle Secretary of the Office of General Disorder -- which I think is in charge of the time-change this weekend. It’s either that office or the U.S. Congress. Yep, we fall back and all our well-adjusted dogs don’t understand the change! My cats? “We’re on our own time,” one smiled kindly and walked away.
Here I am consulting with my campaign treasurer, Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson who has just nose-melded me the information that we have no funds in our “campaign kitty” and she’d also like to change the term for the fund to Campaign Vacuum. “Likely to be more accurate for years, unless you fool enough of the people some of the time,” she said.
FYI, Kittie Leigh learned how to nose meld in her studies of her Vulcat forebears in her days at the Star Fleet Acatemy's LICK School (Lightspeed Investigations College of Knowledge.) That's an actual photo of Kittie Leigh's arrival as I began writing. I might also be titled "Whiskerfest."

BACK TO PLANET EARTH AND
THE OUTPOST AT WILMER
I’m almost tired of writing a sentence that explains that small town Wilmer has a crowded animal shelter located just minutes south of Dallas on I-45. But those animals needs the spotlight. Fortunately there are people who are trying to help them avoid the needle. The latest note from Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden cites these dogs and, geezalou, how about those two babies! 
Running loose! Unclaimed! "What is the MATTER WITH PEOPLE?" shouted the veteran observer of the flawed human condition.
Now here’s the story: Amy’s the girl on the left and Alex is the boy. “These two precious [dogs] were found out and about. Their owner was located and never responded to shelter notifications and they have been made available now to rescue. ... AVAILABLE TOGETHER OR INDIVIDUALLY."

OH, DAISY, OH DAISY! (left) We’ve posted this Rhodesian Ridgeback mix girl. “Very loving,” they say. She’s clearly an Earhound. She’s healthy and “just needs someone to save her,” the bio reads.
Then, also on the critical list is this guy Greg, a German Shepherd who, his bio reads, is a “beautiful dog and VERY sweet. Classic colors. Check out those big beautiful brown eyes.  Was picked up by the Dallas County officer.  He is really a cute boy.   Please, help save him.  He desperately needs someone now.”

Here’s how to help: “Call or text Laura ASAP at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.” FYI, again: “This Wilmer shelter (just south of Dallas and very close to the Dowdy Ferry dumping area) is VERY OLD, and relies completely on 501c3 Rescue Grou
ps at this time.  All dogs pictured at risk of euthanasia - space based and very small.”


NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
LET’S GO TO MESQUITE

Oh, boy, maybe nobody explained this clearly: You can adopt animals at the Mesquite Animal Shelter! They’re not for display only, though many are worthy of art shows and museum displays.
Consider these whose notices we got from the shelter’s volunteer biographer Judi Brown. 
We’ll start with Moses, described as a year-old Black Mouth Cur/Shepherd mix who “was surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 10/23 because his owners had a change in lifestyle!” [LARRY ASIDE: My change in lifestyle would have to involve a prison jumpsuit or a mission to Mars to get me to give up Moses! Knock on wood on that prison part.] He’s young and, Judi writes, “a happy guy who is fun to be around.” Playful, frisky, affectionate but also “would benefit from some groceries” at his current 45 pounds. Comfortable with other dogs, a little skittish around cats. He’s 39993040.

Look at this guy Winston, a 55-pound handsome “smokey gray” 2-year-old Pittie boy who arrived as a stray on the 18th. Judi wrote, “He’s a very energetic, exuberant, friendly guy who gets carried away with his excitement. ... He could benefit from some obedience training. There’s no doubt he wants to please. He’s very curious and alert. He sits for treats. ... He actually licked some of the dogs as he went down the bay. He was not interested in meeting the cats.”
Now, let’s look at Coco. How about that image. Damn, somebody get her out of that cage. She’s there because of -- oh, my, once again -- “her owners had a change in lifestyle,” Judi wrote. Coco (40025610) is a year-old, “rich, reddish brown Retriever/mixed breed” surrendered on the 26th. She must be stunned at things.

Still, Judi writes, "This may be for the best as it appears that Coco’s first year may not have been the most desirable. She’s an absolutely adorable dog with ears that go every which way. However she is painfully thin and her ears look to have fly bites on them. She is also very timid and skittish.
“She just looks sad. She does want to make friends and will tentatively come to you. She would definitely benefit from TLC. She is frisky and alert. She walks well on a leash. She shares her kennel with another dog without a problem. She was not interested in meeting the cats. Coco weighs 23 pounds. Hopefully someone seeing these pictures and this evaluation and will fall in love with her. Will you please offer her a place in your heart and your home!”
When someone who has met the doc expresses thoughts about her in this fashion, you know this is a dog who has immediately touched a heart.
To ask about any of these dogs or any other animals at the Mesquite Shelter, call 972-216-6282 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. See the other Mesquite adorable adoptables by clicking HERE. 
“What’s that?” you ask. “Are there cats?”
You betcha. Here are two we got the appeal on Thursday afternoon. The opening passage reads, “These poor, sweet felines have to be tagged or adopted by Friday at 1p.m. Please email rescues@cityofmesquite.com to tag.”

Get ready to get mad. Dixie is A40055125, a gray and white10- to 13-year-old female who “was brought in with Duct Tape” -- relax, not the tape, but the cat named Duct Tape, the solid gray girl (A40055121). 
According to the cats note from the shelter, the person who surrendered them said she’d “been trying to care for them for a few days after she claimed her neighbor moved and abandoned them for over a week with no food and little water. Dixie has what the vet thinks is a benign tumor on her face.

“Both are extremely sweet and gentle but are not cats that will likely be adopt from us due to the multiple strikes against them. They both stay huddled in the back of their kennel or in the closed area where their litter boxes are. The neighbor said she thinks they are declawed and fixed. We haven’t confirmed yet since they are still at the vet.”

[LARRY ASIDE: Good grief. We’re all full up with cats at Readlarrypowell.com or we’d be inviting them in to be standoffish with the feral mom we’re coping with. Still, someone surely has a spot for these two that doesn’t involve the euthanasia needle.]

JOHN GALT? JOHN GALT?

WHO IS JOHN GALT? OH, THE DOG!
OK, we were toying with you over Mike Hamilton’s selection of a name for this “found” German Shepherd. He is Galt and “Who is John Galt” is the running question in Ayn Rand’s 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged. [LARRY ASIDE: You probably already knew that, but I felt like blathering on in order to help this handsome and adept SUV-riding dog find a home.]
The truth is, I know as much about the character John Galt at this moment as I know about the history of Galt the Dog. Still, there is hope because Mike says, “He was found in Garland 3 weeks ago. I'm diligently training him. Very rambunctious, but eager to please. Will be fully vetted and neutered Tuesday 11/6. I've named him ‘(John) Galt’."  
Mike’s fostering the 65-pound dog and says “he needs a HOME! He’s super smart, playful and learning fast. About a year old -- definitely still moldable.”

Offer to help Mike with Galt by emailing hamilton.michael.andrew@gmail.com.

CONTEMPLATIONS
A SPECIAL DAY; A COWBOYS PREDICTION & WHY WE ARE CAMPAIGN-WEARY
One more note about Dia de los Muertos. This is a good time to honor Mercedes Olivera, who died in June. For a few years back in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, I was Mercedes’ editor when she wrote her weekly column Los Tiempos for The Big Paper Downtown. I never looked this up, but I’m willing to bet, based on Dallas newspaper culture prior to those days, that Mercedes was the first columnist (and maybe first reporter) at The Dallas Morning News to write an explanatory column about Dia de Los Muertos and what it means to the Texas culture -- how it fit into the community and was a cultural connection that crossed the border. So, yes, Mercedes’ lifeforce lives on. On this Facebook Page, there’s a way to donate scholarship funds in honor of Mercedes. The spirit of Mercedes has long known and will always assert firmly, as was her style, that knowledge matters in all lives.z


THE COWBOYS WILL NOT LOSE ON SUNDAY! That’s my confident prediction. The Dallas Cowboys‘ offense is in disarray. The defense is not trustworthy and the kicking game is prone to clanking. Last week was a bye and they’ve dumped the offensive line coach. So I’m going to guarantee the Dallas Cowboys will not win this Sunday. Going out on a limb with that Sunday prediction? Not hardly. They play on Monday. Too easy to predict they’ll lose on Monday against the Titans. Both teams are 3-4 and neither is an offensive juggernaut.
WHY ARE AMERICANS CAMPAIGN-WEARY? Because the 2016 presidential campaign never ended. Usually after a presidential election, the general public gets to enjoy an “off-season.” Not this time. We’ve had no rest from the politicians or the people who claim they’re not politicians. And I was hoping to get some extra sleep this weekend, but politicians are going to fall back with us and we’ll all be up early and maladjusted, right?
--- Offer sage advice but no political tips by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

TRANSITIONING TO NOVEMBER WITH THOUGHTS OF DECENCY, ECHOES OF THE HEART

EDITION OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018 [PetPowellPress] We’re greeting November early on October 31, not because we’re suiting up for Halloween but because we’re taking November 1 away from the keyboard to do some thinking.
November being our favorite month, you understand. 
It is exquisitely autumn in Texas. Some warmth at the start, some cold at the end, maybe. It’s a month with its own mind. 
Here you see some of my agricultural work. I grew those pumpkins and maybe a dozen others (Jack Be Littles, about  as big as a tennis ball) on vines that spread across our front yard and created a blockade for the postman’s usual path, but also created a walkway right up to the front porch mail slot.
Of course, the rain on Halloween turned the walkway into a pond -- not sure if the ghosts and goblins wore waders this year when reaching for the candy, but, maybe they’ll remember “that year the crazy old guy covered up the yard with pumpkin plants.” Oh, and to borrow from Linus of Peanuts fame, this is a "very sincere pumpkin patch."
November 1 was always the day my brothers and I would look through the candy we’d collected and make trades. In retrospect, we should have swapped it all for healthy vegetables, but we were kids -- we believed TV commercials about the joys of chocolate and other delights.
 If you’re reading this on Halloween, make a vow to start November helping a dog, a cat or a human. Yeah, every now and then violate your own personal rule and help a human. I know how it goes: Spend enough time rescuing animals and you get a little bit fed up with people.

But, REMEMBER THIS THING THAT DOGS AND CATS KNOW: Angels walk among us and some of them are you."

A BRIEF MOMENT
FOR AN OL’ DOG

The story on this dog had bounced around to all the usual suspects and Karen Lee of Barkleyworld.com had forwarded it to Readlarrypowell.com. 
Tiffany Nicole Flores of Saving Texas Senior Dogs had sent an appeal earlier in the week saying that the dog was heading toward a local shelter. The family was moving and unwilling to keep this guy. Tiffany’s note read, “He has spent his entire life on a chain. The harness so old that it has worn off the hair where it has sat for years. He was kept outside in the cold of the winter and the unrelenting heat of the Texas summers. Unloved and uncared for and now, unwanted. The shelter would be a cold and lonely end to an already long, miserable life. Yet despite insurmountable odds, this Old Grandpa is nothing but grins and tail wags. Happy to feel the pat of a hand and have a full belly.”

So, I dabbed my tears and called Tiffany to double-check and she said Dallas Dogrrr rescued the dog and found a safe place for him -- as you’d expect, after all those years on a chain, he’s got some health issues.
 I told Karen, “I watched that video and just nearly thought I might have to get up and walk around the block five or six times in the rain. I guess I've had too many old dogs in my life to not be able to feel their hearts when I see them.”
Karen, also, had to grab the tissues and tap down those teardrops of understanding. 
Watch this ol’ dog enjoying a walk HERE.  After reading the story of this dog, I told Karen, “Pour me a shot of Wild Turkey with a club soda on the side. I'm avoiding Halloween candy.” She concurred.

DFW COCKER SPANIEL RESCUE
IS BUILDING UP THE INVENTORY
The annual “holiday party and auction” benefitting DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue is scheduled 6 p.m.-10 p.m. on November 17 at Cafe Max in Richardson. Tickets are $35 through the 5th then they go up to $40. (Here’s the LINK.) In the meantime, they’re still gathering items for auction. What could you donate? Here’s a LINK. 
Ask about the auction to donating by emailing kswoodwork@live.com or burtandjanice@msn.com or texas.plumbing@sbcglobal.net or friscopam@sbcglobal.net so we can arrange a pick up or drop off.
In case you wonder who the money helps, you can go to dfwcockerrescue.org where you’ll find such beauties as Lacie, 12, who lost her home when her human broke a hip.
[LARRY NOTE: We officially endorse all dogs. And we have experience with Cocker Spaniels, having been blessed with the presence of Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, for about 14 years. Fair warning: Take in a Cocker and be prepared to be treated as an equal -- and that’s a lot  of forgiveness for being a human coming from these angels.]

HEARING FOR VAN ZANDT COUNTY CASE
SCHEDULED ON NOV. 5 IN CANTON
You may have seen the story of the SPCA of Texas and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s office seizing 110 “allegedly cruelly treated animals” from a spot near Canton last week. Here’s the breakdown: 39 puppies, 35 dogs, 24 cats, 11 kittens and one horse.
Know how all this got started? Child Protective Services investigation in June. Children’s Advocacy Center then contacted the SPCA of Texas which was denied access to the property. But things continued and on the 19th, the sheriff’s office contacted the SPCA with, basically, a “let’s try it again” suggestion.

Search and seizure warrants were executed on the 26th. And, according to the SPCA of Texas news release, “The owners of the animals were arrested at the scene for child endangerment and animal cruelty and were booked into the Van Zandt County Jail.”

A custody hearing on the animals is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday the 5th in the court of Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Sandra Plaster, 250 E. Grove St., Canton. 
Here’s a link to see MORE PHOTOS from the scene.
You can donate to help the SPCA continue these cruelty investigation missions -- info is at spca.org.

CONTEMPLATION:

THE ECHOS OF SOULS AND SEASONAL SENSATIONS

The sound of the noon hour? We have a gated front porch and and it has a long flower bed attached to it and thick shrubbery. It’s impenetrable by bipeds, so it’s a perfect hiding place for feral cats. For two decades we had an irrepressible colony of feral cats -- first the family was black cats that came and went. Smidge and Moriarity, brother and sister who almost liked people, lasted the longest -- more than a decade. We trapped,neutered, returned -- repeatedly. 
The next family was tabby cats -- all grey and black- or brown-striped with the M on the foreheads. Along the way there’d be others now and then, for example a black and white -- that’s The Senator -- he arrived already fixed and now advises me on literary matters. And one older fellow “got into something” after a few months of stubborn independence and I captured him against his will to try to get him some help. But anti-freeze is a tough monkey to beat once the cat’s found it somewhere. That’s what the ER doc said. That cat was known -- while on our porch -- as “Ol’ Doc White” -- every morning he looked like he was arriving after a two-day drunk and a fight with the ol’ lady.
The last kitten we took in -- a year ago in November -- is Simon, a “flamepoint” -- he had a tabby mom, two gray tabby siblings and an orange tabby sibling. They all vanished one night and left him in screaming in the shrubbery at about 4 weeks old. (That's the photo I took just after he'd been told he was not a girl. I'm not kidding. Below are his "flamepoints!").
We took him in and he is our big ol’ boy housecat. Not feral -- firmly an inside cat.
 Now, there are no cat residents on our front porch. But just outside the bars, just across the 2-foot-wide flower box and down 3 feet to the leaf-covered ground under the holly bushes, is an upside-down old silver cat food can. Some feral dropped it there -- probably overlooked by me on the porch but not overlooked by the cat. 
As this is being written, in a gentle cool rain about noon on Halloween, the shrubbery is in the right position and the unreachable catfood can is in the right place for water to run to an “elbow” in a “limb” of shrubbery. That water, forever in circulation on earth, becomes one big drop at a time that falls straight to that can with a resounding PLINK. You can hear it by clicking here. 
And when I hear it, I hear the echoes of Lord knows how many cats and kittens and, yes, dogs, who visited our front porch and found a meal and, many times, a happy place to live their lives. 
Those are my echoes.
May your November gift you with wonderful echoes of your own. Add the sound of a new cat or dog to the household. Meanwhile, I'm not going to try to fish that can out of the flowerbed -- I like to hear the memories.
--- Offer and opinion, solution or lucky Lotto Texas numbers by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

ADORABLE PUDEL'S ATTIRE! PLUS, BIG HALLOWEEN SCARE? SHELTER CLOCK

EDITION OF HALLOWEEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 (PetPowellPress) Hang on, I’m trying to get into my costume -- I love the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.
I’m kidding. Look, you think you have to dress up to find something scary this Halloween? Hey, leave politics out of this! 
In fact, here’s a great photograph of someone all dressed up for Halloween. And assorted other occasions, too.
This handsome Standard Poodle is 11-year-old Rommel. His human, Trish Carroll, told us she gave him the German name to link him to his heritage. She points out that many people think Poodles are French but, according to “respected authorities,” they are German, i.e., “Pudelhunds.” You can look it up.

We snapped this picture of him at the Old Town PetSmart, 5500 Greenville Ave., last weekend. And, yes, Rommel would be eye-catching in the aisle of any store from Buc-ee’s to Neiman Marcus. It just so happens that encountered this calm adorable gentleman in a cat aisle -- there was a cat adoption event nearby. 
Tricia gives Rommel a seasonal look each year. Here’s Rommel’s FACEBOOK Page.

HALLOWEEN? IT’S THE TIME
TO ADOPT FOR $10 AT DAS

Yep, final day of the Big City Shelter’s $10 adoption special. This guy is among the dogs available at DAS. He was featured on DAS’ Facebook page with this explanation: “Mason is ready for Halloween! Mason is a social boy who is playful and gets along great with other dogs. If you would like to adopt Mason, please visit us at the main shelter! If you would like to foster Mason, email DASFoster@Dallascityhall.com. Thank you Julia Rigler Photography for the adorable picture!”
And just in case you wonder if a Calico kitty can give off a proper Halloween face, here’s a photo of Wombat (A1042115) at Dallas Animal Services. The little girl, just beyond 13 weeks old, has been in the shelter’s care since October 19. Based on Readlarrypowell.com’s experience in kittenwrangling, we’re confident Wombat has mellowed since that photo was made. You can ask about adopting Wombat by calling the PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center line at 972-381-1588, Ext. 5. [LARRY ASIDE: I think I’d shorten her name to Womby or maybe make it Wombygirl and I’d teach her that cuddling is a great for both participants. She looks like a fast learner.]

YOU WANT SOMETHING SCARY?

CONSIDER THE WILMER STATS!
The word from the supporters of the Wilmer Animal Shelter is bleak. The opening sentence of the appeal read, “Shelter is almost full! Please help with even one if you can! Desperate!.”
You know where Wilmer is -- about half a can of “sody pop” sippin’ south of Dallas on I-45. Small town. No public relations budget for the shelter. Animals come in. There’s no foot traffic. Nobody sees these wondrous animals unless they’re making a point to help them. That’s where Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden have come in, but they’re limited by their access to lottery winnings and the interest of people who don’t care about small shelters.

So, here are some faces in the shelter that need a home or else. In order, Rocky, Daisy and Jaxon keep waiting. And so does the needle -- but apparently not for long. To help them, call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.

YOU WANT SOMETHING ELSE SCARY?
CONSIDER THE CODE REDS IN MESQUITE

These two dogs are Code Red for 11 a.m. Thursday. Got a whole day, eh? Well, not so fast. The shelter’s site HERE says it’s closed on Wednesdays. Oh, my. It opens at 11 a.m. Thursday. Oh, my. Surely there’s a solution somehow.

The volunteer Mesquite Animal Services shelter biographer Judi Brown began the story of Mimi with this terrifying passage: “CODE RED Due just severe overcrowding Mimi is now on that code red list for the second time, so this is serious! She has until 11:00 Clock Thursday morning. That’s not much time!! Please help this energetic girl as she has so much spunk needs out of her small cage.
“Mimi is a two-year-old German Shepherd mix that came to Mesquite Animal Shelter as a stray on 10/10. She weighs 60 pounds. She is long and tall and has a long nose. She has beautiful coloring.” When you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmequite.com about Mimi, use her number: 39888806.

Also on the CODE RED list for 11 am. Thursday is this vibrant little guy listed as “Skipper” on the Mesquite shelter website -- the key number is ID 39954558. 
Judi describes him as a “very adoptable fun-loving boy.” He’s a 2-year-old terrier mix, weighs about 15 pounds and came in as a stray on October 18. His tail wags constantly. He’s very alert. He walks very well on the leash. As a matter fact he heeled when I took him for a walk. He shares his kennel with another dog without a problem. He was not interested in meeting the cats. Bonus: he is FIXED!”

These are not the only animals awaiting adoption in the Mesquite shelter. Any time you adopt one, it takes pressure off of others. See the adoptables online HERE. Among them are those cats with the funny shelter monikers. Remember, you can visit the shelter and meet them all in person -- it’s at 1650 Gross Rd, Mesquite, TX 75149.
Again, closed Wednesday. So make calls, do emails. Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityuofmequite.com.

[LARRY ASIDE: Holy smoke. Talk about “fighting the clock.”]

CONTEMPLATIONS


PERSONAL AT HALLOWEEN
In honor of my little brothers, who liked to dress up for Halloween when we were kids, and my sons, Bret and Bart, who also like to costume for the holiday, we’ve found a link to a bit of a thriller hit from my kids’ era HERE and one from the era of me and my brothers HERE with the World’s Oldest Teenager. Enjoy the music. My mom has long cherished a photo of her three sons on a late 1950s Halloween: Me as a hobo, Barry as a matronly woman and Garry as a cat. Barry was never happy with that photo -- but he picked the outfit. And, somewhere from 45 years ago at a home in Fort Worth, maybe, there still exists a “Super 8” film of my little pre-school twin boys in their chosen costumes: Bret was Groucho and Bart was Harpo -- a pair of Marx Brothers. The lady of the house handed over some candy and asked us to wait while she got a movie camera because “those little boys are so cute.” They still are. Don't know what they're wearing this year. Ah, Halloween! Enjoy it and watch the calories. FYI: That is me and Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson dressed as our favorite highly commercial movie characters "The Mildly Annoyed Hooded Malcontent & The Not Particularly Curious Cat." We're open to any offer for the film rights to these Halloween characters. Cue the spooky music.
--- OFFER COSTUME ADVICE OR CANDY SUGGESTIONS BY CLICKING ON ‘COMMENT’ BELOW OR EMAILING DALLRP@AOL.COM. ---

IN THE WORLD OF DOGS AND CATS, A REASON TO MAKE CRUELTY LAWS MEANER; THE SALE OF A ROMANTIC BUILDING

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018 [PetPowellPress] You know what a bright sunny Monday will do? It’ll make you realize you’ve GOT to wash your car before it rains again. Doesn’t mean you will, of course.

Welcome to National Candy Corn Day and, later, traditional Mischief Night -- in my Northeast Texas childhood, some people called the night before Halloween “Beggars Night.” I refer to it as Calories Night.
Keep reading. I'll tell you about that sad little dog in a minute.
Anybody who comes trick-or-treating at our house -- and we’ve had maybe 10 kids in 25 years -- will be getting fun-sized Butterfingers. I got a deal on two 5-pound packages three years ago. I’m kidding. They’re fresh, alleged the drug store in Oak Cliff.
Speaking of fresh: How fresh is the idea that people need to make sure their animals are not free to run out the front door and attack the ghosts and goblins, etc. Honestly, protect the animals. OK? Here’s the SPCA of Texas Safety list. 

All that aside, how about that moving photograph of that little dog. Not in costume. Not showing off. Just surviving. With help from an angel. More later.
And, remembering to remind people that $10 adoptions continue through October 31 at Dallas Animal Services, we cite a cat first posted by DAS on its Facebook page. The DAS story reads, “Rey has the biggest eyes and the sweetest heart.” He’s 6-months old -- among the hundreds of available animals at DAS. See how to adopt Rey at dallasanimalservices.org -- if you want to foster him, email DASFoster@dallascityhall.com.
MAKING CRUELTY LAWS TOUGH:

PROPER THING TO DO FOR FIENDS
Or, here’s why animals will benefit when people attend the Texas Humane Legislation Network’s Rock the Vote event or people donate to THLN. The money goes to helping THLN persuade legislators to get mean with mean people. Make animal cruelty laws tougher than beating a rattler bite with witch hazel and a Band-aid. 
Look, I threw in that punchline because I got an email from THLN Monday about a cruelty case and I didn't want to dive right into it -- it really got to me.
I’m not going to post the photo of a dead dog. But a note from Laura Donahue of THLN says, “The Harris County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that its animal cruelty task force would be investigating the death of a duct-taped dog found inside a plastic bag along a north Houston road.”
The photographs are hideous. The Houston Chronicle story is HERE.  Get in touch with THLN at http://www.thln.org.
[LARRY ASIDE: Honestly, those cruelty laws can’t be strong enough. Somebody who duct-tapes a dog to death after beating it needs to do worse than hard time for a few years. That ought to be a life sentence. I’m a native Texan -- I don’t want people like that ever roaming free in my state. Good grief, I’m sickened by this evil person. This calls for a public outcry that influences the Legislature to protect the decency of the state.]

A GAP RESCUE NEEDS A PLACE
EITHER TO LIVE OR TO WAIT
This guy is Hamilton, a “Golden/Lab Mix” who is in boarding because Trinity GAP Rescue has run out of foster homes. So the appeal has gone out to help find a foster who can stand looking at this dog’s face ever day -- that oughta have hundreds of people lining up! Look at that face -- that is a true loving dog/happy to see you face.
 He’s 2 or 3 years old, is endur- ing heartworm treatment and needs a quiet, happy, lone- or easy-dog place to live until he’s adopted. 
To offer to foster or adopt, email anne@sterlingtile.net. Get the foster application on the GAP page at http://trinitygaprescue.org/. You can also see other animals that need homes -- for example, that 2 or 3-year-old cat Murphy with the Halloween-style mask. [LARRY ASIDE: We’ve long maintained that black and white cats are the adorably zaniest! He’s available!] GAP animals have the benefit of being loved and treated wonderfully by the volunteers and fosters. It’s part of the mission!


THE DOGS FROM
ELK CITY, OKLA.
We opened with a photo of this dog -- no name given even though he’s 15 years old and probably knows his name, but can’t really tell us. He may be in a bit of shock.
We learned of him from Terry Lynn Fisher of Burns Flat, not far from Elk City.
Here’s what she wrote, “Oh my goodness... look at him... he is FIFTEEN YEARS OLD... In the Elk City pound, where they are very short staffed and one guy is trying so hard to help keep them alive...
“I have sent out emails on them and am trying to help... I didn't list this little one... I am pulling him... I will take to my vet today [Monday] and have him checked out then bring him home. He will need rescue or permanent placing, but I cannot stand the thought of him laying in that pound, scared and alone...If you have room in your home, please let me know... He will be safe here, but he needs a forever place.”
These are some other dogs at the Elk City shelter -- Terry Lynn is working to help them all dodge the grim reaper. Long odds. But you can help her by getting in touch at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com.

CONTEMPLATIONS
BASEBALL, BIG SALE AND BAGS

I already miss baseball season. But, Boston beat Los Angeles in the World Series. That means Texas Rangers fans are, again, waiting ‘til next year. So, here’s a note to the weak-armed Texas Rangers’ front office: Hey, it’s next year. What are you waiting on? Get some pitching. Don’t wait for the new stadium. Win the hottest Texas-hosted World Series in 2019, then win the coolest in 2020. Entire lives have come and gone while a parade of executives has failed to line up a winning team -- only been to the Series twice since that first game on April 21, 1972. That season started late because of a strike and it was the last season during which American League pitchers batted. History -- that of which the Rangers are not quite a part.


 

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Paper Downtown reports that its old building, the 69-year-old Rock of Truth (As the inscription on the front reads) at 508 Young St., within walking distance of Dealey Plaza, is being sold. I always thought it would make a great casino -- alas, Texas money goes to Oklahoma and Louisiana and Vegas.
I can tell you that building has a lot of great memories. It’s where I met Martha -- first saw her with the blondest hair, the deepest dimples and the reddest “job interview suit” I’d ever witnessed. I turned to my buddy Brad and said, “Oh, my” and that was it. I hope the developers leave a spot on the corner for a “Texas Historical Marker of Romance.” I’d like to see a “Texas Historical Marker of Massive Profit” -- a lot of ex-employees would see the humor in that. Stock closed at $4.51 a share Monday.

Local weather forecasters say it’s going to be thunderstormy (that a word?) for Halloween. So, everybody wear proper gear and make-up that doesn’t run. Don’t use paper bags that get soggy and make sure you have tiny drainage holes in your plastic bags. If you are a witch, make sure your broom is properly grounded -- a good rule year round, don't you think? Sometimes I miss trick-or-treating on Halloween. My adult goal is, of course, to miss the calories.
--- TO OFFER COSTUME ADVICE OR A PHILOSOPHY FOR GETTING MORE CANDY, CLICK ON ‘COMMENT’ BELOW OR EMAIL DALLRP@AOL.COM. ---

SAVING ANIMALS: RESCUE, ADOPTION; CONTEMPLATING THE DESPAIR

EDITION OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2018 [PetPowellPress] For Monday we’ll just declare that we’re a sick of human behavior and focus on the good, angelic hearts who are trying to help animals. We’ve had enough anguish in the past few days, so I’m going to start today’s report with something genuinely beautiful. Made by a human!!!! How’s that for a 180 turn on the highway of humanity?
We will have, of course, Contemplations, but first help the animals. Take a positive step in your neighborhood, your city.
LOOK AT THIS GREAT QUILT:
COULD BE YOURS, ANIMALS WILL WIN
So, I got the photos of this quilt from Sydney Busch at the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake and showed it to my Funspouse Martha who immediately said, “You have to busy raffle tickets. I want that for Christmas.” 
Here’s the story on this whimsically entertaining quilt. Sydney says the “gorgeous quilt” was “made for us and donated by Quilters Guild in Gun Barrel City.” 
The raffle drawing will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, December 18. As you know the Friends operate the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City and it is open on Tuesdays. So, that raffle may be coming at the end of the work day! 
Tickets are $5 each and you can buy them at the clinic on Tuesdays -- it’s a pleasant drive from wherever you are to Gun Barrel City. Also e-mail or text Sydney and she’ll help you purchase as many tickets as your bank account can stand! Call or text 214-808-4701 or email sydney@friendsoftheanimals.org.
You can drop by the clinic on Tuesdays and see the quilt on display in all its 68 x 60 glory! What happens to the funds raised? Sydney says, “The proceeds from this will go into our new emergency medical fund to help indigent pet owners get veterinary medical care.”

[LARRY ASIDE: You can read more about the organization at www.friendsofthe animals.org or by going to the Facebook page HERE.

ADOPT-A-SHELTER DOG MONTH?

MANY WAITING IN MESQUITE,
INCLUDING A BAIT DOG
Oh, geez, look at that face! This is 45-pound Keller (3998583). I like to think he’s waiting to love and be loved and doesn’t want to upset anyone -- been around a number of dogs like this guy and they have a loyal happiness in them that is wonderful. He’s in the Mesquite Animal Shelter and that’s why we got his story from the volunteer biographer Judi Brown. Keller’s under a year old, a “smoky grey Pit,” Judi says. “Even with scars on his face he’s very photogenic! He’s very friendly and affectionate and if given the opportunity will climb up onto your lap. He’s also very alert. He is curious about everything and explores everything! He went nose to nose wagging his tail with other dogs in the bay. However his hair went up on his back when he met the cats. He also barked at them.”
 Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com to tag Keller. See more Mesquite adoptables HERE.

PACINO, FORMERLY A BAIT DOG


This is Pacino (39985506), once upon a time a bait dog. We got the tip on him from Karen Lee of Barkleyworld.com who forwarded a note from Mesquite Animal Services. The note reads:
"This is one of the most heart-wrenching cases and yet he met me with the happiest face and a butt full of wiggles. The moment I locked eyes with him, I almost began to cry. You should have seen the JOY on his face when we gave him a soft bed! It was truly heartwarming.

“All of his teeth appear to have been intentionally filed down and he has abscesses on his ears and face. The vet suspects he may have been used as a bait dog because of these conditions and because he is HIGHLY reactive to any animal that comes near him. He is very sweet with people, though. He will be a tough placement, but we would like to give him a chance.”
[LARRY ASIDE: 
He’s on the clock for 11 a.m. Monday. I hope this is in time.]
The note reads that his initial medical report showed him “to be emaciated with open wounds on his face, legs and ears. The wounds appear to be mostly fly bites but his ears appear to have it the worst and have what I suspect are large hematomas on his ears."

To save his life, email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. The shelter’s number is 972-216-6283.
[LARRY ASIDE: Isn’t there enough intentional death in this world already?]

THE CONTINUING CAMPAIGN
TO SAVE WILMER ANIMALS
Here’s an available Earhound. There are a bunch of animals in the small Wilmer Animal Shelter and everyone of them in this facility -- just minutes south of Dallas on I-45 -- is at risk right now.
We’ve posted many of them and here’s one more, clearly an EARHOUND, Daisy, a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix who is described in her “SAVE ME BIO” as “SWEET, SWEET, SWEET.  Very loving girl.  She has double dew claws on the back!  She is adorable - loves other dogs - and check out those ears.  (They certainly are the cutest ears ever - seriously).  Please, help save her.  The person that rescued  Daisy gave first vacs and she tested heartworm negative so she's healthy!  She just needs someone to save her.” To help save her call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. 


A BRIEF FROM BURNS FLAT

From Michael Corleone in The Godfather: “It’s strictly business. It’s not personal.”

Animal rescue is personal. It’s not business. Your heart makes you an offer you can’t refuse. Save the animal.

Here’s the note from Burns Flat, Okla., rescue role model Terry Lynn Fisher that inspired that opening paragraph.
On Sunday she wrote, “This weekend, I told myself I was going to take some time away from the rescue part and spend it with my grandbabies. I have been so stressed over personal issues, and there have been so many in need. That didn't happen. The calls started Friday night and never stopped. I will be sending several emails out, so please bear with me. If you can help, I appreciate any I can get here.  If not, I totally understand, for I myself know how many needs we have had lately.
“
To start, here are the two here at the pound that I need moved asap.  Both are young and so very sweet. Both came from people that just didn't care.”

Ebony is the young Lab -- “she is crate-trained house-broken and loves everyone. When first met she is hesitant but once she realizes you will not hurt her, she is a love bug. Fine with other dogs and cats."

Ivory is the girl in the cage in the back of the pickup on her “rescue day.” Terry Lynn wrote, "Young little scruffy girl. I adores her. She is so full of love. Her family just never really cared and let her run wild -- she almost got hit so many times. A little thin but we are working on that.”
Terry Lynn would love to place these girls with rescue groups to give them a maximum opportunity to find a loving home. Email her at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com. If you think you know a group, copy this and send it to them or give them our address www.readlarrypowell.com.
Terry Lynn has many other rescues she’s coping with and there’s no rule that says Oklahoma dogs can’t find good homes in Texas, though Texas dogs often have a hard enough time finding good homes in their own state. 
She’s also helping with the Elk City Pound, that’s about as far away from her as the drive from downtown Dallas to downtown Fort Worth only there’s less traffic and construction. But here’s the deal and contemplate these two dogs as you read what she’s written: “Elk City is about 23 miles from me... It is where my vet is and the town we go to for just about everything. The pound there has never really been a good place. There use to be a very evil man in charge. Thank goodness he is now gone and the young man that is ACO now cares and tries to save them...”
These are two of around a dozen dogs -- all sorts, big, small, meek, friendly -- that are about to get the needle if no one helps. Terry Lynn is helping as the go-between so contact her at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com and offer to help or at least give her a “thank you” for trying so hard every day.

AT DAS ON THE FINAL SUNDAY
OF ADOPT A SHELTER DOG MONTH
I went deep into the list of the 275 adoptable dogs posted at dallasanimal services.org on Sunday. There are four of the faces. Unwanted. Likely to get the needle even if it is “Adopt A Shelter Dog Month.”
As long as I was looking at the dogs, I looked at the cats (63 on the website, more in the shelter) and the “other” category: two guinea pigs (Mocha and Frappe) and this magnificent Earhound, i.e., Earhoundus bunnyrabbitus.
That is Hazel, a 14-week-old black-and-white shorthaired rabbit. She’s been at the shelter since September 22. 

Cali is that magnificent Calico (A1041948), a shelter resident since October 11 -- she’s about 9 months old.
And, then there are those wonderful, wonderful dogs. Hundreds of them. And only humans can save their lives.
[LARRY ASIDE: When I write “Dallas -- let’s stop the killing” -- it’s not just aimed at the Dallas City Council’s philosophy or the shelter following the orders to “humanely” end the lives, it’s aimed at the people who don’t care or decide to ignore what happens when they CHOOSE not to be responsible for the lives of the animals they once said they loved. This constant euthanizing -- not really an accurate word -- this constant killing can only be stopped by getting humans to act like a decent species. And that is a chore in a “don’t care society” in Dallas.]

CONTEMPLATIONS:

A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHT ...
Dear Readers: I’m still reeling from the Pittsburgh shooting. It is difficult to accept that there has been yet another mass shooting by an apparent madman in our America. 
It isn’t that a “place of worship” was the the target -- it is that THE PEOPLE who worship were the targets. That guy didn’t care about shooting up a building, he was intent on killing THE people. That is so disturbing.
I grew up with a second-hand haunting by Hitler and his philosophy. My dad was in the Infantry in Europe -- just an American teenager trained to kill and sent to a beach in Normandy in an effort to end “the war.” He was among the GIs who were shot at and bombed and, yet, lived to liberate concentration camps. The visions of the dead and the barely living haunted my Dad for decades and, in his deathbed despair, were among the last things he remembered in the threatening fog of the evening of his own passing.
 And now, there’s this demonic guy in Pittsburgh -- an American with a wrong-headed view of people.
If my dad had survived until now, he’d have a whole new round of night terrors -- only this time inspired by an American whose rights were saved because Dad and others -- my Baptist dad and his childhood Jewish friends -- went to war.



HOPEFUL AMERICAN BOY
 -- Maybe I have lived a life of total naiveté -- In my childhood in the 50s and early ‘60s I was confident that humans, having seen World War II and Korea, would get wiser about their own behavior. Vietnam proved to me how stupid I was with that optimistic thought.
"Despair” is such a spot-on word for that feeling that permeates the aftermath of an event such as Saturday’s.
 Remember that line from the Spanish writer/philosopher George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” 

The cataclysmic event of 1963 occurred in Dallas on November 22 -- one man assassinated the President of the United States and changed a world. An awful event.
But two months earlier, there had been that despicably wretched event in Birmingham, Ala.
On a Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, a handful of Ku Klux Klan plotters dynamited the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The timed explosion on a morning when people should be safe in their place of worship, injured 22 but killed four girls -- three 14-year-olds and an 11-year-old. It took decades to put anybody in jail for this horrible crime.

A LINK TO PITTBURGH? 
Why link Birmingham to Pittsburgh? Because good people care. People who want swift, certain justice. People who believe in the goodness of our nation and its system of justice.
My longtime friend and former colleague at The Dallas Morning News, Lori Korleski Richardson, is the wife of author and former journalist Jim Richardson, now a respected and beloved Episcopal Priest. They live and worship in California.
On Sunday morning, Lori posted this note: “Mourning in wake of the Tree of Life Synagogue murders, remembering what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said after four little girls were murdered in an Alabama church: ‘We must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderer’.”
God bless our America and keep every good and kind and respectful resident of this nation safe. Help the others see the light. As the Jewish proverb goes, “A little bit of light pushes away a lot of darkness.”

--- Offer an opinion, advice or a solution by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. And God bless America with light to push away darkness. ---

 

JUST SO NOBODY FORGETS...

This is a personal note to my scores of former colleagues who remember the date October 27, 2004, as an odd day in our careers at The Big Paper Downtown, not that odd days were unusual. 
You’re not forgotten, you are in the hearts of people who were there with you and people who remember your loyal work.
(I loyally dressed as a rabbit once for an event designed to help promote the integrity of the newspaper -- usually I edited and wrote, but not in the bunny suit. It was a rental.)
So this layoff was a BIG layoff. Lots of loyal employees. Some people went on to find other jobs in newspapers, some didn’t. The paper, like the industry, was in a convulsion and passing it on to the people who’d helped it grow.
I like to think that all affected found a happiness. (I'd found happiness in 1991-- wedding photo! -- with my Funspouse Martha, also an employee of The Big Paper until she left the next year, '92, to start a pet-sitting business because, she said to some bosses, “I’d rather work with animals.” All laughed. I’m told.)

Back to the Dark Day of the Layoff: Not sure the management team found happiness. I hope each person who had a vote has acquired an understanding of what happened that day and what their actions meant to lives and families.
Of course, “understanding” is not the equivalent of “comfort.”

(FYI, if you want to see how big the company was in those days, there’s a link below to a really positive news release from early in 2005.)
In the meantime, on Thursday the 25th in 2018, I bought two cups of coffee and paid $4.21. The stock price of The Big Paper Downtown, once magnificent, closed at $4.45 a share on Friday. That coffee was pretty good. I didn’t see the paper.
Well, why go on with lamentations? We’re happy The Big Paper Downtown continues to publish. America needs honest, aware, smart, stick-to-the-mission newspapers in print and online. It’s integral to freedom and democracy. Even in Dallas. 
That photo? That’s my late companion, Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas and our staff impersonator, giving us his impression of a dog who nodded off while looking out the front window and waiting for somebody to throw a newspaper into the yard. FYI: The paper hasn’t arrived outside that window since the morning of 10/27/2004. I excused myself about two minutes into managment's private "gee, we're sorry exit interview" with me to walk down to circulation and cancel my subscription. Seemed like the thing to do. Still does.

I can’t decide which Bob Dylan song to close with:

Selection A from Dylan’s Not Dark Yet

“Don't even hear the murmur of a prayer
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there.”


Selection B from Things Have Changed

“People are crazy and times are strange
“I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
“I used to care, but things have changed.”


Here’s that link to the 2005 vision of The Big Paper's company: CLICK HERE.
A lot of property mentioned is gone now. And, after reading that news release, maybe Things Have Changed is appropriate.

--- Thanks for indulging me. Offer advice, support or therapy by clicking on comment below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

UNDERCOVER SLUMBERDOG -- CHARLOTTE, CAPTURED IN HER MORNING ROUTINE

We asked for photos of slumbering critters and got this great response from our pal Jeneva O’Connor. “Not sure this is useful but I had to send it,” Jeneva wrote, then explained, “My Charlotte, now 11, puts herself to bed, under the covers, every morning after breakfast. You know, that post- breakfast nap!
“I had to lift the bedspread to get the shots, otherwise there's just a picture of a lump!”

As you can see, Charlotte is too beautiful to be relegated to “lump” status. 

Jeneva founded N-TRUST-UR-PET and, as the website says, she’s been taking care of pets in the Park Cities and Preston Hollow since 1986. In that amount of time, a petsitter gets to know a lot of a clients and a lot of animal people.
So, what’s Charlotte’s story? 
Jeneva, long a Beagle backer, writes, “Charlotte was the result of an accidental breeding, her dad being a horny 9-month-old PBGV(Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen) and mom an unsuspecting 13-inch Beagle. My good friend -- who gave me Benjy, and Melissa Boesch's Nemo [the late beloved star of local cute dog contests] -- called me when the puppies were born, and that is when she realized who the father had been.”

[LARRY NOTE: DEAR READERS, I’m going to keep you paternal suspense for a second to ID the two sleeping dogs as Benjy and Charlotte from 2009, and the baying Beagle with his distinct foreleg, is Nemo, around 2013, or so. Now, back to paternity.]
Jeneva explains that her friend “had just been keeping him [Dad] temporarily and he had jumped the fence to get to the female. She had not known that he did that, or that the female was in season at that time. 
“There were 8-mixed puppies and she wanted to place them in good homes. Not exactly a 'rescue' story. I went to see them and fell in love with Charlotte. She is more independent than the Beagles, and has never slept on the bed with me. 

“As far back as I can remember, after the Beagles get off the bed and eat, she goes back on my bed and digs into the bedspread until she can burrow underneath. It is pretty cute to see the lump. She will sleep for several hours like that. ... She really is adorable and has her own way of doing things. This is what she really looks like and yes, that is a cat condo which she took over when she was old enough to use the couch to access it. It gives her a better view since she has her mother's legs which are very short!”

[LARRY ASIDE: How adorable is Charlotte! And, don’t you Westminster Dog Show fans love it when the announcer says, “And now we have the P B G V” or when the announcer explains the difference between a 13-inch and a 15-inch Beagle. One does have to say Charlotte looks like she got the best of both breeds and may be the world’s most comfortable P B G V B G, i.e., Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen Beagle Gal.]
SEND THE PHOTOS AND BIOS OF YOUR slumbering dogs, cats and other critters to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll post them in our long-running, internationally read, weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Your story may inspire someone to give a good home to a dog who loves to nap under the covers, on a cat condo or in the lap of a favorite human. And, expect some of us dedicated insomniacs to try getting some sleep by pulling the covers over our heads after breakfast-- it's The Charlotte Method, it’s a proven slumber strategy.
--- Offer comment, consultation or congratulations by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

FOR FRIDAY'S EDITION: ASSORTED NOTES ABOUT DOGS, CATS, PEOPLE AND PRODUCTS FOR INADVERTENT FELINE ENTERTAINMENT

EDITION OF FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018 (PetPowellPress) Bear with me. The realization just struck that it’s two months until Christmas. OK, straighten up. Here are some animal challenges. And other notes.

OREO NEEDS HELP --
HE’S A DALLAS CAT!
That’s an envious stretch, isn’t it! You wouldn’t think a sophisticated international city like Dallas would have free-roaming, unclaimed cats, would you? Oh, you would! Well, of course! That’s where the Dallas kittens come from. But this guy isn’t going to be helping anybody make kittens unless there's a miracle in Big D.
 Our tip on Oreo comes for noted local writer/ editor/ journalist Kim Pierce, my former colleague at The Big Paper Downtown who also wears with honor the label “Protector of Cats.” Kim writes, “We are reaching out because little Oreo – a sleek, black-and-white, 2-year-old male kitty – needs a Hail Mary pass. He was rescued from a dangerous, heavy traffic area with no refuge on Canton Street by the Dallas Farmers Market.
 “The woman who had been feeding him cannot take him in for personal reasons. If the situation were different, she’d take Oreo in a heartbeat! But in an effort to help him, she did get him neutered and tested for FVRCP/leukemia (negative). She also got his vaccinations, including for rabies.
“ A temporary foster stepped up. Oreo, who’d been living outside, adjusted very quickly to being indoors. After warming up to his foster parents, Oreo enjoys morning pets, tummy rubs and playing fetch (yes, fetch) with his toys. He also gets along with dogs.

“Problem is, he needs to find a new foster or a home by Nov. 7. He will not do well in a shelter. We are desperate to find a place for this sweet baby to land.”
 To offer to help Oreo -- adoption, foster, etc. -- call or text Kim at 214-534-0233.

SPCA’S ANTI-CRUELTY WORK GETS
PETSMART CHARITIES HELP
In a news release Thursday, the SPCA of Texas announced that it’s the recipient of “an $85,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America.” The money will be used solely to “support the medical care and rehabilitation of pets in North Texas recovered from environments of cruelty and neglect such as hoarding, dogfighting, starvation and abandonment.”
 The money will finance “medical interventions” -- that’s “testing, vaccinations, microchipping, wellness medications, extenuating medical treatment and rehabilitation, for some 3,000 animals rescued from abuse. Grant funds are also allocated for upgrading laundry equipment to include a commercial washer and dryer for the Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center.”
 SPCA President/CEO James Bias said the current equipment can’t handle the daily capacity. And, he says, “The increase in capacity allows SPCA of Texas volunteers to spend more quality time interacting and working on enrichment with these animals, instead of transporting laundry to offsite locations."
Kelly Balthazor, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities, said, “Every pet deserves a safe and loving home however, sadly, this is not always the case. It’s not often an opportunity comes along to specifically help an especially vulnerable selection of the pet population – those who have experienced neglect and/or abuse.” 
[LARRY ASIDE: In case you need a mature dog to accompany you on your day’s activities, you can adopt Coco, a “large female Dalmatian/Australian Shepherd” at the SPCA’s Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center in Dallas -- asa bout /3129311, the six-year-old girl in the Super Hero Mask. The kitten is Sassy (167372), a 3-month-old getting ready to enjoy her first Halloween -- she’s waiting at the SPCA’s adoption area at the PetSmart in Frisco.]

CHECK OUT THIS SLOGAN IN PERSON;

THERE’S A COSTUME CONTEST, TOO

In case it’s not big enough for you to read, the slogan under the Don’t Forget to Feed Me Pet Food Bank illustration reads, “So that no pet owner ever has to choose between stay...or go!” 
The organization would like you to “stay” for a while -- from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the ribbon-cutting celebrating the new location for Don’t Forget To Feed Me Pet Food Bank Inc., at 5825 E. Rosedale in Fort Worth.
(We’d not have seen that had it not been for the tip from the great animal-advocate Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com.)
Visitors can tour the warehouse space, enjoy treats (human and critter), and there’ll be a “furry friends” -- I think they mean animals, not guys with beards -- costume contest at 2:30 p.m. Wait! Instructions suggest, “Dress up your whole family, match your pet’s, or just go all-out on your furry family members.”

THE DAS SPECIAL CONTINUES
THROUGH HALLOWEEN
Just a reminder that Dallas Animal Services is adopting animals for $10 through the end of October. Do they have enough animals? Well, I reckon. I’ve taken the liberty of breaking out two separate listings from the DAS’ latest “report cart.” See the whole card HERE
https://dallascityhall.com/departments/dallas-animal-services/Pages/Daily-Report-Card.aspx .

How many animals are on the clock at DAS --- hundreds and space is limited. What happens to animals at the shelter: Adoption, rescue, reclamation or the needle.
Check the euth stats in that second frame. Click on the artwork to make it grow.
So, go to dallasanimalservices.org and see the faces of animals whose lives need to be saved.
We already highlighted this cat, Zeus, this week.
But, so what! Somebody save Zeus and get extra credit on your permanent record.

EVERMAN’S SHELTER
NEEDS SOME HELP
Heather Harrison, our long time contact for needs in the Everman City Shelter on the southern side of Fort Worth, sent a note about the dogs in need and included the info that the Everman Shelter is run “by a hard working, devoted Animal Control officer.  He is begging for help to make space so he doesn’t have to euthanize! Does anyone have space for a dog??”
 We’ve chosen to use this collage titled “SENIOR BORDER COLLIE NEEDS A MIRACLE.”
His name is, as you can see, GRAMPS. He’s 9-year-old male Border Collie/Lab mix. Why is he there? Heather’s note read, “He was dumped at the shelter when his owner died last week.  He is a larger fella with wobbly back hips & a small lump on his side.   He is very well mannered & calm.   He really just wants a quiet place to lay his head!
Other animals include 10-month-old Shepherd mix Austin, 8-year-old Lab mix Chase, 2-year-old Pointer Mix Lucas and a year-old female Cattle Dog named Lizzy (look at those ears and that tail!). There are many more. To ask about helping, email Heather at nickale7@yahoo.com.

CONTEMPLATIONS
OPEN HOUSE/GARAGE SALE AT LAKE;
NEED  SLEEPERS/NAPPERS;
AN ACTION-PACKED CAT GIFT
See that dog Cookie? She’s #2202 at the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake Shelter in Tool, Texas. You’ll be able to meet this distinct canine beauty on Saturday because the HSCCL is hosting an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (We got the tip on this from our reliable Lakeside monitor, Sydney Busch, mainstay of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake which operates, of course, the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, not far from Tool or the lake.) At the open house, you can tour the place, get free hot dogs and refreshments and pick out a new dog or cat to enhance your life. The shelter is at 10200 CR 2403 in Tool. Phone 903-432-3422 -- see more of the adoptable dogs and cats on Facebook HERE. Missie is a 10-month-old Aussie/Heeler mix who “loves to give kisses” and, as is the earmark of a great Earhound, “listens to commands.”...

My dog, Porche Noel, says that unless you want to see more photos of her sleeping in a pile of bed covers while dreaming of her time as a general with the Space Force, you’ll send us photos of YOUR sleeping dogs and napping cats for presentation in our Sunday feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Porche poetically says wake up, smell the roses, send photos and bioses to dallrp@aol.com. Other people deserve to see the animals you adore. ....
Thursday night, my funspouse Martha was going through the daily mail including the latest (of many so far) edition of the Ross+Simmons Catalog. Suddenly she laughs and says, “They’ve got the perfect thing to give anybody whose got a cat.” This is a photo from the catalog of the 40-inch tall ladder that an electric Santa climbs up and down while any of 15 Christmas carols play as the lights flash and your cat sits and contemplates just how to leap up there, capture Santa and run off with him! Then, sometime in the middle of the night, you’ll hear a happy cat padding down the hall with a mouthful of a right jolly ol’ elf while humming, “Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus.”
--- Offer opinions, suggestions or winning Lotto Texas numbers by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

OLD DOGS; YOUNG DOGS; CATS, PASTA, BONEHEADS AND A DALLAS SONG

EDITION OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Every now and then there’s a story that touches hearts. This one probably got to me because we have an old dog, Annie, the 15-year-old Heeler mix.  Wednsday morning I got an intense STACK of email dealing with the same topic: "URGENT SENIOR GOLDEN RETRIEVER IN NEED."
The original request from help had come from the great Steffenie Vela, rock-solid mainstay of the Euless Trinity GAP Rescue.
Many of you reading this probably have an old dog hanging around the house -- an old dog who has been with you so long that you almost can’t remember a time without him or her. This situation will get to you. On a number of levels but mainly in your very soul.

Steffenie’s request outlined a woman’s situation: “She is moving and husband won’t let [the dog] go with them.”
An explanatory note about Lucy said the Golden Retriever is 17, has arthritis in her rear legs, her teeth are worn, her hearing bad. But “she is sweet and has never bit anyone. She just wants to be by your side and be peaceful.”
 
A number of people became interested in helping Lucy.
 Jane Herrick’s note from her office read, “One of our secretaries emailed GRAlliance and they are taking her.” 
Accompanying that message was a note from Golden Retriever Rescue Alliance -- GRAlliance -- reporting that “we are already in contact with the owner and plan on bringing this girl into our program.”
A few hours passed on Wednesday and I got in touch with Tricia Phillips with the rescue group. I could almost feel the tears she must have had as she typed this: 
“Larry, unfortunately, we just received word from Lucy’s mom that her quality of life is getting bad enough with her arthritis that she is having trouble getting around and eliminating. She has decided to take her tomorrow to be put to sleep. We are very saddened by this. We would have loved to give the old girl all our love for whatever time she had left. We respect her decision, though, knowing it is one of the hardest decisions we have to make as pet owners.”
God bless Lucy and may she run like the wind, wag her tail at the angels and always be the leader of the pack with a loving soul to walk beside.
[LARRY ASIDE: Yeah, I’ve got some tears now, too. Old dogs deserve our tears and the touch of the hands they love comforting them at the end. Old dogs...members of our family, owners of our hearts. 
 Here’s the link to Golden Retriever Rescue Alliance:
https://grralliance.org. And on Saturday, November 3,
from noon to 2 p.m. you can visit the Golden “meet-n-greet” at the Chic-Fil-A in Hurst, 767 Grapevine Highway, across from the Lowe’s. Some of the dogs will be young, some not so young. The thing about Golden Retrievers is no matter their age, they’re always game for the next event.]

ANOTHER QUICK NOTE
ABOUT THE WILMER PLIGHT
We got a note Wednesday from Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden about the situation in Wilmer, just south of Dallas. We’ve written about the shelter’s pressing population woes before, but never with the tone used in the latest note from the small shelter monitors.
The key sentence reads, “This shelter is unable to do adoptions, so, sadly, if a rescue does not pull, then the dogs have no chance.”
To offer to help Laura save these dogs, call or text her at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
These dogs, among the “most urgent” at the little shelter, are Annaliese, a young female mixed pup who enjoys being held; Rocky, a Staffie who used to live with Chihuahua before his life’s path went sour; Braden, a Shepherd mix who was dumped at a “dumping area” and Jaxon, the adorable Mastiff/Bulldog mix who is said to be among the most loveable dogs ever at the shelter.

Good grief, surely there’s someone who can find a place for these fab faces.
THE BIG TEX BOOT CONTEST
I’m not sure you can see the boots on reconstituted 2013 Big Tex clearly enough in this photograph -- I took it during the first State Fair after Big Tex burned to the framework in 2012.
As I wrote upon seeing his first set of post-fire clunky books, I could imagine Big Tex holding out his arms and asking, “Howdy, folks, do these big thick boots make my feet look fat?”
But, we’re in 2018 now and things have changed, including Big Tex’s boots. (These photos of Big Tex's 2018 boots -- fancy ones -- were taken by the Fair's photog David Brown.) On Wednesday, the State Fair Announced that, reading from Fair PR Senior VP Karissa Kondoianis’ news release, “Big Tex got a brand-new pair of custom Lucchese boots for the 2018 State Fair of Texas, and now he just can’t get enough! He wants to sport a fresh, new design next year, too.”
And that is where you, Dear Readers, come in. No matter your age, you can participate in the 2019 Big Tex Boot Design Contest, presented by Lucchese Bootmaker. The news release says, “all you need to do is draw, paint or illustrate your design on the templates provided at https://bigtex.com/designmyboots/ .”
The contest opens November 1 and closes January 31, 2019. That gives Lucchese enough time to get the winning boots good 'n' ready for the 2019 Fair Sept. 27-Oct. 20.

CONTEMPLATIONS
PASTA, BONEHEADS AND AN EASY DALLAS SONG
Holy macaroni, you won’t believe what the special day is for October 25. Allow me to elbow you as you noodle around a bit. Yes! October 25 is World Pasta Day, according to Holiday Insights. Unlike so many “days,” this one has some facts behind it. Holiday Insights says, “World Pasta Day was established as an annual event  at the first World Pasta Congress held on October 25, 1995, in Rome, Italy. It is promoted by pasta manufacturers around the world.” We’ve never seen a dog that would turn down pasta, but we have lived with a couple of felines who loved spaghetti -- more appropriately, they were fond of angel hair pasta. Slurped it up like cartoon cats. This guy is Zeus (A1046033), about 4 years old, currently a resident of the Big Dallas Shelter operated by Dallas Animal Services. He, like other animals at DAS, is available for $10 through October 31. Call the shelter at 214-670-6800 or stop by at I-30 and Westmoreland. Get a cat for just $10 and you'll have plenty of money left over for pasta! ...
AROUND TWO DECADES AGO, I went to a meeting of the Dallas Bonehead Club (working on a column for The Big Paper Downtown) in what has become known as the Lorenzo Hotel overlooking I-30 on the southern edge of the heart of downtown Dallas. To my knowledge that may have been the last meeting of the Dallas Bonehead Club. It had been around for decades and decades -- it's 100th anniversary of a charter is in 2020. It was dedicated “to learning more and more about less and less.” For decades, the Dallas Bonehead Club would show up on opening day of the State Fair to conduct a ceremony closing the previous year’s fair. Why? “You can’t open something that’s never been closed,” one of the guys told me. For a long time in a less intense environment, the Boneheads had a public sense of humor -- something you can’t always say about the City of Dallas. So, today, I’m making yet another appeal to find some old Bonehead out there who knows what’s going on with the club today. I feel the need to write a story that says, “We have learned today that the last public sense of humor in Dallas has died, a victim of the times and the personalities and the fear that a good laugh will kill a profitable venture.” We do know, of course, that laughter won’t fill a pothole. Ask the boneheads at city hall. Oops, let a joke slip in.
SO HERE’S AN APPROPRIATE SONG to follow this appeal for knowledge about the Dallas Bonehead Club. Click HERE. https://youtu.be/PNnYS3SOn88 to hear Willie Nelson sing about “a beautiful lady with a Mona Lisa smile” and try not to think it’s satire as you “breeze down the LBJ.” Nobody breezes on LBJ -- not for decades. Might have when Dewey Groom of the Longhorn Ballroom and sax player Don Stovall wrote the song back in the 1960s. That photo is from 1978. Dallas had a sense of humor back then.
--- Offer an opinion or a solution by clicking on “comment” or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

THE CHALLENGES OF SHELTERS; DUMPED BABIES; A BIG TEX 'REVEAL' & iPod's ANNIVERSARY

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23-24, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Remember in school when you learned how to spell Wednesday? How about that glorious feeling when you could print it correctly! And then, hallelujah!, spell it correctly in cursive? Cursive! Ah, the glory of penmanship.
Said to be rebounding in the American education system. We’ll see. Is Pluto back to being a planet, yet? Can pigs fly? There are samplings of my ability to work with the word “Wednesday.” The short versions are reporter versions. More on that in a minute.
When I was in the 7th or 8th grade my class got to take a penmanship test that was sent off for judging “back east” and when the results came back, I got a “participation certificate” while everybody else was awarded a “Recognition of Triumph” or something like that. I did the test again and, again, got a certificate of participation. It was at that point, I began to feel sorry for all of my teachers who tried to read my “hen-scratching.”
But, less than 5 years later, I was a newspaper reporter and had trouble reading my own notes! Every time I hear a court demanding to see a reporter’s notes, I chuckle -- most reporter’s handwritten notes have a lifespan of about 12-hours. You can read ‘em while you’re writing the story, but the next morning it’s not time for reading, it’s time for deciphering. You see samples of my handwriting here and, also, two reporter shorthands for Wednesday. Shameful, right? My grocery shopping list is not much better.
That dog? That’s Bella (ID A0903696) and, clearly, she is an Earhound, but we think she may be the Wednesday Earhound, i.e., a dog whose magnificent ears appear to stretch from one end of the week to the other. She’s at Dallas Animal Services (A0903696) and she’s a spayed black and brown Miniature Pinscher who may be about 6. Been waiting for adoption, rescue or the sting of the needle since September 25. One day short of a whole month. She’s at the big shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. Call 214-670-6800.

The first black and white cat is Creek (A0998346), just under two years old and in the shelter since September 26. He’s neutered and awaiting adoption at the PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center (972-381-1588, Ext. 5).
The second is Trey (A1026829), described as a “neutered male, tri-color Siamese mix.” He’s about 2 1/2 years old and the DAS page says he’s been at the shelter since April 13. April 13? That’s what they say. (Save his life by going to the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland or by called 214-670-6800 to ask how to adopt or rescue.”
Trey has what we call a “Wednesday Face” -- for today’s purposes, of course. That is, his face represents what a guy says on Thursday when he shows up late for work and the boss asks, “What happened yesterday” and the guy replies, “Oh, man, the middle of the week was just a big muddle to me.”
Remember this: Through the end of this month -- that’s the 31st for those who can’t red their notes -- you can adopt any animals at DAS for $10 -- ten lousy bucks.
Go to dallasanimalservices.org to see the hundreds -- HUNDREDS -- of animals that have been dumped at the shelter or captured by DAS roaming the streets. [LARRY ASIDE: HUNDREDS OF ANIMALS ON THE CLOCK! Thank you, don’t-care people. Each of these animals at peril is on your head. Not that you have enough of a thought process to make it matter to the heart you would have had it developed to maturity. See the chart below? You forced someone to kill that many animals so there’d be a place in the shelter to handle the next batch dumped by people who don’t care if the animal lives or dies as long as it isn’t their problem. Help me off this soapbox before I hurt myself by crashing through the slats and terrifying the dog.]


ALL THE IDIOTS AREN’T IN TEXAS,
SOME ARE LIVING IN OKLAHOMA
Holy smoke. Just Monday we got a note from Terry Lynn Fisher about a litter she’d rescued in Burns Flat. On Tuesday we got this note. I’m enhancing the opening sentence. She wrote,
“WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE! .... I have recently sent out a plea for help with a litter of 8 Pit babies...
This [Tuesday] morning, I received an email from a lady out in the country. As her husband was leaving for work at 4:30 this morning, he saw a box by the mailbox.
“Curiosity got the best of him and he looked... There they were -- these six itty bitties.

“I am surprised coyotes never got them.

“They are URGENT and need a safe place ASAP.”

The best way to help them ASAP is to get in touch with Terry Lynn in Burns Flat remembering_oddball@yahoo.com. Call her at 580-330-1459.
Ask her about these six, yesterday’s eight or any of the dozen or so she’s trying to help survive bad conditions and worse humans.

THE CLOCK CLICKS QUICKER
AT THE LITTLE WILMER SHELTER
In Tuesday’s edition we featured several dogs needing an escape from the small but crowded, low-traffic adoption-impaired Wilmer Animal Shelter in the small (population around 4,200) town on the southern edge of Dallas on I-45.
Suddenly things have gotten tighter at the shelter. This report comes from the small-shelter mission folks Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden. On Tuesday, the warning of animals at peril included this telling passage, “This shelter is very rescue friendly and they typically do not do adoptions unless a rescue group is involved to help -- the shelter is very, very old.  They are currently working on plans for a  new shelter.”
 Yeah, well, those plans aren’t going to domino by the time the needle goes into the necks of some of these animals, so it’s up to humans to get in touch with Laura by calling or texting 214-949-2726 or emailing cat_girl_71@yahoo.com to get the animals out of the shelter before tragedy can strike.

Some of the dogs in this shelter come from traditional dumping areas such as infamous Dowdy Ferry Road and Malloy Bridge.
See yesterday’s appeal by scrolling down and, in the meantime, we’re featuring the faces of these two shelter residents. 
That young girl is Annaliese whose family tree may include a Chihuahua. She’s described as a “precious little girl” who is “so baby sweet and cute and adorable.”

 We opened with Jaxon’s mugshot -- he’s a Mastiff/Bulldog mix whose life can be saved if a rescue group will find someone to foster. The report is he “adores other dogs --- is the sweetest, most friendly lovable guy ever. ... You just won’t meet a sweeter more loveable guy anywhere -- we are completely serious. He is just full of love.”
Nobody steps up to help him and he’ll no longer have that handsome vibrant face giving off his grin when he sees a human or wagging that powerful tail when he sees another dog who may be a playmate. [LARRY ASIDE: Yes, in my home with the limit, I am nearly tearing up over the potential loss of this good dog and that great face. To borrow from Terry Lynn Fisher in her Burns Flat note, “What the heck IS wrong with people?” And can it be fixed?]


CROWDING IN MESQUITE
Several animals were on the Code Red list for Tuesday at Mesquite Animal Services. Zena was not among them, but she’s a candidate for the next round if no one grabs her. 
Zena, at about 5 months old, came into the
shelter as a stray -- Already spayed! How’s that for a rare Metroplexian Miracle -- on October 15. As you can see, she has a skin condition -- she’s being treated. Her volunteer biographer, Judi Brown, tells us that 31-pound Zena “would literally scamper around the yard. She chased balls but did not retrieve them. She needs a devoted adopter to teach her to do that. ... She is very well-mannered and obedient. She sits for treats. She is so motivated by treats that she kept sitting in hopes of reward.” [LARRY ASIDE: I can relate to that last sentence!]
 To offer to help Zena (ID 39924470 beat the Grim Reaper into submission by adopting her or rescuing her, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite. com. There are plenty more adoptable dogs and cats in the Mesquite shelter. See them at THIS SHELTER LINK. And, yes, one of the cats you can see is this 2-month-old kitten who has been in the shelter since the 2nd -- probably doesn’t remember a day outside of the shelter. [LARRY ASIDE: I’m with the clever shelter folks in thinking that a name from a high court will yield a positive, righteous result for this baby. Just an opinion.]

CONTEMPLATIONS


JERSEY TRANSIT, BIG TEX AND THE CALENDAR
We open our contemplations with a report from our Eastern Seaboard Bureau Chief Andrew Fisher, currently of the Indian Lake community at Denville, N.J., and a veteran commuter into New York City. He reports there’s news about a transit employee saving animals from the tracks. “Most of the news about New Jersey's mass transit system has been bad. Here's a wonderful exception!” he writes. Here’s THE LINK.
And we assume North Texas transit folks are working on avoiding animal mayhem on tracks. But, you know what assume does...
LOCAL BIG TEX NEWS we get from the State Fair of Texas PR VP Karissa Condoianis. You may recall that before the Fair began, the fairgrounds hosted a public viewing of the installation of Big Tex, the 55-foot-tall Midway Cowboy. Starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, the Fair will help Big Tex step down from his vantage point at Big Tex Circle. This is event is also open to the public. But his exit is not happening immediately at 10 a.m. He has one more 2018 task before he can take off his boots and soak his giant feet. Karissa’s tip reads, “Before he goes, the famous mascot of the State Fair of Texas will be making an exciting announcement -- something you can look forward to for next year’s fair. You won’t want to miss it.” [LARRY ASIDE: Our guess? Deep-Fried Teslas? That’s about the only thing that hasn’t been tried.]
CALENDAR NOTES: Did you realize the iPod was introduced to the energetically iPod-purchasing public on Oct. 23, 2001? [LARRY ASIDE: I still have one. Has classic movies on it. I keep it next to the bed in case I have trouble sleeping and want to nod off watching It’s a Wonderful Life, John Sayle’s magnificent Texas film Lone Star, Bill Murray in Scrooged or Buster Crabbe in Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars. All that aside, Holiday Insights, our online source for annual holidays, reports that October 24 is National United Nations Day and also National Bologna Day. Write your own punchlne depending on your political thoughts. I’m going back to my iPod.
--- Offer opinions or insights by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

SAVED FACES, MERCY’S EYES, WILMER’S CROWD, & SOME STATE FAIR PHOTOS

EDITION OF TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018 [PetPowellPress] You can tell a lot by an animal’s face. Take for example this guy Jake, currently in the care of the SPCA of Texas. This might have been the look on his face as Brett Maher’s field goal attempt clanked off the goalpost against Washington on Sunday. Has anybody mentioned “Curse of the Blue Jerseys”? We’ll have more on Jake in a minute. We’ll also have young faces in Wilmer, a dog who’s face has changed a lot and our Contemplation reaching into the State Fair of Texas’ 2018 successful soggy run. Now, our report:

NOBODY WANTED THIS DOG?

PEOPLE -- AGAIN THEY DISAPPOINT!
Some face on this kid. His name is Blue. He’s currently in Burns Flat, Okla., but he can travel. All you have to do is email Terry Lynn Fisher at remembering_ oddball@yahoo.com and volunteer to help him.
Terry Lynn emailed, “I was so shocked nobody came for this sweet boy... Look at that face.... He is so beautiful... And he is a great boy...I later learned his family moved away and just left him here... How does someone do that? I would rather see them turn them in to a pound than just leave them to fend for themselves.”
Blue needs to be fixed. He’s a Shepherd mix and he’s “very friendly and playful and loves kids,” Terry Lynn says. Then she adds, “He doesn't understand why he is in jail. When I leave, his cries haunt me. They are so deep. So sad. So heartbreaking.”

THE STORY ON JAKE,
THE GREAT SPCA FACE
We spotted Jake’s face on the SPCA’s adoptables list at www.spca.org. and then we found his autobiography, as ghost-written by “Ashlie, SPCA of Texas volunteer.” 
Here’s how it read: “Well hello there! My name is Jake and I am a year and a half old domestic shorthair mix. I'm a pretty bashful guy and can be pretty shy, hesitant, and quiet, as it takes me a minute to warm up. Once I do warm up though, I LOVE head scratches and attention, as long as it's on my terms. I like other cats as long as they aren't too crazy. I am not a huge fan of being picked up and really dislike belly rubs, but I do really, really love my head and face rubbed and scratched on. I also have an under bite, so I always look like I am smiling. My ideal home would be one that is adults only and quiet with low foot traffic. I would also love to have somewhere where I can be up high, so that I can look around.”
Nice job, Author Ashlie, particularly the smile sentence. To ask about adopting Jake (166862) go to the spca.org site. Jake’s in the SPCA’s Russell H. Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney. But, he’s willing to travel for loving home.

THE ANIMALS IN WILMER:

A GROWING POPULATION

The small Wilmer Animal Shelter, in the town just minutes south of Dallas on I-45, continues to draw animals but not enough people to keep things safely moving. So, Laura Macias, Leighann Hayden and their compadres soldier on, trying to find homes for otherwise doomed, dumped and discarded dogs. 
These are some of the animals that need help as you are reading this. [That's Emory on the right.] To offer to help, call or text 214-949-2726 or email Laura at cat-girl_71@yahoo.com.
Remember, many of the animals that come to the Wilmer Shelter are foundlings that have been dumped in the Dowdy Ferry Road area. Rescued from death to face death anew. [That's Preston left and Peyton.]
The shelter info:

EMORY, a “baby” Shepherd/Lab mix described as cute an “baby sweet” and brought in by the Dallas County officer, according to the report.
Then there are a pair of pups found together.
PRESTON is the boy Chihuahua/Hound mix and PEYTON is the girl. Naturally, at this age, they are “adorable and sweet and everything a puppy should be - they adore everyone and everything.  These babies were brought into the shelter just in time - they clearly were starving, poor little sweetie pies.”

MICHA is a female Lab, maybe a mix, who has “big, brown puppy dog eyes and white fur and she is precious.”
BRADEN, a boy Pittie mix, was “found in a known dumping location (Malloy Bridge) by the Dallas County animal control officer.  He seems to adore all people and really likes other dogs.


A DIFFERENT BREED WORKS
TO HELP MERCY SEE HER WORLD
A Different Breed Rescue has a different kind of fundraiser under way. It’s not just a general event, but a pinpoint event to help Mercy the Dog. a Schnauzer girl who was saved from death row.

On Thursday, the 25th, ADB will benefit from a fundraiser at the chili’s in McKinney. A portion of the proceeds from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. will go to the organization’s efforts to help Mercy see again. (Click on the poster to make it grow!) When you eat at Chili’s at 7576 S. Custer Road in McKinney, that day, ADB says, “be sure to mention Mercy at checkout.”
 There’s also a Gofundme site for the dog HERE. It is from that site that we learned the history of Mercy. According to ADB Rescue, Mercy was found “at a high kill city shelter in a cage shaking and trembling. The poor thing was just terrified! She had good reason to be. She was considered a ‘Senior’ at 5+ years old and blind. This sweet girl tugged at our heart immediately; how could we leave her behind when she was so, so scared.  She was pulled and brought back to our sanctuary.

“She has since been groomed and shaved down and her hair is growing back nicely. She has been spayed and updated on shots, and the vet thinks she is only 5-6 years old! Her eyes are cloudy from cataracts ,which can be corrected with surgery.” That’s about $2,500-$3000 per eye, the gofundme site says.

And, the dog that beat the Grim Reaper is described as having “a happy go lucky personality, always wanting to be held, petted and loved on.  She is a talker!! And even though she cannot see well, she is very active and running around with the other dogs.
Mercy has a lot of years left to live and we want them to be the amazing years she deserves! We are looking to raise enough money for surgery on at least one eye so she can see again.”

CONTEMPLATIONS


STATE FAIR CROWD, PHOTOS AND 2019
At Readlarrypowell.com we adore the State Fair of Texas -- counting my newspaper career, I must have written about 200,000 paragraphs about it. Not to bring up the Cowboys’ despair or the Texas Rangers’ traditionally long off-seasons, but the State Fair is that lone dependable highlight of autumn. How about that rain? We got a note from Karissa Condoianis, the PR Veep at the State Fair, that revealed “that, despite 11 rainy days, Big Tex welcomed more than 2 million folks to the 2018 State Fair of Texas.”  
In the meantime, Karissa also sent a link to a fabulous collection of 2018 State Fair photos by David Brown. I’m sharing that link with you so you can see the various events and attractions and even Big Tex’s fancy Lucchese cowboy boots. The link is HERE. I picked a couple of photos to highlight. One that enchanted me is the little girl on dad’s shoulders waving the American flag. The other is a bit of a traditional photo that is a celebration of Texas and has Big Tex in the background. And that brings us to the traditional State Fair question: When is next year’s fair? Glad you asked. Sept. 27-October 20. Sorry to set off those cravings this early.
That may have been a photo of the Twilight Parade one dry evening at the Fair. No doubt that it's a parade at the State Fair of Texas -- Big Tex is photobombing 'em in the background. Just like photogenic Jake of the SPCA slipped his mugshot into this closing paragraph as reminder that he's still waiting for a home.
--- Offer advice, opinion or your own contemplation by clicking on “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

DOGS, CATS, CLOWNS IN AN IFFY WORLD

EDITION OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018 [PetPowell Press] I was holding my cat,The Senator, on Sunday morning and enjoying -- kind of marveling, actually -- at the fact that he’ll sit in my lap, reach up and head-bonk my bearded chin. If I lift him up a little more, he’ll rub his forehead against mine.
I said to him, “Oh, Senator, thank you” and at that moment I added, “If I knew what your what your name was before I met you, I’d use it so you’d feel good about hearing it again.”

This may explain why so many “second-hand” dogs and cats give us that “You talkin’ to me?” look when we try to communicate with them. Kind of heartbreaking when you think about it. Someone, at some point, cuddled that kitten or puppy and give him or her a name and enticed the cat or dog to respond to the name.

And, then, one day, all of that love was out the window like a washbucket full of soap suds in a 1950s rural community where anybody who kept a dog or cat in the house was regarded as nuts. I’m happily nuts in any decade, fyi.

My guy, The Senator, is a housecat. Well, a cat of the Upper House, The Senator reminds me. I have no idea what he was known as in an earlier life, but maybe he’s become confident as The Senator. I do adore him. If you don’t have a dog or cat to adore, you should find one. In the era of uncertainty, dogs and cats are steady constituents.
What’s he doing in that final photo? He’s eating parmesan cheese. Turns out, his nose is attuned to it. I’m not kidding. Sprinkle some, shred some and he’s at your elbow like he’s your best friend at the bar. Combining languages, if you had to ask me what type of cat he is, I’d have to say “Parmchat.”

A BORDER COLLIE MIX IN A CRATE?
NOT TO JUDGE, BUT, SERIOUSLY....?
We got the tips on this one from our reliable source Sydney Busch, the mainstay at Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake, the 501c3 that operates the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas.
The story on this beautiful dog reads “This adorable 1-year old NEUTERED border collie/hound mix doggie needs a new family who will actually spend some time with him. He lives most of every day in a crate -- owner is willing to give him up (grrrr)."
Contact catloverps99@gmail.com or call at 214-505-7499 for more info.”

DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES:

THE FACES IN THE SHELTER
Luna, Emmett, Logan.




 Do you recognize the look on these faces?
 
 









Emmett is the great American circus clown, Emmett Kelly, in character as Weary Willy. He had to apply makeup to get that face. Luna (left) and Logan don’t need makeup. They’re simply dogs in an animal shelter financed by a city’s taxpayers -- a place that buys euthanasia juice by the barrel. Way to go Dallas, Texas. Thank you “Don’t Care Residents.”
Luna (1042589) is a spayed Boxer/Mastiff mix. She’s just over 2 years old and, the DAS website said Sunday, that she’d been there since September 6. The dog on the right is Logan (1043486), a neutered Lab who is about a year old and has been in the shelter since Sept. 14.

You can see hundreds of on-the-clock dogs and cats by going to dallasanimalservices.org. You see a strip of three available dogs. And that cat is Kitty (1040548), a spayed Domestic Shorthair who’s just over a year old and and has been at the shelter since October 1. 
To ask about the dogs in this report, go to www.dallasanimalservices.org or stop by the shelter at on the north side of I-30 at Westmoreland. You can’t miss it. As for Kitty, contact the PetSmart Everyday Adoption enter at 972-381-1588 ext. 5.
Below, you see the latest Daily Report Card posted on the DAS site -- it’s a tad out of date, but let me call your attention to the euthanasia count.

[LARRY ASIDE: Tell us, Dear Readers, do you think you could pick up the needle and kill 20 healthy dogs and some cats with it? Why would you want to pay someone else to do that job. Wouldn’t you rather save the animals and ask the don’t care humans who put the animals on death row to take their lousy attitude and find another place to live? OK, somebody help me off this soapbox before I crack the slats and set of Richter Scales again from here to Amarillo.]

THE DEMO CAT PROJECT
On Sunday morning, Nikki Williamson caught us up on the project aimed at saving scores of cats from a demolition project in North Dallas. (Click on the artwork to make it grow!)
She wrote, “Here’s what’s left of the demolition where our group of cat rescue volunteers have worked so hard for a year to save the cats. The cats were seeking shelter from the elements in those buildings and now they have almost nothing. Operation Save Cats from Demo is in need of physical help at the end of a long year and to complete this project in the next two weeks. Due to continual rain we were unable to trap. Now winter is on the way and it is an URGENT NEED.
"When the project started there were an estimated 100 cats. Jennifer Styers organized trapping groups, fosters and was able to save and relocate or find homes for a record number of these sweeties.
"We have successfully saved almost 75 cats and kittens with the help of amazing volunteers, rescue groups and caring people.
"There are about 15 cats left. We need to get them out in the next two weeks before being crushed.”

Regular feeding and monitoring continues. Nikki and the team remain optimistic though, she says, “the tragedy of what we see is horrific. cats and kittens have been crushed, insured, run over and are sick. There are horrible people around there that try to kill the cats by poison or shooting.”

 [LARRY ASIDE: If such things are going on, is there a law enforcement group involved in investigating these accusations of animal cruelty? Not all animal cruelty involves hoarders, backyard breeders and dog-fighters, right?]

Nikki also wrote, “We are very thankful to Feral Friends Community Cat Alliance and the SPCA for the help we have received in efforts to reduce the overpopulation of cats and to Dallas Cat Lady, Catmatchers, Take Me Home Pet Rescue and many other amazing rescue groups that were able to provide medical needs and adoption of kittens that were saved.

“IT TAKES A VILLAGE AND WE NEED ASSISTANCE ASAP. Please if you can help with any time of transport, fostering kittens, backyard feeding of ferals or donating food to continue to feed we would appreciate your help.”
 To ask Nikki how you can help, call or text her at 469-363-1867 or email nikkiwilliamson2028@gmail.com. Visit her on FACEBOOK, too.
ONE MORE STATE FAIR 2018 NOTE
Looks like the State Fair of Texas, after maybe the soggiest run ever, finished with sunshine and smiles on Sunday. And FYI, the Fair’s PR Veep Karissa Condoianis sent out a note about what happens to unused food items after the run of the fair? “The State Fair of Texas invites its Fair concessionaires to donate unused food items for local Fair Park area food pantries and shelters to pick up at Fair Park the morning after the 2018 Fair closes.”
For four years, the more than 70 concessionaires have been participating in this beneficial program. According to the fair, the food is distributed “quickly to children, adults, and seniors or other organizations in the South Dallas/Fair Park area.”

CONTEMPLATIONS

CHANGE, WEATHER & MUSIC
We’re undergoing a “period of adjustment” at readlarrypowell.com. Facebook changed some rule and we’re undergoing a “learning process” to figure out how to simultaneously post on our decades-old website and on Facebook. We also tweet, though not with the wide range of the current
American president -- probably because we’re trying to help, not trying to make a point. Follow us everywhere except in the grocery store -- we’ll just be in the vegetables and frozen food aisle. Not much of an adventure. .... That photo? That’s leaving Dallas on I-30 about 7 a.m. Saturday the 20th. The promise of a day of sunshine after so many days without. Did you ever begin to think, “What happens if I never see the sunshine again?” Yeah, I was getting cabin fever, too. Needs a better name in Texas, though. “Subdivision Fever?” ... NOTE TO TV ADVERTISERS: Enough with the Christmas music before Halloween. It’s jarring when you’re still trying to figure out a Halloween costume. Here’s a seasonally appropriate song in honor of a fascinating performer/songwriter. Click HERE.  AHH-HOOOOOO.
--- Offer opinion, advice or lottery winnings by clicking “comment” below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---