ReadLarryPowell.com

SO, WE WERE WATCHING FOOTBALL ONE NIGHT AND STEVIE RAY HAD A QUESTION

As you may suspect, this cat is exhausted. Been watching sports on TV. World Cup wears his neck out. 

Oh, I’m kidding.
This is the way the cat — full official name is Stevie Ray Treeboy — tends to sleep most of the time.
When he’s ready to nod off, he’s out like a light. Thus, my little pal is the focus of this week’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Another in a long line of "Free Dallas Cats" in our lives though our most recent cat came from Duncanville. Litters happen.
My funspouse Martha snapped the photos of Stevie Ray in my lap.
As you can see, he’s very comfortable with his back paws lifting skyward.
He and I were watching Thursday Night Football together when Martha caught a scene in which I’m explaining an offensive play to Stevie Ray and he is listening intently. Sure, I know what I’m talking about — I was a newspaper sportswriter for about 15 months in the 1960s — that makes me practically a gridiron genius. Stevie Ray knows that. Hence, he has a face that says, “I’m listening to an expert.” [I have a face that asks, “Does my insurance cover plastic surgery?”]
In the office, Stevie Ray will flop over on a pillow I have in a chair I bought in a yard sale — its heavy plastic “upholstery” has been shredded by cats, but it’s still OK for feline naps. Martha just moans when she looks in the office — you know, after she declares how cute the dogs and cats are at the moment. 

Stevie Ray, for those who don’t recall, is the kitten I rescued from a flimsy limb just about eye-level on a mimosa tree at our previous home in Dallas. He was little but he was loud. He enjoys being held, especially by me.
He was an apprentice office cat for a couple of years (with William Powell, the actual office cat) and now and then he drops by to check on the availability of treats.
There is a comfort to having a cat who thinks of you as the best place to nod off during a football game or a rerun of a British mystery or a showing of It’s a Wonderful Life. Or the legendary story of The Cat Who Invented Comfort. Some conflict, of course, over whether a cat or a dog invented comfort.
[DEAR READERS: PLEASE, for the sake of a joyous holiday season, send photos and bios of your slumbering dogs, cats or whatever you’ve got in your manger, to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll spotlight them in our long-running feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. There’s no pay, but you may be nominated for the Nobel Peace, Puppies ’n’ Kitties Prize. Thanks for your help. I’m working on a book:SLEEPIN’ AIN’T EASY WITH A GUILTY CONSCIENCE.]
—- To leave sleeping tips, click on ‘comment’ below or email dallrp@aol.com and put YOU AIN’T GOT TIME TO SLEEP in the subject line. —-

FRIDAY PM EXTRA: SOME SAVED, BUT A WHOLE BUNCH ARE WAITING...

EXTRA EDITION OF FRIDAY, DEC. 2, 2022 [PetPowellPress] We’re starting this Extra with good news. 
That, Ladies & Gents, Dogs & Cats & other Literate Souls, is the “Freedom Ride” of Delores and her four pups as they left Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center in Longview this week. They’re now with Angel Paws Advocates in Tyler. Here’s the LINK  to Angel Paws in case you want to thank ‘em or help ‘em some way.

And we were able to write about the animals, their shelter and their rescuers thanks to our pals Patty Sprong, the legendary foster mom, and Kimberly Brooks, the also-legendary Foster/Rescue Coordinator for the Longview Animal care and Adoption center in East Texas.
This was my favorite passage from that first story:
 “Delores is so sweet and is a great mama to the babies!  The puppies were found in a box in someone's front yard.  They said that Delores walked up and started pawing at the box and then was licking on the babies.  The babies don't look anything like her, but she says they are hers, so we believe her.”

You can see more adoptables and rescueable animals in Longview by clicking on the SHELTER LINK HERE.  Scroll through the cats and dogs waiting for new homes.
[LARRY ASIDE: In some cases they may be waiting for the home from which they strayed to phone up and ask (using my best native Northeast Texan accent), “Yaw got muh dawg?” Maybe, “Pardon, do you happen to have my cat?” Translating my sophisticated tone to my childhood tongue, “Heck, cats, ah’m dewin’ muh best. Yaw want sumpin tuh drank?” Yes, I miss Northeast Texas now and then.]
Among the available cats and dogs on the Longview AC&AC Center:
That first cat is Giovanna (51541042), the year-old girl with the peek-a-boo eyes. She’s just over a year old and arrived in the shelter on Nov. 16. 
Mittens (#51603707) is the upright 3-month-old tabby fellow. He arrived on the 28th of November.
Twinkles (#51627993) is a 6-year-old female Chihuahua/Dachshund mix who arrived as a stray on December 1, so she’s on “stray hold,” but just in case, I thought I’d mention her. You can see other adoptable dogs at the shelter with the ease of a click on your mouse. 
There are many large dogs — smiling dogs, as you’ll see when you scroll the photos.
And there’s this medium-sized fellow, #51596132 whose got a name we’ve never typed previously at readlarrypowell.com. This dog is “Groomp.” He’s an 8-month-old Pitty mix who arrived on November 26 and is available for adoption right now. [LARRY ASIDE: First time we’ve seen a dog named “Groomp.” I have no idea what “Groomp” means unless that is what he says when he’s being happily brushed during a grooming.]
GALT’S VIRTUAL MEET & GREET?

THIS SOPHISTICATE LARKE
We’ve long admired the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas for working so hard to rescue the members of their favorite breed (in addition to dogs that, as puppies, pass for Greyhounds, too, and others who, as adults, are “close enough” and need good homes, anyway!).
Saturday, GALT has this beautiful girl Larke among the adorable availables “at” the online “virtual meet and greet.” It also will feature Benji (that’s him in the hallway) and Memory (she’s posing in the outdoors), the announcement from GALT revealed. 
GALT’s note reads, “Join us on Facebook at GALT's Gatherings - Virtual Meet & Greets or on Instagram at @galtsgatherings.
By going to galtx.org you can learn about the dogs available for adoption into homes that should be the best ever for a critter.
The bio of Larke (formerly “Skylark”) says she’s “a red female” born Nov. 15, 2017, and that she “has 81 races to her credit on Greyhound Data.” Larke also “was in a home for a few yars with her brother Commander, but has been returned due to owner’s health. We don’t know about her cat or small animal tolerance.”
[LARRY FYI: I was once at an adoption event in Lancaster, Texas, and a guy with a Greyhound adoption group confessed to me something like, “What people don’t realize is Greyhounds are natural-born couch potatoes.” In our house we have no Greyhounds but we do have couch potato dogs and they are a great comfort. Probably the same way with a Greyhound.]
MAZIE’S MISSION
AND TOBIAS’ TALE
Before we get to the story of Tobias, we’ll tell you that Mazie’s Mission, the adoption arm of the famed rescue veterinary clinic of the same name, will host an adoption event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hollywood Feed store, 2851 Craig Dr, Suite 200D, in McKinney.

Among the dogs waiting for a home because Mazie’s Mission saved his life is this guy Tobias. His bio reads, “Tobias was found unresponsive with extensive injuries to his body, presumably caused by another dog. His shoulder was so badly broken that his leg was amputated. Tobias had a long road to recovery but today he is doing great and is now ready to be adopted. He gets along with other dogs and children. He is potty-trained and can go up and down stairs, in spite of his amputation. Toby is healthy, neutered and up-to-date on vaccinations. If you would like to adopt Tobias, please apply to adopt by clicking HERE.
And you can check out this other beautiful adoptable Frankie II, too, by going to mazies mission.org. She’s a year-old Catahoula Cur mix with a lively, playful attitude and “a fair amount of energy.” She also, Mazie’s says, “has no issues kicking back and binging Netflix with you!” 
Go to maziesmission.org to see how to adopt Frankie II and other animals including this beautiful young cat Sybil.

MEANWHILE, MESQUITE
HAS A TOUGH CASE: LUFFY
(ADOPTED/ABANDONDED….)
Well, ain’t that sweet. 
We got the note from our contact Debra Chisholm, one of the volunteer dog-writers at Mesquite Animal Services’ shelter. The subject line was “ ** URGENT PLEA!  SHELTER IS BEYOND OVERFLOWING **NO ROOM LEFT** “
 And Debra added that “Mesquite, like many/all others, has been beyond the point of capacity longer than we should have. Times are hard and even harder on the dogs! Luffy, among others, is at risk of immediate euthanasia, and we so desperately would love to see positive outcomes!”
Ask about helping by emailing rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

Luffy’s story is provided by Jamie Dotson. At the shelter, Luffy’s ID is #50561512. Use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmes- quite.com.
The story reads that he was adopted at Mesquite on August 3 and “abandoned on October 1. He is stressed in the shelter, suffering with diarrhea and weight loss.  He has a good demeanor and is playful."
Luffy is a year-old Lacy mix who weighs in at 60 pounds. He originally arrived at the shelter on June 29 as — what else — a stray, then, Jamie’s bio reads, Luffy was “adopted on Aug. 3. On October 1 and he was found and brought in as a stray. His family was contacted yet they were out of town. Though stated they would come get him, they did not keep their word. So this charming boy has found himself available for adoption. He has a fun loving personality. He loves to run and play in the shelter yard and his favorite things are to chase balls and play with toys. He will bring them back then chase them again when thrown. He walks well on a leash but does jump a bit. With redirection and rewarded with a treat he did well. As he walked past all the dogs that were barking, he paid no attention to them. … Luffy is a lovable puppy and would make a great family companion, where he has a secured backyard where his family can provide him daily enrichment.” So to help Mesquite help Luffy, use his ID#50561512 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityhofmesquite.com. 
Because Mesquite is so crowded and needing to find homes for animals rather than euthanize them, we’re going to squeeze in some more currently waiting in Mesquite for the right humans to adopt and KEEP them.
SERENA (#51596175)? Our dog-writin’ pal Judi Brown reports, "When you look up ‘sweet’ in the dictionary, you’ll find Serna’s name next to it.” She’s a 5-year-old, 62-pound German Shepherd mix. A stray (arrived 11/26). Not spayed. Judi writes, “I’m told by staff that she came in with a male sibling that she is apparently quite close to. When walked past her brother’s kennel apparently she always wants to stop and visit. I’m told she also seemed somewhat depressed and that was attributed to being separated from her brother.”
We’re not sure which German Shepherd in the Mesquite Shelter is Serena’s sibling. We’re attempting to find out. 
Click on this LINK TO THE MESQUITE SHELTER
and you’ll be able to see animals waiting for either adoption or rescue or the needle — fact of shelter existence these days. 
Arriving at nearly the same time that we got the note about Luffy, was the note about Serena and, also, a notes about Sam (#50488496). Sam’s an 8-year-old Staffi mix who arrived as a stray on June 20th. Jamie’s bio of this dog read, “Sam has a laidback and loving personality. He enjoys being petted, gives paw and knows the sit command.
"Sam has a superpower too, he is deaf. He does know a few hand commands and I'm sure he would love to learn a few more. He has a gentle soul, walks well on a leash and takes treats gently.”

And Jamie closed with “His big brown eyes have captured my heart as I am sure he will yours. Please help by networking him or send a rescue tag to rescues@cityofmesquite.com with the subject line TAG 50488496. Any further questions, please email or call 972.216.6283.”
Ten notices of “please adopt” these Mesquite dogs arrived in our inbox on December 1. Yes, it’s time for humans to step up and save ‘em all.
CONTEMPLATIONS
ASSORTED NOTES
Every time I get the daily load of adorable adoptables, I contemplate this thought: Can we add three or four rooms to our house without anybody from the city noticing all the hammering and sawing? And would a bank notice if I was borrowing a lot of money and using my collection of unread paperback books from the ‘50s and ‘60s (packed for years in taped-shut boxes in the garage!) as collateral? Yeah, I’m not alone in trying to figure out a way to help out the dogs and cats in shelters. Literally help ‘em out. …
OF COURSE, THE BEST WAY TO HELP ‘EM OUT is to make sure they never get IN! That’s the responsibility of the person who adopted them and said, “I’ll love you forever and you’ll always have a safe home with me.” Lyin’ sacks of used litter. (I cleaned that up, didn’t I? But, if you don’t know that animals are intelligent and aware, you’d be a daft Esso Bee. (Tap-danced around that, didn’t I.)…
I’ll be buying a Lotto Texas ticket Saturday — one more time, it’s bound to be the lucky time. Martha and I love our dogs and cats and your dogs and cats, too. And dogs and cats in shelters and on the streets and roaming neighborhoods and the free puppies and free kittens people are trying to get rid and the kittens and puppies people are trying to sell on parking lots, etc. There used to be an expression, “That guy needs to have some sense slapped into him.” I haven’t heard it in a while, but, yes, the veracity abides. I’m a peaceful person. I’ll just talk to the clowns. No offense to clowns.
— Offer ideas or lucky numbers by clicking on “comment” below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “WORK ON YOUR JABS” in the subject line. —

ANIMALS PUT AT RISK BY HUMAN BEHAVIOR; LONGSHOT AND HIS RED COLLAR ANGELS

EDITION OF FRIDAY, DEC. 2, 2022 [PetPowellPress] Here we go with a variety pack of tales of good people rising above bad actions to save animals.

DUMPED IN A CRATE;
WAITS IN SMALL SHELTER
The ways animals can wind up in a city shelter must be uncountable —- that a word?
We learned of this guy Jack from the folks at 4-Legged Helpers. He’s in the Ferris Animal Shelter on the southern side of Dallas. How’d the Lab/Hound mix get into that small facility?

Jack’s report reads, “This super sweet approximately 10-month-old boy was found in Hutchins. Dumped in a crate in the cold inside the gate of a wildlife sanctuary!!!! Poor sweet baby!”
[LARRY ASIDE: Before we jump to conclusions about the human who dumped Jack like that, it is possible that the alternative was setting him free next to a highway or on a grocery store parking lot. Giving this human the benefit of the doubt, perhaps the “dumper” decided a place called “wildlife sanctuary” might better Jack’s odds of living through the experience.]

The bio also reads, “He is friendly and lovable. So incredibly deserving. Seems to really like other dogs too.  Please, help save him.” 
To help Jack, contact 4-Legged Helpers by calling 214-949-2726 or emailing cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. Follow the 4-Legged Helpers on Facebook HERE. Many more animals are on the Helpers’ list of animals who “need a way into a good home or rescue group and out of a tiny shelter.”
MEANWHILE, LOLA AND
PEACHES IN MESQUITE
[LARRY OUTBURST: I swear, more strays in Mesquite! I’m betting that’s indicative of human behavior in other cities in this Metrosprawl, too, even the city that named it's airport and a freeway "Love." Anybody want to dispute that? Email me at dallrp@aol.com. FYI, I live with former Dallas strays.]
These two reports came to us from our pal Judi Brown, one of our great sources (Debra Chisholm is our other dog-writing volunteer contact) at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. (Bless those volunteers and staffers for hustling to protect animals.)
This girl is Lola who, Judi writes, “is very striking with her blue eyes, fluffy tail, and statuesque physique! She is a 3-year-old, 31-pound Siberian Husky that came to Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/23 as a stray. A staff member that brought her to me told me, ‘She’s a good girl!’ And indeed she is!  She is gentle, calm, and well mannered. She doesn’t try to jump on you. When I tried to get her to sit she didn’t understand what I wanted her to do but you could tell that she wanted to please. And she did take the treat that I offered gently. She’s also friendly, sweet, and very loving. She stayed close to me most the time. She was alert and did explore the yard. She chased balls but soon lost interest. She did not retrieve them. She walked well on a leash. She didn’t appear to be interested in most of the dogs. She did sniff one or two of them and barked at one. I feel like it was a friendly bark. However, we always suggest if you have another dog that you ask the shelter to do a dog test. She knows what she wants and doesn’t mind telling you! She can be vocal. At the very end of my time with her she started to be more playful and tried to entice me into a chase game. She’s a delightful, easy-going girl that would make a wonderful pet for a family. …As with all Huskies, a tall secure fence is necessary as they tend to be escape artists.”

Lola is #51588077 and that’s the ID number you should use when you contact the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com to ask about her. Same system for Peaches and for this upcoming kitten, too. Read on:
Peaches (#51589489), Judi writes, “is a handsome girl with beautiful markings! She is a one-year-old, 47-pound Brittany/Welsh Corgi/Australian Shepherd mix that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/24. She was dropped off by the police. She is not spayed. Besides being a very attractive dog with hazel eyes and beautiful markings, she’s got a fun-loving personality.”
While she was being photographed, Judi says Peaches “seemed to be smiling. I imagine that is because she really is a happy girl that feels the world is her oyster. One characteristic of the Brittany breed is that they are known to love people and this certainly is true with Peaches.  She’s lively, energetic, agile, and curious. She explored the entire shelter yard. She didn’t appear to know the sit command but in attempting to get the treat I was offering, she continued to leap up to the point of flipping over. She is highly motivated by treats and takes them gently. She occasionally jumps on you when she gets over excited. She could use some manners training … However you can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. It is contagious!”
 Again use her ID #51589489) when you contact the shelter.
And, as Judi added in the bio, “Our shelter is overcrowded, so if you cannot adopt or tag, please network Peaches.”

And, of course, when you click on this link to adorable adoptables at Mesquite you’ll see many dogs and cats of assorted ages and colors and breeds. And we spotted a cat with a seasonal name and it is quite possible that he needs to be out of the shelter an into a certain home quite soon. This is #5156666, also known as Kringle. He’s said to be a small, 3-month-old gray Domestic Shorthair mix. He came in on Nov. 26 — two day after his appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (unless my theory is way off base). Anyway, he’s in the shelter’s nursery until someone takes him in and gives him a right jolly ol’ home.
CONTEMPLATIONS
A LONG NOTE ABOUT A LONGSHOT
Every now and then it’s good to contemplate the successes in animal rescue. Might just be inspirational no matter where you live. Thanks to Red Collar Rescue in Houston we can see that a dog named Longshot is just one happy step away from a — dare we call it? — “a happy ending.” (FYI: That's a photo of the boy sleeping after his scalp was stitched back on -- one of many medical procedures that saved his life.) I discovered his story as I was reading Red Collar’s widely distributed thank-you note to supporters who’d contributed “$15,000 to help with urgent critical cases” on Giving Tuesday. 
If there ever was an “urgent critical case” it was this guy Longshot eight months ago. What was the challenge — how about “were the challenges”? He’d been hit and dragged by a car, was the theory. And the initial report about getting help for him read, “Longshot is in critical care, his life hanging by a thread.”
 The story includes this: “Someone wrapped his bloody, injured body in tape and dumped him in front of a boarding kennel. Red Collar Rescue received a frantic call for help! We picked him up, and after seeing the severity of his injuries, headed straight to the ER at Texas A&M Small Animal Hospital.”

He may have been suffering without care for a week when Red Collar got the call. (Keep up with Red Collar at its website HERE or on Facebook HERE.

When the tape was removed by the Docs and Staff, Red Collar reported, “No one was prepared for what lay beneath! His head is literally ‘scalped’ down to his skull. His front 2 legs have large areas of skin and tissue ripped from the bone, and the remaining areas are gangrened requiring total debridement from shoulder to foot. Even worse, the tendons on both of his front wrists are severed, making it impossible for him to stand or walk.”

Why try to help this year-old, 15-pound “puppy” get through all this suffering?
There was this note from Red Collar: “Despite his condition, the look in his eyes tells us he is not ready to give up! He literally melts your heart! We want to give him a chance, but we need your help!”
 People helped. He became a dog with a team of all sorts of angels looking after him. And in a note distributed to supporters of Longshot and other animals on Thursday, Red Collar Rescue’s appreciation read, “After 8 long months, Longshot is finally healed and ready to be a normal pup! Scalped head, degloved and gangrened legs, severed wrists, and more, are a thing of the past! Longshot's will to live and YOUR support made this a happy ending!”
That’s something to contemplate but so is THIS VIDEO. CLICK HERE.
Contemplate Longshot’s lively play with that toy. And don’t forget to contemplate the saving nature of animal rescuers and, of course, the skillful mission of the veterinary personnel who helped Longshot be able to romp and have a good time with a toy. All that is worth the contemplation of the people who donated to help. There are, as we noted, many angels helping save this dog and others and cats and many other animals in need. The world has good people doing good things. Don’t forget that. Watch Longshot’s video again for confirmation.
—- Offer gratitude for heroes clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “THANKS TO THE RESCUERS” in the subject line. Maybe donate to your favorite animal organization. —-

QUICK RESPONSES NEEDED FOR DOGS IN LONGVIEW, DOGS IN THE METROSPRAWL

EXTRA EDITION OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2022 [PetPowellPress]

[HERE'S A NOON HOUR UPDATE: Kim Brooks of the Longview Animal Care & Adoption Center reports that a rescue has tagged Delores and the Pups.... Read on to see how Delores may have become a "mom." And there are other animals -- mommies and pups, too -- waiting in Longview....]

We’ve got a “Momma dog” — there’s a story behind that — and four puppies who came in a box, plus more animals, all at risk in Longview in East Texas. 
And right here in the Metrosprawl, we’ve got a case of an “emergency need” for volunteers who are ready to save lives with key work for a rescue. 
DELORES AND THE BABIES
AND THEIR QUICK NEEDS! 

We’re starting with the Delores and her 4-week-old puppies.
The “emergency alert” note on this little family came to us via our pal, the legendary foster mom Patty Sprong. It came originally from Kimberly Brooks, the veteran Foster/ Rescue Coordinator for the Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center in Longview, about a 2 1/2 hour drive east (at legal speeds) on I-20.
The shelter hopes to get these dogs helped by 3 p.m. today when they come off “hold.” And the description provided by Kimberly read “Delores is the sweetest girl and is a great GREAT mama! She is 2.5 years old and weighs 48 pounds. She is so good and patient with the babies. … Due to eye discharge and no way to keep this family isolated from the other dogs, they need out of the shelter … as soon as they are off hold at 3 p.m.”
This morning we checked with Kimberly —- I’m always hopeful that someone has rescued animals before I can write about them. But Kimberly’s note read, “No tag yet, but I am hopeful! This is the sweetest little family!  Delores is so sweet and is a great mama to the babies!  The puppies were found in a box in someone's front yard.  They said that Delores walked up and started pawing at the box and then was licking on the babies.  The babies don't look anything like her, but she says they are hers, so we believe her. 
This has been puppy week for sure!  Besides Delores and her 4 babies, we had a litter of 4  Akita-x puppies and a single white Terrier-x puppy all brought in Tuesday afternoon.   Thank you for networking them and I hope we will find a rescue for them quickly.”
Here’s the contact info: Call Kimberly at the shelter at 903-297-7387 or at her desk 903-291-5255. Email kbrooks@longviewtexas.gov. [LARRY ASIDE: And bless that mama dog Delores. May she find a home that loves her forever! Like her pups will do.]
IMMEDIATE NEED AT SFCA
TO HELP SAVE SOME DOGS
We’ve been writing about Tawana Couch and the Society for Companion Animals and the rescue efforts for years and years. And today the appeal is for volunteers.
Tawana sent out an appeal that reads, “Dogs are in an emergency state and will not be rescued unless we get volunteers and find a boarding place that will give us a discount TODAY.”
She asked that this note be passed “on to your family and friends — it is an emergency.” Tawana organized the needs in a list:
“
1. If you know of a boarding place that will give a rescue discount please email me we need this ASAP, Please call the place and confirm so when i call them they know dates needed tomorrow through Dec 15. Let me know their rates for boarding all sizes of dogs for rescue.” Her email is tawanacouch@me.com. 
“2. We must get volunteers for taking dogs to vet on Dec 9 and Dec 12. Pick up dogs at Boykin Kennel at 9:45 take to vet for 10:45 appt and return dogs to Boykin Kennel about 2 hr volunteer time. WE MUST BOOK THIS TODAY. Call Carol at Boykin Kennel to volunteer 214-330-1500.

“3. Need dogs picked up at a boarding place December 15 to take to Boykin Kennel. Place will be determined Let me know email me so I can set you up.
“4. Unloading and loading dogs- Saturday December 10 afternoon around 2-3 p.m.
Unload dozen dogs coming from the Rio Grande Valley at Boykin Kennel. Loading dogs December 14 and 15 afternoon around 3 p.m. Call Carol at 214-330-1500 to volunteer."
She closes with:  
“WE MUST GET VOLUNTEERS OR WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CANCEL SOME DOGS THAT MUST GET SAVED. THEIR FATE IS IN OUR HANDS PLEASE HELP.”
Again, email tawanacouch@me.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS

THE WORK IT TAKES
Saving animals isn’t always just picking up a stray off the street or your front porch and adopting it. Sometimes you help a dog or cat you’ll only see for a handful of minutes before you can place it with a rescue group near you or in a neighboring city, or, in the case of the Society for Companion Animals, somewhere on the East Coast or another geographic area where Texas animals are beloved. …
Kimberly Brooks at the Longview shelter has been working for years to help get animals out and safe. Doing that sort of stuff hands-on at a city shelter takes a certain kind of loving, fully-realized heart of gold. Bless the shelter workers and keep them beneficially enthusiastic in tough times.
Now, why are animals roaming or listed as “stray” in shelters? There’s a breakdown of the human heart-to-brain system — people stop paying attention to how they once loved their dogs and cats. Ol’ Fido can just wander off without apparent notice. And somehow Kitty, who loves to sleep on the couch, goes out at night and never comes back in the land of free-roaming coyotes, bobcats, jerks with weapons and cars. These are not animal failings. These are human failings. They really tick me off and I cleaned up the language because I’m a gentleman. I am sick of seeing stupid and don’t care/so what people putting animals at risk. And, for crying out loud, spay and neuter. I’m talking dogs and cats. Maybe. (I hope you smiled at that “maybe.”) I wish nothing ill on anyone — though I do still daydream about mass-marketing the 2022 readlarrypowell.com Two-by-Four of Enlightenment.
— Offer smart tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com —-

SPRINGTIME LITTER? A LOAD OF STRAYS; A DOG THAT MAY BE INNOCENT; AND A LOUNGING CAT WAITS...

EDITION OF THURSDAY, DEC. 1, 2022 [PetPowellPress] Before we dive into the opportunities to help animals, let’s just check on things you might celebrate this month. Online calendar Holiday Insights says this is Bingo Month and National Fruitcake Month. And that the first week of the month is National Handwashing Awareness Week — I don’t know if that a sanitation thing or a political thing, i.e. “I’m washing my hands of this entire situation!” OK, let’s see what we’ve got today.
A DOZEN PUPPIES & MOM ADD
TO SHELTER’S POPULATION
Geezalou, I hope this challenge has been defeated by the time you are reading this. The family was from Hutchins, but Hutchins now takes its animals to the Ferris Animal Shelter nearby.
 The news about this really tough situation came from 4-Legged Helpers. In summation, the Helpers’ description reads: “SUPER SWEET MOMMY AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD NOELLE AND HER 12 BABIES URGENTLY  NEED SOMEONE TO SAVE THEM.”
It was labeled an “EMERGENCY!” and having been around unexpected litters, I can tell you a dozen puppies is a brain-battering surprise.
[LARRY AUSSIE ASIDE: Normally you’d think that spring is puppy season, right? Well, this is an Australian Shepherd and, as you know, when it’s autumn in Texas, it’s spring in Australia. There. I think I’ve used by elementary school geography to sort out that puppies in spring situation. What? Yeah, I might have missed a few classes at some point. Back to saving Noelle and her puppies!]

The bio reads, “Mommy Noelle is extremely sweet and super friendly and completely fine with her babies being held by someone.  She is also dog friendly.  
“Puppies appear to be about a week old and were found in a box with mom. Daddy is a Great Pyrenees. Daddy Pyrenees was initially with them but took off and has not yet been found.  This was in Hutchins.”

To offer to help any or all of these dogs, email the 4-Legged Helpers at cat_girl_71@yahoo.com or call or text 214-949-2726.You can see all of the puppies on the Helpers’ Facebook page HERE.
CAN ANYONE DECLARE
A ‘NO MORE STRAYS DAY’?
[LARRY APOLOGY: That headline was an outburst from a guy who’s weary of the word “stray” being associated with the Metrosprawl. People -- take care of your animals!  Strays are great dogs and cats. But, geezalou, give 'em a danged good home, people!]

This Earhound is Dylan, a German Sheperd who came into the Mesquite Animal Shelter on Nov. 19 as a — of course! — “STRAY!”
His biographer Debra Chisholm writes that the 5-month-old, not-yet-neutered pup is “a too-thin 25 pounds.”
This no surprise to anyone who’s been following the Mesquite Shelter’s efforts to find homes for dogs and cats. Debra’s appeal for Dylan reads, “Our shelter has been badly overcrowded for months and the situation is not improving.  Dylan is being housed in a crate and seems stressed in the crate but when I brought him into the room in which I took his pictures, he was much more relaxed.
She also writes, “This delightful youngster is a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky, spunky boy.  He has a confident and outgoing personality, is high energy, playful (likes to play with toys and balls) and is just a very sweet puppy.  He walks well on a leash.  He is a very curious youngster and pretty much explored every square inch of the room in which I did his eval.  He is friendly and was happy to let me pet and love on him.  He would be a wonderful family pet that should be inside with his people rather than being a guard or watchdog in the backyard.”
You know the drill, Dear Readers: Interested in rescuing or adopting this guy, use his ID #51564981 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 
OK, so here’s another stray — Alfie — and you can use the same system to ask about him. He’s #51553060.
 Debra says the 3-year-old, 50-pound, not-neutered “American Staffordshire boy” came in on Nov 17 as a stray. And she says, “This is one tail-wagging, supercharged fellow who is a life-of-the-party kind of guy. … He is on-the-go, with places to go, people to see and things to do.  He is very playful and enjoys playing with toys.  He loves treats and takes them gently.  He sits, but not on command.  He has an outgoing personality and there is nothing shy or fearful about him. …  This lively boy is more than ready to leave the shelter and to get settled into his forever home.”

Yep, this beautiful guy Cooper [#51560616] is, indeed, another stray — came in on Nov. 18. He’s about a year old, not-neutered and weighs 56 pounds. Debra says, “Cooper walks beautifully on a leash and did not react to the dogs when he was being led past kennels that barked at him.  He knows the sit command, is well-mannered and calm.  Truly a gentle soul.  Cooper has a low-key and chill personality.  He likes treats and takes them gently so should be easy to teach some commands using treats as a motivation.  He is friendly, affectionate and thoroughly happy receiving loving attention. … He does currently have a URI and is being treated for that.”
STOP THE PRESSES! JAX IS NOT A STRAY!!! But, geezalou, people, where are your hearts? 
The bio from Debra gives us a look at this dog’s life. She writes that “handsome” Jax is a Lab mix who “arrived at…the shelter on Nov. 16. He was reported to have bitten someone, but, then, there was conflicting information indicating that this was not the dog who bit the accuser.  The shelter was obligated to place him in bite quarantine because of the accusation, but there is some strong doubt that Jax was the culprit.  He is about a year old, weighs 44 pounds, and is not neutered.  He has a low-key personality, is calm and gentle.  He loves treats and takes them gently.  Jax was not interested in balls or toys.  He does not seem to know any commands.  He is a friendly and sweet boy.  Jax was happy to receiving loving attention from me and he really tugged at my heart strings.  He has a moderate activity level.” 
Remember, use Jax’s ID #51529203 when you call the shelter at   972-216-6283 or email at rescues@cityofmesquite.com."

Debra added, “Many days we have more animals arriving at the shelter rather than leaving and it has made for a desperately overcrowded situation.  We need adoptions and rescues for our many wonderful dogs (and cats!) who would make terrific pets.”
Want to see some of them? Click on this LINK to MESQUITE’S ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER. One of ‘em is this nameless cat (he’s #51537622) And he’s grown up — a 3-year-old cat who, somehow, found his neutered way into the Mesquite Animal Shelter where he waits in the Cat Room. He arrived on Nov. 16 and the handsome orange fellow clearly know how to lounge. He definitely has the ability to take up a spot on your couch when you’re watching the World Cup or that other kind of futbol with the pointy ball.
CONTEMPLATIONS
WORLD CUP AND OTHER THINGS
It would be pretty cool, wouldn’t it, to see the United States win the World Cup. Of course, if that happened, immediately there would be investigations and players would have to urinate in cups until they had nothing left to test. …
The cold snap sure was a bit different from the summer in Texas, wasn’t it. I still don’t miss the Summer of '22 — have to get a lot colder, but maybe it won’t.
Is it possible that we can blame the Hawaiian volcano eruptions on either the climate change or ERCOT? Yes, I take climate change seriously — I’m not designed to wear shorts and t-shirts.
—- Offer advice or doubt by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put ALWAYS WEAR CONCEALING ATTIRE, PLEASE! in the subject line. —-

A CAT TALE; AN AVAILABLE DOG, CONTEMPLATIONS INCLUDING A SOCCER CONFESSION

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30, 2022 [PetPowellPress] Don’t event try to think about what you failed to accomplish in November. Like finishing your shopping before Santa Claus arrived in the finale of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Oh, and helping all shelters and rescue groups find home for the animals on their lists of adorable adoptables.
 So, take a deep breath. Contemplate your December plans, i.e., exercise, eat healthy, promote animal adoption and spay/neuter and buy cheap gasoline. Together, all of that will boost your spirits. That’s my funspouse Martha’s personally-rescued dog Wendy (Wednesday Louise Wagstaff Arden) modeling for a poster that’ll have the message “Lend an ear: Save ‘em all.” Just needs an agent. The right ear is usually down.
AND HERE’S A CAT TALE
THAT’S ALL TOO COMMON
Yeah, this is a common situation for cats all over the metrosprawl. In this case, on Tuesday I spotted this day- old note on a neighborhood bulletin board. It was written by a woman named Susan who lives in Eastern Fort Worth.
Susan (clearly a neighborhood animal hero) wrote, “This cat has been coming around and eating the food I put out for a couple of ferals. He let me pet him today, and even wanted to come in the house. This tells me he was somebody's pet. If no one claims him, I'm going to grab him and get him to the vet and find him a home.”
 Follow up notes revealed that is exactly what is happening. And, you have to wonder if this cat is one of those “beloved family pets” who is put out at night and has always show back up in the morning — until now. Lucky a coyote or a hawk didn't take him in.
NOW, WE TAKE A MUSICAL LOOK
AT A DOG NAMED BARBAS
This bio of a quite-handsome dog came to us via a trusted tipster who monitors a certain Northeast Texas shelter.
Barbas is waiting for a home while in the care of the Daingerfield Animal Shelter. [LARRY ASIDE: We’ve mentioned it before because reader Tami Kukla has adopted it as a personal project for getting dogs and cats adopted or rescued from the crowded small town shelter.]
When you looked at that photo of Barbas, did you think “That dog loves music!”?
Well, here’s the musical bio: 
“Barbas says he just hasn't met you yet but is ready to. This distinguished young gentleman is just a treat to be around. He is a fan of a range of music from Garth Brooks to Michael Buble to the Beach Boys. Are you a connoisseur of snack food? Well, he would like to join you in enjoying a treat. He would love to learn to play Frisbee and to paddle-board. Easy on a leash. And if your adventures include daily runs he is game.”
 The final bio graph about Barbas reads, “Active. Goofy. Sweet. And stunning. And in case you needed more reasons to adopt him, all of that is a little something to think about.”

Contact the shelter at 903-645-2120 or email animalshelter@cityofdaingerfield.com. You can also go to this Facebook site and direct-message a note about Barbas.
CONTEMPLATIONS
OLD BONES, SOCCER AND THE KING...
I saw a story earlier in the week that declared, “The dinosaur bone market is booming” and, as a genuine Baby Boomer, I began to feel paranoia creeping through my aged skeletal system. Yeah, I might ahve been called a dinosaur a time or two...
LARRY FYI CONFESSION: Congratulates to the USA team at the World Cup. Beat Iran 1-0. I coached the first complete soccer game I ever saw. OK, I assistant-coached that match. A special hello to you aging Grand Prairie Youth Soccer Mavericks who suited up back in the mid-70s when you were in pre-school, first and second grade. Dr. Cary Askins, the head coach, had played the game. He also knew enough about kid soccer to know that he needed a dad or mom or two (sometimes more) to be in charge of “crowd control,” i.e., keep the players’ attention on the game at practice and at the matches. We played on a field in Grand Prairie beneath the flight path of choppers from the then-busy Navy Dallas Airfield near Mountain Creek Lake. If a helicopter was overhead, the ball would roll (seen only by coaches, parents and refs) off the field into the street. Just about every player would be looking up! My little boys, Bret and Bart, played for the Mavericks. Fans of the Maverick TV show will smile at that coincidence. We won the league that first year. If memory serves. It is, looking back, exactly what it’s called: “The Beautiful Game.” …
In honor of autumn, here’s the great voice and musical presence of a wonderful performer, Nat King Cole.
—- Offer autumn advice by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put GRAB THE RAKE, LAZY in the subject line. —-

SAVE 'EM ALL, BUT BE CAREFUL IF YOU 'GIFT' 'EM; WE CITE SOME AVAILABLES, PORCHE'S SMILE AND CONTEMPLATIONS

EDITION OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2022 [PetPowellPress] OK, here we are beyond Thanksgiving. Shelters and rescue groups are loaded with animals that need homes. 
And out there in the world there are people who are thinking about giving someone a dog or cat or one or more of each to a relative for Christmas.
Our message to the gift-givers: Think about it before you do it. I got this dog Porch (photographed in her one of her office spots Monday morning) for Christmas one year -- by the way,  I'll explain how after the sermon.
Here’s a good animal gift rule: NEVER SURPRISE ANYBODY WITH A PUPPY OR KITTEN AND NEVER SURPRISE A PUPPY OR KITTEN WITH JUST ANYBODY. [LARRY ASIDE: I may copyright that sentence for my book We’re Spaying and Neutering the Wrong Mammals.]

You've got to be careful with giving living beings as a gift. Why? Because for Christmas you might be giving that puppy or kitten a death sentence. How’s that for a cheery opening to today’s report? If you're giving an animal to someone, make sure they (a) want one and (b) they have a rock-solid heartfelt reputation for loving animals.
I suspect that most people who are reading this have experience in this sort of thing.
 If you’re new to rescue or gift-giving and you want confirmation there are "dump the animal" risks, just check with someone who’s worked at a shelter in January and February. They'll tell you about "new surrenders” who used to be Christmas gifts.
 OK, that’s the end of today’s sermon. And we’ll close it with this: “Amen. Spay and neuter.”
Now, moving along — and, yes, that’s Porche Noel, found rasping from too tight a collar, starving, walking with a limp she still has and fearful on our front porch at Christmas 12 years ago. She has no feeling on her right back paw and sometimes it betrays her on hardwood floors and concrete. Still, as you can see, she sleeps with a smile on her facee. She’s my constant companion and she can feel a hug and a cuddle and hear the cats’ treat box being opened. She’s a great inadvertent Christmastime gift. But she had the good fortune of showing up on the porch at Christmas at a home that adores and respects dogs and cats. We even have grown kids and "all-growed-up" grandkids. We love the kids and grandkids, but they'll tell you that our dogs and cats are treasured. (Oh, OK, so are the kids and grandkids.)
SMALL SHELTERS HOLDING
ANIMALS CAN LOVE — HONEST!
The people at 4-Legged Helpers keep promoting the shelters that have animals but don’t have a “promotional budget.” Yep, it’s all free publicity — we’re theorizing that nobody on a small-town city council wants to spend money promoting the adoption of animals nobody cares about. 
Ahhh, but there are people who care about the animals. Consider these dogs who are getting the attention of 4-Legged Helpers.
Oh, and this is the opening paragraph in the most recent posting on the 4-Legged Helpers Inc. Facebook site: 
“ THE FERRIS SHELTER IS FULL & CODE RED These wonderful dogs need a place to go! Fosters, Adopters or Rescue Support needed immediately!”
We got a note from the Helpers with these dogs on the list of small-shelter available adorables.
That’s Sophie, a Siberian Husky in the Ferris Animal Shelter. Her bio reads that the “about-a-year-old” dog “LOVES LOVES LOVES all people and all other dogs. Was found out and about with a German Shepherd that had a microchip that was never registered. Super sweet and extremely lovable.”
This Pointer mix Austin was originally at the Glenn Heights Animal Shelter and is awaiting adoption or rescue via 4-Legged Helpers. He’s young, neutered and “just as precious as can be,” his bio reads. “He loves all other dogs and does great with all of them, including small dogs. He is only about a year old at most and is playful and cutes as can be. Would make a wonderful family dog.”
Amber, in Ferris, is a “Lab/Bulldog mix” who is the “sweetest girl ever,” her bio reads. “Just a complete huggable love bunny….You honestly could not meet a nicer, sweeter girl with what are the prettiest big chocolate eyes.” 

We’ve mentioned these before — that fellow with the great ears and great tail is young Leo, a Carolina Dog. He was a stray in Hutchins. And Aiden, the Husky Lab mix (with a $150 pledge to a 501c3 rescue who takes him, was a stray in Hutchins. He’s microchipped. No contact with a human on the other end of the chip, yet.
As about any of these dogs by calling or texting 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. They’re all urgent this time of year. Or the last time of year. Or the next time of year — that’s how it goes around here.
And here’s the LINK TO THE 4-LEGGED HELPERS’ Facebook page  so you can keep up with the small shelter challenges. Maybe help dogs and cats beat the rap as being “unwanted.”
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
AGGIE’S ON THE REBOUND
& FIRST TIMERS ABOUND
Just as the small shelters on the southern side of Big D continue to acquire animals in need of homes, so does the larger Mesquite Animal Shelter on the eastern edge of Dallas.
And the Mesquite shelter has an organized group of volunteers who work hard with the dedicated shelter workers to find homes for animals who, through no fault of their own, wind up on the countdown clock. 
We got the info on these from volunteer dog bio-writer Debra Chisholm.
First up is Aggie, a “mixed breed girl with Malinois/German Shepherd in the mix that was a returned adoption to the Mesquite Animal Shelter.  Aggie originally arrived at the shelter as a stray on 7/7/22 and spent long months waiting for an adoption.  We all were thrilled that on 11/19 someone finally saw what a great dog she is and she was adopted.  You can imagine our disappointment when she was returned on 11/22.  Apparently the adopters did not check with the apartment complex staff because they were informed that Aggie was not an ‘approved breed.’  So Aggie is now back to square one and once again awaiting her person or family who will provide her the forever home she so richly deserves.|
Aggie is about 2 1/2, weighs 41 pounds, is spayed. And she’s a “trusting and friendly girl.” Debra also writes, “You can sense that she is stressed at being back at the shelter and housed in a crate like she has been through much of her shelter stay.  Our shelter has been critically overcrowded for months with no end in sight.  There are simply too many dogs and too few regular kennels to house all of them.“
Aggie is #50613182. That’s her ID to use when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Use that same system when you ask about any of these Mesquite animals.
Demi (#51564287), about 2 and weighing 40 un-spayed pounds, came in as a stray on the 19th. Debra writes, “This is one lively, high energy girl with lots of personality.  Demi is confident and has an outgoing nature with not a bit of nervousness or fear.  She is playful and enjoyed playing with toys.  She does not seem to know any commands.  She was quite interested in exploring the room and really seemed to love getting a break from her crate.  She likes treats.  Demi is amiable and was happy to receive attention from me.  She pranced and danced around the room and it was fun to watch her stretch her legs and enjoy getting some personal attention.”

 Lacie (#51509493) is this 25-pound, 10-month-old stray who arrived on the 19th. Debra says, “They don't come any cuter or sweeter than Lacie … My dog scanner app suggests she is a mixed breed with Boxer and Black Mouth Cur in the mix.”
She “has a confident, tail-wagging, fun-loving personality” and “high puppy energy!” She “is not timid, fearful or nervous.” 
The friendly, sweet-natured toy-loving dog is also “happy to receive loving attention from a human friend.  She loves treats and would no doubt be easy to train because of this.  Lacie walks quite nicely on a leash.  This frisky, spunky girl needs out of our overcrowded shelter and we would be so grateful for any assistance. ”
Readlarrypowell.com frequently give you, Dear Readers, this LINK to the animals in the Mesquite shelter. (CLICK HERE.)
Usually we focus on a cat, such as this guy Mike (#51109635). He’s 2 years and 2 months old among a load of kittens in the shelter. Big silver/white Domestic shorthair mix who came in on September 13 — he’s waiting in the shelter’s Conference Room. Handsome fellow. 
As you consider clicking on that link to look at cats, you can also look at more dogs. You can see the siblings JoJo (5153760), Abbie (#51537601) and Jet (51537580). The came in with their mom, Momma Mia on November 15 and Debra sent out the note about them with the label “:CUTE PUPPY ALERT.” You have THE LINK HERE. 
CONTEMPLATIONS

NO PARTICULAR DIRECTION
Remember how we lamented the rainless days in the summer? My front yard, right now, looks like I hired a professional to revive it. But the swamp tree, a bald cypress planted by the previous owner, thrived with my watering in the summer but now looks as if its about to lose every leaf I struggled to save. Oh, wait, maybe that’s where “bald” comes from. I shouldn’t be allowed to have trees. …
Our washing machine, said to be a reliable brand, stopped working in the spin cycle on Thanksgiving Day. Do you pay to repair and risk failure or do you buy a new washing machine and risk bankruptcy. At least I’m not spending any money on a vacation trip to some place I can’t afford. …
I got my covid booster the Friday before Thanksgiving and spent two days nearly inert. But only two days and I guess that’s the good side of that experience. I’d have watched movies or read if my attention span could have been revived. And, yes, my left arm was sore — and Martha said it matched my personality. She’s the only person who ever diagnoses me as having “Chronic Sorehead Syndrome.”
—- Offer boost-your-spirits advice or get-rich-quick schemes by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put THE CAT LIKES YOU, MAYBE in the subject line. —-

 

LEAVES, HELPING ANIMALS, CONTEMPLATING THE SWIFT NOVEMBER 2022

EDITION OF MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 [PetPowellPress] You see this photo, of course. Yes, that is my dog Porche Noel disguised as a pile of autumn leaves. I'm kidding. Porche doesn't do leaves. She is the reason FOR the pile of leaves, my first raked-into-a-pile of autumn.
 You may recall the recent rainstorms. They blew a boatload of leaves (poetic, ain't it!) up against the bottom step on our 3-step exit into the backyard. And Porche Noel, no matter how desperate she was to "go," would get her front legs down to the bottom step while her back legs froze on the top step and she was too scared to step onto the damp leaves. In dry weather, she'd jump into them like a kid with a patient father holding a rake in his hands.
So, I raked the leaves and she's back to her normal step routine. That is her giving me the "Porche Noel Stinkeye" look for petting her Sunday morning, but not "treating" her. I made up for it later. Extra treats.
Now, firmly autumnized, we move on to Northeast Texas, Western Oklahoma and the Metrosprawl. These aren’t the only animals in need, but they’re on the local radar as the Thanksgiving weekend draws to a calorie-filled close and preps for a lay-of-the-sweets existence.
RESCUE ONLY KIRO
HAS A DEC.. 1 DEADLINE
The tip that came to readlarrypowell.com from Daingerfield, in Northeast Texas, pointed out right away that this guy Kiro is on a clock in a shelter that’s full for the season.

Kiro’s bio describes him as a year-old Boxer/Pittie mix “with the most adorable ears.” And it says he’s spent his life living “on the streets” until he was placed in the Daingerfield Animal Shelter in August.
 Since then the dog has had “safety and stability,” the bio reads, but he hasn’t run into anyone who’d want to adopt “an energetic boy.” Based on his early life, he’s suffering from trying “to adjust from running the streets and surviving to being in a kennel next to dogs.” 
The theory is a rescue familiar with the needs of ex-street dogs might be able to help Kiro adjust to being an “only dog” or “separate from other dogs” until he’s acclimated to the concept of living friendly with others.
To offer to help Kiro become that rescued and adored companion, contact the Daingerfield Animal Shelter at 903-645-2120 or email animalshelter@cityof daingerfield.com. 

And, just in case you know a rescue or a heart/home with room for some puppies, we got a note from the advocate/rescuer Tami Kukla about the puppies Sage, Saffron, Maverick and Rooster. 
The description reads, “Sage and Saffron are Lab mixes that came in October 17th and were aged at 8 weeks so they are 13 weeks now.  Super fun-loving little pumpkins. Both girls.” [LARRY ASIDE: Sage and Saffron may weigh around 13 pounds each — but, as many of us know, it is customary to add some weight during the Thanksgiving holiday feasting season…yeah I felt a little hypocritical writing that!]
That brings us to Maverick and Rooster who, their bio says, “are about 5.5 months old. About 24 pounds. Both boys. Came into the shelter Sept 6 at 10 weeks. Hound mixes.”
Again,  to ask about these pups, contact the shelter at 903-645-2120 or email animalshelter@cityofdaingerfield.com. Or contact Tami, who has adopted the shelter as a personal project, at 214-641-8247.
If you need something kind of cute to boost your return to your “normal existence,” Tami included links to videos of these the puppies. Click HERE FOR SAGE/SAFRON and click HERE for ROOSTER/MAVERICK.
MEANWHILE, THE DOG
WAITING IN BURNS FLAT
We got a note Sunday from our longtime contact Terry Lynn Fisher way out in the westernmost Oklahoma town of Burns Flat. [LARRY ASIDE: This situation demonstrates how “timing is the key to everything.” And that photo is the dog with the bad timing.]
Terry Lynn wrote, “I received a phone call this morning from a girl who lives in the next town. While taking the trash out she saw this little dog dragging its hind end and going to the dumpster searching for food. She said it’s a little bit larger than a Dachshund.
 It has no use of its back legs and is very very skinny. We do not have an emergency vet right now so I have to wait till in the morning and I will be taking it down to my vet.

“At this time, I have no clue what’s going on. But I know we need help and a place for this dog to go.
“I will be out of commission for a couple of weeks after tomorrow so I really cannot take this went on and bring home so if anyone can accept this baby and rescue or foster let me know and we’ll figure out a way to get it there. If you can help with vetting on this poor baby please let me know.”
 The good timing is that this dog managed to get the attention of “The Angel of Burns Flat.” The bad timing is that it happened on a holiday weekend and there are other time constraints. But people work around these challenges all the time.
To ask about helping this dog, email Terry Lynn at remembering-oddball@yahoo.com. To help with the dog’s vet expenses, contact Southwest Veterinary Clinic in nearby Hobart, Okla., at 580-726-3385 and ask ‘em about Terry Lynn’s latest dog, the one with the back-leg problem. [LARRY ASIDE: Yes, they know she’s the Angel of Burns Flat and helps animals all over the region.]
THIS GUY JACKI NEEDS
OUT OF A TIGHT SPOT!
We got the tip on this handsome dog Jacki from our pal, the animal advocate/rescuer Kimberly Jones. 
We picked these photos to show him off indoors and outdoors and in winter and summer. That is a good dog, right?
 Yes.
Here’s the background on 3-year-old Jacki from the folks trying to help him. It reads that he is “mainly black and has some white spots on the chest area. He is very friendly, smart and obedient. He knows and understands many words. Basic: Come, sit, lay down, stay, no, and more. He stays inside the house with us but he also enjoys outside. Jacki is house-trained, potty-trained and crate-trained. He loves to go for a walk. He is not very well-trained with the leash yet but he does fine for walking short distance from home. He is good with other dogs and has never bitten anyone. We can give you crate, bed, food, and treats that he currently has. His shots are up to date. He also has heart worm prevention medicine right now. He is microchipped and I can provide you all the information."

Here’s the WHY this dog is available: The “owner’s niece is moving in with the family and allergic to animals. RESCUE OR ADOPTER DESPERATELY NEEDED ASAP. Email Jacki’s current human at luluaungmail@yahoo.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE DAY AND OTHER STUFF
I was stunned that the November calendar has been so swiftly advancing us through the year. So, I looked up November 28 on the Holiday Insights online calendar to see what else the 28th might be besides a Monday. For people who still have shopping energy after the elongated Black Friday pressure, this is Cyber Monday — shopping online, though, of course, Black Friday has evolved to embrace on-line shopping, too. This also is French Toast Day. [LARRY CONFESSION: After all the hot rolls, potatoes and sweets I ate on Thursday, there’s no room for toasted bread on my calorie countin’ calendar. Oh, and FYI: Melba Toast Day is March 23, Holiday Insights says. And that's my personal cat Stevie Ray sleeping off some holiday grub and reminding you: "Dress up your furniture, adopt a cat. Cats are available all over the State of Texas, the State of Oklahoma and anywhere else there's a lack of understanding how spay/neuter works.] Back to the calendar:]
A bizarre Holiday Insights note says this also is “Make Your Own Head Day” and lays the blame for that at the feet of an unknown theatrical designer who made fake heads. [LARRY ASIDE: Can’t you see an actor walking on stage, holding up a fake head and asking, “Allright, in that last scene who lost your head?”]
Finally, November 28 is also Red Planet Day, Holiday Insights reports, “Red Planet Day commemorates the launch of the Spacecraft Mariner 4 on November 28, 1964. Mariner 4 was the first spacecraft to visit Mars. The 228-day mission of Mariner 4 brought the spacecraft within 6,118 miles of Mars on July 14, 1965.” [LARRY ASIDE: Not all of us buy into describing Mariner 4 as the “first spacecraft to visit Mars.” You may have known neighbors, classmates or relatives who should be called to testify before the Senate Committee on Space Travel. If elected to the U.S. Senate, I have a list of beings I’ll call to the testify.] And, in case you wondered, Elon Musk, who has exhibited quite an interest in space travel, was born June 28, 1971.  On Earth. No Mars trip on his record — yet. That we know of…
— Offer tips on space travel or dieting by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put YOU’LL WEIGH LESS ON MARS in the subject line, That oughta inspire commercial space travel. —

OUR DOG DUDLEY'S ABILITY TO SLEEP; A TRIBUTE TO PIES -- AT THE STATE FAIR AND AT HOME -- THANKFULNESS

Before we move along to the adorable topic of this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, one more note about Thanksgiving — an annual holiday that ought to be a daily practice.
 We've got a Contemplation you may want a slice of — just FYI, I had pumpkin pie and apple pie desserts at Thanksgiving. Anybody know a priest who focuses on caloric forgiveness? Now, we return to the topic of this particular day.
Our featured critter for this weekend’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap is our own big ol’ dawg, the Border Collie/Lab mix, Dudley.
That mood shot (left) is what happens when you tell a very savvy dog, “Hey, Dudley, give me an impression of a male human who’s just finished off a big Thanksgiving dinner and can’t fight off a nap.”

And there he is. Dudley told me, “I figure this is about as far as an overfed human male can get after taking on a load of traditional dishes, hot rolls and homemade desserts. On just two legs he probably can’t stand up at the table without falling over and going into a full-on napflop." 
Dudley is so aware of human nature.
Dudley the Angel, a wander-up/probably dumped dog who arrived at our house in Oak Cliff almost a decade ago, quickly was named in honor of the character portrayed by Cary Grant in The Bishop’s Wife (1947) and Denzel Washington in The Preacher’s Wife (1996). He is such a good dog, this sweet boy Dudley the Angel. And, yes, taking a nap after a meal is not beyond his imagination. 
Martha took the better photos of Dudley. I took the “artistic pictures.” 
FYI: Dudley is proof that a dog nobody wanted can become a member of the family and a guiding influence on manners, attitudes and appreciations of the slightest hint of civilization in the kitchen. I hug him all the time. He puts up with it.
[LARRY EXPLANATORY ASIDE: Yes, that IS our slim dog Wendy, white with tan spots and a wagging tail. I snapped this photo on morning last week. I was walking past Martha's bathroom door and Wendy had been snoozing on a rug and, yes, that is Dudley sitting there. He is sleeping while sitting. Sometimes he does that. Just sits down and, if nobody offers him a treat or a petting session, he nods off while sitting. Yes, I absolutely envy him. He can sleep prone or sitting --it occurs to me he might have been dumped a decade ago by a cranky and envious insomniac. I'm kidding. We insomniacs are generally too kind to dump an animal over a little shut-eye. That would keep us up nights.]
CONTEMPLATION
REGARDING PIES

Yes, as the crowning achievement of my vegetarian Thanksgiving I finished off the meal with a slice of pumpkin pie and a slice of apple pie. Then I fell asleep on the floor next to my chair. I’m kidding Dudley. He knows better. OK, I’ll confess: I might have had two slices of each — I lost track…Martha had a bit of each pie too. And, as we took delicate bites of the treats we found ourselves contemplating our previous quite exciting encounter with the food group "Pie."
 It was, gloriously, in mid-October when we helped judge the great State Fair of Texas’ Creative Arts Pie-Baking Contest. I am convinced that it is unlikely that I will ever again taste pies the quality of those baked by the great cooks at the State Fair. Yes, I am thankful for the State Fair pies. I’m generally thankful for any pie. (That photo shows some of the SCORES of pies in the competition at the 2022 Fair!)
But, heaven-on-a-fork, those State Fair pies were a privilege and I’m betting some — if not all — of the contestants served their State Fair competition pies to family gatherings on Thanksgiving Day. Our dog Dudley likes pie. OK, we haven’t really been able to determine what he doesn’t like — except for lettuce.
[DEAR READERS: Let us celebrate your sleeping dogs, napping cats and other snoozing individuals, i.e., the brother-in-law who came for Thanksgiving and is planning to stay until after the Super Bowl. Send photos and bios of your critters to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll post ‘em in our long-running feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. [That's an "AWAKE!" photo I took of Dudley -- he puts up with my typing.] Remember, by helping us feature your critter, you’ll be reminding people to make room in their homes and their lives for a lovable friend who becomes a definite member of the family. And you’ll be encouraging insomniacs to believe, they, too can sleep -- if they can take in the right number of calories to activate the doze-off gene and if they can assemble the proper amount of padding around their chairs when they do the napflop.  That can happen during some relative’s long pre-meal speech about politics while the first-course soup gets cold and your family is not the kind who'd have somone say, “Hey, Granny, can you whip us up some of that chilly Vichyssoise.” Oui, Slim.]
— Offer diet tips ’n’ recipes by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and make the subject line read “DROP THE FORK, SLIM, AND NOBODY GETS HURT.” —

AS WE MOVE TOWARD THANKSGIVING DAY IN THE ANIMAL WORLD...'GIT UH PLATE!'

PM EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23, 2022 [PetPowellPress] Here we go with some dog and cat tales that may lead people to a critter mission, i.e., something to do after they’ve recovered from over-indulging on Thanksgiving. Not that any of us would over-indulge. Right, Porche? Sorry, she's napping. That’s the formerly starving stray Porche Noel demonstrating that she can enjoy an after-meal nap. Or a before-meal nap. Her slumberstyle works for any situation. Read on and help some animals and if your house is already at the limit, preach the gospel of animal rescue and adoption to friends with big hearts and room for one more. Two more, maybe. That’s Martha’s rescue Wendy — constantly fed, always thin for some reason. Healthy and sweet — I think she’s a Boxer/Bird Dog mix. Traces her family tree back to the Mayflower. We’re not real sure about that but she will answer to the name “Myles Standish” if there’s food involved. If food's involved, she'll answer to anything.
MEANWHILE IN CARROLLTON,
A NUMBER OF DOGS WAITING
I checked with Vanessa Johnson, the Senior Animal Care Specialist at the Carrollton Animal Shelter, about several dogs who’d shown up in emails in our inbox. The answer was pretty simple: “They have not been tagged, adopted or rescued.”
And just in case you have room in your home, your rescue group, your heart or you’re building a new room onto your house, the contact point is vanessa.johnson@cityofcarrollton.com. Also, you can call 972-466-3420. Keep in mind the shelter will be closed Thanksgiving Day and on Friday.
See those three babies in that top photo? Here’s the story from Vanessa’s note: “We have these 3 little ones. They are too young to be in the shelter. We are looking for a rescue group to pull them and help them grow big, strong and healthy in foster. They’re available to be pulled now.”
In the meantime, there are older, bigger dogs in a big fix in Carrollton. The bottom line was in the last sentence in the appeal from the shelter: “If these animals are not rescued or adopted by 5 pm on Friday, December 2, 2022, they may need to be considered for euthanasia.”

So, there you go. Saving these animals is up to the hearts of animal-loving human beings. The shelter has made it’s appeal to support groups and others. The note also read that Carrollton’s shelter is “using this approach to reach out to our supporting rescue groups for assistance with saving some of our more difficult-to-place or special needs animals. The Adoption Center has had great success in placing the adoptable animals, but some, because of size, disposition, or special conditions, have not been placed and are in immediate need of rescue support. Although we have avoided the use of the word “urgent,” the fact is, that your support is desperately needed to save these animals.”
And added complication? Here’s the answer: “As an open-intake facility, Carrollton Animal Services sees new animals arriving daily and we are often pressed for space.”
That girl with the happy face and the wagging tail is Spice, a 6-year-old, 35-pound Black Mouth Cur mix. Spayed. Healthy. Got her vaccines. Her bio reads, “She came into the shelter as an owner surrender back in August because she was too active for her aging owner. Spice is house-trained, walks well on leash, knows a few commands and does well with children. She can get overstimulated with playtime, so she should be monitored with smaller children. Spice has never met a stranger but can be selective with other dogs, so it is recommended that she meet any potential fur siblings before adoption.” And click HERE to see a video of Spice happily playing at the shelter. She’s beautiful and her tail is dynamic! 
This is the Pointer/Pittie mix Raspberry, clearly an Earhound. She’s a spayed 6-month-old who weighs 33 healthy pounds. Her bio reads, “
She loves to play with toys and will carry one while she walks. She is a very social butterfly. Raspberry is a smart girl who learns quickly. She is house trained, walks well on leash and appears to do well with other dogs. She has been seen by families with children and has done very well. Raspberry is an active pup looking to please her handler. She was adopted for a week, but returned because she was too much for them to handle. She came into the shelter as a stray in September.” Click HERE TO SEE RASPBERRY AT PLAY.
This boy is Santana, said to be a “Pit Bull mix.” [LARRY ASIDE: I have some experience with dogs and I’m just about certain that Santana’s a Pit Bull mixed with Angel — look at that face! Back to the official bio.] Santana is 4, weighs 65 healthy pounds and his bio reads, “While in his kennel he acts like he is a hyper nut; he is really a calm boy who just wants to cuddle. He was adopted for a few days but returned because the adopters weren’t ready for a dog. He is pretty good with his house-training and walks pretty well on leash. He loves everyone who stops by his kennel and appears to do well with other dogs. He came into the shelter as a stray back in September.” His video is HERE .  [LARRY ASIDE. The video is described as a “cuddling” video. See, like I said, “an angel mix.”]
This girl is S’mores, a 3-year-old spayed Pit Bull mix who weighs 54 pounds and is healthy and vaccinated. S’mores bio reads that she “came into the shelter as a stray back in September. She walks well on leash, and is working on house-training. She is a well-mannered girl who loves belly rubs. She is alert to what is going on in the shelter and is always on the lookout for the next person to love on her.” 
S’mores’ video is HERE and while you’ll see her affectionate side, you’ll also see her beautiful coat in a well-lit circumstance. [LARRY ASIDE: Once again, I am staggered by the fact that people let such a beautiful sweet dog “go stray” — I don’t know, but maybe it’s a good thing the original humans didn’t claim her. Might not have been good for the dog.]

We’re going to close Carrollton’s “adopt-or-rescue by December 2 list with this dog Layla. She’s beautiful and can make a heart sign with her forelegs. That’s worth a lifetime in a human’s home. Layla is described as a "Pitt Bull/Catahoula mix” who is spayed, 8 years old and 74 pounds with all her shots and a negative heartworm status.
Layla’s story reads that she “came into the shelter back in August as an owner-surrender. Layla can be a little slow to warm up to new people, but she is doing much better than when she first came in. Layla is a senior lady who doesn’t want to share her throne  with other girl dogs, but she won’t bat an eye with a male dog. Layla is house-trained and walks well on leash. She knows a few commands, but should be monitored around children.” This is the LINK TO LAYLA’S VIDEO and, as you watch it, you’ll think, “That is one happily romping dog!” and, maybe, “I can give her a great home.”
 Remember, these dogs are all on the December 2 “list.” If you can take one or two you can still link people you know to readlarrypowell.com and challenge ‘em to read the Carrollton report without getting just a little bit teary eyed over the fate the shelter is trying to avoid.
And, as you may realize already, Carrollton’s shelter isn’t just trying to find homes for dogs. There’s a passel of cats looking for a home, too. We picked this guy Quincy to spotlight. As you can see in the “Quincy getting into bed” photo, he has a great face. And in that mugshot you can see that he has a very distrinct pattern on his forehead. Handsome fellow. He’s 10 years, 3 months and 22 days old, the shelter says. A medium-sized, neutered male, he came into the shelter on Halloween. Nobody claimed him. Nobody. But if you’re a cat-lover with an opening in your household, he’s #51425457 at the shelter. He’s waiting in the Cat Room. See more Carrollton animals at THIS LINK.

 
MEANWHILE, IN MESQUITE
CHECK OUT THE EARHOUND
Volunteer Mesquite Animal Services dog biographer Debra Chisholm forwarded us one more pre-holiday note. It included this bio from her collegue in dog-writing, Judi Brown. I’m telling you, these two dog-writers work hard to get to know the dogs and get them into decent homes. 

Judi’s topic is this dog Brownie, referred to by the shelter manager as “really cute!” Judi writes, “I agree. He is a one-year-old, 51-pound brown and white Pittie terrier that came into the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/11 as a stray. He is not fixed. 

“He’s got a stocky, solid, athletic body that’s relatively low to the ground. He also has stand-up ears. 
“After being cooped up in his kennel when I got him out to the yard he initially was like a wild child but very shortly settled down. He actually sat looking up at me as though he was wanting to know what I expected of him. He has a lot of enthusiasm and a zest for life! The world is his playground and that’s basically what he wants to do. He wants to play! He found toys and entertained himself with them. He would fetch and retrieve balls and toys that I threw for him. If I ignored him he would push the toy up against me. He didn’t seem to tire of chasing objects. He sat for treats and took them gently. He is very friendly and wagged his tail constantly. He’s a happy guy!”
There’s more to his bio on the Mesquite shelter site. But, I’ll summarize by adding this from Judi’s report: “Brownie would do the best with an active family with a fairly large size yard. He will need a lot of exercise but will give you a lot of love in return! This cutie won’t be at the shelter long so if you’re interested please don’t wait. He's in quarantine due to limited space so you will have to ask to see him.”
Brownie’s ID is #51515042 — use it when you call the shelter at 972-21-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. [LARRY ASIDE: To me, the look on Brownie’s face in that final photo is a guy saying, “Sir, good to see you. I think it’s time we talked for a moment about your life insurance policy and how to upgrade it.”]
See more of Mesquite’s adorable adoptables by clicking on the SHELTER LINK HERE. Plenty of dogs, plenty of cats, too. And, in fact, that cat is #49288019 and she is the first cat in the decades-long history of readlarrypowell.com who has been named Celestite. She’s a month short of being 2 years old. Small girl, cream-colored and came in on Nov. 19. You can find her in Mesquite’s Cat Room. [LARRY ASIDE: I’m curious as a cat when it comes to names and words, so I went online to discover the meaning of Celestite. Here’s THAT LINK. And here’s the opening sentence: “Celestite, also known as Celestine, is a mineral that forms blue crystals. Celestite is often associated with divine power and is thought to increase understanding, higher consciousness, as well as mindfulness when used in meditation and prayer.” So, having been around cats for decades, I think Celestite might just fit the mental aim of "increasing understanding, higher concsciousness” and a more tranquil marriage. OK, I’m kidding about that last thing. But you never know!]
A THANKSGIVING CONTEMPLATION
FOR THE DAY YOU NEED TO WALK OFF SOME CALORIES
I’ll confess, my funspouse Martha has been in the kitchen for a good bit of the day preparing most-excellent dishes for the big family grubfest on Thanksgiving. While she was doing that, I was swearing on a stack of Drop the Spoon, Drop the Pounds Cookbooks that I will avoid more than one careful serving of pies, cakes, vegetarian dressing, biscuits, cornbread…well, it takes a while for me to swear off a meal the size of Thanksgiving. But I am very, very thankful for the people I’ll enjoy the day with in 2022 and the people I’ve shared it with in all previous years — relatives, strangers and other newspaper employees who couldn’t get the day off.
But, you know, you always need something uplifting to do the day after Thanksgiving — you have to counterbalance the emotions you may be feeling after that Dallas Cowboys game. 
So, I’ve spotted something. It arrived in a Thanksgiving note from the wonderful folks at Straydog Inc., the legendary East Texas “rescue, rehab, rehome …No-Kill Dog Shelter and Sanctuary.” The opening paragraph was a bit of a “thanks” to the people who support Straydog because it told what their help does . It reads, “Each Thanksgiving our residents show their thanks with tail wags, excited smiles and barks and we show it as we do every day, by caring for their health and happiness.” The note continues with “We also share a delicious meal in appreciation for our amazing team, residents and supporters!” And closes with, “We hope wherever your are, you feel as much love and joy as we do. Thank you for every donation, like and share on social media and ongoing advocacy for ou residents and mission.” I bring this up because it’s the right thing to do at Thanksgiving. And, you see those dogs in the photos? If you’re looking for something to do on Saturday to keep you from eating leftovers and to make your heart feel good about life, you can drop by the Tractor Supply in Athens from 9 a.m. to noon and maybe adopt a Thanksgiving weekend dog you can walk your neighborhood with while you’re trying to work off the consequences of one-slice-too-many of pumpkin pie, pecan pie or some kind of expertly-made cake that came out of your own kitchen! Here’s something I’ve learned in my decades as a dieter: You cannot “sleep off” excess poundage! Not a lot of exercise involved in snoring.
Happy Thanksgiving and bless the dogs and cats that we’re thankful for day after day.
—— Offer diet tips by clicking on ‘comment’ or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put DROP THAT SPOON, LAUGHING BOY in the subject line. —-

FOR THANKSGIVING EVE, SOME ANIMALS AND SOME THANKS....

EDITION OF THANKSGIVING EVE, NOV. 23, 2022 [PetPowellPress] We’re clearly headed toward the GREAT American holiday. Giving thanks indeed. It’s such a personal holiday. Especially for rescuers.

One thing I’m thankful for is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Never been there, but some day I’d like to see it in person — though I’d probably be watching it on my cellphone at the same time — I’m a 21st century dude.
That’s one of my personal cats, Stevie Ray, an Oak Cliff native, who is having a post-snack talk with his pal, Yuletide Earl, a seasonal critter named in honor of our late Rottie Texas Earl The Cheeseman. We think he identifies as a reindeer, though he may be a dog. Yuletide Earl. who lives year-round in my office, will soon be getting into character for his role in our front yard production of the hit Thanksgiving musical, “Even Vegetarians Say ‘Thanks'." You remember the hit song: “Don’t Bite Anything That’ll Bite You Right Back.” I might have made up that stuff about the musical. [LARRY ASIDE: Someone call an agent — I’m ready for Broadway.]

Another Thanksgiving highlight is the gathering of loved ones — sometimes fewer than the previous year, but nearly always with joy and jokes, hugs and memories. The people giving thanks don’t have to be relatives; they can be colleagues, neighbors, people you barely know — all united by thankfulness.
 And, yes there’s amazing food that you can’t buy in a restaurant — a restaurant wouldn’t sell some of the stuff I’ve eaten at Thanksgiving. Just kidding my Mom in the Hereafter — there was the year her three sons played pitch with the rolls she’d accidentally overcooked. Clearly, we weren’t spanked enough. But we always found time to laugh.
What? Oh, yeah. There’s a Dallas Cowboys game — try not to let it upset your digestion, right? OK, keep reading. We have a Contemplation of Thanksgiving after we try to help some animals.
A HALF-DOZEN DOGS
WAIT IN FANNIN COUNTY
We’ve been semi-monitoring this situation since October. And we hope that, by the time you read this, it has been happily resolved. But, just in case it hasn’t, perhaps you can help or you know someone who can help. 
See that dog Hank? If you can’t read his caption, click on his photo and it’ll grow big enough to read (I’m led to believe by the CompuWizards.). And it tells a story and ends with this question: “Can you love me?” 
A woman named “Ceason” is the human who basically saved the six dogs when they were dumped at her home over a period of five years. Now, she’s trying to help them overcome this latest predicament. And it’s a difficult challenge.

Our tipsters tell us that the six dogs became in need of a home when the woman’s landlord “sold the property and she has had to move in with relatives who will not let her take the dogs.” The dogs are in Fannin County, a not-too-long-drive north of Dallas County. 
Hank is one of six dogs who basically were “dumped” on the property. It’s been a struggle to keep them out of a pound, we’re told. To ask about helping any of them, call or text Ceason at 701-500-7978.
 One of our tipsters says “the girls are all fixed, as is Doug, the Mastiff mix.” Freddy, the Pittie mix, isn’t fixed. Nor is Hank. Their rescuer “didn’t have the money to fix them all, but wanted to make sure there were no puppies.”
Who are the dogs? 
Smoke is that black dog photographed in a “leaning” pose — His caption reads that he’s about 4, likes to stay by himself “but when I’m ready, the kisses are on! … I have a hair loss that has been caused by stress (I’m a loner). Can you take me in and love me and help with my nerves?”

Doug’s caption reads, “I used to be an aggressive doggo, but love and patience and being neutered have changed me completely. I just want to love and be loved.”
Freddy doesn’t have a caption, but that dog’s look and his face demonstrate how happy and loving he is.
The solid black dog is Darla. Her caption read, I am approx 2 yrs old and I am spayed. … I love to run and play, especially in a water puddle. Good with kids. Please help me find a furever home.”

That girl with the white-tipped tail is Spark. Her bio caption reads, “I am approx 4 yrs old and I am spayed. I am kind of shy and nervous but i want to sit in your lap or run circles around the yard. I would love to be your new family member.”

And, there you have it — it’s not just the big city shelters that find themselves with more big ol’ dogs than they know what to do with — but they darned sure want to save their lives. 

LARRY THANKSGIVING TIMEOUT
TO MENTION SOME WORKERS…
Take a moment to think about all the people who work on Thanksgiving to give you a good ol’ American holiday under trying circumstances. First responders. TV and radio broadcast teams. Newspaper reporters and sportswriters. Referees, concessions workers, hospital employees…am I leaving anyone out? Truck drivers, railway workers, airline workers….
And we must note, of course, the members of the U.S. Congress and, of course, the Texas Legislature. Wait. I must have read my notes wrong. Those politicians are, I’m almost certain, doing what office-holders who retire say they want to do: “Spend more time with my family.” Oh, I’m just kidding the politicians — every now and then they need a moment of levity. And remember: the phrase “moment of levity” is not exactly synonymous with “something to laugh at.” Now, back to the dogs and cats and their advocates.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
MORE DOGS, CATS & PEOPLE
It occurs to me that they’re all working together — the dogs and cats work with the people to make sure everybody puts the best face on the story of finding good homes for animals who are so close to having a major Thanksgiving in their lives. It’s a team effort.
For example, if you click on THIS LINK you’ll quickly be looking at dogs and cats who are waiting for adoption or rescue in the Mesquite Shelter. Each has a bio. A team -- volunteers and employees -- has worked hard to give visitors a profile of the adorable adoptables. We’re going to feature a few of them today and, also, wish a very wonderful Thanksgiving for not just these animals but for all the big hearts who have helped the critters into the “Spotlight of Affection.”
Our pal Judi Brown, volunteer dog-writer at the Mesquite Animal Shelter, did this bio of Monty and he immediately caught our attention because of this sentence: "He’s painfully thin.” Judi also added, “He’s handsome now, but can’t you imagine how regal he’ll look when his body fills out? He is a one-year-old, 48-pound German Shepherd mix that came to the Mesquite Shelter on 11/12 as a stray. He is fixed. I was met in his kennel with tail wags and kisses! When we got into the kennel yard I found it difficult to take pictures of him because he stayed so close. I was literally going around in circles trying to step back from him. Part of the reason he was staying close was for affection but another part was because he’s hungry and he knew I had some treats. … Monty is sweet, friendly, loving, attentive, and alert. He has the potential of being a devoted companion.”

Monty is #51519207 — use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@mesquite.com.

At the other end of the German Shepherd Spectrum, Judi found this fellow, Jake [#51512050]. Here’s what she wrote: “Jake is an old guy, but don’t tell him that because he’s got more love to give and more life to live! He is a 10-year-old German Shepherd mix that weighs 78 pounds and arrived … on 11/11 as a stray. He is not fixed. Judging from the condition of his coat and the concrete calluses on his elbows I’m assuming he’s been mostly an outside dog that hasn’t been well taken care of.  A nutritious diet would certainly give him a healthier coat! ... He has such a strong sense of smell that he kept his nose to the ground during most of the photo shoot. He was more interested in smelling and checking out the yard than spending time with me. I get the feeling he hasn’t had much socialization. However that does not mean he’s not very loving and accepting of affection. When I called him he came to me immediately. He nuzzled his head in my lap and seemed to enjoy having his ears scratched. … Please consider getting this senior dog out of the shelter and into your loving home.”

Our pal Debra Chisholm found a pair of siblings to write about — “two of the sweetest pups you will ever meet.” 
That boy Cookie and his sister Oreo were surrendered to the shelter on Nov. 17 because “the owner had too many animals.” 
Cookie, about 5 months old, weighs 31 pounds and “seems mystified as to why and how he has ended up where he’s at. He is timid, shy and unsure of himself. He is kenneled with his sister and another dog and they all do fine together. … He has tremendous potential to be a loving pet to a person or family willing to stay committed to him, giving lots of playtime, exercise and training and, of course, without saying, life indoors with his people. 
Cookie is #51551994. 

Oreo is #51551997. And the “dog scanner app,” Debra writes, “suggested the following mixes in her breed: Perro de Pastor Mallorquin, Lab Retriever and Beuceron.” Like Cookie, Oreo is 5 months old — shes a few pounds lighter at 29. And she’s also |experiencing “bewilderment.” It is, Debra writes, “as to what this place is, where they have landed and what is going to happen to them.” Oreo was frightened when she walked past kennels where the dogs were barking at her. Like her bother, she is “timid, shy and nervous.” Loves treats. Probably trainable. And, Debra writes, “Oreo has an easy-going, mellow personality and is a gentle soul….[She] is friendly and seemed to want to draw some comfort from a trusted human companion.” 

Debra also wrote, “No dogs belong in a city shelter, especially not puppies this young, so please consider whether you can help Oreo out of the shelter and on the way to her forever home.” 
Goes for Cookie, too.
So use their ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
Two more of many at Mesquite? That Pittie boy is Cane (#50727946). Debra writes that he was picked up as a stray on Nov. 15 — weighs in at 60 pounds and is about 3 years old. Not neutered. Description? “This is one lively and energetic fellow who has a confident and outgoing personality. …Cane does not appear to know any commands. He wasn’t interested in toys or balls. He is an on-the-go kind of fellow.”
Debra added, “Our shelter is critically overfull. Many days there are more dog intakes than adoptions and rescues. We are pleading for help.”
And, of course, here is an Earhound. Debra says his # is 51550935 and, she writes, “This is one adorable pup that I’ve named Maxwell. He has Black Mouth Cur/Malinois in the mix.” Came in as a stray on the 17th. At about 5 months old, he weighs 26 pounds, walks OK on a leash and didn’t show any “negative reactions to the other shelter dogs who were barking at him.” And, she says, “He is a spunky and exuberant youngster with a delightful personality….a fun-loving, tail-waging puppy. … Maxwell was totally OK with receiving petting, snuggles and cuddling.”

When you click on THIS LINK you'll reach the Mesquite Animal Shelter's collection of animals and

photos and adorable adoptables.
That kitten on the left is Pluto (#51109566) — came in on Sept 13, so may have grown a bit since that picture. Cute hair. Has a sibling with the same pattern among the adoptables at Mesquite. That’s her: Belle (#51109563) who also came in on sept 13. They’re pushing 3 months old. Cats — you’ll be thankful when one loves you. Voice of experience typing.
CONTEMPLATION
A DOG’S STORY AND THANKSGIVING
When I read this note posted by rescuer/advocate Laurie Gautreaux, I thought the word “Thanksgiving” fit right into the story. And since we’re on the brink of the holiday, it touches my heart as an appropriate message from an experienced rescuer. The story, posted several days ago, is based at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control’s southern campus. Veteran rescuers will appreciate what Laurie has written.
IT BEGINS: 
Rescue is hard and everyday it seems to get harder! I literally cry daily but then I get reminded there are still good humans who care. It’s the little things that make it all worth it. Four days ago this 8-year-old dog’s life was turned upside down. The human who owned him his entire life died. He was surrendered to a full shelter and put on the Code Red list. Thankfully one of the amazing staff members in intake Deirdre Hodgkins posted him. I went to visit him and immediately fell in love. I knew his days were limited so I posted and prayed. My prayers came true today! Now named Eugene, it’s only good days for you from now on my sweet old man. Thank you Krisha Peachy Nelson and the rest of the Bull luv able Paws and Chi Wawas Rescue family!”
Happy Thanksgiving, Eugene. Bless your heart. May you be the first of many, many rescued from the “Code Red” animals in shelters all over the nation from this day on. Pet that dog and give him a treat. Hug him, too. I'm going to go hug our dogs, our cats and maybe even my Thanksgivingspouse Martha.
—- Offer ideas of hope by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

ONE PARTICULAR NOVEMBER DAY, SOME ANIMALS NEED HELP; WE LOOK BACK BRIEFLY, TOO

EDITION OF TUESDAY, NOV. 22, 2022 [PetPowellPress] On this particular day, we’re going to move right into the good side of humans and how they’ll work to save animals and help each other save animals and …. well, you know. As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s appropriate to be thankful for the “animal nuts” of our part of the world. We’ll have a Contemplation, too.
AND HERE’S A NOTE
ABOUT TULA THE CAT
You may remember this beauty Tula. We’ve been keeping up with her via our longtime tipster, the veteran animal advocate’/rescuer Kimberly Jones. 
She reports that from a clowder of cats abandoned when their humans left and the house was demolished, there is now just Tula needing a home. Her former partner in waiting, Frida, has been adopted.
Tula is “living alone now in the cold on the empty lot where her home once stood,” the update reads.
She’s adorable and adoptable and the contact is Hailey Bell at HBellPhoto@gmail.com. 
Tula is the only cat of 5 remaining unadopted after their home was flattened several months ago. [LARRY ASIDE: Ain’t people just swell sometimes! Makes you proud as all gitout, don’t it! — Larry FYI: I lapsed into my Northeast Texas Accent of Astonishment.]
A COUPLE OF DOGS
WAITING IN FERRIS
We learned of these two “new” listings from 4-Legged Helpers. Both of these dogs are in the small Ferris Animal Shelter, known for being light on human visitors. 
The Helpers report that Emma is a “Golden/Lab Mix.” Just a baby — only 11 weeks old “and she is SO sweet,” her bio reads. “She adores everyone and everything. Loves to be held. Found out and about as a stray.”

That brings us to Leo, a 9-month-old “super cute and super lovable boy” who is “a puppy still.” He is described as a “Carolina Dog.”
The bio reads, “Playful, fun, cute.  Adores everyone and everything including every person and every dog he meets, LOL.  SO CUTE!  He as found out and about as a stray in Hutchins.”
Keep up with 4-Legged Helpers’ attempts to help animals by going to the non-profit’s Facebook page HERE
. And to help these animals or to help the Helpers, call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.

AN UPDATE: TURKEY TOM

HAS PEOPLE WHO ARE HELPING…
You possibly recall seeing this fellow in Monday morning’s report about how he was found in a dumpster, starving to death, very cold and needing treatment for a puncture wound — could have been stabbed — on his backside.
We’re going over this stuff because Turkey Tom still needs help and Mazie’s Mission still needs donations and support to make sure the dog gets every good break in life, including a proper adoption into a happy home.

Mazie’s MIssion’s vet team’s exam revealed that newly-named Turkey Tom was “filthy, emaciated, dehydrated, and has a large puncture wound over his rear end. We are not sure what caused his injury as it does not appear to be a pressure sore. He has extensive tartar on his teeth due to a poor diet, despite only being about two years old. This poor boy only weighs about 30#, And he should weigh closer to 45 or 50#. Lucky for Turk, he is heartworm and fecal negative!!!
“Despite the abuse and neglect Turk suffered at the hands of humans, he is such a gentle soul and has already won over the hearts of our entire medical team.”
After he was rescued from the trash bin, the Mazie’s Mission folks reported that “sweet Turkey Tom had many firsts. He got a bath (photo on the left) to wash off the smells of the garbage he was found in, a nail trim so his overgrown nails won't hurt him to walk, and he was given his very own soft sweater and a stuffy to keep his bones warm while he gains weight.”
Keep up with him on the Mazie’s Mission Facebook page  where you also can see how to help him and the non-profit make sure he’s healthy and happy and adopted.
That photo with the “stuffy” is the first picture we posted of Turkey Tom. The others show the soft side of him, except for that photograph of what an example of starvation he was when he was pulled out of the trash bin.
[LARRY ASIDE: If anyone recognizes him and knows who dumped him after starving him, let us know — email dallrp@aol.com or, better yet, call the cruelty case authorities. And if you can’t do any of that, send Mazie’s Mission a supportive note and a donation in honor of Turkey Tom, the nearly starved dog who is making a comeback because more people care about loving him than care about dumping him.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
THINKING ABOUT 1963
Nov. 22, 1963? Feels like only yesterday,. But it was, for me, high school. 10th grade. Texas High School, Texarkana, Texas. I came out of the school cafeteria and walked to the front of the school on Pine Street — traditional noontime gathering place. But this time campus conversations were NOT loud and laugh-filled. 
I saw people gathered around the open doors of cars and listening to something on the radio. It wasn’t music — not Walk Right In by The Rooftop Singers or Martha and the Vandellas performing Heat Wave. No. Just the broadcast voices of newsmen. NewsMEN, in those days.
At one of the cars, I learned down to listen and one of my schoolpals says, “Ain’t that some bleep.” And it was. At that point we’d only been told that there’d been gunfire near the presidential motorcade in Downtown Dallas. The buzzterms “grassy knoll” and “triple underpass” hadn’t even been invented yet.

The campus bell rang and we all went to our classes. 
My first class after lunch was Mrs. Hamilton’s Latin II. But, Latin wasn’t our focus. We couldn’t focus. Mrs. Hamilton worked hard to keep our young minds on the old world instead of the outside world. Lost cause. About 15 minutes into the class, the kid whose job was to pick up attendance slips every day, came to the doorway, picked up count for our class and told us, “The President is” he hesitated, then added, “He’s gone.” 
Mrs. Hamilton gasped -- might have cried. I wondered what was going on out in the rest of the world.
And I think the rest of us in that classroom — an assortment of sophomores, juniors and seniors of the Classes of ’64, ’65 and ’66 — found ourselves suddenly living in a whole new world. JFK had come to our town campaigning in 1960. This bold young candidate had stood on the post office plaza with one foot in Texas and one in Arkansas and said he wanted to be president for both sides of town. And now, that world had changed on a Friday afternoon. This new world would prove to be way different than the world our WWII parents had imagined for us.

I’ve spent a lifetime in journalism — starting in 1965. Every year in November for all those decades whatever paper I was working for, whatever TV station I watched, whatever news radio station was broadcasting, the topic was this American tragedy that happened in Dallas. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is famous for declaring, “The only constant in life Is change.” He knew it in the 6th Century BCE, but that point wasn’t really driven home for us Baby Boomers until Nov. 22, 1963. One day you’re living in the era of Camelot, then, suddenly, you’re in the time of inexplicable tragedy and murder in broad daylight in Downtown Dallas. Still a puzzle. World gets more puzzling, too, doesn’t it.
— Offer ideas by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —

FOR MONDAY OF THANKSGIVING WEEK, SOME WAYS TO LIVE UP TO THANKFULNESS

EDITION OF MONDAY, NOV. 20, 2022 [PetPowellPress] What's the best way to start a work-week? I don't know. Wait, of course I do: This is the week of the American Thanksgiving. A reason to smile. ... I haven't checked my weekend Lotto Texas ticket. If the right numbers are there, I will, thus, be in a more authoritative position to declare the "best way to start a workweek." Until then....this mood and a cup of decaf will have to do. And, of course, I'll continue to envy my glorious dog Porche Noel's ability to sleep in a variety of positions on a variety of surfaces with a variety of goals for acquiring a reputation for happy napping no matter what's going on with the weather or international intensities....Everybody who enters the week on a diet -- I'm with you, I'm on your side, I'll eat cookies so you won't be tempted. Let's move on with today's report.
A STORY THAT INSPIRES
THE ASKING OF QUESTIONS
See that dog Porche Noel above-- she's my dog and she came from horrible circumstances that turned her bark into a rasp, makes her limp when she walks and left her starving. She became a great dog.
If I may judge the handsome dog in this photo by the path Porche dared to take (trusting humans), this guy will be a fantastic dog. One of the questions this situation inspires is "How the hell could someone do this to a dog?"
And here's why we know about the dog. 
I got the tip on him earlier in the weekend from somebody who knows and understands dogs, the great Patty Sprong, the legendary foster mom with the legendary heart.
Patty wrote, "Look at this boy that was found stabbed and stuffed in a dumpster! He’s so comfy and warm now. This makes my heart SO happy."

Maybe a Dear Reader will want to give this dog a great home. Get in touch with Mazie's Mission on Facebook HERE
or at the Mazie's Mission website at www.maziesmission.org. And, we're told, this dog, a November rescue, is being called "Turkey Tom." Seems to work, don't you think?
[LARRY ASIDE: My rescuespouse Martha and I were on hand in 2009 when Mazie's Mission opened its first clinic. Since then the mission has held firm. Here's a sentence from the website: "Mazie’s Mission was founded to bring a self-sustaining, focused approach to animal welfare with the purpose of eliminating unnecessary euthanasia." This "dumped dog" is, literally, one of the animals benefiting from the big hearts that have nurtured Mazie's Mission for all these years.]

THREE NEEDING SAFE EXIT
FROM THE EVERMAN SHELTER
We got this from our reliable Everman Animal Shelter tipster Heather Harrison. Here's the story:
"Everman TX is full.  No open kennels.
"These puppies need to get out before it's too late.
"Houie, Douie, & Louie are brothers.  5 months old.  Lab mix. Vaccinated.  Very sweet & curious.  Love human affection.
"They were part of the hoarding case.  Have grown up in a kennel.
"Anyone have open space for even 1 pup?

"IF ABLE TO HELP: Everman Shelter 817-561-5495."
Everman is on the southern side of the southeastern corner of Cowtown, just south of I-20.
[LARRY BABYBOOMER FYI: As a veteran reader of Disney comics (at a much younger age!), I know that while the dogs spell their names as demonstrated, Donald Duck's triplet nephews spell their names "Huey, Dewey, and Louie." I'm almost sure these ducklads endorse saving the lives of the namesake pups.]
MEANWHILE, FROM EAST OF DALLAS,
MESQUITE ADORABLE ADOPTABLES
We'll begin this report from Mesquite with a dog who has been "interviewed" by the volunteer dog writer Debra Chisholm. This is Ernie (#51499400), or, as Debra refers to him, "precious Ernie." 
Debra says Ernie was picked up as a stray on Nov. 9. He's a Border Collie mix who weighs in at about 50 pounds and isn't neutered. The shelter lists his age at 10. Yes, 10, though he may be 2 or 3 years younger, Debra says. Still, she reports, "This senior boy is very uneasy, scared, stressed out and nervous in the shelter environment.  It has caused him to be nippy with the workers who have been handling him.  Ernie is also uncomfortable about having a leash put on and taken off.  One of our volunteers worked with him [last week], spending some time in his kennel helping to see that he could be trusted not to hurt Ernie.  Our volunteer put the leash on and walked him out to the yard.  You can see him cuddling with Bill in the pic.  He walked OK on the leash in the yard and warmed up, letting Bill give him some loving and caring attention.  Ernie has a calm and gentle demeanor, does not jump on you, and is happy to receive loving attention from someone he trusts.  Slow introductions will need to be made with some patience and TLC.  He would no doubt be such a wonderful companion to a person or family who would provide a loving home.  A quiet structured home would seem the best fit and probably not with young children."
To ask about Ernie or any of these other Mesquite animals, use their ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO MIA (#51537498). Debra writes, "They don't come any cuter or sweeter than Mia. She's a Black Mouth Cur/mixed breed girl that was surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter with 3 pups due to owners having too many animals.  Her owners brought Mia and 11-12 pups to surrender a few weeks ago.  The shelter was critically overcrowded (and still is) and they were told they would need to make an appointment to surrender.  They surrendered Mia and 3 of her pups on 11/15 and will be bringing another 4 pups in the near future.  Mia weighs 45 pounds, is approximately 3 years old and is not spayed.  She is such a gentle soul with a mild and low-key nature.  ... Mia is friendly and is very happy to receive loving attention.  She loves treats. ... Her main interests seemed to be obtaining treats and exploring the yard.  If you met this precious girl, she would capture your heart."

Dexter (#49723269) is, Debra writes, "a very lively and high- spirited Catahoula Leopard that was surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/10.  Reason for the surrender was that Dexter jumped on a child and that he gets out of their fence.  He weighs 76 pounds, is a year old and is neutered.  The back story on Dexter was that he was adopted as a 4-month-old puppy from the Mesquite Shelter and is now being returned.  The cute little puppy has now grown up. He was mostly a backyard dog.  It seems reasonable to assume he has not had any obedience training nor has he been worked with to teach some basic manners.  ...  He jumps quite a bit on you and that will need to be addressed.  At this point he would not be a good fit for a family with young children because of the jumping.  Staff members report that he takes redirection well.  ... Dexter would seem best suited to a person or family who will stay committed and work with him on learning commands, as well as exercise and play with him daily. ...Spunky and frisky Dexter has so much potential for the person or family willing to invest the time and effort in training him.
Oh, and we have a "re-run' on a Border Collie type in Mesquite. Volunteer dog-writer Judi Brown, in describing this fellow Romeo, wrote, "Border collies are known for their intelligence and there’s no doubt that Romeo could be at the head of his class!"

He's #51438611 at Mesquite, a 3-year-old Border Collie/Aussie Shepherd mix who is, she says, "an affectionate ball of fluff who lives up to his name."
Now, there's a good reason he's getting the "re-run treatment." But anybody who has ever been around dogs knows how these things can simply happen with no malice intended. Romeo hasn't been adoptable lately because, Judi writes, "Unfortunately, he’s been in quarantine. During a meet and greet with an elderly lady Romeo wanted extra loving and jumped on the lady. The result was a very insignificant scratch but according to state law he had to be put in quarantine. As we all know this is very difficult on the dog so he needs out ASAP. He’s still the wonderful dog described [previously]. Please please tag or adopt. We are more than overcrowded and this is a very deserving beautiful dog.
Romeo came into the shelter as a stray on Halloween. Not fixed. Judi reported earlier, "He is very gentle and well mannered. He sat patiently while I tied a scarf around his neck. He sits for treats and takes them gently. He comes when you call him. He likes to have his ears scratched and gives kisses. He chases balls and entertains himself with them. He is very sweet, affectionate, friendly and well mannered. He is energetic but not overly so."
When you click on this LINK  and navigate it'll take you to the photos and bios of more Mesquite animals -- dogs and cats and kittens and puppies and you'll find #51410147, a handsome black and white fellow named Rascal. He's 2 years and 25 days old and needs a home. He came into the shelter on October 27. You can find him waiting for a responsible human in the Mesquite shelter's "Cat Room." 

CONTEMPLATIONS
FOR A MONDAY EDITION...
How 'bout them Cowboys? Yes, where were these guys when the team was playing Green Bay? Yeah, that was mean of me to type. I almost feel guilty. But I'll get over it. Been watching the Dallas Cowboys for a long time -- since rabbit ears caught the games' signals and since the inaugural season of 1960 when the team played in the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park, Eddie LeBaron was quarterback and the team finished 0-11-1 --- the lone tie was a 31-31 game on Dec. 4, 1960, in Yankee Stadium against the New York Giants. Coincidentally, they play the Giants on Thanksgiving Day in Arlington. No idea what the odds are for a 31-31 tie. ...
It's the week of Thanksgiving! A reason to move forward with a happy attitude. Save the turkeys and any other animal who has a reputation as a tasty Thanksgiving main course. All we are sayyyying, is give peas a chance....
In keeping with the theme of "don't blow the world apart," we cite the lyrics of the 1974 Al Wilson recording La La Peace Song. Click HERE
--- Seek a peaceful Thanksgiving and click on 'COMMENT' below or email dallrp@aol.com and type 'HUMANS CAN DO BETTER' in the subject line. ---

THE SCIENCE OF SLEEPING AND NAPPING IN THE WORLD OF DOGS AND CATS....

This weekend's edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap serves as a scientific observation platform.
 Don't let that scare you. There won't be a test -- except testing whether you might chuckle at the concept. Remember: Stay warm and read on.
This intellectual endeavor is not quite in the research league of NASA's current Artemis I moon shot, but it is every bit as demonstrable as using pictures of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to prove that man has landed on the moon. (Just 12 humans so far, but when it comes to sleeping/napping animals on earth, the evidence is much stronger that one giant leap for a cat is one snoozing couch for dogkind.)
Yes, that is why so many of us have furniture in our homes. So the animals have a comfortable place to sleep.

Now, here is the assertion inspired by our photographic research: Through the application and analysis of evidence in candid photographs, we have formed what may well be a historical breakthrough regarding interspecies influence and communication.
 We think we have photographic evidence that animals of one species willfully teach companion animals of another species to sleep in the most advantageously comfortable and comforting positions.
Many years ago, the inadvertent researchers at readlarrypowell.com began living with a gentlemanly older cat. His name, as official documents reveal, was The Senator. You see him above in a pose he would take as he drew to a close in his daily stretch and dance routine. Perhaps you have seen professional dancers in just such a pose -- we do not know if they had any contact with this influential feline, The Senator, rest his soul. Much of his work in The Senate is not available to the public at this time -- we are unsure if he was involved in guiding classified research into human behavior.

Years ago, early in the previous decade, we brought two rescued dogs into the house -- you've seen them before. We're proud of them. We keep up with their personal lives and their ambitions, i.e., their appetites for life.
 In the second photo of The Senator, you see him in the "leg down" position on the back of his favorite chair, one of my slumberspouse Martha's recliners. No cat has ever napped with the intense intention of The Senator. And he was a seasoned communicator, addressing dogs and cats, i.e., both sides of the aisle, as if he needed everyone's vote. He was the consummate cat. A champion of diplomacy. Washington needed him.

As you see in the first dog photo, Porche Noel discovered the joy of "Leg Down Slumber" on the back of the living room couch. Porche, as she must have learned from The Senator, experienced the "Joy of Dogsleep."

So did Wendy, captured in that copycat, so to speak, leg-down position on the edge of the couch.

Neither Wendy nor Porche has ever had a moment of trouble nodding off. 
Thus, we present this theory: Two dogs learned the proper position of "leg-draping" from a cat who understood and promoted the joy of cat-napping as a way of achieving peace on earth.
As voice actress/author JoJo Jensen is quoted: "Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds."

Now, if we can just talk the world's leaders into adopting the peaceful "Drape-a-Leg Style" of napping to take some pressure off the rest of us. The Senator would be helping if he hadn't been summoned to a higher position. Got his name because he looked as if he'd had official U.S. Senate Hairplugs.
[DEAR READERS, Please send photos of your sleeping dogs, napping cats or slumbering relatives visiting for the holidays to dallrp@aol.com. Include their biographies. We'll spotlight 'em in our long-running weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You'll be helping people decide to buy new furniture so the dogs and cats can sleep. And you'll be helping insomniacs have faith that they can get some sleep if they can just decide how to drape a leg over the back of the couch without kicking out a window or falling between the sofa and the living room wall. (LARRY CONFESSION: There would have been a photo of me stretched across the back of the couch while dangling one arm and one leg toward the cushions but it would have been a lousy selfie and my insomnia affects my balance -- and there are laws....)]

--- Offer slumbertips or furniture styles by clicking on 'comment' below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put LAY OFF THE PM JAVA in the subject line. ---

FRIDAY'S EDITION? ANIMALS; NEED FOR PEOPLE; CONTEMPLATION OF SPRING

EDITION OF FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 [PetPowellPress] This is getting into print a little bit late. I lost track of time. Had nothing to do with anything significant. And I wasn’t napping. I have a 20th Century truck and was trying to buy a key in the 21st Century. Things were worked out.
Just to get a cat in the mix today, that is my cat Hastings doing his impression of the Elusive Red-Eyed Hirsute Forest Turkey said to run wild in Northeast Texas. That’s what he told me as he mewed, “Save the birds!” Odd thought for a cat. But he’s a housecat -- only ever seen birds through a window. We also have a report today on the Daingerfield Animal Shelter’s Black Furry Friday promotion of animals in need of homes. Keep reading…
ANIMALS, LIKE SOME OF US, ARE
SUBJECT TO THE WHIMS OF OTHERS…
Yeah, readlarrypowell.com has seen more than enough of these “we don’t have anyone who wants it” stories of animals. But, the sad truth is shelters all over the nation are filled with animals who are living out that very story. 
In this case, the handsome dog Cooper is the victim of just such a thing. 
We got his story from the folks with 4-Legged Helpers — they’ve been trying to get this guy into a good home ever since Cooper the Pointer/hound/Boxer mix wound up in the Ferris Animal Shelter, one of many small shelters the Helpers monitor. 
Get your hankies ready and also your mood-controlling chants. The story from 4-Legged Helpers reads that Cooper, the young, 50-poundish fellow was a victim of someone else’s death. The text reads, “When someone that once loved him very much passed away, Cooper found himself at the mercy of people who didn't really care about him. He was banished to the backyard, where he was subject not only to abuse but he was also being starved. Thank goodness someone with a heart saw him, and was able to save him before he starved to death.
“He's in good health now, and ready for a new life! He loves to play with other dogs, so a canine companion would be so nice for him. He can be a bit bashful when meeting new people, but is such a sweetie and becomes very friendly very quickly.”

The Helpers suggest, “He needs a person that can see how much love he has to give to someone and promise him that the next chapter will be a good one. Who will look into those beautiful hazel eyes of his and tell him his future is secure, that he will be loved like he deserves, that he'll have a soft comfy bed to sleep in, and that he'll never again have to feel the pangs of hunger?”

What an honorable mission to take up — save a dog and do something good. Call or text the 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: Remember this absolute: The best solution to an animal problem in Texas is not “LET’S KILL IT.”]
DAINGERFIELD TRIUMPH: NEMO
LAUNCHES BLACK FURRY FRIDAY
We got the news from our tipster Tami Kukla who has “adopted” the Daingerfield Animal Shelter as a personal project and first told us about the efforts to get more animals adopted with the Black Furry Friday promotion.
 That’s Nemo. And Tami wrote, “Black Furry Friday started off on a high note. Nemo was adopted yesterday [Wednesday]. Thank you to everyone who saw his story and shared it.”
That moves the effort into helping Barkley.
Tami’s note read, “In a disappointing turn of events, Barkley is back as a resident after one of the adopter’s dogs reappeared … and didn't like him. Barkley got along great with dogs of all sizes in the home. Two years young.  46 pounds. Retriever mix who loves people.”
This also this aspect ot Barkley: “He likes kids but can get excitable with his jumping up. So I wouldn't suggest really small children. Cats are a no-go as he has a bit of a prey drive. He does good with small female dogs but will fight with a dominant little male dog. So I would still be hesitant with that just to be safe. I'm not 100% on the house-trained part. However, he doesn't [foul] the inside part of his kennel when we lock him up for the cold nights.” (Barkley is A51339799. He came in on Nov. 16 — this time.)
And, remember, this cat Violet! She’s the cat you can adopt in honor of readlarrypowell. com's first office cat, Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson who we lost to “natural causes” a couple of Friday’s ago. Violet’s bio reads, “Once you meet this girl her special personality will grab your heart and you will be wondering how you got so lucky to add her to your life.”
To ask about these or any other animals at the Daingerfield Animal Shelter, the contact points are: email animalshelter@cityofdaingerfield.com or call 903-645-2120. The shelter is at 1103 Bert St. in Daingerfield in Northeast Texas. This is the FACEBOOK LINK to the shelter and this is the official City of Daingerfield Animal Shelter LINK.Director of the shelter is Tabitha Hicks who helped reform the Daingerfield system into a shelter that works to save the animals and enhance human lives.
WIMBLE JOINS THE POUND PALS
EFFORTS TO GET HEALTHY…
Our pal Karen Lee, the barkleyworld.com founder we quoted in our previous edition, sent us a story about Wimble because she’d also sent us the stories of Doodlebug and Tink. (See the Thursday edition to get info about those two dogs and about Pound Pals, too.) 
Karen writes, “I just saw this posted for Wimble on Pound Pals’ FB page so wanted to include him. Thank you to all who’ve donated—Pound Pals’ Kerri Thorn is very thankful!! ... Thank you for helping these precious senior pets!”
 [That Chihuahua is Doodlebug; the other pup is Tink.]
Then Karen included this story that begins: “Critical Need For Wimble - Wimble, Summer and Jenny have all seen their neurologist team today. The good news is that Wimble is the only one of the three who needs an immediate MRI. His estimate for MRI is $6,967. He cannot have the MRI until the cost are paid in full. This MRI can mean the difference between life and death for 4-year-old Wimble. There is quite a list of possible causes for his issues. Unfortunately, he is such a complex case that the MRI is critical to detect which medical issue applies to him. While one possibility would not give long term treatment options, the other possibilities would.”

The note says you can “chip in for Wimble through www.poundpals.com." That means either give all you can afford or pick up the whole tab or something in between.
And there’s this from Pound Pals: “We have 7,000 followers. The cost breakdown is a dollar per follower. This should be doable for Wimble but it will take EVERY FOLLOWER chipping in. Is Wimble's life worth a dollar bill?”
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE, WE
START WITH A RELATIVE NOTE
First time we’ve gotten a note that begins this way. “If you think you’ve seen this dog before it’s because he’s the spitting image of his father, Linus (left), who is also at the shelter.”
 That is the way our pal Judi Brown, volunteer dog writer at Mesquite’s animal shelter began her profile for Ash. (We spotlighted Linus in our previous edition — he’s still waiting.)
 About Ash (right and, also in that two-shot), Judi added that the 7-year-old “American bulldog/Terrier Pit/Staffordshire mix … came to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/10 as a stray. He weighs 40 pounds.  He is not fixed. He does have calluses on his elbows indicating he has spent most of his life on the concrete outside. In spite of his unfortunate  upbringing he has forgiven his original owners. He is ready for a new life where he will be cherished like he deserves!”
 He’s “very sweet, friendly (not overly so), gentle, loving, and easy going. He gives lots of kisses! He sits for treats and takes them gently. He chases balls but does not retrieve them. … He wagged his tail when meeting other dogs. If you are looking for a loving dog then come meet Ash. He would love to snuggle up with you on these cold winter nights! It would be a win-win for both of you!”

Ash is #51509164. Use that ID number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. (And, if you want to ask about Linus, his number is #51509256.)
This Earhound is 5-year-old, 78-pound Pongo [#51500930], described as a “Patterdale Terrier/Lab mix” who came in on Nov. 9 as a stray. Judi’s bio reads, “He had a possible owner that didn’t choose to come and reclaim him. After spending time with this well-behaved guy, it’s hard to understand why his owner didn’t come for him. He’s an exceptionally stunning dog because of his unusual black/brown coat and his piercing chocolate brown eyes! His ears make him unique in that one stands up and one folds over. He is alert and explored the yard. He chases toys and retrieves them but doesn’t necessarily bring them back to you. Once I had him sit for a treats that’s all he wanted to do. He lost interest in chasing balls. Since he is so highly motivated by treats he will probably be highly trainable. … He’s a social guy that loves people. If you adopt him he will love you and your family! …Bonus: he’s already fixed! He would be so happy to be able to spread out on the couch next to you or lay at your feet while you’re enjoying a good book or watching TV.”
Eve is #51482944. And, Judi says, “Eve will catch your eye as you walk by her kennel!  Her exquisite markings make her very striking.  She is a 3-year-old Alaskan Husky that was dropped off at the Mesquite Animal Shelter by a concerned citizen who found her on 11/7. She weighs 55 pounds. She is not spayed. She’s got a winning personality! She’s easy-going, fun loving, playful, and appears to be very happy. She even seems to be smiling in many of her photos. She literally frolicked around the shelter yard. She chases balls but doesn’t retrieve them. She’s very well mannered and doesn’t jump on you. … She’s friendly and loves receiving affection. When you sit down she comes to you to have her ears scratched. … She is curious and alert and explored the perimeter of the yard. It didn’t appear that she was trying to escape. However knowing that huskies can be escape artists it would be wise to have a secure tall fence if you are considering adopting this beauty!  She is indeed a well-behaved dog that has lots of love to give a loving family.”
AND THIS IS GLENN (#51493760), another dog who has captured Judi’s heart. She writes, “It would be easy to run out of favorable adjectives when describing Glenn. Just look at that cute face and you can tell that he is sweet. And he really is! He’s a 3-year-old, 57-pound tan and white Pittie who came to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/8 as a stray. He is not fixed.” 
And Judi ads, “Besides being adorable (I hope being a boy he doesn’t take offense at that adjective), he’s got a healthy-looking athletic physique. He’s extremely well behaved. He literally sat perfectly still while I put a scarf around his neck. Then he sat for treats and took them gently.  He would then sit again in anticipation of another treat. He stayed close to me wanting human attention and affection. He wagged his tail a lot indicating to me that he’s a happy guy! He was curious and alert watching activity going on outside the gate. He’s very attentive, friendly and lovable. He came running when I called him. … I fell in love with Glenn and I know that when you meet him you will also. He would like nothing better than to be an integral part of your family and join in with family activities."
Remember, for the animals in the Mesquite shelter, use their ID numbers —- not just their names — to make communication clear. Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesaquite.com. 

CONTEMPLATIONS
DAYLIGHT, TIME CHANGE, SPRING
It was dark and half-way through the 5:30 p.m. news when suddenly it dawned on me that I’m not typing this for Thursday, I’m typing it for Friday. Yes, I lost track of my internal calendar. I blame Washington, D.C., and that darned time change. Why not? Other people have already called “dibs” on blaming Putin and he appears to have earned the blame. …
When does the time change again? Day after Thanksgiving 2022. Relax. I’m kidding. The time changes next on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Spring forward. I’m all ready for Texas Rangers spring training — pitchers and catchers report to Surprise, Az., on Feb. 14 — Valentine’s Day, 2023. Yes, NFL fans, spring training starts two days after the Super Bowl. Clearly, Arlington will still be celebrating that Dallas Cowboys victory in Glendale, Az., i.e., suburban Phoenix. Time flies like a pass in the last two minutes of a Cowboys game. It’s quick and nobody is sure where it’ll land.
—- Offer hope and joy by clicking on ‘comment’ or email dallrp@aol.com and put RELAX AND ENJOY AUTUMN in the subject line. —-

LINUS, TINK, DOODLBUG & A CAT NAMED MUNCHIE -- YES, HOLIDAY OPPORTUNITIES

EDITION OF THURSDAY, NOV. 16, 2022 [PetPowellPress] Chilly. But not enough to make me announce that I really miss the Texas Summer of 2022. Now, let’s put on our warming gloves and get busy typpppppp…Hang on. Hands got cold. “Typing.”
Coldest work conditions ever? Covering a small-town football game in a rain-on-the-edge-of -sleet storm in a windy open-air pressbox in a small town in East Texas in 1968. Ah, the good cold days. That’s my year-and-two-months old kitten Hastings enduring a let-me-pet-you session in my lap as he demonstrates that in cold weather, his eyes are appropriately blue. He’s learning the concept of “cuddle.” Raised without a mother, you know.  "It's so cold my eyes are blue," Hastings said to me, then wisecracked, "No telling how blue my naughty bits would be if I still had 'em." How's that for reminding people to Spay and Neuter?
AND, NOW, THERE’S A DOG
WHOSE NAME IS LINUS
Yeah, like a lot of Baby Boomers, when I hear the name “Linus” I automatically think of the comic strip Peanuts and the 1965 TV cartoon A Charlie Brown Christmas and that kid with the security blanket, Linus. A good feeling, you know? Warmth on a cold day.
So, when I read Mesquite shelter volunteer dog-writer Judi Brown’s opening sentence in this dog report, my heart warmed immediately. She wrote, “Linus is a good boy.” [LARRY ASIDE: I looked at his photos and darn near teared up — he needs kisses, not lacerations.]
 He’s a Mesquite Animal Shelter boy who has enchanted the volunteer dog-writer Judi. He’s #51509256.
 And she wrote, “He’s obviously had a rough life so far.” Look at the scratches on Mr. Handsome’s face!
“Now,” Judi writes, “It’s time to turn this around and give this sweet dog the loving, caring home he deserves. Linus is a 9-year-old, 38-pound Chinese Shar-Pei mix that arrived at the shelter on 11/10 with two other dogs. He is not fixed. Looking into his sad eyes and the rough shape his body is in pulls on my heartstrings.

“Linus has been to the vet.  Along with being too thin with ribs showing, he has bacterial dermatitis, conjunctivitis in his right eye (being treated), an ear infection (being treated), concrete calluses on elbows and rear, and is now holding up his left rear leg ...occasionally putting weight on it.”

What about his spirit? One recent night “he escaped his kennel …. and the leg injury is recent and attributed to that. This will be monitored.”

Then Judy wrote a sentence any dog person will laugh at. It reads, “I gave him a bath and, although I wouldn’t say he enjoyed it, he cooperated.”
She adds, “There’s no doubt that he knew he felt better when it was over because he then began following me around. Whenever I sat down he would come and put his head on my lap! In spite of his age and medical conditions he is very alert and thoroughly explored the laundry room. I mentioned that he escaped his kennel … He does not like to be confined. However he loves loves loves blankets and pillows ...especially if they’re off in a corner! So if you will provide him that comfort and freedom he promises to be a good boy!
“Judging from his concrete calluses the softness of the pillows and blankets must feel like heaven to him! He sits for treats and takes them gently. He is well mannered and gentle. He’s loving and affectionate. He was intimidated by some dogs that were barking at him but did socialize with a dog that came into the laundry room. He walks very well on a leash. He did his business as soon as he got outside. Please consider giving Linus the good life that he deserves. If you cannot adopt or tag him please network him.” 
Use his ID #51509256 when you email the shelter at rescues@cityof mesquite.com to tag or call the shelter at 972-216-6283.
See more Mesquite Animal Shelter dogs and cats awaiting good homes by clicking HERE
Among the cats is this one with the “holiday treats grazing name,” that’s #51487152, a 2-month-old small boy named Munchie. He came in on November 8 and is awaiting an interview in the Conference Room.

MEANWHILE, POUND PALS
ENCOUNTERS TOUGH CASES
Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s the time of year. Maybe it’s the size of the human hearts involved in animal rescue
We got this note about Tink and Doodlebug from our pal Karen Lee, founder with hubby Dennis of barkleyworld.com.
Karen explained, “I pulled these posts on Tink and Doodlebug off of Pound Pals Facebook page to help network for donations.  Kerri (Thorn, with Pound Pals) also told me this morning that she
was on the way to the vet with 3 more seniors — Sunny, Delphina and Taco — with symptoms of pneumonia.  I don’t have any more info on them right now.  I just know that these senior pets require a lot of vet care but they are so deserving.”

Karen says donations can be made via this link:   
http://poundpals.com/  On the Pound Pals Facebook page HERE you can find “QR codes” that can help with the donation process. Donations via the U.S. Mail can be sent to Pound Pals, 314A West Lennon Drive, Suite 121, Emory Tx 75440.
On Wednesday, Tink was listed as the “Current Most Urgent Senior.” And the story online read, “Tink is currently hospitalized at Turtle Creek Veterinary Medical Center with pneumonia and is in the oxygen chamber. Her Cushings results are back and have confirmed that she has Cushings. Tink already has an outstanding hospital bill and is now racking up hospitalization fees. In addition to pneumonia, she is having issues from Cushings which was never treated by her previous owner and is currently out of control. Tink's vet team is doing everything they can to clear her current crisis. Tink needs medical funding. In addition to her previous outstanding medical bill of $700, she has racked up $2,500 in hospital charges. Funding saves lives.” [LARRY ASIDE: We listed the donation sites a few paragraphs above.]
And, the note from Karen read: “Second Most Critical Senior - Doodlebug is hospitalized at Turtle Creek Veterinary Medical Center due to a very serious UTI which caused her to have kidney elevations. In addition to her current hospitalization expenses, she has an outstanding invoice in the amount of $909.” Same methods of donating to her cause. 
[LARRY ASIDE: Yeah, these aren’t the only older dogs needing some help in a rescue group or a shelter, but they are two of them we found in the mail today. Maybe they’ll inspire someone to help them or to help another animal in need somewhere in the vast Metrosprawl and Beyond. We have only “Older Dogs” at our house these days. They have been our friends longer than a decade. I have no doubt that Doodlebug and Tink possess the ability and the tendency to be good friends, too.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
NOTES ON THE WORLD -- NO POLITICS!
Is it too early to cite favorite Christmas movies? Yes. How about favorite Christmas plays? Hands down it’s Tuna Christmas, the holiday tribute to Tuna, the “Third Smallest Town in Texas.” Bless Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard for giving us the laugh-filled series of Tuna plays. Greater Tuna was first. The Christmas play was next. Then Red, White and Tuna and Tuna Does Vegas. Among the characters dear to animal rescuers hearts? Petey Fisk, an employee of the Greater Tuna Humane Society. And, of course, there’s Didi Snavely, owner of Didi’s Used Weapons, a store with the slogan, “If we can’t kill it, it’s immortal.” My funspouse Martha once laughed so loud at A Tuna Christmas that I thought we were going to be excused from our seats at Fort Worth’s Casa Manana. Texas girl, you know. Understood the attitudes in Tuna. …
Haven’t done a play in a while. The last one I did was a fake radio show Martha and I put together at Theater on the Hill in Cedar Hill. It was “An Evening With the Bickersons” presented with the blessing of writer Philip Rapp, the fellow who created the radio comedy The Bickersons in 1946 for Don Ameche and Frances Langford. Our show was a play-within-a-radio-show. The audience seemed to enjoy it. Nobody threw anything at us. …
Live drama and live comedy can be a lot of fun for the audience and the cast, too. What? No, I am not allowed to sing on stage. I’m also not allowed to sing off stage. And my car radio is set to turn off automatically if I try to sing at the wheel. Favorite line in our house? “Larry, don’t sing. You’re scaring the dogs.”  
—- Offer tuneful advice by clicking on ‘comment’ or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. and put “SHSSSSHHH” in the subject line. —-

NOVEMBER: A 'BLACK FURRY FRIDAY' AT A SHELTER; ANIMALS NEED HOMES & HELP

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2022 [PetPowellPress] We’re beyond the mid-point of November. Things won’t slow down until 2024. Feb. 29, 2024. Leap year, you know. Well, let’s stay in the present — it’s busy enough. I’m still trying to adjust to the time change. Again.
BLACK FURRY FRIDAY’S
DEBUT IN DAINGERFIELD
Here’s a new wrinkle on promoting adoptions at the animal shelter in Daingerfield. The Northeast Texas city's shelter has a marketing tactic that may work splendidly to keep the shelter population moving into good homes and loving hearts.You've heard of stores and their "Black Friday" sales. Keep reading.
We got the note on this from our tipster Tami Kukla, the veteran rescuer/advocate who has adopted the Daingerfield Shelter as a personal project of helping animals and the pepole who help them.
Tami writes, “Make a new tradition and help animals looking for a forever home. Get involved in Black Furry Friday.

“From today through Thanksgiving we are featuring every animal at Daingerfield Animal Shelter so we can get every one adopted and make Black Friday 'Black Furry Friday.' Let's save them all.”
She also provided the biographies of these animals who are absolutely ready and available for adoption.
Tami wrote, “Finding Nemo...we found Nemo and he is as fun loving and precious as our favorite Nemo in the movies. At only 6 months old we thought he had a home twice now. Unfortunately life has changed for him not because of him but because his adopters had life changes and he got left behind. We are going to ensure the third time is a charm and we need your help to do so. He became a resident at 7 weeks of age. Loves big dogs and people. He is a true love bug.” Here’s the LINK TO NEMO: https://fb.watch/gPxHIVFuUy//
Tami tells us Coral The Cat has been “waiting 6 months for that human who likes a kitty 🐈 who wants to sit in a kitty tree, cuddle in a bed, enjoy lots of treats, and develop a relationship together. 2.5 years old and the sleekest fur and most stunning eyes. Help her learn what it is like to be loved by a human forever.”
And that brings us to Tami’s introduction to Kaya. She writes, “Everyone always wants to adopt small dogs, but some of the BEST dogs I’ve ever known have been seniors, dogs with special needs, or the ones that won’t even look at you in the shelter but once they learn to trust you won’t leave your side. Please, the next time you decide to adopt a dog, look at the underdogs first. 🙏🏻💖 They are always SO grateful to be given a chance.
“Meet Kaya. One of our underdogs at the Daingerfield Animal Shelter. Her past was a rough one before coming to Daingerfield. She has learned to trust the caregivers at the shelter and once she gets to know you she relishes your attention. Kaya needs someone who will always be kind and let her be her. Definitely not too much to ask. A true underdog and totally worth getting to know. And one gorgeous girl. She will change your life in a great way.
“Help us find her forever human. Schedule a meet-and-greet at the Daingerfield Animal Shelter by emailing animalshelter@cityofdaingerfield.com or call 903-645-2120 or DM me (tamikuklatx@gmail.com)."
There you have it: The heartfelt launching of Black Furry Friday at the Daingerfield Animal Shelter.

MIA THE GREAT DANE
 &
A FELLOW NAMED POPEYE
These pups once had a home and, as things can happen, age claimed their loving human and, since spring, they’ve been looking for someone new to love them.
Our contact on these two is the veteran rescuer/animal advocate Tomi Ortiz, a tipster of readlarrypowell.com for years and someone who understands helping animals find a home. These dogs have been loved and really need to continue being loved and adored. 

Tomi writes, “I am still trying so desperately to help find a home for Mia the Great Dane and Popeye the intact male Pitty! Both are so sweet and deserving of good homes, but who am I kidding…I have yet to come across a dog that doesn’t deserve that and more! Poor Laura Macias from the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers has been trying so hard to help me find a foster but they keep falling through.
“If you could please do me a favor and post them again and I’ll pray for Hail Mary!

 “Mia is a 117-pound beautiful brindle Great Dane, spayed, Heartworm negative and has received her rabies shot, 4-5 years old according to the vet. Popeye is going to the vet this week and he should be around the same age.
“Both are great with kids, Mia is OK with cats as long as she’s introduced slowly since she’s shy. Popeye has been OK with cats but hasn’t been around any lately so not sure how he would do.”

To offer to give Mia and Popeye an opportunity to live out very happy lives, email tomasaortiz54@gmail.com or call 214-532-4665.
MEANWHILE, OUT AT THE LAKE
THIS GIRL NEEDS A HOME….

We learned of this German Shepherd dog’s need for a new home via our longtime tipster Sydney Busch, guiding light of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. 
As you can see in the photos, this 8-month-old dog is comfortable in a home. She’s happy on the bed and, clearly, happing to watch a little TV before she crawls into the kennel for a nap.
Sydney’s note reads, “This wonderful, friendly SPAYED dog needs a new home. The owner is disabled and thought he could have a dog but she's just too much for him...

“She is up to date on vaccinations...good with other dogs and kids… I'm the contact - there is a re-homing fee...PLEASE SHARE THIS and help me find her a great home!”
To ask about helping the pup find a rock-solid home, email Sydney@friendsoftheanimals.org or call either 903-451-4701 or 214-808-4701.
CONTEMPLATIONS
A DAY, BUTTONS AND PEACE
This Wednesday —the 16th of November — is, according to the folks at the Holiday Insights online calendar, a quartet of days. It’s Button Day (celebrate the buttons on your garb!), Have a Party With Your Bear Day (big day for Teddy Bears!), International Tolerance Day as declared by the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESC) and National Fast Food Day, no relationship, I’m almost sure, to tolerance. Thought tolerating certain behavior in Europe is a challenge. …
I got an email with this subject line: “Living frugally this holiday season.” I think I’ve seen a variation of that line every year since I learned how to read in the early 1950s. Lately, in restaurants, I’ve complimented staffers on the new menus and some have explained, “Had to do it to list the new prices.” No such thing as “cheap eats” any more. …
I feel like singing a song for peace as I type this. I don’t know one that fits today’s world. But maybe Buffalo Springfield’s 1967 song For What It’s Worth fits the current situation. Click HERE
Or if that doesn’t fit your image of the planet, try Barry McGuire’s 1965 hit Eve of Destruction/
Peace now, you know? Time for peace. Again.
— Offer peaceful responses by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and giving a prayer for peace on the planet. —-

IN THE ERA OF COMPUTER CHALLENGES, WE PRESENT DOGS, CATS & PEOPLE....

EDITION OF MONDAY, NOV. 14, 2022 [PetPowellPress] Perhaps you heard guttural moaning as I began working on this edition Monday morning.
 Photo problems. The app that copies photos and puts 'em onto the screen is, once again, failing to execute its mission. That's why some of the stories will have limited photos. And there's the weather. For a cold, wintry day in autumnal November, we can only blame this chilly, tear-drops-from-the-clouds on the Dallas Cowboys performance at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc..
Yes, that is my Office Cat William Powell giving me a look of “Are you nuts? It’s just a football game.” He’s also reminding me that afternoon snacks were late. “No timeouts in Snackville,” he declared. FYI: I’m quite a fan of this cat. He understand priorities. I recommend a Priority Organizing Cat for each household. If only he could rejuvenate my picture inserting gadget. 

WE START WITH A KITTEN
NAMED (SO FAR) ALLIE CAT;
THEN AUBRY & EIGHT PUPS 
Matter of time until that’s spelled “Alley Cat,” right?  Got to find the right adoptor/rescue group.. We also have a message for the human who betrayed Avery the Momma Dog and her pups. It’s harsh. Deservedly. Read on. 
This is one of many animals the 4-Legged Helpers are focused on — usually in small shelters nestling next to Dallas, i.e., Ferris, Hutchins, etc. This report expands to some animals in Irving (not such a small shelter) and Van Alstyne in East Texas. Animals in “truly desperate need,” The Helpers report…
Allie is described in her bio as a “baby” who is “the cutest little girl ever….She is just precious with her little heart-shaped face and big beautiful eyes. Extremely friendly and loving. Look at her little paw up on the ACO’s jacket….” She’s Hutchins kitten in the care of the Ferris folks.
Possibly the most alarming sentence in the bio of this Bulldog mix reads, in all caps, “THIS SHELTER IS NOT EQUIPPED TO HANDLE TINY BABIES.” And that brings us to this MOMMA DOG AVERY AND HER EIGHT BABIES. 
[LARRY LECTURE: And this should be a lesson to you folks who think a lecture of “Don’t get pregnant” works with a female dog. Unless, of course, you think you can sell puppies out of the trunk of your car on the side of a road or at a grocery store parking lot. And if that’s what you were planning on doing, email me at dallrp@aol.com, include your address, phone number and the name of your lawyer. You’ve put these 7 dogs on death row. Jerk. From now on, spay and neuter your animals. And give a thought to doing it for yourself.]
The bio from the 4-Legged Helpers reads, “Avery apparently had her adorable little family out in a field in Hutchins sometime in the last week!!!  Fortunately the ACO’s heard about her and were able to get Avery and the babies into the shelter Saturday evening before the freezing temps. Avery is very precious and just as sweet as can be!!  Seems to like other dogs, too.  THIS SHELTER IS NOT EQUIPPED TO HANDLE TINY BABIES.   IT IS EXTREMELY SMALL.”
As you followers of the challenges facing small shelters and 4-Legged Helpers, to ask about any of these animals,  call or text 214-949-2726 or email: cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
This guy Aiden, about a year old and “the absolutely sweetest most lovable guy!” is also on the 4-Legged Helpers Needy Canine Radar — he’s at Ferris, too. His bio reads, “So cute and so lovable!  Big beautiful puppy dog eyes!  Adores everyone.  GREAT on a leash  … Just a big pup that is cuddly and lovable!  Found out and about in Hutchins. He is microchipped, so may be fixed.  The shelter was trying to see if they could contact the owner as of last week.” [LARRY ASIDE: We’ll let you know, if the Helpers can let us know.]
And there’s story of a purebred German Shepherd named Bree, currently in the Ferris shelter. The Helpers report, “We realize everyone sees German Shepherds at the shelters these days but Bree is incredibly special.  She is the perfect dog.  We are serious!  Very sweet and loving. Very well behaved!!!  Bree LOVES everyone.   The shelter tested her with a boy dog and she did excellent and really loved him. Great on a leash too!  Found out and about in Hutchins.”
Angel the Husky is in Van Alstyne in East Texas. She’s about 3. And her bio reads, “Angel is very sweet.  Finder named her that because she is so precious and perfect.  Found out and about but her toenails were nicely clipped and you can tell she has been cared for.   Adores other dogs.  Only about 35 pounds.  Angel is house-trained and crate -rained   Great on a leash. Calm and well behaved.  :-). Little sweetie pie!”
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
WE CITE ANNIE & ROSCOE

OK, here's the deal: The Mesquite report is the part of this edition that really suffered because technology let us down. We've got a ton of dogs we can mention, but only two that could get their photos processed when the system failed.
[LARRY ASIDE: I just hope these people don't have a guidance system contract with NASA -- a trip to Mars will wind up in Alpha Centauri about 4.3 lonely light years away.]
You want something to stave off deep space loneliness, try these two dogs or any other critter in the Mesquite Animal Shelter and just stay on earth and, when it come to dogs and cats, help save 'em all.
You could start with this girl that volunteer dog-writer Debra Chisholm encountered at the Mesquite Shelter. She writes, "This sweet little girl is Annie [#51080199] and she needs our help -- the sooner the better. Annie is an American Pit Bull mix that is spayed and on the smaller size weighing 27 lbs and aged at 1 year old so she most likely will not get any larger. She may even be what you would call a 'pocket pittie'."
[LARRY ASIDE: How'd she wind up in the shelter? Lovely story.... ah, yes, typed disgusted Larry...]
 Debra explains, "Annie came into the Mesquite Animal Shelter as a stray on 9/9 under protective custody. She remained in protective custody until 9/22. Due to her size and how overfull the shelter was at the time she was placed in a small rollaway kennel.

"When the protective custody was lifted she became available for adoption and moved into the general population hallway. The shelter was still overflowing so she was put in a pop up crate designed for household use for short limited periods of time. Annie remained in the crate until 10/27 when she was moved to a full sized kennel which means she had spent 40 days in a small kennel designed for short term use. She was let out of the kennel while it was being cleaned and hopefully for short walks.

"Every dog responds differently to the shelter environment. Some do fine and others become kennel crazy. Annie escaped her crate a few times and on one occasion became aggressive towards another dog. We don’t know if she came in with this behavior or if it was a result of how long she spent in a small temporary kennel. She may have to be an only dog in a home or after some decompression time and slow appropriate introductions she can coexist with another dog in the home. She has not shown any aggression towards people, only to dogs being walked past her crate.  If interested in Annie, please ask the shelter staff for a dog test.

To ask about this otherwise adorable dog with "lots of puppy energy and personality", cite her ID #51080199 when you contact the shelter at either 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

Debra added, "Please help Annie get out of the shelter before things become worse for her.  Our shelter is critically overfull and adoptions and rescues are desperately needed not only to clear out kennel space but to match up our wonderful dogs with just the right fit."
That plea brings us to volunteer dog-writer Judi Brown's story about Rosco (#51483919).
She writes, "Besides being exceptionally good looking, Rosco is quite a character! Rosco is a 3-year-old, 57-pound mostly Boxer mix that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/7 as a stray." 
[DEAR READERS: As you encounter this next section of Rosco's story, feel free to be really peeved and, yes, let's all remember to be kind to animals while thinking distinct thoughts of their former humans in this case.  May I interject, "Arrrrgggghhhhh." Thank you, larry.]

Judi says, "The story is that his owners abandoned him at their apartment complex and neighbors found him on the grounds playing with some children. The person that brought him in even showed videos to the staff of him loving on the children! He’s a very friendly, loving guy that will capture your heart. He sits for treats and takes them relatively gently. Rosco is extremely athletic, very energetic and playful. He has a very strong ball drive. He finds balls and brings them to you and if you don’t pay attention to him he pushes the ball up against you. He did this over and over again. At one point he even wrapped his paw around my leg while pushing the ball up against me.  Several times he went to the toy box looking for a toy. He is very determined and definitely will let you know what he wants. I suspect Rosco is very intelligent! He would do so well with an active family with a good size yard. ... This is one exceptional dog! He would love to chill out with you in your home in the evenings while you’re having family time. He wants to be part of your family!"

Remember, use Rosco's shelter ID (#51483919) when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
In addition to Annie and Rosco needing a clear and happy path out of the shelter, Debra and Judi also cited these dogs: Leo, Gemini, Princess, Lexi, Remi, Baxter, Dovey, Finn, Jet, Nash and Faith.  [LARRY NOTE: Yeah, these are dogs whose photos were phouled by the phailing of my photos phystem, er, system.]
If you click on THIS LINK you can see these animals and many more waiting at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. That's dogs and cats. Save 'em all.
CONTEMPLATIONS
TECHNOLOGY AND US
Honestly, I don't know what's going on with my computer and the picture system, but I have my crackerjack computerwhizspouse Martha begging me to shut up about it as she tries to help me. ...

I looked all over the big computer screen, but can find no place into which a person would slide quarters to get it to work properly.
And one more thing: I never had some of these publishing problems back in the era of carbon paper and cheap coffee on the night shift in the underpaid, overworked newsrooms. I don't miss those days and I sure don't miss carbon paper, but I do miss the "simple fix" to a problem. Good thing i'm not piloting a spaceship toward Alpha Centauri with a load of pregnant dogs and cats hoping to repopulate a happy corner of somebody else's universe. That glow-eyed cat is my personal companion Hastings. I've looked for confirmation, but I'm still not sure he originated on Planet Earth. Has a kind of Martian look about him and he likes to meow Also Sprach Zarathustra. Some of you will think that's a space joke, others will think it's an Elvis joke. It's a cat joke and Elvis, like Hastings, is one cool cat.
--- Offer advice for a computer illiterate or just send me a "Wake up, stupid" note by clicking on 'comment' or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. Save 'em all, including the typing writer. --

test

'SERENDIPITY'? IT IS ABSOLUTELY THIS SHELTER DOG NAMED 'BUCK'

One of the Oxford English Dictionary explanations of “serendipity” is “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.”

See that dog sleeping against a chainlink fence?
That sleeping dog, Dear Readers, is a splendid example of serendipity. That is Buck relaxing at home. Yes, at home. He has a home because of a serendipitous encounter with a big heart who runs the shelter. Yes, there’s a tale to tell about our featured fellow in this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. He is a story of “an occurrence and a development of events in a happy and beneficial way.”
It all happened in the small (around 2,600 residents) Northeast Texas town of Daingerfield — keep reading and you’ll also learn what it’s like to have a city that sees the benefit of having a responsible animal person running the city shelter. The shelter director is Tabitha Hicks, one of our sources for this story of Buck.
We first learned about Buck last week as we were researching a story on the very adoptable Violet the Cat. Yeah, it was serendipitous that this story took us from the tale of an unwanted momma cat in 2022 back to a storm in 2013 that brought a dog into the heart of a city animal shelter. 
Animal advocate/rescuer Tami Kukla had been helping me put together the story on how the Daingerfield Shelter wanted to commemorate my late office cat Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson (rest her purr in peace) by getting Violet adopted in her honor. 
And Tami sent this: “I also was wondering if you would consider writing an article for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie on Buck, the shelter dog at Daingerfield.” She knows Buck because she has adopted the Daingerfield shelter and its animals as a “personal project.” And, about Buck, she says, “This senior guy is incredible and I would love to have his story told. … Buck is just an amazing boy. Always been so handsome. He is a legend.”
We got Buck The Legend’s background from Tabitha Hicks, the Daingerfield Animal Shelter Director and the proud pal to Buck. She sent us this photo. It’s not a recent picture. This is, Tabitha explains, a “picture of Buck when we found him hiding under the debris after the first big storm.”
“Under the debris after the first big storm”!!!
Oh, my. The “first” big storm. 
What Buck was under wasn’t a house. Tami explains, “It was part of our kennels from the old shelter that blew away. We really have no idea of his past beyond when he was trapped and found. But as scared of people as he was, I don’t believe his past was very kind to him. Nobody ever came forward to try to claim him. But, that’s OK! We have been blessed to have him for all these years.”
Here’s his bio, written for readlarrypowell.com by Shelter Director Tabitha, the big heart who runs this 21st Century version of an updated shelter. 
She wrote, “Buck came into the shelter at about 5 years of age during March of 2013. He had been trapped where he was left without food or water for 5 days before anyone found out. He was so very emaciated that we weren't even sure if he would survive and he was very fearful of the kind people who were trying to help him.

“To add to it, a month or so later there was a bad storm that came in and blew away all of the kennels at the shelter. The shelter employee came in to find dogs running around every where and Buck hiding under some debris with a bunch of puppies, where it was safer. 

“Buck was so scared of people and going through the storm made it even more difficult to catch him and get him back into a kennel. So we decided to eventually give up on trying to 'catch' him and just let him live his life at the shelter. With time, and lots of patience and treats, he grew to love the staff and then earned his home by being the best dog tester we've ever had. In his older age, his favorite past times are napping and eating his beloved bacon, egg, and cheese toasters from Sonic. Not only is he the bestest boy to the staff but he is loved by so many who have met him.”
Before we get into this story of how things came to be at the Daingerfield Animal Shelter — thanks to a good heart approaching a city and a city respecting that good heart — you may want this information. Our pal Tami Kukla writes, “If anyone wants to do a care package for Daingerfield animals, the address is ‘City of Daingerfield  - Animal Shelter, 101 Linda Drive, Daingerfield TX 75638.” That’s the City Hall address where the shelter gets its mail. Letters, thank-you notes, donations and “care packages” should be sent to the shelter in care of the city hall address on Linda Drive. The shelter is actually at 1103 Bert St, Daingerfield, Texas, 75638. Email animalshelter@cityofdaingerfield.com. Call 903-645-2120. Yes, they have adoptable animals. See some of 'em on Facebook HERE.
[LARRY ASIDE: Yeah, I might have teared-up a bit while reading about Buck and his life and how this really is a dog who benefited from whole boatload of serendipity! And, honestly, dog and cat fans, don’t you want to tell that shelter how much you appreciate them valuing Buck’s life as a shelter dog! We have more about this shelter. Keep reading.]
CONTEMPLATION
A BIG HEART IN A SMALL TOWN
WORKING FOR THE ANIMALS ….
[LARRY INTRODUCTION: This is the message you see when you open the cityofdaingerfiield.com website:

“City of Daingerfield… A Great Place to Live!
“In the City of Daingerfield, we are defined less by boundaries on a map than by the sense of shared values our residents hold dear. Small town values, guided growth, preservation of historical, cultural, and natural heritage are just a few of the core principles that makes City of Daingerfield a wonderful place to call home.”
That sets the stage. And because this is the weekend and you have time to read and contemplate, I’m adding this essay/explanation/information about Daingerfield and its shelter and the animals. I figure you’ve got time to do some extra reading. You won’t be graded, but I will be appreciative. I didn’t write this, but, as a veteran of watching shelters and their struggles, I am moved by the success Tabitha Hicks has created in a small Texas town.
Read on — and remember this: There are many small towns that are content to have shelters that exist only as “temporary warehouses” funded by lackluster budgets and run by people who have no understanding of the decency that it takes to make a “shelter” live up to the mission. There is power to change in the human heart. In Daingerfield, there was a serendipitous encounter with a person dedicated to doing a job right at a city shelter. Here’s the story:]

Daingerfield Animal Shelter Director Tabitha Hicks provided me with some of the “back story on our shelter and my time here” so “it could bring a little more understanding to who we are, what we hope to do and why we appreciate any help so much.”
She began work as a volunteer in the summer of 2010. “At that time, my husband had just started working for the city and was given the responsibility of the animal shelter as well as water lines, sewers, etc. As did the many people who came before him. When my husband first saw the shelter, he was horrified by what he saw. There were only outdoor dog kennels with a small car port to the side that had some cat cages underneath it. The dogs didn't have any shelter and only had food-sized bowls for water and no bowls for food. The cats also didn't have litter boxes or any type of shelter other than the roof of the carport.
“I was appalled that animals were being treated this way, let alone [that it was] by the city. So I asked my husband if they would allow volunteers to come help. Which they allowed only me since my husband worked for the city, they figured I wouldn't sue if something happened to me. (To be fair, the city has come a long way since then.) I started off by cleaning all the kennels well, getting dog houses and proper water buckets, and moving the cats into the office/storage building.
“From there, I then started looking for ways to advertise the pets to get them more attention so that the majority of the animals brought in weren't euthanized. In 2012, I was hired on part time just to clean the animal enclosures. I took this opportunity to push for the dogs to be able to get dewormer when they came in and eventually basic vaccines for when they were adopted.
“During that time, we had a major storm come in that blew off the cover of our dog kennels with the dog kennels attached into the woods behind the shelter. We had dogs and puppies running everywhere when I showed up that morning. We spent that whole day rebuilding the best we could.
“In 2014, we had the state veterinarian come in to do an inspection so that we would know what we needed to improve on. She convinced our city manager that we needed someone at the shelter full time and thus I was finally given full time status to hopefully really start making a difference.
“During that time I realized that now spending all day at the shelter, I really needed a bathroom of some sort. Then, thanks to another bad storm that led to a tree falling and crushing a few of our kennels along with the office, I had even more issues. Those [discussions] led to us getting approved for a new shelter that has indoor/outdoor runs for our dogs. As well as a more inviting atmosphere that also houses a lot more pets. This shelter was built and fully operational by the summer of 2016.
“With the new big shelter, I was then allowed to finally hire someone to help. But with time, we realized we needed more. We are now up to four employees total that take care of the shelter's animals. We have also been able to approve giving vaccines upon intake to cut back on illnesses. Which led to more pets being adopted for a time. We were finally operating in a way I could feel proud of.
“But our constant problems of not being able to get animals adopted fast enough or not having enough rescue aid has been a huge struggle. Our shelter is located in a very small town so our intake can fluctuate pretty drastically. We may go weeks without new intakes for a time then out of no where we may have to take in 10 within a week. So with that being said, we are not a shelter that constantly needs help but when we do, we do all we can physically do to try to find these babies help vs ending their lives.
“Unfortunately, our local rescue is always overwhelmed by helping another local shelter that has a lot higher intake and number of euthanasia. 
“This is why we are trying so hard to find outside rescues that may be open to helping our babies. Sorry for the novel but I hope it brings a little understanding to who we are.”

[LARRY THANKS: Tabitha, thank you for telling us the story of the winning attitude that has existed to help the animals in the Daingerfield Animal Shelter. Dear Readers, you can see adorable Daingerfield animals on Facebook HERE . Big shelters, small shelters — SAVE ‘EM ALL.]
— Offer thoughts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com —

ON VETERANS DAY, WE CITE A 7-DOG SITUATION, ARTFUL CLOVER, HELPING ANIMALS AND A VIOLET REMINDER

EDITION OF THURSDAYPM/FRIDAYALLDAY, NOVEMBER 10/11, 2022 [PetPowellPress] We’re posting these flags in honor of veterans of military service for the United States of America. That’s the theme of Veterans Day. That flag over the Texas flag is the one we got in 1959 after Alaska became a state on Jan. 3, 1959, and Hawaii joined the union on Aug. 21, 1959. Fifty stars. Before that we had this 48-star flag -- six stars by 8 stars. It was the flag that was flying on June 1, 1954, when President Dwight Eisenhower signed the law declaring that November 11 would be Veterans Day, honoring veterans of all U.S. wars. It’s the flag a lot of us Baby Boomers first knew in our classrooms, at football games and leading off rodeo grand entries and parades. The “lower 48” states’ stars, as we used to say. Thanks to the veterans, I got to vote on Tuesday any way I wanted to without getting a note from a palace. Maybe you did, too. It was a darned good feeling, wasn't it.
OH, MY, IT’S THE FACE
OF THIS DOG CLOVER!
Dears readers, if someone looks at me and yells, “HEY! DOGFACE!” I’m always going to take it as a compliment and this dog Clover is one of the reasons. That dog’s face is a sensational work of art.
So what’s Clover’s story — well, there’s good news. She’s one of the many animals from small shelters that the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers have been working to save. And there is good news.
 Clover is a 6-month-old, 36-pound Black-Mouth Cur mix who has been in the low-human-traffic Ferris Animal Shelter since early October. Her bio reads, “This precious baby girl doesn't know what the heck happened so that she found herself wandering the tough streets without a home. She's so bashful but completely submissive.”
So, what was needed, if no rescue or adoptor could take her, was a foster who’d help her become an adoptable human-loving household dog.
And, on Thursday, we learned that Clover’s story has taken a good turn. The note posted on the 4-Legged Helpers Inc. Facebook page HERE read, “ATTENTION RESCUES: We found a foster home for our sweet girl Clover! Who can take her into their rescue for the next leg of her journey in finding a home? IF YOU CAN HELP... call or text: 214-949-2726 or email: cat_girl_71@yahoo.com."
 That’s the artwork that appears on the 4 Legged Helpers Inc. Facebook page and you can see other animals waiting for an escape route from small, rarely-visited animal shelters. Among them is Tyler, this beautiful 2-year-old, 60-poundish Border Collie/Lab mix in the care of the Ferris shelter. He’s adorable. And available.
SIX YORKIE MIXES AND A CHIHUAHUA
SURRENDERED TO PACKED EVERMAN
Yep, that’s something you hope never occurs again in this century. We got the story from our Everman tipster Heather Harrison. The note was part warning, part appeal. Here’s how it reads: “EVERMAN SHELTER is overflowing, no space is left!   They are pleading for help!
“An owner just surrendered her 6 yorkie mixes, 1 chihuahua.   All males, no known vetting. They are all sharing 1 kennel as there is no other open space currently.  If anyone has space for just 1 it would be helpful!” Call the Everman shelter at 817-561-5495.
MEANWHILE, IN MESQUITE,
MO JO THE ALOOF STRAY….
Among the many animals waiting in the Mesquite Animal Shelter is this guy Mo Jo and he’s got a description we’ve not seen before in a stray dog.
The story of Mo Jo comes from volunteer dog biographer Judi Brown who first describes Mo Jo as “adorable with his black and white wiry hair and low-to-the-ground body!” He’s a not-yet-fixed, 3-year-old, 30-pound Terrier mix who came into the shelter as a stray on Nov. 3. 
Judi then wrote a description that points out how very wonderfully distinct Mo Jo is. She wrote, “I had a difficult time getting good pictures to show him off in a positive light. He was very aloof.”
Mr. Mo Jo Aloof probably has “not had much socialization, Judi wrote. “He spent most of his time scouting out the yard. After approximately 20 minutes with me sitting on the ground he finally came to me and let me pet him. He even gave me a few tail wags! He is a work in progress and will need TLC and patience for him to build trust. There’s no doubt that he has potential for being a devoted family companion. … If you have time and like working with dogs please come and spend time with MoJo.”

Mo Jo is #51462043 at the shelter. Use that Mo Jo ID number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. 

This girl is Jada [#51437656] and Judi describes her as “very stunning” and as “a majestic beauty.” She’s an 8-month-old Akita/Alaskan Husky mix. A stray. Arrived on Halloween. She weighs just 38 pounds. Judi writes, “She’s gentle, well mannered, friendly (but not overly so), affectionate, easy-going, alert, and just plain sweet! When I called her she came to me and didn’t seem to tire of having her ears scratched. I was rewarded with kisses and tail wags. She chased toys and occasionally brought them back. She sits for treats and takes them gently. … She spent considerable time standing by the door indicating she wanted to go in even though it was a nice day. This indicated to me that she’s been an inside dog. And who wouldn’t want to have this soft loving dog by your side in the house with you?” And Judi adds, “I wouldn’t delay long because with her many fine qualities she will not be at the shelter long.”

With this dog, Judi won a bet. She opened Franz’s bio with “I bet you can’t look at this sweet face with his happy smile and not smile yourself! This happy guy is Franz [51428490]. He is a very attractive 3- to 4-year-old Welsh Corgi/Shepherd mix that came to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 10/29 as a stray. He weighs 30 pounds. He is not fixed. If you spend five minutes with Franz you will be in love. I was! He’s got a winning personality! He is sweet, friendly, joyful, frisky, playful, well mannered, and affectionate. He should be very easy to train as he is EXTREMELY motivated by treats. He sits before you ask him to in anticipation of a treat. He also follows you around partly because he wants to be with you but also because he wants a treat! He does grab the treat out of your hand, but does not bite you. Because he wants to be close to you he occasionally jumps on you. He frolicked in the yard and at times tried to entice me to enter into his game playing. He was not interested in playing with balls or toys. … Franz is a real prize and won’t be at the shelter long so don’t delay before tagging him or come meet him. He would love to curl up by your side on the couch while you’re watching TV or reading a good book.”
There are many more dogs and cats and kittens available for adoption at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. You can see them by clicking HERE.
When we went to the shelter site to look at cats, we found two felines named Autumn. [LARRY ASIDE: I could live with that, two cats with the same name. And "Autumn" beats "Hey, you, get off the counter!" and then you hears members of your clowder landing on the hardwood all over your house. I'm kidding -- but it could happen.]
Autumn on the left is #51320650, a 3-years-and-2-months-old Domestic Shorthair mix who came into the shelter on Oct. 13. She’s medium size, white/orange and waiting in the Cat Room at Mesquite Animal Services.
The other Autumn is #51124091, also a Domestic Shorthair mix. She’s “large” and “orange. And she came into the shelter on September 15. She’s in the Conference Room, not the Cat Room. Nobody wanted to guess her age. 
So, there you go, two opportunities to get some Autumn into your life at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. And there are plenty of kittens along with all the dogs and cats. 
Remember use their ID numbers when you contact the shelter: Call Mesquite Animal Shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com
CONTEMPLATIONS
ASSORTED NOTES FOR THE MOMENT
Anybody else “study up” on why November 11 is Veterans Day? Yeah, I remembered from either sixth grade or junior high. It had to do with the end of World War I. Armistice Day, it was called then. You may recall (not that any of you are old enough, of course) that World War I ended at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918 — “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.” You may also recall that World War I was called “The War To End All Wars.” Humans, always overly optimistic. Bless all the Veterans. Cold war, hot war, peacetime, police action, etc. ...
I never get enough of peacetime and I hope that peacefulness becomes the reputation of this entire planet. I am prone to ignoring the tendencies of many humans. But I’m trying to get beyond that. …
Don’t forget: Adopt Violet the cat from the Daingerfield Animal Shelter and you’ll be honoring readlarrypowell.com's first office cat, Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson (Spring 2011- 11/4/2022). Word from Daingerfield is Violet is one swell cat with a loving personality. Who among us couldn’t use a loving personality around the house after a day at the office? Kittie Leigh was like that — she was a role model for humans and critters. Call the shelter at 903-645-2120. Email animalshelter@cityofdaingerfield.com. Or visit the shelter at 1103 Bert St. in Daingerfield, That's Kittie Leigh, my first office cat. She'd appreciate it if someone who knows how to make a cat feel at home would adopt Violet. So would I.
—- Offer opinions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. Bless Violet and make her happy.—-

VIOLET (MUSE AND MEWS) AND DOGS IN THE BIGTROPLEX & BEYOND -- HELPING 'EM ALL

EDITION OF WEDNESDAYPM/THURSDAYAM NOV. 9/10, 2022 [PetPowellPress] I’m going to tell you about an East Texas cat named Violet today. She’s special. 
And before we get to Violet’s story. I have to give you some context of this project. It’s one adoption short of a fairy tale ending.
We begin: 
Once upon a time a magic kitten showed up on our front porch, came on inside when the door was opened and cast a spell of love and adoration on two people and their rescued dogs and cats.
That great spell of mutual affection cast by Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson lasts to this day though we lost her to “natural causes” on Friday November 4 at the age of 11 years and a few months.
You may rightfully assume that your friendly cat-and-dog writer is still smitten — always will be smitten — by Kittie Leigh. Absolutely.
And that brings us to Violet.
 Our pal Tami Kukla, after Kittie Leigh left us, asked if I thought it would be OK to dedicate the adoption of a cat at the Daingerfield Animal Shelter to the memory of my beloved Kittie Leigh. 
I think it is wonderful. And that cat is Violet. She is ready for adoption now.

I’ve been writing about cats for quite some time and this may be the first Violet the Cat that I’ve encountered. But that’s not the only “curious coincidence” regarding Violet. Here’s the deal:  One of the greatest individuals I’ve ever known is my late “Mom-in-law” who was only about 5-5 but stood as tall as anybody you’ve ever encountered. This Pentecostal preacher and I were not just bonded by her daughter Martha, but we also watched a lot of Texas Rangers baseball together and enjoyed a lot of laughter. 

Her name? Violet Muse. In her name I see a link to Violet the Cat, i.e., Violet’s mews. It’s just too perfect for Violet Muse to be linked to Violet’s mews when we’re honoring Kittie Leigh, the adorable cat.
Whoever adopts Violet the Cat is going to get a lot of good karma, thanks to Mrs. Muse and Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson. 
So, what is the story of Violet the Cat?
We got this from Daingerfield Animal Shelter Director Tabitha Hicks. The story of Violet reads, “Violet is a very quirky black and white tuxedo kitty.  She came in with her four kittens and is the only one still waiting for a loving home.  She’s a pretty relaxed cat who spends most of her time loafing on her ledge, or building a newspaper wall around her bed. [That's her enjoying some ear scratching in her kennel.]  She can be a little playful as well, she loves sweet talk and trying to slap your hand when cleaning.  She may come off a little distant to new people at first, but I think she will warm up fairly fast to her new family.   She may not do well with other kitties,  so she might have to be the only one or have a slow introduction.  She is a super sweet kitty who just wants to be loved on.”

When you adopt Violet, you’ll be doing a really good deed on behalf of the cat and, also, on behalf of the people who are trying to get her into that legendary prefect forever home all animals deserve. Call the shelter at 903-645-2120. Email animalshelter@ cityofdaingerfield.com. Or visit the shelter at 1103 Bert St. in Daingerfield, the town of just over 2,500 residents. It’s about 2 hours and 20 minutes east of Dallas on I-30 and 2 hours and 30 minutes east of Dallas on I-20. Located in Northeast Texas, all paved roads lead to Daingerfield. On behalf of my wonderful Kittie Leigh (right), I endorse a proper, loving, lasting adoption for Violet and her mews. CLICK HERE to see a brief video of Violet enjoying some hands-on love in her shelter home. 
TRINITY GAP RESCUE
TRYING TO HELP CLAIRE
We got the word on this dog Claire and her challenges from our pal Karen Lee, founder of barkleyworld.com. She reports, “I’m networking to help Trinity GAP Rescue raise funds for this pup they’re calling ‘Claire.’ She was picked up as a stray with a broken leg by Euless Animal Shelter.  And she needs immediate surgery—like tomorrow!”
Karen provided the contact points for the 501c3 Trinity GAP: Email steffeniegaprescue@gmail.com for more information. Call 817-689-4740.
GAP’s Steffenie Vela says, “We got the call from the Euless shelter that a young dog was picked up with a broken leg.” The emergency clinic confirmed that Claire’s left rear femur is broken and she’ll need emergency surgery — probably around $3,500 or more. Steffenie’s note read, “The vet said she it was extremely painful. She is now sedated and resting comfortably waiting surgery tomorrow [Thursday]. We need a medical foster and funds to pay for the surgery.  We have a fundraiser set up on our FB page or you can go to our website and donate. Please share and network.  This is the second major orthopedic surgery we have had in the past few weeks.”

4-LEGGED HELPERS
AND ELI & THE DOGS
OK, Eli doesn’t really know the dogs, but maybe he’s a cat looking for a name for his rock band. Eli and The Dogs. Anyway, that fanciful thought aside, the 4-Legged Helpers have new critters on their list. 
Eli is this Russian Blue, a 6-month-old, neutered lad in the Ferris Animal Shelter. Neutered on the 9th — I’m sure he’s adjusting. He’s described as “a complete lovebug>” Friendly fellow and in the shelter because a person who “was no longer able to care for him” brought him to the shelter “in hopes he will find a home or rescue group.” 
Call or text 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_+71@yahoo.com.
That’s for Eli and these dogs, too.

These two dogs on the Helpers’ list are the Pyr mixes Lily and Walker and they’re in McKinney. Adorable dogs who love other dogs and cats and kids, the bio says, citing this photo. Their story reads, “This cute sibling pair was rescued by a very kind couple from a litter that was at a farm in Stephenville. They are completely house-trained and crate-trained..only thing missing is finding the perfect forever home.”
That great wet-looking dog is Tyler, a Lab/Border Collie Mix currently in the Ferris shelter. He’s 1 1/2 to 2 years old and “was found out and about a few days back when it was pouring rain. He is a beautiful sweetie pie…. He walks great on a leash and really adores other dogs, so he definitely belonged to someone.”

ANOTHER RUSSIAN BLUE?
IS THERE AN OUTBREAK?
We could have worse outbreaks than a some of these babies showing up! We got the story on Bill from Tanja Sewell-Pattist who reports that Bill is a 3- or 4-year-old Russian Blue who needs a home and “likes to sit in your lap and he cannot get enough petting.”
The story is he “showed up at a managed colony of feral/stray cats. his tail was badly injured and he would not let anyone near him. Bill was trapped and taken to the vet for treatment.”
Yep, tail had to be amputated. But Bill, now neutered, “is tame and the vet commented on Bill’s sweetness.” Still “very trusting and affectionate” in spite of his recent experiences. To ask about adopting Bill, “who will now have a tail like a bunny rabbit,” email tanja.pattist@tx.rr.com or call 972-898-3156.
CLOSING WITH A SWEETHEART
WHO HAS THE NAME ‘ROMEO’
Yes, this is one of those undeniably cute, adorable and lovable dogs that shows up “stray” in Mesquite. Romeo is around 3 and appears to be a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix — a police officer brought him into Mesquite Animal Services on Halloween. He weighs in at “49 pounds of cuddly fluff.” Not fixed. Yet.


Our tipster, the volunteer dog biographer Judi Brown wrote, “I had another name picked out for him but as soon as I met him I knew Romeo was the perfect name for him. He is very gentle and well mannered. He sat patiently while I tied a scarf around his neck. He sits for treats and takes them gently. He comes when you call him. He likes to have his ears scratched and gives kisses. He chases balls and entertains himself with them. … He is energetic but not overly so. He was very inquisitive checking out the shelter yard.”

And Judi writes this, too: “Border Collies are known for their intelligence and there’s no doubt that Romeo could be at the head of his class! He walked well on the leash. He did his business several times in the yard keeping his kennel clean. He was friendly when meeting other dogs in the bay. With winter coming up I would imagine it would be wonderful to snuggle up with him on a cold night. He would like to share his family’s couch or be in a bed at their feet.”
Romeo’s ID is #51438611. To ask about him, use his ID when you email 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. [LARRY ASIDE: And, yes, that photo of Romeo looking over the rock fence at the shelter got to me. I hope he’s seeing his future in a really wonderful home that appreciates dogs who want to work with you!]
CONTEMPLATIONS
POLITICS, FISHING, WEATHER
I’m had enough chatter about politics….
Fishing? It’s like politics. I don’t bait up to fish, either ….
Weather? Better this week than last week, but that has nothing to do with either politics or fishing. Yeah, I was out of Contemplations. I couldn’t get past how much I hope Violet finds a wonderful home and Kittie Leigh, from her current high assignment, appreciates the love we’re directing toward her and toward a cat we’ve never met.
— Offer brainstorms by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email dallrp@aol.com and put WAKE UP AND THINK in the subject line. —

CONSIDERING THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING WITH THE NEEDLE; SAVING SOME ANIMALS

EDITION OF TUESPM/WEDAM Nov. 8/9, 2022 [PetPowellPress] We need a really good song for the day. I don’t have one. Yet. So, I’ll just type about dogs and cats and the people who work so hard to save them. Let’s launch with this — being written before the polls close — “Once upon a time…..” How’s that for the ultimate political starter sentence.
NOW AND THEN, REMEMBER
THE CAT IN THE WALL AT DAS
Some of you remember that sordid event. It was such a horrible thing — a cat that escaped from custody and went into an opening in the ceiling then into a wall at the Dallas Animal Shelter was — BY INEXPLICABLE CHOICE! — was left inside the wall to cry and scratch until it died. 
That one sick and sad situation led to positive changes in management and in the managing at Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center.
The death of that nameless cat occurred in the Spring of 2010. And, now, in the Autumn of 2022, the reputations of Dallas Animal Services and the CITY OF DALLAS are once again being tarnished by the deaths of animals. Not just one animal. Not by accident. Intentionally and by the hundreds of animals who can’t find a way out of the shelter.
 (That's the headline on a Fox 4 News story.)
Of course, the conversations that are focused on Dallas usually just involve “How much money can my company make?” while, out of the spotlight, the question can be, “How many dumped and/or abused unwanted animals were killed this week? How can we end this non-stop killing?"
Educate and influence the residents? Good luck with that on a nickel-and-dime budget. Threaten people with legal charges? Please. There are laws in Dallas that may not be treated with equal pursuit.
OK, I’ve gone on enough with this — the reality is (and it has taken me years to realize this) not one sentence appealing for protection of animals will affect one heart in Dallas County or maybe the State of Texas. Everybody who loves animals already feels the need to protect them. The other people? Oh, you know ‘em. They say thing like, “I keep telling that Momma Cat if she don’t stop gettin’ pregnant ahm gonna give her away.” Or the people who say, “Hell, that dog’s part Pit — I’m gonna make some money sellin’ her puppies.” Some people don’t have enough brains to change their own opinions.
See those headlines? As October was drawing to a close (on the 27th) Fox4 News posted that 86-percent boost in euthanasia story. It’s great to see TV aiming its camera at these despicable situations. Thanks, Fox4. Now, Residents of Dallas, it’s up to you to knock that percentage down to nothing. Love the animals; don’t kill ‘em.
And, then in the Nov. 4 edition of The Dallas Morning News, my colleague at the big paper for years, the columnist Sharon Grigsby drew a hopeful but dismal picture of what’s happening Dallas.
I think these things are happening because worn-out animal rescuers and advocates have found themselves being ignored by elected officials and bureaucrats. There is power in the combined voices, as was proven in 2010 when people were outraged by the shelter’s fatal behavior with that cat in the wall.
Unified rational voices that won’t let ANYBODY at city hall off the hook. Establish a plan of action that involves politically influencing elected officials so firmly that they’ll remind departmental managers hidden in the labyrinth of Dallas City Hall that people are watching and grading the results. And the test is daily, not just on Municipal Election Day.
WHAT SET THIS OFF?
GLAD YOU ASKED….
I get notes from lots of people involved in animal rescue and advocacy. On Tuesday morning I opened a note from animal advocate Tami Risos about a dog in the Dallas Animal Services Shelter & Adoption Center.  No mention of “The Lab,” the term used for the area where animals get the needle.
Here was the note from Tami, “Meet Killer. How does Dallas Animal Services think it’s okay to put a lead around his mouth and have it on in his kennel? Also, Killer (named by his previous owner) is EU risk and rescue or foster only and could lose his life at any point. No notice. No code red list. Just euthanized. In fact he may already have lost his life today. And appears injured.”
 Tami’s note also read, “If you care about the animals at Dallas Animal Services please share and demand to understand why the lead is around his mouth and share to save him. To voice your concerns email whitney.bollinger@dallas.gov. To save him, email dasrescue@dallascityhall.com and dasfoster@dallascityhall.com.

At DAS Killer was #A1161722. The year-old fellow as an owner-surrender. No explanation of his injury or the strap around his muzzle.
 Later in the morning on Tuesday, we got another note from Tami that read, “Supposedly Killer is being returned to owner. That is concerning also.
DAS produces an MVP list which can have over 70 dogs on it. Every once in awhile they post a date for EU but rare. On Friday, 23 dogs were EU’d, Two died in kennel."
Tami added, “Also the number of Shepherds being EU at DAS makes me speechless. [DAS Director] MeLissa Webber asked the community to step up, so, on Sunday, 38 dogs were adopted. Yet, they still EU’d 9…."|

There’s more, but we need to mention Scarlet, too. Tami Risos’ note about Scarlett reads that she “has been made Rescue Only and could lose her life at any time with no notice. From adoptable to rescue only because someone adopted her and brought her back in two hours. Awful. Dallas Animal Services is failing the animals. This is not acceptable. Scarlet was adopted on Saturday and returned two hours later. This is heartbreaking. …” If she is still at the shelter, Scarlet is A1159366, a 3 or 4-year-old, 55-pound heartworm-positive dog.
We could not find Scarlet on the shelter’s list of adoptable. Maybe she’s still there. Maybe she isn’t. This was the LINK TO SCARLET:
https://adopt.adopets.com/.../589bc1e9-267a-4b4f-bff9... Maybe someone adopted, rescued or claimed her. Maybe not.
OK, LET’S MOVE TO MESQUITE
WHERE THE VOLUNTEERS ARE
HUSTLING FOR THE ANIMALS…

This is more than a “Hey, you! Adopt this dog” notice. There’s this note from Mesquite, too: “If you cannot tag or adopt, please network … We are more than overcrowded!"
These animals have been carefully examined and introduced to people who are trying to help them. Mesquite doesn’t want to give the needle to a single animal. Mesquite wants them to have happy forever homes. 
Our tipster in the case of Jack is Judi Brown, the volunteer dog biographer. She writes, “Jack has unique coloring which makes him a stand out. He’s really quite handsome! He is a one year old, 42-pound Boxer/terrier pit mix who originally came to Mesquite Animal Shelter as a stray on 10/20. He was adopted and then after two weeks the owners surrendered him on 11/4. [They said] he didn’t get along with their other dog. We give a handout that we recommend owners follow so that dogs acclimate to one another slowly. I’m wondering if this procedure was followed with Jack. When I introduced Jack to other dogs in the kennels he had no reaction. However, if you have another dog we always suggest you ask the shelter for a dog test. When I first took Jack out into the yard he was overly excited and exuberant but within a few minutes calmed down. He then became a Velcro dog staying very close looking up at me with his captivating gray eyes. … His previous owners said that he lived indoors with children ages seven and eight. They also said that he loves to run. He is energetic and would certainly benefit from a good size yard and/or long walks with his new family… BONUS: He’s already fixed!” Jack is #51367742 — use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
This is Sally (#51388390). Judi asks, “Are you looking to have some fun? Do you like to smile? Then come in and meet Sally. She is a 3-month-old, 19-pound black and white Pittie mix that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 10/24 as a stray. She is not spayed. She is a frisky, fun loving, frolicking, friendly puppy that will keep you on your toes. Her antics will keep you smiling. … She loves people and wants attention. When you call her she comes to you. When she walks on a leash she gets tangled up but with practice can learn to do better. … She is so adorable that one of the staff commented about how cute she is!”
THAT BRINGS US TO MILLIE AND TILLY, a couple of 10-month-old Retriever/Lab /Shepherd/maybe Kelpie mix Earhounds who came into the shelter as strays on Halloween.
They’re in the same kennel right now and get along splendidly though there may be a little “food aggressiveness” left over from their experience. Easy to fix — separate ‘em at feeding time. |
Judi says that 41-pound Millie was quickly, gently cured of jumping on her. “I tried to get her to sit and she didn’t appear to understand what i was asking of her. However, you could tell she wanted to obey. ….her tail wags constantly. She’s also very loving. She lets you know she likes you with kisses.”
Sister Tillie (#51437538) weighs in at 31 pounds. and isn’t fixed. “Millie as a frisky, friendly, fun-loving puppy that loves people. She appears to be very happy as her tail wags constantly. She gives kisses. At first she jumped on me but because she wants to please obeyed the down command. … She sits for treats and takes them gently. She walks well on a leash. She was intimidated by other dogs to the point of not wanting to even go by their kennels!! She’s a real sweetheart!  She would make a great family dog and would most likely do well with children. Since she’s so affectionate she would like to spend most of her time in her new home with her family.|
Remember, for all these animals, use their ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
And there’s Darla (#51427322), a 2-year-old “Black, beige and brindle” American Pit/Manchester Terrier mix who came into the shelter on Oct. 29. The girl weighs 54 pounds and isn’t spayed. During the get-acquainted session, Judi writes, “I had a difficult time getting good pictures of her because she was running back and forth with what seemed like a lot of nervous energy. She’s very active and was constantly moving. She appears to be quite athletic. She was curious about what was going on outside the gate and through the shelter windows. She was not interested in chasing a ball but did find a stuffed toy and played briefly with it. She was not interested in treats or at least the ones I had. I couldn’t get her attention long enough to determine whether she knew the sit command. I get the feeling she has not had much socialization. … She is a work in progress and could benefit from TLC and more socialization.
Just one more dog: Kai is a one-to-two-year-old, 53-pound Alaskan Husky surrendered to the shelter on Oct. 27. But he’d first arrived at the shelter on June 23. Adopted a couple of days later, then returned the next day. Why? “Too big for a small apartment.” Later a woman with a large family adopted him. They kept him for 4 months. But he was “stressed and began nipping at the children,” our tipster Judi Brown reports. “He never bit them He was giving a warning that he wanted peace and quiet. In spite of this, he really must have loved them because because when I took him out into the yard, he whined constantly and continually looked out the gate.” That’s the photo. And Kai is #50487820. Use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityof mesquite.com
Remember, the shelter volunteers report, “If you cannot tag or adopt please network …We are more than overcrowded!
" See more Mesquite animals by going to THIS LINK.
Cats? Yewbet. In fact, this is Wednesday on Wednesday. She’s almost 2 months old — came in on October 19 — and is a Brownish/Orangish kitten. Currently, she’s a staff foster and is #51355111. Remember, “We are more than overcrowded!” the shelter says.
CONTEMPLATIONS
ANIMALS, HUMANS, GEOGRAPHY
Here’s what we’ve decided on election day. The vote that matters in these paragraphs is “the no vote” on euthanizing animals for space at city animal shelters. It has the unpleasant aroma of the traditional Texas animal management practice: “Got a problem? Let’s kill it.” ...
So, we have to campaign with the populace to get every last animal onto the “let ‘em live” list in every taxpayer-supported animal shelter in the Great State of Texas. You’d think it wouldn’t be so hard to convince people that killing to open a space for the next animal to be killed is an immoral chain of disgust. But, nope. humans sometimes have a streak of stupid as wide as the Mississippi during flood season.
We’ll entertain ideas for publicizing the DON’T KILL THE ANIMALS campaign at dallrp@aol.com. And we’ll need a plan. And, like all animal saving efforts, we’ll have to do it on the cheap. We don’t have access to a city hall budget that buys euthanasia juice in barrels.
You might even link the bad rap to the lousy way humans approached caring for their own animals in the big city — check out the way covid and don’t-care- attitudes put so many dogs and cats on death row in Dallas. Read that “Dallas area” because, yes, outsiders see the whole big sprawl as “Dallas”, i.e.,variations of this conversation which I’m sure you may have witnessed. “Where do you live?” “Dallas” “Big city. What part?” “Arlington.” Coulda answered “Fort Worth” or “Irving” or “Denton” or “Austin” — nobody north of the Red River pays attention to Texas geography.
— Offer tips or jeers by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and open the note, DEAR IDIOT, so I’ll know it’s for me. —-

A Tuesday morning experiment....

This is a Tuesday morning experiment to see if the photos can be posted properly after the storm of uncertainty when our internet platform people announced they were going to improve the way we do things -- two or three weeks ago.
So, as you read this, hopefully you will be seeing a properly sized and clearly reprsented picture of my personal and lovely dog Porche Noel as she slumbers. That is my personal cat Stevie Ray in the basket. You've seen this photo previously --it's a tool of an experiment this morning.
What this involves is selecting the photo from the photo files, clicking on "edit," choosing a size for the photo and clicking on the "move it to the website button."

If all went well, this is what happened. It's an Election Day morning in Texas -- we'll see if the company keeps my vote. ....
Thank you for your patience,
Larry & Porche & Stevie Ray

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND AND YOUR LAND HAS ANIMALS TO RESCUE....

EDITION OF MONDAY/TUESDAY NOV. 7-8, 2022 [PetPowellPress] On Monday morning I awoke about 5 a.m. (third time I’d “come-to” since 1 a.m.). And I heard the guy on the radio say that there was thick fog all over the area and really limited visibility — less than a 100 feet in some places. Of course, with the time change in effect at our house, it was too dark to see the fog, anyway. 
The cats went back to sleep. (That’s Stevie Ray demonstrating that he can sleep in the fog as long as he’s in the office on his pillow.) As the cats snoozed, the dogs began waiting for breakfast — they have faith that things will turn out OK. It was a great Monday morning.
Be interesting to see if any fog clears up on Election Day. Relax. That’s just a joke.
FIVE FW DOGS READY
AND A CAT WAITS, TOO

On Monday morning I thought I’d click onto the Code Red list at Fort Worth Animal Care and Control.
Only five dogs. I’ve seen more, as have many rescuers. 
The guy who gets two photos is this 11-years-and-two-months-old fellow Jacque Couisnard. He’s a neutered retriever mix, the shelter says. Jacque (#39570387) came into the Chuck Silcox Animal Care & Adoption Center on November 5. Just two days ago and he’s already Code Red. No idea why. Got to be a clerical error, right? See all these Code Reds by clicking HERE.
Rules? Here’s what it says on the Code Red Page: “If your organization wishes to tag an animal for rescue: An email must be sent to FWACCTAG@fortworthtexas.gov by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on the day is it scheduled to be euthanized,

 

[LARRY FYI: These lousy reproductions are due to the still-"improving" platform I pay for -- they promise things will get better. Click on the artwor, or see better photos at the shelter website.]
and must include the following information: Organization name; Requestor name; Animal identification number ("A" number),
There are no “euthanasia dates on these listings, but the shelter can probably tell you if you’ve beaten the deadline and saved the dog.
See more Fort Worth shelter animals HERE. Dogs and cats. Dog adoptions are $49; cats are $25.
This girl is Maribel (#50079210), a 5-years-and-3-months-old girl who is spayed and small and
waiting at the PetSmart Alliance Adoption Center. She arrived in shelter care on September 24. [LARRY ASIDE: Why on earth would someone dump a cat like this? What is the matter with people? Hang on — don’t start answering that. We don’t have enough time to make the list.]
MEANWHILE, IN DALLAS,
WE LOOK AT A LAB AND A CAT
Like most people who pay attention to the inventories at shelters, I am consistently baffled by the animals that appear on the “available” lists in taxpayer-funded shelters that buy euthanasia juice by the barrels. 
It’s all part of the ol’ Texas-style theory of animal management: “Got a problem? Let’s kill it.”
So, once more, in an attempt to stand between animals and the Needle of Unnecessary Demise, we cite just TWO of the MANY, MANY dogs and cats in the Dallas Animals Services Shelter and Adoption Center. The shelter link is HERE.
When I saw the first photo of Violette, I thought “What a cute little dog” and then I went to Photo 2 and thought “That beautiful puppy is going to be 6 feet tall when she’s grown!”

Violette (#A1147100) is a year-old, 42-pound Lab currently in foster care with DAS. Her link is HERE.
Her bio says she’s a nap-lovin’ dog who loves “meeting new people.” And she loves treats,, too. She also likes “hanging out with my human.” And there’s this quote in her bio: “I get a little nervous when left alone and bark a bit so keep that in mind if you're in a home with shared walls.”
Among the many cats — young and older — in the care of Dallas Animal Services is this girl Arina (A1160177), a 9-month-old, 4-pound American Shorthair mix, says the shelter listing. Get in touch with the shelter via email or phone or drop-by the big facility on Westmoreland at I-30 and meet Arina. .
Email the shelter at dasadopt@dallascityhall.com, phone 214-670-6800 or stop by at
1818 North Westmoreland Road — that’s on the north side of I-30 at the Westmoreland exit. And, remember, DAS’s adoption fees are zero, zip, nada, nothin’ not one blamed cent currently. No matter how cute the critter is.
CONTEMPLATIONS
AN ASSORTMENT OF WHATEVER
Someone close to me when I eat out has been telling me she’s kind of tired of having a waitstaffer take an order and respond “Not a problem.” Yes, we are supporters of people in food service. We have had food servers in our family — they were not a problem, but they also were not “not a problem” servers. If the staffer says, “Not a problem,” does that indicate to you that at some point things WERE a problem in that restaurant. Was it the food? Was it the sanitation inspection? Has the cook declared, “If I get one more order for vegan nachos, there’s going to be a problem!” Ah, America. Land of plenty. Plenty of restaurants, plenty of griping. ….

Speaking of service, is it appropriate to take a service dog to vote with you? What? Registered? Of course, my politically active dog is registered! Porche Noel always votes with her heart and her brain. She says she likes using dog lingo to explain she’s going vote for “The biggest son of a b…..ch on the ballot.” I think she’s kidding. Pretty sure. She’s more thoughtful than a lot of human voters. And funnier than a lot of candidates, too. …
Here are two great songs for Election Day in the US of A. The great Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come captures the challenge. Listen to it HERE. 
And Arlo Guthrie’s daddy, the magnificent folkie Woody Guthrie perfectly captured the beauty of the nation when he wrote what we should all remember even when it’s not election day: This Land Is YOUR LAND. And if you want a version by someone proud to be Born in the USA, there’s The Boss’ version of what he calls “about the greatest song ever written about America.” Click HERE.
Here’s the opening verse, dear voters:
“This land is your land and this land is my land
“From California to the New York island
“From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
“This land was made for you and me.”

— Offer opinions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. God bless America. —