EDITION OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Monday was a dark, dreary, cold Winter day for an Autumn afternoon. The 
cat, Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson, sat at the window, looking out over the yard, and said, “I’m glad I let you take me in.”
Oh, and while I was running an errand that took me down Main Street. in Duncanville I ran across this Veterans Day U.S. flag coping with the chilly wind by doing an impression of the American flag left in Mare Tranquilitatis.
That’s where the flag was installed by Apollo 11 during the July, 1969, first manned landing mission. FYI: The second, with Fort Worth’s Al Bean piloting the lunar module, was launched on Nov. 14, 1969. All that is creeping up on a half-century ago.
As you know, 49 years later you can visit spas on the moon, order pizza via space drone and contribute to the Lunar Surface Spay/Neuter Fund. I’m kidding. But if man had colonized the moon, I bet there’d be feral cats introduced to deter the Souvenir Green Cheese Mice Breeding Program that got out of control. OK, never mind all that fiction, let’s move on.
NOVEMBER, DOGS, CATS
AND A NEW DALLAS SLOGAN
November is my favorite month. Many reasons. Surprises, for one thing, i.e., I managed to collapse and 
quickly go to sleep shortly after the end of that Dallas Cowboys game -- surprise, they won -- Sunday night only to be awakened about 3 a.m. by what sounded like a driving rainstorm in mid-November.
Yeah, loving November is based on weather, too. And, the food, too, which reminds me that I got an email Monday morning that has this subject line: “61% of the population is unsatisfied with their weight.” I think the writer meant to use “dissatisfied.” I believe “unsatisfied” indicates a need for more dessert in order to be satisfied.
And, of course, when we look at dallasanimalservices.org we are dissatisfied by the number of dogs and cats -- hundreds of them -- just one click of the clock away from the needle during the holiday season.
You see here the faces of four dogs -- these mugshots were pulled from the DAS website on Monday. I suspect there 
are not enough open homes in Dallas to handle the big load of unwanted animals at DAS -- after all the population of Dallas, the most fertile city in North America, is only around 1.5 million people and, gosh, they all surely already have their own dogs and cats, he typed sneeringly knowing full well that some of those residents are responsible for the massive number of unwanted dogs and cats. [LARRY ASIDE: The cruel thing is, I want all of them. I’d take every last one of them if we weren’t already full and if it were not for the fact that I consistently fail to pic the right Lotto Texas numbers.]
The cats? Well, that’s Whiskers (A1038258) with the question mark tail. And we’ve mentioned Trey (A1026829) before a couple of times -- he’s listed as a tricolor Siamese Mix who has been in the shelter since April. Someone must be looking out for him -- an angel, perhaps -- or else he’d have been stilled and that distinct face would never be seen again.
[LARRY ASIDE: LOOKING at the number of unwanted dogs and cats in Dallas, I’m moved to suggest that we need a new slogan in the city. “Spay and Neuter” works somewhat and “Let’s Fix This!” is said to be successful. “Big Things Happen Here” was tried in 2012. How about “COME TO DALLAS AND SEE WHO CARES”? Inspirational for current residents, don’t you think? What? Oh, no, it’s not supposed to be read “COME TO DALLAS AND SEE WHO GIVES A FLIP ABOUT THE ANIMALS THEY DUMP.” Read it kinder, gentler. Then find people who don’t care about animals and ask them to move out of town.]
A LITTLE DOG’S BILLS
AND THE CHALLENGES
We do know that people around here care.
Otherwise, Janie Perelman, a consistent animal rescue tipster, would not have gotten involved with the case of Boudreaux, the little dog featured in these photographs.
His name is, for now, Boudreaux -- he’s a “Stray No-Chip Poodle” which isn’t a breed, but more of hint of the 
lifestyle of his previous owner. Here’s an additional hint. On Nov 3, about 2 p.m., he was hit by a car in Irving. He crawled to a porch where he was allowed to lay and breathe in pain for 5 hours until somebody said, “I guess we oughta call somebody.” That’s when rescuer Paige Bradley got involved and got this poor baby and too him to the emergency vet.
The diagnosis was “fractured right front leg ulnar & right back hip dislocation that require surgery. No internal injuries.”
He got the name “Boudreaux because he is a French Poodle.”
Janie says Boudreaux has undergone surgery 
and is healing in the care of Cody’s Friends in Addison. “So much better but but has a very long way to go,” she writes. “His ER bill was about $1,300 --- surgery and care at about $3k and he needs to be fixed and needs some rehab.”
There are a few other things that need to be paid, so the GofFundMe page is still open HERE
And you see that photo of Boudreaux standing as if he might be moving? See that moving picture HERE.
[LARRY ASIDE: I clipped that “still” from the video of this little dog taking some steps and showing some spirit that, as a human who sometimes feels the sit-in-my-chair-and-stare blues, I envy. He’s a “keeper” if we can just find the right person to keep him.]
ONE LEAVES, ONE IS LEFT
IN THE JACKSBORO SHELTER
Once upon a time over the weekend there were two pregnant dogs in the shelter at Jacksboro, Texas. The brown dog Connie was rescued, but that left the white dog “still available and pregnant,” according to the note from Jessica Miller forwarded to us by Karen Lee of Barkleyworld.com.
Here’s the story on this girl: “She likes other dogs but no cat friends. She is very sweet. Our shelter has no ACO at the 
time. He moved so we’re trying to find a new ACO and various city employees helping out till new ACO is hired. Would like a place for this pregnant momma to go where people that are trained to deal with mommas can help. She has had her parvo/distemper and bordetella vacs and comes with a $35 donation to a rescue. Seeking rescue help for her and no individual adoption -- several people wanting her to sell puppies. We only believe in adoption and would like pups to get spayed and neutered.”
Here’s the contact: jessmiller27@hotmail.com.
[AND HERE’S THE PRIVATE NOTE to the people who want that dog so they can sell her puppies. Wait. I forgot. I’m trying to be a kinder person.]
WANT TO HELP SOME
KAUFMAN COUNTY CATS?
We got the note on this need from our reliable tipster, Sydney Busch, of the Friends of the 
Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. The Friends, who operate the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas, keep up with things in the Greater Laketroplex.
One of the current needs involved Kaufman County Cats, a non-profit rescue. Sydney’s note says the organization has “on-going adoption space at T-Bar-T on Highway 175 in Kaufman. Help is needed with their Wednesday morning cat care -- arrive between 8 and 9 a.m., work for 2 hours, all supplies are provided.” And, the note reads, “This is your chance to make a difference.” To volunteer, call or text 214-502-6567.
Read about the organization at www.kaufmancountycats.org.
[LARRY ASIDE: The group also has a “barn cat” program. Yep, that’s from the website: a cat and a horse. They ran at Louisiana Downs in the spring and that cat won by two lengths. Here they are re-enacting their legendary finish as the cat jets past the horse and shouts “Giddyup!” I’m kidding. But read up on barn cats. They’re vital and loved.]
A VERY UNUSUAL
‘BE ON THE LOOKOUT!’
We’ve posted these alerts many times -- usually for runaway dogs, lost dogs and burgled dogs. This time the reason the dog is missing is quite 
personally unfortunate for his people.
The basics of Ziggy’s story appear on this online poster. (Here’s a Facebook LINK.
Click on the artwork on our page to make it grow -- the dog could be anywhere, but, according to those hunting Ziggy, he’s probably along the I-40 route west of Texas and maybe even west of New Mexico. You never know. Dogs and people have been known to make u-turns. So we’re posting it -- extra eyes always help.
nd here’s a video of the investigation and tracking of Ziggy.
Take time to watch it and forward the link to people you know who can watch for Ziggy -- he might be in a shelter or in a rescue group or in a private home or standing on a corner somewhere. Bless his heart.
AND, ANOTHER CHIHUAHUA-MIX
GETS THE THUMB FROM A HUMAN
Holy smoke, how can people dump these wonderful little dogs? (Asked the guy who has two rescued Chihuahuas in his 
dog-filled past).
This is Brownie, a 7-year-old who is listed by Mesquite Animal Shelter as a “Chiweenie,” reports the shelter’s volunteer biographer Judi Brown. Surrendered on November 8. Why?
Judi writes, “The reason given was she is aggressive to animals. Since no surrender form was turned in I have no other information. However, when I took her 
through the bay she did not appear interested in meeting the other dogs and she backed away from the cats. She did not appear aggressive. As you can see from the expression on her face and her eyes she is bewildered. She is timid and will need TLC to build trust. ... Unfortunately she has had another strike against her and that is she has tested heartworm positive. This little sweetie only weighs 10 pounds. She really really needs a hero!”
To ask about helping this girl Brownie (and maybe even asking if that rug is for sale since it goes so well with her, call the shelter at 972 -216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Use Brownie’s ID 40127758 in correspondence and calls.
CONTEMPLATIONS
SHOWBIZ, STAN LEE & MOVIES
Suddenly my spirits are boosted by a note from the great Pegasus Theatre -- home of the beloved “Living Black and White” stage 
productions. In a note about getting season tickets to the Pegasus productions we read the joyous tidings. Clowning Around With Murder! by Kurt Kleinmann runs December 29-January 20 at the Eisemann Center in Richardson. The production is described as “a brand new Harry Hunsacker adventure in Living Black and White.” Yes. It’s comedy, it’s drama, it’s laughter, it’s legend -- Pegasus Theatre and Kurt Kleinmann’s creativity. See the details of the 2019 season at http://pegasustheatre.org. Call 214-821-6005 or email comedy@pegasustheatre.com.
Merciful heavens, we can use some good comedy after the election season and before the 2020 campaign really gears up. It hasn't, has it?
STAN LEE ... Well, goodness. What can you say about someone whose work has been around since before the day you discovered comic books? From Baby Boomer Childhood to guest spots on The Big Bang Theory. Enduring, that’s the word. Thank you, Stan Lee and we hope you appreciate that we appreciate the sentiment in your quote.
AND THEN THERE’S LONE STAR. Movies we all need to see on a regular basis for an emotional boost? There 
are movies you could watch at least once or twice a year. Possibly the greatest film of the 20th century, Casablanca, for example. Or The Maltese Falcon or The Thin Man. Or The Godfather (just once a year, that way you can work in Godfather II.) Or, John Sayles’ great story of modern Texas, Lone Star, from 1996. Here’s the trailer with Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, Chris Cooper and, rest her soul, the magnificent Elizabeth Pena who has the best closing line in any movie ever about love in Texas. It’s a movie that’s so big it needs at least two trailers, at least. Here’s a second one.
And here is Conjunto Bernal with Mi Unico Camino from the movie. This film is another reason to love Texas -- square deals, justice, revenge, come-uppance and romance. Heck, yeah, I love Texas.
--- To offer an “Amen” or advice, click on “comment” below or email dallrp@aol.com. Viva Tejas. ---
