ReadLarryPowell.com

A TREE, SOME DOWNERS WITH HOPE, TWO PERDITAS AND PRAYERS

EDITION OF MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2020 [PetPowellPress] In keeping with the tradition of our marriage, my yulespouse Martha and I took down our Christmas tree Sunday — we usually leave the tree in place until after Martha’s birthday. It makes our hearts happy to be reminded of the holiday and the people.
The dogs and cats quickly adjusted to the vacant spot on the western wall of the living room though Simon The Cat carped about having to find a new place to catch his catnaps. A cat carps with a "protestive" “arrowwwarrrowwww.” Repeat, wince, repeat. Cat people know how that goes.
Simon left a note suggesting that we bring another tree into the house and plant it. Two boy dogs’ eyes lit up and then they remembered they’re house-trained. Good dogs. Good dogs.

Anyway, now I have a big plastic bag of flocked tree branches and trunk pieces in the garage and a load of memories of smiles and laughter and lovely moments with people I love. Throughout the entire season, I encountered happy people. Merry, I believe the word is.
THREE STORIES ABOUT HUMANS
THAT JUST MAKE ME WINCE
OK, I'M NOT WINCING ABOUT ALL humans. But a lot of them.
I’m a slow learner when it comes to the human condition. I keep expecting the best out of humankind.
 You'd think that by now, having lived through the Civil Rights struggle, the assassinations of the '60s, the war protests, etc., I'd wise up about the flawed nature of humanity. But, stupidly, no and I still live with hope. Peace now, you know? At readlarrypowell.com we write a lot about people helping animals. Now and then we write about people helping people. 
But, on Saturday morning I got a one-two punch that convinces me we all need to refocus on putting more bad people in jail or something — the word “something” meaning I don’t have a clue about what to do. But we do need to focus on restricting and kindly redirecting the bad-acting creeps. 
I'm a former newspaper reporter/editor/columnist who personally saw many victims of violence and meanness. Plus, I worked as an ambulance driver/attendant in the '60s and put my hands in the blood of others while trying to help them get either to a hospital or a funeral home.
 I've seen human-on-human horror and human-on-animals horror up close. Burned dogs. Beaten dogs. Mutilated cats. 
Still, two stories -- discovered back to back on a peaceful Saturday -- sucked some of the optimism out of my soul.  One is the story of a New York cop and his fiancee charged with second-degree murder because they put an 8-year-old boy in a garage and left him there until he died of hypothermia. That's the headline on a newspage online. If you haven’t seen the story, here’s the ABC version. It’ll make you mad, too, and if it doesn’t and it doesn’t break your heart, get some help.
Then there was the story from Georgia about the abandoned momma dog (that's her after the rescue) dragging a crate with her 4 puppies in it because her collar had been tied to the crate. Some human did that. The animals are safe now — these animals. But the human still probably has access to other animals or will have. Here’s a version of the story from a Los Angeles TV station — yeah, it’s a coast-to-coast story. I saw it on Facebook and it made me angry and sad that a human heart can be so empty.
Then, there’s the story of Oliver, the year-old Poodle who is the emotional support dog for a man in Irving. The dog was stolen. Here’s the NBC5 story (with numbers to call).
If you know someone who suddenly has a new cute little black Poodle that answers to “Oliver,” call the cops. Put the bad guys in the slammer and get the dog back to where he belongs.
Burglars count dogs as the victim’s sale-able property. What kind of hearts do they have?
[LARRY ASIDE: Look, I know these three stories represent a genuinely crummy way to start the week. But I’ve got to get the mean thoughts out of my soul. Or try to. I’m a bit of a pacifist and I know I shouldn’t be daydreaming a delivering a good beating to somebody who really deserves it. But, sadly, I have a dark side. Not as evil as some of the creeps roaming the planet. But it's not the way I want to be. These other people shouldn't want to be this way, either.]
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN,
KEEN MARKETING PLAN FOR A CAT…
My funspouse Martha spotted this tale of how an animal shelter got some positive attention for a cat who needed a home. [LARRY ASIDE: She's now tied for my favorite Perdita with the actress Perdita Weeks of the new Magnum, P.I.] Click HERE. The link to the Mitchell County Animal Rescue facility in Spruce Pine, N. C. is HERE.
MESQUITE'S BOY NAMED ROKY
& GIRL NAMED ALANNA
This guy with the light-up eyes is Roky, a 2-year-old, 63-pound “mixed-breed youngster”
who was surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Services Shelter on the 21st. Why? “Surrender reason was vague in that the owner reported he could not handle him anymore.” Oddly, the dog “walks well on a leash … did not show aggressions. He knows the sit command…..” Yeah, dumped dog. He’s #43655570 at the shelter.
This beauty Alanna is 7-month-old Black Mouth Cur mix surrendered to the shelter on the 23rd and, our tipster Judi Brown says, no idea why. The pup has “soft, tawny fur and dark inquiring eyes,” she writes and adds, “She appears to be a happy, fun loving girl that is friendly and affectionate. She definitely wants to go home with someone. She even paws at the window to get your attention. … Alanna weighs 35 pounds. Bonus: she is already SPAYED!” (She’s #42866867.)
For either dog, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Use their ID numbers to help the shelter.
CONTEMPLATIONS
A friend of mine had a one word message after word of Kobe Bryant’s death hit the social media circuit. “Prayers,” he typed. … We find, now and then, that mean people cause wretched damage to our faith in a “normal” existence. So, too, does fate. Quoting my pal’s appropriate post: “Prayers.” … Not to linger with Christmas 2019 too long into 2020, but I’m going to pull out a quote from Charles Dickens and cite Tiny Tim’s appropriate line — appropriate for grown ups, kids and animals. “God bless us, every one.” It's a line that fits every day in our lives.
— Get serious or give us something to smile about by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing Larry Powell at dallrp@aol.com. —

WENDY, THE ACCOMMODATING DOG

In our fortunate lives, my fellow animal lovers, we encounter many personalities. Sometimes a dog or cat starts out "iffy" and, with your hard, kind, patient work, becomes a darling. Yes, a darling.
That is not the case of this girl. She has never been anything but a darling.
This is Wendy -- my rescuespouse Martha's personal dog. She gave Wendy her full name: Wednesday Louise Wagstaff Arden. Total darling. [That's why she's the featured pup in this weekend's edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.]

She also is The Accommodating Dog. One of the online dictionaries defines the adjective "accommodating" thusly: "Willing to fit in with someone's wishes or needs."
That's as in "Wendy, I need you to help me with my breakfast" or "Wendy, I wish you'd flop down and nod off while I'm working."

Martha rescued her from a wayward, unsafe life -- Wendy was chasing a couple of teenagers down Polk Street near Love Freeway and the teens wanted to find a home for her, they told Martha. She didn't belong to anybody and people in a nearby apartment complex were mean to this bright, wonderful, puppygirl. 
Martha said, "I'll take her" and that was around 9 years ago. And Wednesday Louise Wagstaff Arden (named for the Irene Dunne character in My Favorite Wife and the Doris Day character in the remake Move Over, Darling).
How accommodating is Wendy? Each morning she shares breakfast with me. That's correct. She and I share a bowl of oatmeal -- it has blueberries or bananas or cinnamon. Sometimes all three. Rarely butter -- I'm watching my entire diet -- a team of physicians encourages this deny-the-butter obsessive compulsive behavior.

Wendy prefers that I take a spoonful and drop the contest so she can catch it in flight -- you know, like you wish a Texas Rangers' fielder could do every time.  [LARRY ASIDE: It's difficult to toss a spoonful of oatmeal while simultaneously snapping a photo. Hence, in thse pictures Wendy enjoys the spoon-fed treatment she deserves.]
You see here a collection of Wendy's accommodating sleeping poses. She'll sleep parallel to the floor on the couch. She'll curl up in a cat bed and she'll demonstrate that she can also curl up on a round rug in the home office -- a round rug and a dog willing to be round, too. That's accommodating the reality of the universe -- not everything is rectangular.

While she will sleep in the human bed, in the middle of the night she will gently rise, tiptoe to the edge, stepping over humans and cats and Porche Noel, then leap majestically off the bed, land lightly as a snowflake and pad down the darkened hall and into the living room to crawl up onto her favorite sofa and enjoy a restful sleep not bothered by human snores or frustrated cries of "Porche, move over."
To show you how Wendy accommodates the sleeping restrictions in a cat bed, I've included a photo of Porche Noel trying to sleep in the cat bed. Porche, a much shorter (height and length) dog is not accommodating.

Nope, there's only one dog so inclined in this edition -- The Accommodating Dog, Wendy. 
I'm hoping to teach her to make oatmeal. You never know -- we could have the beginning of a chain of breakfast restaurants. The Accommodating Dog's Oatmeal & Biscuits Breakfast Bar. I'm pretty sure she can learn how to knead from my confidant, The Senator, who has a history of shaping successful mergers of differing substances by reaching across the aisle with his friendly paw.
He's accomplished oatmeal/raisin cookies and has a handle on the use of flour in cupcakes. Biscuits are just a hot pan away from being served.
[Maybe your cat can't cook and your dog can't accommodate, but they can sleep. Snap photos of the dogs sleeping and the cats napping and email them to dallrp@aol.com. We'll post them in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, our long-running weekend feature. You'll be inspiring people to embrace a household companion and you'll suggest to insomniacs that they, too, can catch some sleep if they can just curl up in a cat bed without needing a chiropractor the next morning.]

--- Offer opinions or biscuit recipes by clicking on 'comment' below or by emailing the biscuit-eating vegetarian at dallrp@aol.com. ---

EARHOUNDS, RESCUED DOGS, AVAILABLE CATS, STATE FAIR GRANTS AND A PIG

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2020 [PetPowellPress]

“HELLO! I’M LISTENING!”

That was the first thing I thought when I saw this photo of a dog who is called “Bunny” and also answers to “Friend.” More on her in a moment.
In the meantime, we’ll also hook you up with the info on the organizations that will be helped by the money you spent at the State Fair of Texas. 
And, I’d have been mowing my yard Thursday morning if it were not for Stock Show Weather -- colder and wetter than State Fair weather. Thank you, Fort Worth Livestock Show. Now, let’s move on through the leftover mud of winter.
FOUR AVAILABLE DOGS
IN THE EVERMAN SHELTER
In Thursday’s report, we focused on the dog Lil Bueno, afflicted with a gangbuster case of mange.
( See Thursday's edition. Email Heather Harrison at nickale7@yahoo.com to help him.)
Heather also mentioned four other dogs that need a rescue or adoption at the Everman Animal Shelter. 
Here are the bios: 

“JJ -- 2 yr old, male Rottweiler mix.  Large, handsome fella with lots of energy!  Loves toys & playing.  Fully vetted, Heartworm positive.
“DODGE -- 2 yr old, male Hound mix.  Sweet, docile guy that just wants to be loved.  Very submissive & loving.  Dog friendly. He was brought into the shelter after being hit by a car.  Has since recovered & is doing excellent.
“TEDDY -- 3 yr old, male German Shepherd mix.  Gorgeous guy that will steal your heart with his endless love.  Cautious of new people but warms up quickly. Fully Vetted, Heartworm Positive.
“CLEVELAND -- 2 yr old, male Lab/Pointer mix.  He is a big, stout boy that loves to explore!  Always has his nose to the ground looking for something good.  Loves to get tummy rubs & scratches.  Fully Vetted.”

Heather’s note included this reason for the appeal: “These dogs have been at the shelter for months without any adoption interest due to minimal foot traffic.  They are all so deserving of a home to call their own!”  Again, email NICKALE7@YAHOO.COM.

FROM THE MESQUITE SHELTER,
A SICK BOY’S APPEAL; PLUS MORE
We’re getting Mesquite Animal Services info from two sources these days. Two people who love dogs: Debra Chisholm and Judi Brown. 
Barclay’s situation is outlined by Debra and it begins with this note from the shelter director: “Barclay is not only gorgeous, he is a really well-mannered guy.

“Unfortunately, Barclay became lethargic and was coughing yesterday so we sent him to the vet and he was diagnosed with pneumonia. The vet is keeping him until tomorrow [Friday] to give him some respiratory therapy that we can't provide at the shelter.  We would love to get him into a foster home after that where he could recover better than in our isolation kennels which are pretty full right now.”

The background is that Barclay, a Lab mix, came in as a stray on January 12. He’s about a year old, weighs 58 pounds and has an “attractive coat and beautiful hazel eyes.” He’s good on a leash, does his business efficiently and is “a calm pup.” He “takes treats gently and is a friendly sweet-natured youngster.” His ID is 43599441. Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

 That brings us to Judi Brown’s appeal for Bunny, the 4-year-old, 35-pound white Earhound Pittie who arrived as a stray on the 14th. Judi wrote, “I think it’s obvious why she goes by the name Bunny.  One of the ACOs calls her Friend. And she adores him! She also is OK with one of the male kennel techs. However, she is fearful of some men and will bark and pull away from them. A volunteer behavioral specialist is going to come in and work with her on this issue. So right now she is a work in progress. As you can see she’s absolutely adorable. Her blue eyes, stand up ears and freckles will really catch your eye. You would get a lot of compliments walking this dog!

“When I walked into her kennel I was greeted with wiggles and kisses. When we were outside she stayed close wanting extra attention. She just kept looking up at me with her gorgeous, captivating eyes. She sits for treats but nobody would accuse her of taking the treats gently.” Her ID is 43611202. Again, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite. com.
Still waiting in Mesquite? Raymond Noodle. He’s ID 42543537. The 3-1/2-year-old fellow has been in the shelter since AUGUST TWENTY-SECOND, TWENTY NINETEEN. For crying out loud. See more Mesquite cats and dogs online HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE COMMA, THE FAIR & THE PIG

Oh, and there was this subject line in an email from The Old Farmer’s Almanac. It read “Get rid of bad smells, herb folklore, muscle twitches, broccoli soup.” I’m thinking this is a time when a semicolon between topics would be appropriate unless someone has figured out a way to get rid of all four of those things at once. ...
IN THE YEARS that I’ve been getting email and news releases from the State Fair of Texas Senior VP for PR Karissa Condoianis I’ve never run across a “comma blunder,” as we used to call them in the days when grammar mattered. Anyway, in Thursday’s email we got the great note about all the agencies and causes the State Fair is helping on the southern side of Big D. The subject line on the email from Karissa read “More than $483,000 in Grants Awarded to 67 South Dallas Nonprofits.” Click HERE to see the news release and the list… And, of course, something else to contemplate: Sept. 25-Oct. 18. “Alex, when is the 2020 State Fair of Texas?” Check out details of the Fair at bigtex.com.  …
ON THE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES Facebook page Thursday, we saw this photo and read the question “Doesn't Apollo (#A1092113) look like he's sporting some stylish white mascara? This handsome Rottweiler has small touches of white fur on his face and body that we think make him look just so unique! What do you think?” In case you have room for a cat, Dallas Animal Services has those, too. This one we’ve mentioned before and can’t believe he’s still around. That’s Levi (A1083596), maybe 6-months old, in the shelter care since December 16, and currently in a foster home. Email DASadopt@dallascityhall.com. See more Dallas animals — there’s a special underway, $5) — at dallasanimalservices.org. Contemplate this: In a metropolitan area of MILLIONS of people, Dallas has 353 dogs, 67 cats and 23 “other” waiting for a home. Are you telling me there aren’t 400 homes that need a Dallas animal? Most of those “others” are hamsters and guinea pigs, but there was, briefly Thursday, a listing for an 8-month-old nameless girl pig (A1093926). She came in as a stray on Jan. 21. Yep, a stray pig in Dallas. Green Acres is the place to be.
— Offer advice or money-making options by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email dallrp@aol.com. —

WILL SHELTER PAINTING THREATEN ANIMALS? SAVING SOME DOGS; STOPPING TV 'KILLERS'

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JAN. 23, 2020 [PetPowellPress] As we move ever-so-gently toward the last day of a 4-day work week, we’ll try to remember that adopting animals and rescuing them is a 7-day-a-week job. The hours are kind of like being in Congress, but the mission is much clearer.
That’s our formerly hand-held baby Simon carefully monitoring the Channel 11 weather forecast. He’s studying meteorlogy in hopes of making a career jump. That’s what he says, if I understood his mewing correclty. [LARRY ASIDE: We’re going to press early with this edition to give humans more time to react to the animal needs. For example, there’s the pain/remodel project at Lancaster that maybe threatening the lives of animals with no other place to go. Keep reading.]
A HANDSOME DOG
CURRENTLY IN A FIX
Here’s a dog that bit the hand that wasn’t feeding it and is now on the clock in Wood County, maybe 90 minutes to 1 hours east of Dallas if it’s not raining (Yantis, Lake Ford, that area…). We got this tip from Gail Whelan of Companion Animal network.
Here’s the story she forwarded from the Wood County Sheriff’s office in Quitman. It has important personality notes.
Deputy Bonnie Espinoza reports that the dog is going to court on Friday and “if we don’t find a place fo him soon, he will be euthanized.” 
He was picked up by the Sheriff’s office last week. “From my understanding,” she writes, “He had been abandoned and was surviving by eating out of trash cans in the neighborhood.  He was in the process of eating out of a trash can when a lady decided to pick him. Which led him to bite her. The dog and the woman were not familiar with each other. 

“Since he had been in our care at the Sheriff's Office. The dog has been a very sweet dog. He is NOT aggressive. He is a couple of years old, house-broken, very loving and loves attention. I went out to greet him today. All he could do is give me kisses. He hasn't shown any aggression. He lays down in front of you to rub his belly. I assume the dog got scared when the lady tried to pick him up from his back while he was digging through the trash.”

Clearly this guy — a shorthaired Border Collie mix, probably — is a good guy.
To offer to take him in and save his life by giving him a wonderful home, email jbonnieespy@yahoo.com or call 903-850-2119.
THE PHOTO OF LIL BUENO
DEMONSTRATES A NEED…
Yep, it was that picture of the horribly manged-up pup that got me.
The tip on Lil Bueno’s situation came from Heather Harrison, a veteran of monitoring rescue needs in Everman, just south of Fort Worth.
Here note reads, “Lil Bueno is a 6-month-old, male Pitbull mix pup.  He is suffering from severe demodex mange.

“He has been treated at the vet’s office but is not able to heal due to the stress of the shelter.   His condition is only worsening.

“He is a sweet l'il fella that just wants someone to love him.  Very sweet & affectionate.  Loves to play with toys & other dogs.  Has first vaccines.” 
To offer to help Lil Bueno, contact Heather at NICKALE7@YAHOO.COM.
There are also several other Everman shelter dogs in need of a home. Ask Heather about them.
LANCASTER REPAINT, REMODEL
MEANS ANIMALS NEED OUT,
4-LEGGED HELPERS SAY
This note from Laura Macias, president of the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers, demonstrates a bit of a panic over some progress at the Lancaster Animal Shelter.

Her note reads, “We understand the shelter will be closing for paint and remodel sometime soon (we are waiting now to hear the exact date) and these dogs now desperately need out. They are already painting the outside of the shelter so this means soon they will be working on the inside and no dog or cat will be able to be there when that happens.  Please, won't you help save a life???  You won't meet more deserving dogs.  They desperately need you... please…”
To help get the animals out of the way of the remodel/repaint project, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
By rescuing the animals, the 4-Legged Helpers theory is, they will not be euthanized to make room for the project. 
The note had a number photos attached — all dogs, but there are cats, too. We’re focusing on the dog that’s said to be first on the euthansia list. That is this Bulldog Mix Luke, “sweetest guy ever — great with other dogs.” He’s described as “cuddly, cute and loveable.”
And, look at that face — he’s been given the nickname “Yoda.” Ask Laura about helping him. And all the others.
CONTEMPLATIONS
TYPING CHALLENGE;MEAN TV & PEOPLE
One other reason we’re going to press early is I have keyboard problems with my computer — not sure why. But it affects my mood. Changed the batteries, said a voodoo chant and held the keyboard toward a dictionary so I could implore the electricity to move the letters and words into the keyboard. I’ll wait ‘till my technospouse Martha gets home and she’ll fix it. I swear, she’s a brain. I promise, I am not. ….
I may be no brain, but I do have a heart. So I signed the petition protesting a mean TV show. People want to get Trapping Time TV off the air. Here’s the LINK . It’s not on my cable system, but those animals being murdered and displayed are on my Earth and I don’t like it. Feel the same way about that other killer clown Bear Grylls, that pretend adventurer on TV who once appeared to pick up a jungle iguana by its tail and wham its head against a tree -- that I saw, by accident. The guy then turned it into a meal — for show biz. He’s traveling with a video team. Nobody’s starving. They were killing just to kill. Geezalou, that is wrong no matter what your ratings. 

And then there was this sad story on CBS 11 about some son-of-a-bitch (Pardon my entirely accurate French) who shot and killed a Longhorn named Bud just for the hell of it. We have laws in Texas that ought to be applied to this creep. …

I’m puzzled by this deadly behavior on and off TV. And I’m puzzled by people who have the need to kill. I once shot a brown thrush with my new BB gun. I was about 10. I’ve never gotten over the loss of life of that bird that was freely flying and chirping away until I killed it. I looked at the once vibrant, pretty bird and could not abide that feeling in my own heart. It no longer moved. It no longer sang. It did not fly. What a horrible thing I did. If I could bring that bird back to life, I’d do it at this very moment. How stupid was I? Very. That awful act stains my soul — and I think about it when I hear and see birds of all kinds. We all ought to work at getting smarter, for the sake of all the beings that share this planet with us. God bless the animals. Forgive me for my heartless behavior.
—- Offer opinions by clicking on ‘comment’ below. —-

FROM ROYALTY TO CATS AND YODA AND DOGS AND RESCUE AND A STAR NAMED GREER -- ALL IN A WEDNESDAY REPORT, PLUS CHEAP BEER

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Upon second thought I guess nobody will be starting a gofundme for Harry and Meaghan…Yep, pretty sure I’m glad I was not able to prove by connection to the royal family. Just seems like a lot of trouble to be in or out of the family.
 Speaking of famous characters, the SPCA of Texas is selling Baby Yoda shirts now. See the sale at spca.org. And while you’re there, you can see some fantastic cats, such as this girl Lucy (41476885) with the illuminated eyes! She’s from Earth, not from a Galaxy far, far away. She’s 10-years, 6-months old and currently in SPCA foster care. And, about that dog — Earhound he is. Tanner his name is. And the 5-year-old Chihuahua mix (#42416691) came into the SPCA as a result of a cruelty case in August. He’s in foster care right now for “trust-building and socialization.” Go to spca.org to see how to adopt, how to help with cruelty cases and how to get involve with finding homes for dogs and cat, hamsters and horses, etc.
IN AND OUT
OF THE SHELTER
Here’s one of those rare stories. Early on Tuesday the folks from 4-Legged Helpers posted a note about this “beautiful, injured dog, Jacob, at the Lancaster Animal Shelter. He is very sweet. The PD brought him in and thought his right front paw or leg could be broken.” 
An appeal was issued, then, a few hours later, called off because, according to a note from 4-Legged Helpers Prez Laura Macias, “Owner came. Not sure what happened from there, but just heard owner showed up at shelter.” 

So, if the story is as thought, Jacob has some help.
Still, there are other animals in the low-traffic, small Lancaster Shelter that need help. And 4-legged Helpers is hustling to help them. Volunteer to help with transport or organization publicity and paperwork by contacting Laura. Call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
These two dogs, Landry (left) and Hayden are also in the Lancaster Shelter. They were found “out and about together.” 

But you can tell by looking at them that Landry is happy to meet you and Hayden may have a theory about what happens to dogs in a kill shelter in a small town where human foot traffic is limited in the city’s animal storage facility. Get in touch with Laura to save their lives.

HOW DOES A GUY LIKE A.J.
WIND UP IN A CITY SHELTER?
Four-letter word answers that question: STRAY.
Came into the Mesquite Animal Shelter on January 10. Our tipster on A.J., Debra Chisholm, describes him as “delightful.” He’s about a year old, walks well on a leash and isn’t a big barker in the shelter environment. “A.J. loves to chase balls and brings them back — sometimes, that is,” she writes. And she describes him as a real charmer, a youngster with an outgoing personality and lots of puppy energy. … This would seem to be a dog well suited for an active person or family who would take him for walks, runs, exercise or play with him. “ His ID is 43589416. Use it when you email rescues@cityofmesquite.com or call the shelter at 972-216-6283.
BIRDY WAITS IN DENTON
That’s Birdy with the “Oh, Lord, what’s going to happen to me now?” look on her face. She’s around a year old, a Lab/Great Pyr mix who’s healthy at 44.7 pounds and “people friendly (including children, dog & cat friendly, leash-trained, rides well in the car…” 
As our tipster Amy Poskey wrote, “I’m so surprised nobody has scooped this extremely sweet girl up, yet.  I believe Birdy is made of pure sugar!  Being an athletic puppy shouldn’t be a mark against cuz all she needs is someone to believe in her and take the time to show her the ropes.  And, anyway, all you have to do is look into her beautiful eyes to see her huge heart and loving soul!  Please give Birdy the chance she deserves and the love she craves!!!”

To offer to give Birdy a home, email gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com,  julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com, Ethel.Strother@cityofdenton.com. Call the shelter at 940-349-7594.
CONTEMPLATIONS
AUGUST, A STAR & A HOCKEY MATCH
Before we visit the topic of Greer Garson, let’s just declare that we’ve had enough of winter and we’re almost ready to declare we miss August. … Back to the great Greer Garson, the exquisite start of films and, yes, a queen of the cinema who left England for the New World — so, yep, Meaghan isn’t the first. Ms. Garson is a beloved star. How she comes up in this is I caught a nocturnal rerun of Father Knows Best from November 1957. That’s right — one of the greatest stars in Hollywood history did a guest spot on a lesson-teaching sitcom. She was born in 1904 in London — so she was just 53 at the time. She’d been married to oilman E.E. “Buddy” Fogelson since 1949. The beautiful Ms. Greer has a Dallas connection — she lived in Big D for years and, in fact, is buried next to her husband at Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park in Dallas. She also has a Fort Worth connection: She starred in Blossoms in the Dust as Edna Gladney, founder of her namesake children’s home in Fort Worth. Anybody who’s watched Green Garson’s films has a favorite — mine is Random Harvest with the great Ronald Coleman (that's a photo from the film). If only I had a voice like Ronald Coleman's, I wouldn't be typing for a living! Just some viewing tips or people who like movies that aren’t computer-generated. …. Wondering about football? Or sign-stealing baseball? A guy I know went to a Fort Worth Barracuda’s Mountain West Hockey League match against the Texas Diamonds of the Black Diamond Hockey League. His report? “I got 3 beers for 10 dollars and saw four fights. I’m a hockey guy from now on.” And that’s the sports report. Now, back to Congressional coverage in Washington where you can’t possibly get 3 beers for 10 bucks. Might see four fights.
—- Offer analyses of American’s issues or hopeful thoughts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

CATS & DOGS, PLUS A CONTEMPLATION ABOUT 'UN-ADOPTING' AN ANIMALS

EDITION OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020 [PetPowellPress] You’ll note that January 21, according to the online calendar Holiday Insights, is National Hugging Day. Appropriate at our house because it’s also my funspouse Martha’s birthday. 
Two things: 
(1) She no longer allows me to post photos of her and prefers emoji representation. And there it is.
(2) I asked Martha if she wanted to comment on her birthday and my theatricalspouse replied without a split-second hesitation, “I’ll be sad to leave my 30s behind….Again.”

In honor of Martha's birthday, I'm posting this photo of Oliver (A1091672), an older individual-- about Martha's age, I guess. He's 8 and he's been in the care of Dallas Animal Services since January 15. He's currently at the PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center, 16821 N. Coit Rd. in Dallas. Call the center at 972-381-1588, ext. 5. If you wanted to adopt an animal in honor of someone, Martha would be a good person to honor by giving a dog or a cat a lifelong home. That lifelong home philosophy is her theory with cats, dogs and husbands. Honest.
THREE NOTES FROM
OUT AT THE LAKE
Yep, our tipster is the great Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake, the organization that operates the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City on Tuesdays. 
Here are the animal appeals followed by a sale pitch that benefits the clinic.

(1) This dog Topaz needs a home because, her human says, “she is not getting along with our other dogs any more. We have tried everything to remedy the situation and nothing has worked.” The 75-pound, spayed Lab-Pittie mix is also up to date on vaccinations. She also has “storm anxiety” and “she loves and wants to be near her people…..she is a wonderful dog. … excellent with children….also very smart.”
Email zephyra13@yahoo.com.

(2) Then there’s this beautiful Afghan Hound, Sweet Pea. 
Sydney tipped me on Sweet Pea and I called Mal Smith to check on the dog’s availability. Still waiting, Mal says. Three-year-old Sweet Pea is spayed, has her vaccinations and is house-trained. She’s 3 years old and is uncomfortable with other dogs and kids.
But, Sweet Pea is otherwise “loving, affectionate and funny” and, appropriately for a dog living near a lake, she “loves to ride in boats.”
To ask about her, call Mal at 972-231-4663.
(3) And after two cool dogs, we offer an opportunity to help Friends of the Animals with a tumbler purchase.

Sydney’s note says these S’well tumblers keep your drinks “hot or cold” — “as you like it for hours.”

Usually retails at $20, but they’re going for $10 at the clinic from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays or on the second Saturdays from 10 to noon.

There are, says Sydney, “tons of colors.”


The Friends site is friendsoftheanimals.org and the Facebook page is HERE.
TWO YOUNGSTERS IN MESQUITE
Angel Bear, the 7-month-old Lab/Aussie Shepherd mix, came into the Mesquite Animal Shelter on the 19th because “the owners could no longer afford her.” The report on Angel Bear (#4304- 7819) is that she’s “got a wonderful personality. She’s friendly, happy, fun-loving sweet and affectionate…She chases balls and retrieves them, but does not want to give them up. She wants you to chase her.” Indoor dog at 51 pounds. Call 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com to ask about Angel Bear.
Then, there’s Monica, a Siberian Husky/Alaskan Malamute mix who arrived as a stray on the 14th. She’s about a year old and “is a spunky and energetic girl who is friendly and sweet-natured.” Her ID# is 43615433. Use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

The bio reads, “She is a pup with an enthusiastic attitude and personality.”
LET’S TALK SQUIRRELS
In our opening paragraphs today, we noted that Holiday Insights listed January 21 as “National Hugging Day.” It also lists the 21st of January as “National Squirrel Appreciation Day.” I don’t know anyone who has ever hugged a squirrel on January 21, but I’m sure it has happened. 
The Insights people cite the origin of Squirrel Appreciation Day as Christy Hargrove, an animal rehabilitator in Asheville, N.C., “affiliated with the Western North Carolina Nature Center.”
 What you see here is a photo from The Shorthorn campus newspaper at the University of Texas at Arlington. That’s an urban squirrel captured in a relaxing position in a tree by photographer Presley Glotfelty. And the headline on a story from last April by the talented Cecilia Lenzen (HERE), wonders “UTA SQUIRRELS: FUZZY FRIENDS OR FEISTY FOES?” Read the story for a new appreciation of urban campus squirrels. [FYI: There are a few wildlife rehab organizations and individuals in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area. After all, they’re cute and it’s their world, too.]
CONTEMPLATIONS

A LOOK AT REALITY
Yep, if you’ve never been involved in rescue or animal advocacy, this will read like stuff somebody made up. But it’s real. It happens.
We spotted it when the animal-fan Kimberly Allen posted it on her Facebook page earlier this month. And look at that photo. You think that doesn’t happen in shelters — ask a shelter worker about timid stray or dumped animals. (FYI: Kimberly’s note said, “Feel free to copy and share. I reposted this from another animal lover.” So, feel free to, yes, copy and share.)
This is headlined “AFTER CHRISTMAS WARNING.” It reads:

“In about 4 to 12 weeks after Christmas we are going to be seeing the ‘We need to re-home our pet’ posts. These are the folks who purchased puppies as Christmas gifts who are suddenly allergic, moving, having a baby, don't have time, their kids won't take care of it, didn't think they'd get so big (etc....)
“To these people I say:
‘You didn't know you had an allergy? Oops. Don't let the pet suffer. Get allergy medicine.
‘You're moving? What city are you moving to that doesn't allow dogs? Find a house/ apartment / condo that will ALLOW your furry family member. PERIOD.
‘Oh...you had no idea you were due to have a baby in 2 months? Interesting. Get a dog trainer and suck it up, buttercup, you're a pet mom and a human mom now. Millions deal with this daily and manage just fine and so will you if you decide to. So just decide to do it.
‘Don't have time for one 15-minute walk or to have a dog just sit next to you while you're home? really? So they're better off in a shelter than waiting in your house for you to get home?
‘Find a solution that allows them stay in your home
‘This was your decision, remember?
‘What? Your 5 year old didn't step up to the plate to feed, walk and scoop poop? This surprised you? I guess it's time for you to step up and be the model of responsibility for your own child.
'Wrong size? Not cute as a pup? Not quite the personality you expected? Look in a mirror... How'd you turn out? Should we send you back? Grow up, you chose to bring this puppy home, not the other way around...but you can bet your sweet self that dog would lay down his life for you. …Can you say the same for him or her?
“I didn't make this post to offend anyone, but rather to open eyes, and take responsibility for those without a voice that had no choice in being a gift for Christmas.”

— Offer an opinion or a solution by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

ON MLK DAY, WE CONSIDER HUMANITY AND HOW TO PRACTICE THE GOOD POINTS...

EDITION OF MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Martin Luther King Day. It’s a reminder to love one another. 

We can love kids through the glory of well-designed, clear and honest education. Dr. King said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
Intelligence plus character. A genuine American dream.
On Earth, we have conflicts. Two guys have a disagreement and thousands of people go to war. How bright are we? A Dr. King quote: “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

That leads us to this quote, one of my favorites from Dr. King that fits many eras of America: “We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.”

Yes, we are. Reach across the aisle, across the street, across the neighborhood fence. It’s America — as Woody Guthrie sang, “This land is your land. This land is my land.” [More in Contemplations…]
AS THE WEEKEND ARRIVED…
We’d posted a note late last week about this little pup Goody. The story was that Goody’s human had become homeless and he was trying to find “a loving home for him.”
These things look hopeless sometimes. Circumstances refuse to line up; fate trips up the participates, etc.
But, over the weekend we got a note from our Goody’s tipster, Amy Poskey, usually our Denton McNatt Animal Shelter tipster. She had some sort of “upbeat” news about this 10-pound dog. “Goody’s daddy found someone to keep him while he looks for a ob during the day — so Goody is OK for now.”
People pulling together, cutting each other some slack — sometimes that’s the solution.
WE ALSO POSTED A STORY ABOUT PENNY, courtesy of veteran animal person Debra Drake. Things were looking desperate. But, Penny, whose human is in a nursing home, managed to attract a foster. That has bought her some time. And the 12-year-old darling, spoiled and pampered girl is still in need of an adoptor. To offer to help Penny, text her helper at 214-476-6523. (Calling is the 2nd preference.)
HANDSOME CAT
NEEDS A HOME
The tip on this one came from a Facebook post by the veteran foster mom/animal fan Patty Sprong. 
Look at that cat! That handsome guy is Lincoln. According to a shelter post a couple of days ago, he has been in the City of Allen Animal Shelter longer than any other critter — he arrived during September 2019. He’s available for rescue tagging and for adoption. 
The shelter is at 770 S. Allen Heights Drive in Allen. Call 214-509-4378. The shelter LINK IS HERE.

[LARRY ASIDE: I’ve mentioned this before. It’s a theory that these black and white cats are more prone to entertaining hijinx than any other cats. This is based on observances and comparisons of Cyril the Cat, Poirot the Cat and, now, Stevie Ray the Cat. Add that to an intense amount of affection for their humans and you can see why an ol’ catfan quickly falls for such fellows as Lincoln.]

A SWEET STORY ABOUT
IMPORTANT WORK IN TEXAS
I don’t know how many years I’ve been watching Bob Phillips’ Texas Country Reporter — maybe all 48 seasons — but on Saturday we were sitting in the living room and Martha was flying the remote and landed on TCR. The story was about Stephanie Oravetz’s Wild West Animal Rehab in Amarillo. Here’s the LINK to the episode — originally aired on Nov. 15, just over 2 months ago.

And that photo is from the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers’ Facebook page — celebrating Stephanie’s birthday last Thursday.
The great quote from her TCR interview was “I know we can’t save everything, but we shouldn’t be mean to anything…” [LARRY ASIDE: Can I get an ‘Amen’ across the Great State of Texas and beyond?]
Stephanie works with an array of animals — you can take a hint from that great logo, perhaps the best logo featuring a skunk in Texas.
 And when you watch the Texas Country Reporter segment, pay attention to the release at the lake — there you’ll see an amazing result of dedicated work. You’ll even get to see Bob Phillips gently help an owl fly off into a wonderful Texas sky. Perhaps a Texas Country Reporter Sky.

A DOG IN DISTRESS
Remember the storminess of Friday?
I saw this photo first on a Facebook post by the great animal advocate Ilise Lipton. She wrote, “This dog was found yesterday [Friday] by a neighbor (NE Dallas), at Northwest Highway and Walling Lane. Pink collar, no tags. … [She was taken to a vet.] No broken bones, only scrapes. She was soaked and limping when found. Anyone recognize her?”

[LARRY NOTE: I’ve rarely seen such sadness capture in a photograph this century.]
Why was that dog out in the rain? No idea, but she was. And, in case you saw the distressing call for help identifying her, Ilise sent us a note that included an explanation from the pup’s owner. That explanation from the relieved human read, “Gentry is 14 yrs old and not doing well since her brother died last month. I was out of town all day Friday, so am behind the ball on her rescue. Again, thank you so much for everything you've done for her!" 
The dog’s human offered to reimburse for expenses and clearly loves the dog. [LARRY ASIDE: We can see, now, that the dog was miserable not just for the weather, but for the dark clouds on her heart — missing her brother, missing her humans. May Gentry be valued and adored so much that her tail wags with confidence. And, bless those people who found her and kept her from being a victim on a highway or in a shelter. You’ve done the work of angels.]
We don’t know how she came to be loose, but, based on experience with other “run-away” dogs, the thunder and lightning terrified her and she scrambled over or under a fence or broke through a gate and ran in terror. May that never happen again -- to Gentry or any other animal. Love your animal enough to protect them from the weather.
CONTEMPLATIONS
1968, DORIE MILLER, A GUY NAMED JAMES
That 1968 was a rough year for America — April 4, Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis; June 5, Robert Kennedy, the hope of a generation of young Americans, was assassinated in Los Angeles. Lots of books have been written about 1968. There is one song that captures the emotions of that year. Here is Dion’s version of Abraham, Martin and John. And, there another favorite version, too. This one is so heartfelt, performed by the great Moms Mabley.
Young rocker Dion pegged it for sad but hopeful young Americans; Moms Mabley had lived the life of an American in oppressed and divided America.

For Martin Luther King Day, use your good heart to help America triumph over lingering problems that divide not its politicians, but its people. Like a kid in a Sunday School class might say when asked to quote a Bible verse, “Love one another.”

Are you familiar with the Dorie Miller story? Hero at Pearl Harbor -- a black sailor who defended the nation even though he wasn't supposed to touch the weapons?
When I was a little boy -- pre-school -- in Texarkana, one of the people I loved to see was a young man named James — probably about 18 years old. He was what was called “the shoeshine boy” at Rev. Ederd Jones’ barbershop on the Arkansas side of State Line Avenue, across the street from Texas. He’d put up with my questions about how to shine shoes and he’d let me try — as long as there was no one else in the shop but the barber and Pop. One day I went in with my dad for father/son haircuts and there was a new guy in James’ place. I asked Pop, “Where’s James?” and he said, “He joined the army?” I was about 5 — on the brink of starting public school — all-white public school. I had a followup question. “Why did he join the army?” And Pop said, “There’s not anything for him here. He’ll learn things, be able to get a job.” It was years before I’d comprehend the explanation “There’s not anything for him here.”
On CBS Sunday Morning, the Pearl Harbor hero Dorie Miller’s loved ones explained he was in the Navy because the attitudes and realities of pre-war life in America had eliminated access to jobs and futures for the young man. Dorie Miller was a hero at Pearl Harbor. Two years later he was killed when his next ship, the USS Liscome Bay, an escort carrier, was sunk by a Japanese submarine. 
So, when someone breaks that bottle of champagne to launch the U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Doris Miller, know that it represents not just one heroic sailor, but the hope and dreams of many, many Americans. My long-ago friend James was one of those Americans.
Way back then, when I was learning to shine shoes, I just didn’t know about the American divide.
Then I went to elementary school. I grew up going to all-white public schools — students and teachers — until I went to Texarkana Junior College in the fall of 1966. But I’d started working as a cub reporter at a newspaper in the late summer of 1965 and I was part of a wonderful world that was not white-only. Friends. Colleagues. News sources striving to open city halls to ALL the taxpayers. I saw the happiness of progress, I saw the sadness of delayed dreams and delayed justice. I wrote about these things.
I never again saw James, the young man who left to find a future. But, clearly, his kindness to a pre-school kid and his disappearance from my life have stuck with me. I don’t know what happened to him or where he is today. But he made a positive mark on a little boy’s heart.

I’ll end this with another Dr. Martin Luther King quote — there are many collections of his quotes available online. This one seems appropriate in the context of people who went to war for a nation that didn’t fully embrace them. Dr. King said: “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
God bless America this Martin Luther King Day and EVERY DAY from now on.

— Offer hope and cite triumphs by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. God bless America and the wisdom of Dr. King. —-

A GENTLEMAN CAT WHO UNDERSTANDS THE PROPER NAPPING USE OF A CHAIR

Cats — they’re so human that I’m surprised there’s not a Feline Global Ambassador at the United Nations.
Cats display both tranquility and spats — again, they are so human.

Show of paws, please, how many of you have ever watched a human fighting sleep while slumped on the arm of a chair? Yep. Sleep wins. In this case, the cat wins: his goal was a nap.
This is the celebrated Office Cat, the honorable, devoted William Powell, named in honor of the Hollywood legend -- two guys with great moustaches. William, the formerly feral cat, is this weekend’s featured feline in our long-running series, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
Anybody can take a photo of a cat curled up on a bed or a sofa — cats are willing to let the paparazzi approach. 
But, here’s William, sleeping like the weary client of an acclaimed attorney while waiting in that very lawyer’s office after a night on the town with, indeed, that very lawyer. Midnight bar-crawling with the barrister and the cat.

Yes, that’s a little fiction (some of it, anyway) and all it really needs is some … well, there’s a quote from the mystery novelist Raymond Chandler, about writing exciting fiction: “When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand.”

In the no-gun world at readlarrypowell.com, it’s “When in doubt, have a dog come through the door with a hint of catnip on her breath.” 
And, in the other photos you can see that Porche Noel has come into the office to claim a spot on the cat bed but first has exchanged sniff-greetings with William Powell who then expressed his intentions with a massive yawn. 
William left that chair and went back to sleep on an office chair across the room. Why? Porche snores. Cats are so human that dog- snoring disturbs their REM sleep.
How did I wind up with William? It was a lucky day. I have come to love this cat. I’d been painting the wood [EXCUSE MY YAWN -- WILLIAM SET ME OFF] trimming on my Dallas home three summers ago and was stirring paint just inside the open garage door. William, maybe half-a-year-old then, sauntered up, sat down next to my chair and, after accepting some ear-scratching and engaging in conversation, showed no inclination to leave. So, I hired him.
A good office cat is worth his weight in supportive purrs, especially when a paragraph stalls out right in the big middle of a romantic and very sensitive, criti


[See what I mean? Stalled right out in mid-adjective. Handsome William suggests that I remind readers to send photos of their sleeping dogs and napping cats to me at dallrp@aol.com and tell you that we’ll post the pictures and the stories in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap so your animals can be admired around the world. You’ll be helping animals find homes with calm and smart people. Plus you’ll be helping insomniacs believe that they, too, can get some sleep if they can just find the right, well-worn old chair and it doesn’t already have a cat in it.]
—- OFFER SLEEP ADVICE OR CATNAP CHANTS BY CLICKING ON ‘COMMENT’ BELOW OR BY EMAILING DALLRP@AOL.COM. —-

FOR FRIDAY: ANIMALS THAT NEED A BREAK AND A SUPER SURPRISE IN 1971

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JAN. 17, 2020 [PetPowellPress] The report of the 17th starts on the morning of the 16th. I was standing at the kitchen window (that's my "art shot" through the screen) waiting at the Keurig for a cup of coffee (a festive grind provided by my barista teenage java expert granddaughter Emily Grace, the tennis player).
 I looked out the window and saw a beautiful, tranquil neighborhood  and, in our yard, remnants of trimmed and intentionally downed trees being pelted by a moderate rainstorm. I thought, “I feel like taking a long walk in the rain.”
 Good sense got the best of that thought and turned it into a “passing desire.”
The rain also reminded me that this clearly is "Stock Show Weather" -- the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo ("This thing is legendary!") starts Friday.
And, for some reason, my next thought bounced to lunch Wednesday with my sons, the dynamic duo, Bret and Bart. I’ll address this in Contemplations. 
When I’d been awakened by a nuclear thunderclap about 5 a.m. Thursday, my thoughts after “That’s no bomb.” were “How old am I? Can that be possible? I look much older in the mirror.” Again, animals first, then Contemplations.
FORT WORTH, DALLAS SHELTERS
AND ‘BARGAIN’ OPPORTUNITIES
Both big city, taxpayer-supported animal shelters -- Fort Worth and Dallas -- are running adoption specials as January proceeds. The bulging Fort Worth animal population fee is $10 and in Dallas it’s $5.
The metrosprawl’s CBS11 channel captured the Cowtown situation in its opening paragraphs of THIS STORY. And veteran “surrender watchers” will catch the drift of the opening. It reads, “The timing seems suspicious, but regardless if they’re returned Christmas presents or not, the Fort Worth Animal Shelter is at capacity. According to Fort Worth police, the shelter has taken in more than 600 animals since New Year’s Day.

Dallas, in the meantime, has 360 dogs, 70 cats and 21 “others” waiting, according to Thursday morning stats on the dallasanimalservices.org website. The “others” are all Hamsters — that girl is Honeydew.
That Dallas dog is Sandro (A0870609), a 7-year-old Aussie Shepherd Mix, a stray waiting in the shelter since Jan. 12.
And that Dallas cat is Levi (A108359 6), about six months old and in the shelter’s care since December 16.
In the other meantime Fort Worth has some stories that will become “ice-breakers” at parties when you begin proudly gushing about your dogs and cats.
This beautiful dog’s story came to us courtesy of the great Ginger Leach at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control. She wrote, “Twinkle Toes (43614290), a Catahoula/Husky mix - this super sweet handsome Hunk has either deformities or old injuries to his rear feet. He seems to get around well, no current wounds on them. He is heartworm negative but still needs to be neutered.”
Watch this VIDEO and see if your heart melts. Twinkle Toes is off stray hold at 2:54 p.m. Sunday, Ginger’s note says. Ask about tagging the dog by emailing fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov and you can visit him at the shelter at4900 Martin street in Fort Worth.
You want a Fort Worth cat? Try Juice, a 2-year-old distinct feline who is “very curious but doesn’t like to play ver much — he’s going to be your lap cap while you spend time petting him, which he also loves.” He’s at the PetSmart Hulen Adoption Center and “he’s a little ‘chunky monkey’,” the FW blog reads admiringly. Well, he’s at that center unless someone has beaten you to the adoption paperwork. Don’t worry, Fort Worth will run out of cats when somebody calls Dallas the “home of real cowboys.”
SUCCESSFUL MARKETING
FOR 2 LANCASTER DOGS:
MISSION CONTINUES!
You may recall reading over the past few weeks that the Lancaster Animal Shelter dogs Jasper and Reilly were on the very dangerous “list” and that Jasper, unbelievably cute with great set of ears, was at the very top of the “Needle Next List.”
Bless the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers rescue group — their focus on small, low-traffic shelters, has paid off for these two (and many more.)
Laura Macias, the rescue’s president, reports, “Jasper went to the Love of a Dog in New Hampshire.” Yep, from next to the needle in Lancaster to New England.
That takes us to Reilly who is destined to go to Camp Happy Tails in New York but has to beat a medical/financial challenge before he can leave Texas.
You may recall from initial reports about Reilly that he has heartworms. He wasn’t treated in the Lancaster Shelter — it’s a city shelter, not a veterinary clinic. Laura says, 
“He is not even strong enough for HW treatment yet! We have to wait two weeks.”
During that two weeks, 4-Legged Helpers will be seeking donations to help pay for the $750 medical treatment and boarding bill he’s going to incur. Offer to help by calling or texting Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
Laura doesn’t have someone to set up a gofundme for this boy, but if you know how and have time, get in touch with her. She’s also looking for other volunteers to help with the marketing and paperwork.
NOW, ABOUT THE WILMER DOG SHAWN… The “quite small and closed to the public” Wilmer Animal Shelter on the southern side of Dallas is working with 4-Legged Helpers to make an effort to save animals. 
With no foot traffic/visitors and no marketing plan and no city budget for anything except the basics (“feed ‘em until their time is up,” is my guess), animals are at immediate peril.
The latest note from 4-Legged Helpers reads, “This sweet boy is immediately urgent and we hope to have pics of the others very soon and will repost as soon as received.”  [Get on Laura’s mailing list at cat_girl_71@yahoo.com or volunteer to help her keep the rescue’s Facebook page up to date.]
 Shawn’s bio describes him as “the absolutely sweetest boy. And such a good boy too.  Beautiful dog. We have some videos we can send to anyone interested also and they show his color much better - he's way prettier than these pics and is a beautiful white and cream color.  He was so gentle and well-behaved that when looking at his teeth, he had no problem with The ACO opening his mouth and even putting his hand in his mouth. 

“We believe he is middle-aged and he is a loving, gentle soul that is super smart.  He is a dog that has clearly belonged to someone but we believe he may have been dumped.” 
[LARRY ASIDE: He just needs someone to inspire him to wag his tail!]
A REMINDER
Penny the Dog, whose mom has gone into a nursing home, still needs someone to step up and take her in or she’s going to wind up in a shelter.
She has a person who is trying to help the 12-year-old spoiled and pampered girl avoid having to spend a moment in the uncertainty of a shelter.
To offer to help or adopt Penny, TEXT 214-476-6523 — calling is the second preference.
THE DOG GOODY
NEEDS A HUMAN HELPER
The note on this dog-in-need came from the big-hearted Amy Poskey, usually our tipster in matters at the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter and Adoption Center. But Goody has a different story.
Amy writes, “These situations are so heartbreaking for the human and the pooch.  Goody’s owner has recently become homeless so he wants to find a loving home for him.  Goody is fearful of people, but not aggressive, and would probably do best in a quiet home without young children until he learns that people won’t hurt him and he can learn to trust.  Goody is up to date on shots, weighs about 10 lbs, and gets along with some but not all dogs.”
The contact is a person trying to help someone else’s dog. To ask about adopting “this little angel,” Amy says email debra.roan@gmail.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS

THE SUPER BOWL THAT I MISSED:
THE TOTALLY UNEXPECTED EVENT!
On Wednesday I had lunch with the boys, Bret and Bart. It was a birthday lunch — they’re both employed and busy on Friday the 17th, their actual birthday. For those who don’t know (I’ve written about them in public for nearly 5 decades), I’ll proud-dad you with this info: 
Bret and Bart are my entertaining twins, born on Sunday, January 17, 1971, in Texarkana, Texas, about two blocks west of the Arkansas line. Yes, twins in the Twin Cities of Texarkana — “Twice as Nice” has been the town slogan but in 1971 it was “Double Dynamic.” 
That aside, January 17, 1971, was “Super Sunday," the date of Super Bowl V, the first Super Bowl after the merger of the NFL and the AFL and the first Super Bowl played on artificial turf (the Orange Bowl in Miami) and the first time the Dallas Cowboys had earned a Super Bowl berth.
Bret was born at 2:06 p.m. Bart arrived at 2:08 p.m. Kickoff was 1 p.m. Eastern time, but the boys’ mom, Carolyn, had been in labor since about 4 in the morning. Thus, I missed the entire game. 
Hospital waiting rooms didn’t have TVs in those days and nobody carried a phone, especially a phone that doubles as a TV, radio or computer.
Every year, Bart calls me and asks, “You still mad about that game?” Why, heck yeah. Besides, Dallas lost to the Baltimore Colts when rookie Jim O’Brien kicked a 32-yard field goal with 9 seconds left. Baltimore won 16-13.

My twins were unexpected — well, ONE baby WAS EXPECTED. But in those days, nobody had any sort of space age gadgets that helped you count the babies. 
That photo is of the boys in their “Hee Haw Overalls Era.” And, FYI, two years in a row they won the first prize in the “Most Alike Twins” competition in the State Fair of Texas Twin Contest. (Bart's on the left in the overall photo - I'm pretty sure. No, upon further review, Bret's on the left. He's also left-handed and Bart is right-handed, though he can be ambidextrous if needed. FYI: Bret's favorite color is blue; Bart's is red. Bret drives a blue pickup; Bart married a redhead, my favorite daughter-in-law Erinn.) That twin contest is no longer around — same people kept winning year after year. 
Want one more surprise? You now how the Super Bowl Halftime Shows have evolved into astounding productions with huge stars? The Super Bowl V halftime show was, according to the comprehensive Wikipedia report, this: “The Southeast Missouri State Golden Eagle Band was featured during the halftime show along with singer Anita Bryant." (Anybody remember her hit, Paper Roses?)
I didn’t know about that halftime show until Thursday afternoon when I was doing research on the game! Didn’t matter who was singing, I was involved in a bigger Super Sunday Show at the hospital.
 Sometimes, when I’m shopping at a grocery store, I’ll walk down the baby products aisle just to get that feeling, perhaps an aroma from a baby powder, that takes me back to the babies I first got to hold on January 17, 1971.
How can it have been that long ago? They’re my only kids — when you have unexpected twins first time out … well, how much shock can a guy stand, you know? 
Super Sunday, 1971 — that it was, indeed. Happy birthday, boys.
—- Offer opinions or lucky lotto numbers by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email dallrp@aol.com. —-

THE MISSION IS TO HELP THE ANIMALS -- THAT'S IT. IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JAN. 16, 2020 [PetPowellPress] One of our topics today is a dog who needs a home. This 12-year-old dog, Penny has a predicament that led me to think about the honorable people who work hard in rescuing, fostering and adopting. Read on:

You’ve seen celebrations on TV. Golfers sink a putt and go ape huggin’ the caddy and dancin’ on the green. Members of the U.S. Women’s Soccer team explode with joy when the final seconds tick off on their World Cup triumph.
Only thing I can really compare that sports celebration to in our daily lives is watching animal rescuers and fosters and adoption workers celebrate.
They display quiet intensity and gratitude, these rescuers and fosters who manage to get a tough-case dog or cat adopted!
I’ve seen high-fives and hugs, too, when someone tells ‘em, “I finally got Spot into a good home!” or “It took a while, but I finally found a home for Clementine the Cat.”
It’s a moment of triumph, a championship event in the lives of the human and animals.
 You’ll see the celebrations on Facebook now and then. Rescuers and fosters happily — and with relief — announcing that a dog or cat that once had no hope now has a home. 
Sometimes, after years of this mission, these noble souls will quietly announce a happy placement.

Here’s the thing the rest of us ought to remember: Not one darn cat or one darn dog is a “routine” case. They are all unique, each presenting a different challenge and each reacting differently to the reward of a new home. What’s the constant in the tale? Human with a heart.
Thanks to all of you who do this noble work. Celebrate. Let your heart smile. And, of course, get ready to work on the next dog or cat that shows up needing someone to trust.
Yes, from readlarrypowell.com, thank you, all you wonderful animal people.
PENNY NEEDS HELP
FINDING A SAFE HOME
Debbie Drake, the veteran rescuer, sent us a request for help with placing the senior dog Penny, a formerly pampered and beloved companion. 
Here’s the background: The dog’s Mom went into a  nursing home  and the “cute and unusual toy dog needs a home."
This is one of those "NEEDS HELP NOW" situations.
***
FRIDAY UPDATE:While Penny still needs a loving home ASAP, we've got an update from Debbie that a veteran foster mom has stepped up to take her in until that home is found. Let us know if you're that hopeful adoptor by emailing dallrp@aol.com. Here's the rest of the original story...

***

The appeal reads: “Penny, 12, is a darling and strikingly pretty black and white terrier mix that has lost her lifelong home. Her elderly mother and best friend was placed in a nursing home last week ... It is heartbreaking!!!"
Also, there's a bit of deadline pressure -- this Penny situation needs to be happily resolved within a week.
If you have a way to help Penny, TEXT 214-476-6523 (or call, but text is preferred).
This dog is accustomed to being the beloved companion so, she'd probably not do well in a shelter situation at her age. Bless her sweet heart.
[LARRY ASIDE: That’s the first part of the story. Now we wait to hear which noble rescuer or adoptor found a way to give Penny a good life.]
THE WOOD COUNTY SITUATION:

PEOPLE LEFT, DOGS & CATS STRANDED
We learned of this from Gail Whelan of Companion Animal Network. She’s been at this a while and seen a lot of odd things. Here’s one more. She got it from a Wood County deputy sheriff. Gail writes from Wood County - in the area of Lake Fork and south and east— “There are NO shelters out here and I don’t know of any rescue groups. These animals will be euthanized unless someone steps up for them. I am beyond capacity here (at Companion Animal Network) and can’t help. But I can transport.” 
So, someone to claim these animals and save them is need. The contact is jbonnieespy@yahoo.com.
And the story is the deputy went to the property to serve some civil papers and the guy was evicted. “He left behind his fur babies,” the deputy told Gail. 
[LARRY ASIDE: So, some guy just picked up and left. Must have had intense financial and legal pressure to make him abandon these animals — or maybe it’s an old habit.]
HANDSOME FELLOW
WAITS IN MESQUITE
Well, good grief. How does a dog like this become an unclaimed stray?
That’s Mitch, a year-and-a-half-old Pittie mix who came into Mesquite Animal Shelter on January 10. And our reliable tipster Judi Brown, the volunteer biographer at Mesquite, writes, “I find it hard to believe that the owner did not come back looking for this handsome, striking, good looking boy! He’s a real head-turner! Just look into his eyes and you can see that he is also a sweet, calm confident young dog. He gave me a warm welcome when I first entered his kennel. He is very friendly and lovable. He is alert and although he was aware of his surroundings, he chose to stay near me looking up at me with his soft brown eyes.
“I fell in love with him immediately! Another volunteer told me that she also fell under his spell. Come and meet Mitch and you will also! He’s very obedient. He sits for treats.”
The 53-pound dog’s shelter ID is 43586984. Call the shelter at 972-217-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

See more Mesquite shelter animals by clicking HERE.
And, of course, we’re listing Raymond Noodle again — he’s the first cat on the Mesquite list of many cats. He’s #42543537, he's pushing 3 1/2 years old and he’s been waiting in the shelter since AUGUST 22. [LARRY ASIDE: Remember that opening about celebrating when an animal is adopted? I’ll tap dance at the Cotton Bowl when this cat finds home. Maybe.]
AND DOGS IN LANCASTER
WAIT FOR THE NEEDLE…
Laura Macias, president of 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that focuses on small, low-traffic shelters, says this Bullie mix Luke is “first on the euth list” at Lancaster Animal Shelter. 

As you can see from the photo, he’s not opposed to a little affection from humans. His nickname is Yoda — or Yoda, his nickname is.
Lacey, with the dark eyes and the big nostrils, is described as a Boxer/Bulldog mix and “very, very sweet.”

Madison is the Lab/bulldog mix who “is really beautiful in person” and, clearly, is an Earhound.

And the dog in the cage is Terry, a Beagle mix, who “is currently with a Good Samaritan who found him, but will have to go to the shelter if a rescue cannot be found.”
There are many more dogs at the shelter. Call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. Ask to be put on her mailing list or ask if you can help the non-profit 4-Legged Healers. Well, do that after you ask about adopting or rescuing one of those dogs.
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE NFL HALL, THE WEST AND DOG SHOW DOGS

Once again the Pro Football Hall of Fame misses the mark. Drew Pearson ought to be in the hall. Too bad there’s no recount or appeal process. Once again, it’s the familiar Cowboys fan position: "Wait ’til next year.” …

Great movie to watch when you have extra time: How The West Was Won with a whole lot of stars. It’s inspired by a Life Magazine series. Life was published weekly from 1936 to 1972. Sad to see it go nearly a half-century ago. The movie, released in 1962, was filmed in 3-panel Cinerama (designed to be shown on a “deeply-curved, giant screen). But the first time I saw it was on a small single, flat movie screen at the State Theater in Atlanta, Texas. When the buffalo stampeding directly at the audience got to the side panels, they’d go a little bit blurry, just like any of the human characters who walked across the screen. But that was in 1968, when people thought the earth and movie screens were flat….
About those Lancaster dogs: The thing to remember is that the dogs in Lancaster’s shelter and in so many of our shelters and rescue groups, are not the dogs you’ll watch competing at Westminster. But they ARE the dogs who’ll sit on the couch with you and share snacks while both of you watch the big dog show! And that’s a good life for humans and dogs. And cats, too, though they may nap...
—- Offer opinions or doubts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

MATCHING UP ANIMALS; HELPING HELPERS; A GREYHOUND EARHOUND; SLEEPING/NAPPING CRITTERS

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Here we are in mid-January and we’ve had snow, rain, sweater weather and sweat weather. Are we missing anything? Yes. I keep sleeping right through my 6 a.m. half-mile jogging routine from my resolutions. Let’s talk animals:

MATCH GAME IN THE SPOTLIGHT
AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES
Well, how about this!
Saw it on the Big Shelter and Adoption Center’s website — dallasanimal services.org. 
This artwork was accompanied by this information:

“Overwhelmed by how many pets Dallas Animal Services has available for adoption? Check out our NEW Meet Your Match program! Now, you can make an appointment with a ‘matchmaker’ and we'll help you find the PAWfect fit for your family and lifestyle! Learn more and make an appointment by clicking here."
Frankly, it would be remiss of us to fail to mention available animals among the hundreds — HUNDREDS — of unwanted animals at the Dallas shelter.
So, that dog with the interesting face is Kaleb, a 6-year-old Shepherd mix (His number is
#A0775997).
And that 8-year-old-tabby is Big Guy (A1074488).

[LARRY ASIDE: Their situations go beyond the sadness of just being a dog waiting in a kill shelter — they are OLDER animals. You don’t get to be as old as they are without having had some human caring for them along the way. Now, they simply need a different human to love them. Got to be someone who can love such animals. Go to dallasanimalservices.org and see who else needs a home. There are more 400 animals (339 dogs, 66 cats and 21 “other”) currently in the shelter. There are millions — MILLIONS— of people living in the city and surrounding area. Surely there are just over 400 people who have room for an animal in their lives. Surely. Is it so busy living in Dallas that you don’t have time for comfort and adoration?]

HOW TO HELP THE NON-PROFIT
RESCUE GROUP 4-LEGGED FRIENDS
The emails from newly-non-profit 4-Legged Friends are usually long with lots of photos of unwanted dogs from small shelters such as Wilmer and Lancaster.
Organization President Laura Macias is working on finding a way to get more exposure for the unwanted animals in low-traffic shelters. What would help?

Laura writes, “We need a few things. Like someone to do Facebook postings of our emails 2-3 times a week and someone who can also help with paperwork (getting dogs to the vet and making apps or meeting people at the vets.)”
 There are other “rescue paperwork” things to do.
To volunteer or to explore how you might help, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
In the meantime, you can see 4-Legged Helpers Facebook page HERE. 

A GREYHOUND EARHOUND
&
 A FUND-RAISING EVENT!
We spotted this photo of Richard on the latest newsletter from Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. Yep, that’s an Earhound. 
What’s this boy’s story? He’s now Richard but he was “Overly Tricky” when he was racing. He’s almost 4 years old — May 19, 2010, was his date of birth. Pop was Dauntless and mom was Show N Tell. Richard, according to his GALT bio, “has 169 races on record at greyhound-data.com, all at tracks in Florida.” He raced from Nov. 2011 to Feb. 2014. And now he’s one of the GALT rescued former athletes. Richard’s bio and other info are HERE.

GALT’S annual big fundraiser 20/20 Houndsight Greyt Retired Athletes Benefit Dinner and Auction is coming up on January 26. See how to get tickets and who’ll be there by going to this LINK
.
CONTEMPLATIONS
OPTIMISM, ORANGE DUST & UGLY PLANT
Ever had a dog so optimistic that she thought she could curl up and take a nap in a catbed? That’s our Wendy. She’s about as tall as a bird dog and loves everything about her life, including her family and Office Cat William Powell’s bed. That was a Tuesday morning photo. If you have a cat or dog who has a handle on sleeping and napping, grab a camera and send one or more sleeping dog or napping cat pictures or photos of both to readlarrypowell.com at dallrp@aol.com. We’ll post ‘em in our weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. I’ll let you know how much I pay after the Lotto Texas numbers are picked Wednesday night. Trust me, your pay depends on my winning. …

If it hadn’t been for my ol’ pal, the ex-Channel 4 newsman/animalfan Jeff Crilley, President & CEO of Real News Public Relations, I’d have missed this entire development in American words. Jeff writes a daily tip sheet called The Rundown and Tuesday’s included a link to an NBC story about “Cheetle.” It’s a new expression. I’m not kidding, it’s the word for that orange dust you get on your hands when you’ve been eating Cheetos. Here’s the LINK. And, thanks to Jeff and Real News PR for increasing my vocabulary! ...
Oh, boy, a diet tip. “Ugly plant kills sugar & carb cravings instantly,” read the subject line on an email from Medical Trends Today. Unless the ugly plant jumps up out of a pint of BlueBell Homemade Vanilla or out of a loaf of properly heated French bread and bites the end of my big nose, it's not going to be powerful enough to defeat my cravings. I have a history with Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, ana two diet doctors — I also have substantial records of yoyo dieting and gargantuan weight gains that demonstrate the power of my cravings. The email described the the plant as  "prickly flower." Hah. You think a prickly flower is mean enough to beat down a craving for a plate of nachos? Hah! I'll have another serving of nopalitos, speaking of prickly plants, please.
—- Offer diet advice or recipes by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. In the subject line use “cravings and deep-fried, breaded consequences.” —-

INVESTING WISELY, CRATING CATS, TENDING TO A LITTER (ALREADY!), ETC.

EDITION OF TUESDAY, JAN. 14, 2020 [PetPowellPress] What I just did: I caught myself typing Jan. 14, 2019. What does that mean? Maybe it means I was not quite finished with 2019.
 I went the entire year without winning single dollar from Lotto Texas. If I’d saved my lotto investments, I’d have been able to … wait. No big dreams. It barely enough money to buy distressed newspaper stocks or that of Pier 1 or JCPenny. Two of my favorite retailers and one of my favorite professions. Fortunately I have dodged any tax headaches. 
I’ll just market my late companion Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, as a Poetic Giant of the 21st Century. He once wrote this doggerel titled “The Short Dog’s Chilly Parts.”

When it’s frigid in Texas,

Walking in snow I will pass,
that stuff is so cold that
it freezes my sweet as-

irations for acquiring a warmer blanket.
And that’s a photo of Inky giving us his impression of Prince Harry rushing into a Buckingham Palace luncheon after his application to manage a Taco Bell at $100,000 a year was rejected because he couldn’t get references from relatives.
I kid the Prince. And Inky would have kidded him, too.
CRATING STRAY CATS—
THE MISSION IN ATHENS
We got the note on this from Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake, the non-profit that operates the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City. 
The subject line of the email read, “Can you help crating some stray cats for surgery?”
And the explanation is that in Athens “there is a colony of strays — they are handleable — the person feeding them is not able to bend over to put them in crates. HELP!!!”

To offer to help, email patriciafaherty@gmail.com. 

So, there’s a chance to get some exercise while helping to avoid an explosion of kittens in Athens — as you know, puppy and kitten season is year-round in Texas. 

YEAR-ROUND IN TEXAS, HE SAID,
NOTING THE NEW LITTER IN DENTON
You see here photos of Miya the mom and her puppies. 

Our tipster on this, the animal advocate Amy Poskey, says, “Miya and her puppies are in a foster home with one of the [Denton] shelter volunteers; however, we are still hoping a rescue can take this sweet little family.
“So, if anyone can make room for Miya and her angels, please contact Gayla Nelsen, Randi Weinberg, Julien Peralta, and/or Ethel Strother ASAP!”

These hero volunteers work with the Linda McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center, 317 N. Elm St., in Denton.
Call the shelter at 940-349-7594.

Email gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com,  julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com and Ethel.Strother@cityofdenton.com.

CONTEMPLATIONS
POETRY, A SCAM AND WHATEVER
I’m on The Old Farmer’s Almanac mailing list and in Tuesday’s email I got something I never expected to get from an old farmer. Some poetry from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-82).
 It reads:

Chill airs and wintry winds! my ear
Has grown familiar with your song;
I hear it in the opening year,
I listen, and it cheers me long. 
I think Inky knew Longfellow — called the poet “Hank.” I’ll check my notes on that….

Interesting story on the WBAP-AM website about a puppy scam with a Fort Worth address. How people fall for these things is beyond me. Here’s the LINK. …

The Houston Astros have found themselves in a passel of trouble for stealing signs in baseball games and the World Series. Wait’ll the commissioner’s office finds out they’ve been stealing bases, too. New slogan for the Texas Rangers: Buy tickets -- we don't steal anything. Ought to purloin some pitching for 2020, however. The Senator was writing about the Astros' scandal on my laptop Tuesday morning. He tore up his document -- has a "rip-it-up app. Says he's contemplating applying for a front office job in Houston. "Never stolen a sign," he says. "I have taken a nap." A cat's sense of humor -- you ought to have at least one around the house. And, for a while The Senator was in the running for Baseball Commissioner, but he withdrew in order to contemplate the 2020 political conventions. The Senator knows where his heart is.
—- Offer advice or opinions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com —-

AFTER SNOW, GOOD NEWS ABOUT ANIMALS & A COACH -- AND A SPACE CLAM QUESTION

EDITION OF MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 [PetPowellPress] How about that weekend snow! We got some in our neighborhood. Not enough to turn into “snow ice cream” but enough to snap a photo or two. More on that in Contemplations. That’s the pile of trimmed limbs currently taking up space in our front yard. You can see big flakes falling in the photo -- it's not high-quality photographic art, but, heck, I was cold, an unnatural state for a Texan. [LARRY ASIDE: Snow looks good on dead limbs if they’re not hanging over your roof just waiting for the right amount of extra weight to snap ‘em off at the trunk!]
VADER WAITS FOR LOVE
I saw the alleged final Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker, on Saturday after the snow stopped -- I went into the theater while the sky was wintry and came out while it looked like any day in August. In case you don't know, Darth Vader is the reigning villain in the Star Wars stories.
OK, so the first email I opened Sunday afternoon was about this dog Vader. He is, we're told, absolutely NOT A VILLAIN. In fact, he's a sweetheart. He’s on the clock in Mesquite and that is not in a galaxy far far away. So, surely there’s someone who can time-jump to the Mesquite Animal Shelter and adopt him or tag him. 
The shelter’s volunteer biographer, Judi Brown, says the 2-year-old, 65-pound Pittie came into the shelter as a stray on January 6. His number is 43555657. Use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@ cityofmesquite.com to discuss Vader. 
Judi says “He looks up at you in such a hopeful way imploring you to choose him. He has a proud stance and is very photogenic. He’s patient, friendly, gentle, laid-back, and sweet. He does not jump on you. He’s very alert and was very aware of what was going on beyond the gate and yet did not make any attempt to escape. He seemed to be happy to stay close... especially to get his ears scratched. He is motivated by treats but does not know how to sit for them. Perhaps that is something that you could teach him.”

AN UPBEAT NOTE
FOR A MONDAY
This is good news from Amy Poskey, out reliable Denton tipster. She’d been keeping us up-to-date on the case of Nova, the beautiful Bull Terrier whose been undergoing surgery and waiting and waiting for a new home. 
That photo of Nova with the wagging tail was the picture we published whenever we’d write about her waiting an about her medical condition.
Ah, but, here’s the weekend update from Amy: “Our special girl, Nova, was adopted yesterday [Friday] so I’m hoping this is her last stop in a loving home where her family understands her needs!” 
[LARRY ASIDE: So, there’s a shelter dog that beat some odds to wind up in a home. And, as you can see in that second photo, Nova has quite a smiling face! Maybe ought to run for office. No. Sorry. I wouldn’t wish that on a dog, as the saying goes.]

MEANWHILE, DALLAS ANIMAL SPECIAL
CONTINUES; INVENTORY IS ROBUST



 I looked at the dog, cat, and “other” listing at dallasanimal services.org Sunday evening and the list showed (as you can see) 11 “other” animals waiting for adoption or rescue. Guinea Pigs and Hamsters. 
That Hamster is the very serious Sally (A1092802), about a year old, and in the shelter since January 7. [LARRY ASIDE: I have no experience with hamsters, but I suspect Sally was not brought in as a stray.]

That cat is Mochi (#A1065107), tabby girl who may be about 3 years old and was NOT staring at the Hamster area when the photo was taken. She’s been in the DAS shelter since January 10.
And, while Sally may not have been a stray, Bali (A0650602) the female red Chihuahua appears to have been. She’s on stray hold. And she’s about 12 years old, the shelter staffers think. She came in on January 10. Nobody had claimed her as of Sunday evening, so, if she is your dog, email DASLost@DallasCityHall.com. ASAP, the shelter advises. If she isn't your dog, but you want her to be, send an email, too.
CONTEMPLATIONS
SNOW, SPACE AND CONGRATS TO JIMMY!
Snow Ice Cream? We’re not officially counting the snow as a "Christmas snow," though in that photograph you can see that we have yet to put away Martha’s light-up dog — I snapped that picture while snow as coming down Sunday morning. Back to snow ice cream: Yep, in the rare snows in Bowie County, our “country-raised” parents and neighbors would make it with vanilla and, I guess, sugar and the kids — out of school because of the snow — would enjoy it. It was sure better than mellorine. Ask somebody who grew up poor about “mellorine.” It's no ice cream! Anyway, I’m pretty sure no neighborhood kid suffered anything after a bowl of snow ice cream. Of course that was in the ‘50s and early ‘60s before man went to the moon and brought back contaminants from space. … Speaking of space, over the weekend I saw the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. I’m grateful that I saw the first one before there was a concept of sequels. That first one, then name simply Star Wars, was new and enjoyable and the screen was not crammed with so many flashy images to discern. Also, the script was not as “CGI actiony” as the final film. At one point in this latest episode, one of the characters tells another character to “Clam up.” That’s slang that was developed in the 1900s, one of the grammar sites say online — and from 2020, I guess, the 1950s/‘60s look as if they might have been “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” but I’ve seen all the Star Wars movies and I’ve never seen a “clam” so how did that get into the story? … The Super Bowl teams are about to be decided next weekend, so this is as good a time as any to ask, “How ‘bout them Cowboys?” Wait! SOMETHING GOOD has been announced by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At halftime of the Green Bay/Seattle game, the Hall on the air told Jimmy Johnson that he’s going into the Hall of Fame. The guy broke down and had trouble talking. You know, it’s about time and, indeed, “How ‘bout that Cowboys’ coach!” Now, let’s see if Owner Jerry Jones puts him in the Ring of Honor at the big stadium.

—- Offer advice or explanations by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com where we’re hoping to Live Long and Prosper (I know, I know — different universe.) —-

WAYLON & HIS BLANKET -- A COMFY SPOT

If this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap starts a big trend among insomniacs — sleeping under weighted blankets — the gratitude for the solution to sleeplessness should go to Kate and Patrick Larkin and this ol’ Basset fellow named Waylon.
Yes, that is Waylon sleeping under a weighted blanked at Christmas. Look at that hounddog's face! Is he not the picture of relaxation? Envy? Yes, I envy him. [LARRY INSOMNIAC NOTE: I know there are people who wear weighted ankle bracelets and other things to improve fitness, but until I saw Waylon’s demonstration it never occurred to me to try defeating insomnia with a weighted blanket. Be interesting if I slept two weeks under a weighted blanket then got up and could run a half-marathon. Relax, that’s clearly fiction.]
Kate, as many of you know, is a veteran animal rescuer/foster/advocate. She and Patrick left the Metrosprawl a while back for the beauty of East Texas. 
Here’s the dog’s tale from Kate: “Waylon's story is SAD. He was obtained as a puppy and his owner gave him up at 2 years old because she was having a baby. Her husband would not have it."
Editorial comment? 
“I would have given up the husband," Kate wrote.
Now Kate continues:
"Waylon is chipped to the original owner's mother. The family he went to did not change the chip. So, 9 years later he was picked up as a stray. 

“He was along a highway and had to be darted to be captured! The mother of his original owner gets the call....takes him from Fort Worth Animal Care and Control but has to return him when she finds out he has heartworms. She is fighting stage 4 cancer and cannot handle the treatment cost.

“So FWACC calls North Texas Bassett Hound Rescue. My husband Patrick grew up with Bassett Hounds and I have a soft spot for old men. We adopted him in January. Waylon loves the weighted doggy blanket.”
The two “selfies” of Kate and Waylon were posted with this message: “Waylon thinks Christmas Eve at the vet stinks.” [LARRY ASIDE: Get the right guitar line going and that could be next year country Christmas hit.]
But there are times when Waylon is shows off his grand Basset voice. Click on this LINK  — and turn your speakers up. That is Waylon and his “admiring, loving instigator,” Kate! (If that link doesn't work, here's the whole address: https://www.facebook.com/kate.larkin.5/videos/10215852149160875/. LARRY ASIDE: If neither link works, just look in a mirror, tug on your ear lobes and go "WOOF WOOF WOOF" with the lowest range of notes you can summon. But I really hope it works. Copy and paste it. Maybe that'll do the trick. Otherwise, send selfies of yourselves trying to bay like a Basset. Video, if possible. WOOOOOOOOooooooffffff.
[PLEASE SEND PHOTOS OF YOUR SLEEPING DOGS AND NAPPING CATS to Larry Powell at dallrp@aol.com. We’ll post them on readlarrypowell.com in our weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Your love for your dog/cat/et al may just inspire someone to save the life of a shelter animal because they want to enjoy the warmth of love and devotion — their’s and the animals’. Plus, you’ll be offering the planet’s insomniacs hope for getting a good night’s sleep. I’m working on weighing down a blanket with car batteries and old tires — anything for a few winks. I’m kidding —nobody call a professional to counsel me. My slumberspouse Martha already counsels me.]
-- Offer sleeping tips or surefire winning Lotto Texas numbers by clicking on 'comment' below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. --

BUCK HENRY AND 'OSCAR' PLUS MESQUITE AND BURNS FLAT FOR A FRIDAY

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Forgive a personal note at the outset: A writing/cultural hero has died. The great Buck Henry — screenwriter, actor, prankster — at 89 from a heart attack in Los Angeles on the 8th.
He and comic Alan Abel once masqueraded as officials of the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals — they wanted all zoos and wildlife parks to put proper clothing on animals. Did people buy into it? Yep.
That photo is a famous scene from The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman in the starring role and Buck Henry as the hotel room clerk. He wrote the movie, too. If you haven’t seen The Graduate, you are missing a significant element of American culture —yeah, I know, “OK, Boomer.” 
Buck Henry wrote funny. In dark movie theaters in times of despair and doubt, Buck Henry's writing lit up the lives of people who needed a 2-hour break from the real world. More in CONTEMPLATIONS. 

REBOUNDING OSCAR
Yep, this 11-month-old Black Lab mix Oscar bounced back to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on January 7, reports the facility’s volunteer biographer Judi Brown. “The owners had only had him for approximately three weeks. On the surrender form they said they could no longer care for him,” Judi writes, adding, “However, I understand they told the front desk that he was too fearful and barked too much. They also commented that they didn’t want to take the time to work with these issues. The whole time I spent with Oscar I never heard him bark and I didn’t hear him bark in the kennel either. His previous owner stated that he was an outside dog only so perhaps he was barking for attention. He is timid, but there is no doubt that he is friendly and loves people. He’s one of those dogs that after just a few minutes with him you’re in love!”
 Oscar weighs 44 pounds and is already neutered. Judi says, “If I were looking for a medium-sized dog right now. Oscar would be my pick!” 
His shelter number is 3507651. Call the shelter at 972- 216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
See more Mesquite animals — dogs and cats — HERE. Among the cats you’ll see this boy Raymond Noodle (42543537), around 3 1/2 years old and in the shelter since August 22. I've written about him 5 or 6 times -- I can't believe he's lasted this long in a shelter, bless those folks in Mesquite for protecting him. Surely there’s a human home for this cat.
MEANWHILE, WAY OUT WEST
AROUND BURNS FLAT, OKLA.
The resilient rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher has sent us some updates on the situations she’s been handling for a while. One of these photographs is disturbing, but now and then a photo explains things a lot better than words. 
And here is how to connect with Terry Lynn: Email remembering_oddball@yahoo.com.

The “crowd shots” are disturbing enough, but now that I’ve warned you, you’ll shortly see a cat who is in serious need of help. These cats are all from a house north of Burns Flat. You may recall that she sort of “fell into” this by responding to an appeal to help dozens of cats.
She writes, “There are still over 20 cats at the house north of Burns Flat...  this is the home where the family moved and left over 60 cats...  we have moved all the babies and many of the adult ones.
“All are friendly.. I go feed every other day. They are NOT SAFE there. There have been several killed. Looks like some have been shot. Coyotes got some..It is a bad situation.

“I wish I had a big building for cats.. we have NO PLACE So until I get a rescue to commit, they are out there, facing all the dangers. My heart breaks every time I go out there to feed. They see me coming and run up to the car. They climb in the car as I get out. They want to be loved. It is so sad. … As you can see, one of them needs vetting on her eye. Several are pregnant. My heart aches for these precious souls.” (AGAIN: remembering_oddball@yahoo.com.)

Then there’s this from Terry Lynn: “Last week, the Sheriff Department called me about a dog. They did a welfare check on an elderly lady whose family had not heard from her for awhile. Sadly, she had been dead for some time. She had an elderly black lab and they asked if I could come get her. After some time, we finally got her. She was terrified. The good news is, as we were pulling out, a couple pulled up and said they would take the dog until the family members came up from Texas. They were family friends.

“But, there are eight cats out there.. the living conditions are bad. This lady had
dementia and was a hoarder. The cats are very sweet and loving, but nobody wanted to take them. I am feeding them, but they are not safe at all.” (AGAIN:
remembering_ oddball@yahoo.com.)
Then, there are two dogs in a “pound” south of Burns Flat and Terry Lynn is trying to help them.
“I started helping there over three years ago. It is a terrible place where so many people just do not care.Total outdoor pound and sits right on a creek.”

This dog in the “terrible place” is Ruth.
“This sweet little girl reminds me of a greyhound or whippet,” Terry Lynn say “She is small, around 25 pounds.
“For a year (that we know of) this poor baby lived a life of pure hell. “We finally got the officers to get her from the irresponsible owners, along with the next dog listed.”
Terry Lynn had a rescue “lined up” but Ruth tested positive for heartworm and the rescue backed out. She’s in need of a foster home now so she can get her treatment started.

Martha is the dog with the mange problem on her back. “This one touched my heart,” Terry Lynn says. “She has demodectic mange (not contagious). She has started treatment. This girl is playful and so full of love. She loves everyone and everything. She just needs a safe and loving place to go. I love this dog. She is so excited when we pull up at the pound.” (AGAIN:
remembering_ oddball@yahoo.com.)
Yes, people from Texas are allowed to cross the state line to help animals. Well, Texans are allow to both go to Oklahoma casinos AND to help animals. It's the neighborly thing to do.
(AGAIN: remembering_ oddball@yahoo.com.)

CONTEMPLATION
BUCK HENRY AND MOVIES
Well, heck, here’s another guy I wish I’d sent a fan letter and a sincere thank you. Buck Henry brought laughter into lives far away from Hollywood and New York. He had people laughing all over the place! 
Our opening paragraph today described Buck Henry as a hero — for his writing, for his film work. He wrote great stuff. How’s that for an articulate sentence?
 We’ve already mentioned The Graduate (1967). Have you ever seen Ryan O’Neal, Barbra Streisand, Madeline Kahn and the great Austin Pendleton in the riotous What’s Up, Doc? How about Catch-22? Don’t forget Heaven Can Wait and The Owl and the Pussycat film from Bill Manhoff’s play (1970)… Well, you can go to Buck Henry on IMDB and see the fantastic work. You can see celebrity reactions on Deadline HERE. And, in this age of online miracles, you can actually watch The Graduate on Youtube HERE. Directed by the great Mike Nichols. Music from Simon and Garfunkel. Co-stars include Ann Bancroft (Mrs. Mel Brooks) as Mrs. Robinson.
I’ll leave you with one word, key to a generation of late ‘60s/early ‘70s college students: “Plastics.” Thank you, Buck Henry.
— Send us a list of actors/writers who ought to be thanked by clicking on ‘comment’ or emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

A VARIETY PACK FOR THURSDAY....

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Here's a variety pack for Thursday nearly a third of the way into January -- we're already so deep into 2020 that it's hard to remember what it was like to go into a store and just hear Christmas carols.
I was outdoors in Dallas on Wednesday and I don't know what was in the air, but at one point I sneezed so much I got a charleyhorse in one of my eyebrows. Blaming mountain cedar. No mountains, but lots of cedar around here.
A NEW SHELTER?
Did anybody else see the story about Fort Worth getting a new animal shelter? Here’s a LINK to CBS 11’s story.  Any new construction on behalf of saving animals is something to celebrate, right? Supposed to open by 2011. [LARRY 2020 WISECRACK: If it were a Dollar Store & Shelter it would be open for business by next month.]
THE REASONS
PEOPLE GIVE
Here's a recent posting by Stephen Foster, founder and guiding light of DFW’s Furgotten Friends: “I thought I had heard every reason why someone wanted to surrender their dog. But, ‘My apartment complex has all this construction going on and I don't have anywhere to walk my dog’ is the craziest.”
Well, sir, we’re with you on that. And here’s another one: Many years ago I was working at The Big Paper Downtown and my friend and colleague Bonnie Lovell came in all stirred up by what had happened at her Dallas apartment. She’d arrived and spotted a neighbor’s Cocker Spaniel romping among the cars and trucks. So Bonnie grabbed the dog and too it back to it’s apartment and when the young woman opened the door, Bonnie proudly said, “I have your dog!” But instead of appreciation, Bonnie was told, “Oh, we didn’t want it any more so I set it free.”
Yep, “I set it free.”
Good thing Bonnie is one of the kindest people on the earth and concentrated on the dog and not the human.
 Our only hope is that in the years since, this person has never had another dog or a cat or a fish bowl. Hate to be an unwanted kid, too.
Thanks to Stephen Foster for reminding us of how difficult rescue can be, but also, how rewarding it can be. You can see a lot of dogs who need some help by going to the Furgotten Friends Facebook page HERE.
One of the dogs featured on the Furgotten Friends Facebook page is Cinder, that beautiful Pittie. On that page you can scroll down and see her and her great “positives” — she’s been in the heartfelt care of
veteran rescuer Kimberly Jones since last summer, if memory serves. The dog is adorable and 7 or 8 years old with a great attitude and has been through some serious leg surgery. She’s mended and she’s got such a good attitude that Kimberly posted this tongue-in-cheek photo with a sincere message:
“BEWARE OF THE DOG!!! She will smother you with kisses!!! 🤗 Cinder is looking for her forever home 🙏. All she wants is a family of her very own 🎀. * She will be at DFWFF Adoption Event this Sunday at Pet Supplies Plus at 6060 E.Mockingbird Lane 10am-2pm!”
Not good with cats, but the 65-pound dog is “wonderful on a leash and she’s good in a car.” Get in touch with Kimberly via her Facebook Page HERE.
CELEBRATE FROM BAY CITY
TO ANYWHERE THERE’S A HEART
We got this great note from our Houston tipster Alexandra Kelsey. She’s a pretty good writer and got straight to the point: “I believe that due to the efforts of Freedom Street and Joyrides, all three dogs are safe.”

Yep, Simon, Cotton and Dots are all off the clock at the Bay City shelter. Congrats to DeLana Blaylock and the other Bay City folks for working with rescuers so faithfully.
And, thanks to AK for keeping us up to date on these three.
Freedom Street Rescue tagged Dots — go to freedomstreetrescue.org. Joyrides got Simon and Cotton — the contact there is h18wheeler@gmail.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: Feels good to know that three dogs managed to hang on and hang on as the clock ticked and, finally, good-hearted humans saved them. “Good-hearted humans” — in this era of mayhem, mean people and global difficulties, having a reason to type the words “good-hearted humans” is an uplifting moment!]
MEANWHILE, OUT AT THE LAKE:

OPPORTUNITIES & NEEDS
The opportunities are from 10 a.m. to noon this weekend when the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake hosts a session at the non-profit’s clinic in Gun Barrel City. What’s available? Vaccinations, microchipping, heartworm testing and other non-surgical services, according to our tipster Sydney Busch.
As you surely know by now, the Friends operate the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City, Texas. It’s a pretty swift drive from Dallas to GBC — a little over an hour on 175. [LARRY ASIDE: Take’s about as long as it takes to drive from downtown Dallas to LBJ on Central Expressway at 8 in the morning.]
In the meantime, the Friends Spay/Neuter Clinic has some needs, or as Sydney writes, “The need for ‘stuff’ never ends.” You can drop these things off at the clinic from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays when they’re, uh, operating. Here’s what’s needed: Bleach, isopropyl alcohol (70% strength), paper towels, toilet paper” and “case of water for our dedicated, thirsty volunteers.”

CONTEMPLATIONS
UNCLE BARKY, STEVIE RAY, PECULIAR DAY
One of the most popular columnists in the great newspaper history of Dallas has decided to “sign -30-“ on his website unclebarky.com.
Ed Bark made that announcement as the Year 2020 became comfortable with its surroundings. That’s the photo and the “lead” paragraph Ed used to sign off. FYI: Not only is he a great TV writer, but he’s also one of the great softball players in the history of the Dallas Media League or whatever it was called back in the late 1900s. Is he unplugging his computer? Nope. Read all about it by clicking HERE. 
… 
 That’s my boy Stevie Ray, the born-into-ferality (that a word?) Oak Cliff kitten. He is recovering from Tuesday’s surgery as if nothing had happened. That’s our subtle suggestion to spay and neuter your animals. That’s Stevie Ray inexplicably deciding that instead of hissing, as he was doing 2 days ago, he’ll just go ahead and nuzzle Wendy, the possible Boxer/Bird Dog mix…
We got so used to having holidays last month that I can’t give ‘em up. In case you’re planning ahead, January 10, according to Holiday Insights, is Bittersweet Chocolate Day, Houseplant Appreciation Day and Peculiar People Day. At our house we don’t have any of that chocolate and we’ve never successfully nurtured houseplants. But that third one — well, I don’t know how my funspouse Martha's people celebrate...
— Offer peculiar responses by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —

EX-SPCA LEADER JAMES BIAS GOING TO CONNECTICUT HUMANE SOCIETY; STEVIE RAY AT VET; ROCK 'N' ROLL VOTING...

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2019 [PetPowellPress] So you'll know we practice what we preach at readlarrypowell.com, it's lonesome in the ol' office as this is being written. That's why we're going to press early with the Wednesday edition. 
Our AOC (Apprentice Office Cat) Stevie Ray has been at the vet Tuesday for his "special surgery."
I snapped that photo of two pals, Office cat William Powell and his apprentice, the black and white kitten Stevie Ray, in a counseling session Monday evening. William previously had the surgery and was comforting.
In our decades of taking in cats and dogs in Dallas, we've only adopted one dog, Dudley the Angel, and one cat, The Senator, who were already "fixed." All the rest of the foundlings and wander-ups ...well, if I'd invested that money we spent on "fixing" in wise stock purchases, I'd be under constant investigation by Congressional subcommittees for "outrageous investments."
People who only adopt a cat or dog without shots, chips and "fixing" should know that investing in spaying and neutering is a good thing for the animals. 
You don't want extra puppies and kittens roaming the neighborhoods creating more extra puppies and kittens. You think spay/neuter has nothing to do with the euthanasia rate at taxpayer-financed animal shelters? 
Use your brain to save animals from being born just to be killed.
You may also use your clicker to go to the Texas Coalition for Animal Protection HERE
to see how to get your boy cat or boy dog "fixed" for $20 through January by the TCAP folks. At that site, you can see how to set up the surgery -- call for an appointment at 940-566-5551.
[LARRY ASIDE: Stevie Ray has his own private doctor, but we have friends who have used TCAP and they are happy with this key service. And, yes, readlarrypowell.com urges everyone to "read-up" on the benefits of and the questions about spay/neuter.]
CONNECTICUT GETS A STAR
IN ANIMAL ADVOCACY: JAMES BIAS
You may recall that James Bias left his top executive position at the SPCA of Texas about a year ago and segued into consulting for non-profits.
About 11:30 Texas time Tuesday, he posted a Facebook announcement. Part of it reads, "Today I am excited to share that another chapter (and move) is in my future. I will follow the footsteps of retiring Executive Director, Gordon Willard, at the Connecticut Humane Society. I will begin February 3rd with my transition into the Executive Director role. I'll be joining a committed and talented Board of Directors, Staff, Volunteers and Community Stakeholders to carry on the CHS mission."
Anybody can run a photo of an executive, of course, so I thought I'd be the first in Texas to run adoptable animals on behalf of Connecticut-bound James Bias. That dog with the tennis ball is Garnet, around a year-and-a-half old. That handsome cat is 13-year-old Randy. Go to cthumane.org to see more adoptables in The Nutmeg State, also known as The Constitution State.

A LINK TO THE LONG LIST
AT THE LANCASTER SHELTER
Here's a short LINK to a long list of animals on the clock -- perhaps right now the needles are ready -- at the Lancaster Animal Shelter. It comes from Laura Macias and her colleagues at 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that focuses on small shelters with light traffic.
Among the dogs are Reilley, a boy Boxer mix who arrived in a condition known as "starving" and he has proven to be an extraordinarily sweet guy, Laura's note says. That other dog is "Bully mix" Jasper -- we've featured him before and he's worked his way to the top of the euthanasia list simply by "existing" in the shelter. He's less than a year old -- too young to get the needle, don't you think?
See if you can help by calling or texting Laura at 214-949-2726 or emailing her at cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS
HEALTHY?  DOOBIE VOTING? SAM COOKE

I got an email from a steakhouse that promised "healthy" choices and I opened it, saw the photos of the featured dishes and thought, "Not healthy for the chicken or the fish, pal." Yeah, many a vegetarian will tell you that steakhouses can have the best salad bars. But that doesn't make it a healthy place for chickens, fish, pigs, cows, cute little lambs, etc. Free the lobsters, you know? ...
In case you didn't know you can vote in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame's next induction, it's open to anybody. Here's the LINK. There's a list of nominees and you can vote for 5. I could only find 3 I felt happy about -- The Doobie Brothers, Todd Rundgren and Rufus Featuring Chaka Kahn. I'm just not sure Whitney Houston is rock 'n' roll. Yep, casting votes with all these nominees may help you get prepared for political primaries and the November election. The Doobies ought to be in based on just two songs -- Jesus Is Just Alright (1972) and Takin' It To the Streets (1976). Plenty more songs in the catalogue. And, HOLY SMOKE! How many American voters were even born when those songs were hits? If you were born in '76, The American Bicentennial Year, you'll be 44 in 2020 -- are you really a rock 'n' roll child? ...
GROWING UP ON ROCK 'n' ROLL I know there are rock/blues/protest/hopeful songs among the platters I've spun. Here's a succinct Hall summary from Wikipedia: "The first group of inductees, inducted on January 23, 1986, included Elvis Presley, James Brown, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Jerry Lee Lewis." Here's a touching song from the great Sam Cooke. CLICK and watch the video, too. God bless rock 'n' roll and keep it healthy.
--- Offer advice or rock 'n' roll voting mood swings by clicking on 'comment' below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. ---

ANIMALS, PEOPLE, COWBOYS, A CAR CHASE, KELLY & RYAN

EDITION OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019 [PetPowellPress] I was happily organizing this edition and listening to Live With Kelly and Ryan when suddenly my TV screen went black, then when it went live again the show had been preempted by Fox4's coverage of a high-speed chase through busy traffic areas of Dallas. 
I’m pretty sure this chase had nothing to do with the Dallas Cowboys unless the driver of the car is upset that the team hired a former Green Bay Packer head coach to guide the Cowboys toward a Super Bowl. Seems wrong, somehow, considering the Ice Bowl.
Will new coach Mike McCarthy need to undergo some kind of mind-cleansing to forget Green Bay and embrace the Cowboys and his paycheck? The fleeing driver, after running rapidly to nowhere, finally gave up. Hmm. Sounds familiar… That is my office cat, William Powell, who watched the chase with me. Says he doesn’t understand some people. “Who does?” I replied. I went back to working, he went back to warming in the sun in the southern window of our office.
THE PRICE GOES UP
FOR DALLAS ANIMALS
The December/January sale at Dallas Animal Services — Free! — is over and now there’s this new $5 sale at the Big Shelter in Big D.
Here’s the artwork from the DAS Facebook page. Five bucks.
As you can see from that black and white art from the DAS site Monday morning, there are plenty of dogs and cats available at DAS even though the city was giving ‘em away over the past couple of weeks.
So, there are two ways (at least) to see the inventory on line. One is to linkup through the DAS Facebook page HERE and the other is to go to the city’s site at dallasanimalservices.org — that’s where we found the dog/cat statistics. That is also where we found this cat who really needs a home. He’s Marlow and his shelter number is A1091674. Marlow is about 8 years old and has been in the shelter since Christmas Eve. [LARRY ASIDE: Pretty sure he wasn’t left behind by elves and a guy in a red suit.]
Remember, the shelter is open to the public — just walk right into the big building on Westmoreland right on the south side of I-30.
FOLLOWUP ON A TRIO
FROM BAY CITY SHELTER
These dogs, our Houston tipster Alexandra Kelsey reports, have $575 each pledged to get them out of the Bay City Animal Shelter — the catch is this: No one has tagged them — everybody needs a foster to step up.
 And the campaign to save them has been going on since before Christmas.
But, AK writes, “These darling dogs are still in need. If the dogs can find foster homes, Karoline with Freedom Street will tag them.”

Who are the dogs? 

Simon is that Shepherd mix with the great face and the lively tail. He’s about 2 and weighs 47 pounds. He’s also “strong heartworm positive” but he can be saved with patience and proper care. 
Cotton is the 41-pound stray girl who is of an “uncertain breed” and a really stand-up tail! [LARRY ASIDE: How about we give up on searching for “breed” and bestow the honorable title “Dog.” Could do better with the title “My dog.”]
Cotton is also heartworm positive.

And Dots, with the decorative eye, is also heartworm positive. She’s about 2 1/2 and weighs around 45 pounds.
The contact to tag the dogs is DeLana Blalock at dblalock@cityofbaycity.org or call her at the Bay City Animal Impound at 979-323-1706.
TRINITY GAP RESCUE WORKING
FOR CANINE, FELINE BEAUTIES
This photo popped up at readlarrypowell.com Monday morning and immediately I copied it to show you, Dear Readers.
It looks like something you’d see in a magazine (they still have those) that focuses on Hollywood stars and their homes. But this dog isn’t in a Hollywood home — yet. She’s the Husky mix Sabrina. The note with her Facebook post read, “Don’t let her fool you, she is a dog, not a stuffed animal, and she is looking for the perfect family." (Email Maria at riply82@hotmail.com.)
Sabrina’s Trinity GAP bio reads “She is potty-trained, knows basic commands and has good energy, but knows how to relax, too. She is a lot of fun to be around. She will dance and sing when she sees you and has a permanent smile on her face."
As you probably know, Trinity GAP Rescue is a project of the Euless Trinity High School Girls Awareness Program, i.e., the GAP Club. Those youngsters partner with Euless Animal Services to save lives.
These Boxer-mix puppies are soon going to be available via the GAP efforts. (Email evegap- foster1@ gmail.com.) And GAP note, “We will not be placing them in apartments!”

We also found a beautiful cat waiting to be adopted on the GAP website. She is #19351, known more warmly as Carmen Elektra. The 2-year-old, just under 8-pound cat is described as a “slightly roundish dilute calico”. And the story on her is this: “Carmen is a people cat. She lives among 2 other young cats but does not play like they do.  She wants to be by you getting petted. She is very curious and prefers to know what is behind all closed doors. She is funny.  She likes water from the faucet.  She is a bit bossy to the other cats so will do best with cats who don't care who is boss. She uses litter box 100% and grooms to keep herself clean and pretty.  Not sure how such a fun and pretty cat came up homeless but she is ready for new one now.  She has not liked wet food here so maybe a devout kibble eater only.  Come see this bombshell, she is a keeper.” (Use her ID# when you call the Euless Shelter at 817-685-1594 or visit it at 1517 Westpark Way in Euless.
9-YEAR-OLD BOXER
IN MESQUITE SHELTER
Those are two photos of Annabell, 9, “surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on Jan. 2 because of health issues,” reports the volunteer shelter biographer Judi Brown. She meets the dogs she writes about. And she says Annabell “is as sweet and gentle as she looks. She loves to have her chin scratched. If you sit down she will put her head on your lap. She’s very loving and affectionate. She loves for you to love on her. She kept her kennel clean all day and then as soon as she got outside did her business. She walks well on a leash. She gets round fairly well. She didn’t have much of a reaction when being introduced to other dogs and cats. She definitely did not show aggression. She is heartworm negative. She will need to be fed soft food because she has small benign tumors in her mouth. She has numerous skin tags and some loss of hair. She is malnourished. Her nose is crusty. She just needs a trip to the vet, some good nourishment, a good bath, and lots of loving.” 
That's a sincere appeal for Annabell — her ID is 43532824. Use it when you call the shelter at 972-216–6283 or email rescues@cityof mesquite.com.

As long as you’re concerned about Annabell fining a home, take a look at this tongue-lapping Brindle Pittie mix boy -- he's the beautiful Brewster who came in on Dec. 30 as a stray. Judi says his “very striking brindle markings [make] him a standout! Besides that, he is a very good boy!”
Brewster is a 63-pound tail-wagger who would love to be a lap dog. He’ll need the right lap. His number is 43514799. Call the shelter at 972-216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS
WORKWEEK, PEGASUS THEATRE AND ONE TREE IN THE WOODS….
The Dallas Cowboys are getting a new head coach and here on Tuesday, while I'm sure the Cowboys are one day closer to the Super Bowl, the rest of us are one day closer to the weekend. My sympathy, of course, is with all of you who are working a full 5-day week for the first time in about 3 weeks. Got to be a challenge. … There’s a bit of artwork reminding you that the great Pegasus Theatre has a new “In Living Black & White” production at The Eisemann in Richardson. This production adds a wrinkle to the traditional “Living Black & White” productions of Pegasus — part of this murder mystery comedy is in “Vivid Techno-Color." Tickets are at the Eisemann online or click to pegasustheatre.org. Never seen an un-entertaining Pegasus production. Can’t say that about every theater ticket I’ve bought. ...
In the meantime, I spotted this great thing on Dawn Cook’s Facebook page. A guy focused a camera on a tree in the forest for a year and got some great pictures of nature. Here’s the LINK
and I hope you appreciate the animals just living their lives.
—- Offer opinions or objections by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com where we don’t dine on woodland creatures. —-

SAVING CATS AND DOGS NEAR YOU, PLUS PROTECTING BEARDED PIGS & OTHER ANIMALS (HUMANS, TOO)

EDITION OF MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2019 [PetPowellPress] While opening my weekend email on Sunday I got message with this subject line: "Start the new year off right!" 
Too late, I said, but we'll make up for it in Contemplations.
A FERAL CAT PROJECT WEST
OF 'SIGNATURE' DALLAS BRIDGES
Yep, feral cats -- IN DALLAS. Who knew? Yeah, a lot of us know. Been writing about 'em for
decades. Now there's a new movement to save a colony near a busy area just across the Trinity River from Downtown Dallas.
Veteran animal advocate Gabriela Pataro sent a note that sets the scene for this critical rescue effort. She writes, "A West Dallas street, in the shadow of the developments of the Calatrava-designed McDermott Bridge and hundreds of new 'pigeon coop apartments' by the stories, [has] a dilapidated building called God’s House that serves as shelter for twelve to fifteen meek and gentle cats. ...
A lady of 78 years feeds the cats and on occasion she arrives to find the younger cats killed by dogs that run loose overnight or run over by cars.

"Our intention is to trap the cats, sterilize them and place them in better situations. We seek barns, warehouses without heavy equipment, feral colonies, backyards and maybe offices needing mousers....

"We are hoping people will step up and offer a new safe place for one or two cats. Step by step we can give these creatures a better environment. There are two cats that could become pets as they are especially social and gentle.

"We are able to deliver the cats and happy to deliver that cats to areas in the 25 mile proximity. If someone lives further we can always make a deal and arrangements for further distances.

"We cannot guaranty or determine what cats will be available. Ideally, a list of potential homes will be made and as each pair of cats is captured we will contact from the list."

To get involved with helping by taking in a cat or helping to feed or care for them, contact Gabriela at 214-240-9330 or email GabrielaDallasTexas@gmail.com.

[LARRY ASIDE: I saved my favorite paragraph from Gabriela for this moment. Explaining mousers in the office, she wrote, "The presence of cats and their scent in an environment with mice serves to scare off the mice though a cat may occasionally catch a rodent and present it as a gift." Back in the era of big longtime department stores in Dallas, my funspouse Martha's cat Bob used to present her with a mouse here, a snake there. Martha told her sister Donna that they were gifts from the cat and Donna advised, "You need to teach that cat to shop at Sanger Harris." ]
A COUPLE OF TAILWAGGERS
WAITING IN MESQUITE
You know exactly what they could be waiting on -- but rather than the needle we'd rather that Annie and Bane were waiting on the arrival of a rescuer to save their lives at the Mesquite Animal Services Shelter. What's the deal with these dogs?

Glad you asked. We have the answers from Judi Brown, the hands-on biographer of Mesquite's shelter dogs. 

She says Annie is a 5- to 6-year-old Bulldog/Pittie mix -- arrived as a stray on December 28. 
"Judging from the scars on her face and her extended nipples, it looks like she has had a hard life. She has probably just had babies that were taken away from her too soon and also been overbred. Yet, she is all wiggles. She wiggles so much that her whole body falls in line. She’s very friendly and sometimes gets overzealous and tries to jump on you for a hug." Ask about this 60-pound dog (#43508296) by calling the shelter at 972-216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
Bane is described as a 7-year-old Yellow Lab who came in as a stray on December 30. Judi writes, "Look into his eyes and you can see that he’s a sweet, gentle boy! He welcomed me as soon as I entered his kennel. He’s a friendly guy with lots of tail wags that likes having his ears scratched. He stays close looking up at you with those sad eyes imploring you to pet him and give him more attention. He doesn’t pester you though. He also does not jump on you. You can tell from the marks on his elbows that he is spent considerable time outside on the concrete. ... He has two, what appear to be mammary tumors, that will require medical attention. He weighs 51 pounds. Bonus: he is already fixed!" Ask about Bane by using his #43514661 when you call the shelter at 972-216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
TWO DIFFERENT REACTIONS
TO SITUATIONS WITH DOGS
What you see here are two stories I clipped off of Facebook posts. The one with the guy who is trying to win the Michael Vick Sweetheart of the Year Trophy came from our pal Andy Allen, the great animal advocate and veteran of service on the Dallas Animal Shelter Commission.
The other, about a woman who clocked her boyfriend for leaving the dog out in the rain, was posted by Monica Ailey, the President/Co-Founder and Animal Cruelty Investigator at Animal Investigation & Response.
SELECTION A: THE VICK AWARD
This NFL player, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, is accused of dumping his Cane Corso on the side of the road. Why? Because "they're having a baby." The story says, "Nunez-Roches, who breeds Pit Bull type dogs, allegedly abandoned the Cane Corso, who was found sitting on the road for 36 hours, exhausted, starving and all alone." Click HERE for the details.

SELECTION B: THE DOG IS OUTSIDE? IN THIS RAIN?
The responses to this story are classic. Suggestions such as contributing to her bail. Here's the LINK.
[LARRY ASIDE: We don't endorse violence at readlarrypowell.com, but we can spot situations that need educational applications of the readlarrypowell.com Two-by-Four of Enlightenment, i.e., the player and the boyfriend. Sad that people are -- what's a good word?j Let me peruse my French -- ah, yes, BLEEP**LES to animals.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
REAL LIFE AND TWO TV STORIES
That's The Senator -- he was with me when I opened Gabriela Pataro's note about the feral cat situation just west of downtown Dallas. The Senator is not a formerly feral cat, but he could have been. He wandered up onto our porch a decade or so ago, came inside and stayed. A genuine blessing for our hearts. Not all wandering cats are so elegantly mannered as The Senator. We have no idea how he came to be wandering the neighborhood. But people frequently dump animals in that area of just off Polk, a few blocks south of Love Freeway. They either find a place or they go feral until they are killed or just die from starvation and terror. So, save the feral cats -- all over the world -- they may not really be "forever feral" but if they are, give 'em a good life, anyway. ....
On CBS Sunday Morning we watched one Texan interview another one -- the great Bob Schieffer interviewed the great Tanya Tucker. Two interesting people. Talented in their own fields. Entertaining in their own fields. Tanya Tucker was born in Seminole, Texas. And, so was Larry Gatlin. How about that. Population about 6,400 and two big country stars. Mr. Schieffer? Born in a small town in the Hill Country, Austin. See that interview HERE. ...
One more note about CBS Sunday Morning: The great photographer and animal protector, thus planet protector, National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore delivered a wonderful commentary on human involvement with saving animals, thus the environment and ourselves. He's gone around the world taking photos of vanishing animals for The Photo Ark just so humans can know who to save and who we fail. You can see his masterfully logical commentary HERE .
In 2013, I was working in marketing for the non-profit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and Mr. Sartore was to be guest speaker for the organization's annual Mallon Award Dinner that October.
I was excited about seeing him and his photos and listening and, son of a gun, if just about the time things were lining up for the event, I got the opportunity to undergo brain surgery and miss the Sartore appearance. Got to have a big ol' pituitary tumor removed instead -- pituitary tumors, yep, that's something I'd like to see listed as extinct once and for all. Anyway, mine was destroying my vision, so I probably couldn't have seen far enough to recognize the photos, anyway. But, now, thanks to skilled physicians, I'm able to see straight again. And on Sunday morning I got a kick out of seeing Mr. Sartore's photographs, in particular two beasts I didn't see growing up in Bowie County, in the northeast corner of the Lone Star State. One is that Borneo Bearded Pig and other is the Giant Armadillo from South America. [LARRY ASIDE: I think I once saw one of each as I walked out of a downtown Dallas bar, Belle's Green Glass Lounge, about 2:30 one morning after a night of beating three or four editions' deadlines at The Then-Big Paper Downtown, speaking of vanishing species.]
My work at readlarrypowell.com is dedicated to saving dogs and cats and other critters in our everyday lives. But my heart with the goal of saving them all -- even the humans and the papers they read. 
Believe this sentiment: Thanks, Joel Sartore, for magnificently describing the planet-saving mission in virtually non-political terms. Dear Readers, I hope you'll watch the commentary and heed its message. Click HERE.
--- Save the animals. Leave a note by clicking on 'comment' below or by emailing Larry Powell at dallrp@aol.com.---

LETTING SLEEPING GREYHOUNDS LIE -- EVERYWHERE AROUND THE ROOM!

Our 3-day weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap will focus on answering this question: What does a room full of Greyhounds look like?

We’ll also answer the question: Can a Greyhound be an Earhound?

The inspiration for this examination is the fantastic multi-state rescue organization, Greyhound Adoption League of Texas (GALT). As you may know, since May 2001 GALT — look it up at galtx.org — has rescue Greyhounds and “sighthounds” from all sorts of situations. Mercifully, they’ve saved the lives of dogs facing euthanasia or tortured existences because they’re no longer racing dogs. 

FYI: Not all Greyhounds are racing dogs. I learned this several years ago at a Greyhound adoption event when a rescuer explained, “Greyhounds are notorious couch potatoes.”

So I opened the newsletter from GALT and, sure enough, there was proof of that declaration.
And that photo above answers our question: What does a room full of sleeping Greyhounds look like? So does the photo on the right!
The GALT newsletter caption for the Photo of the Week (right) at Christmas read, “And all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even Odin, Brenna, Dobbler, Perry, Jack, Wish or Erica!"

Susie McQuade of GALT says the dogs are all GALT adoptees and they live with the author Suzanne Burke, a GALT supporter and Greyhound fan.
Suzanne is such a fan, in fact, that she’s written books with the Greyhounds as the heroic focus! 
 Here are the covers of three of her books that have to do with Greyhounds. They’re available HERE
on Amazon.
Suzanne says, “Logan is the main character  in each book. Books 2 and 3 have many Greyhound characters and are award-winning historical adventure stories - geared toward middle school age and loved by adults too. “
And as you can see in the photos, the dogs move and their beds move, too. They are dedicated to the mission of “Letting Sleeping Dogs Lie” —wherever they want!

When we opened the GALT newsletter HERE, the first awake Greyhound we spotted was this Earhound named Blaze. He was surrendered by his breeder because he had a deformed leg. Two of his littermates had similar deformities; they’re went to GALT, too.

Then there’s Penny. Her paragraph in the news letter, reads, “Penny continues to do well after the amputation of her gunshot and broken front leg. In a few more weeks, Penny will  undergo FHO surgery at DVSC to correct an old break to her pelvis. This girl just loves life now that she is safe!” 

And you can CLICK HERE  to read about the challenges faced by this year-old Greyhound/Saluki mix.
You want to get simultaneously mad and relieved? Try on this passage from Penny’s bio: “She was found by Samantha, her guardian angel, hunkered down on her patio chair on a very cold November night in the Mansfield area. Samantha immediately took her inside and warmed her up; and also discovering she had been shot in her left front leg, as well as she could not walk well with her right rear leg.”
She’s coping now -- that's one of her recuperation photos from the GALT newsletter. She's had her front leg amputated and now that she’s stable, she’ll be undergoing surgery to repair the back leg.

It takes money to help these dogs become adoptable. Sure, some arrive healthy and ready to go — but they still have to be fed and housed. All of this is accomplished through the hearts of people who love animals.
GALT does annual fundraisers — tickets are at galtx.org for the Sunday, January 26, fundraiser: 20/20 Houndsight Greyt Retired Athletes Benefit Dinner and Auction at III Forks in Dallas — cocktails at 4 p.m.
Master of ceremonies is renowned sports broadcaster Mark Followill (“assisted by John Denton,” another renowned sportscaster). Celebrity guests include Dallas Mavericks’ favorite Derek Harper and retired Texas’ Rangers center fielder Craig Gentry.

Special guests include actor Burton Gilliam — the Dallas product is a legend on the big screen. That’s a photo of him in action as the leader of the “Flying Elvises — Utah Chapter” in the Nicholas Cage/Sara Jessica Parker film Honeymoon in Vegas. Here’s a link to the Flying Elvises scene.

[LARRY PERSONAL ASIDE: Burton, by the way, is a former Golden Gloves boxer in Dallas and a referee, too. Plus he’s a nice guy who always had a good quote for me to use when I was a columnist at The Big Paper Downtown.]
Filmfans will also remember the actor for his standout performances in Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles and Peter Bogdanovich’s Paper Moon, two big cinema hits.  Now you want tickets to rub elbows with the actor -- again, galtx.org.
The bottom line is this: Money raised by this year’s Greyt Retired Athletes Benefit Dinner and Auction will go to helping Greyhounds and their cousins survive to live good lives — they can become Couch Potatoes if they want or they can be the dog that walks every step of the day with you. All because good hearts support the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas.
And, somewhere along the way, the combined efforts of rescuers and supporters will help Let Sleeping Dogs Sleep, just as rescuers and supporters of feline groups help Napping Cats Nap. We’re all in this together. That’s what my dogs and cats tell me.
And if you want a sweet girl, that's Sansa, a staghound in the care of GALT. Yeah, they're not all Greyhounds, but they all are in need of a place to be a sleeping dog with a good-hearted human.
[LARRY ASIDE: The Senator, our executive editor at readlarrypowell.com, urges this: Please sent photos and bios of your sleeping dogs, napping cats or slumbering critters of any kind and their biographies to dallrp@aol.com, We’ll feature them in our weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Sleep and Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be showing people the benefits of having a trusting and trusted animal around the house. And, you’ll be inspiring insomniacs to believe that, against great odds, we, too, can get some sleep, take some naps, if only we can determine the right way to flop on a couch, a bed, a carpet or, at least, pull over at a highway rest stop and find the right sleeping angle of the car seat. I cannot fit into The Senator's executive carrier but, I swear, Insomniacs will try anything to nod off! The Senator's conscience is clear -- he has no trouble napping. I woke him at the vet's office to snap that photo.]
—- Offer opinions or slumber advice by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com where insomnia is a longtime acquaintance. —-

DOGS, CATS, THE DALLAS COTTON RINK AND A NEW YEAR'S EVE STORY...

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 [PetPowellPress] A Dallas Stars hockey match drew nearly 90,000 people to the roofless, un-refrigerated Cotton Bowl football stadium in Dallas’ Fair Park on New Year’s Day. More on this venue for the Dallas Stars 4-2 victory over the Nashville Banjos — sorry, that’s Nashville Predators (has nothing to do with country music, I'm sure) — in Contemplations.
PROOF THAT THERE’VE BEEN
ANGELS IN NEWSROOMS…
Oh, boy, here’s a treat for you. Perhaps you’ll recall reading the columns of the great Jacquielynn Floyd in The Dallas Morning News. She had quite a following for years. One of her followers is another of my former colleagues, her husband, the retired editor Mike Hashimoto. They are both cat fans.
And on New Year’s Day, I spotted this cat rescue story posted by Jacq on her Facebook page. Yep, I immediately asked if I could steal, er, reprint it for the Dear Readers of www.readlarrypowell.com. She said sure and here we go. (That’s her and Hash — two people who make one great match.
You may also have noticed the photo of a cat. That cat may be one of the luckiest little dudes on the planet. Here’s what Jacq wrote about him. Perhaps it’ll inspire other people to give free- roaming cats a chance. Now, the report from Jacquielynn Floyd:

“The day before Christmas Eve, we found this hobo begging for scraps at a roadside park near Lockhart. He was wary but friendly; he was desperately hungry; he looked like a prime candidate for being eaten by coyotes. The clipped ear signals he is a TNR - that he has been trapped, neutered, and released in a program to control the feral cat population. Yet he seemed much too sociable for a feral.

“Got him - and not without difficulty - to the shelter in Austin. After lots of questioning to ensure we are not heartless pet-dumpers, they said they'd take him in.

“I had no wish to disrupt our placid household. We have three cats and we need another one about like we need a submarine or a snowmobile. But the words came out:
"Can I adopt him?"

“You have to wait five days," they said. Or - in a much more persuasive tone - you can just take him now.

“Caring for him became something of a Christmas family project. We were staying in a downtown Austin hotel, so my sister and brother-in-law kept him in the guest bedroom at my dad's house, where they were staying. Coming home, he squalled until about Georgetown.
“The vet gave him shots and said he's healthy. The problem now is our seriously inhospitable resident cats, so we're taking plenty of time to get everyone familiarized.

“Looks like he's staying. His name is Woody.”

[LARRY NOTE: Woody, little pal, you have won the catfan equivalent of Lotto Texas. Enjoy a long life of being loved. And congrats to Jacq and Hash for being such wonderful people on the highway of life. I'm almost certain today's newsrooms still have an angel or two on the payroll.]
AN EARHOUND IN DALLAS
For many, many years I’ve been able to rely on the SPCA of Texas to spotlight a genuine “Earhound.” 

This is Apollo and Apollo is, indeed, a genuine Earhound.

His bio even reads, “I am a pretty boy with the silliest ears.”
He’s been successful in the SPCA’s Borrow-a-Buddy Foster Program — he’s well-behaved, likes to go on walks, ride in the car and he does “try and chase squirrels.” On foot, not in the car. Doesn’t have a driver’s license yet. 
Go to spca.org and see how to adopt Apollo or other dogs and cats, rats, rabbits and a horse named Lenny.
FROM FORT WORTH’S
ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL
Paige King posted this cat appeal during the New Year’s arrival on the Facebook page for Fort Worth Animal Care & Control. You can see why it might appeal to someone who rescues cats or someone who adopts cats and gives them a home where they can relax and enjoy the life of a beloved pair of cats.
The note about them read, 
“BONDED SENIORS
Black cat 43440230 is a 10 yr old male, FELV neg, FIV low positive
White cat 43440267 is a 10 yr old male, FELV neg, FIV low positive
Both surrendered for too many animals 😭 now they are both sick.”

Here’s THE VIDEO in which that photo originated.
The shelter is at 4900 Martin St. in southeastern Fort Worth near I-20 and 820. Email fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov
CONTEMPLATIONS
SPORTS NAPPING, THE COTTON RINK & THE CAR KEY CHALLENGE
About the Dallas Stars match at the Cotton Bowl Wednesday: My Sportsnappingspouse Martha slept through, as she said, “only one of the quarters of that hockey game.” Not a hockey fan, "quarters" being the tip off. She napped comfortably through about two-thirds of the match. She deserved it. She’d knocked herself out prepping the house and the kitchen for the holidays. Usually she reads during her beloved Texas Rangers games (God bless replays) and sleeps during football games — especially the Cowboys but, of course, they’re not suitin’ up again for a while. She hasn’t been a Cowboys fan since that guy from Arkansas fired her righteous hero Tom Landry. Of course, Dallas hasn’t host the franchise since the Cotton Hockey Rink lost out to Irving and Texas Stadium, now demolished. … All that sentimental Cowboys stuff aside. Can a plexiglass dome and air-conditioning in the Cotton Bowl’s future? If Arlington can roof a stadium and make it climate appropriate, Dallas will surely rise to the challenge — doesn’t Dallas always come up with the dough for outlandish projects? OK, so why would the Cotton Rink need a see-through plexiglass dome? So spectators can see the pre-game flyovers and small planes pulling big advertising banners…
LET'S TALK CAR PROBLEMS! On New Year’s Eve I left an event in one of the office buildings in Preston Center in Big D near Northwest Highway and the Dallas North Tollway. It was about 9 p.m. I got into my 2013 Ford Edge, put the key in the ignition, turned it and the whole plastic fob thing broke off of the thin metal key without starting the car. Mine was one of about 4 cars in the big ground-level lot of the parking garage. New Year’s Eve. You can’t put those key things back together and get ‘em to fire up your car. Can you imagine the horror? 
What does one do on the busiest tow-truck night of the year. Naturally, I called my Rescuespouse Martha who was settling down for a quiet evening in our home in Fort Worth. She calmly asked, “Have you called Triple A?” So, 
I did. They don’t travel with a locksmith in the tow trucks. But they said they’d send a guy and he’d tow my car to a Ford dealership if that's what I wanted. 
Martha arrived about 30 minutes later — traffic was flowing nicely on I-30 East — and the tow truck arrived about 5 minutes later. The driver got out and asked about the problem. He said, “Let’s see what you’ve got left of your key” and I handed him all three pieces. A piece of plastic, a detached key and the broken fob with the lock/unlock buttons and the emergency horn button. 
He looked up at me and smiled and asked, “What if I told you I can get your car started and you can drive home?” Then he said, “I’m kidding. Watch this.” And he took a small pair of pliers, put the key in the ignition, held the fob next to it and twisted the key with the pliers. The Edge fired up like a good NASA rocket, I declared “Holy expletive” and the tow truck driver laughed! 
I was so moved, I gave him EVERY BIT OF CASH I had — $12. I thanked him profusely. Martha was even more grateful because she would not have to ride home with irritated me riding shotgun and complaining and fuming about fate, destiny and my lack of automotive repair skill. 

Here is my point: The driver of the tow truck was a gentleman, was helpful and was concerned. He had a solution that didn’t involve an expensive tow from Preston Center to a dealership somewhere else.
And I’m mentioning him — not by name because I don’t want to get him into trouble — but I’m mentioning his New Year’s Eve kindness because of two things: (1) This is the decent behavior that lifts an entire nation one kindness at a time and (2) being a two truck driver in Dallas/Fort Worth is dangerous. Those guys get shot. They get attacked. They get run down by out of control cars. Same things that threaten cops at a car crash threaten the tow truck drivers, too. Mayhem, drunks and bad judgment in lead-footed drivers.
 So, when you have a chance, give those tow truck people a break. Maybe they’ll help you get a break next time you need them. And to the guy who helped me, he arrived at the right time with his New Year’s Eve solution. I’d been trying to figure out how to have a better 2020 when, as 2019 was leaving, I did something I’d never done in my life: I broke the car key. Thanks to the tow truck driver, 2020 is looking better!
—- Offer opinions or advice by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing me at dallrp@aol.com. And, yes, I’m getting the key repaired. —-

SO, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020 & RESOLVE TO ...?

EDITION OF TUESDAY, DEC. 31, 2019/WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1, 2020 [PetPowellPress] It feels like it was only a few days ago — maybe less — that my HappyNewYearSpouse Martha and I put our dogs into Martha’s car — appropriately a Rover (Range Rover she bought with PetPowell Petsitting profits) — and rolled toward downtown Dallas.
That was New Year’s Eve in 1999. [That photo is Nicki and rescued puppy Annie about six years later.] But, as Y2K approached we spent the evening with our dogs. The cats — Bob, Lucy, Benchley, Spike and Cyril were on their own at home -- nobody parties like housecats.
Martha drove us (I was in the backseat with several dogs, and Hammy the Great Dane mix was riding shotgun -- that's him in HIS chair a few years later) down to the Oak Cliff side of the Trinity River — away from the scary sounds but close enough to watch the fireworks lighting up that part of town and the man-made river channel.
We had Nicki the little white and black long-haired mix with the curly tail and perpetual smile — our first adopted dog in our marriage. Also, we had Hammy the Dane Mix, Cosmo the Handsome Short Black Hefty Dog (he's on the left with our rescued Chihuahua Rosie years later), Baby Jane Doe the Shepherd Mix, Belle Star Carmelita Del Vera Cruz, i.e., Vera the Chihuahua... That is a photo of Baby Jane Doe (found at a bus stop when she was a puppy) and Vera (adopted from a rescue group Martha was working with). They're waiting for the U.S. Mail carrier. Too bad you can't photograph barking decibels.
Yeah, that's Inky, the Cocker Laureate of Texas in his "I've got a big lapping tongue" pose and, on the right, his Pose of Nobility.
We also had the adorable beardedesqhe Schnauzer (maybe) mix, Claire the Beautiful Black-coated girl with white highlights. 
The funny thing about Claire was she loved jumping into people’s laps — not while they were sitting but while they were standing and talking. “SURPRISE! CATCH ME!” said the 50-pound dog.
We don’t know where she learned that.
Like all our dogs and cats, she was a rescue and a genuine benefit to the planet.
And that brings us to New Year’s Day 2020. Can it already be here?
What are we to do as we look at 2020? Forgive all advertisers who promise to give us 2020 focus in the new year? We’re gonna get pretty tired of “2020” advertising by next New Year’s Eve. “The Presidential Candidate with vision for 2020.” See?
Speaking of things to get tired of, we make resolutions and about a week to 10 days from now we’ll be fed up with trying to keep them. So, what we should do is make a list of Easily Kept New Year’s Resolutions.
Try these:
Every two weeks I will intentionally forget that 2020 is an election year and buy a full order of nachos. (Therapeutic in our time, don’t ya think?)

I will recognize that there is a difference between culture and civilization, i.e., culture thrives and civilization crumbles. Well, maybe not crumbles, but the concept gives you something to think about as you lay awake wondering what all the presidential politicians are aiming for in 2020.

OK, let’s get into our real selves:
I resolve to...

—listen to more Carly Simon songs.
—listen to more Arlo Guthrie songs.
—listen to more songs by Joanie Mitchell, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Jackson Browne and to eternally swear my Texas allegiance to Willie Nelson.
—refer to the last century as “Back in the 1900s.” That one’s from my son Bret who says that a hundred years ago people were referring to “back in the 1800s,’ so it’s time for us to use “1900s” for 20th century references.

—name my next rescued feral tomcat “Will Feral.” That one’s from my son Bart who has a quick wit. He has teenagers so he needs a quick wit. A quick wit and a quick wallet. He and Bret were once my teenagers, so I know the burden on a wallet.
—to not buy another house with old-growth trees — we did that this time and our arbor expert says it’s time to cut most of them down. Could be 100 years old or thereabouts — yep, from the 1900s and a bit costly by now.
— exercise with more enthusiasm than I had for exercise in 2019 or the entire 1900s.

— pick up our cats and dogs every day and cuddle them and let them know how much I love them.
— sweetly hold the hand of my bride — married her back in the 1900s, you know — and tell her how much she means to me because she’s literate, articulate, an animal advocate and rescuer, loves my kids and the grandkids and she makes the best pies, cookies and cakes that should never be eaten by a guy who has resolved to exercise more in 2020.

— write more and write better and write with love — after all, I’ve been writing since back in the 1900s.

— sell more fiction and get movie contracts and quit worrying about winning Lotto Texas which I started playing back in the 1900s.
— no longer think about the amount of money I’ve wasted on Lotto Texas since back in the 1900s.

— remember the people I’ve loved and do something in their honor. Like I may buy my funspouse Martha some extra Lotto Texas tickets — that would NOT be wasted money in any century.
Yeah, resolutions get downright personal. Good luck with yours, be kind to animals and resolve to support tougher cruelty laws that put villains who abuse people and animals into the slammer. Make ‘em wish they were back in the unenlightened 1900s.
Now, with this guidance, I urge you to do one more thing: HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s there waiting on you!
—- Offer your resolutions or your objections by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com where I swear I resolve to open every letter and take under consideration the suggested lucky Lotto Texas numbers. —-

ON THE LAST DAY 0f 2019, MAYBE SOME LATE CHANCES TO SAVE SHELTER LIVES...

EDITION OF DECEMBER 31, 2019 [PetPowellPress] This morning, the thought occurred that soon the Christmas decorations will vanish and the good will toward men will fade into the sound of political competition, anger and battle in other lands and the clatter of disagreement from sea to shining sea. 
Humankind. Be nice if “kind’ were the emphasis.
AN UPBEAT STORY
FROM THE EAST COAST
Dallas/Fort Worth and the surrounding state of Texas isn’t the only place with shelter challenges, but, thanks to our hawkeyed, critter-loving Eastern Seaboard Bureau Chief Andy Fisher, the veteran print and broadcast journalist, we know there’s success in Manahawkin, the little Atlantic Coast community in New Jersey.
Early Tuesday morning — before sunrise in the East — Andy sent an email titled “A Dream for the New Year” and included this photo of his TV screen with an explanation and a New Year’s wish. His note reads: 
“The attached screen shot was on our local cable news channel a few minutes ago. A shelter 'down the shore' has adopted out almost all its dogs and cats! May it come true at more and more shelters in 2020! "
That’s a New Year’s Eve hope that deserves to live on well beyond all our resolutions! [Here’s a link to a newspaper story about the Manahawkin shelter success.

DRAMA IN 2 SMALL SHELTERS
IN BIG OL' NORTH TEXAS
Lancaster’s shelter is crowded and Wilmer’s is “closed to the public.” Yet, there is hope for the animals.
Laura Macias, president of the smaller shelter rescue group 4-Legged Helpers, sent us a last-day-of-the-year pair of appeals about animals in the small town, low-foot traffic, high-paw traffic shelters.

LANCASTER FACES These two are from Lancaster. That black dog with a need for some upgraded feeding and human affection is Reilly, said to be a Boxer/Bully mix who is “honestly the sweetest, most gentle soul.” The bio Laura provided reads, “He looks like a walking skeleton and seems weak — it is absolutely heartbreaking.”

We’ve posted Jasper, with the great set of ears, before and he’s listed as “1st on the euth list” when Lancaster starts loading the needles. He’s under a year old, his tail wags non-stop and his adoption fee has been waived. 
To save his life or the lives of other animals in the Lancaster city taxpayer-supported shelter, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. [LARRY ASIDE: Email Laura and ask her to put you on the mailing list so you can look at it and forward it so more eyes will see more animals and more hearts can react. Many photos of many dogs were included with this Lancaster note. Ask Laura for a copy.
]
MEANWHILE, THE WILMER SHELTER has two dogs that are “immediately needing a rescue group,” Laura’s note reads.
 Look at the smile in both photos on Tyler’s face!
The note about these two pups reads, “Both males.  Both adorable.  If you recall, this is the shelter closed to the public that is one of the little rural towns south of Dallas, and very close to the infamous Dowdy Ferry dumping ground.  Many people are unaware there is also a dumping there as well off Beltline.  All these little rural town like Wilmer, Hutchins, Ferris, and Lancaster get dogs dumped constantly.  It is absolutely heartbreaking.
 
“Tyler is an approximate 80-pound Pyr mix - completely gorgeous, sweet as can be.  Loves everyone.  Loves other dogs.  SWEET big Teddy Bear.
“Beau is an adorable approximately 20- maybe 25 pound mix that has a bit of Chi, but maybe also a little Beagle in there.  He is precious with big pretty brown eyes and he is SO lovable and sweet.  Loves other dogs also.

“This is incredibly sad,” Laura writes and urges people to call or text her at 214-949-2726 or email her at cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: Humans have to rise above municipal policies and decisions in order to save animals — no where is this more evident than in the small shelters where towns are content to “hold ‘em until we kill ‘em.”]
A TRIO OF GRAND PRAIRIE CATS;
THEY OBVIOUSLY IN THE CHIPS!
Way back in the 1970s, before the Bicentennial of the American Revolution in '76, I was editor of The Grand Prairie Daily News and the city’s Prairie Paws Adoption Center hadn’t yet been created. Nowadays, Prairie Paws is a busy place. I checked in on the last day of the year and found this trio of available cats, Dorito, Funyan and Frito — I’m guessing you can have them chipped. They’re all available for duty as a lapcat, housecat or any other necessary position in your household.
Clearly, they’re from the same litter — their parents were Spud and Lady Tater. I’m kidding. I have no idea about their parents and they probably don’t either. Here’s the link to Prairie Paws.
 
CONTEMPLATIONS
TIME, PLACE AND WEATHER
As I was typing that segment about Manahawkin, it struck me that Andy, Annie, Chloe the Cat and Maxie the Dog will have traveled an hour into 2020 by the time Texas gets to the next decade. So, that and my appreciation for certain people and all critters in New Jersey brings me to a wise quote about time. It’s from Dr. Seuss: ““How did it get so late so soon?” Yeah, I don’t know how it got to be 2020 already when I can still sing along with songs from The British Invasion and I think I just graduated from high school. I’ll ask the old guy who shows up in my mirror every morning….

MORE ON MANAHAWKIN? I was completely unaware that there was a Manahawkin until I got the bulletin from Andy. Wikipedia says there’s a dispute over the name: All agree its a Lenape word — for a long time it was thought to mean “land of good corn,” but scholars now think it means “fertile land sloping into water.” Is there a local (Southwestern, i.e.) connection? The Lenape were known as “indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands” but now are, Wikipedia reports, the people of, among other groups, “the Delaware Nation and Delaware Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma.” Yeah, President Andrew Jackson’s “removal” of native Americans didn’t just happen overnight. Here’s a link to an Oklahoma history titled “Removal of Tribes to Oklahoma.”
WEATHER — Video of the snow and ice storms across the northern tier of the United States makes a Texan very appreciative of our wonderful weather in a land where it takes a lot of refrigeration engineering to create an outdoor ice rink at the Cotton Bowl for National Hockey League teams to skate for a whole game without splashing. I think the prevailing theory is a “white Christmas” ought to be the only day we’ll abide northern-style wintry weather. By New Year’s Day we’re looking forward to a hot summer day at the baseball stadium — oh, wait. From now on the big league stadium will be hot only if the a/c goes out, I guess. Happy cool New Year.

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

MONDAY EDITION TWO: SAVED, WAITING & A TERRY LYNN LOVING CONTEMPLATION

EDITION TWO OF MONDAY, DEC. 30, 2019 [PetPowellPress] OK, so many animals to fret about as the year is drawing to an end with more finality than the Dallas Cowboys’ 2019 season. Is that not a CUTE DOG!? More on that Bay City pup in a second.
After this upcoming FYI, we’ll move into good news, opportunities for good news and we’ll close with a contemplation from Terry Lynn Fisher, the resilient rescuer from Burns Flat, Okla.
 [LARRY FYI: I’m typing this in a room with Office Cat William Powell and OC Apprentice Stevie Ray, and the radio is tuned to sports stations — we move around on the dial — because we’re wondering what’s going to happen at The Star in Frisco. Like much of the season, we suspect “nothing soon.”]
Oh, and if you need a cat already accustomed to being comfortable, that is year-old  Divinity (A1087966), a potential office cat or housecat or lapcat, at Dallas Animal Services since November 9. Call 214-6706800 or stop by the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. Remember, all DAS animals are "free" until January 5. [LARRY ASIDE: No creeps need apply, fyi.]
THOSE THREE  NO NAME DOGS 
This note from our Houstontroplex tipster Alexandra Kelsey arrived at 10 a.m. Remember the “No Name” Brazoria County Shelter pups we wrote about earlier today? Two dogs with heartworm, one without. All three on the clock? Here’s the note from AK: “All three of these dogs have been pulled and are on the way to great lives! Thanks to everyone for circulating and working so hard to save them!”
KENAI THE BORDER COLLIE
Back before Christmas we posted an appeal from Amy Poskey and Debra Myers, two dedicated animalfans who were trying to help a third party place this beautiful and smart Border Collie Kenai.
Amy’s Monday morning report read, “Kenai had a wonderful Christmas cuz his foster mom picked him up on Christmas Eve and he’s with Border Collie Rescue and Rehab!  His foster mom says he’s doing great!”
A COUPLE OF QUICK MESQUITE NOTES
We got these tips from the volunteer biographer Judi Brown at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. This first guy is Floyd, year-old Great Dane/Pittie mix who arrived on December 23. Judi says that in person the Dane heritage really stands out. The 69-pound Floyd has one hazel eye and one brown eye and his tail is a wagging implement of charm. He’s ID 43485589.
And then there’s this girl. Judi writes, “This beauty is Gypsy, a mixed breed girl who was surrendered with 3 other family dogs to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 12/29. This was especially sad situation because the 4 dogs seemed traumatized at being left at a city shelter by their family.  Reason given for surrender is that the family had too many dogs.  All four need a bit extra time to decompress.  Gypsy (who has a sibling named Leah) is 1 1/2 years old and weighs 75 pounds.  Volunteers and shelter staff are committed to helping them feel more comfortable and ready to move on to a forever home in which they will receive the TLC they deserve.  Gypsy lived both in/out doors, lived with and is okay with dogs, is ok with children (former owners were 6 and 12), does not like cats, and has been to obedience training.” Gypsy is ID 40277450. 
To ask about either dog, email rescues@cityofmesquite.com or call 972-216-6283.
ONE MORE FROM THE HOUSTON AREA
Another tip from Alexandra Kelsey in Houston, this one on the dogs at the Bay City shelter near the Bayou City.
She writes, “Bay City gets lovely animals at their shelter, but they are a small shelter with high intake, so you know what that means.  Today, there is a list of fabulous dogs.  Please consider them and contact DeLana if you can help!” That is DeLana Blalock at the Bay City Animal Impound: email dblalock@ cityofbaycity.org or call 979-323-1706.

The subject line of AK’s email read, “Holiday Wish List: Dogs hope to walk out the front door (Bay City shelter - Near Houston).”
Spanky is the dog with the cute legs and the dog with the dot on her eye is, indeed, Dot.
CONTEMPLATION

REMEMBERING_ODDBALL,
FROM TERRY LYNN FISHER
For years we have been reporting on the animal-saving efforts of Terry Lynn Fisher, the resilient rescuer in Burns Flat, way out in western Oklahoma. Her email address is Remembering_oddball@yahoo.com. It's an address with a mission.
Oddball is the name of her beloved dog. 
We all know why we’re caught up in saving animal lives. Few of us have a story like that of Terry Lynn. Here is what she wrote for this particular day. It takes here back to December 30, 2002.
“It’s hard to believe 17 years have passed since that horrible day... 
“We had four 9-month-old puppies… They had been born to a stray we took in. All the puppies were black and white with bobbed tails except one.  She had a full tail and was brown with some black. We named her Oddball...

“We tried hard to find homes, but just couldn’t find one we felt was good enough.  So at nine months, they were still in our home.

“On this day, seventeen years ago, I was out back fixing the fence. They had got out earlier so I was working on keeping them safe.

“Oddball and her sibling went under the fence and took off behind the house.  I yelled for the boys to go get her. Within less than five minutes, she was dead.  She had been gunned down in the street, by a city official we had at that time. 
“Her crime? She was barking at someone.

“I was devastated...I could not believe something like this could have happened.  I later learned that it happened all the time.  As illegal as it was, it was what was being done.

“THAT is what got me into rescue...  a couple of years later I was able to work out a deal and start taking care of the pound. I made a promise to do everything in my power to make sure no other dogs were shot  just because they were loose. 
“Because of that one young puppy, thousands have been saved.
“But my heart will always have a place for my sweet little Oddball.   And on this date, every year, I will publicly remember her and share her story.

“Maybe now some of you can understand my passion to save these creatures and why I put my heart and soul into it. 
“Remembering Oddball...  always…”

—- Remembering yur story? Tell us by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing dallrp@aol.com. It’ll be good for your heart. —-

WHEN THE CLOCK MOVES SO FAST, ANIMALS ARE AT PERIL IN SHELTERS

EDITION OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2019 [PetPowellPress] The last Monday of 2019? Holy smoke. Enjoy it — probably won’t be much traffic on the freeways and feeder roads. Perhaps the New Year will bring a safe and sane traffic theme to Big D, land of bewildering signage, entrances, exits and constant construction. And when that sanity happens I’ll be high-kicking with The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall next Christmas. FYI: That’s one of my favorite collection of signs brought on by construction in North Oak Cliff along Colorado between Zang on the West and I-35 on the east. The "STOP" is the one that makes sense.
YEP, BINGO, HAPPY NEW YEAR:
A DOG DUMPED ON DECEMBER 26…
“You can tell by looking at him that he’s a good dog.” — Mesquite Shelter volunteer biographer Judi Brown.
Look, an honest reaction: Now and then I’ll see the face of a dog and start to tear up. That’s the case with Bingo. He’s a 5-year-old old Staffordshire Terrier “with possibly a little bullog mixed in,” reports our contact Judi, the hands on biographer of the homeless dogs. 
Bingo came into the shelter on the day after Christmas. He was “surrendered to the field officers…because his owners were moving.” 
[LARRY ASIDE: I’d have to be moving to Pluto to give up a dog with this face. But, perhaps the people had good reason: illness, age, financial struggles. I’m a Lapsed Southern Baptist so I do try to understand and practice forgiveness. I generally fail in the case of animals, but I try.]
Bingo is “very lovable,” Judi says. “He appears to be very happy and his tail wags constantly. He explored the yard some but spent most of his time hanging out with me.  I think he would be content to spend his life being petted and loved on. He’s relatively calm and very gentle. He does not jump on you. He did his business as soon as he got out into the yard. He went nose to nose with some of the dogs in the bay and avoided those who barked at him. Because he’s so gentle he would probably do well with children.”
 He’s 78 pounds, needs to diet a bit, and is alreay neutered. Bingo’s shelter ID is 43492219 — use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com to tag him. [LARRY ASIDE: Judi sometimes catches photos of dogs looking over the fence at the shelter — the theory is they’re looking for the human who just dumped them. This time, Bingo may be looking beyond the shelter wall because he’s confident the people he loved are going to come get him and take him back to his home. Damn, there go the teardrops again. The great sportswriter Blackie Sherrod and I were once having a conversation about dogs and cats and Blackie said, “I’d save ‘em all if I could.” Dear Readers, that’s the constant goal. Spread the philosophy around — we’ll get there yet.]
AND NOW JINGLES
IS IN A ‘FULL SHELTER’
Yes, this is a continuation of the Mesquite situation. We’ve mentioned Jingles before. Not under these circumstances. But, as veterans of rescuing know, there’s a good chance that shelters load up over holidays because people dump dogs and cats so they can go on vacation. Sometimes they just open a gate or a door and say, “Good luck, see ya around.” There are a dozen “excuses” but no actual reasons — one might surmise.
Jingles’ latest notice arrived with this disturbing opening:
“URGENT Because the shelter is full and because Jingles has been at the shelter for 25 days it’s imperative that a she leave the shelter. In spite of the fact that she’s been there so long she is still maintaining a good attitude. But that does not mean that her heart doesn’t long for a home. If you cannot tag or rescue please network Jingles. She would love to have a loving home for the new year.”
 Jingles may be around 2, definitely weighs about 54 pounds, might do better as an only dog with her humans. She came in on December 1 “as a stray,” Judi reports. “There was a possible owner but they did not come for her. … There was one point where she was looking over the fence and started to whimper. It made me think she was probably looking for her owners.” Use her ID 43337462 when contacting the shelter (972-216-6283 or rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
The note atop Blizzard’s email read that he is “on the urgent list because he has been at the shelter for 41 days. In spite of that he is remaining optimistic and always joyful when you go to his kennel. I don’t understand why he’s being passed by because besides being a well rounded dog he’s nice-looking also.  Please, please if you cannot tag or adopt please network Blizzard .” 
Blizzard is 3, a Pittie Mix, at the shelter since November 15. “I got an enthusiastic greeting  immediately upon entering his kennel! He was friendly and happy to have human interaction. …He enjoyed having his ears scratched. His tail wags constantly.” To ask about this 50-pound dog, use ID 43231252 when calling 972–216–6283 or emailing rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
And these last three dogs all come into the threat category of “Due to shelter overcrowding” and “time of stay.” Tracy had been “left on a chain at an abandoned home” when she was moved to the Mesquite shelter, but that doesn’t yet mean the dog’s life has been saved. She’s been in the shelter since Nov. 13 and the shelter is now crowded and she’s on th fast clock. The 2-year-old , 46-pound Pittie mix with a Boston Terrier mix, has been at the shelter for 43 days and is on the fast clock. Ask about #42824694.
Same time-pressured existence for Puma (43226460), a 7-year-old, 51-pound Black Lab mix who arrived as a stray on November 19. Judi says he’s “way too thin” and he “has lost a tip of one year, Yet look how regal and dignified he looks.”
And Ocean (43305980) is in the same fix. He’s a 51-pound, year-old Black Lab mix who was surrendered to the shelter on Nov. 15 because, the surrendering human said, “he was too hyper for their small children.” At the shelter, he’s motivated by treats and appears to be easy to train. 
Again, use the dogs’ ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

MEANWHILE IN DENTON,
NOVA’S SURGERY, NOVA’S FUTURE
Oh, boy, there’s good news from the weekend about this girl Nova (#85829) in the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter. We got it from Amy Poskey, the volunteer tipster. The crisis was this beautiful Bull Terrier was in the shelter, surrendered in the face of medical expenses because she had a large mammary tumor. The update is, Amy’s note reads, “Thanks to a very generous donation from a very generous dog lover, Nova’s mammary tumor has been removed!  The off-site shelter vet performed the surgery [Friday] and Nova is doing great!  They also spayed her.  The vet staff said Nova is really sweet and they enjoyed having her in their clinic, but she is back at the shelter now and ready to roll!”
 No malignancy in the tumor, the report is. Nova got all her shots and now the 5- to 8-year-old girl is available. She’s heartworm negative, weighs just under 40 pounds and doesn’t like to be kenneled but likes teenagers. She also has allergies to grass and can get sunburned. So, she needs an understanding human — surely there’s a human who has allergies and stays out of the sun and has teenagers and who has room in a home for a beautiful Bull Terrier. 
Adopt or rescue her through the shelter at 3717 N. Elm St. in Denton. Email gayla.nelsen@cityofdenton.com, Randi.Weinberg@cityofdenton.com, and/or julien.peralta@cityofdenton.com. Call the shelter at 940-349-7594.
THE ‘CRACKING ICE’
IN BRAZORIA COUNTY
We got this via our reliable Houston tipster Alexandra Kelsey who used this subject line “Dog trio on cracking ice.” That is one chill-producing way to describe the situation for these three dogs. They’re also referred to as the “no-name dogs.”
Only their numbers are used at the Brazoria County Shelter in Angleton where Tammy Grable of the Brazoria Sheriff’s Livestock and Animal Control Division hustles to save lives.
Two of these dogs are heartworm positive. All three are on a fast clock — unless a rescue or adoptor steps up.
Hound mix 9425 is about 3 and he’s described as a “beautiful, sweet, sweet boy” and he also has all his shots. He’s got to be out of the shelter “by end of day MONDAY 12-30-19.”
Then there’s 9417, a year-old, 80-pound Lab Mix who “is a little hyper for he is young and in a kennel,” but he’s expected to “calm down.”
 He’s been available to leave since December 19. But he’s still there in Angleton, learning to “calm down.”

And, there 9427, a 3-year-old Lab Mix who weighs 50 pounds and is, s you can see, heartworm positive. He “must be out by end of day Monday.” 
To save the lives of these dogs, email Tammy at bcsoaco@gmail.com or call 979-388-2365 or (cell) 979-997-2486.
[LARRY ASIDE: There are 254 counties in this state and dogs and cats in need of a home in every darned one of them. We Texans ought to be ashamed. Heck, I guess I am. Spread the word that your friends and neighbors with good hearts ought to be helping animals, rescue groups and shelters.]
AS YOU KNOW DAS IS RUNNING
A FREE ADOPTIONS SPECIAL
First, we’ll point out the little box with the numbers in it. That was the count for dogs and cats and “other” adoptables around noon on Sunday at Dallas Animal Services. That’s down a bit from the previous count on dogs and cats, but up on “other.”
  Our previous check showed just one “other,” a rabbit. That hare is still thare, er, there. But, the rabbit has been joined in the “other” category by two guinea pigs and these two parakeets —avian strays, apparently, as the note about them being on “stray hold” suggests.

And there are a ton of kittens — we picked one from the website. This kid (A1089493) is a boy — he was 10 weeks old when the photo was taken and he’s been in the shelter since November 26. He’s currently in a foster home, the DAS site says. Email DASadopt@dallas- cityhall.com to ask about adopting this cat with the perfect “M” tabby face. Or, maybe those points on the “M” are cat ears above a little cat nose!
Go to dallasanimalservices.org to see available dogs, cats and “others.” Stop by the shelter at *I-30 and Westmoreland. And remember that at the website you can see other places DAS animals are available for adoption.
In the meantime, this Earhound is no longer in the shelter. 
The DAS Facebook site posted a note that the 2-year-old Lab mix has been adopted. Someone got a great dog to watch!
That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is Rocket, formerly #A109083. In his “promotional” description, the key sentence was “Rocket’s ears are ready for takeoff!” 

CONTEMPLATIONS
THE NFL, MOVIES & MEDIA

Is it mean to ask, "How 'bout them Cowboys?" and "Did Dallas get a bye for next week?" Yeah, they thumped Washington, but, seriously, maybe Dallas ought to make 'em put an asterisk on the helmet star that indicates "Neither practices nor plays in Dallas."
MOVIES — WHERE DO YOU WATCH THEM? We are accustomed to seeing them on the big theater screen and we watch them on our big TV screen, but, also, I watch movies on my iPad, my Kindle and my phone. And, yes, I feel GUILTY when I’m not watching movies on a movie screen where they are meant to be seen. The film industry, of course, should feel IMMENSELY GUILTY for those concession prices and the ticket prices, but especially for charging more for a box of popcorn than a barrel of oil.
ONE MORE THING ABOUT NEWSPAPERS. I worked for newspapers for decades and we were always fighting typographical errors. The deal “back then” was we had editors who were paid to spot them. On Sunday I saw this note from The Dallas Morning News' great former editorial writer/city desk reporter Henry Tatum. He called this a “great example of what happens when you get rid of most of your copy editors. An article on the front page of the sports section about LSU quarterback Joe Burrows [cq] and OU quarterback Jalen Hurts had the following sentence: ‘Now, two transfers who left an inedible mark on their second programs will meet Saturday in the Peach Bowl.’” Thanks for, as Hank called it, “an ‘indelible’ mark” in the paper. “Indelible” is so close to ‘inedible.’ But tough to swallow.
—- OFFER YOUR FAVORITE TYPO OR AN OPINION BY CLUCKING ON ‘COMMENT’ BELOW OR EMAILING DALLRPE@AOL.COM. Ooops, I meant “clicking” not “clucking. —