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A HURRICANE RESCUE DOG -- FROM IDA? NO! KATRINA, 2005! NOW A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE!

This is the story of an old dog in a new home. A stray who knew how to get some help and took the right steps herself.
And it looks like her trip started with a hurricane. Not Ida this year, but Katrina in 2005.
This "survivor" in her bed is the weekend focus of our long-running feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. After all, she finally has a safe place to sleep.
 You'll learn about that girl, little Starr, too!
And, you may agree that this story sounds like a genuine Act of God event — you’ll run across those in animal rescue.
This dog, unnoticed, PUT HERSELF INTO A TRAP as rescuers were working on capturing another dog! 
The story and photos come from veteran animal advocate Cheryl Spencer. 
She explained the opening photo this way during the week on her Facebook page: 
“Welcome to the Spencer household the lovely Senior lady on the left. (No name yet)
“While rescuers were helping trap a lost dog, this little lady put herself in the trap. Not prepared, rescuers called out for a rescue.”
 Rescue Row answered that call! And when Rescue Row made its call for a reliable foster, the phone was answered by Cheryl, a veteran rescuer/foster/advocate with DFW’s Furgotten Friends, the non-profit rescue founded and guided by Stephen Foster.

Of this “new dog,” Cheryl explained, “It turns out that she’s about 16 years old, frightened and completely shut down to humans. She would not adopt or rehome well. Agreed by everyone that it would be best for her to not put her in rescue. So…..if anyone cares to help name the new member of the Spencer household ….” 

Lots of people responded to the challenge to name this “lovely Senior Lady.”
Cheryl settled on one that suggests the nature of this turned-herself-in dog: Gracie. 

So, that girl is the new dog Gracie. And how are things going? In the original caption, Cheryl wrote, “Starr is giving her the side-eye.” Starr has since approved. She knows how this rescue thing works.

Cheryl says, “I’ve had her 12-13 years now. She’s tolerated another 3 foster-fail siblings, countless foster dogs in and out and, of course, the Pet Food Pantry.” (Cheryl is a founder of The North Texas Pet Food Pantry.)
Starr had been adopted by someone who, in Cheryl’s explanation, did an “Oh, look at the cute puppy!” adoption that quickly became “OMG! You mean she has to go to the bathroom! Come get her or I’m taking her to the shelter.”


Cheryl says, “I went and got her with intentions of finding a rescue group that would have been able to adopt her out easily. She was young and cute.”
What happened? Well, there’s the photo of Starr lounging in her bed at Cheryl’s house. “She bonded to me instantly, Cheryl says. “She’s never left my side!”
Now, back to Gracie. You’d think that a dog rescued from a hurricane might have been named or numbered at some point. 
Cheryl says she had a chip. “They tracked her back to a stray/rescue from Hurricane Katrina to the SPCA of Texas in Dallas. She supposedly was adopted from there, but the owners didn’t register the chip. The trail goes cold after that. It was guessed that she has been a stray for a very, very long time.”

No more stray for Gracie. She’s being very carefully coddled so that she’ll enjoy her suddenly very safe life and feel secure and loved and, of course, be able to be a wonderful “sleeping dog” when she wants to nod off. Probably that'll be under the watchful eye of Starr -- unless Starr has nodded off, too.
[DEAR READERS: Please send photos and bios of your sleeping dogs and napping cats and any other slumbering critter to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll spotlight them in our weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be encouraging other people to make a home improvement by adding a loyal companion. And you’ll be helping insomniacs realize they, too, can get some sleep if, perhaps, they adopt a little dog that stares them into submission!]

—- Offer slumbertips or reasons to stay awake by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and putting SLEEP IS A STRANGER in the subject line. —-

FOR FRIDAY, WE GO FROM A 'PARODIC HOLIDAY,' TO ANIMALS IN NEED, TO SONGS OF AN ERA

EDITION OF FRIDAY, SEPT. 17, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Save your “Arrrggghhs” ’til Sunday, That’s officially International Talk Like a Pirate Day. There’s one of the many official pieces of artwork distributed for the celebration.
And, it will be approriate to declare Arrrggghh on Sunday afternoon as the Dallas Cowboys (0-1) host the Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) in a football contest at Jerry’s Galleon where, blimey, the local swashbuckling millionaires will try to batten down the hatches and defeat the seadogs from the coast. I’m done talking like a pirate. Much better at enunciating like a feline: Meeewwwpurrmeowyowlpurrgack. (Translation by office cat William Powell: “Larry, aren’t you ashamed of having written that second paragraph, you hairball!?” Well, yes. In my defense, I’ve never been a pirate, never even played one on stage. Yet. More in Contemplations. First some dog and cat tails, er, tales.)

IN THE SMALLER, UN-VISITED
SHELTERS, THE DOGS WAIT…
I’m bringing these dogs to your attention because, as we’ve reported earlier, the non-profit rescue 4-Legged Helpers is facing some tough money times. And the devoted Helpers are trying to make sure the shelter animals don’t suffer because cold cash and financial support is hard to come by for this mission.
The mission? Get more eyes on small shelters that don’t have (or sometimes allow) walk-in humans and cities that don’t have a 21st Century budget for their animal services mission.
[LARRY ASIDE: The 4-Legged Helpers formed to fill a vacancy in the approach to saving animals in these light-traffic shelters. Ask how you can help the 4-Legged Helpers by emailing Laura Macias at cat_girl_71@yahoo.com] These dogs happen to be in the animal shelters in Lancaster and Ferris. But there are others in Wilmer and in county custody around the southern side of Dallas. And in Bridgeport on the Northwestern side of Fort Worth. 
You can keep up with the 4-Legged Helpers’ efforts on the non-profit’s Facebook page HERE.
That first dog is a 10-month-old mix currently called Buddy. The bio describes him as “Sweet, funny, lovable, goofy, cuddly. Adores all people and all other dogs…He is such a sweetie pie.”
This girl is Sophie, a Pointer mix. She’s a year old. “Beautiful dog with big, sweet, loving eyes.” She arrived with Sammy. He’s a year-old. “Absolutely beautiful dog. His eyes are just precious — so clear and sweet.” (Both Sophie and Sammy have places where a little fur is missing — so, yeah, they’ll need a look to beat whatever little ailment they got while not being properly cared for out in the world.
)
We’ll close with this guy Brandon. He’s in the Ferris Shelter. And the bio reads, “Cutest, happiest pup ever!” He’s described this way: “So sweet and so friendly always lovable. Goofy…Just a big baby.”

To ask about helping these animals or any other animals on the 4-Legged Helpers radar, call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.

A DOG NAMED DUDE,
EATING OFF THE GROUND…
“Tethered” s such an ugly word. How the heck does a human with brain let this stuff happen. I’ll stop with my rude rhetoricals and move to the point of this note, Dude, who I hope has been helped by the time you read this. 
Veteran animal advocate/rescuer Gayla Geist posted the photo and info and it’s been forwarded around. It reads, “RESCUE NEEDED-owner will surrender tethered GSD.”
Yes, German Shepherd Dog Dude — he’s an “intact one-year-old..whose people had a baby and have since tethered him outside,” Gayla’s note read. “He is playful with kids, met a female Chihuahua he’s good with, but cat reaction is unknown. The owners will surrender to rescue.
“As you can see he has a nasty water supply and eats off the ground where he is tethered. Local transport is available” To help Duke, call 682-227-4240 or email ggwiths2r@gmail.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: Oh, boy. The copy of this that came to me held a treasure of commentary and I’m just going to quote it here so you can read and agree or simply smile knowingly. 
The lady’s commentary, in all caps, read: “I KNOW…SAYS SOME BAD WORDS!!!$&%%^&@#$#!!!!!!!!! SO SICK OF PEOPLE GETTING A PET AND THEN THIS…UGH!!!!!!!! NOW LET’S HELP THIS POOR BABY.  HE IS A BEAUTIFUL AND I MEAN BEAUTIFUL GS. IF YOU CAN’T HELP THIS BABY, AT LEAST NETWORK FOR HELP. NETWORK LIKE CRAZY!!!!!! FACEBOOK POST!! NEXT DOOR POST!! GO TEAM~~PLEASE WORK YOUR MAGIC FOR HIM.”]

And, like I said, I hope by the time you read this, Dude is living in a safe place, eating from the dining table and enjoying evenings in front of the TV with people who love him. May the new baby at Duke’s old home always love animals and treat them with respect and adore them and always, always help them when they need help. Can I get an “Amen”!?

AND ONE CAT’S SIMBA,
OTHER IS SYLVESTER
This guy Simba (A1127141) is one of the many, many cats and kittens available for adoption -- free! -- at Dallas Animal Services.
As you can see, Simba has a clipped ear signifying that he’s been fixed. That may make him more adoptable — for people who haven’t already fallen for his bright eyes, great orange tabby coat and his set of championship whiskers.
You can navigate to the DAS website by clicking HERE — you can see daily stats there and ways to help, including fostering and other volunteering. And if you click HERE it’ll take you straight to the adoptables — cats and dogs and whatever else shows up loose or dumped in the City of Dallas.
FYI: Adoptions are free right now. But treat the animals like they’re worth a million bucks because they are. 
That second cat is Sylvester (A1124684) — awake and asleep. He’s about 3 months old and weighs a pound — or 3 pounds, depending on which line of his biography you choose to believe. When you’re handling hundreds of cats and kittens and dogs, every now and then there’s a typo, right DAS?
FYI: That’s the current DAS logo — like so many modern logos, if you don’t know what it means before you see it, you may never understand it. There’s an explanation on the DAS site. I’m sure somebody thought that artwork had a very clear message at some point. Adopt to People 90 and Older, maybe.
CONTEMPLATIONS
PIRATES, PARADE & POT -- A POT
Back to the opening paragraphs. That’s my late family member Inky, the Cocker Laureate of Texas, in his Talk Like a Pirate Day gear from many years ago. I’m using it to explain the celebration: It’s called a “parodic holiday” and, no kidding, research shows it was created by two guys from Albany, Ore., in 1995. The creators are listed as “John Baur (Ol' Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy)." They story is they were playng racquetball when and one of them was injured and he groaned “Arrrgghhh” and Talk Like a Pirate Day was born. Not sure if they’ll be celebrating that in Washington, D.C., this year. Yet. ….

Thanksgiving coming to mind yet? I’ve seen Christmas decorations up in stores, yuletide decorations for sale, etc. And, because I’m on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade mailing list, I got a note that is contrary to some current business opinions. The note linked to a story that predicts a “bustling holiday shopping season." Here’s THE LINK. Readlarrypowell.com is simply excited about the prospect of a full-on, wide-open, traditional “Macy’s Day Parade,” as the locals refer to it. … 

How have things changed in our world? Well, here’s an example. On a neighborhood bulletin board in the Metrosprawl, I saw a headline on a note that read “POT STOLEN.” And I thought, “There’s a bold neighbor! It’s still illegal.” Then I read the note and it turned out to be a big blue ceramic pot in which wonderful flowers are grown. So, here’s a Fraternity of Man song from 1968 — if that’s your taste. If you’d like something more wholesome, here’s a family flower effort from The Cowsills.
— Offer memories or music by clicking on ‘comment’ or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put I MISSED FLOWER POWER BECAUSE I HAD A JOB in the subject line. —-

DOGS AND CATS AND ZING AND THE LEGISLATURE AND A CAVALCADE OF CONTEMPLATIONS

EDITION OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 [PetPowellPress] After years of tuning out medical commercials on TV, something misfired in my low-tech brain Wednesday morning and I heard this phrase: “False positives and negative results may occur.”
Immediately I thought, “Just like animal rescue! You get someone who says 'I’ll take that one!'" and backs out. There’s a false positive with a negative result! Ah, humanity! Always in need of tweaking.
I was going to close this opening with a quote about humanity but when I went to the BrainyQuotes humanity page I found an ad for a greeting card with this message: “If my dog makes you uncomfortable, I’d be happy to lock you in another room.”
[LARRY FYI: I’ve “locked’ that dog Porche in another room. The door needs repainting. Porche knows how doors work — she just can’t reach the knob. And she’s tried!]
MEANWHILE, A FEW ‘WAITERS’
FROM DOG ’N’ KITTY CITY
I may have twisted the use of the term “waiters,” but these critters are, indeed, waiting.

 Our longtime tipster, the animal advocate Kimberly Jones, tipped us to these two dogs currently waiting at the no-kill Dog ’n’ Kitty City shelter operated by the Humane Society of Dallas County.

This fellow is Buzz. Kimberly’s note reads, "He is such a great dog and he has been at DNKC since the beginning of May after being abandoned by his neglectful family. His entire life up until DNKC took him in was full of abuse and neglect and yet he is still the sweetest boy. He loves affection and he is just awesome. He is so good and so loving. He deserves a home!” [Buzz is 8, dog friendly, not cat friendly and is house-trained.] See more about him and how to adopt him HERE. The shelter bio refers to him as “Precious Bully Mix.” Clearly, he loves to be with a human who loves to be with him! Great photo! 

That brings us to Kimberly’s other tip, a girl named Bell. 
She’s about 4 years old and she’s been on a bit of a road-trip through humanity. HER BIO 
reads, “Before being surrendered by her owner, she had been passed around to several homes due to financial and health hardships.” The bio says this girl, clearly an Earhound, doesn’t “sit still for long.”
 Of course not: she’s a Cattle Dog/Coonhound mix. 
And there’s this passage: “She just needs consistency and a place where she can feel safe! Although Bell came to us with a friend, in the shelter she has shown aggression towards other dogs. She will need to be placed in a home as the only pet.”
I took a look at the cats on the D&KC site HERE and found this long-time resident Mia who clearly was photographed while demonstrating that she is a very relaxed cat. [LARRY NOTE: As a veteran cat companion, I can swear on a stack of empty catnip-flavored treat boxes that a relaxed cat is a benefit to any modern indoor lifestyle.]
AND IN THE MAIL CAME
A NOTE FROM A CAT RESCUE
This arrived Wednesday morning from Texas Cares Cat Adoption and Rescue. It will serve as a reminder that North Texas Giving Day is headed toward its seasonal, climactic session of donations. Not just for Texas Cares but for many, many, many other pro-animal groups — large and small.
The note from Texas Cares read, “As of September 1, we rescued 200 cats! Won’t you help us continue to say ‘yes’ and help more kittens and pregnant momma cats by donating on North Texas Giving Day? The kitties thank you.”
And Texas Cares thoughtfully included this LINK to North Texas Giving Day. 

[LARRY ASIDE: I think that “200 cats” rescued reference may just mean this year — Texas Cares is around 30 years old. Read more about it at texascares.org. And you can also see many adoptables of varying ages and needs. Here are 4 I clipped off the Texas Cares website HERE. You don’t have to take all four — in fact, Butch needs to go by himself.]
NOW WAITING IN MESQUITE
‘PAINFULLY THIN’ JAX
Oh, my goodness. That is one scrawny dog. We learned about him from Judi Brown, the volunteer dog biographer at Mesquite Animal Services. 
She writes, “If you’re looking for a dog that is very lovable and wants to cuddle, come and meet Jax. Jax is a 6-month-old Black Mouth Cur that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 9/8 as a stray. 
“As you can see from the pictures he’s painfully thin and could use some more groceries. The shelter is giving him more food and is going to be doing a fecal test. If you’re interested in tagging him you might ask the results.

“In spite of his weight he’s energetic and very alert. He is so into loving and being loved that he stays close. If you sit down he comes to you and crawls on your lap. And he’s content to lay there and be petted. He jumps on you not to be aggravating but to get up close to you to hug you. He takes correction and listens as he definitely wants to please. He gives wet puppy kisses. In spite of the fact he must be very hungry he takes treats gently.

“Jax walks well on a leash. He was friendly with many dogs wanting to stick his nose into the kennel to greet them. I have nothing but good things to say about this dog with the winning personality! Come and meet him and see for yourself what a wonderful boy he is. He would love to be in the house with you, snuggled up next to you while you’re reading or watching TV.”
Jax’s shelter ID is #48617340 — use that ID when you call the shelter at 972–216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com to tag. 
[LARRY ASIDE: Surely there’s some law against letting a dog get into a “starvation situation” — of course, you’d have to hunt down the owner and, in this case, only Jax could lead the authorities to the cad who didn’t feed him. He didn’t wind up “stray” because he was enjoying sitting in a backyard and waiting for a meal that never came. Help me off this soapbox before a slat breaks and I fall and hit my head and can’t remember enough of the words to sing along with Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine.]
CONTEMPLATIONS

SOME RAMBLINGS
In the opening, I mentioned the false positive/negative connection to animal rescue and people. I think we must note that, fortunately, even kind of miraculously, we have more positive adoptions and rescues in the animal world these days than we did 20 years ago or in the last half of the 20th century. That’s because there are more human hearts hustling to save lives by bailing out the many, many more down-on-their-luck dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, pigs and horses. I leave anybody out? Birds. Reptiles. Amphibians. Marsupials? Looking back, all of you dear rescuers and advocates have done a magnificent job with animals, shelters and politicians. [LARRY NOTE: That's my late dog Inky, the Cocker Laureaute of the State of Texas, who was rescued after being dumped in Dallas -- he is a symbol of the wonderful life-changing affection rescuers find in the animals that are saved from idiots and awful challenges.] Consider Inky's portrait (by my artfulspouse Martha, to be a hint to keep up with the Texas Humane Legislation Network at thln.org during the upcoming special session of the Lege in Austin. Saving outdoor dogs is on the agenda. Session begins on the 20th.]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT IS AN EARHOUND! Fort Worth Animal Care & Control is having a “Birthday Party and Adoption Event Saturday at the FWACC’s North Animal Shelter. Info is at THIS LINK . I posted the artwork that goes with the announcement because the dog photo charmed me and I began to wonder about posing my dogs with party treats. Yeah, had to be some artful trick. You could NEVER put a real treat that close to any of our dogs’ mouths.
So who is that dog? The shelter’s website says, “Sundae is one of the dogs we'll be celebrating. She's been waiting quite awhile to find her forever family. She's a total love bug and she loves everyone SO much. She also loves to play. We're working hard to help find that loving family for her! You can meet Sundae at the North Animal Campus. Her ID# A45512126.”

EARLIER IN THIS EDITION I MENTIONED TV ads. That make me recall singing along with “Zing what a feeling” for Coca-Cola. I looked up Coca-Cola Commercials and found this one from 1960-61 when Coca-Cola was promoting its graduation from the standard “short Coke” bottle to the “King Size Coke.” The ad says “People with Zing go for Coke in the King.” Honest. I’ll never forget the amazing development of a “larger bottle.” It must have been like the time the caveman advanced civilization by announcing, “I’m tired of drawing on cave walls. Anybody got any canvas I can borrow?” On the left is an ad showing the two sizes and here on the right is what I'm sometimes drinking nearly 70 years after this advertisement. Here’s a link to an EARLY TV COMMERCIAL. Its pace and length will make you wonder why Pepsi always trailed Coke. And this is an "early TV commercial" in that it’s earlier than almost anybody who is reading this passage about fizzy histy. Er, fizzy history. I saw it before it went into reruns. Americans -- a living lab for marketing experiments.
—- Offer anything by clicking on comment below or emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “YOU’RE UNSTABLE” in the subject line. —

LOCAL DOGS & CATS IN NEED OF HUMANS; CONTEMPLATING A LOST DOG, A STADIUM CAT AND NORM MCDONALD' QUOTE

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 [PetPowellPress] At 3:11 p.m. Tuesday, for some reason our AOL email quit working. Nothing arrived and nothing could be sent. I thought, “I have an office cat. Lets sic him on technology and see what happens.” (FYI: Also in this edition, we also have an answer — sort of — about what happened to that terrified cat that dropped from a Hard Rock Stadium upper deck into the safety of the American flag. See the story in Contemplations.)

This is a photograph of William Powell and his pink nose at work in the age of online communications. As you can tell, he's in his "Glint Like Clint" mood while quizzing a distant techie. I’m unfocused in the background.
 As of this publishing, my office cat is frustrated and I saw him going into the closet for his special bottle of La Hierba Gatera (i.e., Catnip Tequila and a shot glass. Woe be unto thee who displeases an office cat who is also a Guardian Angel of the Computer Inept. 
We managed to snare some stories off Facebook and other places. The messages of our stories for decades now have been consistently united: Someone save these animals; step up and let your goodness eclipse the so-what/don’t-care people who plague the planet. “Plague” is the strongest word I can use without applying for an X-rated Expression Permit from Austin. Here we go:
OK, SO THERE’S THIS DOG
IN THE FORT WORTH SHELTER…
One thing that oughta lift our hearts is the efforts city shelters are making now to save the animals that wind up in their care. If you recall, it wasn’t too long ago that city shelters were just warehouses for animals on a 3-day wait before they got the needle. 
This girl, Fiona (48383061) has been in with Fort Worth Animal and Control since August 5.
She’s a year and half old, weighs 48 pounds and, in spite of having a broken right rear femur (see photo on left), is a “sweet, wiggly little girl,” reports FWAC’s Ginger Leach. And there’s this. She’s heartworm positive.
Those are the reasons, from our reading of Ginger’s Facebook post, that Fiona got the “URGENT RESCUE NEEDED” label.
As you probably know, the rule for helping her is don’t call the shelter. Send rescue tags or offers to help Fiona by emailing FWACCtag@fortworth texas.gov. 
 Fiona’s at the FWACC Silcox South Campus, 4900 Martin Street, not far from where Loop 820 and I-20 engage each other.
[LARRY ASIDE: We don’t know Fiona’s story before she came to the shelter, but you can bet a human let her down somewhere.]
PATCHES, A PLANO CAT
IN A CITY SHELTER FIX…
This info came from an appeal by the veteran animal advocate, Debbie New. She wrote of Patches, “Another cat needs rescue and is rescue-only. She was adopted from a rescue that cannot take her back and surrendered to the Plano Animal Shelter .... Patches is a Dilute Calico and is about 19 months of age. She is negative for FeLV/FIV and an inside-only cat. She is a very clean cat who is litter box-trained and likes to sleep on a cat tree. She is shy around visitors and new places and lived with dogs and cats. Patches has had so many wanting to adopt her but is RESCUE ONLY due to hissing and swatting at times. Any vetting will be done by the Plano Animal Shelter at no charge. She is chipped already and most likely spayed.” 
[LARRY ASIDE: “Hissing and swatting at times” — out of the shelter and into a loving home, she may be different. Bless her confused little heart! We have cats that can hiss and swat -- no big deal if you're a "Catfan" and have a First Aid Merit Badge from the Boy Scouts. I'm kidding, though I did earn that badge.]

Patches is #A181028 at the Plano Animal Shelter — use that ID number when you call 972-769-4360. And Debbie’s noted ended, “She has until the 24th.”
CONTEMPLATIONS
MIAMI CAT, ZEN’S PATH, NORM…
In telling the story of the “saving” of a cat dropping from an upper level of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to the safety of an American flag, I noted that a good old-style editor would have yelled at a reporter, “Where the hell is the cat?” Somebody at WPLG Local 10 TV in Miami got busy and the headline on the story reads, “SEARCH CONTINUES FOR FAMOUS FELINE SEE FALLING FROM HARD ROCK STADIUM UPPER LEVEL DURING HURRICANES GAME.” And when you read this story HERE you’ll see the sort of attitude cats can face. Some people want to help, some people just don’t want to get in the way of a scared cat with claws and teeth. It was a tough situation, but, good grief. All rescue work comes with risks — of course, this was a stadium full of people who came to watch football. And that is a cat who, before game day, had been betrayed by humans somewhere along the line….
AND THE LOCAL SEARCH FOR ZEN the Dog continues. Contemplate how emotionally wrecked you’d be if your dog or cat vanished. I’d be beyond nuts, a place I live close to already.
 We checked in with Chantez Knight to see how the search for her baby Zen was going in the southwest quadrant of Dallas, not far from Illinois Avenue and Cockrell Hill Road. She reports that she’s “received a call from a guy who cleans the Fiesta parking lot saying he saw Zen around 2 a.m. the past few mornings roaming by the Dumpsters.” Yes, Chantez and her sis are on alert, making visits to the area and ready to bring Zen back home. When you spot Zen, call this number: 404-993-9738. He’s a former Garland Animal Shelter dog who has been Chantez’ joy and companion for the past two years. He went missing during a post-midnight bathroom break in the backyard of a relative’s home on Wyoming St. on September 7.

THIS MAY BE ONE OF MY favorite photos of Norm Macdonald — it captures that grin and twinkle of the humorist/comic/actor/dare I say “philosopher” who died at 61 Tuesday. Why? A common ailment so awful I won’t type its name — darned near everybody has a loved one who has fallen victim to it. Mr. Macdonald got an obituary in Variety, the famed showbiz publication. He was a writer for Roseanne — that’s got to have been a career challenge--the show sure was a bonafide hit! The link to his Variety obit is HERE. 
And, I found this quote from the gone-too-soon man who’d done standup, acting on TV and in films and "anchored" a pretend newscast on Saturday Night Live. He perfectly explained some Hollywood casting choices when he said, “It's a very odd thing with Hollywood, where you do stand-up, you're good at it, then they go, 'How would you like to be a horrible actor?' Then you say, 'All right, that sounds good. I'll do that’.” And the truth is, a lot of us laughed at a lot of things Norm Mcdonald said. Might even have felt guilty about it now and then. Comedy isn't just laughing -- it's thinking, too.
—Give salutes or sighs by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put SOMEBODY SAVE THAT CAT in the subject line. —

FOR TUESDAY, SHELTER ANIMALS IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND SO IS A GIANT...

EDITION OF TUESDAY, SEPT. 15 (and a little bit of Monday, Sept. 14) [PetPowellPress] Cue the spooky music. When I opened my inbox Monday morning, one of the first subject lines I saw was “Finished basements are disappearing — and here’s why.” 
Think about it. Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone presents “Finished Basements Are Disappearing.” We’ll address this in Contemplations.
But first, some of our more traditional tales of dogs and cats and the people who love to help them, here, in The Dog-Tired Catzone… (Hmmm, maybe only Baby Boomers will catch the Rod Serling rhythm of that last sentence.)…Move along now. 

AN ACTIVE KITTEN
AND MOM & SON DOGS
Yesterday we mentioned the financial strains gripping the good hearts who are the 4-Legged Helpers. And, in the mail Monday we got another list of animals in tough spots that the non-profit is trying to bail out before they reach “last-minute pressure” in a shelter.

Among the clowder of kittens in the Lancaster Animal Shelter is this guy Keanu. He’s, as you can probably see, orange. His bio reads, “ ‘Keanu’ means ‘breeze’ in Hawaiian and Keanu is a little tropical breeze — just as cute as cute can be. Very friendly and completely adorable. Loves and adores everyone.” Now, with the exception of the explanation of “Keanu,” that description fits just about every kitten that ever showed up in the Lancaster shelter. Maybe it’s a cat trait. Anyway, this 9-or 10-week old guy is missing some fur on his paw, his forehead and his tummy and “will need to be checked by a vet,” according to the Helpers’ note. To ask about helping him, call or text 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
Same contact points for this mother/son duo found stray in the city.
 The boy is being called Lorne and he’s believed to be a Belgian Malinois/Hound mix. The Earhound is his mom, now called Laurel and listed as a Belgian Malinois. 
They were found wandering Lancaster together. They’re available for adoption or rescue on Wednesday. 
Both have sweet personalities. Lorne was lousy with fleas and has been bathed in Dawn. The staff fears he had so many fleas that he’s now anemic. So, Lorne needs some vet attention. Mom, described as “very loving” and “a complete sweetie pie,” is a “beautiful brindle" in person. 
Remember, you can follow 4-Legged Helpers on Facebook HERE and you can ask how you can help by emailing cat_girl_71@yahoo.com or by calling or texting 214-949-2726.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE.
THERE IS THIS DOG SPRITE…
Right away, when we saw this photo, we declared, “EARHOUND!” Someone may have asked, “Are those ears battery-operated?” So we turned to Sprite’s shelter biographer, Judi Brown, a volunteer at Mesquite Animal Shelter. 
Sprite is described as a “2-to-3-year-old (28-pound) blonde, cream-colored Terrier mix who came to the shelter on 9/7 as a stray.” 
Semi-wiry hair. Timid at first, but, Judi says, she took the time “to get to know hime … and the TLC paid off! His first reaction was to retreat but as we spent more time together he came out from behind the bench, started wagging his tail, and came to me. I did things sort of backwards. I should’ve given him a bath and then taken pictures, but I didn’t...hindsight??! He didn’t like the water but was pretty cooperative in the oatmeal bath. After he was dried off and his ears were cleaned out, he must’ve realized he felt so much better because then he didn’t want leave my side. We were BFF!” Might have a skin allergy, might have a ear infection, but does have a personality and is a snuggler. 
Ask about him by his ID #48608504 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Same contact points for these other pups.

Judi also met this girl Beauty, living up to her name with a sleek black coat, soft expressive eyes and, ultimately, a bit of a “sweet girl” personality. She arrived on 9/4 — yep, a stray. “When I first met Beauty in her kennel, she had her tail tucked,” Judi reports. “however, once she got out into the yard she gradually warmed up….At one point, she even put her paws upon my knees. She let me scratch her ears. She definitely wants to make friends but has to feel comfortable and trust you before she relaxes.” She around 2 or 3 and weighs 57 pounds. Her ID is #48593781.
And Judi also got to meet Matilda, a 7-month-old, 35-pound mixed-breed stray who came in on the 8th and brought a variety pack of distinct face patches. She’s alert, curious, friendly and outgoing. And, when she went into the exercise yard, Judi says, “She stayed close and looked up at me as though she was asking what she could do for me. I tried to get her to sit but she did not understand what I was asking her to do. She wanted to obey so that’s something you could teach her. … At the end of the photo shoot she gave me a few gentle kisses. What a tremendous reward!” She’s #48612164 — again, use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@city ofmesquite.com.
See more Mesquite adoptables by clicking HERE. Yes, Mesquite has cats and kittens available for rescue and adoption. This girl is Opal, described as a “large” 2-year-old Domestic Shorthair Mix — she’s #48173202. And, she’s in the Cat Room at the shelter — she’s been in the shelter since August 11. Color? She’s listed as “Grey/Orange.” [LARRY ASIDE: As a veteran cat-cuddler, based on her photo, Opal, I’m willing to go out on a limb and declare that Opal may be an open-to-human-affection kitty cat. I view nearly all cats that way, however. That’s why I keep BandAids in the car and in my office. Now and then I pick up a cat who’s having a “moody day.” Opal looks as if she only has “Tranquil Moods.”]
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE ZONE, BIG TEX AND A TUNE
Cue the music? Click HERE. n our opening paragraph I mentioned that the first email subject line I spotted Monday was this: “Finished basements are disappearing — and here’s why” and that it felt like a Twilight Zone episode was developing. Why did I have that sensation? It’s because I had awakened pre-dawn — way too early for a mature human being — and watched an episode of The Twilight Zone on the SYFY Channel. I was still in a Twilight Zone state of mind when I opened my inbox around 7 a.m. You can imagine what I thought when I saw an email about a giant taking over a hallowed piece of turf in one of the most cherished areas of autumnal Dallas! Eerie as all get out. Keep reading.
 OK, the giant turned out to be Big Tex and the announcement from the State Fair is he’ll resume his traditional position in the Fairgrounds at 10 a.m. Friday. The news release from the Fair’s PR Vice President Karissa Condoianis, says that he’ll be lifted into place at 10 a.m. Friday by a crane. If it’s raining, they’ll adjust the time. But the thing is, this event is “open to the public” — you just need

to show up, maintain social distancing and wear a face mask “when in any crowded areas.” Should be a lot of news cameras there, too. (That great photo from Fair Park is from the State Fair's website at www.bigtex.com)
And allow us, please to be perhaps the first news-outlet this season to remind the world that Big Tex started life as Santa Claus in downtown Kerens, Texas, for a couple of years. As an editor at The Dallas Morning News, I edited that traditional Big Tex bio story a few times and as a columnist I’d dust it off at least once a year for a quarter-century.
Geez, it occurs to me, we really may be approaching autumn and the 2021 State Fair. The Fair runs from September 24 through October 17. The Old Farmer’s Almanac says Autumn arrives in Texas at 2:21 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, Sept. 22. The entire State Fair will occur during Autumn — sometimes it doesn’t. The Texas Centennial Exposition ran from June 6- to Nov. 29 at the newly built Fair Park. And in 1986, the Fair ran 31 days (I can’t find the exact dates in my archives) — the thing about that Fair was it was the Texas Sesquicentennial Exhibition — it taught a lot of us ol’ newshounds how (a) to spell sesquicentennial and (b) what it means. … We’ll close with a song: CLICK HERE.  Costs no coupons to listen.
—- Offer Fair Tales or Fair Tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put ‘AVOID CALORIES’ in the subject line. —-

FOR MONDAY: HELPING ANIMALS AND HELPING PEOPLE -- IT'S ALL IN THE CRITTER MISSION

EDITION OF MONDAY, SEPT. 13, 2021 [PetPowellPress] We have some sensitive topics in this edition of readlarrypowell.com: 

—A non-profit is in desperate need of financial help.
—Another rescue is trying to help 3 larger Chihuahuas who have never been outside a house and they are but a few of the dogs in a desperate situation. 

— A beloved dog named Zen is the focus of a heartbreaking story. That’s Zen. Lost in Dallas. A happy ending may depend on a Dear Reader. 
Please read on. We’ve got Contemplations, too. And we’ll be nice.
WHEN THE CASH GETS TIGHT,
THE ANIMALS ARE AT PERIL
They were at peril in the first place — most of them in small shelters with no adoption programs or no human traffic.
 A few years ago, some people with big hearts and willingness to take on a big mission pulled together to form 4-Legged Helpers, a volunteer-run 501c3 with the mission of getting more eyes and hearts involved with saving animals.

Where did 4-Legged Helpers come from? Laura Macias, the original Helper, explains, “My parents led me to love and help animals; they used to even rescue dogs and cats. They started with a small rescue and so did I.  And one day I stopped by Ferris after being involved to a smaller degree with other rescues and called Leighann to see if she could help. And the rest is history to me.”

Leighann Haden joined in. And, as Leighann suggests, it’s the proper time to “let people know about our group needing donations to help the pets at these rural shelters with no vets on staff and animals with no hope if not networked.” She says, “ We personally pay for any needed vaccinations, heartworm tests. combo tests (cats), health certificate, and transport fees ($150 per pet) to get a dog or cat safe to the Northeast to some no kill 501c3 groups we work with that select the dog they want to help from our emailing or Facebook postings. (Sending kitties is rare - it is mostly dogs. No one wants kitties in the NE, either. Too many everywhere.  Heartbreaking.) We also network with local DFW rescues for cats and dogs and we pay to get them combo-tested or heartworm-tested or vaccinated or for gas fees to get them across town.”
 [LARRY ASIDE: As I have frequently noted, in all the years I’ve been writing about rescue and animals, not one rescuer has won the big drawing at Lotto Texas! That dog is Cookie, one of the Lancaster dogs the Helpers have been focused on. That black dog below is Lancaster's Jakob.]

Laura says that “our tiny rescue is about to have to stop helping shelters. We are almost out of money. You see, we spend all our money on transports and get very little in return. If there are any donations attached to a dog that money we ensure goes to that dog and rescue not ours. We get very little donations and when we get them it goes to transport which is $150 per dog. Some rescues up North will pay their transport fees but so many won't because other richer rescues send dogs to them without making them pay a transport fee. So we end up paying the fees to get our shelter dogs safe.”
How many animals may be affected? Hundreds. Laura writes, “Our rescue is about to close all operations. Meaning no dogs from Lancaster or Wilmer get out through us. So far this year we have had 92 extra animals saved versus last year. Last year on this date it was 437 animals saved; this year that number as of today is 535. This is why we are almost out of money and without that we are done.”
Like so many of you wonderful more-seasoned non-profit rescue groups, 4-Legged Helpers is on the list for North Texas Giving Day — giving runs through the 23rd. Here’s the 4-Legged Helpers link at Giving Day:
https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/4LeggedHelpers
You can also donate to 4-Legged Helpers via PayPal at helpingshelterbabies@gmail.com. And there are other options — email the Helpers at cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. And use the U.S. Mail by writing to 4-Legged helpers, 809 Shady Brook Lane, Red Oak, TX, 75154.
While, as the song says in Cabaret, “Money makes the world go ‘round,” so, too, can volunteers. It was only relatively recently that the Helpers were able to set up a Facebook page HERE. What about a website? Anything like that would require a volunteer dedicated to not just creating it, but also maintaining it. The focus of the 4-Legged Helpers is, after all, saving animals. These are busy hearts operating on faith and the kindness of people who understand the mission of trying to keep animals from being euthanized because a small shelter runs out of space.

THE SEARCH FOR ZEN,
A DOG LOST IN DALLAS
We opened this email on Sunday morning and immediately felt a wave of “how awful.”
There is a chance someone reading this may have seen Zen and can get him back home with his human, Chantez Knight. He vanished from a home on Wyoming Street, about a dozen blocks of Illinois Avenue near its intersection with Cockrell Hill — it’s a busy traffic area. 
Chantez says the Brindle Boxer by has been “missing since Tuesday, September 7. …I am so devastated and worried about him. …There have been several sightings but no luck in finding him.
 “I’ve had Zen for 2 years — I actually got him from the Garland Animal Shelter.”

How did he become lost? Chantez lives in Richardson and, when she left town for three days, she asked a relative to take care of Zen. At 12:30 a.m. that Tuesday, Zen was taken out to “do his business,” and his “sitter” went back inside for just a moment” and when he returned, Zen was gone.”

He’d vanished into the night. Chantez says, “Zen is definitely not an outside dog. … He sleeps in bed with me and has his own spot on the sofa. He is spoiled rotten by me… He is approx 3-5 yrs old. Weighs 72-75 pounds and, yes, he will come when called. He does not like loud noises and will cling to you like glue. … The last sighting was …at the Fiesta supermarket at 3434 W. Illinois.”
If you know Zen’s whereabouts, call 404-993-9738. After you call that number, let us know at dallrp@aol.com, too.
THE CHIHUAHUA CHALLENGE:
GETTING THEM RESCUED! 

Christine Kallas, the veteran rescuer and advocate with Against All Odds Rescue, is working with a challenging situation at a woman’s home in East Texas. How did that happen?

She says, “I was driving by when the ambulance was picking up her husband. I helped her round up a few Chihuahuas that escaped when the EMTs were leaving so she could go to the hospital. The following day I checked on her and she warmed up to me admitting she needed help with the dogs. As I looked thru the window there were Chi's everywhere -- kitchen counter, table, you name it. I knew then it was dire.”

As a result, Christine is working at this point to find help for “three larger Chihuahuas — 25-30 pounds, looking for a rescue.” 
There are two boys and a girl. (They’re about two years old. These are photos of the girl.) 

And, get this!  “They have never been outside of the house,” Christine reports. “So they are good with dogs but need socialization and training. The girl is the more difficult of the three. The woman at the house is letting me take these three next. It is her call. The dogs keep breeding and having puppies so time is of the essence. They can each go to a different rescue which will make it easier I hope. I am willing to transport.”
When Christine moves these three dogs, she can begin moving the other Chihuahua mixes. She says she and two other rescues have “already extracted 17.” That leaves, “another 10 or so. ... The three oldest she is keeping — they are fixed. So that is fine with me. Her husband is coming home from the hospital next week. I have never been inside the house. She took these pictures. The other two dogs are lighter in color.”
T
o help these dogs and the people who are helping them, call or text Christine at 972-612-8937 or email againstalloddsrescue@gmail.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS
GUITARMAN, GOOD DOG, HARD ROCK CAT
Eric Clapton is at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth Monday night. I’m going to stand out in my backyard and hope that a friendly wind blows some of that guitar talent toward my nimble typing fingers. I’m pretty good with G,C,D,F and a couple of other chords, but when it comes to “pickin’” I’m much better pickin' items on a menu than pickin' on my Fender. … Have you seen the Farmers Insurance commercial where the motorist in a wrecked car orders his dog to “go get help”? The dog jumps out of the car, then jumps back in and one one paw dials the insurance company on the driver’s phone. Two things: (1) I wish I’d written that commercial (for big advertising money) and (2) I have no doubt that a dog could really pull off such a rescue! My dog Porche has turned apps off on my phone! Well, so has my cat The Senator. So if someone invents cat-and-dog-proof apps, we’re available for promotional appearances at a substantial rate of pay....
How about that video of the cat that dangled from beneath an upper deck at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium during a football game, then dropped and was caught in an American flag held by fans! I saw the video on NBC’s Sunday Today With Willie Geist, but it’s all over the internet now. Here’s the NBC LINK. And here’s a Miami Herald LINK.  And here’s one from republicworld.com that says Hard Rock Stadium “announced a donation to Humane Society Miami following the incident.” The heroes are identified in that story but not one story I could find online says what happened to the cat after the incident. My dear late city editor Mary Crutcher of The Fort Worth Press and just about any other editor I ever encountered would have shouted to a reporter, “What the hell happened to the cat?” We’re endeavoring to discover the cat’s whereabouts.
—- Offer advice or info by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

THE WEEKEND OF 9/11 RECOLLECTIONS

Our Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap  edition for this weekend is focused on the American context, not so much on napping and sleeping.
I’ve used this big ol’ boy’s sleeping photo before in our weekend edition. That’s our wander-up Border Collie/Chocolate Lab mix Dudley the Angel, named after Cary Grant’s character in The Bishop’s Wife. 
Dudley and other sleeping dogs and napping cats are all symbols of the good and tender side of America. 
None of our animals were around for 9/11 back in 2001.
Here's a closer look at Dudley's tranquil face. You should have a sleeping influence like Dudley in your household!
Back to 9/11. Heck, only one of our grandkids was around — she was born in March that year. She’s a bit of an animal nut — I think it runs in the family.
Anyway, the wonderful tranquility that has emanated from these animals through the years I am dedicating to the innocent people who were killed that day, that 9/11, two decades ago. To their families and loved ones. At the New York site; at the Pentagon; on that plane that heroic people took off the course the terrorists had chosen and crashed it to protect America in Pennsylvania. 

I think of how fortunate Americans are when heroes rise to the occasion.
How blessed am I in this world? Look at Dudley, or Wendy (the maybe Boxer/Bird Dog mix) or Porche (described with laughter by her vet as a “wannabe Pit Bull” and "a very regal mutt) -- she and Dudley are sharing a "sleep" on her rug.

Our cats? Valuable friends. I grew up with cats and dogs. I romped with dogs, especially Queenie the Border Collie. I meditated with a purring cat named Pepper. 

That little cross-eyed cat is my personal sweetie, Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson, a formerly feral kitten grown up to be adorably adult. The little black and white cat atop a pillow on my keyboard desk is Stevie Ray, a former feral I plucked out of a mimosa tree in Dallas a couple of years ago when he was barely old enough to climb and had absolutely no concept of “climb down.”

And, that older cat is my enduring friend and companion, an older cat who dropped by and moved in — The Senator, named in honor of his hair-plug-like hairline.
Each day I am grateful to have these animals around with us — to me and Martha, they make a home.
 Here are two more photos.
I snapped the one with the two Boxers last year when I dropped by Sharkey's Service Center in Oak Cliff to get my 1999 Ford 150 inspected — the sturdy hauler of many dogs and cats passed the tests with flying colors. 

The other vehicle photo shows what appears to be a German Shepherd with his nose catching the wind at a stop light across from JerryWorld in Arlington.

I don’t know those people or their dogs. But I do know this: At any point, the guy with the dogs on the leash or the driver with the dog probably would have been proud to brag about their animals and listen to us brag about ours. 
 You know how we are in Texas! 
And, here’s the thing to remember: Our fellow Animal Nuts (and we see that as a term of endearment) will probably use a positively lovely version of this phrasing: “Oh, yes, these dogs and cats aren’t my friends; they’re my family.”

And that brings me back to the point of this weekend. Noting the passage of time but not the passage of emotions and grief. As I consider the horrible events and subsequent tragedies of 9/11, I will not fail to feel “the loss” — not just the people, but the lost feeling of living in a nation that is safe for kids and grandkids and families and its own “one nation under God” admirable future.
That 9/11 was a horrible day. I was in a newspaper newsroom -- nobody was too busy to ignore what they were feeling, but staffers kept working through the shock. It was the American thing to do.
Those of us at readlarrypowell.com will be spending the weekend in contemplation of events of 9/11 and beyond. We’ll close this edition with a reminder that has long been a mission of people blessed with kind souls and determined hearts: Be kind to animals. Remove them from peril. And love them.
— Offer thoughts at ‘comment’ below or email dallrp@aol.com. And God Bless America. —

DOG BILL'S NEXT CHANCE SOONER, NOT LATER; KITTENS, CAT, DOGS; WERE THOSE THE DAYS?

EDITION OF FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Perhaps the Third Session is the charm. I hate to use the sweet word “charm” when discussing the Texas Legislature, but the sentiment of that third time being the charm business may fit.
The note from the Texas Humane Legislation Network arrived with this grand announcement in the subject line: “We’ve been given another chance at the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act!”
[LARRY OBSERVATION: Are we seeing some irony? Some people who have been booing Gov. Greg Abbott all week may now decide to cheer him in “just this one instance.” Politics — makes strange bedfellows, they used to say when “bedfellows” was an OK word in the pantheon of American political experience.]

THLN Executive Director Shelby Bobosky opened with a joyous, “That’s right! Governor Abbott has announced that he is including the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act (SB 474) on the third special session agenda! This gives us another chance to pass similar legislation before waiting two years for the next regular legislative session in 2023 and help those dogs across Texas who live permanently outside without water and shelter as they languish on the ends of heavy chains. Read the full press release HERE to learn more and stay tuned for updates and actions you can take to help us pass the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act.
You may recall Gov. Abbott vetoed the bill at the end of the regular session — rewriting by THLN may change the guv’s view of saving the lives of dogs kept at peril by people without a lick of … Hang on. It makes sense to me to stop writing that sentence at that point. No good reason to state the obvious about some of our fellow earthlings (maybe) over and over in the great and wise State of Texas, right?
 FYI, Gov. Abbott, you can get one of those shirts at the thln.org site.
IS THIS MANY CATS A CLOWDER?
AND IS KOBE SOMEBODY’S DOG?
The collection of critters in this information from 4-Legged Helpers includes five cats. Four are kittens. One is not but she does know how to relax in a sink...
So, can four kittens make a clowder of cats? They can make more than a clowder if they’re not spayed and neutered, right? 
The kittens are in the Lancaster Animal Shelter as is Kobe the Dog. Oreo is not in a shelter, but is still in a fix.
The kittens are (in order of descent) Tiger Tabby males Mochi, Miso and Sushi, and their sister Nori. They are about six weeks old, the Helpers report. And, of course, as you can see right here on the computer screen in front of you, they are photogenic as any mammal ever born on Planet Earth.
The story of Oreo is that she is available right now in Dallas. She is declawed and spayed.
[LARRY NOTE: Spaying we endorse; declawing is another matter]

And that dog is Kobe, a male Yellow Lab still waiting in the Lancaster shelter. “Has not had the best life, but he is the sweetest boy ever…” the Helpers report. He was an owner-surrender. And “he is so excited to have people petting him and paying attention to him. He shakes on command —cutest thing ever.” Oh, one more thing: He is extremely friendly and cuddly.”
To ask about any of these animals, call or text 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or emailing cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE
THE HYPNOTIC EYES….
Oh, man, look at that face!
Our pal Judi Brown, one of the dedicated volunteer dog biographers at Mesquite Animal Services, had the pleasure of meeting Shane. 
She writes that he “is a particularly handsome dog with soft mostly black fur, a curly tail and penetrating pale blue eyes!”

The year-old Shepherd/Basenji mix came into the shelter on Aug. 31 — he was a stray and, she says, “He is a work in progress but has great potential! He’s easily excitable and when he gets excited he jumps on you and at 56 pounds is very capable of knocking you over. He will need more training and redirection for his ‘off-task’ behavior. Some of the volunteers are going to make him a project. He’s obviously very intelligent and highly motivated by treats which will help in the training process. He will need an experienced adopter because he wants to take control and be the alpha.” 
No kids until his manners are under control. But, as the photo indicates, he’d sure enjoy having a wading pool!
Judi wrote, “I get the sense that Shane has been left on his own without any guidance but because he’s obviously intelligent has the potential to become an exceptional dog!”
To ask about helping or adopting Shane, use his ID (#48566924) when you call the shelter at 972–216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
HOW ABOUT THOSE WRINKLES
ON THAT YEAR-OLD DOG

I spotted the photo of Luna when I clicked onto the Dallas Animal Services Facebook page. And I thought, “Older dog.” But the bio info says Luna (#A1126105) is only about a year old with all those wrinkles — might be some Shar Pei in that dog’s background. 
But here’s the key thing: She’s free. Adopt her without an adoption fee. It’s part of Dallas Animal Services’ “Clear The Shelters” participation. 
See more Dallas adoptables and learn how to adopt them by clicking on the BeDallas90.org/pets link.
[LARRY ASIDE: I’m almost certain Dallas will not run out of adoptables. Yeah, that’ll happen when nobody’s speeding on the Dallas North Tollway.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
For a Friday in September
High school football night. Nothing bigger in Texas — at least that’s the way it used to be. My last year of high school I spent writing sports on Friday nights. Helped me save up enough money to go to junior college the next fall — newspapers “paid cheap” in those days, but, then again, 12 semester hours of junior college was only around a hundred bucks. One person’s recreation is another’s profit. My grandcollegekids can only WISH that the price of getting smarter had held firm since the 1960s. …
Going into this weekend without memories of 9/11/2001 is a little bit hard to do, isn’t it. Twenty years — for a day that was so long, 20 years has gone so quickly. …
When you think about high school and going to college “on the cheap” and learning history with having to live through it painfully, just click on THIS LINK to Mary Hopkin’s big hit from 1968 — philosophy with a ‘60s rock beat. Oh, and here it is in Russian  in honor of all you who felt the chill of the Cold War throughout your school days! 
Duck and cover!!!
—- Offer your thoughts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “PEACE TO US ALL” in the subject line. —-

A STORMY DAY; BRODY GETS A BACKER; A MESQUITE ROTTIE; AND OTHER NOTES...

EDITION OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 [PetPowellPress] I’ve been getting a lot of notes from animal folks about North Texas Giving Day, which we support. 
But, after that storm — fyi, that is a frightened-of-a-storm dog running loose (keep reading for the result) — rolled across Dallas/Fort Worth Wednesday morning, I thought, “Heck, we ought to establish a ‘North Texas Thinking Day'."
Maybe celebrate thinking year-round.
I’ll explain this in Contemplations. 
This second photo? That is a demonstration of household togetherness during a storm: The dog is our wander-up Border Collie/Chocolate Lab mix Dudley the Angel. He and his pal, the formerly feral kitten Simon Mycroft Holmes, quite frequently find themselves padding through our house together — the aim is to always be where food and happy conversation are available. I hope your home is also owned by loving animals with personalties you might never find on a 21st century campaign trail. Neither tweets. “Tempted,” says Simon, “But I’m a cuddler. Ask Dudley.”
HERE’S AN INTERESTING
CASE OF A DOG UNWANTED…
We’ve been posting photos of Brody for a couple of weeks. He’s a fellow who was “recovered out in the county” south of Dallas.
Recovered? You may recall. He was found flat out in a ditch — he’d either been knocked into it or thrown into it. Whatever happened, he wasn’t able to get up on his own and get out of the ditch.
 As you know, dogs can’t talk and tell the tale. 
Nevertheless, a good thing has happened. Someone has pledged a $500 donation to the 501c3 that will take him in and make sure he has a home that won’t mistreat him or neglect his care. We got that info from the folks at 4-Legged Helpers, the organization that helps with placement of animals from “situations of wandering” and, especially, from being in small shelters with little or no human visitors. 
Brody has been in a foster home after being saved and healed.
Brody has the personality that is good with people and other dogs, but not particularly with cats.
 To demonstrate that we can help you learn the odd fact from reading about animals, the 4-Legged Helpers’ note included info saying “brody” is Irish for “ditch.” Look it up and you’ll discover “Brody” evolved “from the Gaelic brothaigh” — yep, means “ditch.” Adopt this dog and you have an immediate conversation point at a St. Patrick’s Day party.
To ask about helping Brody stay out of ditches and on the couch or the bed or wherever he wants to be with you, call or text 4-legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY:
THE NOTICES ABOUND!
Don’t know about you, but my inbox gets a lot of notices from animal and non-animal causes whenever the giving is open for North Texas Giving Day. No longer just a day, I'm going to call it the North Texas Giving Spell.
I’m just going to mention these two recipients right now, and, oh, yeah,  and a third one: Straydog Inc. You probably know of these three. Straydog Inc. is the sanctuary/shelter in East Texas with a Metroplexian presence. DFW Cocker Spaniel Rescue has been one of our faves since we found Inky, the Cocker Laureaute of Texas, all manged-up and nearly hairless, just beyond "puppy stage" and “set free” in Kiest Park in Dallas. He wasn’t a rescue from this non-profit, but he did lead me, the twins Bret and Bart, and Bart’s son Connor (that would make him my grandson) to play in the organization’s Dogleg Classic Golf Tournament (it's set for the 26th this month). Inky’s been gone a while but he was such a good dog that Cockers have a forever place in my heart. 

And then, there’s the Panther City Feral Cat Coalition -- www.fortworthferals.org. We became acquainted with these heroes when we imported a feral cat from Dallas a few litter seasons ago. The girl was named Sugar Mama and these folks helped us find her a job as a Barn Cat in Collin County.
I guess what I’m saying is that North Texas Giving Day often is more than a “money thing.” Hearts can be involved, too. You may have gotten your dog or cat from a non-profit that can always use money for vet care, feeding and incidentals. 
[LARRY FYI: I’m going to post this note before Wednesday night’s Lotto Texas drawing, but, just in case I have the right 6 numbers, well, there might be some unexpected donations.]
HE’S WIGGLING WITH JOY,
THIS HANDSOME ROTTIE BOY
Here’s a guy who needs a future with a happy family. Or maybe he needs to make a family’s future happy — that could be his mission.
We learned of him from Judi Brown, one of the determined volunteer dog biographers at Mesquite Animal Services.
She wrote, “Dalton met me in his kennel with his whole body wiggling with joy! He is a 3-year-old, 80-pound Rottweiler that arrived at [the] shelter on 9/3 as a stray. He is a handsome boy with a shiny coat and a seemingly ready smile!
“He’s delightful boy with a winning personality! His tail wagged constantly during the photo shoot. Other than wandering off briefly to do his business, he spent most of the time close to me. I mean close to me! He would literally push his body up against me for extra closeness. 
“There was some activity that went on behind the shelter gate and he was alert and went to the gate to investigate. He was very well mannered and never tried to jump on me. However, another volunteer took him out the previous day and he did try to jump on her.  He sits for treats and takes them gently.  Basically he’s just a laid-back sort of guy!
“It was a hot day and he quickly decided that he would rather be inside with the AC. He does not appear to tolerate the heat very well indicating he would do much better as a mostly inside dog. Besides, because he loves people and wants to be close he would want to be mostly inside with his new family! Dalton did have a strong pull on the leash but then he weighs 80 pounds! He was not interested in meeting the other dogs in the bay and ignored those that were barking at him.” He’s #49501332 in the shelter. Use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com to ask about him. [LARRY PS: Heck yeah, we’re Rottie fans. Lived for more than decade with Texas Earl the Cheeseman and learned what gentle, loyal, fun dogs boy Rotties are. May Dalton find a home that gives him as much love as he fills the home with.]
BEFORE WE MOVE ON,
HERE ARE 4 IN NEED; ONE HAS
‘THE SADDEST STORY’
Back to the work of 4-Legged Helpers and the non-profit’s small shelter mission.
This first guy is Blue, 2 or 3, and “the sweetest Husky you could meet anywhere.” Why is this obviously affectionate dog in the Ferris Animal Shelter? The Helpers note explains, “Someone could no longer care for him and he was brought to the shelter in hopes he would find a good home.” He’s thin because his home may not have been able to feed him properly, but at the shelter “he is a good eater and is gaining weight.” 

And this guy with the long stems is Jerry the Doberman Pinscher, also in the Ferris shelter. He’s about or 3 and “the sweetest guy” and was found roaming — yep, a stray. Nobody came for him. Heartworm negative and “such a good boy,” Jerry’s bio reads. 

Cookie is the female Basset/Bulldog Mix — she’s waiting in the Lancaster shelter. “completely adorable — so cute — look at her adorable little legs and cute body,” the Helpers' bio reads. “She is so sweet, too. Brought to the shelter by someone unable to care for her.” [LARRY ASIDE: Got to be someone among the millions of people in the Metrosprawl who has room for a girl named Cookie.]

And that brings us to the Lancaster boy named Jericho. He’s neutered, fully vaccinated, a bulldog mix ready to go, the Helpers say. 
They also report, “This sweet, sweet dog has the saddest story.  He lived at CVC (Cedar Valley College’s veterinary tech program) for one-and-a-half years waiting for a forever home.  Yes, you read that correctly.  1.5 YEARS!!! 
“Then, about 4 months ago, someone adopted and everyone was ecstatic.  Jericho had a home. Then this person's health changed and they had to go into assisted care, sending Jericho back to CVC again.   He is a great dog. Very handsome - the pic does not do him justice.  Does very well with other dogs that like dogs - he has been in many play groups and done very well. …This angel deserves a forever home!”
And, as you may suspect, he’s up to date on shots and been getting great vet care. All he needs is a real home. To help Jericho, Cookie, Blue, Jerry and other dogs on the 4-Legged Helper’s radar, call or text the Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. Keep up with them on the 4-Legged Helpers Facebook page. 

CONTEMPLATIONS
STORMY ADVENTURES AND DOGS…
This photo caught my attention on a local neighborhood bulletin board and then I read the posting by Michael Phipps, a veteran pet-sitter (Pet’s Best Friend in Fort Worth) about this dog’s situation. 
He wrote, “While at a client's on Oak Hill and Cienegas, we spotted a Shepherd Husky mix running on Oak Hill between Brentwood and Kentwood. It is dragging a red leash. I followed it east on Kentwood for about a block it had no desire of letting me catch it. This was at 9:35 a.m. Wednesday. Please put your animals who are storm-scared into a safe space.”
I checked back on the neighborhood page an hour or so later and Michael had posted this: “After we were done taking care of business we roamed the neighborhood and located the dog again. We went door-to-door until we located where the dog belonged. We were able to get a hold of the leash and contain it until we could reach the owner. Thank God it is now home safe.” Like he said, put your storm-scared animals into a safe place!
As the storm was knocking power off for just a split-second and making humans uneasy in our neighborhood, I was sitting at my computer and I felt a movement at my feet. There, down by my office chair, was Wendy — that is her safe place — an opening between two desks, a printer table and paper shredder and a Notre Dame trash can from a trip with my kids three decades ago. Wendy enjoys being petted when there’s thunder and lightning. She knows I'll protect her during inclement weather -- I have "sense enough to come in out of the rain," she says.
The thing is, people need to remember that during a storm, animals do things even they don’t expect to do outside, i.e., “run for cover” —leap a fence or run through one. Have a heart with your animals — treat them like you love ‘em.

We’ll close with some music today from the very great Lena Horne — perhaps her most famous performance. This one’s from 1943 motion picture with a great name, Stormy Weather. 

—- Offer human behavior tips or doubts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put HELLO WENDY in the subject line. —-

OLD DOGS, EYEGLASSES, MORE DOGS, AND THE HUMAN SPECTACLE SPECTACLES

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 [PetPowellPress] IU an weaqrubg owled eysaglassesa ad I type this. Let me rephrase, now that I can see where my fingers are on the keyboard. I am wearing old eyeglasses as I type this. Why? You’ll see why in Contemplations. (That photo is about 5 years old -- ignore those glasses, but not that cat.)
First, let’s see clearly how we can help some dogs and cats. I’m starting with an old dog. Why? Because, I live with old dogs and they are great companions. I also live with old cats (that’s me with my personal cat Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson, born in early 2011 — she's still young and stern with other cats. They’re all great companions. I do not live with an old wife. My wife is magically youthful — I hope she appreciates this opening passage. I personally know she appreciates old dogs.
LOOK AT THIS FACE
IN THE FORT WORTH SHELTER 

That is Annie.
We learned of her in a post on the holiday Monday from Fort Worth Animal Care & Control advocate Kristen Barg Morrison. 
And the note began with this declaration of solid fact. She wrote, “Nothing worse than a senior at the shelter.”

And that is Annie (#A48597036), a 12-year-old, 43-pound girl who came in as a stray on September 5. 
Medically, she needs some eye work. Maybe some other things. But the note about this baby read, “Sweet girl. I didn’t have time to take her out but she ate my treats and let me pet her without any problems. Let’s get her out now!” You can arrange to adopt or rescue this girl by emailing fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov. No calls — emails are the shelter preference.

Now, let’s say you don’t make contact in time to give wonderful Annie a good home -- someone else beats you to adopting her (amen!). Maybe you want a dog that already has a genuine Texas name. In the general population of Fort Worth’s dogs, you’ll find this genuine Texas name: Dr. Pepper. She prefers to use the punctuation after DR, unlike the sodypop’s trademark. This 3-year-old weighs 38 pounds and is an adorable Pittie, as you can probably tell.
Maybe it’s just me, but this 3-month-old kitten (#47656836) appears to have a patch of black face fur that resembles the outline of our Great State of Texas. She weighs a pound — not the biggest cat in Texas, but maybe has potential to grow to be a big ol’ bundle of adorable cat. Tex — there’s a name that works for male or female. There’s Dallas Cowboys legendary executive Tex Schramm and country singer/actor Tex Ritter. And, on the female side of Tex, there’s Tex Guinan, an actress and producer who was also known as the Queen of the Nightclubs during the Prohibition Era known as the Roaring 20s. So, Tex is a fine name. 

Now, when you got to the FWACC website HERE, you can click to adoptable dogs and cats, to “lost and found pets,” to a place to volunteer to foster animals and, in a really wonderful and important element, a way to click and see the Code Red animals HERE. As you probably know, “Code Red” is the list on which you don’t want to see a dog or cat.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
MORE DOGS ARRIVE?
New dogs at an animal shelter? Every day. Every blasted day. 
Hard not to get disgusted when you realize this is the way things go all over the state and nation. 
But, mercifully, volunteers and dog-gooders and animal advocates keep plugging along. 
We’re citing two of the “many new dogs” that have arrived at the Lancaster Animal Shelter on the southern side of Dallas.
We got the info and photos from the hard-working advocates at 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that exists to put a spotlight on animals in smaller low-traffic shelters.

That beautiful solid white girl is Caroline. Sitting, she looks, as her bio reads, “round and cute.” Standing, you can see her ribs! Her bio reads, “So sweet and so cute!!!. Completely adorable — very sweet girl that loves everyone and every thing. Round and cute. Found out and about n her own and she is precious.”

This next guy is Davis, a Lab mix, maybe a year old, who “does very well with other dogs on walks at the shelter and adores all people. He was an owner-surrender from someone no longer able to care for him.”
So, there you have it: The opportunity to “care for” a dog — perhaps you have an extra supply of “care for” in your personal quiver. 
He’s quite the handsome lad.
To ask about helping or adopting these two or any Lancaster animals contact 4-Legged Helpers by calling or texting 214-949-2726 or by emailing cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. 
You can see more Lancaster animals — new ones to arrive and those we’ve already mentioned such as Logan and Jakob we spotlighted in Tuesday’s edition — by going to the 4-Legged Helpers Facebook page HERE .
CONTEMPLATIONS

THE EYEGLASSES IDIOCY
I’ve worn glasses since the traditional age for a guy’s eyes to blur small print — 40. I’d never lost my glasses for more than an hour or so until Tuesday.
I was doing yard work, cleaning weeds out of a rise in the yard that is also covered with big rocks — someone tried to create an “asset” to the landscaping. Successful? No. It was like putting a bowling ball on top of a wedding cake and surrounding it with dirty golf balls.
 My theory is the guy who designed this abomination was trying to see how many hips and arms he could break in falls over the years. 
Anyway, at some point while I weeding this ugly-ass (I believe that’s a genuine landscaping and architecture term) formation of failed landscaping, I bent over to reach an offensive weed and my eyeglasses, stored in my pocket, slid out unnoticed. Minutes later, I did notice. 
And I went into a panic. I picked up all the plucked weeds and shoved them into big paper lawn bags. Each handful I carefully examined to make sure I was not throwing away my glasses. 
I let the dogs out of the house — rousted them out of the air-conditioning — and, sleepily, they helped in the search for the eyeglasses, sniffing here and there, turning over clumps of weeds with their paws. Neither Dudley the Angel nor Wendy nor Porche Noel found my glasses. 
“No big deal,” I thought blurrily. “I’ll just order replacement glasses.” Alas, the guy on the phone said, “Sorry, if your prescription is more than a year old; you’ll have to get another eye exam. Then we can replace your glasses.” More expense based on my personal idiocy.
 Bless the optometrist, her records showed my prescription was a whisker-thin 11 months old. No exam needed! 
The new glasses are being made, even as you read this, I am led to believe. And I have used this photo of Porche Noel to illustrate this Contemplation because that is the last photo made with anyone wearing those glasses. 
My glasses, my dog, my idiocy, my spectacular spectacles spectacle! I learned a lesson. When doing yardwork, store my “cheaters”s in a safe place? No. Hire somebody to stand between me and yardwork. No telling what could happen next time. In just the morning of one summer day, I managed to lose my glasses and my mind. Overachiever, you know. Signing off now. Going into the backyard with a flashlight and faith in illumination.
—- Offer advice or call me stupid by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and write the note with your “Blurry App.” —

HOLIDAY MOOD OF MY CAT LINGERS; THE MISSIONS FOR ANIMALS CONTINUE

EDITION OF TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Still relaxing from a one-day holiday. Ommm. Ommmmm. OmmURROWE!- URROWE! … Sorry. Before we get to the Black Dog challenge for adoptions, I will tell you I spent a bit of holiday time with my personal advisor The Senator. He now uses that really bass and resounding  “OmmmURRROWE” at rock-n-roll decibel level to communicate with me that he wants to walk down a hall but there’s younger cat frozen in the hall or, yes, also he uses it to tell me there is NOT another cat in the hall. Perplexed by The Senator, we’re going to mention some dogs who were available during the Labor Day weekend and may still be there. Yes, that is The Senator relaxing on a Christmas-season quilt on Labor Day. He likes to quote Ebenezer Scrooge from ol’ Charlie Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The Senator presents thel line this way: “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year no matter how hot it is in Texas. OmmURRROW to you all.”
Now, let’s talk other animals:
WHAT SHOWS UP IN THE MAIL
OR ON YOUR FACEBOOK LINK
This great photo of a big ol’ mostly black dog came from the folks with Collin County Adoptable Pets in McKinney. The new photo, added this weekend, was of Bermuda, a 2-year-old Lab mix.
 Bermuda may have written this experimental bio. Normally, we eschew bios purported to have been written by an animal — our theory is most have staffers to write on their behalf. But this time, well, here goes:
 Early in the weekend Bermuda’s note read, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy…
"I bet you are wondering about the serious look on my face and the winter scarf. Well, I’m working on a very serious experiment. I overheard the volunteers talk about washing their cars so it would rain. That got me thinking. What if I wore a winter scarf, would that bring some cooler weather? It’s been so hot and I’m willing to try! Paws crossed we get some relief soon…and of course a forever home for me! Be happy now…with ME!”
Well, Ladies and Gents, a bit of a cold front arrived hours later and dropped the temp out of the Presidio level (Texans understand that joke) and, sure enough, in a subsequent note posted on the Collin County Adoptable Pets page, Bermuda took credit for moving the local temps out of the sizzling hot Texas summer range. He also changed clothes. 
Here’s that LINK to see how to adopt the weather-affecting dog Bermuda! 

[LARRY WEATHER FYI: I checked on the PM temps in Hamilton, Bermuda, Monday afternoon. Pack your bags: 85 degrees and rain. Wait a second: At 6 p.m. Monday, it was 93 with showers in Presidio. Is the world off its axis?]
TWO BLACK DOGS STILL WAIT
IN THE LANCASTER SHELTER
We try to keep up with the dogs we’ve mentioned before and these two have been mentioned two or three times before. 
Logan is the young Doberman mix who came into the Lancaster Animal Shelter with his brother Riley — the note on the shelter website did not include a note about whether Riley has been adopted. 

The other black dog posted on the city’s link is this guy Jakob, a Lab mix, who was found stray on a playground — “adores children — all people.”
Email animalshelter@lancaster-tx.com or go to the 4-Legged Helpers Inc. Page on Facebook or call or text 4-Legged helpers at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
SWEET-NATURED EMMA…

The story on black dog Emma comes from the Mesquite Animal Services’ volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm. 
She wrote, “This sweet-natured girl is Emma, a mixed-breed with mostly English Pointer in the mix and a bit of American Pit Bull Terrier as well.  She came to the shelter on 8/27 as a stray, weighs 38 pounds, is about 7 months old and is not spayed.  She walks nicely on a leash, was OK with other dogs when led through the bay.  She is lively, active, frisky and perky and will jump on you in her excitement.  Emma is friendly, affectionate and wants to be in your lap.  She is all puppy with such an adorable personality.  She has some missing fur on her side."
To help Emma find a place to live or to volunteer to give her a place to live, use her ID #48542287 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email at rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
You want to see more Mesquite animals — dogs and cats? CLICK HERE.
Among the many cats and kittens on the roster at Mesquite over the weekend was this black cat Fiona (#48229783), just over 13 months old and ready for adoption. She arrived on July 15. [LARRY ADOPTION ASIDE: Wide-eyed girl — I think that might be her attempt to do an impression of a wide-eyed, solid black, surprised Lab when the person looking for a dog walks in and says, “Honey, you adopt a dog; I’ll take that wonderful cat.”
It could happen.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
BLACK DOGS AND YOU…
At readlarrypowell.com, we’ve had many black dogs through the years and every one of them has been a sweetheart. Of course, so have the brown dogs, the multi-colored dogs, the white dogs and the cats. Still, we understand the mission of the Black Dog Club of Smithfield, N. C.
As I was totally unnsure of how many black dogs are available in North Carolina, I clicked onto the Black Dog Club’s list of adoptables and found many black dogs, some dogs of other colors and — I’m not kidding — a cat named Squirrel. That is Squirrel. Here’s the LINK.
And here’s the artwork that initially caught my eye as a perfect bit for Contemplations. Keep reading (Click on the chart to make it grow).
And when we looked at the Black Dog Facebook page HERE and found this message from two black dogs and their 3 pals. Labor Day vs. Labrador — kind of amusing though these are 5 I’m-not-smilin’-at-this-joke dogs.
— Tell us a dog story or a cat story by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and putting “MY DOG IS PERFECT; HE WAS TAUGHT BY A CAT” in the subject line.—

ON LABOR DAY, LEO NEEDS HELP, BUDDY GOT HELP, CATS IN KABUL & A RAILROAD STATION

EDITION OF LABOR DAY, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Ah, Labor Day! Seems like in the era of The Mickey Mouse Club, Sputnik and Davy Crockett coonskin caps, kids started to school the Tuesday after Labor Day. 
But, heck, we were not as smart back then — Right?, my fellow Baby Boomers — Our brains needed more summertime to rev up the gray matter for a full school year of book learnin’. 
More on Labor Day in Lamentations — I mean Contemplations. First, let’s look at some animals that belong to no unions, though, in Hollywood, animal handlers and trainers may be Teamsters. You can look it up!
THIS GUY LEO FITS INTO
THE SPECIAL DOG CATEGORY
Yeah, all dogs fit into that category, but there’s an extra specialness about this dog who inspired this promise: “We are not giving up, baby boy.”
You see photos of Leo enjoying some time in the “spa.”
I asked Christine Kallas of Against All Odds All Breed Rescue about Leo’s situation. 
She explained, “The pictures were taken at boarding in Anna. He has been there for over a year. Leo was returned (by his adopter) after 2 years because of a couple of altercations with the male dog after the family brought home a new female puppy. Leo had to go; they refused to hire a trainer.

“Leo loves to play with female dogs at the (boarding) facility. He is a good boy, very friendly and affectionate. We stopped at Hollywood Feed where he was a big hit with the women there. My heart really hurts for him ....Not many want a dog that weighs 76 pounds and that doesn't like male dogs.”

There’s more. Christine wrote, “I forgot to add that they [the try-out family] feel he is too big for them. In case of an emergency they wouldn't be able to lift him. He hasn't eaten since I left him [with the try-outs], which happens often. They need time to decompress.” (That was a few days ago. Leo is now back in boarding.]

On September 1, Christine posted this note: “Monday I picked Leo up from boarding, took him to the vet, then for a bath. Lastly we stopped at Hollywood Feed to buy him a new collar and leash. He loved all the woman there giving kisses, then rolled over for belly rubs. Leo was a perfect gentleman 

“It was his time to shine. We then ventured to his potential adopter for his sleepover. My heart was so happy for this boy.
“Today I received a text notifying me that Leo is too big for them to handle, and they need a smaller dog. So we return the merchandise .They knew Leo is a large boy....
I am crying for Leo...How will I explain to him that he is not wanted and that he has to go back to boarding. We are not giving up, baby boy.”

To offer to be the home that doesn’t reject Leo, the loving dog, email againstalloddsrescue@gmail.com. Keep up with Against All Odds Rescue work on Facebook HERE.
THE MISSION TO SAVE ANIMALS
ISN’T LOCAL, IT’S GLOBAL
Yes, animal lovers have a global perspective when it comes to saving animals — dogs, cats, elephants, reptiles, big cats, etc. In the case of war-like situations, the challenge can really rev up the emotions. 
Sunday afternoon, we got a note from animal activist Nili Asgharian. The subject line was “Latest Update on Kabul Small Animal Rescue, dogs who are still alive.”
 And Nili wrote, “I understand that the dogs are being given dry bread and small amounts of water, trying to sustain them in an enclosed area. Charlotte Maxwell-Jones will not leave Afghanistan without the animals. Shame on the US for leaving them behind, while they had the room on the planes to evacuate.”

 Nili also wrote, “I will wager that many of the soldiers pleaded to each carry a pup, but were denied, as many American soldiers were raised with dogs as part of the family. It is ruthless to leave both human and non-human animals behind in Taliban country where only violence and ignorance rules, while upending a country of 40 million.”

Nili included this LINK to a story about the Tennessee woman who is steadfastly working to protect the Kabul shelter she created. 
And, in a moment of “old reporter’s curiosity,” readlarrypowell.com looked up the Facebook page for Charlotte Maxwell-Jones’ shelter HERE. (That's one of the Kabul shelter's cats enjoying a tender scratch.)
 A passage posted Sunday afternoon Texas time read, “Our kitties take up less room in cargo, but just as much in our hearts. All our cats are being cared for until we wait for flights to re-open, and while we are heartbroken to have lost several, likely due to tear gas exposure at the airport, we are glad to see most of them doing well and patiently waiting for their trip to their forever homes.”
A STORY FROM MISSISSIPPI
ABOUT A DOG WHO SURVIVED
I was looking for one thing on the internet when I found another that was worth noting in the world of animal advocacy and rescue.
It will make you cringe, but it also may make you grateful to know that there are people in other states who will get busy on behalf of a dog who was caught up in a situation that you hope not even a fiction writer would dream up on a bad day.
The dog is Buddy. That’s the T-shirt emblem he inspired at the Tunica Humane Society in Tate County, Miss., alongside the Mississippi River in the Northwest corner of the state. 
Back in late April, a kid under 12 years old set Buddy’s face on fire.
You see the first photo, of course. 
The kid was to young to be charged with a crime due to Mississippi law. It’s explained in this story HERE  from WAPT-TV which quotes the local sheriff as being “just as frustrated” as anybody. [LARRY ASIDE: readlarrypowell.com hopes the state has a way to get therapy for that kid — doesn’t need to grow with a “let’s-set-it-on-fire” attitude. I speak as someone who vividly recalls the  heartbreaking cases of Mercy and Justice, two dogs savagely burned by grown-up creeps in Dallas County.]
  With a little more searching at tunicahumanesociety.com and Facebook, we found this report from the Society: “These most recent pictures tell the story of a true warrior. Buddy continues to amaze his doctors at Mississippi State. He is such a happy dog and seems totally unaffected by the horrible act of cruelty he endured when he was set on fire.
“He's doing so well, he has been moved from the ICU unit at Mississippi State. He is now in the step-down unit and has much more freedom during his day. He loves everyone he meets. And everyone loves Buddy. Easy to see why... Buddy is an inspiration to all and he is loved around the world.” 
[LARRY ASIDE: As many Americans as there are involved in protecting animals from mayhem and idiots, you’d think the people we’ve sent to state capitals and Washington would snap to the idea there is a substantial element of do-gooders who want to see people and animals protected from the folly and bad judgment of humans with no good sense. Just a thought. Not a political point; a point of mercy for the planet.]
CONTEMPLATIONS (ON A HOLIDAY)
LABOR, ICE CREAM, DIMINISHED DEPOT
Years ago — ok, decades ago — when I was a little boy and my pop was a member of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, we’d go to the Labor Day picnic or spaghetti dinner every year and celebrate the advances of the “Labor Movement” in the United States and in the twin city railroad town of Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas. So, today, as you relax, give a nod to labor unions that stood up for workers and got us non-union workers paid vacations and other benefits I’m sure management would have granted because of their big hearts.

 About those Labor Day union picnics in my childhood: The ice cream was always good, too. That may be where I began my quest for the “perfect scoop” of vanilla ice cream. Lifelong quest.
The people at these events were all linked to the very busy Union Station in downtown Texarkana. It was a crossroads for many important passenger and freight rail lines.
There were two other important lines at the “Depot,” as it was shorthanded. The State Line that divides Texas from Arkansas runs right through the middle of Union Station — right under the 6 on the giant clock once telling all of downtown the time from the magnificent arch atop the structure. Built in 1928, the dormant station has been on the nation’s National Register of Historic Places since 1978.
What’s it look like today? That first photo is a big hint. It’s had some bad decades. I shot these photos about two weeks ago. And here’s that other important “line” associated with Union Station. That second photo is the west wing of the giant building and that was — pardon my reference to the ignorantly inhuman reality of the era — the “Colored Entrance.” That’s right. The state line was not the only dividing line in the depot.
Once renowned for its beauty— where DID that clock go? — the station was in good enough shape in the mid-‘70s to appear in exterior and interior scenes in the Charles B. Pierce-directed film The Town That Dreaded Sundown. That’s about the failed pursuit of the post-war, lover’s lane serial killer known locally as The Phantom Killer. FYI: My longtime friend and writing role model James Presley wrote what is recognized as the most accurate book about solving the mystery of “Texarkana Moonlight Murders.” Jim’s book The Phantom Killer is available on Amazon HERE. …

Back to Union Station and Labor Day. Things change. I don’t know if there’s any sort of Labor Day picnic around Texarkana this year. I know that Union Station is still there, rather than a sign of progress, it’s a sign of “distress.” Heck, it even has a place of dishonor on a website called “World of Decay.”
This puts me in a mood to remind people of one of the great musical heroes from Texarkana. Click HERE
and enjoy some groundbreaking piano music -- Scott Joplin (1867(?)-1917) changed the way the piano was played -- that's what the experts say! And, no, I did not go to high school with Scott Joplin.
—- Embrace change or reject it by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put TIME TRAVEL ISN’T REAL in the subject line. —-

GABRIEL DOESN’T DO RAIN!

Who is Gabriel? And what about the rain? And what does Charlie have to do with this?
Ah, read on. We have a genuine “First” in this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
 For the first time since the weekend feature's debut on May 14, 2005, we have a slumbering calf -- a baby bull.
Here's the canine/bovine connection: Years ago, readlarrypowell.com wrote about Ann Mixson’s daring adventure in saving a dog that had been living in a drainage ditch and enjoying the leftovers from a nearby fast-food chicken joint. She had to catch the dog twice and find two different homes but that second home worked out.

Travel with us now from that happy rescue years ago to Ann’s ongoing wonderful genuinely Texas story about a loving and beloved baby bull!
That's bull-on-the-porch photo Ann posted caught our attention. [LARRY ASIDE: We don't have cattle on our city spread, so we really wanted to check into this story behind the picture. In Dallas, we've found dogs and cats on the porch -- possums, raccoons, birds and skunks, too -- no cow could get through the burglar bars on our porch gate!]
"Mom Ann" explained the cow-on-the-porch situation succinctly and we used it in that headline: GABRIEL DOESN’T DO RAIN. When it's raining, Gabriel seeks friendly shelter! The family porch is very friendly.

[LARRY ASIDE: We asked Ann to tell us the story of Gabriel. She demonstrated in the story just how much Gabriel is loved. She also wrote, “Finding the words to describe this critter that we call Gabriel is not easy ~ so bear with me while I try. For a start, let me say that he’s red, lop-eared, affectionate, spoiled, lazy, determined, stubborn, fun, funny, strong, pushy and a handful to deal with.”
 Thus, Dear Readers, the stage is set for Ann's wonderful explanation of Life With a Little Bull. That's a photo of Gabriel sneaking a look through the front door window -- just wondering what the folks are up to.]
Ann writes, “My husband, Charlie Boyd and I live on a ranch on Dodson Prairie in Palo Pinto County. We are located just south H180 and half-way between Mineral Wells and Breckenridge. We have 100-plus head of Beefmaster cattle and two donkeys, and we raise our own hay. We are a grassroots operation and Charlie is a one-man show. Our land has been in Charlie’s family since 1900. We are not located over an aquifer, water is in short supply, and we catch rainwater in huge cisterns. We seem to be a sanctuary for unwanted and abandoned and unwanted animals.

“We make every effort to not intrude on this land and we are very aware of nature’s signs. We watch for the circling of the buzzards, as they are often our best alert system.

“Early one morning in March 2020, Charlie followed a buzzard sighting and found a dead cow and her very much alive baby bull, who was only a few hours old. Charlie scooped the baby up and brought him to the house in the backseat of the pickup. The calf was a big, good-looking boy and was soon able to stand and move on his own. As we were moving him into the yard, he looked at me and said, 'My name is Gabriel; who are you?'
"Our last bottle-fed baby, Angel, eventually joined the herd and is raising her 2nd calf. She is still gentle and enjoys being hand-fed.
“As unfortunate things occasionally happen, we keep emergency supplies on hand, and we immediately prepared a bottle of Colostrum [an elixir to help newborn calf’s immune systems], which Gab finished without hesitation. It was love at first sight and from that moment on, he was fully bonded with Charlie. We rarely have a bottle feeder but when we do, we raise it in the yard because it’s the only safe place. Cows rarely adopt orphaned calves.
“By the next day Gabriel was following Charlie everywhere and was soon trying to play with the dogs and cats. When he was alone, he spent most of his time looking in the back or front door. These babies are extremely demanding, lots of fun, but lots of work. 

“By the time a little bull that is being raised by his mother is two weeks old, he’s ready to leave her for a while to play with his friends. Gab wanted none of that ~ when other calves came to the fence, he ignored them. Charlie was (and still is) not only Gab’s mother but also his best friend and playmate." [LARRY ASIDE: I'm almost expecting to learn that, in this photo, Gabriel was purring while he rubbed his big ol' calf noggin on Charlie's jeans!]
“When Gabriel was 6 months old, Charlie started taking him out to spend time with the herd but Gab would beat him back to the yard. He is now 18 months old and lives outside the yard, but he is always close to the gate and often slips in.
“When it rains, he heads for Charlie’s shop. If his father is an indication (this photo), he will weigh 1,300 pounds by the time he’s three. We keep thinking that his hormones will kick in and he will join the herd, but he continues to cling to his baby ways. When we return home, he’s usually in the driveway waiting for us. 
To quote our daughter [the Argyle equestrian Erin Mixson], 'Why would one want to stand in the hot sun and be all sweaty and covered with flies when one can relax on the porch and spend some time with one’s cat friend?' This perfectly describes our Gabriel.
“At this very moment [of writing this] he’s on the front porch. He grows and looks more like a real bull every day. What are we to do in a year when he’s still trying to break into the house?
“And in case you’re wondering! NO— becoming a sirloin is not in his future.”
[DEAR READERS, Please send us photos of your slumbering critters and stories of their lives, rescues and love to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll post the tributes on readlarrypowell.com in our worldwide-read weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. We accept photos of and stories about any being that slumbers, sleeps, nods off, snoozes, etc. — even if you catch an insomniac nodding off at Dallas Cowboys game. It could happen. Remember you'll be inspiring insomniacs to believe they, too, can get some sleep, if they can just convince a comfortable bull calf to curl up and nod off on the front porch! I love that bottle-feeding photo so much I posted it twice -- humans can't get enough love, understanding and adoration these days!]
—- Offer city-style wrangling advice or names for calves by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put RAWHIDE’S ROWDY YATES in the subject line. —-

A REALLY ODD WEEK IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE AND ABBA IS BACK IN THE NEWS...

EDITION OF FRIDAY, SEPT. 3, 2021 [PetPowellPress]  As a week from the category of “living in interesting times” draws to a close, we look for a quote to lift spirits, give hope for the future and invoke happy times.
Here’s one from French writer/philosopher Voltaire: “Optimism is the madness of insisting that all is well when we are miserable.” Wait! That’ not uplifting, chuckled your typist—we’ll keep looking!
In the meantime, see Dallas Animal Services' many dogs and cats available for adoption HERE and they include this year-old, 13-pound free-to-adopt boy named Czar (#A1128206) -- a little more practice with that character actor-squint and he can be renamed "Glint Eastwood."
AN UPDATE FROM WACO:

HELP STILL NEEDED
While Waco’s animal shelter is full — as we noted in yesterday’s appeal — there has been progress and some dogs have been saved. 
For example, that dog Pudge (right) went to a foster, reporters our source, Reagan Daughtry, the Animal Rescue Liaison with the Humane Society of Central Texas and the Waco Animal Shelter.
But, big Gilbert (#A096363), the other dog we cited in the previous edition, is still on the clock at Waco. The thing is, people who know him adore him. Reagan thinks people may see him as a “grouchy old man” and though the shelter bio lists him as about 5, she says, “We think he may be older than that.” The deal is, the alleged “grouchy old man” also has a warm and approachable nature — the kind you see in a dog that is a family treasure. 

As far as the continuing pressure on the shelter’s population, Reagan says shelters and other organizations have taken in some of Waco’s dogs. “The community has come together,” she says, adding that there’s still plenty of animals who need to be rescued or adopted. Contact Reagan at ReaganD@hsctx.org or call 254-750-7093 or 254-349-2976
A note on the shelter’s website read; “If you are able to adopt a dog and give them a forever home, foster to provide a temporary home, or if you are a rescue partner who can help, please come see us at 2032 Circle Road, Waco, TX 76706, or give us a call at 254-754-1454.
You can see adoptable dogs by clicking HERE. There’s even a genuine Earhound in the crowd — that’s Prescott, said to be a Lab mix…
UNDERSTANDING SOME THINGS
JUST NEVER MAY BE POSSIBLE…
An email from animal activist Nili Asgharian cited a story from The Times of London that tells an awful story of about the way a former Afghan member of Parliament lost her dog to the Taliban. It’s disgustingly tragic. Here’s the LINK.
[LARRY ASIDE: There are other stories online about similar behavior toward dogs. And, one is moved to suggest — though I am not a White House advisor — that there is an element of happily armed people in Afghanistan that really doesn't seem inclined to practice civilized diplomacy. Lesson-teaching via violence and cruelty appears to be the modus operandi.]
TWO DOGS IN WILMER WAIT;
AS DO TWO ‘COUNTY’ DOGS
Four dogs “need a hero to save them,” read the text from 4-Legged Helpers.
And here are the 4 dogs. Two of them, Chance and Patches, are in the small, “closed-to-the-public” City of Wilmer Animal Shelter. 

Chance is described as a “Male Pocket Lab” and said to be a Lab/Basset mix/. The Helpers’ note reads, “He is the cutest little guy ever. So sweet, too. This adorable boy desperately, and we mean desperately, needs out of Wilmer’s shelter. This shelter is the one we have mentioned for years that, at times, has no running water and no air-conditioning.”

Patches is the young male “Terrier/Shepherd Mix” in the Wilmer shelter. His bio says he “adores children and loves everyone. Energetic and very fun! His favorite things are cuddling and playing.” At a year-and-a-half old, he wound up in the shelter because “someone sadly was no longer able to care for him.”

To ask about animals in the “sphere” of 4-Legged Helpers’ influence, call or text 214-949-2726 or Facebook message Laura Macias or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
And these two are currently in the care of a contract-keeper of dogs found roaming. We’ve mentioned this guy Brody before — he’s the handsome Lab mix who wound found injured and unable to get up and walk out of the ditch he’d been knocked or thrown into. He’s rebounded wonderfully and is “very sweet, calm and loving.”

 Mason is the under-2-year-old Bulldog Mix boy who has an “very sweet” personality and he, also, “loves to play and have fun. He’s fully vaccinated, fixed and microchipped, the Helpers say. Just needs a place to call home. 
Remember, you can keep up with 4-Legged Helpers’ efforts on behalf of these animals and others in the Metrosprawl and beyond by monitoring the non-profit Helper's Facebook page HERE
BROTHERS STRAY IN MESQUITE,
NOW WAITING FOR NEW HOMES
Oh, boy, don’t you know these guys were having an adventure. That’s Saskay on the left and Kakashi — a couple of maybe 7-month-old boys who arrived as strays at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on the 24th of August. 
Saskay and Kakashi are “mixed-breed” and our tipster, the volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm, says the puppy recipe is listed as having “English Pointer, Retriever/Lab in the mix.”

Saskay (#48227506) “walks nicely” on a leash and probably needs a “dog test” because, maybe he’s only good with his brother right now. He is “confident and outgoing, lively, active, spunky and full of puppy energy. He will sit for treats and takes them gently.  …  He is friendly and seems to have a sweet nature. He would seem best suited to an active person or family who would stay committed to him and give him the training, attention, and exercise all young pups need.”
Kakashi (#48227536) outweighs Saskay by a pound— he’s 27, Saskay is 26. Kakashi is a lot like his bother in treat manners and being playful and he “has an exuberant personality and in his excitement will jump on you.” And, while Saskay didn’t really show his hand while encountering other dogs, Kakashi is “reactive” but that can be changed.
To ask about these lads, use their ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

CONTEMPLATIONS
QUOTES, ABBA AND REGAL DANCING
While looking for optimistic quotes for our opening paragraphs today, we ran across some dog quotes. Here are two great ones from noted personalities. The great Texas literary/music/cultural figure Kinky Friedman said, “Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail.” Then we have this one from the late CBS 60 Minutes commentator Andy Rooney: “The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.” And we’ll close with this one from comedian and animal fan Elayne Boosler who I once saw at a performance at The Kessler in Dallas where she was raising money for animals at a Paws in the City event. She said, “My fashion philosophy is, if you’re not covered in dog hair, your life is empty.”…
This is making news around the world. ABBA is making music again. Perhaps you saw this Yahoo News story
about the new album and the planned show called ABBA Voyage which will present the bandmates as “digital characters” from 1979. It is a strange world, ain’t it? That artwork on the left is from ABBA's own tweet about the new album. And the members of ABBA are John, Paul, George… hang on. Read the wrong notes. ABBA consists of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 75, Agnetha Faltskog, 71, Bjion Ulvaeus, 76, and Benny Andersson, 74. … Heck, you probably sing along with this (CLICK HERE —FRIDAY NIGHT AND THE LIGHTS ARE LOWWWW.) ABBA hit all the time as you race out onto the dance floor. Sometime I’ll write about my days touring with ABBA/DABBA/DEUX, the ABBA tribute band. Fortsätt dansa!

— Offer incredulity or affirmation by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put MAMMA MIA in the subject line. —-

WACO FACING AWFUL SITUATION AS PACKED SHELTER TAKES DIFFICULT STEPS....

EDITION OF THURSDAY, SEPT. 2, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Working on a Wednesday is like waking up in a maze. You hardly know which way to go. Do you kick the computer plug out of the wall or do you leave it on and then go to the living room to watch an old movie on TV? Save all that for Contemplations. We have an emergency to write about:
WE BEGIN IN WACO
WHERE NEWS IS DIRE
Back on May 10, the Waco Herald-Tribune ran a headline that reads, “Animal officials: Help Waco shelter remain no-kill by not bringing in strays.”
On Wednesday we got a copy of a desperate appeal that began, “We always hate to send this email, but we are full to the brim. We have NO EMPTY KENNELS. NONE. The City of Waco Animal Shelter will start euthanizing dogs today to make space.”
We immediately checked with the appeal’s author, Reagan Daughtry, the Animal Rescue Liaison with the Humane Society of Central Texas and the Waco Animal Shelter. Things are pretty desperate and in a shelter with room for a little more than 200 animals, there is no more room. None. Needles have been used, she said sadly. But there are animals to save.
In her appeal to rescues and animal organizations, Reagan wrote, “If your organization has any room, even one space, we can save some lives. All that I can ask is that 10 rescues take 1 dog each. That will give us some breathing room to get some of our other dogs out. I am sending a link to our kennel inventory for today and our foster inventory. Feel free to share, share, share!”

From many, we picked two dogs and a cat to share in this story — and there’s no room for “taking your time” —work fast to make a contact because these animals are on the clock.
(Contact Reagan at ReaganD@hsctx.org or call 254-750-7093 or 254-349-2976.)
See the Kennel inventory HERE 
and the Foster inventory HERE.
From the Kennel inventory we start with Gilbert (A096363), about 5 years old and around 76 pounds. He’s neutered and listed as looking like “a Pit Bull Terrier Mix.” He came into the shelter on May 18. Just 3 days before the Waco paper printed that appeal about strays. 

That next dog — the hefty (69 pounds), about 5-year old dog listed as looking “like an American Bulldog mix,” is Pudge (#A097623). He came into the shelter on May 6.
You see the size of the dogs. As Reagan notes, when a big dog is rescued or adopted, that takes quite a bit of pressure off the next dogs “in line.” So, we spotted these big fellows right away and made sure we’d list them.

That cat? 
It’s the first cat we’ve ever found named Rootbeer. He’s about 6 years old, the staff thinks and he’s an 18-pounder. And he’s in a foster home, but all that means is that the shelter’s overloaded foster homes can also be helped by adoption or rescue.

[LARRY ASIDE: Reagan’s appeal is heartfelt. As anyone who’s been in rescue or near it for even 2 minutes knows how the decision to euthanize perfectly healthy, happy, loving dogs and cats is a forever damaging grinder of the soul. Pass the info in this Waco item on and, bless your hearts, maybe the “group effort” will save animals that can improve human lives.]

AND THE QUESTIONS CONTINUE
REGARDING DOGS IN KABUL…
Nili Asgharian, the animal activist who is keeping an eye on this airport dog situation in Kabul, sent us a link to the Business Insider story that, yes, notes that the Pentagon says they didn’t leave any dogs behind, and someone else says contractors’ dogs were left behind … Look, the controversy goes on. It’s the American Way. Here’s the link to the Business Insider story. And if you read other sources, you’ll find all sort of theories and explanations, some quite horrific including these “now stray” dogs becoming “suicide bombers.” [LARRY ASIDE: Pretty sure “suicide” isn’t the applicable word; it’s more like “dogs being murdered to kill humans.”]
MEANWHILE IN LANCASTER,
A COUPLE OF DOBIE BROS…
Riley and Logan are brothers. They become available for adoption on September 3 at the Lancaster Animal Shelter. 
From the photos, Riley looks a little more OK with humans than Logan, but that could change or could just be my lousy interpretation of dog faces.
No idea how they wound up in the shelter — may not matter since our mission is to get them out and into a happy home. 
The bio says they’re 5 or 6 months old and “gorgeous pups — very sweet, and very loving. Both weight 38 pounds and they are very good buddies and adore all people and each other.”
To ask about adopting or rescuing them, call or text 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email cat-girl_71@yahoo.com.
Remember, keep up with 4-Legged Helpers’ constant attempts to save animals in small, un-visited animal shelters by checking out their Facebook page HERE. 
https://www.facebook.com/4-Legged-Helpers-Inc-446145002506239
THE MESQUITE SHELTER
MISSION: SAVE THE ANIMALS
We’ve got several Mesquite animals to cite thanks to the city shelter’s volunteer dog biographers Judi Brown and Debra Chisholm. We’ll start with Brownie.
Judi writes — wait a second, here’s a LARRY INTERRUPTION: That dog’s eyes look as if this boy Brownie has been a movie star. That’s the kind of expression that makes a person melt! Wow… OK, back to Judi’s note:
“Look into Brownie’s eyes and you will see a dog that is sad. That’s because he’s looking for someone to love and someone to love him. … He is a 2-year-old (59-pound) brown and white terrier Pit that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/27 as a stray. He’s on the timid side and hesitantly wags his tail letting you know that he wants to make friends but he’s not quite sure of this whole shelter situation. Once time is spent with him and trust is built, he comes to you and puts his head on your lap. The pictures do not do him justice because he’s what we call a Velcro dog. He stays so close that it was difficult to get pictures of his sweet face. He’s calm and gentle and doesn’t jump on you. He likes treats but does not know how to sit for them. This is something you could teach him. If you’re looking for a laid-back, calm, affectionate dog then Brownie is a dog for you. …” Brownie is #48538038 — use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescuesW@cityofmesquite.com.

Judi also met and evaluated Cora (#48541175), a 2-year-old, small-frame 40-pound Brindle Boxer who came in on Aug. 27 as a stray. Judi writes, “It’s really difficult to understand why her owners have not come looking for her! She is a total love bug! First of all she’s absolutely darling with her brindle coloring and her seemingly sad droopy eyes. She is sweet, friendly, calm, gentle, and affectionate! She’s well-mannered and wants to please. She sits for treats and takes them gently. She stays close and looks up at you as if to say she wants to be your friend. There’s no doubt she would be a very loyal, devoted companion. She wags her tail to let you know how happy she is to be with you.”
Debra says that Tessie, a 5-month-old, 37-pound mixed-breed pup came into the shelter as a stray on Aug. 27. She’s not spayed, of course. (HELLO, DON’T CARE/SO WHAT PEOPLE! SPAY AND NEUTER! SINCERELY, LARRY)
Debra says Tessie “has the sweetest face with the most soulful expression. This youngster is kenneled with another female puppy and they have such fun wrestling and playing with each another.  However when walked past dogs who are barking at her, she is intimidated.  Tessie walks ok on a leash.  She pottied outside her kennel.  She is a frisky and spunky youngster yet is not overly energetic.  She takes treats gently.  Tessie is an amiable and affectionate puppy with a pleasant nature who wants to climb in your lap.  She has possibly been an outside dog because she has hair loss on her hind quarters and back legs.” Tessie is #48541154 — use that number when, as cited above, you call the shelter at 972- Please help Tessie out of the shelter and on the way to her forever home by networking or tagging at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

JET BLACK CASEY, about 6-months-old and 34 pounds, became a shelter dog on Aug. 27. Not spayed. And her bio from Debra describes her as “a lively, tail-wagging, fun-loving puppy.  She does jump on you so manners training would certainly be in order.  She walks surprisingly well on a leash for such a young dog.  She will sit for treats and takes them gently.  Casey has bright, sparkling and alert eyes.  She is kenneled with another female puppy and they have lots of fun playing and wrestling with one another.  She is oh-so-friendly and has a winsome personality.  She's "all puppy" and would seem well suited to a person or family who would allow her to live inside and who would exercise and play with her and train her.” Here ID is 48538726.
We’ll close the Mesquite section with Tommy, described as “an American Bulldog (with some Terrier in the mix” — came in as a stray 8/24 with 2 other dogs and all three were “quite dirty.”
A volunteer gave them baths. And the volunteer who bathed tommy reported that “when she gave Tommy a sponge bath he was very gentle and laid on his side while he got his tummy and body cleaned up.  He allowed the volunteer to clean his face and body without any fuss.  He took a couple of treats in the process. She further added that Tommy has a kind soul and kind eyes and that he likes to be petted and stay close.  Tommy weighs 57 pounds, is approximately 3 years old and is not neutered. … He is a friendly and well-mannered fellow with a confident and outgoing personality.  He does not jump on you.  Tommy has a moderate activity level.  Sweet boy needs a new home.” He’s #48516962. Again, use the dog’s ID when you call the shelter at 97e2-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS
MOOD-SETTING; WINTER?
How does one re-set your thoughts so that you’re free of this record load of 21st Century political effluent and televisable sickening crises?
No real alternative to, as Cher said in Moonstruck, "SNAP OUT OF IT." But there's this: You may simply sign up for Porche Noel’s Afternoon Meditation Dognaps on the Psychedelic Rug of Transcendental Brainarranging. #Brainarranging. Fees negotiable, limited rug space on Thursdays. Nachos on Fridays. Post snack exercise program optional.
Yes, some days my internal desire for Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men jumps the gun on the Christmas season. Probably should have used something besides “jumps the gun,” considering the way the world is going these days.
Just to get our minds off the heat, here’s an illustration from The Old Farmers Almanac predicting the 2021-2022 weather across the nation.
Try not to worry about the electric grid in Texas-- this time.. … Ha.

—- Offer opinions or advice by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “SAVE ‘EM ALL FROM WACO TO KABUL” in the subject line. —-

THE TRUTH, THE CHALLENGES, THE GOSPEL AND OTHER THINGS...

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Back in the late 1960s/early 1970s there was a best-selling book about a key Vietnam War event. The book’s title was “Truth Is The First Casualty.” That’s based on a quote from 1917 by U.S. Sen. Hiram Johnson of California: 
“The first casualty when war comes is truth.”
And that kind of explains why I hope some intrepid reporter will get busy determining whether American service dogs were left locked in their kennels at the Kabul airport or whether they were saved. [LARRY EXPLANATION: You probably already know, Dear Readers, that this photo is the one at the center of the discussion about the military dogs. This version is from wionews.com.]

Here is a far-from-totally-inclusive roundup of stories.

We start with one from the SPCA International website — thanks to Animal Activist Nili Asgharian for pointing out the LINK.
And here is a Yahoo News story about the Pentagon “debunking” reports about the dogs being left behind.
The New York Post has a story that says dogs WERE left behind.
People Magazine’s STORY reports the Pentagon’s side.
Nili also notes that PETA has sounded an alarm — that link is HERE.
[LARRY FYI: This opening item is not a political commentary from readlarrypowell.com, it’s simply a bit of puzzling over the positions taken in stories — evidence that I’m just an old-school journalist who recognizes what he stepped in when his boots begin to draw flies. It ain’t my first rodeo, but I don’t know which way the bull is bucking.]
HOW ABOUT A GOOD
BREAK FOR ALYSSA!
In our last-day-of-August edition we pointed out that the folks at Bridgeport Animal Shelter have been tending to a deaf little girl named Alyssa.
And one of the emails we got Tuesday was a note from the aforementioned Animal Activist Nili Asgharian about that very dog. 
The note read that Alyssa “has gone to rescue this morning.” Nili had been in touch with the Bridgeport shelter. And, as you may recall reading, 4-Legged Helpers has been helping Bridgeport draw attention to its sheltered animals.
Indeed, the Helpers’ connections helped this “sweetest girl ever.” She is “probably completely deaf” — a very surmountable situation for a dog and a human melded by love. She’s also a dog who “loves and adores everyone and everything.”
 So where in big-hearted Texas is Alyssa going? Nowhere in Texas. We’re losing this girl to Connecticut, according to 4-legged helpers. Alyssa will initially be in the care of Leader of the Pack Rescue — there’s already a foster home lined up, the Helpers say.

In the meantime, the Helpers’ Facebook page HERE cites many other dogs needing help with homing. To ask about these two dogs, call or text Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@ yahoo.com.
This Earhound with the wonderfully distinct coat is Rory, a current resident of the Lancaster Animal Shelter. He’s described by the Helpers as a “baby male” who is a “Shepherd/Catahoula Mix.” Only about 6 months old, he is, as comes with the age, “adorable” and “sweet’ and “just as cute as cute can be,” the Helpers say. And, “Loves everyone and everything."

Once again, readlarrypowell.com is citing this guy Jeffrey, also in the Lancaster shelter. 
We’ve been posting his “sad-eyed boy” photo hoping to get the attention of a heart willing to make the guy happy.
But, we’re adding, for this edition, a “sitting and smiling” version of Jeffrey, the young Boxer/Bulldog mix. His bio says he also “loves everyone and everything!” It also says, “He is extremely good with other dogs, too - we have several videos of him meeting a dog named Max, if interested in seeing.  Jeffrey is sweet, lovable, affectionate, and such a cute cuddly boy. ADORABLE!"
THIS IS CHUCK: HE’S
GOT UNTIL FRIDAY THE 9TH
Well, good grief. Somebody hide the needles at the Smith County Animal Shelter in Tyler. 
We got a note from Gail Whelan, the legendary rescuer with Companion-Animal Network, reports that unless something wonderfully kind occurs, Chuck, the “purebred Black and Tan Coonhound … will be euthanized on 9/9/21.”
Look, let’s not make this some kind of last-minute thing. The 3-year-old, 54-pound stray can be saved any danged day between now and then — you comprehend?
To ask about helping Chuck, get in touch with the Smith County Animal Control at 903-266-4303 or email shelter@smith-county.com. And, you should also get in touch with Gail at can.adoptions@yahoo.com — if you’re wanting to tag and rescue or somehow help Chuck. Also, call C-AN Adoptions at 903-967-3226. Chuck’s not the only dog in East Texas who needs a home. Link up with the organization at www.ca-n.petfinder.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS

HUMANS, HEARTS AND MY CAT
Dear Texans, look back at today’s highlighted animals. How can we not adopt these animals? Well, of course, most of the people reading this have already adopted more animals than we ever thought we’d have.
 But, while there may always be a way we can make room for one or two more, and a couple of more after that, there also must be a way to preach the Gospel of Critter Adoption to people who aren’t showin’ up for prayer meetin’ and Sunday school. 
Sorry. My childhood Baptist Boy took over my keyboard and began to try to remind people that they’re sinnin’ against their own hearts if they don’t give some love to a dog or cat on the brink of tragedy in a city or county shelter. They ain’t all no-kill, you know.

Whew. I may take up an offerin’ in a minute after I play guitar and sing a solo of Throw In A Ten Spot; Dodge a Place That’s Real Hot. … Wait. I haven’t written that one yet.

That is my pink-nosed office cat William rolling his eyes, looking “Above” and reminding me, “Hey, Rev. Goofball, Texas is among the 50 states where you’re not licensed for preachin’ or passin’ the offerin’ plate.” And that, Ladies and Gents, is one more good reason to take in a free-roamin’ cat — he’ll keep ya honest.
— Offer guidance or disgust by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and putting ‘I Saw The Light’ in the subject line. —

WE CONSIDER THE WAY THINGS WORKED OUT FOR FRIGHTENED, DUMPED McKINLEY

[EDITION OF TUESDAY, Aug. 31, 2021 [PetPowellPress] The end of August means the beginning of “fall” — all the signs are there: Football hopes arrive, baseball hope depart even farther into the distance, back-to-school merchandise shoved aside for Halloween… You know how it goes. And in that spirit, I’m going to move right along to Thanksgiving. Today I’m feeling particularly thankful for all the animals  and all the animal people I’ve encountered in my time as a writer of critter lore.
For example, that’s my office cat William Powell napping on a packing box with his pal B.O. Spaniel, full name Battery Operated Spaniel. Comforted by William, we move on with the day’s report. And, our Contemplation is one paragraph about euthanasia. Please read on.
THE DOG WAS McKINLEY;
HIS FATE IS TOTALLY SAD…
We were able to write about saving this Husky boy McKinley because 4-Legged Helpers is assisting the Bridgeport Animal Shelter with finding safe places for unwanted animals.
Every now and then the most optimistic people in the world — animal advocates and rescuers — are reminded that things don’t always work out.
 And it’s not because of who currently has custody of an animal, it’s because of someone who, before good hearts got involved, set an animal on a path with a fatal destiny.
A week ago, we published the story of McKinley, this handsome Siberian Husky who’d been dumped in Bridgeport, northwest of Fort Worth, and was on the euthanasia list in the city’s shelter. 
He was not a “good” shelter dog. He was suffering from some sort of eye problem and he was frightened. That is a bad combination. 

At least one person knew what McKinley’s life was like before he was found wandering in a town with a population of around 6,500. That one person must not have cared at all about this dog.
Nobody who met him knew for sure about his past, but they did realize his present. And he was on the shelter’s euthanasia list. What looks, in these photos, like a calm dog, was really a dog who was frightened and not able to see clearly enough to react properly. He could trust no one. 
The folks with 4-Legged Helpers asked the shelter to give McKinley a little time so they could find someone to work with him, someone to save his life. The shelter did.

But things don’t always go as planned or hoped. 
As the note from Laura Macias of 4-Legged Helpers read Monday, “Sad news about McKinley the Husky you may have seen previously posted. He bit someone’s arm quite badly and a very sad decision had to be made.

“Donations covered his vet fees and anything left will go towards helping dogs with transport costs or vet fees” at the Bridgeport shelter or with a private animal control contracted by Dallas County on the southern side of town.
Laura’s note explained the “4-Legged Helpers has zero overhead and every penny donated goes to helping a dog or cat in need at the rural shelters we post that have so few adoptions, or on the street in these often economically challenged areas. … 

“We so appreciate everyone that helped. We also so hope you will consider a dog below to save in McKinley’s name. It’s people that failed him. A long time ago before the shelter or any of us ever met him. He deserved better in this world. We have found the best way to get over grief of losing one is to help another… we hope you agree.”
There may have been no way to save McKinley — that happens sometimes.
In an exchange with readlarrypowell.com, Laura had the perfect tone when she wrote, “I know Humans failed him and continued to till he died. We were so hopeful for him! I pray he is an angelic dog now and knows love that he deserves.”
FROM McKINLEY WE MOVE
TO ANIMALS YOU CAN SAVE

We’ve mentioned these before, thanks tor Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden and other “4-Legged Helpers.”
To ask about getting these animals to safety, call or text 214-949-2726 or Facebook message Laura Macias or email cat-girl_71@yahoo.com.

That girl with the fantastic face and ears is 33-pound, year old Marigold. She’s full grown to a “medium size” and the loving dog enjoys “walking, running, playing and adores all people and all dogs.” 

Brody is the Lab Mix who was “rescued form a ditch, poor sweet guy, where it appears he had ended up after being injured.” He’s had time to heal and now this guy needs a place to live, not just wait for what comes next.

Mason is the Bulldog mix who is “happy, affectionate and extremely loveable.” He’s probably under 2 and “loves to play and have fun.”
This girl Alyssa is “deaf” and also “a darling girl. Calm, gentle, lovable. … You will not meet a sweeter dog anywhere.” She’s a Pointer or Pointer mix, the Bridgeport shelter says.

MEANWHILE, BACK ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF DALLAS AT LANCASTER, there are these three dogs trying to beat the system and avoid euthanasia. The Helpers are on their side and that’s how we learned about them weeks ago. Lancaster has a low human-traffic facility, so the Helpers email them around and post them on Facebook at 4-Legged Helpers Inc.

 That first guy is a favorite, Jeffrey, a “sweet, lovable, affectionate and such a cute cuddly boy.” Boxer/Bulldog mix, the shelter says. 

Jakob is the young Lab mix who was found stray while on a playground roping with kids. He’s “extremely cute in person” and is a “great boy!”

And Roman, is a “beautiful fixed Labrador Retriever with the prettiest white teeth and always wearing a sweet goofy grin. Long adorable ears.” Surrendered by someone who “could no longer care for him…He is RUNNING OUT OF TIME — NEEDS SOMEONE.”
Call or text 214-949-2726 or Facebook message Laura Macias or email cat-girl_71@yahoo.com.

MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE, 

MILLIE AND TAWNY WAITING…
One of the really good things about Mesquite Animal Services is the volunteer program — these are people who are devoted to animals and to helping them find homes. Smaller shelters function without volunteers, sometimes. Volunteers are essential in the animal rescue and advocacy arena.

We learn about these two dogs from Mesquite volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm.
She and our pal Judi Brown turn out these bios at a brisk pace.

MILLIE is a 2-year-old, 47-pound Terrier mix who came into the Mesquite shelter as a stray on August 25.
Debra writes, “Upon arriving outside for her photo shoot, she raced full-speed around the yard with such an exuberant spirit and obviously thrilled to be out of her kennel and in the great outdoors.  She walked OK on the leash.  She pottied in the yard.  She ran and played in the yard, chasing balls--sometimes returning them and sometimes not.  She is an athletic and high-spirited girl.  She knows the sit command and will take treats, catching them in her mouth.  She is friendly and has a nice disposition. She is high energy and will need a person or family willing to exercise and spend time training her to do some commands.”
 To ask about Millie cite her ID #48521919 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

Use the same contact points when you get in touch with the shelter to ask about this beautiful girl Tawny, a mixed-breed who came in on the 21st as a stray. She’s #48497777.
 Tawny is about 6 months old, weighs 44 pounds and is spayed. She also walked “OK on a leash” and, Debra wrote, “When led through the bay she did not show any aggression towards the other dogs.  In the shelter yard she ‘met’ another dog through the gate and was friendly.  She has an outgoing and confident personality.  Tawny is neither timid nor shy!

“She has lots of puppy energy and in her excitement will jump on you so that would need to be addressed.  She is playful and fun-loving.  Tawny loves treats and though she does not know to sit for them, she will catch them in her mouth!  Tawny is a friendly girl with a sweet nature.  She would make a wonderful companion for a person or family who is active and would spend time exercising and training her.”

You can see more animals — dogs and cats — waiting for homes in the Mesquite shelter by clicking HERE .
Lots of dogs and cats waiting. And kittens, too, including this 3-month-old kitten (#47939777 — arrival photo from July 31, I’m betting). Anyway, this is the very first cat I’ve encountered in my entire life who is known as “Mung Bean.”
[LARRY ASIDE: Not a relative of Rowan Atkinson, the actor, I’m pretty sure. Any Mr. Bean fans read this far?]
CONTEMPLATION
A THOUGHT ABOUT EUTHANASIA
McKinley was euthanized after an unfortunate biting incident. But in the State of Texas and in many shelters in North Texas, a dog or a cat doesn’t have to ferociously bite anybody to get a death sentence. A loving, adorable dog or cat just has to be that one-too-many animal in a crowded shelter, that animal that has survived “too long” in a shelter… You’d think humans could figure out a way to save ‘em all. Maybe, as a species, we’re just not trying hard enough.
 How can the Animal Advocates get more and more people to be active in the cause?
—- Please offer thoughts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

AND ON MONDAY MORNING, WE THINK OF RAIN, ELEPHANT EARS & DOGS WITH FRIENDS...

EDITION OF MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Having spent much of the weekend on I-30 east and marveling at the beautiful countryside, I found myself standing on our front porch Sunday and experiencing a darned near poetic rainstorm. I opened the front door to go out and was greeting by an ear-rattling crack thunder that jarred every plant in the front yard including my pumpkin plants.
Some rainstorm. It almost made me forget all about Afghanistan and Hurricane Ida. Not quite though. So, we reach Monday’s edition with weekend images.
And I’ll begin with this photo of the rain cascading from the roof onto my gardenspouse Martha’s annual crop of Elephant Ears. Such hypnotic plants when they wave in a gentle breeze. Now, let dive into a Monday edition and try to remember that there are good people and good storms that cross our paths.
Good dogs, too, and if you'll click on our Prayers and Passages link to the right, you'll read about my friend Earl, Texas Earl the Cheeseman, my Rottweiler, a fellow that it took me some time to gather the ability to write about...
LET’S TALK FINN
FOR JUST A SECOND
This is one of those stories that involves a dog of a rare breed (Duck Toller Retriever Mix from Canada) who winds up in a common fix.
We spotted it via a Susan McCoy (SoCall Keshond Rescue) alert that took us to longtime tipster Debbie New’s Plano post about a dog who has the attention of Ginger Leach, the determined animal advocate at Fort Worth Animal Care and Control.
Here’s how the note goes: “Finn was adopted from Fort Worth Animal Control … at the end of July… He was surrendered to the Plano Animal Shelter because he possibly bit the owner the day she adopted him. She is a senior citizen and she was told by FW to have him on a leash when she took him out in the yard and she did not. 
“She let him loose with her old dog and they got in a fight and she got bitten. She said it possibly could have been from the ring on the tag and not the dog's tooth …. He appears to be a Duck Toller Retriever mix. He is fully vetted and chipped and is RESCUE ONLY. The owner signed him over for euthanasia and had him for about 24 hours. He is about 10 months of age and weighs about 33 pounds. Finn is house-trained and good with female dogs. Please call the Plano Animal Shelter at 972-769.4360 if you can rescue. His ID is A181337 and is just the cutest little thing!”
DFW’S FURGOTTEN FRIENDS’
ADOPTION WEEKEND + THOR
Animal people are always encountering adventures. 
Now, here’s an example and it comes from Stephen Foster, the founder, president and guiding light of DFW’s Furgotten Friends. The organization had a really good adoption day over the weekend.
Then Stephen posted, this note: “Of course, a good adoption day can’t last forever. We now need a new foster for Niki. Her current foster has been wonderful and very patient, but patience is wearing thin. Niki is great with dogs but is very afraid of people. She is also a little destructive — meaning tearing up shoes and chewing on furniture. I’ve promised her current foster I will get her out this week. If you have a lot of patience and are willing to do what’s needed to help Niki learn confidence and get over what I know is fearful destructive behavior, please reach out to me or the rescue.” Here’s the FACEBOOK LINK.
Now, the recent challenge was, for a bit, this puppy Thor who, as you can see is all grown up. He was a foster failure — his puppiness and darling nature made a whole foster family fall for him and they adopted him in November 2017.
They love him. But they’re in a situation that will require them to not be with Thor for at least six months. Stephen jumped in to try tho help and appealed to anyone with a knack for helping a dog help Thor.
Things were looking tough.
Over the weekend, Stephen posted this message — keep in mind that was after a “good adoption day” for DFW’s Furgotten Friends. 
He wrote, “Here’s an update on Thor. I the 11th hour his family figured out a way to keep him!”
[LARRY ASIDE: And there you have it. Love is a powerful implement in the humane existence. 
Love on, I say. Love on and always have room in your heart for dogs and cats and, of course, some people. Other people, well, they need to work on it, right?]
CONTEMPLATIONS
A THOUGHT, MAYBE TWO….
This is the item that won the Big Tex Choice Award’s “sweet” division over the weekend. It’s called The Armadillo and was created by James Barrera. The savory winner (also the “Most Creative” winner) was the Deep Fried Seafood Gumbo Balls created by Gourmet Royale from a family recipe handed along from New Orleans. You can seem more entries and more photos and cooks' explanations by going to this LINK on The Fair’s Big Tex website ...
Incidentally, the note abut the Awards came from Texan Karissa Condoianis, the executive vice president of public relations for the State Fair. And she closed with “Our thoughts and prayers are for the safety of the families and communities along the Gulf Coast and in the path of Hurricane Ida.” If I were a Baptist deacon, I’d probably rumble out an extraordinarily sincere basso profundo “Amen.”...
That’s our bottle-fed kitten Simon a couple of days ago— he’d just realized he hadn’t looked out the window since February. “Where’s the snow?” he mewsed.
Then, he asked, “How about some Alaska baked salmon for dinner tonight — something not from a can.” I had to tell him that our neighborhood Luby’s at I-30 and 820 in Fort Worth has closed. No more Luanne Platters in the neighborhood. And, while that sign says “Fresh Alaskan Salmon Cut Daily” I’m pretty sure they cooked it, too. Wouldn’t know — I’m a vegetarian. I’ll miss the broccoli and the calories in the rolls. That photo was taken the day the cafeteria closed, the afternoon no one was in line, the evening people pulled into the parking lot, looked at the car-less parking lot and rolled away in search of something that they'll never be able to get again unless someone says, "Hey, I won Lotto Texas! Let's open a cafeteria! Quick, bake some pies!"
—- Offer ideas or improvements for mankind by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put CATS ARE PEOPLE, TOO in the subject line. —

THE NOCTURNAL CAT, THE MOVIES & SLEEP

For this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, we ask this question of humans: “What’s going on while you’re out like a light!?"
These two photos may not represent the reality at your house.
You see here photographs of The Senator, my longtime confidant and trusted advisor. 
The first is one I caught of him as he sat up asleep on my chest at around 3 in the morning. I had my earphones in and was listening to a podcast from Turner Classic Movies (TCM). It’s about the making of the film Bonfire of The Vanities, based on the great Tom Wolfe (below) book and, apparently, reviled by every moviegoer but me and The Senator.
The Senator is a dear, determined companion who will listen attentively in the middle of the night  -- something insomniacs rarely encounter. Yes, my slumberspouse Martha slept through our conversation.
So, the second photo was shot when he realized I was awake. You can see his face a little better, right down to his pinkish nose.
The third household photo, from some time the next day, shows Porche Noel, my personal dog, on the furry couch cover where she’s been watching one of her favorite films. She adores Random Harvest with the great British actors Ronald Coleman and Greer Garson, the late Mrs. Buddy Fogelson of Dallas.
The Senator is curled up on the back of the couch as he usually does. Yep, curled up and asleep. He was up all night reading Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff, he explained, and needed to catch up on his sleep.

The cat stretched out next to the arm of the couch is Stevie Ray. He is a Gen A — Generation Alpha, born after 2012 — and I’m not yet sure of his feelings about movies or books. He may think reading and films are quaint relics of the Baby Boomer’s insomniacal lifestyle. 
Now, everybody get some sleep.
[DEAR READERS, Please send photos of your slumbering critters to dallrp@aol.com and we’ll post their stories in our weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be helping someone decide to make their home a cat’s or dog’s home, too. Or you’ll be helping an insomnia rise above the torture if he can just hire a cat that’ll sit quietly on his chest and hypnotically mew, “Sleeeepurrr. Sleeeeeepurrrr. Sleeeepurrr, you lunatic.”]
— Offer sleeping advice or catnap tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and putting DOWN BY DAWN in the subject line. —-

THE STORIES OF ANIMALS, THE EFFORTS OF PEOPLE; CONTEMPLATE WRITERS & A SONG

EDITION OF FRIDAY AUG. 27, 2021 [PetPowellPress] We’re publishing this edition early because animals on the clock don’t know there’s a clock and humans do. 
Plus, news of the day — news of humans and of animals — is depressing enough for two days. 

THE FORT WORTH CHALLENGE
FOR THIS SUMMER DAY
Like several people, we got a note Thursday morning from Butch Burgin who linked us to a posting about Fort Worth Animal Care & Control’s challenges. This dog Barley was the focus and the note read, “At the Fort Worth shelter, and needs an adopter or foster home. Scared at first; when he realizes you won't hurt him, is all wiggles and kisses. FW has had over 4,600 intakes since May 1.....Without adoptions, lots will leave in black bags thru the back door.”

Now, that is an awful word picture, isn’t it?
You can see a video of Barley HERE.
Butch's note took us to the Facebook post by FWACC volunteer mainstay Kristen Barg Morrison. It noted Barley (#A48465537 at the shelter) is 6 months old, weighs 36 pounds and was a stray who “wasn’t growling out of aggression. It was fear because I assume he’s never had positive human affection before. Broke my heart. I hope a foster can get him so we can make sure he ends up in a perfect home. I love him.”
Here is a LINK to the Barley adoption page.

Cats? Fort Worth Cats? Heck, yeah. And this guy Calvino (#46573256) is free to a good home. He’s a smallish mixed breed though he sure does look like he might have some Russian Blue in that family tree.
And, of course, in that array of feline photos, that’s a clowder of shelter cats — tiny and larger — waiting for human hands to embrace them and give them a place where they can live out the natural cat destiny: managing humans. You know how cats are. Here’s THE LINK to seeing the scores and scores of Fort Worth’s dogs and cats. And, remember, no calling the shelter — communicate via the rescue tag address fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov
FOUND IN THE BACKYARD:

‘HOME WHERE NO ONE LIVES’
This astounding recovery of a momma and her 8 babies was in Lancaster, according to our reliable tipsters at 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that works to get more eyes and hearts looking at shelters with low human traffic.
Lots of puppy paw traffic at Lancaster, however. 
The note reads, “This sweet momma (right) and 8 big adorable puppy babies were found abandoned at a house. They appear to be Great Pyrenees although some have been shaved or had haircuts (probably due to the heat). Interestingly a puppy was found a few weeks ago that has the same type ‘haircut’ as one or two of these, so we are thinking from the same home and possibly someone breeding.  They are all VERY FRIENDLY, and LOVABLE, and adore other dogs and all people.  This is a great momma and pups.”

As we were prepping this in mid-afternoon, we learned that Operation Kindness has signed on to take four of these pups -- more to come on that later. In the meanwhile, to ask about helping Alexa and her babies, call or text 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. (Same way to ask about Jeffrey in the photo below.)
The dogs had been “recently abandoned in a backyard of a house where no one lives,” the Helpers appeal read. It also had this heartfelt plea: “Alexa and her 8 babies all DESPERATELY need your IMMEDIATE HELP - PLEASE - HELP ONE - OR TWO - WE KNOW THIS IS TOO MANY FOR MOST RESCUE GROUPS AND THESE ARE BIG PUPPIES - RESCUING ONE WILL HELP SAVE THE OTHERS INCLUDING OTHER DOGS PICTURED BELOW - PLEASE, WE ARE BEGGING…”
And, of course, if you aren’t in the mood for an all-white dog, the shelter has a variety of other styles, including this sad-eyed fellow Jeffrey, a Boxer/Bulldog mix who has captured the hearts of shelter workers and advocates but just can’t seem to get anyone interested in giving him a home in spite of the fact that he is “sweet, lovable, affectionate and such a cute, cuddly boy.”
Keep up with 4-Legged Helper’s work and projects and animals by clicking on the non-profit’s FACEBOOK LINK.
KING THE GERMAN SHEPHERD:

TOO ACTIVE SO HE WAS DUMPED…
“Dumped” may be too harsh a word, but it’s pretty much accurate, in the judgment of your friendly, neighborhood, mad down to his toes writer.
But, let’s let a more reasonable person explain this situation with King.
Mesquite volunteer dog biographer Judi Brown says King, a 2-year-old German Shepherd, is “very active and alert. He was surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/23 by a family that had only had him for two months.
“They surrendered him because of he was a more active dog than they had anticipated.
“King did run back-and-forth in the yard. Because he’s an active boy he would need to have a fair-sized yard to play in. However, it was very hot out and it wasn’t long before he was standing by the door wanting in by the AC. 

“He showed some interest in toys but did not follow through. He ran after balls but did not retrieve them. He sat for treats and took them gently. After he had run around for a while he did come to me. He answers to his name. He liked to have his ears scratched. His previous owners said that he was an indoors dog only. … This handsome boy weighs 60 pounds. King would do best with a very active family or a trainer that could channel his intellect and energy into possibly some sort of service dog. Bonus: he is already fixed!:
His shelter ID is #48504406. Use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com to tag King.
[LARRY ASIDE: Somebody adopt this boy for good and write to us and let us know how he’s charmed your household and made your heart feel good about life!]
CONTEMPLATIONS
A HUMAN STORY; A VETERAN RESCUER SPEAKS; AND A SONG FOR THE DAY…
The great writer Rawlins Gilliland has captured the spirits of friendship, caring and understanding in a splendidly written story of a “homeless man in the woods.” You can read it — you probably SHOULD read it — on The Dallas Morning News website HERE. You’ll see in it the kind of heart that you see in people who work in animal rescue and find themselves helping people, too. 
...
AND THEN THERE’S THIS CHANGE: We also recommend reading something from Sherrie Tweedie Finch, who we first met many years ago at the outset of the greatness of Operation Kindness — then a small no-kill animal rescue facility existing temporarily in a commercial building. Sherrie was one of the founders — she, our pal Jonnie England and other big hearts. And, Sherrie has now posted a story about trying to, as she has done for decades, get a kitten some help at Operation Kindness.
Go to her Facebook page HERE and scroll down to the item that has this photo of Tinkerbell. Sherrie wrote, “Turns out they no longer accept strays from the same public they ask for donations from. Instead, they told me to take her to Dallas Animal Services! I'm flabbergasted and devastated.”
TAKING A MOMENT…. The day’s news — heartache from overseas — made me feel like listening to something other than news reports. I decided on some Tom T. Hall. So, here’s a song with a peaceful presentation. Click HERE. I apologize for any non-sequitur commercials. Everybody’s making a buck in this world but you and me -- I just buy Lotto Texas tickets.
—- Offer an opinion by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

CELEBRATING TWO DAYS; CITING OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP; CONSIDERING MOVIES FROM 1957

EDITION OF THURSDAY, AUG. 26, 2021 [PetPowellPress] We’re going to celebrate a couple of “Days” before we get to our usual mission. There is a strong link uniting the two special days.

First, many of you don’t need to be told that August 26 is Women’s Equality Day. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution became effective on Aug. 26, 1920, giving American women the right to vote. 
Wait! Not ALL American women.
Here’s a link to a Time Magazine article explaining that the amendment didn’t remove state laws that kept Black Americans from voting — poll taxes, literacy tests, etc. 
QUESTION: You think that today’s Congress is slow on key issues? Giving women the vote first came before Congress in 1878 and the 19th amendment stalled around until it finally passed both houses in 1919. It was certified on Aug. 26, 1920. And, it occurs to my male slow-on-the-uptakeness that, son of a gun, women have now had the vote in America for 101 years. And, as some of those “ol’ boys” feared more than a century ago, the country hasn’t gone to hell or tiptoed on the edge of it because a woman has been president. [LARRY ASIDE: Something yet to come! But it’s coming. If Wally Funk can at-long-last ride a rocket to space, the White House is definitely an earthbound destination for some politically-minded, smarter-than-the-average-candidate woman, right?”]
As a guy born decades after that 19th Amendment was the law of the land, it is impossible for me to even imagine a time in this Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave when women were forbidden to vote.
 Ban women from voting? That’s nuts, isn’t it. [LARRY ASIDE: That’s a Women’s Day bit of artwork from 2019 — I picked it because that young woman is one of my heroes. I hope you know her story and know of her work and ambitions. Just google Malala — you shouldn't miss her story. She's not a Texas woman, but she's tough enough to be.]

About the right to vote, a solemn duty: My granddaughters, Hannah and Emily, were ready to vote BEFORE they reached the “age of electoral accountability” or whatever it’s called these days. My daughter-in-law Erinn? She’s been voting since her first breath, I’m almost sure — she arrived with a devotion to American rights and disgust of American wrongs. And my funandpoliticspouse Martha has cast so many votes through the years that I think she has carpal tunnel syndrome in her forefinger — you know, from lecturing me and making point after point. 
Those four voters have one more thing in common: They’re animal nuts.
So what’s the celebration connection? August 26 is also National Dog Day, created in 2004 by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige. We learned of its origin via the Holiday Insights online calendar.
Here is a reality connection between women of power and dogs in a bit of a fix. In the animal welfare world, there are huge numbers of women coast-to-coast (and around the world, too) who are involved in advocacy for dogs and cats and other animals. In fact, as a longtime observer of animal advocacy and rescue, I’m willing to bet that the women-to-men ratio is something like 60 percent women to 40 percent men (or worse).
If it were not for women, animal rescue and animal advocacy would collapse. Fall flat. Fail. It would be an American tragedy. 
Look around, Dear Readers, at the rescue organizations led by women, fueled by women, guided by women who have no fear whether trying to rescue a dog or cat off a freeway or when facing down some nitwit city council member who thinks “animal shelter” is another phrase for “warehouse for animals” and “euthanasia” is a “mercy killing in a shelter” not just a way to open a cage for the next unlucky beast. 
So, on this particular August 26 we celebrate Women because women lead the way and we celebrate our dogs because they can bring us together after the political arguments the guys lose. [LARRY FYI: That's Wendy with my fearlessspouse Martha who pulled her car over, got out and had a stern conversation with some people about the future of this dog and rescued the "puppy girl" from an awful situation on the mean streets of Oak Cliff. They're devoted to each other.]
SPEAKING OF WOMEN
AND THEIR POWER…
You may be keeping up with Pen Farthing and his efforts to get animals out of Afghanistan. Here’s a story from The Daily Mail in England about Prime Minister Boris Johnson, at the behest of his wife, Carrie, changing a decision by the Minister of Defence and getting some exit help for Farthing and the shelter in Kabul. The story says “69 staff and 200 animals” will benefit from this power move by a woman with a sense of politics and decency.
Click HERE.
ROWLETT HAS A DOG
THAT NEEDS HELP NOW…
This guy with the ugly back is PATCH (#54964). Here’s how we learned about him and his back problem. We got a note from our pal Karen Lee of the pro-animal  Barkleyworld.com. She got the note from Roberta Womack, founder and prez of Lucy’s Lost Loved Ones, the Chihuahua-saving organization.
And Roberta got it from Victoria Barham, the Animal Placement Specialist at the City of Rowlett Shelter. 
She wrote, “We have a standard Dachshund that is in need. He came in with what appears to be an old burn down his back and it is now a skin infection. We are treating the infection, but he needs to go to a rescue to further his treatment. He is super sweet and very outgoing. Loves to go on walks and our volunteers love him. Our vet did not vaccinate him due to the infection. We are very full as well and need him out ASAP. “
Contact the shelter by calling 972-412-6219. Email vmiles@rowlett.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: Patch is the only male in this story and he’s the individual whose depending on women to get him out of this fix!]
LET’S TALK MORE DOGS
ON THEIR NATIONAL DAY
Our sources for the bios and photos of the dogs in the next two collections, and the sources are women. Yes. Ain’t no guys typing these reports of shelters dogs desperate for happy homes.
FIRST WE CITE THE DOGS SPOTTED
BY THE WOMEN OF 4-LEGGED HELPERS
Oh, boy, look at this guy, Cash, who is listed as a Chihuahua/Terrier mix who “May have a little Corgi in there,” according to his bio from 4-Legged helpers.
He’s among the dogs waiting for a good home or a rescue at the Lancaster Animal Shelter. Cash is about a year old and, of course, house-trained. “He is so incredibly affectionate and lovering — a really great boy!” says the note sent by 4-Legged Helpers Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden.

Then there’s Koby, a German Shepherd who is about a year old and who was “brought to the shelter by someone that had to move due to the economic conditions,” the Helpers wrote. He’s “so very sweet. Very loving. Adores other dogs — male and female. Loves all people. He is a really great young dog hoping for a forever home.”
There’s a $200 donation to the 501c3 rescue that will take over the care of Delaney, a female Black German Shepherd in the Lancaster shelter. The Helpers’ note reads, “We cannot begin to say enough great things about this dog. Beautiful, smart, sweet as can be. Her big pup Dillon was pulled by rescue, but she is still hoping and waiting. She is such a beautiful dog….”
Jakob has been at the shelter for a while. He was “found out and about on a playground, having the best time just like a little kid — adores children — all people. Great boy.” 
the young Lab mix is sweet, cute — all the good things you expect to hear about a dog who fits into assorted situations in life. The Helpers say Jakob “loves female dogs, so would be great in a home with girl dogs or by himself as the only dog — either would work great.”
And that brings us to Roman, a Lab fellow who has “the prettiest white teeth and always wears a sweet goofy grin,” the Helpers say. And they say, “He has long adorable ears.” Why is he in a shelter? “He was brought to the shelter by someone who could no longer care for him and he is a really great dog and such a sweet boy…Barks at other dogs right now, but someone should be able to fix that — he is a young dog. Needs that foster or willing adoptor or rescue. He adores people and, of course, completely adores and is awesome with all children.”
To help these dogs or any animals in the Lancaster shelter, contact the 4-Legged Helpers by calling or texting Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
Keep up with the life-saving work of 4-Legged Helpers by going to the non-profit’s Facebook page HERE.
 
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
BONNIE & TANNER WAIT…
These dogs are among the many animals waiting for good homes or responsible rescues at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. 
Volunteer shelter dog biographer Debra Chisholm wrote, “I have named this cutesy mixed-breed pup Bonnie.  She arrived as a stray at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/19.  Bonnie weighs 20 pounds and is approximately 4 months old.  For such a young pup she walks quite nicely on a leash.  She is nervous and uneasy in the shelter environment.  Bonnie is calm and gentle and has a low-key personality at this point.  She does not jump on you.  She is a friendly and sweet girl.  Bonnie enjoys treats and will sit continually to obtain them.  She likes chewing on toys.   She liked jumping on the bench in the room where I did her photo shoot and she was quite interested in checking out the smells.” She’s #48483076 — use that number for IDing her when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

Those contact points also work when your asking about this guy Tanner. How is that for a dog with a very elegant style of walking! We got the into on Tanner from volunteer dog biographer Judi Brown.
She writes that Tanner is “cautiously friendly at first but if you’re patient it will pay off because once trust is built he becomes your BFF! Tanner is a year old, 41-pound Lab/Whippet mix that came to the Mesquite Shelter on 8/17 as a stray. …He’s a handsome boy with a majestic, show-dog stance. When I first went into Tanner’s kennel he was cautiously friendly and was very unsure of the leash. Because he was skittish, I was reluctant to take his leash off. When I reached for the top of his head he cowered, and he ducked when I made a sudden movement.

"At first he explored the yard with his nose and stayed away from me. However he gradually started coming to me when I talked to him and bribed him with treats! He does sit for treats and takes them  gently. By the end of the photo session he even put his head on my lap and let me scratch his ears. And as I was taking him in he literally pushed his body close to mine!
“I felt like he was saying, ‘I want to be your friend.’ … After he was put back in his kennel and I walked past him he gave me a happy bark!!
“There’s no doubt if somebody is patient with Tanner and builds trust he will be a very loyal companion. He would love to lay at your feet in the house while you’re watching TV and have his own little bed beside yours at night!”

For Tanner, use his ID 48468445 when you call the shelter at 972-2166283 or email rescues@city ofmesquite.com.
At this Mesquite Shelter LINK 
 you can see more adoptable dogs and adoptable cats, too, including this little girl, Mom (#48208461), a year and a couple of months old. She’s small and has been in the shelter since July 13.
CONTEMPLATIONS
IDLE THOUGHTS IN SUMMER
I mowed the back yard Wednesday afternoon and as I type this my eyes are still trying to adjust from being filled with the sweat of an idiot. …
Anybody ever get hooked on detective shows? My current 4: Monk; Psych; The Closer; Major Crimes. The detective show I miss is Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. That was one wildly enjoyable British show. Guess they’re not makin’ any more of ‘em. Might have to actually re-start reading books….
I miss going to movies. I can’t remember the last film I saw in what passes for a real theater — not a real fan of multiplexes. I love old-style stand-alone theaters with owners who took pride in the presentations and the “house.” Best movie seen in a one-screen theater? I’ll focus on 1957 and name The Admirable Crichton about a butler who saves a shipwrecked family; or Not of This Earth about a man from Mars threatening the people of our planet; or — and this title tells it all: I Was a Teenage Werewolf. Starred Michael Landon in the title role — later he moved to TV and was Little Joe on Bonanza, the dad on Little House on the Prairie and an angel on Highway to Heaven. I’ve heard his shows never filmed during a full moon.
— Offer movie tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS in the subject line. —-

IN A TIME OF RELENTLESS ISSUES, WE CITE THE NEED TO SAVE ANIMALS; AND WE HAVE CONTEMPLATIONS

EDITION OF TUESDAY AFTERNOON/WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24-25, 2021 [PetPowellPress] We live in a relentless time, don’t we. Relentless viruses, relentless international issues, relentless dieting..well some relentlessness is more personal than others. One thing petfans can depend on is the relentless two-way affection between you and your critters. This opening story may demonstrate the two-way relationship. Keep reading:
THANOS — MENTIONED BEFORE,
BUT STILL NOT ADOPTED…
Gail Whelan, our longtime tipster with the Companion-Animal Network, began her note in this manner: WHY IS THIS GORGEOUS DOG NOT ADOPTED???”
 He’s Thanos, 2 1/2-years-old, a purebred German Shepherd who weighs in at 100 pounds. He’s up-to-date on everything except a home.
He adores kids, is house-trained, knows commands, walks on a leash and, is “almost perfect in every way,” Gail says. Also, she writes, “He is one of the smartest dogs I have ever encountered.”
Get ready to think about that last quote.
Gail writes, “Here is a testament to his intellect.  His foster mom has had a bad cold and terrible allergies the past week or so.  He saw her coughing and using the Kleenex from the box on the coffee table.  Yesterday she was putting on her makeup in the bedroom and started having another sneezing fit.  Thanos went into the living room and brought back a Kleenex from the box!!   SMART SMART SMART!”

Think you’re the right person for Thanos? Email can.adoptions@yahoo.com. You don’t have to have allergies to qualify as a loving human for a loving dog.
THE FACES IN SHELTERS —
SOME NEEDING HOMES
The folks at 4-Legged Helpers reach into several area shelters to try to help the inhabitants get a break in an otherwise dismal life as an unwanted stray or dumped dog in Dallas/Fort Worth. 
Here are two of the many animals the Helpers are trying to place in the hearts of loving humans. (Catch up with the Helpers’ postings on their Facebook page HERE.
We open with this beautiful young Terrier mix named Marigold. She’s available in the DFW area. A year old and “so sweet,” she weighs only 33 pounds and is full grown. “A great medium size,” the Helpers say. Also, she’s “extremely loving, and enjoys walking, running, playing and adores all people and all dogs. Fully vaccinated, fixed, and microchipped."
The big handsome dog? That’s Brody. He was found injured, unable to get out of a ditch without the help of a human. He’s healthy now and unable to find a good home without the help of humans.
To ask about adopting or helping either of these animals or any animal in the “sphere of helping” that the Helpers have established, call or text 214-949-2726 or Facebook MSG Laura Macias or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.

HOW IS IT THAT ‘ADORABLE’
CAN BE REJECTED BY ANYONE?
This guy — cute and sweet anytime you snap a photo of him — is in a bit of a spot. We learned about him from Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog biographer Judi Brown.
“Isn’t Yogi adorable?” she began her evaluation. You know, she and fellow dog writer Debra Chisholm get to meet and enjoy every dog they write about. 
So, when Judi says something nice about Yogi it’s because she’s met him. 
“He arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/14 as a stray,” she says.
Here’s the wretched part of his story: Judi writes, “He did have a rescue tag but once the rescue found out he was HEARTWORM POSITIVE  they released the tag. I am hopeful that somebody will see his cute pictures and read the positive write up and will decide he’s worth the extra time and expense to get him back on the road to good health. Because he is worth it!
“With his sweet, loving, affectionate, calm, gentle personality there is no doubt that he would make someone a loyal, devoted companion! He’s a lap dog wannabe and if the truth be known he prefers to snuggle in your neck. His corkscrew tail wags constantly. He follows you around looking up at you with his big brown eyes. He didn’t seem to understand the sit command but instead did a little dance (see last picture). He takes treats gently. He did his business as soon as he got out into the yard. He was too timid so did not walk well on the leash. He preferred to be carried.”

Yogi weighs 14 pounds but will weigh less once he’s “fixed.” 
And he needs to be rid of those heart parasites. That will require the devotion of a loving human or a loving rescue group. Probably lived outside, Judi says, so, she writes, “He told me he wants to be an inside dog with his new family.”

To ask about helping Yogi, use his ID #48448625 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. 

PLANO, CLEAR THE SHELTERS
& MAYBE SOME ADOPTABLES
The 7th annual “Clear The Shelters” drive is officially stretching from Monday the 23rd to September 19. Fees may vary from whatever shelter you visit, but “no fee” is the most popular price. Check with the shelter you’re going to for that facility’s adoption schedule.
 (That's Plano's great artwork -- colorful.)
The Plano Animal Shelter is celebrating Clear the Shelter through the entire period. At the Plano shelter site online, you’ll read, “Adoption fees will be half price from Monday, August 23, through Sunday, September 12. Adoption fees will only be waived from Monday, September 13, to Sunday, September 19.” You can see the shelter’s adoptables by going to plano.gov/226/Animal-Services. Call the Plano Animal Shelter at 972-769-4360.
We went to the “adoptables” listings on Tuesday and found these. The first two photos are of Prissy The Cat (A180746) who recently had kittens and is described as being playful and sweet. The shelter also describes “strays” as “lost and never found” by their human. Next to Prissy the cat is Peter Rabbit (A181814), bunny who also was listed as “lost and never found.”
The next two photos are of a couple of dogs — Pumpernickel (A180712) is about 13 months old, smart and “loves to play.” He was “lost and never found by his owner” unlike the dog Mulan (A180224), a 7-month old energetic girl who is “crate-trained and “too much” for small kids” but “very sweet.” Lost and never found? Nope. Her human surrendered her.
HOW DOES STRAYDOG
HANDLE CLEAR THE SHELTERS?

First we’ll mention that on Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 8-.m, the Lockwood Distillery in Richardson will host a “Gifting Party” in support of the Straydog Inc. “Pups in Pearls Gala." The Lockwood event is described as a “pop-up market with several specialty venders and gift cards will be available to purchase as gifts for the Gala’s silent auction.” You’ll get to meet some of the Straydo animals at the event. See how to donate by clicking HERE.
That brings us to Straydog’s plan for the annual Clear the Shelters event. The Near East Texas-based shelter/sanctuary has picked Sept. 11 for it’s shelter-clearing event — 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. that Saturday at the PetSmart Plano, 6204, W. Park Blvd. 
As an example of some of the animals available at no cost from Straydog that day are these three. Gigi, is the 2-year-old Pharaoh Hound with the pointy ears and tail who happens to be the mommy of Jersey and Gemma. Gigi was rescued with the pups. She can sit for treats, play with toys and “gets along great with other dogs.” 
Jersey and Gemma are both 4 months old and follow in their mom’s toy-enjoying, and sweet and gentle ways. Jersey is said to be “very affectionate and loves to be held, but is still a little squiggly.”
And Gemma is “sweet and gentle” and “loves to be held in your lap and is very affectionate.” 

All of these dogs are available now at Straydog Inc. See more of the Straydog dogs and how to adopt them at THIS LINK.
CONTEMPLATIONS
THINGS A PERSON SEES…
Here’s an exchange on a neighborhood bulletin page in the Metrosprawl. One person posted, “What is your excuse now? Pfizer has been approved by FDA.” And someone responded, “Do you treat people that smoke the same way you think about people who don't want the vaccine?” Contemplate that exchange. 

Do you buy food from a restaurant that lets you watch it being prepared? On another post, someone wrote critically about “hygiene standards.” The angry person wrote, “It’s one thing not wearing mask but apparently the [front counter preparation staff] no longer wears gloves when packaging food or ice cream. Their employee … (who was working the register) even cut open my banana and held it with her hand and put it in the tray. It would be one thing… I guess… had she only been working the ice cream station but she was working the register. I asked her to please wear gloves or wash her hands; she refused. Aren’t gloves the normal / required when you work in fast food and handle food that isn’t going to be cooked? Is this not required to wear gloves anymore or to wash your hands after handling money?” So, what happened? The writer left and went to another restaurant where, she wrote, “thankfully they still wear gloves and masks.” [NOTE TO PERSON IN OPENING PARAGRAPH: No smoking in either of these restaurants. Just a cheerful FYI.]
…. We’re on the mailing list of what is allegedly a daily humor newsletter and on Tuesday we got a copy of a “Laugh of the Day” that would have worked better during the Olympics. Control your groans as you read this: “What do you call a nervous javelin thrower? Shakespeare.” If the Bard of Avon were still with us, he might rethink this famous line from Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” [LARRY ASIDE: I covered a lot of courts and legal stories in my newspaper career. I happen to adore lawyers — some of the smartest and most engaging people I’ve ever known. Can’t remember a one who threw the javelin. I think I knew one who threw a javalina, but that’s a story for another time.]
— Offer opinions, punchlines or cautions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and putting ‘OBJECTION’ in the subject line. —-

GOING ONLINE TO LEARN ABOUT KABUL'S ANIMALS AND RESCUE EFFORTS

EXTRA EDITION OF TUESDAY, AUG. 24, 2021 [PetPowellPress] The situation in Afghanistan is so lousy — and changing, of course, much too quickly for print media to keep up with. So, you have to watch TV or go to the internet to see what you can find.
We’ve been trying to locate rock-solid info about the state of animals in Kabul because we get notes about donating to saving them from this storm of diplomacy/terror/anxiety/horror. No confirmations of such places yet, though, we did find stories of trying to save the animals.
I’ve collected some of the “fresh reports” here. There is a conflict between Pen Farthing, the former United Kingdom Marine who runs the small animal shelter in Kabul, and the British Secretary of Defence Ben Wallace. 
I have collected several articles and offer the LINKS to them below -- with their summarizing (and sometimes long) headlines so that you may select the articles that interest you. (That's a photo of Farthing and one of the Kabul dogs -- it was posted with a yahoo!news story).
Among these stories is a report that Farthing became upset when, as he waited for the OK to move animals to safety, he saw a car being rolled onto an “escape plane” instead of people and animals being allowed to fly away to safety. 
And there is a story of how Secretary Wallace “rebukes” a “confused” Farthing. Here's our list of recent stories:
HEADLINE: Defence Secretary: I can’t guarantee Afghanistan animal shelter staff evacuation before August 31. The story is from the overnight (in the U.S.) edition of the London Evening-Standard HERE.
HEADLINE (online!): “Military plane carrying armoured car back from Kabul 'was filled with cargo instead of more passengers because it had to take off to meet time slot', it is claimed, after ministers were accused of 'prioritising vehicle over pets or people’" And that LINK TO THE DAILY MAIL IS HERE.
HEADLINE: Pen Farthing: ‘I won’t prioritise pets over people,’ Ben Wallace says as ex-Marine claims Kabul flight blocked. THIS IS THE LINK to the iNews-UK report from earlier today.
HEADLINE: Afghanistan: Ex-Marine Pen Farthing says he will have to put animals to sleep on Kabul runway after UK 'abandoned' his charity. Here’s the LINK to this Sky News report from earlier today.
HEADLINE: “EX-MARINE SAYS BID TO FLY CHARITY STAFF AND 100 ANIMALS FROM KABUL ‘BLOCKED BY MoD’” That’s the headline on a yahoo!news story posted at 4:16 a.m. today U.S. time . Here’s THE LINK.
CONTEMPLATIONS
AFGHAN HISTORY AND FEATHERS…
The year 1861 inspired this research. What I discovered in my “light research” on Wikipidia was this British situation — and, of course, I also found pages and pages of “historic conflicts” over this land of Afghanistan. A 20-year war is barely a blip from a gnat's sneeze on the Richter Scale of history -- unless your American was one who faithfully gave all to the nation's call.

Here’s the history quote from Wikipedia: “The first Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842) resulted in the destruction of a British army; causing great panic throughout British India and the dispatch of a second British invasion army.[120] The Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880) resulted from the refusal by Emir Shir Ali (reigned 1863 to 1866 and from 1868 to 1879) to accept a British mission in Kabul.”
…
Many people said a version of this, but we’ll go with one of the more recent expressions. This one came from the British leader Winston Churchill in a 1948 speech to the House of Commons: “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”
Humans, constant failures in the life course “Learning From History.”
We have only hope and prayers that things will work out safely, smartly. 
In 1861 — and this is why I am citing this poem: Emily Dickinson wrote it in 1861 — what was going on in America? Study that in school, did ya?
And, I just pointed our above that in 1861 Afghanistan was between wars. 
T
The American poet wrote (citing the opening 4 lines):


“Hope is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all…”


Yes, perhaps "hope... never stops at all." Read the rest of the poem on the Poetry Foundation website HERE.
Keep your feathers active; your prayers strong and remember the global history for the sake of the generations yet to come.
— Offer opinions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

A TUESDAY CAVALCADE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP DOGS 'N' CATS 'N' THEIR FANS

EDITION OF TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Out topics today include a beautiful cat with a “tilt” and a “scared” Husky with a pressing challenge in Bridgeport. We have, also, Mesquite challenges over a wooden fence. And there’s a beautiful dog Mandy in an appeal from The Bayou City. Please read on! We’ll also get to Contemplations, y’all. 

THIS GIRL FLO IS
A CAT WITH A ‘TILT’
Ah, Dallas Cat Lady has a “unique little girl who sees the world sideways and there’s nothing with that,” reads the introduction we got to this girl Flo. 
We got in touch with Michelle Troop, spokeshuman for Dallas Cat Lady in the Flo story. Read on:
 Flo’s birthday is November 1, 2020 — so she’s still a kid. Her bio reads, "Flo is a fluffy princess who enjoys to play and run! Flo loves other cats, and to hang out on the couch while you watch TV! When she is not relaxing in the sunbeams on her favorite window perch, Flo enjoys making new friends with anyone, playing chase and going after that laser pointer!
“Flo does have a titled head; her vet believes that this tilt was caused by a trauma that occurred before her rescue and has no impact on her daily life!”

To ask about auditioning to adopt Flo, email DallasCatLadyInfo@ gmail.com. The organization rule is you have to be over 25 to adopt — provide some ID when you apply. The fee is $85 — just about enough to cover the initial care of a rescued cat.
Michelle told us, “We can always use donations to cover the vetting we've done for her and for all the other sick and injured cats we are caring for. People can donate on our website dallascatlady.org/donate." 

Dallas Cat Lady has been around since 2006 — finds homes for cats, kittens and “a few dogs.” Michelle’s note explained, “We work with local shelters to give cats more time to find just the right home. We have placed over 10,000 kitties with new families. Dallas Cat Lady is also a key resource in educating the public on the basics of the TNR process. Through education, the goal is to reduce the homeless cat population even more with more people participating in the process.” 
Leigh Sessler is the Executive Director. If you want to get involved with helping, Michelle says, email DallasCatLadyInfo@gmail.com.
The organization website is dallascatlady.org and the Facebook page is HERE.
MANDY: HER SCARY STORY IS ON
THE BRINK OF A HAPPY ENDING
Our longtime Houston tipster Alexandra Kelsey wrote this explanation of how this dog Mandy has come to be absolutely ready to enjoy a wonderful home. Here’s what AK wrote:

“That old Forrest Gump was on to something when he said that life is like a box of chocolates and that you never know what you’re going to get!
“Big Mandy is living proof of Forrest’s wisdom.  Summer 2021 saw Big Mandy living a one-foot-in-front-of-the-other existence. One more step and she might find water or food.  One more step and she might find shelter from torrential rains or blazing sun. She never could have imagined that one of those steps would be into the air-conditioned car of an animal rescuer.
“So, here our girl is…rescued from the hard life of a stray out in the middle of nowhere, now looking forward to being someone’s best friend.
“Big Mandy has captured the heart of her rescue team.  She’s a big old girl with the heart of a puppy.  She loves people but Big Mandy knows from her time as a hobo that it’s always good to get to know people before you go all-in.  Mandy is the kind of dog who makes you feel honored that she trusts you and chooses you over all others.
“This precious girl is only two years old and has years of love to give.  She has been fully vetted and she is heartworm negative.  If Big Mandy could talk, she’d have stories to tell, and she could tell us who her parents are.  Failing that, her rescue team thinks that Big Mandy is an American Staffordshire mix.  She weighs 62 lbs.
“If you would like to know more about this precious girl, email tj.royal14@gmail.com."

[DEAR READERS: And now we wait for the writer AK to present that happy ending for Big Mandy’s story.]
THE EU PRESSURE IS ON
MCKINLEY IN BRIDGEPORT
This Siberian Husky McKinley has gotten a reprieve, but the clock is still ticking. He’s under the watchful eye of 4-Legged Helpers in the small Bridgeport Animal Shelter northwest of Fort Worth. 
The Helpers report that the shelter “was planning on euthanizing him today (Monday).” 
Plans changed, the Helpers report but there’s still pressure. The shelter has “offered to hold off one week and if we can get donations together we can get a vet and pay for McKinley being fixed, vaccinated and his eyes checked over.”
The eye problem is “he has what appears to be an injured eye and is not seeing properly.” The note says the problem “could be a mole or skin tag” that is causing issues and aggravating his already uneasy attitude in the shelter. (Donate via PayPal at helpingshelterbabies@gmail.com and put “McKinley” in the comment. Or email 4-Legged Helpers’ Laura Macias at cat-girl_71@yahoo.com. for additional ways to donate.
To help any of these dogs, email Laura at that address or call or text 214-949-2726 or Facebook MSG Laura Macias.  Keep those contact points handy because they’re good for these dogs, too.
And, as the Helpers point out, adopting these dogs from the crowded shelter will help take some of the euthanasia pressure off McKinley.

This relaxed guy Austin is a Lab/Boxer mix — young, 68 pounds and a “WONDERFUL DOG,” the Helpers say. “really good boy. Exactly the size of a Lab or Boxer — very healthy — looks well-taken care of.”

This girl Alyssa is “calm, gentle, lovable — just darling in every way,” the Helpers’ note reads. “”Loves and adores everyone and everything. This is the best girl ever.”
And Chace, with his stunning eyes, weighs only 31 pounds and is “very young.” The bio reads, “Has to be some of the prettiest blue eyes we have ever seen on any dog! Super cute, sweet and extremely lovable.”
DODGER SURRENDERED BECAUSE
HE WAS ‘BITING A WOODEN FENCE
Ah, the challenges humans face: Do we dump the dog or fix the fence? Alas….read on.

This story has two parts. Dodger, that Pittie mix, was surrendered on August 6 to the Mesquite Shelter because he was “biting a wood fence,” the surrendering human said. Our tipster, the volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm, says the year-old, 65-pound Dodger “was very uneasy and scared when first arriving and has been a work in progress.  However, he is coming around and seeming much more relaxed and comfortable.  He walks very well on a leash--no pulling.  He knows the sit command.  Dodger does not jump on you.  Former owners stated that the two dogs were exclusively outdoor dogs and were not socialized.”

Wait a sec. Two dogs? Yes, says Debra. It seems that Dodger came in with a dog named Chester who, like Dodger, had spent most of his life outside, away from humans. So, when dumped into a strange environment, Chester became unsettled. 
We have no photos of him, but the report is he is “still unsociable and hard to manage.”
Debra, a veteran of seeing animals in shelters, wrote, “I admit that I am fearful of what his future holds. Some dogs absolutely are so ruined that they can never recover. As I mentioned in my eval of Dodger, these  are two dogs who were completely unsocialized and not allowed in the house.”
There is opportunity to save Dodger for sure. He’s making progress. Volunteers have been able to work with him and, Debra says, “the progress he has made is really amazing….is now one tail-wagging friendly boy who enjoys receiving attention.”
To ask about helping Dodger, use his ID #48392724 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Perhaps, if you have a way to help Chester, you should contact the shelter via email.
You can see more Mesquite dogs and, also, cats and kittens by clicking on the shelter link HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS
MY CAT, THE GOV'S DOG, WEATHER
That is a mugshot of an office cat on the job. He has a calming affect on the immediate area. I’m even nodding off be…….tween, uh, vowels and consonants. Office Cat William Powell is named in honor of the film star of the same name and similar elegance. His nose is pink when he’s awake. I swear. In the patois of my native Northeast Texas, “Ah luvat ol’ cayut.” William cannot speak that lingo, though now and then I hear his Texan come out in a congenial baritone expression of “Meeew, ya’w.”
AND NOW A DOG STORY from the Times-Union in Albany, N.Y. It’s about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mixed-breed dog Captain being, the headline suggests, sort of “abandoned” at the Executive Mansion by the gov. That guy only thought he had problems until he offended the animal community, right? Here’s the LINK. And here’s the final paragraph: "He will only urinate indoors," Cuomo said three years ago. "He has some kind of climate sensitivity that overpowers his bowel movements.” He’s talking, of course, about the dog, not about any other politician. I’m glad none of our animals have “climate sensitivities.”
…How about a seasonal song to get us through the August heat wave? O, the weather outside is….wait. TRY THIS ONE.
—— Be kind to animals. Offer opinions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and putting SAVE ‘EM ALL in the subject line. —-

ON MONDAY: TREES, DOGS, CATS, PEOPLE, POETRY AND THE SENATOR'S PHILOSOPHY

EDITION OF MONDAY, SEPT. 23, 2021 [PetPowellPress] We’ll get to this photograph in Contemplations. First, we have some animals to help. And, of course, people to help who are helping the animals. 

I was going to title this photograph "TRYING TO BLEND IN" but I decided, instead, to call it "Posing: If That's a Tree I'm a Runway Model." It rises majestically over an actual "forest" of Texas trees, just west of Arlington on I-30. More later. First this serious situation.
AN INTERNATIONAL QUESTION
ABOUT ANIMALS IN A BAD SPOT
Does anyone have a surefire way of determining which of many websites is the authentic way to get threatened animals out of Afghanistan, i.e., shelters purporting to be in Kabul?

Skeptic? Maybe I am. But one does want to be precise with trustworthy info.
Please send your suggestions for verified animal rescue efforts to dallrp@aol.com. If you’ve been around a while, you know that scammers know that a tug at the heartstrings can easily open pocketbooks during times of crises, i.e., hurricanes, volcanos, wars, etc. Scamming "animal people" is about as low as a crook can get. When's the last time you heard that an animal rescuer or shelter volunteer had won Lotto Texas or invented a computer program that grows money like a post-middle-aged man grows a waistline!?
A WEEKEND MESSAGE CAME
AND THEN SO DID THE PUPS!
We spotted this note from the great Ginger Leach of Fort Worth Animal Care & Control not in time to help with cleaning projects on Saturday, but we suspect this could be an on-going need in the world of animal shelters. 
So, here’s the deal: The FWACC’s south campus needed volunteers to help clean the 40 outside kennels. Volunteers are eternally helpful at an animal shelter that works to “save ‘em all.”
 And Ginger added this key P.S. to her note: “Bring some adopters or rescues, too! We are over capacity and out of space.”
On Sunday, Ginger posted this notice on the FWACC Facebook page. See that dog? That German Shepherd? Ginger wrote, “Gladiola is surprising us with puppies today!
They need out ASAP!! ****RESCUE NEEDED**** A#48330485
“This mama started giving birth this morning here at the shelter — so far she has two and we’ll check to see if more have come. She is very sweet, easy to handle. Needs out of the shelter ASAP!!” 
To offer to help, don’t call the shelter: email FWACCtag@fortworthtexas.gov. 

THIS MAY BE A FIRST
AS FAR AS ‘BREEDS’

This guy Dakota is “a breed apart.” OK, he’s a mixed breed apart. I’m almost positive that in the time we’ve been writing animal stories — from around the summer of 1965 through this very day — we’ve never before typed these words “Perro de Pastor Mallorquin.” (Here’s a LINK that explains this shepherd dog!)
 We got the description of Dakota from her biographer, Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog writer Debra Chisholm. She explains that “handsome Dakota” is a mixed breed and that her dog scanner app “identified” him to be a mix of “Perro de Pastor Mallorquin/German Shepherd/Flat-Coated Retriever”
The bottom line is he’s a 2-year-od, 65-pound, not-neutered dog who came into the shelter as a stray on August 17. Debra says “there is a lot to like about this boy” and notes that he “walks well on a leash” and showed no aggression toward other dogs, indicated he’s house-broken, has a “sweet temperament,” and this: “He has a mellow personality and is a calm and well-mannered boy.”
Use his ID (#48468556) when you cal the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.


In the meantime, keep that email address and the phone number handy because you may want to ask the shelter about this guy Tank. He’s a mixed-beed fellow who came in as a “surrender” on May 25 and, Debra reports, “The long confinement has affected him so that he is going a bit kennel crazy.” He’s about 2 1/2, weighs 59 pounds and is neutered. He previously was an outside dog. So when he’s let out for exercise (or an interview with Debra), he’s happily jetting around the yard. That discoloration on his forehead is something that will heal. He’s potty-trained, knows the “sit command” and “likes chew toys and fetch.” He’s lively and active, but also “friendly and oh-so-sweet,” Debra says. His number is 47842054.
The volunteer dog biographer Judi Brown spotted this Earhound at Mesquite. She’s Audrey (#48457864), a 10-month-old, 30-pound Pittie mix who arrived on the 16th as a stray. Obviously an Earhound. Judi writes, “She has really interesting coloring. I couldn’t decide whether she was a chocolate brown or a dark gray. Come in and meet her and see what you think. Audrey is very alert and likes to explore. She’s also very adventuresome and loves to climb. She had a fascination with our shelter window and the window ledge. She’s quite agile and was good at maintaining her balance on the window ledge. Dogs are sometimes entered into agility contests. This would probably be something that would be a perfect fit for her! She was primarily interested in exploring but did come around to let me scratch her ears. I even was rewarded with a few kisses.”
While Judi may have had a problem deciding on Audrey’s coloring, she had no problem with this dog. Judi wrote, “Dottie came by her name naturally. Just look at her! She is a well-mannered southern lass that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/16 as a stray.  When I first went into her kennel she was very timid and kept her tail tucked. She kept watching me. She was obviously checking me out and I obviously passed muster because then she relaxed and stayed by my side. Her tail started wagging and she kept looking up in a way that just melted my heart.  She’s obviously wanting someone to love and someone to love her. She’s very sweet, calm and affectionate. Before I returned her to her kennel I even was rewarded with a few gentle kisses.”
 She’s a year-old, 25-pound Aussie Cattle Dog/Dalmatian Mix (and an Earhound!). When you ask about Dottie, use her ID: #48457306. 

That’s a pose that says “High Energy,” isn’t it! That’s a “Terrier mix” named Madison — she’s a Mesquite stray, came in on the 16th at a year-and-a-half, 46 pounds and not spayed. Debra says she could use some manners training. Though appearing to have been “well cared for,” she “does not seem to know any commands.” And, Debra writes, “Madison is a lively and spunky girl who will ump frequently on you Manners training would greatly benefit this youngster.” And theres this: “Once outside, she seemed immediately to want to go back inside.” [LARRY ASIDE: Dear fellow dog lovers, doesn’t that make you want to just sit down next to that girl and hug her and tell her she’s loved indoors or outside and give her a home….” Yeah, we can’t give her one either — we’ve given homes to the limit already — but we can sure suggest that other people give a good home to a dog listed as #48458745.]
 Remember, contact the shelter at 927-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.
And you can click on the shelter site HERE 
to see more animals waiting for rescue or a home. Among the cats is this little girl Victoria (#48000660), more than 3 months old and a tabby. She came in on June 15. [LARRY ASIDE: I decided to spotlight Victoria because of a cat named Benchley. More than a quarter-century ago my funspouse Martha and I rescued a litter of kittens from a storage shed behind the Theater on the Hill in Cedar Hill where we were involved in “show biz.” Homes were found for all of them — we kept the glorious girl Benchley, named in honor of the writer/actor Robert Benchley by my literatespouse Martha. We kept up with the other cats for years. One, named Victoria and looking much like this one, left Texas and moved to England to live out her life as a subject of the crown. Perhaps there’s someone in the Dallas/Fort Worth Fertile Feline Area who’d like to take a Texas cat to Ol’ Blighty. Get in touch with the shelter and “God save the Queen and Texas,” typed a son of the Lone Star State.]


MEANWHILE IN LANCASTER,
A NUMBER OF ANIMALS WAIT!
And, of course, there is no let-up with efforts to keep the unwanted, discarded, dumped or surrendered animals from ending up with a bad deal at the Lancaster Animal Services Shelter.
These are just 5 of the dogs that have been waiting for adoptors or rescuers to swoop in and save them from the needle.
We got the photos from the folks with 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that focuses on smaller shelters without a lot of human foot traffic or big public relations programs pitching their “adorable adoptables” all over kingdom come.
You can read about these animals by going to the 4-Legged Helpers Facebook page HERE. 

You’ll also see animals from other shelters that the Helpers are trying to save. And to ask about any of these animals or any other animals, call or text the Helpers’ Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or Facebook message her at Laura Macias HERE.

CONTEMPLATIONS
BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE?
It was during an unoccupied portion of the weekend that the cats and I began to discuss the beauty of nature.
“You are a glorious part of nature,” I said, quickly adding”As are the dogs, of course.” 
The Senator, looking up from his well-worn copy of psychic I. C. "Darwin" Ahed’s book Origin of  Pisces replied, “Do you think your talking to a roomful of humans? We’re not part of nature — we ARE nature.”
And, then, I pulled out my cellphone and showed the photos of a tree alongside I-30 just west of Arlington to The Senator. “Ah,” he said. “Humans at work. Won’t fool a cat. Might not fool a dog. Birds? They’ll land anywhere.”
He explained that what he’s saying is humans cannot mimic trees.
Indeed, The Senator has a handle on humankind. And he cites the poem Treesby Joyce Kilmer. The first two lines are “I think that I shall never see
/A poem as lovely as a tree…” and Kilmer closes with 
“Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.”
The Senator suggests that you can read the entire poem Trees on the Poetry Foundation page HERE.
Our longtime friend and confidant, The Senator, a fellow who has found peace with dogs, other cats and humans and who gives calm guidance to a household, notes that Kilmer, who’d enlisted in the U.S. Army to help fight The War to End All Wars, was killed by a German sniper’s bullet on July 30, 1918, in France. 
“Humans,” sighed The Senator, shaking his wise old head, “They write poetry and songs, they create paints and sculptures, they love babies and puppies and kittens — and yet, they just can’t quit fighting. Perhaps if they took more time, they could create a cell phone tower that doesn’t look like some kind of evergreen toilet brush.” Ah, The Senator, philosophizing and relaxing in his kitchen chair… a cat with a view.
—— Offer peaceful ideas by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and putting “PEACE PROTECTS THE PLANET” in the subject line. —-