ReadLarryPowell.com

Not a light sleeper...

Ever try to squeeze yourself into a pair of pants that's just a size or two too small?

Perhaps, then, you can relate to the challenge of being Maverick, our spotlighted critter in this weekend's edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

The nomination came from Sheri Olson who is fostering the big rascal through Animal Rescue of Texas.

She writes, "What do you do when you’re a Great Dane mix being fostered in a home full of Chihuahuas? Well, the beds are kind of small, but you make do as best as you can.  Here is a submission for the 'slumber' series.

"Maverick has adapted to the 'smaller' side of life and loves to play with Fivo, our Chiweenie.  He’s just a big goofball and such a sweetheart."

(And, based on that photo, he doesn't mind getting down on Fivo's level to have a good sparring session. Chiweenie? Yes, of course! Chihuahua and a Dachshund. Makes more sense than a Dachhuahua.)

What's the story on Maverick? He was rescued from a high-kill shelter in August, Sheri says. "He was emaciated, filthy and covered in fleas and sores to the point that when we gave him his first bath, the water ran red with blood. He has recovered completely and has filled out to weigh about 60 pounds. 

"Even though he looks like a large puppy, we think he’s three or four years old ... a Great Dane mixed with something smaller. He’s absolutely gorgeous.

"When you meet Maverick, the first word that comes to mind is 'goofball.' This guy is FUN and is learning how to enjoy the good life.  He didn’t know how to play with toys at first and would get real excited when we’d throw a ball, but he didn’t know why we did it. Now, he’s playing and having a great time. He has been through a two-week course of board-and-train to work on his indoor manners and basic obedience. He’s doing very well with his training.

"He's a GREAT dog with a very loving spirit, he just needs some humans willing to be his best friend, love him for who he is and show him how great it is to be a valued member of a family."

You can read more about Maverick by clicking HERE. Once he has a permanent home, maybe someone will get this official Sleeping Dog a bed that fits his frame.

(To nominate a critter at your house -- quadruped or biped, foundling or member of the household by marriage -- for our weekly feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, send a photo of your sleeping rascal and information about the animal and yourself to [email protected]. Remember, we celebrate sleeping at Readlarrypowell.com. We might not be able to do it, but we sure do celebrate it. Insomniacs -- we don't really need a big issue to keep us awake at night.)

Crates, makeover & update...

HOLIDAY TRAVEL CHALLENGE: Remember all those stories last week about how airports would be crowded and travelers would be caught up in nightmares. Never mind all that. We have a canine travel request as Friday wanes and all of you employed folks start watching the clock.

The Humane Society of Cedar Creek is looking for large airline-approved crates to fly some Labs to a rescue group in California. If you can help, call Krista at 903-288-5943.

Because Lab rescue groups in Texas are full, the Humane Society is forwarding these three large Labs to Golden Gate Lab Rescue.

MAKEOVER CONTEST: Our reliable tipster Deana Hanson of Weatherford points us toward a shelter makeover contest at www.zootoo.com/makeover. The Humane Society of North Texas in Fort Worth is getting "quite a few votes," Deana notes, and she says, "Of course I would like any help for the Weatherford shelter we could get."

PRAYERS UPDATE: If you'll click on our Prayers & Passage page (right side of this site), you'll go to an update on critter rescuer Consuelo "Dr. Chelo" Murray, courtesy of our pal Mary Garrett. At the update you can get an address to send cards.

I keep telling folks that "animal people are people people, too."

On Friday, these reports...

We have reached -- simultaneously -- the end of the work week and the end of November. The week ending, I don't mind. November just went by too darned fast.

So, let's just get this out of the way first: If you know someone who is looking for a dog or cat, send them to a city shelter to save a life. (Each week about this time I get a flush of desperate notes about the overwhelming numbers of dogs and cats on death row in Irving, White Settlement, Little Elm, Marshall, Longview, Texas City, Carrollton -- all over! Pick a city and find desperation, you know?)

And remember, you can also send your animal-less friends to a rescue group to save a life. That'll free up a spot in the group so they can pull an animal from a pound.
Or tell your pals to keep their eyes open because they'll see free dogs and cats wandering loose. Fact of life. Wish it would change, but people being people, animals are often out on their ears and left to fend for themselves. Reminder: Animal abandonment is against the law in Texas.

The City of Dallas, with encouragement (Would "hounding" be the synonym?) from animal rescue folks, is making a monumental effort to turn the tide. The new Dallas Animal Services Adoption Center is open and in case you haven't seen this method of advertising, here is a photo of a DART bus with a big ad for the city shelter stretched across the back. (Click on the photo to make it larger.)

Blame my photography for the lousy reproduction here, but I was driving 85 miles an hour down Jefferson in Oak Cliff  while holding a cell phone in one hand, a burrito in the other and snapping the photo with my nose while the camera balanced on the steering wheel as I chased this bus.

I'm kidding. I pulled up behind the bus as it was paused on its route and STILL I couldn't get a good clear photo. But, perhaps, this photo is worth at least 800 words -- or maybe it'll remind someone to go to the city shelter and save a life or two.

HARLEY IS FOUND: The note about Harley, missing after a car crash on Nov. 16, has been making the rounds this morning. But just after 10:40 a.m., I spoke to Jim Garber, who says the family got the dog back last night.

"Someone had turned him in at the McKinney Animal Shelter," Jim says.

The original note about Harley, written by Jim's wife Billie Joe, tells about the major accident Highway 380 in front of John Deere Tractor in McKinney. "My Infiniti flipped 3 times and landed in a field across the highway about 2 feet from a telephone pole."

Rescuers, according to Billie Jo, apparently just let Harley go. "He was spotted the next morning at John Deere and then in the subdivision behind," Billie Jo wrote. "Harley is my heart and soul. I am lost without him."

But a call from Jim this morning reveals that Harley is back home and "he ate real well last night," Jim laughed. The folks at the shelter had been playing with him and enjoying him. He's a loveable dog. And he's doing fine.

Jim says, "It worked out pretty good. We lost the car but we got our dog back."

A CAT THAT MIGHT HAVE A HOME: Our longtime pal and colleague at the big paper in Dallas, Kim Pierce, is involved in feral feeding on the SMU campus and she says the feral folks have come across a "tiger-tabby-on-white who is obviously someone's pet."

This cat is well-fed, has a great coat and is a neutered male with all four paws declawed.

So, as you can tell by the description, this is probably not a feral cat even though he's been living the feral life.

And the feral folks would like to find his rightful home and get him "off the streets." If you know where this cat belongs, call 214-534-0233 or e-mail [email protected].

At Readlarrypowell.com, we appreciate the intellectual nature of cats. But unless this guy is a graduate feline doing research for dissertation titled "Living the Feral Life at SMU," this clawless cat belongs in his proper protected environment.

LOOKING FOR HOMES: Gail Whelan of Companion Animal Network has sent us some notes about three dogs that need homes. As is the eternal case in the rescue world, they all have stories.

The little guy --22 pounds of posed pup in this photo -- is Keifer, pulled from the Tri Cities Animal Shelter's death row several months ago. Gail says he's been in three foster homes and has been returned "because he is 'needy.' No one seems to be able to deal with this. Keifer just wants to be WITH someone."

He is a lap dog, but he doesn't like to share people, so that makes him a good candidate for an "only dog home."

Gail writes, "I do not know what happened to this precious little dog, but it left him damaged and afraid."

She suggests that perhaps a retired couple or individual would offer the ideal home for this guy. He's 3, healthy and "housetrained if you go out with him. He is afraid of being abandoned and will not go outside alone." (Personal note: Who among us cannot relate to that! It's why I won't go outside alone, but let's keep that between us.)

Now, the two Labs are Daisy and Roscoe -- they're currently being boarded but Companion Animal Network is short on funding, so the rescuers are hoping someone can step up and foster or adopt the dogs. And they don't have to be adopted together.

Their story? "A rescuer in Louisiana saved them -- a volunteer drove from Dallas to Louisiana and back to save them." Since their arrival, things have sort of fallen apart and the dogs find themselves in need of saving in Texas.

To help any of these animals, e-mail [email protected].

WE ADMIRE SPUNKINESS: This is in the category of "spunkiness" -- veteran rescuer Barb Oates has started her own pet-sitting business. Yep, she's aware of the time demands and the business pressures of the profession and is happily embarking on this career.

The business is Velvet Ears Deluxe Pet Care -- I'm almost certain it's not named for Barb's ears, but you never know!

She's revealed this professional step, as she says, "just  in time for all those pet lovers who will be out shopping or visiting family/friends over the holidays and need a pet sitter to drop in or come and visit several times and check on the cats and dogs!

"I am mostly serving Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Grand Prairie, Watauga, North Richland Hills, the Mid-Cities, Grapevine, Southlake....although if there are needs outside of those areas they can contact me as nothing is off limits!"

You can reach her at 817-808-8558 or [email protected].

Dear readers, I've reproduced (poorly as I am weak in technology) Barb's business card here. My funspouse Martha was a professional pet-sitter for nearly five years -- she loved it.

And I got a kick out of this line on Barb's card: "Your dog won't even notice you're gone."

At our house, the line is "Our dogs are grateful we're gone -- they get the TV remote and a chance to catch up on their sleep."

WRAPPING UP THE WEEK: Oh, goodness, how about the Dallas Cowboys? They beat the Green Bay Packers. Is the Super Bowl in the Dallas future? And this Sunday, when the Cowboys aren't on TV, why, lots of fellows will be doing Christmas shopping and hanging decorations and repairing things they've been meaning to fix since July. ...

We saw this week that the folks in Austin are trying to raise tuition at the University of Texas. (Click HERE for the Austin American-Statesman story.) Frankly, in Texas, we ought to be trying to make a college education free. Make it easier to be smarter. I say this from the position of a guy who never had enough money and time simultaneously to finish a degree. Knowledge is a good thing and the solid foundation of civilization, why should we make it more difficult to acquire?

Big game, big dogs & Ed Bark

It's the day of the big game. The Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys will play at Texas Stadium. See it locally on UFH Channel 27.

Our prediction: Sleet arrives during rush hour and by kickoff at 7:15, there's an inch of snow on the artificial turf and the fans are wondering why, if they paid that much for a ticket, there's no heating pad on the seat. And Green Bay wins unless Dallas wins.

And all around, the world will miraculously continue to turn. More later.

THOSE SHEPHERDS: Back on Nov. 6 we mentioned three German Shepherds that had been abandoned in the Corsicana area and taken in by the folks with the Humane Society of Navarro County.

Now, for a brief while it looked like those dogs (that's one on the left) had places to go -- but, as will happen, things didn't work out. And the dogs are back in the care of the folks with the society which has a lot of heart but doesn't have an actual shelter.

So, homes are needed for these three dogs. As our Humane Society tipster Julie Maupin writes, "We are in a terrible bind..."

As usual, there are complicating factors: One dog has heartworms; they are being boarded but the Christmas travel season is approaching and because of previous reservations at the kennel, they'll be out of a place to stay ... You know how this goes, readers. If there's a circumstance that can arise to complicate a rescue, it will appear.

To offer help to the Humane Society of Navarro County, e-mail [email protected] or call 903-872-3887 or 903-875-4195.

A HOUSTON SITUATION: Take a look at that photo. Is that a soulful appearance? A photo that says, "I'm down on my luck. Now what?"

We got the tip on this big guy from reliable Dana Dicker in Houston and we got in touch with veteran rescuer Cindy Perini who forwards the story of this dog named Hogan. "He was left in a very, very run down trailer park in a very bad area of town -- his family moved and left him behind and poor baby was starving to death. We don't think he would have lasted much longer there and the people at the trailer park wanted him gone one way or another. Hogan is a very loyal doggie who has been waiting patiently for his family to come home to him...When we found him, he was sitting on the porch with his kitten friends waiting."

As you can tell from the photo, at some point in this dog's life someone cut off his ears.

Now, the vet bill for Hogan is expected to hit the $800 mark, Cindy reports. Donations can be made at the Scouts Honor site HERE or you can write to Scout's Honor Rescue Inc., 1302 Waugh Drive, PMB #245, Houston, Texas, 77019-3908.

And if you can help by fostering or adopting Hogan, e-mail [email protected] or call 832-651-4512.

PRAYER & PASSAGES: On our Prayers & Passages page today you'll find a need for some prayers -- one of our local rescuers is encountering some medical things. Click on the Prayers & Passages button on the right side of this website.

THOSE TURKEYS: You may recall that back before Thanksgiving we gave you the website where you could vote to name the official Thanksgiving turkey that President Bush would pardon in the annual traditional ceremony at the White House. The official Thanksgiving turkey is now named May and the backup turkey is called Flower. Here's the LINK.  I'm not sure why you'd need a backup turkey if the pardon was granted, but, well, this is America. We always have a backup system.

JOLLY OL' SAINT NICK AND CRITTERS: Yep, it's THAT season -- the time of year when Santa poses with pets all over the place. We have just three that we'll mention today, but we'll remind you to pick up a copy of Urban Animal magazine to see a list of Santa photo places. And, you might check with your favorite rescue group to see if they're posing with Santa this year.

            -- Peppermint Pet Pix in Pocket Park. Alliteration aside, this is a photo session from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in Corsicana's Pocket Park, 118 N. Beaton, downtown. Memories By Melissa will be taking the photos and a portion of the $15 fee goes to the Humane Society of Navarro County.

            -- At Operation Kindness on Saturday, the right jolly ol' elf will be portrayed by people whose voices are familiar. The photo session is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the shelter, 3201 Earhart Drive in Carrollton. (Prices start at $15 -- and you can buy the CD of the session for $5 more. All money goes to the no-kill shelter.) Famous radio talk show host Russ Martin of 105.3 FM will "suit up as Santa" from 10 a.m..  to noon. Other Russ Martin Show staffers will fill out the rest of the day in the Santa suit: Trey Trenholm from noon to 2 p.m.; J.D. Ryan from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Gavin Spittle from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Operation Kindness continues its' Santa photos on Dec. 8 and Dec. 15.

            -- The Companion Animal Network's Santa photo sessions are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 2 and Dec. 9 - on the 2nd, they'll be at the PetsMart at 12100 Inwood Road and on the 9th at the PetsMart at 5500 Greenville Ave. in Dallas. Prices start at $8.95 for the digital photos.

            That photo is not Jolly Ol' Saint Nick. That is our staff impersonator Inky giving us his skilled impression of a department store Santa, after a day of posing with kids and critters, rushing into the breakroom at the mall and spotting a big steaming platter of Mom's Tiny Reindeer & Mistletoe Meatloaf With Holly Jolly Garnish and a flagon of Calm My Nerves Wassail.

WHO WATCHES THE TELEVISION? Our pal Ed Bark, known far and wide as "Uncle Barky," was TV critic at the big paper in Dallas for decades. Nowadays he's enjoying freedom of the press because at his own journalistic website, www.unclebarky.com, he can write about the way local television is run. (Click HERE for the inside story.)

Moving along: As you can see from the illustration (click on it to make it larger), Ed isn't just sitting at home in the recliner wearing out his thumbs on the remotes. He's out and about and accessible. (He's also a friend to animals -- as you'd expect from a guy named Bark.)

At 2 p.m. Saturday, he'll be at Stratos Greek Taverna, 2907 W. Northwest Highway, for The Uncle Barky Show, a discussion with up-and-coming radio and TV personality Gordon Keith. It's free.

Just FYI: While you're there, enjoy some of the Stratos fare -- it's great Greek stuff, but there's also, I'm told, a dynamite burger. (There are things for vegetarians, too -- things that actually taste good.)

So, there you have it, Uncle Barky, a special guess and thoughtful discussions of  television.

It sounds darned near intellectual -- and if you have watched things in Dallas for a while,  you wonder if that's going to violate some city anti-smart ordinance. Don't let anybody catch you thinking.

THE COLD: Today my cold is making a comeback just in time for the medicine to make me drowsy as the big game approaches tonight. I am wearing my gameday helmet and it is hard to aim a sneeze through the facemask -- the echo is deafening, too.

I don't have faith in the Dallas secondary against Brett Fahvre. As soon as I said that, my son Bart cleverly replied, "Why should you? They're only 10 and 1."

Yeah, but they're 10 and 1 against people other than Brett Fahvre. Of course, Dallas has Tony Romo, also 10 and 1.

OK, time to close today's report. I've got to put snow chains on the tires and shovel the sidewalk. Good thing I'm wearing cleats and pads.

Potato, Blue Burrito & Rescues...

In case you wondered, 2008 is the International Year of the Potato -- as declared on Oct. 18, United Nations World Food Day.

Who controls this? Well, no need to whisper "Mafia" but when you think "potato" you almost can't help thinking "Solanaceae Family." One does wonder if 2008 will also become the International Year of Butter & Sour Cream.

GAGE'S STORY: We get this story of an unchained dog from Kimberly Jenkins of the Education and Animal Rescue Society (EARS). The dog is Gage and he came to EARS via the Tri City Animal Shelter, the facility operated by Cedar Hill, Duncanville and DeSoto.

The 10-month-old Australian Cattle Dog mix (Beagle is in there, too) "lived on a chain" for his entire life. "Thankfully, the wonderful ACOs at Tri City were able to seize the dog as he had a chain imbedded in his neck and he was headed down the horrible road of perishing in such a situation," Kim writes. "But what to do with a dog that had such a horrible beginning? Would you believe it -- this torture did not ruin Gage. He has the most wonderful personality and truly loves everyone."

The pup has been given proper medical care and is now living in a foster home, but needs a place to live for the rest of his life. He gets along with the two dogs in the foster home, we're told. (EARS doesn't adopt dogs into families with kids under 5. To apply to adopt Gage, go to the EARS site HERE or e-mail [email protected].

DENTON DOG: This one comes from tipster Amy Pelzel who is working to find a home and medical donations for a girl named Onyz.

The dog was struck by a car and her left rear leg was broken. She wound up in the care of Denton Animal Services which got her into vet care. She's about 9 months old and appears to be a purebred Lab. Amy suggests that people who want to help defray the $1,000-plus medical cost contact Dr. Granville Wright at Animal Hospital on Teasley Lane, 3517 Teasley Lane, in Denton (Call 940-382-6939). Or, Amy says, contact Debbie Lhotka at Denton Animal Services (940-349-7594).

"We had her at the animal shelter for about an hour before we could get her to the vet's office," Amy writes. "She just laid on her bed and wagged her tail every time someone would talk to her or even look her direction. She has the happiest tail we've seen around here in quite a while! Once we got her to the veterinary clinic, she was still very good and loving with all the staff there."

How'd she wind up in the custody of a city shelter? Amy explains, " The owners gave it up because it had been hit by a car and they decided they could not afford to fix it or take care of the dog any longer."

WHAT DAY IS IT IN FLOWER MOUND? You'll know if you buy one of these calendars. It's the Humane Society  of Flower Mound 2008 calendar and it honors HSFM alumni, we hear from our pal Dot Lott.

The calendars are $15 each and can be bought at any HSFM event or online at the Humane Society of Flower Mound site HERE. (There may be a temporary computer glitch on the website, but things are being tweaked, so don't be alarmed. In the meantime, the rest of the site works and it's worth a visit to see the animals that have benefited from the HSFM Mercy Fund.)

All of the proceeds from the calendar sales go directly to the Humane Society's mission "of promoting respect, responsibility, and compassion for all animals."

YEP, IT'S A TEXAS STORY WITH AN ELVIS FLAVOR: I'm mentioning this situation not just because the dog needs a home or because the tip came from our pal Sydney Busch at Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. Read on.

The dog is a 3-year-old (or so), un-neutered 40-pound beagle-mix. The story is he was "picked up while trying to cross Highway 175 -- almost didn't make it." And, "he is very loving and absolutely the handsomest guy ever," the original tip reads.

To ask about adopting this fellow, the note reads, "Call Rose at the Blue Burrito" at 903-887-5600 or at 214-205-6951.

Call Rose at the Blue Burrito -- that may have been a Marty Robbins song.

But, suddenly, ladies and gentleman, it is all becoming clear. This is a Hound Dog. Elvis recorded Hound Dog. Elvis recorded Blue Christmas. If you take the name of the restaurant at 237 S. Gun Barrel Lane in Gun Barrel City and apply it to Elvis' biggest Christmas hit, you learn (a) where Elvis is living and (b) what he likes to eat as he endures his heartbreak. Sing along now, "I'll have a Blue Burrito without you."

ARLINGTON UPDATES: Diane Watson, who has kept us up-to-date on the life of Captain Jack, a Chow of undeniable charm, has taken the time to let us know what's going on in "my neck of the woods" as she says.

Lucky Dog Rescue, which had pulled Captain Jack from Arlington Animal Services for her, is now in need of foster homes in a big way. There are some dogs that are being boarded that are eating up Lucky Dog's funds. "I realize that all of the "groups" are seeking "foster" homes, but these two particular dogs need a foster home more than most. They have NEVER had the opportunity to live with a foster, so while they are making strides with their medical issues, they are still 'stuck' in a kennel environment."

Lucky Dog Rescue, which was founded by Arlington Police officer Bernadette Rankin, is considering assorted ways of getting these two dogs socialized -- possibly even weekends-only fostering. The idea is to socialize the dogs and help them live happy lives.

The dogs are: Hazel, a year old Lab mix found by the side of a highway by Bernadette. The pup had a severe ear infection, but she's healthy now and energetic and needs a place outside of a kennel to enjoy her life.

Luke is a Boxer/Lab mix, about 8 months old, who had a bad skin condition. That's under control and now he's Mister Love Puppy. He likes playing fetch, but also likes just being with a human.

Lucky Dog is a non-profit that faces the usual rescue challenges of too many animals and too little money, Dianne says. To help the group out or to ask about adopting or fostering Luke or Hazel, e-mail mailto:[email protected] or go to the Lucky Dog website HERE.

And that brings us back to Captain Jack -- he's "fat and sassy," Dianne says and "if he never gets adopted, he will live with us. Still, I would love to see Jack find a family or person where he doesn't have to share his human's attention with four other dogs."  Jack has references and is, she says, "the perfect gentleman."

(To ask about Jack, e-mail [email protected]. That's Jack in his summer cut just a few months ago.)

REGARDING THE COWBOYS: Been hearing a lot of Dallas owner Jerry Jones on the radio as the big game with Green Bay looms Thursday. Nothing makes an NFL owner sound like a bona fide gridiron genius quite like a 10-1 record. Not to insist that people keep their feet on the ground, but here are some counter-points to being an owner genius: He hired Dave Campo, Chan Gailey, Bill Parcells, the only Dallas Cowboys coaches never to win a Super Bowl -- or a playoff game.

Cruelty notes

ANIMAL CRUELTY INFO: Companions For Life, the local education group, continues its Top Dog Speaker Series Wednesday with a presentation by Paul Curington, operations manager for the Dallas Animal Services & Adoption Center. Among the topics that'll be addressed:  How does the law define cruelty; when can animal control step in; who do you call; why should you report suspected hoarders, etc.

The event, free to local rescuers and shelter staffers, starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway in Dallas. (That's on the north side of LBJ between the Dallas North Tollway and Midway Road.) You must RSVP at [email protected]. No critters except service dogs.

THE DEATHS OF CATS: We have been alerted by Celia Orr, the Feral Cat Coordinator with KittiCo, that someone has killed some cats and kittens in an area just east of downtown Dallas. Evidence is these deaths are not due to animal attacks, but are the result of encounters with humans. The first calls came in on Thanksgiving and people in the neighborhood have continued to report the deaths of cats and kittens, Celia says.  A neighborhood poster campaign to remind people of cruelty laws is being planned in the area is along Annex Avenue between San Jacinto and Bryan streets. Some of these animals are among members of a cat colony that KittiCo has monitored through trap-neuter-release for a couple of years. At least one of the dead kittens is a pet that had recently been spayed through Kittico. If you know anything about these unlawful acts, contact the police.

Animal cruelty is against the law in Texas and Dallas County is not shy about prosecuting offenders and sending them to prison, as recent trials have demonstrated.

See beyond the dog...

OK, merchandisers, Friday was "Black Friday" and Monday was "Cyber Monday." What is today?

Ah, Buyers' Remorse Tuesday.

Well, never mind all that. Put away your plastic and let's help some people and some critters:

SEEING BEYOND THE DOG: This is a dog, indeed. Patricia Barrington, the Animal Control Division Manager for The Colony, writes, "He's no special breed of dog; just a simple one."

The 9-month-old fellow as surrendered by his human because he played a little rough with the smaller dogs.

"Bo the Dog ADORES toys," says Trish, pointing out that the dog has wrapped his big mouth around not only a green turtle doll but a green Santa doll, too.

He also loves attention, she says. "His big ol' tail nearly dented my file cabinet as I was petting him and feeding him treats...He is a big, happy, simple dog. He's quite ordinary and is looking for somebody who will see something extraordinary in him – some little glimmer worth giving a good polishing – someone to help him achieve his potential as an extraordinary companion.  Bo the dog needs a home for the holidays.

(To give Bo a home for the holidays, contact Manager Barrington at 972-370-9250 or e-mail [email protected].)

DOG WITH A PROBLEM: We get this tip from the folks at Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. The note comes from Tina Hamilton who asks if there's someone out there who can help a dog. "Do you have a warm place for a Malamute/Husky with no hair? Looks to be a thyroid problem and she is in the freezing cold Or know anyone with a warm garage or place? She is on Harbor Point Road right at the city and county line. So the city will not pick up but will issue tickets and the county won't do anything." To offer help to this uncomfortable dog, call 903-880-4124 or 214-789-0265 or e-mail [email protected].

THREE DOGS IN NEED OF HOMES: This is a "custody" story involving two Border Collies and a big ol' yellow dog.

Robert Weaver writes, "Recently I was given custody of three great dogs, Yosemite and Sam (short hair Border Collies) and Peach (a short hair yellow dog) through a divorce. My current rental apartment does not allow pets and I'm at my wit's end trying to find good homes for them.  All three are wonderful, loving pets that deserve great homes with yards to run and play.

Please help if you can, I'm running out of time and options and their present quality of life is not great .  They are all approximately 10 years old and in excellent health.  I have full veterinary records for each and they are up on all shots, etc.  Any assistance you may give in finding them a good home will be greatly appreciated."

To ask about adopting these beauties, call 214-213-4481 or e-mail [email protected].

What are the dogs like? Robert says, "Yosemite and Sam are brothers and have grown up together and Peach, Yosemite and Sam have been together for the last eight years and all get along famously, and have very temperate personalities. They will love you to death."

YOU JUST HAVE TO WONDER HOW SOME THINGS HAPPEN: This one comes to us from Dana Dicker, our Houston contact. "Picture a dog running through Kroger's, up and down the aisles. That would be Phoenix. Ms. Phoenix was rescued by a dog trainer who just happened to be shopping at the time.

"This was Phoenix’s lucky night – she was rescued and taken to safety. Once she was looked at more closely, it was evident that the poor girl had just had kerosene poured down her back. Since it was just before Halloween, there is no telling what could have happened next.

"Phoenix is a young adult – about one year old. She has those beautiful brindle stripes and appears to be a mix – maybe Lab, maybe Houston street terrier. Whatever she might be, she is a very loving girl for what she has been through. She has very good manners when walking on a leash and seems to be willing to get along with most people and dogs. Phoenix has attended several training classes and seems to catch on easily – but then she is a female!

"She has recently been spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped and she is almost healed from the kerosene burns – so she is ready to fit into someone’s life and become a faithful companion."

She's currently in the care of Scout's Honor. Her adoption fee is $125 and you'll have to pass an audition. To ask about adopting this grocery store dog, e-mail [email protected] or call 713-446-7469.

DALLAS GROCERY DOG: Here's an update on Faith Quintana's attempt to find help for a dog that's living on the parking lot at a Minyard Grocery Store at Polk and Camp Wisdom. "Situation is still the same!  I go feed her, but am unable to catch her!  Just wish there was someone with a miracle way to catch her.  I've tried the trap, with no luck!  When I go to see her, she's happy to see me, just too cautious to come close. I just don't know what to do anymore for her!  The winter will be setting in & will be getting colder!  Wish I knew where she slept at, at night!" (If you can help Faith with this project, e-mail her at [email protected].)

OVERHEARD IN A FORT WORTH GIFT SHOP: Three women were chatting as they perused items in a nice gift shop just west of downtown Fort Worth. One said, "Did you hear that if you put an egg in a cup of water and a cell phone on either side of the cup and leave the phones on and come back in an hour the egg will be boiled?"

And one of the women replied, "Good thing I don't have two phones. I'm just half-fried."

Monday: Mutts and movies...

Here we are on the Monday after the long Thanksgiving weekend and not one of us has gained a pound even though my kitchenspouse Martha made two chocolate pies worthy of international recognition by whomever is in charge of international pie recognition.

When I say "gained a pound," of course, I don't mean that we held it to just one pound. Two might have been gained. One per pie. OK, back to work:
HOLIDAY HONORS: Companions For Life, the pro-education animal group, is again teaming with some local Starbucks locations to simultaneously honor animal friends and raise money to help protect animals by making people smarter.

Three Starbucks -- Preston/Beltline, Preston/Northwest Highway and Shiloh/Arapaho -- are displaying CFL's Tribute Trees.

We get the information from our pal Rebecca Poling, the CFL president. "For a small donation to our humane education programs, we will illuminate a white light in memory of a person or pet who has passed on, or a red light in honor of a person or pet who still graces our lives. We'll also fashion a beautiful holiday ornament for our Pet Tribute Tree using your personalized message and photo of your pet!"

The trees will be on display through New Year's Day. Donations are $10 per animal or human. All proceeds go to the CFL education and outreach programs -- the goal is "No More Disposable Pets."

To order an ornament online, go to the www.companionsforlife.org.

RECOMMENDED READING: Yep, here's some a reading tip that involves the law. The American Bar Association Journal's November edition takes a look at animal law. It opens with an anecdote about a lawyer getting emotionally involved in an animal case. Dog may be man's best friend, but sometimes both of them may need a lawyer. Here' the LINK, Be sure to thank the ABA for taking the time to explore this element of legal responsibility.

Animal issues have been ignored for so many years by folks outside the rescue world that it is encouraging to see a trend developing.

LOOKING FOR A DOG, FINDING A CREEP: The important note here is that Judi Brown is still looking for Tripp, her big white/blonde male Lab/Great Pyr mix. They'd just moved from Lake Tawakoni into the Carrollton/Farmers Branch area on Nov. 12 when Tripp "got out" on Nov. 13.

"He is my best friend," Judi says. (If you know Tripps' whereabouts, call 214-906-9169 or 214-215-1987 or e-mail [email protected]. This photo of Tripp is 2 years old, but he looks about the same, maybe a little more Labbish than Pyr.)

Now, some of you readers may be familiar with what's known to some as the "Trucker's Con." A dog or cat goes missing, people post notices and a few days later someone pretending to be a trucker calls to say they picked up the pet and had to get on the road and took the animal with them. They're off somewhere else, but will be happy to airfreight the animal home -- just send some money via Western Union where it can be picked up by someone who knows the "secret word" that only the two of them will know.. The goodhearted desperate soul sends the money and no plane arrives, no pet is returned and the money is gone. The bad guy escapes.

In this case, Judi got the following note:

"Hello Judi Brown,
            We will like to inform you that your missing pet as been found, We have been feeding the pet since we have found the pet, so we want you to get back to us on how to pick it up from our pet home, We want you to provide us with these information below...
Full Name.................................
Full Adderess................................
Pet  Name.....................................
Phone Number.................................
Thanks
Managemen (cq)

Are you with a shelter or rescue group?"

You can tell there wasn't much care given spelling in that note. The next note from the people who claimed to have Tripp reads:

"Hello Judi Brown, Thanks for your good mail, We are going to take the pet to the address you send to us, but before that you will have to pay the sum of $350 because we have been feeding Tripp since we have found Tripp, so we want you to get back to us on how to make the payment for us, so that we can get Tripp ship to your house,  Hope to here back from you soon, Thanks Management."

Obviously, folks, any caring individual would simply have said, "Come get your dog" or "We'll bring this dog to you to see if it's yours." Good hearts don't talk cash up front.

Judi has been advised to contact the authorities about this exchange. Maybe some smart cop can build a good case against some low-rent con artist.

HALTEMAN'S DOG: Last week we reported that Halteman's Haven, primarily a cat rescue outfit, is shutting down. Turns out there's a dog in the crowd.

Shay is a 4-month-old female terrier mix who was acquired from the Irving Animal Shelter by the Halteman's folks. The energetic dog is healthy, microchipped and ready to go -- no adoption fee, just a promise of a good home. To audition to adopt Shay, call Keli at 972-375-8709 or 214-321-6916 or e-mail [email protected].

THE OKLAHOMA MASTIFF: Terry Lynn Fisher, the tireless monitor of the Burns Flat., Okla., city pound, also keeps an eye on other things and she spotted a note on "Oklahoma City Freecycle" about this big ol' dog.

So, Terry called and the woman "has agreed to let me pull this dog if I can find a safe place for him."

So, Terry Lynn's looking for a safe place for this big rascal of a dog.

"If you have a spot for him, let me know ASAP," she writes. "I will get him and help get him to you. I worry about these big dogs." To offer to help, e-mail [email protected].

Terry Lynn says he's an older guy and "before he can be transported, we need to get some meat on those big old bones."

A BULLDOG MYSTERY -- CLEMENTINE IS FOUND: Back on the afternoon of Nov. 13, we ran a note that Clementine the Bulldog had vanished from her White Rock Lake area home.

She was gone and her bulldog buddy, Tater Tot, was left behind and was morose.

This is truly the season of miracles. Either someone's heart was touched or someone realized they didn't have the ability to take care of a bulldog or....well, who knows?

Shelia Sexton sent us a note over the Thanksgiving weekend it that read, "Just wanted to let you know that as mysteriously as she vanished, Clementine the bulldog reappeared in the fenced backyard Sunday. We have no idea where she was. We're just glad she's back."

MOVIE REVIEWS: We've been remiss on doing movie reviews because we haven't had time to go to movies -- it takes a lot of time to fill out the loan papers when you're trying to buy a Coke and a bag of popcorn at the concession stand. Whew. If those people owned filling stations, Congress would have a standing committee staging an investigation of the prices.

Anyway, my cinemaspouse Martha and  I have recently broken free of our moorings and careened into theaters. What we've seen and what we saw:

    Michael Clayton: Yes, see it. Intriguing, but violent. Great performances. And the camera loves George Clooney. But he's pretty darned good, too. As are Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton.

   American Gangster: See it if you don't mind violence and you don't mind that Russell Crow runs like he's wearing heels -- I don't see how you can run like that and have a reputation for being a brawler. Denzel is always great so you can overlook some things in the movie -- like how dismal it makes the '60s and early '70s look and how bad the fashions look. Oh, my.

    Fred Claus: If you have a kid or grandkid, it's a good two-hour excursion away from shopping and you might even laugh, but not a whole lot. Paul Giamatti, as Santa, is, as usual, spot on. It's not as good as the first Tim Allen Santa Clause, but miles ahead of the next two.

    No Country For Old Men: If you value your sanity and you don't want to waste a couple of hours without a legit payoff, don't see this movie. I'm surprised they don't have the Jaws theme playing every time the Really Bad Guy appears on screen. If you are tempted to go to this movie, be aware that at the end you'll wonder if the Coen Brothers stepped aside and allowed the final segments to be written and directed by The Sopranos' David Chase.

Save your money and watch Stranger Than Fiction again or Three Days of the Condor  -- or, if you need a Denzel movie, Inside Man or Devil in the Blue Dress.

The only reason a person should see No Country For Old Men is to listen to Tommy Lee Jones say things native Texans have heard their uncles and aunts and parents say all their lives. This may be part of why out-of-state reviewers have fallen for this thing. The "Aw, isn't that cute for the frontier" syndrome. Or, maybe these reviewers are just nostalgic for some lame-as-a-three-legged-mule-at-a-hoedown Dan Ratherisms.

Sorry, folks, it's just not worth the investment -- I'm surprised "Spurting Blood" wasn't second or third in the cast list. These ol' boys ud just aim the camera at a hole squirtin' blood instead of havin' some crusty ol' West Texas character point at the wound and mumble, "Goldang, if we could git awl to gush like that, we'd all be rich."

Holiday sleepers and musings...

The traditions of Thanksgiving are many in the United States.

Chief among them is the nap, as demonstrated here by a chubby cocker named Inky and his feline friend, Poirot, the madcap cat.

Why do we own a sofa? So the animals will have another place to sleep besides the chairs and bed.

These two, Poirot and Inky, know how many Americans celebrate Thanksgiving:

Eat food, complain about overeating, tune TV to football game, nap.

Thanks, by the way, to all the good cooks -- they deserve the naps. But, of course, the rest of us, full as ticks, just can't stay awake. Try to hold the racket down while you do the dishes, please.

Yeah, we've got it really rough in America. Ha. For crying out loud we should realize we're living in a place where things are so good we ought to be happy not just to pay taxes but to kick in a tip for our favorite members of Congress, bless their hearts. Wait. I may have gone too far with that tip thing.

Back to reality: Some people have a tradition of getting up on Thanksgiving and running in a footrace -- in Dallas it is the Turkey Trot. There may be such Trots in other cities.

There probably isn't a Pigfoot Gallop for people who don't eat turkey but love a good ham and tend to waddle and snort when they exercise. And I'm almost certain there isn't a Tofu Trot for people who don't eat meat -- though an ideal name for a footrace for vegetarians would be "Lettuce Run."

For those of us who tend to be inert, there is television. Football, of course, and heartwarming motion pictures.

Some of you may be too young to remember a tradition that occurred as recently as the early 1990s. The movie, It's a Wonderful Life, had inexplicably wound up in the public domain. That meant that cheap broadcasters (Is there any other kind?) could show it over and over during the holiday season without having to pay royalties. So for years and years, until a clever lawyer found the pertinent clause in copyright law, stations would show It's a Wonderful Life repeatedly from Thanksgiving until beyond Christmas. Nowadays, only NBC has rights to televise the film. Of course, in the era of videotape and DVD, you can watch It's a Wonderful Life any time you want to watch it -- and you can not only watch it in the original black and white, but in a colorized version. Though, of course, black-and-white is the way to go. The traditional way.

Traditionally, we really celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States. Football, food, fun and family. And if you don't have a family the rest of the year, somebody will try to make sure you feel as if you have one. They'll yell at you for being insensitive or ungrateful -- wait, I'm kidding about that family tendency.

Now, another Thanksgiving tradition is that the holiday stretches for at least four days. Isn't that a good thing?

And in honor of that tradition, we're going to stretch our traditional weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap over the next four days, unless, of course, something newsy occurs and then we'll break in with an on-line bulletin.

My funspouse Martha and I might just take a couple of days and go to movies or shop or contemplate things such as the presidential election, the fate of mankind and the pitching hopes of the Texas Rangers. (That last one is mine -- Martha isn't all that serious about the hometown team and sometimes I'm not so sure that the franchise front office is serious, either.)

You'll note that today we've included some family photos: That's Inky, the Cocker Laureate of Texas, and his pal Poirot taking it easy on the family couch in a sunny window.

They are saving up their energy for their Day After Thanksgiving Tradition -- the madcap shopping spree that launches the Christmas buying season. Inky and Poirot love to hit the malls -- but afterward, all they do is complain about the parking.

On Saturday, they will nap some more, go over their checkbooks, take another look at their credit cards and get back into the fray.

And on Sunday, they will rest.

Speaking of rest, Hammy is a dog of several poses and you can see a couple here. He has the pink tongue-red sofa pose -- if you look carefully you'll see that the ol' gent has just a bit of his tongue nudging out of his lips as he dreams about being able to help serve holiday dinners. And, he also has that big green chair look -- that's what he looks like about midway through the first half of a Dallas Cowboys game. Can you relate? He just sort of falls over and assumes someone will wake him if something important happens.

The solid black cat is Annabelle Bob, direct spiritual descendant of the late Bob the Cat. Martha got Annabelle Bob six weeks after Bob died -- Annabelle Bob was a tiny kitten standing in the middle of Zang Boulevard as the traffic bore down on her. She ran off the road into a yard and under a bush. Martha did a Starsky & Hutch skid to a halt, got out, went to the bush, called for the kitten and she came out, Martha picked her up and they came home together. It was quickly apparent that Bob was back with the true love of his life. Too many similarities in personality and comfort with Martha to discount the theory of reincarnation.

You see Inky the Cocker Spaniel in assorted sleeping poses. "Sleep" seems to be his natural state, unless it's mealtime.

That is Rosie, the Chihuahua-mix sitting on the arm of the couch.

Due to my expert handling of the camera, she appears to be trapped in a dream sequence with Hammy and either Annabelle or Poirot -- can't tell from this angle which cat has curled up in a dream-sequence nap.

So, for this long weekend, these are the featured pals in our weekly spotlight of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

They're not always enjoying a slumber. Sometimes they are awake and counseling us through our day -- after all, they are licensed. It is often wise counsel, i.e., "Never mind your petty problems, serve the food and move on with life."

Just like the theme of Thanksgiving and the entire weekend of leftovers. Serve the food and move on. Eat, nap, eat, nap, eat, nap. Exercise. Sorry, didn't mean to scare you with that sudden introduction of "exercise" -- the oft-ignored tradition.

Fortunately, I have insomnia, so I do get exercise -- from tossing and turning.

(If you'd like to have your dogs and cats or horses and goats or cows and pigs or any other family friend featured in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, please send the photos and the info to [email protected]. We're proud to publicize your pals. And we always are envious of any being that knows how to embrace a good slumber.)

Maggie, musing & dressing for the holiday

There was a dressing mishap at our house last night.

I was away for about an hour and when I checked back, my sugar'n'spicespouse Martha, a sensational cook at all levels, was in a fine sweat. Nearly a dither.

Yes, a dressing mishap. What? No, not clothing dressing. Holiday dressing.

Before we explain, , we need to take care of some other business.

THE ADOPTION OF A GOOD DOG: When we first met this dog just a couple of days ago, her name was Tess. She was in the Rockwall Animal Shelter after being treated for a mangled paw.

You may recall that the description of her discovery was that someone heard a dog howling in pain in a ditch and when rescuers showed up, there was Tess.

Chris Valentine, the Rockwall Animal Shelter manager, got word out about Tess needing a good home to tend to her paw and to make sure she was safe.

Enter Mark Heymann. That's him sitting proudly with the dog formerly known as Tess, now known as Maggie and now living with Mark in the Addison/Carrollton area..

Here's how this match happened.

Mark writes, "I lost my dog of 13 years six months ago and knew that I would just know the right dog when I saw him/her. 

"My heart bled when I saw Maggie (aka: Tess – The Wonder Dog) with her paw bandaged and read the story over and over.  How could someone not love that dog, not look for her, not worry that something had happened to her. One look in her eyes and I could see what a good loving heart she had.  I have loved dogs all my life. They are often much more loyal and better companions then most people.

"Disclaimer: I have been blessed with finding that rare breed of people in Terri my girlfriend (honestly).

"I also know that Maggie will grow with us as a family and be in as many photo albums as we can fill as part of our lives.  ... Her paw is healing well.  I take her to the vet every 3 days for a fresh bandage and ointment.  I also put her on antibiotics immediately. She is starting to apply pressure on her foot again so things look bright."

So, readers, there's a good story to start your Thanksgiving celebration. And doesn't that dog look like a natural in the sporty ragtop? Maggie, homeward bound, and happy to be riding shotgun.

HOW ABOUT THOSE COOKBOOKS? Just FYI as we enter the cooking season. John Harper of Paws in the City tells me there are "plenty" of those special cookbooks left -- the ones that benefit Paws and Metroplex Animal Coalition. (There's an ad on the right side of this page.) They make great gifts and they also make great tools in the kitchen.

And, just fyi, my sweetspouse Martha's once carefully guarded chocolate chip cookie recipe is in the book. These are legendary cookies. We don't know what their shelf-life is -- they're always gone before it's time to put them on a shelf.

THE DRESSING: So, as I began today's report, Martha was having a dressing mishap. She was preparing some cornbread dressing for Thursday's big feast and she tasted it. To her horror, it was sweet. Too sweet.

And when I called she'd just hit on the solution: Have Larry go to a grocery store on his way home and buy corn meal to mix in with the recipe and .. Well, it's like gravity or radio -- I'm not sure how it works. But Martha says it'll be just fine and it won't be too sweet.

This is, by the way, vegetarian dressing -- made with vegetable broth, lots of onion, celery, assorted seasonings, evaporated milk and eye of newt.

Wait, don't follow that recipe. I think I've mixed something up. Eye of newt isn't a vegetable. I'm pretty certain.

At any rate, you may recall that I began yesterday's report with a vow that I would not go to a grocery store on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I've made that mistake before. It's a madhouse. People are lunatics. It's like every angry freeway driver decided to shop at the same time.

So, on Tuesday night, around 10 p.m., I found myself with just a few items -- paper towels, soft drinks and two small bags of corn meal (one white, one yellow) -- in the fast lane at my local Fiesta mart. But it was not the fast lane. The other four open lanes were not all that fast because lots of shoppers were getting an early jump. Foiled again, I thought. No matter what happens, I'm in a glacial line.

I was third in line behind a woman who had a bunch of meat and an expectant woman who had a few purchases of candy and things an expectant woman might crave in the middle of the night -- Gummy Bears, for example.

The woman with all the meat was paying with plastic and somehow the machine misread something and froze. I thought our cashier was going to weep.

But, five minutes later, all gadgets happily rebooted, we were all happily anticipating a quick checkout.

The expectant lady moved swiftly through the process -- she tried to pay with exact change, but the weary checker had already made change for a large bill and both agreed to just move on.

Then it was finally my turn and as the checker was scanning my items, I asked, "Do you have to work Wednesday."

"Yes," she nodded. "It'll be a rough day."

But she seemed up for it. She was upbeat, though I thought I detected a hint of a tear in her eye at the thought of the lines that will be forming today.

I couldn't face them as a customer -- I don't know how any employee can face them without a periodic breakdown or a periodic shot of a calming elixir.

So, readers, as you finish this item today, I'd like for you to say a special prayer for the grocery store checkers.

May their registers never freeze, may they need no price-checks, may the bagging clerks be omnipresent and vigorous and may, at the end of the day, they find themselves happy to have enjoyed a key part of the American holiday. Oh, yeah: May all the customers be so nice that it's a pleasure to work on such a busy day.

Enjoy your holiday, too, dear readers.

As Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, writes:

Honor each tasty bite,

but be careful with what you choose

If you eat too many good things

You soon won't see your shoes.

Yes, that is Inky giving us his impression of the Mayflower Mascot, Rebel the Plymouth Pig, racing into a New England meeting hall and spotting a big ol' steaming platter of Mom's Miles Standish Mayflower Meatloaf. No Thanksgiving is complete without it, pilgrim.