Welcome to Winter, 2013 (arrives 11:11 a.m. Central time). Warm up with this story.
An explanation from Larry the Typer, not Larry the Dog: That phrasing will become clear shortly and you’ll see how both my funspouse Martha and I are more than flattered!
I’ve been saving this one for a few weeks -- I thought it would be a great presentation for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap for the weekend before Christmas.
No Christmas trees in the photos, no reindeer, but there is definitely the spirit of giving (a home!) and one of the dogs is named for a right jolly ol’ fat man! And we actually do have a photo of ONE sleeping and some that would be asleep if their mom hadn’t convinced them to always be “camera ready”
The story comes from our pal Diane Combs, longtime companion to many animals. Some of you will recall her from her long devotion as an SPCA of Texas volunteer. Others will have seen her with an adorable dog at pet fairs, pet events, pet entertainment extravaganzas! She’s a supporter of things that benefit animals.
The words “good and decent” come to mind. She has written the story and I’m just the presenter today. And you’ll note that part of this is a story that began back when the holiday season was arriving -- the actual story began back
when a heart that loves animals was being formed.
Maybe there is something significant about this happening during the holiday season -- like, maybe, the goodness involved when someone opens a home up to an animal that needs one.
As you can see from the photo I posted first, there is a meeting of hearts in this household.
That second photo is Diane's Martha meeting my smilespouse Martha on a nice sunny day. And the photo on the right is Larry, one of the key canine characters in this story of matching up a dog and a human.
Here is the story from Diane:
MY DOGS - LARRY & MARTHA
“I've had 4 or 5 dogs for several years.
“About three years ago, I decided that my next two dogs would be named Larry & Martha.
“At that point, I had four dogs, and I was not actively seeking a fifth dog. Then one day two years ago, I saw a picture of a 6 1/2-year-old female terrier mix in Larry's column who tore at my heartstrings. [That's her on the left.]
“Not only was she the spitting image of a male dog I had lost due to congestive heart failure, but also she was needing a new home because her owner (a man) had recently died of lung cancer. My dad had also recently died of lung cancer. I knew when I saw that picture, ‘That's my Martha.’
“Later, after I brought her home, my great aunt who is from Mississippi said ‘She's so gentle, and she's like a southern lady. I think she should be called Martha Belle.’
“My male dog that she resembled so much had been named Jingles, so I thought ‘Belle’ was appropriate. She then officially became Martha Belle.
“Early last month, my oldest dog died- Fred, a dachshund. He would have turned 16 years old in January. Of course it was a very sad occasion, and I miss him a lot, but I knew that left an opening for my Larry. [Aside: That group photo from several years ago shows Ginger, Margo and Betty Lou in the front row and the adorable Fred in his happy place on the back of the couch.]
“I looked up the website of the same agency where I adopted Fred - DFW Dachshund Rescue -- and viewed their adoptable dogs. One in particular caught my eye. His name was 'Hero' at the time [that's his Hero photo on the left] and he was estimated to be about two years old. He had been picked up as a stray - emaciated and flea-infested.
“He spent two weeks at the Dachshund Rescue vet and then went into foster care. When I met him for the first time, we clicked - mutual love.
“I knew he was my Larry, and I was hoping to become his hero. I brought him home the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the rest of my gang accepted him with no problems, including Martha.
“He's so sweet and cute and funny. He's a real card and makes me laugh - just like our one and only Larry P. I'm so glad I finally have my Larry & Martha in honor of two wonderful people.”
[LARRY P. ASIDE: Thank you, Diane! Look, I'm not all that swell, certainly can't measure up to any dog on the planet! But I keep trying. If you can be as good as a dog, there's bound to be a halo in your future!]
EN ROUTE TO THE HAPPY ENDNG
Now, those of us who know Diane were blessed with her frequent updates on the patient process of making sure this dog would be her Larry. i.e., her next adoption.
I have saved a sampling of those notes and will include photographs and maybe a wisecrack or two.
What all this shows is that the human thought process can actually benefit animals. The trick is getting some humans to activate their thought processes on behalf of the animals. Diane happens to link her thought process to her heart -- making sure not just that the dog is a good fit for her, but, imporantly, that she is a good fit for the dog!
You know, having an animal named after you puts a lot of pressure on the human! You have to behave and excel, to mention two challenges! As an example of the prsssure, I got a note about Larry the Dog from a pal of Diane’s and a Readlarrypowell.com tipster (Support those Carrolton animals!), Linda Grabel.
She wrote, “I just met your namesake this past weekend. He is full of spunk so you may have to liven it up just a bit to be deserving of the honor.”
See! The pressure is on!
Back during the early part of the adoption process (on Nov. 27), Larry was staying with a foster home and Diane reported that his foster mom explained, “He likes to steal your socks if you leave them out, but he doesn't chew them up - just takes them to the den and puts them under the coffee table.”
I quickly explained to Diane, “That sock thing is what makes this Larry a splendid household companion! It was clear from the start that he was a nearly perfect dog, but, respect for socks, well, now if only we could teach Congress...” and I signed the note, “Larry ‘Owner of Many Socks That No Longer Match’ Powell.”
That inspired Diane’s friend Colleen Gasiorowski (who lives in Philadelphia -- we once had lunch with her at Norma's in Oak Cliff!) to respond, “As a knitter of many socks out of scrap yarn, most of my socks don't match. Knitting socks can be philosophical. So here is some philosophy. Congress should learn that life, and legislation, doesn't have to be perfect. It should be good enough to help people. One rule of Congress should be ‘Do No Harm,’ like doctors. Though perfectly matched socks are nice, mismatched socks also do the job of helping people by keeping their feet warm and dry. I always say that I wish I could teach Congress to knit. It would help immensely in learning to get along.”
See, a dog who “moves” socks inspires some knitting philosophy!
That day Diane’s letter was sweeping in content. And ultimately, Kathleen Coleman of DFW Dachshund Rescue said everything was positive about Larry the dog except he was reluctant to go outside when it was cold! (Larry the Human aside: I can relate!)
Diane listed the dog’s “positives” for her friends.
“1. He's gained a little weight. Now you can still feel his ribs but not see them. He's really handsome.
“2. He loves toys but doesn't destroy them.
“3. He likes to steal your socks if you leave them out, but he doesn't chew them up - just takes them to the den and puts them under the coffee table.
“4. He's not a yapper. The main time he barks is if there's a dog on TV (like Martha does).
“5. He's not an alpha dog (good!).
“6. He's very smart.
“7. He's a very good dog and very happy.
“8. He's a snuggler. He doesn't mind sleeping in the bed, but he gets a little restless. He actually prefers sleeping in his crate.
“9. He's a lover - such a good little guy. He knows his name - comes to ‘Larry’.
[Larry the Human aside: As you can see, Larry and I nearly twins. I’ve gained weight, I like toys, I’ll pick up stray socks, I’m not a yapper, I’m no alpha dog (Martha’s the alphasdogspouse), I’m very smart (that’s why I’m so rich), I obey and am very happy, I’m a snuggler and enjoy my own crate, I know my name. I was a lover when I was younger but, well, now I’m a snuggler unless I’m reading or watching TV. See, we're just nearly twins. Oh, and that's Larry the dog doing some backyard chair-lounging with a pal at his foster's home.]
Lisa, Larry’s foster. told Diane that Larry would be going home with a nice fleece “Christmas blankie.” She said, “He loves his blankies. He doesn’t burrow under them, but he likes to make a nest and have them all around him when he lies down.
Of course, once he discovered a "canine companion," apparently the “blankie” was second preference when it came to snuggling up in the recliner or on the couch.
We also got these pre-adoption notes:
On November 11, Diane sent this note:
“I was perusing the DFW Dachshund Rescue website last week and was drawn to ‘Hero.‘ ... He was picked up as a stray and brought to a shelter in Cleburne. Dachshund Rescue took him out of the shelter and took him straight to their vet on October 25th. They said he was ‘emaciated, flea-infested, and had skin conditions (probably due to the fleas).’ He is STILL at their vet. They gave him a thorough flea treatment and have been feeding him a quality dog food to get some weight on him, but now he has kennel cough.
“As soon as he's over the kennel cough, he can go to his foster home - which hopefully will be this week. He will have to stay there awhile for them to get him settled in and be able to do a thorough evaluation of his behavior - plus they want to make sure he is healthy before adopting him out, but I'm at the top of their list. Because I adopted Fred & Myrtle from that agency, they know me, and they are waiving ALL red tape - no application, no approval process, no home visit, etc. I'm already approved right off the bat through Kathleen - the head of rescue.
“Kathleen said that their vet said, ‘He's a wonderful dog.’ Awww.
“Anyway - the plan is for me to go meet him once he gets settled in his foster home... possibly over the Thanksgiving holidays. If we click, then hopefully I can take him home in December. I'm REALLY hope we do click. I just love him already from his picture, but he may be totally different in person.”
She ended that note with, “I may have my Larry before Christmas, but only if I feel that connection. I know I felt it immediately when I met Martha Belle. I'm just hoping for that same feeling.”
On November 15, Kathleen sent Diane a note that read, “Hero slept quietly in his crate next to our bed all night. He likes to be warm and have blankets (no surprise). He met all the dogs this morning and did well with them.
“The vet gave him a birthdate of 10/24/11, which makes him 2 years old. Remember, he is a stray so vet has to estimate age of the dog. But giving an assigned birthdate gives a baseline from which to work going forward in terms of a future vet recommending any needed ‘age based’ care.”
lso arriving in the email, was this link to a YouTube of the dog then known as Hero. Click HERE.
On November 16, Diane out a situationer note: “Just got back from taking Myrtle to meet Hero - whose official name is now Larry. It's so appropriate because Larry Powell is such a hero to animals in need.”
[LARRY THE HUMAN ASIDE: Hang on, I’m blushing! I’m hiding behind my Christmas blankie with Inky the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas who just said, “Sheesh, don't get cocky. Anybody with thumbs can open dog food.”]
Diane’s note continues, “When Myrtle and I walked into Kathleen's house, she said ‘Wow - Myrtle looks GREAT. You've really done a good job with her.’
“Then Kathleen went to get Hero. When I saw him, I knew IMMEDIATELY he was the one, and I wasn't surprised after seeing the video she had sent me on Thursday night. He's so cute and friendly. I picked him up and he did exactly what Myrtle had done when I originally picked her up at Kathleen's house about 4 1/2 yrs ago - gave me a kiss. Awww. And he never made a peep when I came in, so like Kathleen said, he appears NOT to be a real barker - good!
“Myrtle and Hero also hit it off right off the bat. They played and played. They are about three years apart. I do believe Myrtle has a new best bud....”
It was at this point -- Diane paid the fee and signed the papers -- that “Hero” began making the name transition to Larry.
“He's so ENERGETIC!,” Diane wrote. “But he's young - right around 2 years old. He's a love and so good with people and dogs, just like Kathleen had said. I think he'll work out great. For what all he's been through health-wise, and who knows what else, he seems very well adjusted and happy.”
She ended this note with “I found myself smiling all the way home.”
Diane attached the photos of Kathleen holding Myrtle and Larry and of Myrtle and Larry bonding.
On November 23, we got a photo of Larry on the bed with Lisa's two other dogs. Diane wrote, “The best shot is of Larry - but I'm not prejudiced!”
On November 18, she sent a photo and wrote, “I thought this was really cute of him (and his big ears). Lisa said "He's a hoot. He runs and runs and runs and plays and then he crashes. I am going out to Lisa's house this coming Sunday afternoon for another visit with Larry. Can't wait.” [LARRY THE HUMAN ASIDE: Yes, it was a good visit, as we see!]
On December 1, Diane wrote that her friend Cookie “wrote this note ...asking about Larry's favorite gal. I replied saying it seems to be Betty Lou because they play together a LOT. It had to be less than a minute after I replied to her when they started to play.”
As you can see in this photo, they played vigorously and Diane provides more evidence that Larry is an “Earhound” by writing, “Note Larry’s ‘Dumbo‘ ears.”
Then, North Texas got an ice storm and, on December 6, Diane wrote, “I put his new little sweater on, picked him up, carried him outside, put him in the chair, took 3 photos (this was the best one), gave him a treat, picked him up, and carried him back inside. You can see that his tail is kinda between his legs because he was COLD !”
And, now, Dear Readers, I’m going to close this tribute to Larry the Doxie with this copy of what Diane refers to as “Larry’s first group shot.”Front row, left to right, are Betty Lou and Myrtle. Second Row, left to right are Ginger, Martha Bell and Larry.
Betty Lou and Ginger came from the SPCA. Myrtle and Larry came from DFW Dachshund Rescue and Martha was adopted because of a story we wrote in 2011.
And, when you look at that group shot, there is no doubt in my mind at all that the beloved Fred, an SPCA rescue, is smiling and thinking, “Nice choice.”
My monikerspouse Martha and I are more than honored to have these two pups called by our names. And, rather than say that the dogs have our names, I think we'll just happily say we have the dogs' names and we're trying to live up to the challenge!
[Nominate your slumbering critters for the happy spotlight of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie and Napping Cats Nap by emailing photo or photos and inpho or inphos to dallrp@aol.com. Insomniacs, of course, will take heart in knowing that sleep can be induced by properly wrapping yourself in a blankie. A slumberblankie. As seen on TV, I think.]
