ReadLarryPowell.com

BIRDIE ON HER BOARD!

Birdie came to the attention of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap because our longtime pal and the relentless animal rescuer Della Wallace is enamored of this dog. 


Example? After several emails about this Lewisville dog and the dog's human, Della sent one more. It read, “I forgot to mention that Birdie ‘High Fives’.’’
And, as you may have guessed from that sweeping opening photograph, Birdie does more than high fives.  Click HERE to watch the video! 
There is a poignant story behind the matchup of this dog Birdie and her human, Shane Allison. (He’s also enamored of Birdie and snaps photos of her in her favorite element, lake water, at Lake Lewisville!)

Shane tells the story of this great relationship:

“I had just lost my best friend (a blue heeler named Tuco) of 18 years when a good friend of mine started sending me pictures of a blue bulldog that someone close to her needed to re-home.


“I wasn't fond of the idea of getting a new dog or even adopting an animal period. In my opinion -- at the time -- you had to start a dog as a puppy to get the bond and obedience I wanted out of a pet. 
“To make a long story short I agreed to meet the family and they brought Birdie out to meet me on a Sunday morning.
“I immediately fell in love with her and decided to take her in.

“During her probation period I noticed how good she was with other animals, children and adults, as well. 


“Originally she was crate-trained but being outside of the city limits I decided to give her a chance at roaming and opened up the dog door. With the help of very good friends and neighbors she has become a neighborhood favorite and has made friends with all of the neighbors and neighborhood children.
“I live in a waterfront home so I was very concerned with her muscle mass and being able to be around the water. I was very surprised when she began swimming after toys and later just to enjoy a swim. 

“She now rides a paddle board with me when I go out and even swims out to greet the boat when we come in from a day on the lake. 

“I recently got her out Wakesurfing which you've seen in the video. For anyone that says Bulldogs can't swim they should check out Birdie.
"She's a truly amazing animal. Certainly the most loyal dog I have ever had.”

And, of course, to qualify for inclusion in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, we need a slumbering critter.
There she is, Birdie, turned upside-down and out like a light on one of Shane’s shoes. She’s adorable and aquatic. How many of us can claim that!

 [NOMINATE A  CRITTER for the spotlight of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap by sending photos and inpho, er, info to [email protected]. Remember, we post the photos of slumbering animals to remind people that love comes in assorted packages and to give hope to insomniacs that they, too, can finally get some sleep if they can just find the right sneaker to use as a pillow.]
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The poetry, pups and cats of life...

EDITION OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2016 (PetPowellPress) -- Oops. Thursday was National Bad Poetry Day.
We have this one left in the papers of the great Inky, the late Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas. (Still looking for a major university to fund The Inky Literary & Cocker Library. Bids are coming in.) Here’s Inky’s Bad Poetry Day Poem from years gone by. It is called “AN APOLOGY FOR FORGETTING.”

Forgive us, yes!

Give us a pass!

When it comes to  bad poetry
I am one forgetful as-
...pirational spaniel.
[LARRY ASIDE: Yes, that is bad poetry. Don’t blame Inky. He had higher standards than yours truly.]

THE WORD FROM EULESS IS “HELP”

We got this note from Karen Lee, the animal advocate who works on behalf of the Trinity Gap Rescue, the group that grew out of the civic-mindedness of the Euless Trinity High School Girls Awareness Program. 
This organization partners with the Euless Animal Shelter to help foster and adopt animals. We’ve citing just three of several that are in need of homes. Karen sent photos of several and you can see them at trinitygaprescue.org. To offer to adopt one, email [email protected]. Or contact the Euless Animal Shelter at 817-685-1594. The shelter, closed on Sundays, is at 1517 Westpark Way in Euless.
That first dog is #16720, an American Staffordshire Mix -- came in as a stray -- who is known as Barkley or Sir Barks-a-Lot. (He came in with a dog named Augie.) Barkley is a barker, sweet, likes to pay, has a lot of energy and needs some training. 

Then there’s Diamond, #16723, a girl who came in as a stray but, clearly, has an understanding of her relationship with the camera. 


And the Springer Spaniel Mix is #16713, Spencer, who has a spectacular look with one black ear and one ear that loos like it’s been highlighted by a Hollywood hairdresser.

The dog has an array of markings on her silky hair that GAP describes as “incredible.”

[LARRY ASIDE: Spencer was a stray. Nobody came to claim him. Is that not amazing? Does that not inspire the question, “What in the heck is wrong with people?”]


NEEDS BELLY RUBS; NEEDS A HOME


Amy Poskey can pick ‘em. Spots those extraordinary dogs week after week and agrees with the rest of us that all dogs are extraordinary, of course. Now and then one gets to her -- like this guy at the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter, for example. 


She writes, “I’m sending out this special plea for Josh cuz he melted my heart and broke my heart all at the same time.  In spite of his skin condition (allergies?), Josh is the sweetest boy you will ever meet!  I haven’t received any additional information on him, yet, but I do know that Josh was in ‘SAFE KEEPING’ at the shelter which usually means the dog’s human is homeless and ends up in jail or in the hospital. 
"Such a sad situation for both of them. Anyway, the shelter vet thinks Josh has skin allergies and may just need to be on special grain-free food.  He is ‘pleasantly plump’ but definitely needs a new diet.  Josh LOVES belly rubs and he LOVES snooting around out in the play yard! 
"The shelter has Josh posted as being a 5-8 yr young Golden/Basset mix but I think he looks more like a Flat-Coated Retriever mix.  He has the coloring, hair, and sweet face of a Flat-Coated Retriever, but he’s got short legs, so that all adds up to being absolutely precious!!!  You can’t go wrong with this sweetie pie!!!”
Josh is #65678. Call the shelter at 940-349-7594 or email  [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], and/or [email protected].
YET ANOTHER STRAY?
 AND A KITTEN?
Yes, Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek lake forwarded this note with the subject line “adorable Scottish-ish spayed dog needs new forever home please.”


The note begins, “Lela (what would YOU name her??) was found wandering in Athens -- no collar or microchip/very dirty and helpless...She is now spayed, vaccinated and ready for her new forever family. About 2 years old - weighs 19 lbs - is good with kids and other dogs...rescuer has housetrained her.”
The contact points are Chris Russell at 903-368-0028 or [email protected].
Remember, Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake operates the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas. The website is friendsoftheanimals.org.

Oh, and there’s a cat note, too.
Sydney writes, “This tiny 3-week old baby is in need of a foster or forever home...It's POSSIBLE that cat rescue would take her when she is old enough to be spayed and available for adoption.”


The contact is the rescuer, BreAunna Williams, who explains, “She is 3 weeks old abandoned by her mom. I can't care for her as she needs since I have a small baby.”
To offer to help this abandoned baby, email [email protected] or call 903-641-8576.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Texas weather. Entertaining at times. Grass sure got greener in a hurry. ... Favorite magazine. Wait, anybody read magazines? The New Yorker (read the handheld paper version or online?) So, OK, Texas Monthly? D Magazine? Fort Worth? Vanity Fair. National Geographic. Smithsonian. I do miss Premiere and Omni magazines. Too old to read MAD? ...  Anybody else miss the Commerce Street Newstand, down the street from Neiman Marcus? And, yes, it’s “newstand” not “newsstand.” You can look it up. In 1984, when the Republican convention was in town, a New York Times reporter described the Commerce Street Newstand as “where the aficionado of the printed word can find not only the great metropolitan newspapers, but also The Memphis Commercial Appeal and The Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, not to mention the football tip sheet and many another more recondite publication.” I had to look up “recondite” -- obscure. Heck, lots of newspapers appear headed for reconditity or reconditousness -- if either is the right way to spell it. Consumers have to remind those media companies that they’re still practicing honest journalism even if it is on a screen instead of a big sheet of cheap paper.
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Dogs, cats, new kittens and texts...

EDITION OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016 (PetPowellPress) -- Is it possible that Olympic gymnasts face the toughest judging outside of the Texas Criminal Justice System and the Westminster Kennel Club Show. Geez, gymnasts lose points if they throw themselves wildly through the air and then inadvertently hop on the high-pressure landing. Some of us can’t dismount an escalator without a hop. OK, let’s talk animals:
SPCA AND THE LOUISIANA DOGS

These are a couple of the dogs the SPCA of Texas has brought in from flood-ravaged Louisiana to free up space in shelters for rescued dogs.

The photos were taken before they left Louisiana for Texas on Wednesday.

These and more than 50 more dogs  were adoptables in Louisiana and, as soon as they’re checked out at the SPCA, they’ll be adoptables in North Texas.


You can go to spca.org to see how to get involved with the adoption process. Or how to donate. Or how to volunteer.
 
THE FACE OF A DOG ON THE CLOCK

Tomi Ortiz, our reliable Lancaster tipster, pointed us to Shirley on the Furbabies of Lancaster Facebook page.

The concensus of volunteers and people who have met her is “This is a GREAT pet! Someone go and adopt her NOW!!”

Why?
 Because she only got a reprieve until Thursday. 

The Furbabies folks wrote, “So sad to say we have NOTHING--No known hope for this precious girl! Time runs out TODAY [Friday]! Volunteer commented, Shirley is a volunteer favorite.
"She doesn't have an outgoing personality. She's a deep river, not a bubbling brook.
"But she looks at you with those soulful eyes and puts her head against your leg, and you know she is full of a love that just needs someone to give it to.
"We think she wasn't treated very well, may have been treated roughly. She looks at you to make sure she hasn't made you mad. She is sweet, gentle, and well behaved. She will make someone a wonderful forever Furbaby. $160 in pledges! PLEDGE! ADOPT!! FOSTER!! RESCUE!! DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO SAVE HER LIFE!! GO NOW!! Lancaster Texas Animal Shelter, 690 E Main St, Lancaster TX, open M-F 8am to noon and 1pm to 5pm. closed 12 to 1pm for lunch.” 

The shelter phone is 972-218-1210.

IF YOU WON LOTTO TEXAS...

How many Dallas Animal Services Animals would you adopt?
Of course, the reality is the easiest thing to do is, rather than wait for one of us to beat the odds, we simply find humans to adopt each animal and help that animal beat the odds.
I dropped in on the online DAS list of adoptables Wednesday afternoon and ran across these dogs and this cat wearing human pants and boots for his photograph. Perhaps that is an illusion. That cat is Milo (A952437).

Speaking of illusions, that dog with one blue eye and one brown eye is Gambit (A950220). Yep, one of scores and scores of apparently unwanted dogs at DAS.
As someone who bunks with a Rottie, it always surprises me when I see Rottweilers waiting for rescue or adoption at a shelter. Loyal, sweet, substantial heart-grabbing animals. Hugging a Rottie is a privilege. This is Frankie (A949727).
Pass these on to your friends who either don’t have an animal or don’t have enough animals. Give ‘em this link, too: dallasanimalservices.org. That’ll take them to adoptions, then to the PetFinder list of DAS animals.
Or, people can just drop by the DAS Shelter and Adoption Center at on Westmoreland at I-30. You can park, get out, walk in and meet animals in need. It’s not a secret establishment run by the CIA. It’s a taxpayer-financed public facility open to anyone who wants to come in and help an animal or get involved in helping the shelter help animals.
Gambit, by the way, looks like a very serious dog -- probably just needs some confidence in a loving human.
Surely there’s loving human in Dallas, Texas. Surely.


KITTENS ON THE SCREEN


This was a first for Readlarrypowell.com.
It also was a bit of a pleasant surprise from Take Me Home Pet Rescue. It arrived just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and was labeled BREAKING NEWS. Indeed, it was.
There’s a photo of what was going on -- as you can see, a couple of kittens were looking for Mom’s “spigots” after arriving during rush hour. 


The “Breaking News” note read, “Marmalade is having kittens right this minute! Head on over to her Facebook page  to check out the new arrivals as they enter this world. We are so pleased to be able to help Marmalade with what will be her very last litter ever. She certainly deserves retirement!”

As you can see from the poster below, Marmalade did have plans for the weekend, but we’re almost certain she’ll have other things going on and may be busy feeding during the Cupcakes & Kitten Shower from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the TMHPR Adoption Center, 561 W. Campbell Road, Suite 303, in Richardson.  Then again, maybe she’ll make a guest appearance with the kids. (Click on the art to make it grow like a kitten!)


CONTEMPLATIONS:  A  pre-noon text conversation with my son Bart at his job in Arlington. Kiddingly I texted “What r u doing” and he replied “Working. Busy today. Corp stuff.”
“Leave,” I typed. “Meet you at Candlelight Inn in Arlington for lunch. Bring money.”
“Stuck,” he replied responsibly.
“Oh, come on,” I responded. “U left college to go to Mexico for a party!”
And he replied, “You are NO party in Mexico.”
And that is how you know your son has matured.
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LOUISIANA/SPCA/RESCUE, DALLAS ANIMALS & A GENTLEMAN NAMED JOE

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, AUG. 17, 2016 (PetPowellPress) -- We’re touching on several things today, including a great photographer in Contemplations and efforts to help Louisiana animals and Dallas animals and a bake sale. 

SPCA’S LOUISIANA PROJECT
It’s like old times, isn’t it, Katrina victims and Katrina helpers? No hurricane this time, but a lot of water and some pressure on shelters. The SPCA of Texas is working with the Humane Society of the United States to bring more than 50 dogs from Companion Animal Alliance in Baton Rouge to the SPCA’s West Dallas facility Wednesday afternoon. The SPCA says the dogs were available for adoption before the flooding, so bringing them to Texas frees up kennel space at the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter and the Companion Animal Alliance so they can serve as “emergency shelters for evacuees’ pets.”
Go to spca.org to see how to help by donating or volunteering -- or (how about this!) adopting!
AH, THE GREAT CAT CLUB BAKE SALE!

Just didn’t want anybody to miss a calorie on Friday when President Ron Kendricks and other members of The Cat Club at Cathedral Gardens Senior Living host their first annual bake sale. 
Details are on the artwork. Not sure what sort of baked goods will be available but I’ve yet to run into a bake sale that had calorie-free cookies and no-cal cakes. That’s probably against some cuisine regulation law in Texas. You must have baked goods with taste!

A NOTE ABOUT 311 AND
ANIMALS RELATED BY AREA CODE
Let's address Dallas' 311 system before we get to some animals in Dallas.
I come not to complain today, but to praise 311. Admittedly, it's a one-incident experience, but that's good enough for August. When I got home Tuesday afternoon, the water pressure at our house was about half what it was when last I’d seen it in the morning. 
I checked all our faucets, connections, etc., and we were losing water nowhere.
So, I called Dallas Water Utilities and was forwarded electronically to 311 where a fellow named Ian asked how he could help me,  I told him and within seconds he said, “Yes, we have an email about that. There’s a broken main on Five Mile Parkway.” Yep, so, until that was fixed, we were at a slow flow, the email said -- about a half-hour later, we were at full blast.
But the quick answer was a relief.
It was good to know that DWU had a handle on things. I’ll now accept 311 comments in the usual comment place below. Simply grab your SoggyMouse and click at the bottom of today’s edition. Or send your stories to [email protected].

Be nice. Most city employees are not responsible for the way things are run. That is why we have elections.
So I was going to be helpful and tell you when the next city election is. I went to the city secretary’s site. Here’s the link
: http://citysecretary.dallascityhall.com/elections.html. 
At that site I was reminded that Dallas city elections are in odd number years and, in the third  paragraph, learned, “For 2015, the general election will be held on May 9, 2015, and the runoff election is tentatively scheduled for June 13, 2015.” 

However, if you go HERE 
http://citysecretary.dallascityhall.com/electUpcoming.html , you learn that “The next scheduled general election will be in May of 2017.” That’s “city general election,” of course: the actual next "general election" is November 8.

Those photos? Well, as long as I was wondering about City of Dallas things, I went to www.dallasanimalservices.org where you’ll find ways to adopt a bargain dog or cat. There were, at 5 p.m., the PetFinder site said, 230 adoptable pets at DAS.
[LARRY ASIDE: I could have sworn that shelter was emptied just a couple of weeks ago. Dare I suggest spay and neuter and responsible behavior by humans? How foolish of me. Perhaps these 230 were those culled from the herd of 8,700 dogs that the survey people found in southern Dallas.]


FYI: Oreo and Fiona are featured on the DAS Facebook site. 
And this is “adopt a black cat for $5 week” at the shelter and these are two of the cats that qualify -- they don’t have to be all black; having just a spot of black is a qualifier for the bargain price.
 A951154 is the older domestic short hair with a black pattern on his ol‘ boy self. He looks like he might have lately been through a Dallas wringer. But, maybe, he’s friendly with people. Or can get friendly with people.

Then that cat with the qualifying black spot with tuxedo coat is A952119, a championship-whiskered black and white girl just waiting for a home. 
Go to dallasanimalservices.org to see how to adopt these animals before the next election.
CONTEMPLATING JOE:
We’re limiting this edition’s contemplation to a memorial for one rock-solid guy. Joe Laird, the longtime photographer at The Dallas Morning News. He charmed people, took photos, helped young photographers with their careers and wisecracks -- just a great guy. Joe died Monday morning. He’d been retired for a number of years, but he was a frequent walker in his Oak Cliff/Kiest Park neighborhood and he is cherished by the people who worked with him.
You may ask, “What’s his connection to a mostly animal page?” Joe was a bit of a rescuer. He also is the father of Sandi Laird, the legendary animal person at Operation Kindness. She has helped a great many rescuers get dogs to safety. Joe’s legacy is more than being a nice guy photographer -- he’s a role model. 

My former colleague at the big paper downtown, the great Jeanne Prejean, who publishes “MySweetCharity: An Ongoing Conversation For the Good of Dallas,” used to work the “society beat” for the paper and spent a lot of time with Joe at big events. 
You can read her wonderful recollections of the charm of this gentleman at this LINK.
One particular Joe Laird story was cheered by us underpaid newsroom staffers (and all newspaper staffers were underpaid -- except for some, of course).
Joe was called into the corporate offices one afternoon to get his reward for having passed a milestone with the company, 25 or 30 years.
After a few polite words, the publisher thanks Joe and hands this dedicated newspaper employee the handsome service award for decades of long, odd hours week after week: an empty money clip. 

Joe looks at the empty clip, looks at the publisher, smiles charmingly and says, “You’re kidding.”

Only Joe could get away with the wisecrack.
-
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LADY, OTHER RESCUES & E

EDITION OF TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2016 (PetPowellPress) -- Welcome to Tuesday. Today we’ll mention someone named Tuesday while discussing the King and applauding the time-traveling sounds of rock ‘n’ roll. But first, let’s help some animals -- cool cats and hound dogs. Maybe even a teddy bear if we run across one -- wait, there are three donkeys.
ASSORTED ANIMAL NOTES
:
--- WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? Don’t answer, just think about it. We don’t have time for the complete answer. In this case the question refers to the fact that NOBODY HAS ADOPTED LADY! 
Gabriella Potaro wrote me a note Monday asking, “Any chance you can run her once more? No takers so far. She is HW negative so would only require a little fostering for a rescue group to take her in and adopt out. (Get in touch with the veteran rescuer and genuine big-hearted Gabriela at 214-240-9330 or [email protected].)
The story is Lady is a tall, 67-pound Great Dane/Pittie mix “with a gentle demeanor and a happy soul. Her previous life was most likely lonely and in a limited space as she has calluses in her elbows and heels and a few little scars on her head. She showed up at a body shop in the Casa Linda area of Dallas.”
She’s probably 4-6-years-old and has already been pledge $350 on behalf of the group who adopts her. She’s in a bad spot right now and her life depends on humans who step up on her behalf.  
-- A TIP FROM KAREN LEE, the animal advocate about the challenge facing Karen Dussell of Harbored Souls Rescue in Fort Worth. Karen D’s note reads, “Hoss is in a hoarding situation where both the owners died within 6 weeks of one another. They are becoming stressed out so much being out there alone. A family member is feeding and giving them water but that is all. ...
"I guess  he's lonely being out there and the owners suddenly gone. He got tangled up in some tin and freaked out. Broke lose and even went after one of the other dogs that was chained up ( Sarge).”
Email [email protected] or call 504-319-3930.

-- ANOTHER KAREN TIP has to do with West Side Animal League’s Carol McFarland trying to find a place for this possible Husky/German Shepherd mix. “This one is killing me,” Carol wrote. “She only has until tomorrow (Tuesday) at Forest Hill. ..We are just too full to pull without an existing foster, although if someone offered to foster....” Call Carol at 817-371-0394.

-- FROM OUT AT THE LAKE, Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake forwards this unusual appeal on behalf of a trio of paint donkeys.


The original tipster, Jacqui Callaway (214-966-9049 or [email protected]) explained, “Owner is moving to Mexico; they can’t take the donkeys. they are sweet but not broken; all from the same family. They need to go together, please.”

[LARRY ASIDE: They are beautiful. Be cool to have a pasture with these three coming up to greet you and pass the time of day. At readlarrypowell.com we don’t know much about donkeys, but I’ll bet you at Halloween we could pass ‘em off as Spotted Zebras. We’re probably not the only people in Dallas who don’t know a Zebra from a Donkey if the light is bad.]
-- FROM DEEP EAST TEXAS, we got a note from Marie Garza working with Smith County Pets Alive about a situation over on the brink of Louisiana at the Carthage- Panola Pound. She wrote, “The director for the Carthage Panola Pound in Deep East Texas is leaving as of tomorrow.  These pups are set to DIE.  They've had a first round of shots which cost $180; they need a second set of shots, sterilization which will like run around $400 and transport which is $75 per crate plus $160 for transport from Carthage to Buffalo.  PLEASE help us save the LAST bit of animals left in Carthage.  The girls at the pound forgot to give Momma cat and her 4 kittens to the transporter and they are STUCK at the pound.  We need to get them transported ASAP!!  No amount is too small.  Thank you for all of your support to help us save lives in Carthage TX.  We are hoping they'll continue to save lives but for now we'd love to get these last few babies out alive!” Email Marie at [email protected].  Here’s the Facebook LINK.

--SPEAKING UP FOR SHERRY is the Denton animal advocate Amy Poskey who writes, “Our sweet baby girl, Sherry, has been in isolation with kennel cough for two weeks and she really needs to be out of the shelter to help her heal.  Bless her heart, she was picked up as a stray but never reclaimed and now she is sick.  Sherry deserves better than this and I’m just so afraid she won’t get better stuck in isolation at the shelter, plus she is only being walked once a day.  After losing our precious Buddy who died in isolation I just can’t stand the thought of losing Sherry, too.” 

To offer to help Sherry, email [email protected]  or get in touch with the McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center in Denton at 940-349-7594 or by emailing   [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], and/or [email protected].

SOME E CONTEMPLATIONS
August 16, 1977. Where were you? Let’s see. If you are 40 and younger you probably won’t remember. Heck, THAT was the day Elvis Presley died. My kids and I had just left left the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park and heard it on the radio -- an astonished DJ said, “I can’t believe I’m saying this.. Elvis Presley is dead.” 1977. Can it be that long ago”

He was something. He made rock ‘n’ roll possible for a whole lot of people. And, yet, he was a fantastic ballad singer. A magnificent pop singer. A blessed gospel singer.  And nobody rocked like Elvis -- remember Jailhouse Rock? If you’d listened to some of the parents and deacons and preachers back then, they’d have told you every teenager was going to wind up the jailhouse because of Elvis. But Elvis was also a sensitive singer.
So, just because I like the song, here’s And The Grass Won’t Pay No Mind -- written by Neil Diamond. It's off Elvis' magnificent 1969 double-album From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis.
After Elvis was gone, and I was a newspaper columnist at The Big Paper Downtown, I’d get calls about “sightings” of The King.  Ah, Elvis. What a story. Launched an industry -- one of the greatest impersonators is from Dallas, the great Kraig Parker (www.thekinglives.com) who’s performing Saturday at the Eisemann Center in a show called Forever Elvis. (Kraig is a super nice guy with sincerely great pipes! He wears E well.)

Want to see a fun Elvis-related movie? Heartbreak Hotel (1988) with David Keith as Elvis and a genuine “name” from the original Elvis era, Tuesday Weld (that’s her and E when they were filming Wild In The Country in 1961). In Heartbreak Hotel she plays the mom of the young man who kidnaps Elvis for his mom and then talks Elvis into performing with his band, Johnny Wolfe and the Wolfepack. Here’s a talent show CLIP and in the middle of the opening you can see Dallas legend Jerry Haynes in a comic role -- he was Channel 8’s Mister Peppermint for decades.
The best lines in the movie? At the very end when Johnny says, “Elvis, man. What happened at the talent show - thanks. I know you did that for me.”
Elvis replies, “Hell no, kid. I didn't do that for you. I did that for rock and roll.”  Thanks, Elvis. Thanks.
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FACES, ATTITUDES AND BABIES: COOL MONDAY

EDITION OF MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016 (PetPowellPress) -- We’re running a happy  photo because of the weather change and because the readlarrypowell.com artsyspouse Martha has created a masterpiece.
She surprised me with this portrait on Saturday (pardon my photography of a 20-by-16 painting as it hangs on a wall.)
Martha created it at a Pinot’s Palette event that was benefiting Duck Team 6, the rescuers. A couple of months ago she was supposed to do an art session with Pinot's Palette on behalf of Paws In The City, but she got bumped because of a scheduling conflict -- she had semi-unexpected back surgery instead. That’ll change a lot of scheduling!
Now approaching healthy again, she picked up the brushes and went to work on this portrait of my late adorable and dramatically absent Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas and the official impressionist of readlarrypowell.com.

This portrait, Martha decided, is called “Confetti Inky.” He would have loved it. And he might have sat motionlessly for it as long as the artist was dangling a cookie within his field of vision. He focused like an Olympian archer.

I ran this portrait because in the wake of a cool (for Dallas) Sunday. I thought I just wanted to start the work week with something that makes me smile. Nothing makes me smile like memories of this zany Cocker. He owns my heart -- and where ever he is in the big Dog Park in the Sky, I know he’s waiting on a treat. Probably barking with his famous metronomic bark and wagging that stubby tail with such charm that he draws a crowd of angels.
 One of the reasons I write readlarrypowell.com daily is to help other people find a dog that touches their hearts the way Inky touched mine. I’m a better human because he was such as a great dog.
That second photo? That is Inky giving us his impression of a starving artist rushing into the Post Portrait Lounge and spotting a big steaming platter of Mom’s Impressionist Meatloaf with a side of Appearing-to-be-Mashed Picassopotatoes and EerieWavyDaliGravy. Mmmm. 

I feel certain that the very literate Inky would have read this and cited a quote from author John Steinbeck: “I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quick vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts.”


HERE’S A DOG WHO NEEDS A HOME

My ol’ newshound pal Kim Pierce -- we worked together at The Big Paper Downtown for a great many dog years -- is working to help find a home for this guy Jager. Put two dots over that “e” so Jager will be spelled correctly.

Here’s Jager’s story from Kim: “When he was found in our neighborhood [Lake Highlands], he had a red harness on. My neighbor, Janette, had to take him to Dallas Animal Services initially – as she was going out of town. I’m a little vague on this part: It seems he had an owner who came forward and said DAS could keep him.. Not sure how DAS tracked the owner down. Janette has a big heart for dogs ... She didn’t want to let him be killed, but didn’t feel she could introduce him into her group [she fosters dogs].
“He was assessed somewhere along the line as fear aggressive, but Janette hasn’t witnessed a lot of that. He probably DOES need someone who can work on the fear-aggression aspect. But it seems not to be a major issue. He’s been well vetted. HW positive and just started treatment. He does need a quiet environment for that.”

His foster reports that he listens well, has treat manners, likes “to cuddle and kiss” and wants and needs to go on more walks. 
He’s about 2 and “no longer intact.” [LARRY ASIDE: I think we all know that means the surgery was successful.] 
He’s a ward of Recycled Love Animal Rescue -- the organization has a gofundme site HERE.  And he’s on Facebook, too. There are still photos and a video, too.
Clearly, Jager's breed is this: Lake Highlands Earhound. Plenty of evidence. Also, he can help you drive. In that photo he's helping the driver look both ways at a red light.


MEANWHILE OUT AT THE LAKE

Last week, while wishing a “Happy Birthday” to the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake, we mentioned that now and then The Great Sydney Busch, a Friends mainstay from inception, will tip us to other stories. People get in touch with her because she knows what’s what. 
    
       FRIENDS ONE: Victoria Lee sent her a note about this big ol’ dog. [LARRY ASIDE: When I was a kid in Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas, all country dogs looked like this one. Big and friendly.] The story, Victoria writes, is this: “A woman I know, Cynthia Coleman, is moving into a retirement community on September 1. This is 6 months earlier that she expected. The community has a size restriction of 25 pounds and Sadie weighs close to 110. She is 9 years old, current on all shots, spayed, heartworm negative and is on preventative. As a bonus, she comes with 15 months preventative! Not a barker just a sweet loving ol' gal.” (The number to call about Sadie is Cynthia’s, 469-693-3314. Get in touch with Victoria at [email protected] or 903-327-3424.)""

      FRIENDS TWO: Rosanne DeGraff wrote to Sydney and explained,  “My neighbors of 10-plus years are moving and can't take their little cat. She is maybe 5 pounds tops, brown tabby, 10 years old, spayed, and declawed (inside cat only!), She is a lap cat, but according to my friends, she doesn't get under your feet like some cats do. They will send all cat supplies with Kitty. It is just the couple, so no idea how Kitty is with kids. She has never been around dogs, either. I told my friend I would help her with this because they have a million things to do before they go. I thought we would all grow old together, but alas, it is not to be.” To offer to help Kitty find a home, email Rosanne at [email protected].
     FRIENDS THREE --THEFT OF DOGS:  This one from Sydney is unsettling. It happened at Edom in East Texas (on US 69, about midway between Canton on the west and Tyler on the east). The note came from Ryan Tschirhart -- his contact number is 903-343-2334 -- email [email protected].

The story is that about 10 days ago, there was a theft of these two dogs.
Ryan writes, “They were taken from my property by a female in a white car with a big dent in the rear of the passenger side. There is a reward for who finds them.”


Chevy  is the 5-month-old Boykin Spaniel. Tiny is the year-and-a-half old Chihuahua.
Theft is a criminal matter. If you know of someone who suddenly has two new dogs that look like these two, call the authorities and also let Ryan know.


WELCOMING THE HOUNDS    
This is not an uncommon event for the folks with Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. They frequently open their hearts to retire racing Greyhounds and other members of this breed who are down on their luck.
Today we we mention the August 6 arrival of 32 new dogs who came to Texas via Greyhound Pets of America Daytona Beach. (That's three of them exploring the new romping area.)
According to GALT, “They all arrived in good condition after a 16-hour trip! They range in age from 1.5 years old to four years old. Twenty of them are girls and 12 are boys. Seven will be moving on to other groups to find forever homes. That leaves 25 newly retired racers from Florida staying with GALT! Later in the week, GALT also welcomed two strays from the Wharton, Texas, area named Rommel and Roxie. That's a lot of new hounds joining an already full GALT family! Stay tuned for more details about them all and check out a few photos of the arrival here! And there’s video HERE.”

Keep up with GALT and its dog-saving and fund-raising activities at galtx.org.
You’ll get the heads-up on such things as The Mercury restaurant’s 11th annual Cooking For the Hounds on August 27 and, on September 6, the Third Annual GALT Tournament at Cowboys Golf Course in Grapevine. 

Oh, wait, I need to point out that GALT doesn’t just take in retiring or seized racing dogs. This is Cabella, the current featured adoptable at GALT. The story is this “7-year-old fawn female was found as a stray by the Humane Society of North Texas (Fort Worth). HSNT then contacted GALT to take this sweet girl into our family. It is obvious that Cabella has been mom to several litters of pups, and of course there is no history of her prior life. Cabella is definitely a people dog, as she loves spending time with anyone who will pet her!”
[LARRY ASIDE: Don’t let the look of these dogs fool you -- they quickly grow accustomed to a good couch and cable TV. They’re fast but they know the remote is faster.]

CONTEMPLATIONS: You’ll see how all this fits together. Call it a Facebook contemplation. We’ll start with the great Maeleska Fletes, rescuer, animal advocate and entertaining worthwhile human.  She posted this photo and the comment that follows it. You’ll see the photo and think, “Wow,” then you’ll read the comment and think, “Wow!,” again. It takes some dedication.





Maeleska wrote, “Look who's staying at my house for a bit? This mom was brought into DAS in a reusable grocery bag while having her babies! She had 5! So my smart friends what shall we name her? I'll get pictures of the babies later after they get use to being here. Rescues who wants her?” (Mom and the kids will eventually be adoptable at Dallas Animal Services unless a rescue group tags them or Maeleska wins Lotto Texas and opens the North Texas Dog Ranch and Investments Center.) Seriously, bless her heart for stepping up for Mom and the Bag Puppies.
On the other side of the human coin, LF Helm’s Facebook site featured this report from Saturday: “Well, today at PetSmart a special kind of A$$hole showed up to dump his 5-month-old puppies in the parking lot. He told us this would be a good place for someone to pick them up. Tall Tails Rescue took in the precious babies. More mouths to feed, shots to give and get them spayed/neutered before next week with no donations. Sometimes I think to myself, ‘How much time would I get for punching someone in the face????’ “ [NOTE FROM LARRY: I’ll go your bail, though a kind and understanding judge would jail the perp and let you go free. Also, feel free to ask about use of an official Readlarrypowell.com Two-by-Four of Enlightenment.]
And call this one HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. We’ve been telling our pal Patricia Barrington, Animal Services Manager at Lake Dallas, for years that she ought to write a book. On her Facebook page Sunday, she gave us this bit of hope for the future when she wrote about “little man” Max. She wrote of an adorable moment on Sunday morning: “When your toddler feeds his oatmeal to the dog and asks for another bowl...that you catch him sharing with the cat. At least we have sharing and kindness down.”
--- To comment, grip your BelieveInTheFutureMouse  and click below. ---

Guest writer expains a Sleeper challenge

Welcome to this August 13-14, 2016, edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

Clearly that cat is not napping. 
We’ll get to the chair dog in a moment.
First, an introduction. I am Dudley the Angel, some say a Border Collie Mix, some say “no tellin’ “ but whatever the case, I am, indeed Dudley the Angel, named after a Christmas character portrayed by an equally handsome ol' dog with the call name "Cary Grant."
That cat with the stricken look is Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson. She is an associate editor at Readlarrypowell.com and I’d just told her that the goofball who writes this thing had a bad Friday and we’d have to bail him out even though he was on the brink of writing a great Sleeper about a wake-boarding dog with a great face, the beautiful, loyal Birdie (Della Wallace, veteran rescuer and tipster, spotted this great story.) That is Birdie in the mugshot -- she has a great story that will be told in next weekend’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.  Has a movie, too. Mark it in your calendars. Next weekend.


In the meantime, with permission of Associate Editor Kittie Leigh, I, the duly authorized Dudley, have prepared this three-photo edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.


Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson, more at home snapping crime photos,  I understand, managed to grab this one of me in my favorite chair -- you can see that cats have scratched it and I may have wallowed it out.
But, as you can tell from my face and my paws, it does not keep me from being the sleeping dog who will do his best to lie in a chair. 

Why I am writing this is an act of stupidity. No, not on my part. On the part of the knucklehead who feeds all of us. 
He decided Friday morning that he would repair the lower panel of the garage door.
It was worn out, weather-beaten and had a tendency to dangle on the “up” maneuver.  None of us saw this particular mishap, but we did overhear the call he made to our favorite female, the funspouse Martha, to tell her that he’d managed to get the entire door to collapse into the garage. We’re getting new garage doors. Yes, just one fell in, but you want them to match, right. So buy two. They’ll be lovely, we’re told. 

The would-be do-it-yourselfer is cleaning out the garage so the new doors can be installed. It hasn’t been pretty. He has discovered Christmas gifts from years gone by and electronic gadgets that died and never made it to the landfill.
He picked up one heavy box, struck the top of his kneecap with the edge of the box and cried out in agony, dropped the box and limped into the house to sit in front of my AC vent. 
He told us it was 100-something in the garage. I said, “Talk to somebody who isn’t wearing a fur coat in August.”
Kittie Leigh and I agreed that we are glad he has never decided he can do routine maintenance on the air-conditioning system.
[DUDLEY ASIDE: Though the human knucklehead is unable to communicate and may collapse at any moment, I have been deputized to suggest that Readlarrypowell.com would be extremely grateful if you’d send photos of your sleeping critters to [email protected] so we can show off your dogs, cats, donkeys, lizards, etc., to the world. In the meantime, I remain your loyal and handsome writer-of-the-moment, Dudley the Angel. Remember, pick up a street dog -- you'll make someone happy and it could be you.]
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A CAR CHASE; PEARL'S PLIGHT; GAP'S MISSION & CELEBRATING FRIENDS OF THE ANIMALS

EDITION OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2016 (PetPowellPress) -- Anybody else watch that medium-to-high-speed police chase on TV during the dwindling end of Thursday’s rush hour? 
Many questions arise: What kind of idiot decides to run like that? But that’s the easy question. The most difficult question is this: How can a guy drive for the better part of an hour in Dallas and not run into the road construction that vexes the rest of us?

Today’s report includes a celebratory contemplation about Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake which operates, so to speak the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City. World's most successful. You think I’m kidding? Keep reading:

THE PEARL FOLLOWUP
Nancy Stephenson of Cody’s Friends is so nice. When I wrote about her attempts to re-rescue Pearl earlier this week, I referred to her as Nancy Richardson. She said she was OK with that as long as we could get Pearl back. 
Here are the numbers to call: Nancy at  972.533.4813 or Sharyl at 469-233-4636.

You may recall that on the evening of August 3, Pearl, who was on the brink of being returned to Cody’s Friends, was taken out for her “walk” at her home and things spooked her, she yanked free on her leash and vanished.
That was in Euless near Bear Creek and Harwood.

Search parties, signs, flyers at vets and businesses, a dog-tracker -- nothing has yet worked. 


Click on that artwork to make it grow.

This is a dog that dodged the needle before coming into the rescue group and now she's apparently dodging the rescuers, perhaps. But there's another possibility.
Nancy said, “We fear that Pearl has been picked up though we are still hopeful that they will do the right thing and see her posting somewhere and contact us.”

There’s a side view of Pearl because you may be more likely to see her from the angel from this angle than from comin‘ right at ya.
Again these are the contact numbers: Nancy at  972.533.4813 or Sharyl at 469-233-4636.

A EULESS/GAP NOTE

If Pearl does wind up in the Euless Animal Shelter, there is a good chance that she will fall under the loving care of the Euless Trinity Gap Rescue folks. These members and supporters of the Girls Awareness Program -- such as the great Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com who tipped us to the current adoptables -- have created a successful partnership with the shelter that results in animals being fostered, saved, adopted and loved.
You can see all the current Euless animals at trinitygaprescue.org. 
Among those animals are this fluffy cat Blondie (16678) who wound up in a shelter because her humans split up. Her cat pal has already been adopted, but cuddly, gently Blondie, a green-eyed, large fluffy feline, is still waiting for a home.
The complication is she’s 14. Doesn’t look it. Doesn’t act it. Barely middle-aged in a well-tended cat.


There’s also (below) a multi-faceted little dog named in honor of the Olympics, Rio D 9#16704).
About two, possibly a Pom/Havanese mix. “Super cute,” they say.

GAP is on Facebook HERE  and the email is [email protected]. The shelter’s number is 817-685-1594. It's at 1517 Westpark Way in Euless.

CONTEMPLATION CELEBRATION:
FRIENDS OF THE ANIMALS AT CEDAR CREEK LAKE

Sydney Busch got in touch with me on Thursday because the Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic in Gun Barrel City was in need of a new computer desk and it occurred that maybe someone among our Dear Readers would have either a good one to donate or the coin and inclination to buy a first class-desk.
 The old one was disintegrating. She told me, “I should have taken a picture of the old one. (You buy cheap, you get cheap - you can quote me on that).” 

By the time I sat down to write, she had a line on a good donation. 
So this led me back to what I was going to write about the Friends in the first place.

Light the candles on the cake.

As was written on the Friends Facebook page:
"Who can believe that 14 years ago we opened the doors to the spay/neuter clinic and started saving/preventing lives?

“We have had so many wonderful volunteers walk through our door - and stay to work! A bunch of people who are still working hard every Tuesday have been with us since day 1.

“We have performed almost 36,000 surgeries - when you do the math on that, it's staggering. And Dr. Glen Campbell [the devoted veterinarian] is one of those who has been here since we opened...We wouldn't be doing all this without him!

“So happy birthday to Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic - and thank you to all who have helped us over the years!”


This artwork came from the Friends and their Facebook page.

 What also comes from the Friends is a respect for animals. These people don’t want animals being born just to be killed in shelters, dumped on the sides of roads or turned into bait for fighting dogs -- not that there are any “businessmen” who are engaged in dog-fighting in Texas. Why, that’s as against the law as dumping animals.

 FYI, the volunteers and clinic personnel don’t really slow down to celebrate.  This Saturday is “SECOND SATURDAY” at the clinic in Gun Barrel City -- from 10 a.m. to noon, the spay/neuter clinic becomes a vaccination microchipping clinic. On Tuesdays, the Friends clinic offers low-cost vaccines, microchipping and heartworm testing on a walk-in basis from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 


I have a story about the humor of Sydney Busch, by the way. Way back when I was a columnist at The Big Paper Downtown, I wrote a column about a 9.5 pound Chihuahua and the TypoGods led my fingers to type “95 pound Chihuahua.” Not a single hawk-eyed editor caught that, but Sydney did not hesitate to get in touch to ask for a photo of the 95-pound Chihuahua. I believe she was laughing and so was I. I think I told her I was conducting a reader survey to see who would spot it first.

Remember, Friends of the Animals may not be feeding a 95-pound Chihuahua but it may be spaying or neutering 9 or 10 Chihuahuas a month and can ALWAYS use financial support. And supplies, too. 

Take a nice, pleasant drive southeast from the Metrosprawl out to the Laketroplex to deliver spending cash or open-ended credit cards and grants. (You can see how to donate online, too, at Friendsoftheanimals.org or mail to Friends of the Animals, P.O. Box 5455,  Mabank TX 75147.)

You know that the money will be used for the mission. 
And, you also know that the hearts involved with Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake -- good hearts such as Ed and Sydney Busch and Dr. Campbell and a team including some great halo-earning volunteers -- will appreciate what you do.

They may even arrange for you to enjoy a day volunteering at the clinic. 


And sometimes, because some dense yokel didn’t read the “birds and bees” pages in his biology book, you may have the opportunity to adopt an unexpected puppy or kitten. These people are, after all, FRIENDS  OF THE ANIMALS. (That cat? That is Grumpy Cat from 2014, in recovery after being one of 36 animals spayed/or neutered on one day at the clinic.)

Congratulations, Friends, for this enduring run. Animal welfare groups come and go. The Friends and their Clinic have stayed. Role models for ambitious animal advocates.

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CANINES, CATS & KLEINMANN'S NEXT STAGE

EDITION OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016 (PetPowellPress) -- Perhaps you see this jungle creature right away. This is a photo of a portion of my 2016 Hopeful Pumpkin Patch. I plant Jack-Be-Littles and some larger pumpkins each year in three or four places in the yard. Biggest harvest ever was maybe six little pumpkins. I have big hopes this year -- after all, it is apparently the most comfortable pumpkin patch in North Texas, having been converted into the perfect napping place for a feral cat named Smitten. FYI: I’m continually trying to get Smitten into captivity so she can be spayed. And, of course, I’m hoping my pumpkin plants produce with the vigor of a roaming cat in Dallas.

We’ll get to the new rescue total at SPCA of Texas in just a second. Yep, the total keeps climbing.

BEFORE YOU LOOK BEYOND THIS HEADLINE:

A CAUTION ABOUT THE PICTURES
Usually we don’t run really graphic photos of animals in physical distress, but this case is different. This dog is in way off western Oklahoma and Terry Lynn Fisher of Burns Flat used this for the subject line
“THEY BROKE HIS BODY... BUT NOT HIS SPIRIT.”

Terry Lynn first mentioned this dog on August 3. The injuries were horrible and old.
Here was our exchange:

LARRY: Fighting dog? Bait dog? Any ideas?
TERRY LYNN: Personally, I think hog-hunting.

 And there you have it. somehow this dog wound up injured,
He’s now known as Rascal. “He was found with several serious injuries and you could smell the flesh actually rotting... We had him rushed to our vet, and once they got in there, the wounds were horrific. He has to have them cleaned several times a week... The pain must be unbearable... He is on three different pain meds and is in serious shape.
“Someone failed him. They broke his little body. But they never broke his spirit. He still loves. He still trusts. He still wants to live.”
Rascal, fighting infection, had to be sedated so his wound could be scrubbed. “I hurt for him,” Terry Lynn wrote. “He wags his tail when you speak to him or touch him.”
He is one of several injured and neglected dogs and cats Terry Lynn is working with through the kindness of her vet at Elk Creek Clinic. The address is Elk Creek Clinic, 1301 Airport Industrial, Elk City, Okla., 73644. (Call 580-225-4863.)
We have three ways to reach Terry Lynn to ask how to help: Email [email protected]; call 580-330-1459; write to her at Terry Lynn Fisher, P.O. Box 578, Burns Flat, OK, 73624. 

And bless that Rascal’s heart and hide.

A PYTHON IN RUSK COUNTY;

AN SPCA FUNDING APPEAL

It’s probably not unheard of that there’d be a python in East Texas.
But this one had an unfortunate role -- this snake was among the 116 animals the SPCA of Texas rescued from one residence in Rusk County.
That’s right. They were living in ONE house. If you can call it "living."

When we saw that note citing a mid-July rescue in an appeal from the SPCA, we immediately went reporter and asked the SPCA’s Victoria Albrecht some questions. You know, newsy questions.

First, “How big was that python?” After all, it was around a bunch of puppies. Victoria, the patient SPCA Communications Manager, told me the snake is a “4-foot female Ball Python.”
Did the snake have a name? “Not sure about her name, but she WAS adopted,” Victoria said.

And, in a long, long question I asked, basically, “Where are the dogs now?” And the answer is, she says, “All animals are being medically and behaviorally evaluated. Once they are evaluated and then spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccinations, they will become available for adoption.”

That will be be many dollars from now. You can see a video of the rescue operation HERE.
You can donate to help the SPCA with its rescue efforts at spca.org.

And, FYI, Victoria says the rescue of these animals raised the total of animals rescued by the SPCA to 600 for the year -- so far.
You KNOW this isn’t going to be the last batch of animals that need rescuing in our part of Texas in 2016.

HOW ABOUT THIS DAS CAT IDEA
  
The big artwork tells the story. 
The smaller artwork shows you a cat that qualifies because, as noted on the DAS Facebook page, even having just a little black in that coat drops the price to $5.
The Dallas Animal Services Shelter and Adoption Center is at I-30 and Westmoreland. Plenty of parking. Plenty of cats.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Our contemplations today will involve actors opening a show and odd dog stories and, indeed, the funniest monkey headline in a while. 
First we turn to our pal Barbara Weinberger, Executive Director of Pegasus Theatre, and hubby Kurt Kleinmann, the playwright/actor. Her note is about the opening of Kurt’s latest play The Coarse Actor Rises. She writes, “What a whirlwind week we're having at Pegasus Theatre! We just closed the epic run of It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder! by Kurt Kleinmann at the Eisemann Center, only to turn around and open the world premiere of The Coarse Actor Rises! (also by Mr. Kleinmann) at the Bath House Cultural Center this Thursday, August 11. Ok, I'm tired just writing that sentence! But it's totally been worth it! The Coarse Actor Rises! is comedic gold, and fun for the whole family!”
[LARRY ASIDE: With the closing of the Living Black & White production of It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Murder, Kurt (above) ended his 30-year run in the role of detective and would-be actor Harry Hunsacker (left) , star of the Living Black & White productions.]
Barb continues, ‘“Coarse acting’ is a form of acting whereby highly enthusiastic, dreadfully untalented actors face a string of bad luck on stage. But they bravely soldier on, secure in their belief that ‘the audience won't notice a thing’!”
 Tickets are available via Brown Paper Tickets HERE.  I’m betting that in the past three decades, no Dallas playwright has created more opportunity for laughter than Kurt Kleinmann. See more about Pegasus Theatre at pegasustheatre.com.  You’ll also see a curtain speech Barb made about Kurt when he ended his run as Harry over the weekend. She wrote of the Harry Hunsacker adventure, that “through it all, Kurt has remained Kurt, a modest man with a big dream: to enrich the lives of those around him and leave them better off for having known him. I think you’ll agree he has realized his dream.”
...

TWO DOG STORIES got me as I accidentally ran across a publication site called newscientist.com. THIS ONE is about the decline in the quality of canine sperm and THE OTHER is about the development of fluorescent puppies. Yes, dogs that glow in the dark. I am finally understanding the real life term “mad scientists.” ...
AND NOW MY CURRENT FAVORITE HEADLINE: "Support Monkey Runs Loose on Flight to Vegas." Clipped from Drudge. I don’t fly, but, honestly if I could be guaranteed an adventure like that ... on the other hand, if you were lucky enough to see a Support Monkey running loose on the way to Vegas, you’d clearly have used up all your luck.
--- To comment, grab your SupportMonkeyMouse and click below. ---

LOOKING FOR PEARL IN EULESS; HELPING LADY AT DAS; COUNTING DOGS IN DALLAS

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016 (PetPowellPress) -- Honestly, the heat is wrecking my energy level, depressing me.  How hot does it feel? I could have sworn I saw a Solenodon running free in Kiest Park. Tough to catch, but most of you rescuers know that already.
Speaking of loose animals, in Contemplations we have a note about the alleged mass number of free-roaming dogs in Dallas. 

Look, here’s a weather fact: The highest temp ever recorded in the United Kingdom was in 2003 in Kent, England -- 38.5 Celsius or, in American English which is German, Fahrenheit, 101.3 degrees. First time the UK had recorded a temp over 100. 
How can we cool down? Think chill. Just think chill. That photo? That is the the eye of a cool cat enjoying air-condition. We’ll get to the rest of Sophie Potato and her story in a minute.


 LOOKING FOR PEARL IN EULESS

Nancy Richardson of Cody’s Friends reports that the rescue group needs some help. 
You see, here, variations of the BE ON THE LOOKOUT posters.
“We saved a small Staffie/Pit Bull from Nueces Shelter back in February.  She was with 2 different fosters and finally found a ‘forever’ home in July.

“Or so we thought. After many tearful conversations with the Adopter, who loved Pearl, but whose family was not adjusting as well, we all together made the decision that Pearl was not happy and that she needed to come back to our rescue.  
“The mom agreed out of love for Pearl and wanting what was best.  So we made arrangements to pick her up Thursday, August 4th.  

"On the evening of August 3 at 10 p.m., her daughters took Pearl out as they often did for her last potty break.  Now we are not at all sure how or what happened really, but Pearl got spooked, pulled the leash from her daughter and got loose.  From what we gather, she first went to some bushes and a bike came speeding by and scared her and she took off down the road.  This was in Euless, near Bear Creek and Harwood on the evening of August 3.
“
We have had search parties out, have hung signs all over the HEB area, dropped flyers at vets and businesses and have guidance from a professional dog tracker - all to no avail.  We fear that Pearl has been picked up though we are still hopeful that they will do the right thing and see her posting somewhere and contact us.  
“The truly sad part is that Pearl was one of our maybe 2% who fell in the cracks and wasn't micro-chipped, though it's a requirement for all of our dogs before going to adoptive homes.  We are heartbroken and we know that Pearl is out there.”

If you have seen Pearl, bless her heart, call Nancy at 972-533-4813 or Sharyl at 469-233-5636.

LADY IN WAITING

This is Lady. She is at Dallas Animal Services, # A947849, reports veteran rescuer Gabriela Potaro. “The struggle continues with one more dog needing a home,” Gabriela reports. “Meet Lady, a tall, 67-pound, Great Dane and Pittie mix with a gentle demeanor and a happy soul. Her previous life was most likely lonely and in a limited space as she has calluses in her elbows and heels and a few little scars on her head.
“She showed up at a body shop in the Casa Linda area of Dallas. We visit her daily [at DAS] and she is the most compliant easy-going, non-reactive dog that seems content in her surroundings.

“She loves to play ball, she can kick the ball, and she knows several commands. For unknown reasons she has been overlooked by visitors. Perhaps it is her size. We desperately seek a rescue group or an adoptor to give Miss Lady a new chance at a good and loving home. The guess is that she is about 4 to 6 years of age. A devoted dog aficionado has kindly agreed to donate $350 to the rescue group that adopts her."

To help Lady find a safe place, contact Gabriella at 214-240-9330 or [email protected].
Got to be a heart somewhere that'll match a Lady in waiting.

THE SPCA’S LOCATIONS ARE CLOSED ON THE 10TH

Yes, Wednesday, August 10, is staff meeting day at the SPCA of Texas, so you won’t be able to adopt, but that’ll give you time to look through the adoptables online at spca.org.
We found one whose name captured our interest.
And there’s a first-person report about her (she’s at the SPCA’s Russell H. Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney). Here’s the tale: 
“My name is Sophie Potato (142282) and I'm a 1 year old Domestic Short Hair. My previous owner brought me to the SPCA of Texas on July 17 because I did not care for the other cat at home, so I had trouble using the litter box. I have been using the litter box well at the shelter now that I'm away from other cats. Luckily, I love people and I have lived with dogs before, so I have no shortage of friends. My perfect family would enjoy playing with cat toys as much as I do and have warm laps for me to sit in. I've been spayed, tested for FIV/FeLV (I'm negative), microchipped and have received age-appropriate vaccinations. If you're looking for a cuddle bug, look no further. I'm here waiting for you! ***Written by Rachel, SPCA of Texas Adoption Counselor.***”

The SPCA currently has some great cat names among the adoptables: Kim Chee, Mouski, Professor Binks, Professor Plankton and Hades. See all the availables at spca.org.
And, of course, SPCA Adoption Counselor Rachel may be available to write your biography if your life has drama, triumphs over challenges and cuddling.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Five days ago we posted an item about Eva Mackowski’s adventure trying to catch “The Elusive Lab at the Drilling Site.” There’s been “movement” in the challenge. Eva sent a note, “Just wanted to let you know that I caught the puppy I spoke to you about last week. She is now with a very capable caregiver/rescuer in Cleburne.” How’s that for great news! We love it when we hear the happier ending to a story that is clearly en route to the “happiest ending.”...
Been thinking about that survey that reports there are nearly 9,000 loose dogs in South Dallas. Here’s one description from The Big Paper Downtown of how a consulting group came to that massive figure: “The firm conducted a loose dog ‘census,’ deploying  pairs to drive the streets between 6 and 7:30 a.m. looking for dogs. They drove 235 miles on multiple occasions, visiting areas including Oak Cliff, the Fair Park neighborhood, Lakewood and White Rock Lake. They documented 136 loose dogs in all. Just one of those was spotted in northern Dallas. The team then used scientifically established models to predict that about 8,700 dogs wander loose in southern Dallas.” Let’s be clear: The bottom line is ONE wandering dog is too many -- the situation is a threat to that dog and to other dogs and cats and people.  But, honestly, “nearly 9,000”? That’s like a buffalo herd number. It’s a high school stadium in a small town. There’d be constant howling and barking and traffic delays. TV traffic ‘copters would quit broadcasting high-speed car chases to concentrate on canine stampedes through parks, gardens and grocery stores. The scientifically established models of prediction? Come on. This is a municipal challenge that is too important to be left to guys driving streets and applying scientific principles of election and business polling to the accurate counting free-roaming animals. If they drove past the Dallas Zoo, no telling how many elephants they’d say are roaming Dallas -- none in North Dallas, naturally. Of course, I could be wrong about these methods -- I always had trouble with math. But I never looked at 136 dogs and wrote 136 = 8,700. ...

Here’s a possible explanation of why the count on those dogs went so high. Click on THE HEAT and chill.
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