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ONE BELOVED SLEEPER WITH A HOME & TWO LOVING SLEEPERS WITHOUT

We’ve featured this dog before in our long-running weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. But not from this angle. She has a lawyer. She may sue.

Take a look at the abdominal curvature on that doggy belly. When she arrived at our house, Porche Noel’s stomach was concave. Her ribs looked as if they were trying to break out of her hide. She walked with a distinct limp, the result of some sort of trauma that has left her with diminished "jumping skills."
And she would go into a wild-eyed frenzy at the sight of food. What do we learn from this photo? Dogs can be persuaded to sleep on a couch if you feed them enough. Well, and we also learn that if you love a dog enough, there may not be room on the couch for you to stretch out. So what. She's happy.
You want more evidence? That comes from Karen Lee, the barkleyworld.com animal advocate who is a big booster of the Euless Trinity GAP Rescue Club. She sent an alert about the overflowing status of the Euless Animal Shelter, thus the filled status of its big rescue helper, GAP Rescue. In doing so she reminded me that GAP’s Facebook page often has some sleepers.
And that brought us to Cookie and Red.

I think you can figure which is which, but just in case, Red is an ol’ red dawg.
Their story is nearly as sad as Porche’s tale of pain. They need a happy ending, too.
Here’s the opening sentence of the first post about them: “Cookie and Red are hoping for a new home of their own after their mom was moved to a nursing facility.”
The background? It came in a subsequent post because as we enter the weekend, Cookie and Red are “still waiting for a foster or forever home.” 
What happened to their mom? GAP reports, “Their pet mom served her country and after FIVE tours in Iraq is no longer able to care for herself or them. "
"Trinity GAP is sponsoring them and they are staying at Mutt Shack.

"Please help us network these sweet babies!
"Contact [email protected] for a meet and greet.”


Email [email protected] to ask about fostering or adopting or volunteering with the GAP Club. The Facebook site is HERE and the organization’s website is HERE.
As you can see from these photos, Cookie and Red should go together. And they are already adapted to couch-sleeping.
Here’s a video of the two dogs working their charms on a few fans.

 

[Remember, we LOVE to feature your sleeping critters -- already homed or “pre-homed.” Wait. Is that a proper pre-term? Anyway, a slumbering animal’s photo is always welcome at Readlarrypowell.com as a “model” for our long-running weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping cats Nap. Send photo and info to [email protected]. This is a public service on behalf of insomniacs who need inspiration to have a lie-down and a nap. Sleeping dogs, napping cats -- inspiration for the masses. Yes, that is Porche, who may not be from this planet, performing a Canine Vulcan Mind Meld on a gentleman acquaintance.]
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On FRIDAY, THE WORST OF PEOPLE, THE BEST OF PEOPLE, THE SAFETY OF ANIMALS

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2017 (PetPowellPress) Last day of June. Still time to adopt a dog or two or a cat or two from Dallas Animal Services at the bargain rate of NO DOLLARS. DAS notes, “All animals that are already spayed or neutered are free to adopt this week and will leave with you the same day!” Now, let’s get into  the day’s report.
OH, BROTHER, IS THERE A CRUELTY CHARGE?

The SPCA of Texas sent the news release and provided the photos regarding the seizure of Thursday of two “allegedly cruelly treated dogs from a South Oak Cliff … residence along with various dog-fighting paraphernalia.”

A charge? The seizing agencies, the SPCA of Texas and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Animal Cruelty Unit are looking into it. The dogs are at the SPCA’s Emergency Rescue Center. The SPCA reports, “The dogs were found chained in the back yard of the residence on heavy tow chains without access to appropriate food or water. They appear to be suffering from various health issues including emaciation and scarring on their faces and legs, consistent with possible dog fighting.” [FYI: Custody hearing is set for 11 a.m. Monday in Justice of the Peace Valencia Nash’s court, 107 Texas St., in Lancaster.]
You can see more photos HERE.
[LARRY ASIDE: Clip this passage from the SPCA news release and send it to anybody you know who might be interested in fighting dogs or roosters. “Animal fighting is a crime in all 50 states, including Texas, where it is a felony, punishable by up to two years in a state jail and/or up to a $10,000 fine. In Texas, it is a Class A misdemeanor to possess, manufacture or sell animal fighting paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor own or train a dog with the intent to fight the dog and a Class A misdemeanor to be a spectator at a dog fight. Class A misdemeanors are punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $4,000, or both. Federal law also prohibits any interstate or foreign transport of fighting animals.”]

A BARGAIN FIX

Karen Lee, the Barkleyworld.com animal advocate, sent this reminder of the charitable, beneficial work of the Texas Coalition for Animal Protection.
You can read all about it at the website texasforthem.org.
[LARRY ASIDE: Tell your friends who don’t spay and neuter. They need the news. And an adjustment of thought. Hate to get out the official 2017 model of the Readlarrypowell.com Two-by-Four of Enlightenment.]

CONTEMPLATIONS: Animal rescue is so personal, isn’t it. It’s a mission of the heart. Here’s an example from our Houston tipster Alexandra Kelsey who sent an email with this subject line: “Remembering a wonderful cat rescuer: Diana Hensley (June 29, 2016). AK’s text reads, “Very near the end of her life, Diana was doing some alternative treatments at a clinic in Tijuana. She emailed me that there was a kitty outside her window who needed help and asked for contacts who might be nearby. That’s the kind of person she was… Even dealing with her own major issues, she was worried about a kitty. Diana was one of those people you hope you are lucky enough to know in your life, and she was a wonderful cat rescuer. She lost her battle with cancer a year ago … Everyone who knew her misses her so much.” …An interesting note on the DAS Facebook page from Dallas Pets Alive! The text that goes with this reads "Dallas Pets Alive! has a Positive Alternative to Shelter Surrender (PASS) team that currently sits in front of DAS on Saturdays in order to help Dallas citizens with medical and behavioral issues for their pets, which helps to reduce owner surrenders. We need to grow our team, so we can expand this to more days. Please consider signing up to volunteer at bit.ly/Vol4DPA. You will literally be saving lives. We will train you.”   … A NOTE TO PEOPLE WHO'LL CELEBRATE THE 4^TH OF JULY – Protect your animals. Fireworks are frightening to dogs and cats. So are stumbling drugs with barbecue utensils. Bring the animals inside and make them feel safe. To summarize, don’t be a dumbass at the expense of your dog or cat. Pardon my entirely accurate French. But, I’m not sure being polite is much of an influence in the 21^st century.

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AN ASSORTMENT THAT MENTIONS DOGS, CATS AND BISCUITS...

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017 [PetPowellPress] This is a day for just about everybody. We know this because Holiday Insights, the online source, tells us that June 29 is celebrated as Camera Day, Waffle Day, Hug Holiday and International Mud Day. You hope the last two don’t get mixed up. Muddy Hug Day, I guess. And, don’t you think International Mud Day was more appropriate in 2016, the election year? Dang, there I go again, mentioning something unpleasant I swore I wouldn’t bring up for a while.

Wash your eyes out by looking into the magnificent face of Murphy, posted on the website of the Humane Society of Dallas County’s Dog ‘n’ Kitty City. It’s the no-kill shelter near the downtown side of Love Field. According to his bio, “This sweet boy was surrendered due to jealous issues. He will do best as the only dog so he can get all the love and attention. He loves stuffed toys. He is afraid of thunderstorms. For more information on this cutie visit HERE .”
But what a face! It’s like art ! Oh, aren’t all their faces?

HINT, HINT, WE NEED
SLUMBERPHOTOS
This cat, The Senator, isn’t quite asleep yet, but he’s on the way. He’d been reading some of the passages from my upcoming book, The Cocker Spaniel’s Clever Revenge, or Dock My Tail and I’ll Dock Your Nose. It’s a love story. But that’s beside the point.  The Senator is yawning and that’s your hint to send photos of your slumbering dogs, cats or relatives and any other sleeping animals to [email protected]. Email photos and info and we’ll make ‘em famous in our weekend’s world-wide-wead, er, read feature, the long-running Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Helps insomniacs, you know.

SOME QUICK NOTES:

From Garland tipster Patty Turner: “It is raining kittens at the Garland Shelter! Please help by sending or taking some canned Fancy Feast turkey kitten food or canned Chicken Soup for the Soul kitten food to either the shelter or the PAC. Other items needed include bleach, Fabuloso, Pine Sol, newspaper, etc.” Deliver your donations to the shelter at 600 Tower Road or the Garland Pet Adoption Center, 823 Main. … From Sydney Busch out at the lake, we get the note that the “next Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake low-cost Saturday vaccination/microchip clinic is Saturday, July 8, from 10 a.m. to noon.” It’s at the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City on the banks of the lake. See friendsoftheanimals.org. … Through the years I’ve monitored the scheduling of the quarterly meetings of the great Fort Worth rescue organization, CLASP, i.e., Cowtown Loves Animal Shelter Pets. Now and then seasonal weather has postponed those meetings. I don’t think it’s going to snow this time. And the 9 a.m. Saturday, July 1, meeting is a breakfast session at a “new location,” the Denny’s at 8025 Glenview Drive in North Richland  Hills. … We mention these three items because animal rescue isn’t always just picking up strays. Sometimes its housework, medical work or biscuits.  

A NOTE FROM SFCA


The artwork message is clear. The note from Society for Companion Animals President/founder Tawana Couch is also clear: “We must raise $30,000 for vaccinations, tests, health certificates, boarding and transporting costs. Please consider donating to help - 
any amount helps.”  Email [email protected], visit the SFCA at its WEBSITE or on Facebook. You may recall that the SFCA gets unwanted North Texas dogs onto planes and flies them to an “upgrade” destination, i.e., many have gone to The Hamptons rather than The Dumps in Dallas.”

WHAT? WHAT?
PATTY IS STILL WAITING?

[EARLY MORNING UPDATE: Overnight we learn from Amy Poskey that Patty has been adopted. That means the Denton animal shelter has no dogs left -- wait a second. Re-checking facts, yes, Denton still has more dogs and cats to adopt.] Amy's earlier note about Patty reads, “Nobody has offered to save this sweet, sweet girl.   Come on y’all, Patty is a beautiful, dream girl who is FULLY VETTED, FRIENDLY WITH PEOPLE AND POOCHES, AND IS HW NEGATIVE!  Patty is still a puppy at 6-12 mos and we just can’t let a torn ACL prevent her from finding a furever, loving home!  Look at that face!!! We now have $200 in donations to the REPUTABLE RESCUE who saves her!!!”
The McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center is at 3717 N. Elm St. in Denton. Call 940-349-7594. Email:  [email protected], paul.o’[email protected], [email protected], and/or [email protected]. Or, of course, email [email protected].
A BURNS FLAT CAT
This one of the sweeties that Terry Lynn Fisher has rescued lately in western Oklahoma. This baby’s eye was in horrific shape. So Terry Lynn got the poor kitten into vet care and managed to come up with the cash or convincing to get the cat’s eye removed.
the plight now is this: “I need a rescue for this little guy. I cannot bring him home, due to my dogs, and rescue has not been found. At this time, I am paying boarding. PLEASE... if anyone can take this little one on, let me know.”
Email [email protected].
Based on this photo, this Is a kitten who enjoys human contact.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Honestly, I am gobsmacked by the rapid pace set by the month of June, 2017. I keep telling myself I’m going to take an entire summer month off and enjoy it, but the consequences of being responsible block the execution of my daydream. … Over the weekend, during our time in Texarkana, while Mom was dealing with her rehab work, my highdollarspouse Martha and I met up for lunch at an exclusive and exquisite local restaurant, The Waffle House. It was the loudest Waffle House in our Waffle House experience. Conversations and laughter? Not much, but some of the employees -- not our waitress! -- appeared to be wondering if gravity would break plates. I looked around for an out-of-practice plate-spinner working there after being laid off when the circus shut down. Cup of java was good until I knocked the cup off the counter -- I'm kidding. I couldn't find the right spot to enter the symphony. … This reminds me. We once had breakfast at a restaurant in Canton. Morning hours, when people tend to be quiet. Four people – men and a woman, as I recall – sat at a table across the room. Their platters of fried eggs and ham arrived simultaneously and suddenly, like the Jets and the Sharks, they drew their weapons at the same time and vigorously cut the contents of the plates swiftly, clashing their weapons with their forks AND the plates. It sounded as if a sword fight had broken out. Honestly, it was a cold steel racket! Like the Jets and the Sharks, they drew their weapons at the same time and vigorously cut the contents of the plates swiftly, clashing their weapons with their forks AND the plates. It sounded as if a sword fight had broken out. They may have buttered their biscuits loud -- or "loudly" if your good manners include good grammar. If they’d ordered thick steaks and eggs, they may have pulled out their pocket chainsaws. Didn’t have a phone camera back then or I’d advise you to turn up your speakers and watch the video.

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THE CHALLENGES OF JUNE...

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2017 (PetPowellPress) –  Don't get me started with the momma dog giving birth in the dirt....we'll get to that in a minute. June is slipping away like an ice cube on asphalt next to the Grassy Knoll. Before it goes away completely,  remind your animal-free friends that they can enhance their lives with some of the June adoption specials in the area. This is why Google was invented – to help people find adoptable friends.
Google the Dallas Animal Services Facebook page  or click HERE and you’ll find this announcement made Tuesday afternoon:  “Our free adoption promotion will continue through the end of the month! That means cats and dogs like China (A0780771), who are already spayed or neutered, are available to adopt for free, at both locations, through June 30. Share with all your friends who might be thinking about adding a new pet to the family - adoption is the best option!” [LARRY USAGE NOTE: Yes, I'm living in a glass house but the phrase "cats and dogs like China" halted me because (a) there is no cat like China, who is a dog, and (b) it probably should read "cats and dogs, such as China...." It's like saying rappers like Vanilla Ice. There are no rappers like Vanilla Ice. "Like" and "such as" -- like dogs and cats, two different animals, each appropriate when needed. OK, I'm done.]
The page also had this great photo of a big puppy-in-arms.
The caption read, “King (A0999924) is almost 60 pounds at just four months old - he's a bit too big to be picking up already!” This looks sort of like one of those fake photos where a fisherman has pulled in a 500-pound bass and lifted it up for the camera.
[LARRY BIG DOG ASIDE: We had a Great Dane mix – a big ol’ guy named Hambone. He was the dearest of friends for more than a decade – not just to us but to other dogs and cats, too. You cannot go wrong with a big ol’ dawg who loves to be with a human. Also, when you sit on the couch and watch a ballgame and the big dog sits next to you and watches the game and he’s at the same eye-level as you? Why, that’s what two ol’ pals love. You belong to each other.]
You know how to reach DAS – go to dallasanimalservices.org or stop by the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. Leave with a friend.

SPEAKING OF DAS: How about all the changes on the website and the lively Facebook reporting. Anyone got a comment? Are the animals better off? More visible? Is the image of animal services improving? Any veteran observers care to comment? Somewhere there should be a statue that honors (a) the animal people who worked to get a new shelter built and (b) that nameless cat that escaped a cage in the shelter and, when left to starve in the shelter wall, started a revolution in animal sheltering for the City of Dallas. God bless that poor cat.

HERE’S A CAT TIP

This artwork, spotted by our Barkleyworld.com pal Karen Lee, is being distributed by Mary Sullivan who has Phinney in foster care until the sweet cat finds a home.

MEANWHILE, IN BURNS FLAT:
SOMEONE IS HELPING PIXIE
Well, goodness, our resilient Burns Flat, Okla., contact, the animal advocate and protector Terry Lynn Fisher, is working with an old dog in a bad spot. She started last week, then actually went to visit the person with the dog. “It is heartbreaking... She is actually 13 and belongs to an 80-year-old woman,” Terry Lynn writes.
The dog’s name is Pixie. And here comes the part that might inspire some misting up. “She got her as a 5-week-old baby.  This tumor started last year, but she didn't have the funds to have it removed. When the hole showed up in it, she got worried and went to the bank to try and get a loan. She owns her home but it is in bad shape so the bank wouldn't use it for collateral. They gave her my number.”
Terry Lynn visited the woman. “I cried. This dog loves this woman and I will be honest: This dog is probably why this woman is still alive. She has lost everyone in her life -- either to drugs, cancer, or a car wreck. She is totally alone. And this baby is all she has.
“So I will have her vetted and help her as much as I can. Surgery is scheduled for next Friday. Doc will remove the tumor at that time. It is HUGE -- when she walks, it drags the ground. She is a sweetheart.”
Terry Lynn says the woman who loves Pixie has inspired her family. “My sons went and mowed and cleaned up her yard. I am going over Saturday to do some deep cleaning at her home. I took some dog food and people food there as well. She gets by OK.  Just having some hard times right now. Her car broke down and a guy fixed it and that cost her a lot this past month.
“So... I am asking if anyone can help with this, please know this woman is so grateful. She went to the vet with me because she thought she would lose her baby girl. She cried all the way there. The look in her eyes when Doc said he could remove it was priceless.
“I am not sure why God brings these cases my way, but when He does, I feel I have to do what I can to help.”
Get in touch with Terry Lynn at [email protected]. The vet is at Elk Creek Clinic, 1301 Airport Industrial, Elk City, Ok 73655. Call 580-225-4863 and ask about Terry Lynn’s mission with animals and this girl Pixie.
CONTEMPLATION:
WHAT ANIMALS GO THROUGH
Is that not one of the saddest dog photos ever? Keep reading and looking.
Another seizure for the SPCA in East Texas: On Tuesday, the SPCA of Texas teamed with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office to seize “46 allegedly cruelly treated animals from a property near Henderson, in Rusk County. The animals consist of 28 dogs, nine kittens, six puppies, two cats and one turtle (a red-eared slider). Investigators also found multiple remains of deceased dogs, but the remains were too decomposed to move.”
The custody hearing is at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 6, in the Court of Precinct 4 Peace Justice Darlene Childress, 7933 State Highway 42 South, in Henderson. The SPCA’s Animal Rescue Center (“Empowered by PetSmart Charities Emergency Relief) is caring for these poor dogs and cats and the turtle.

If you are an animal lover, please try to control your emotions as you read this description from the SPCA news release: “All but one of the dogs were found outside, chained to metal bars which had been sunk into the ground as well as trees and other objects, without access to appropriate food or water. One dog and all of the cats were found living in the RV-type living quarters on the property, cruelly confined, forced to live in their own feces and debris, without access to appropriate food or water. The turtle was found in a small blue plastic pool outside the residence without access to appropriate food or water. The animals appear to have varying health issues, including malnourishment, hair loss, long nails, eye discharge and flea infestation. One dog had an extremely large growth on one leg. The chains used to restrain the dogs had rubbed the dogs' necks raw and Investigators had to use bolt cutters to free the dogs.”
So, watch this video and you’ll get the lay of this place and see what the animals were up against.
See how to support the rescue efforts of the SPCA HERE. See the photos of this rescue HERE .
And remember: It’s up to the good people to defeat the bad people.
Only a bad person would force a momma dog to give birth to puppies and create a “nest in the dirt” to try to help them survive what she is enduring. She looks as if she has been crying.

The legal case may just end with the custody hearing. You never know. Now and then, though, it would be good to see a cell so deep you actually could throw somebody into it and they'd have to pipe in sunlight.
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ON TUESDAY, THE TYPIST TYPED ABOUT DOGS AND CATS AND PEOPLE

EDITION OF TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2117 (PetPowellPress) – Personal note: This Is being written on my sixth day without petting a dog or cuddling a cat.
I haven’t gone this long without personal contact with a critter in decades.
It is disorienting. I’m on the brink of driving to the Texarkana shelter and renting whatever they’ve got handy. This is Higgins – he’s one of the guys available at Texarkana Animal Services. He’ll be in Contemplations later in this edition.  I’m going to resist the urge, but only because the dog needs a home with people who aren’t already at the Dallas city limits. Besides, he looks like a dog who likes to flop over on the ground and our dogs all trained themselves to flop over on the couch or bed. But, if you’re near Texarkana and need a good critter, the shelter has some available.
IN THE MEANTIME, IN LANCASTER
Tomi Ortiz, our “eyes on Lancaster” tipster, spotted this quartet of dogs in a bit of a pickle at that city’s shelter. She monitors the Furbabies of Lancaster Facebook page – those volunteers keep up with Lancaster inventory and always try to keep ‘em in the public eye. Tomi wrote that the Furbabies rescuers are “in emergency mode again! All these dogs listed look like they have the best personalities just based on their pictures.  Spencer has the goofiest look on his face! He’s so Cute! Sierra has a sweet curious look, Toby is so unique and handsome, and Jones just looks like he’s oozing with “Swag”.  I sure hope they all find their forever homes!”
According to the Furbabies folks, Jones, Sierra and Spenser need out immediately – there’s “nothing in the works” to save them. Toby needs a temp foster so he can be saved.
The shelter is at 609 E. Main in Lancaster.
Toby’s a male Huskey/Shepherd mix – a very think year-old intact dot who “needs to be in a chicken-free home.”

 Sierra is a Border Collie/Pittie mix with puppy energy. She’s house-trained.
Jones is a pink-nosed Pittie mix, a year old, “affectionate and super handsome.” And Spencer, a Lab mix, is grown, but weighs only 29 pounds – so there’s a smaller dog in his family tree. “Very sweet and well-behaved.” Call the shelter at 972-218-1210. Check out the Furbabies' site HERE.

 

SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS IN DALLAS

Consider the photographs. Here’s the “happy story” published on the Dallas Animal Services Facebook page. “A City of Dallas employee alerted us to a kitten trapped in a storm drain downtown. Our awesome field team was able to get over there and rescue him - isn't he cute? #HappyTails.”
As you probably know, you can check into adopting the the storm drain kitten by getting in touch with the Dallas Animal Services & Adoption Center at 214-671-0249 or stopping by the shelter at 1818 N. Westmoreland at I-30. Email [email protected].
That same information will help you adopt any animal you spot on dallasanimalservices.org.
One of them is this big ol’Pittie  [A0999373 ]  cautiously stepping up onto the shelter’s scale.
[LARRY ASIDE: This dog was someone’s puppy at some point. Grow too big? Get replaced by another puppy? Growl at the wrong time after being a backyard stranger to the family? Geez, if only people would be good and decent to animals – that’s kind of asking a lot since people are not good and decent to people, either. Check out the “man killed” and “woman shot” and “teen killed” headlines in your local news media. Humans – we are collectively the dumbest species on this planet. Not to be negative, of course.]
Let’s get positive by looking at what surely is a cat with full entertainment potential. This is Rio, i.e., A0998345 at Dallas Animal services. [LARRY ASIDE: We have had two black and white cats like this one and each has had a dynamic cat personality unlike other cats of different colors. Who knows? They may have a tuxedo attitude in a khaki world.]

ZIVA’S STILL WAITING       
The resolute rescuer and animal advocate Kimberly Jones reminded us of Ziva’s plight – we’ve mentioned it before – by forwarding a note from Sabrina Schwandt, a volunteer at the All American Dogs Animal Shelter in Pilot Point, just north of the Metrosprawl. Sabrina says English Mastiff Mix Ziva was spayed a few weeks ago. Sabrina writes that Ziva “weighs in at 168 pounds. She is massive.”
She’s also “sweet but chases cats. She LOVES belly rubs and people.”
Ask about helping her by email brina9042aol.com.

A TEXARKANA CONTEMPLATION:
This is Higgins’ story as plucked from the Facebook page of the Animal care & Adoption Center, Texarkana, USA.
  What this report on Higgins does is remind us that North Texas has not cornered the market on unwanted Texas animals.


I saw three dogs while I was in Texarkana the past few days – kind of a remarkably low count. Could be that I just wasn’t looking in the right places – they don’t have a shelter there for nothin’, you know.  Two of the dogs were playing in an apartment building parking lot – smaller dogs, wearing harnesses while a couple of guys watched them romp. 
But earlier, I saw a big white dog with light brown splotches. I was looking out the fifth floor window of the hospital where Mom was a patient. The dog was sprawled in a yard, then got up.  And, as I watched, he or she ambled across the yard, off the curb, across the street, onto a northbound sidewalk and walked on out of my sight line. 
It was hours later that I realized that in Texarkana, with its lower, slower traffic and tone, that dog was just “walking away from home.” Didn’t have to run. Might have come back. Might have gone off to check the departure time for the bus to Dallas. 
Higgins probably wasn’t a “walk away” dog – he’s got a “romp” gene. Someone needs to give him a place to romp.
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GET A BREAK, NEED A BREAK -- IT'S A DOG AND CAT WORLD

EDITION OF MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017 (PetPowellPress) –- Let’s start the week with good news and move right along. Here goes:

THE HAPPINESS OF HERBIE

We got the story on this purebred Dachshund from Amy Poskey, who has been watching his “escape the needle” challenge at the Denton Animal Services McNatt Animal Shelter.
“Herbie has left the building!!!,” she exclaimed. And reported that it was because “one of our AWESOME volunteers, Joyce McKennedy, pulled him for Mike & Mary Frazier with I AM DOG RESCUE!!!  I have attached some pics of Herbie catching a ride with Joyce and also at home with Joyce!”
Herbie is going to undergo heartworm treatment. Thus, as you may suspect, the medical fund at I Am Dog Rescue will be challenged.

Amy says, “I also found out that Herbie is actually 8-10 yrs young, not 2-5 yrs young as posted on Petfinder, so he will also need senior vet care.”

Go to iamdogrescue.org to see how to help Herbie and how to help the organization.

AND THERE’S A DENTON CAT, TOO
Amy also sent a feline note: “This precious baby is Carter (70049), our resident senior kitty with no claws and no teeth; therefore, she will need to be fed soft, wet food.  Bless her heart, she was found as a stray and we think she was dumped.  Carter is super sweet but likes to have her own personal space away from the other kitties.  She would probably do okay with kids but we have not seen her around children so we don’t know for sure.  Carter just wants a loving retirement home where she can hang out with her people!” Email [email protected] or call the shelter at 940-349-7594.

THE AMAZING EARHOUND

How about that set of ears! We get the story of this Watauga Shelter girl from her advocate, Karen Lee of Barkleyworld.com. Karen writes, “This little girl is breaking my heart—not one inquiry on her—where’s the love for little Zoey?  Please take another look and see if she might fit into your life. ... She’s still on meds for her UTI but is doing fine---if she needs further vet care, I can help—don’t let that scare you off.” The contact points are [email protected] or 817-656-9614.

CONTEMPLATIONS: Remember, the June adoption specials are running out of time at area shelters. That’s relax-o-dog Porche Noel (dodged a shelter by showing up on our front porch at Christmas) offering comfort to an wide awake gentleman who wandered into the living room looking for the companionship all dog people seek plus the inspiration to sleep that eludes insomniacs. … I bought a wireless mouse for use on a road trip. It fired up wonderfully. Works perfectly except for one thing. It scrolls up and down backwards. Roll the wheel up, it goes down; roll the wheel down, it goes up. My challenges with 21^st century technology continue. … I’m sure there are people in Dallas who can relate to this declaration from Texarkana: My hometown only bears a slight resemblance to the town I grew up in – nearly a half-century ago. Comprehending the passage of time: what a challenge. I had no idea the Hudson dealership had closed.

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THE TRAVELING EXPERIENCE

This week’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap subject is a personal privilege feline, i.e., I’m using personal privilege to write about her and other sleeping companions.
You may have, at some point, been called away from your home and left your critter/critters behind. About halfway through the disruption in routine, you realize something is missing and, as you open your suitcase, you say, “Dang, I wish I’d packed the cat.” Or, as I did a night or two ago, you drop a cracker on the floor and realize, “Oh, no. I’ve got to bend over and pick it up. I wish I’d brought the dog.”

This cat is a collection of stripes and good moods. That is Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson, a wander-up kitten who is named in honor of the main character in the TV series The Closer, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. Kittie Leigh is an inquisitive cat with a big purr, accented by a tough demeanor when another cat or dog intrudes on her reverie.
She’s almost human.
FYI: I’m writing this on a laptop at the kitchen table in my mom’s house in Texarkana. She’s a few
blocks away at the Big Hospital Downtown and recovering nicely from surgery to repair a broken hip – she fell while taking out the trash. I’m not kidding. Ninety-one years old and stubbornly does chores. She has a crowd of neighbors relatives and church people who monitor her – and flock to her side when she’s in a bit of difficulty. It’s a community of loved ones.
In the meantime, Northeast Texas has more loud bugs and nocturnally performing song birds than any other place in the world. I’m convinced. The bugs are humming and screeching and screaming all night long. The birds seem to work in shifts. There was a Mockingbird atop a telephone pole next to the house last night and, I swear, the relentless, feathered SOB (Son of Bird) was wearing a clip-on microphone hooked up to a digital amplification system. Maybe it was just a megaphone. Piercing delivery. Mother Nature is loud.
And you should hear the Northeast Texas bears that roam the neighborhood. I’m kidding. That was just me snoring. I learned it from that dog, Porche Noel, who was photographed as she rested after an exciting game of "Pick Up The Crackers."

[SEND PHOTOS of your slumbering dogs, cats and other critters to [email protected]. Remember, we publish these photos of sleeping animals as a service to insomniacs to suggest that they, too, can curl up and nod off if they’ll just wear the right striped cat’s pajamas.]
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THE THURSDAY REPORT: ANIMALS AND HUMANS

EDITION OF JUNE 22, 2017 [PetPowellPress] Note to Dear Readers: This is being (a) typed at neither of my two desks, (b) on neither of my desktop computers and (c) with limited brainpower.
Only one of those conditions is a constant. If you guessed (c), then you must have tried to have a lucid conversation with me at some point and I veered off course from considering the proper name for a rescued dog and began to explain my theory of unidentified flying objects: Cats are flying them. That explains the rapid, sudden turns and reluctance to converse with strange humans and, seriously, aren’t we all. Strange humans aside, we’ll start with happy note:

SMILE AT THIS, THEN
ASK IF YOU HAVE A PLACE…
The bottom line for “Darling Darla” began like this: “Has until Friday. Owner moving into home. Daughter doesn’t want.”
Well, don’t smile at that paragraph, but smile at the note sent to us by Karen Lee of Barkleyworld.com. The constant animal advocate’s subject line read “UPDATE!! RESCUED!!” And she included this: “Thank you Cody’s Friends for rescuing this sweetie!”
Darla is barely an adult --- only 4 ½ years old and just 23 pounds. She’s spayed. Cody’s Friends will handle her medical outlook and it’s up to a good-hearted human to say, “Heck, I need a dog like that!” You say that and Darling Darla might just say, “OK, I need a human like that!”
[LARRY ASIDE: It really grinds me to think about the disorientation animals go through because of the behavior of humans. How do you explain to a dog that the person they love will never be near them again? The responsibility of being a good human goes beyond paying your taxes and using your turn signals.]

CONSIDERING CLANCY
Gail Whelan of CAN Adoptions is trying to help this guy Clancy find a home.
He’s a “pure-bred Australian Cattle Dog. Two years old, 44 pounds and he takes a great mugshot!
The drawback? Gail’s note rads, “He is heartworm-positive and we are going to fundraise to pay for his treatment.”
He’s house-trained and currently living in a foster home. Email [email protected] to ask about helping Clancy.
That’s the address for foster Christin Atkinson who has a link to CAN Adoptions, Gail says. “Christin adopted Bogie from me 3 years ago and has given him a life other dogs can only dream of, Hiking, camping, and going everywhere with her (including to work).”
Gail also says, “Christin found this dog Clancy and she really needs help placing him.”

Get in touch with CAN Adoptions by emailing [email protected] . See the list of adoptables at www.ca-n.petfinder.com

A CAT IN NEED, INDEED

This is a situation that is going into a lot of inboxes. Our version came from the aforementioned Karen Lee and Karen Westmoreland of Cowtown Loves Animal Shelter Pets (CLASP).
CLASP, like so many North Texas shelters and rescue groups, is overloaded with animals. So, that means it’s “reaching out time” for the animals at risk.
The text of the email about Caly Cat reads, “Here is a photo and BIO: 5 year old pretty Calico domestic long hair family cat.  Healthy, all shots current as of May 2017.  Loves to keep you company and purrs when you pet her.  Moving in 2 weeks.   [email protected].”

NO, NO NANOOK?

NOBODY WANTS THIS DOG?

Amy Poskey, the reliable Denton tipster with an eye on the McNatt Animal Shelter, starts her note with this: “I can’t believe Nanook hasn’t been scooped up, yet!  This handsome boy has been waiting way too long and he’s getting very stressed at the shelter.”
This unclaimed stray was “quickly adopted, however, he was returned for the ‘crime’ of being ‘stubborn’,” Amy writes. “Yep, that’s it. Huskie aren’t for everybody so we want him to find the perfect home; therefore he is RESCUE ONLY.”

He’s healthy, smart, crate-trained, and, the bio reads, “If you give him an inch, he takes a mile.” [LARRY ASIDE: The note also says he’s “willing to learn and does will with positive reinforcement and a firm, consistent lead.” I believe that is identical to the last Husband Review my SupervisorSpouse Martha gave me. I probably have more demerits than Nanook, however.]

To offer to help Nanook, email Amy at [email protected], or these shelter addresses: [email protected], paul.o’[email protected], [email protected], and/or [email protected]. Call the shelter at 940-349-7594.

CONTEMPLATION: AMAZING…
Let’s contemplate this for a second. A Hopkins County Sheriff’s unit pulls over a van for a traffic violation in the county about 2 hours northeast of Dallas. Things inspire the deputy’s suspicion. The doors of the van are opened and inside there’s a traveling cockfighting kit.
The SPCA of Texas press release says this happened on the 20^th. A guy was arrested on two charges of “Class A misdemeanor for cockfighting: "manufactures, buys, sells, barters, exchanges, possesses, advertises, or otherwise offers a gaff, slasher, or other sharp implement designed for attachment to a cock with the intent that the implement be used in cockfighting" and "owns or trains a cock with the intent that the cock be used in an exhibition of cockfighting." The SPCA says Class A misdemeanors are punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $4,000, or both

What was in the van? SPCA reports “the Sheriff's Office found 63 birds--55 roosters and 8 hens--and cockfighting paraphernalia inside the vehicle. The Hopkins County Sheriff's Office made the arrest and seized the birds at that time.”
The SPCA got custody – the driver didn’t want to add to another day in court to what might be a few already. Just a guess. [LARRY ASIDE: Suggested defense could be "I thought I was hauling lawn equipment and the mowers were squeaking funny.]

Good grief. Well, the SPCA will need some money to help with the unexpected poultry vet bills. Go to spca.org. Check out the adoptable animals. See how you can volunteer.
See photos and movies of this van and its contents HERE .

So, what’s to contemplate? (a) Is this the only cockfighting van traveling Texas Highways? (b) Who is making the money? (c) Are these people also associated with dogfighting?
Cockfighting is against the law in all 50 states and crossing a state line with animals for fighting is a federal crime.
Oh, one more contemplation: If there was a tipster in this case, was it someone from a rival cockfighting organization? Good grief.
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A MIDWEEK ASSORTMENT

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2017 (PetPowellPress) -- First full day of summer. Anybody else need a sweater this morning? Now, shivers aside, lets move into the day’s report.

AND THE LEGISLATURE?

Texas Humane Legislation Network has posted a roundup of the way things went for animals in the Texas Legislature -- and it even mentions a tender moment in the history of North Texas animal advocacy: the day Gov. Rick Perry signed the “Loco Law.” The sweet pup Loco was blinded by someone and left on his human’s porch. Loco became a great symbol for animal advocacy.
 In its summation of the 85th Lege’s work, THLN’s story  reads, “After a decade and a half of insufficient penalties, we have now right-sized the punishment and have confidence this will provide prosecutors with the law they need to bring justice to these voiceless victims.”
BLACK MOUTH CUR/LAB MIXES

IN DIFFERENT ZIP CODES
Go figure. Is there an outbreak of unwanted “Black Mouth Cur/Lab Mixes"? Here’s what we’ve seen:
DENTON’S PATTY -- Patty is in Denton, a stray found by someone and turned into the McNatt Animal Shelter, according to the report from out tipster Amy Poskey. “Poor Patty has a torn ACL and needs a home or a rescue group where she will get the care she needs.  She is a very friendly girl with people and also gets along with other dogs. This sweetie is FULLY VETTED, HW NEGATIVE, and weighs 43 pounds.” She’s #69776 and her PetFinder link is HERE. The contacts: [email protected], [email protected], paul.o’[email protected]. Call 940-349-7594.
RED OAK’S TINKER (& JAX)

And that dog is Tinker, a young girl described by the Red Oak Animal Shelter folks as a “Lab/Black Mouth Cur Mix.” The appeal for all the dogs and cats waiting at the Red Oak shelter on the southern side of Dallas reads, “We believe she’s a cute little Labrador/Black Mouth Cur mix sine momma looks like a Labrador Retriever and daddy looked like a Black Mouth Cur.” She and her brother are owner-release.
That cat is Jax, shown here with his twin brother. I’m kidding. He has a toy. Such a tiny cat. How’d he wind up in the shelter? “Found as a stray.”
EMAIL [email protected] or CALL or TEXT 214-949-2726.
MEANWHILE IN JACKSBORO
The Barkleyworld.com animal advocate Karen Lee reports that the Euless Trinity GAP Rescue folks are taking five of the dogs from the Jacksboro Animal Shelter, where, reportedly, staff changes have sped up the clock. According to the note, there are still “3 puppies, 2 big Pyrenees mix dogs, 4 adult cats and kittens.” The contact person to help get these animals out of the shelter is rescue coordinator Jess Miller at [email protected], 940-229-9208 or at Facebook HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Reading the news, watching TV news, listening to radio news, I’m starting to think that it’s time that someone introduced some “human anti-cruelty” bills into the next session of the Texas Legislature. People -- what a curious species. ... Summer arrives in North Texas. How cool is that. Literally. ... OK, everybody relax. Sage advice.
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Tethering in Dallas; a consideration

    EDITION OF TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2017 (PetPowellPress) We're working from out of town with limited time on a borrowed computer, but it's important to know there's a bit of tethering news. I hope this works. Maeleska Fletes asked for the publicity because this is such an important issue. 

I hope this  reads right and looks OK. If the info is too small. Click on it an it should grow like a hungry puppy.

Also, I am mouse-oriented and this computer has a scratch pad or whatever you call it that is about as precise as my Latin II translations in 1963. "Sic friat crustulum,"  as Marguerite Hamilton taught us. If I understood correctly, the phrase translates "Thus the cookie crumbles." At any rate, be kind to animals and especially the people who help them. What? A translation? 

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