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THE BABY IN THE HOUSE...ANIMALS NEEDING A HOMES, THE SKIPPER HELPS A CAUSE...

EDITION OF NOVEMBER 1, 2017 [PetPowellPress] Ah, November. Just about my most favorite month.
One of the challenges of writing is quieting the internal emotions to focus on what is at hand. Sometimes you find yourself distracted by events.
 If you think this is a reference to any legal or nuclear stories datelined Washington, D.C., or Pyongyang, North Korea, or a player suspension at The Star in Frisco, it’s not. 

We’re raising a kitten and it’s taking up all our brainpower. 
That’s the kitten.
My funspouse Martha’s harp-playing hands are simultaneously holding and bottle-feeding the darlin’. This white-furred baby with the pink nose was one of a littler of four -- there were two oranges and a gray striped -- born under the shrubbery in our front yard about five weeks ago.
Momma is gray tabby feral. We monitored, made sure mom was fed and, about a week ago, she vanished with everybody but this one. This kitten was left under the shrubbery, screaming loudly. To make sure Mom wasn’t coming back, we didn’t rush in and get the kitten. But when nobody showed up after several hours, we took action. The kitten was loud.
Over the long weekend, we kept the kitten in our cat rescue room (it used to be our patio room -- pretty sure we're not the only animal people who have signed entire rooms over to dogs and cats.)  We began feeding this newcomer the traditional store-bought kitten milk formula. The cat liked to cuddle, like to climb more and has shown evidence of being an explorer.

 We’d thought up a list of names, settling on Ivy Diane -- Ivy for the bough under which the kitten was found, and Diane in honor of our pal Diane Combs, a longtime animalfan and all-round swell person.
When Monday came, it was time for visit to the vet.
That photo captures the expression on Ivy Diane’s face just after our dear vet, Dr. Vladi DeJong, took a good look and said, “Congratulations, it’s a boy.” 

The kitten looked crestfallen, i.e., "You mean I'm not a girl? Oh, no!"
So, ladies and gents, this is our current work in progress, now known as Simon Mycroft Holmes, the curious kitten who, it turns out, was a mystery.
He may be the long-lost nephew of Sherlock Holmes. Simon has, as we’ve discovered while bottle-feeding, very sharp nails and extraordinarily sharp teeth. We have decided that perhaps Mom did not abandon him. Knowing that the humans would tend to her son, she simply put bandages and antibiotic cream on her shredded spigots and escaped with the tender babies.
She shows up for morning feeding on the porch and she appears to still be nursing -- somewhere there may be three more kittens looking for a home. I'll let y'all know.
THE RED OAK SEVEN

We’re just using these two as examples of the adorable adoptables waiting at the small Red Oak Animal Shelter. Leighann Hayden, working with Laura Macias to spotlight smaller shelters, sent the note citing seven waiting dogs.
The contact point is Laura at [email protected] -- or call or text 214-949-2726.
We picked these two to feature because, clearly, they look good with flowers. 
Becca is about a year-old, under 35-pound Shepherd or Lab mix. Leighann describes her as “a great medium size, perfect for any home.) Size matters, but so does attitude: “She LOVES and adores people, and really loves all other dogs too.”

Then there’s Trevor, described as a Lab/Boxer mix who is “house-trained” and “so cute.” Leighann writes, “Everything about this dog is CUTE and everyone who meets him completely ADORES him - this lovable guy is a true shelter favorite.”

And remaining five are Dingo the Earhound, a formerly stray Aussie mix who is always listening; Rika, the girl German Shepherd whose waiting for her family to pick her up; Lindy, a young Border Collie mix with a tongue designed for lappin’ up every last morsel; Melissa, a smaller, sweet Aussie mix; and the Spaniel mix Chance who needs heartworm treatment. Only 4 or 5 years old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HELP WITH CRATES; 

A SPECIAL MISSION
Tawana Couch, the founder and guiding light of the Society For Companion Animals, says, “The SFCA wants to save lots of dogs for November from the Rio Grande Valley but we must have volunteers to make this happen. It takes dozens of pet crates to be assembled so that the dogs can fly out.”
The next crate assembly day is Saturday Nov. 18. To volunteer to help set up the crates, email [email protected]. She says that on the last SFCA “flight day,” the organization flew 63 dogs, most in big crates, to safety in other areas of the nation.
You can read about the SFCA expenses and volunteer opportunities on its website HERE. Tawana’s work is not done without appreciation -- she’s consistently thanking the volunteers and the donors who help the animals.
How do they help they animals? In one of Tawana’s notes of appreciation on the SFCA website, there’s this explanation/mission statement: “We fly our animals to loving arms.”

THE SKIPPER & FAMILY GO TO BAT
FOR OPERATION KINDNESS
The honorary co-chairs for Operation Kindness’ 25th Annual Canines, Cats & Cabernet fundraiser, have seen more wide-open fields and chased more bouncing balls than a busload of Labs, noses-to-the-turf Cocker Spaniels and energetic cats. These honorary chairs are Texas Rangers Skipper Jeff Banister and his wife Karen.
The Banister family includes daughter Alexandra, son Jacob, Labs Bella and Scout and the Maltese pups Gracie and Cooper. 
The event is from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday, November 18, at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Dallas. You can’t miss it -- it lights up.
The latest press release included this quote from OK CEO Jim Hanophy: “Canines, Cats & Cabernet gets bigger and better every year, and we are honored to celebrate our 25th anniversary of this event with Jeff and Karen Banister. We know that with their support we will be able to knock this year’s event out of the park.” (Go to operationkindness.org for tickets and to read all about the event from the “elegant dinner featuring hors d’oeuvres, a mashed potato bar, carving stations, a dessert bar and
complimentary wine, beer and coffee.” The event will also host its first “liquor pull.”) Raffles, too. 
And, there’s an Adoption Lounge, so, if you arrive without an animal, you can make arrangements to adopt one.
Naturally, we’d be remiss if I didn’t point out some of the currently adoptable animals at the shelter in Carrollton. Across the top we have three fantastic faces: Heidi the Chihuahua/Doxie mix, Poppy the Affenpinscher mix and Sgt.Tippy, the total Earhound. Big dog Sally, a Pittie girl, is a Harvey rescue. 
Those two cats? The orange fellow is Harry Potter (ask about his adoption partner Sheba -- it’s a two-fer deal) and the fantastic, artistic face belongs to Barbara the Cat. Check them all out online at operationkindness.org. Or stop by the shelter.

CONTEMPLATIONS:
Regarding feral cats. We went for years without any new litters -- just a two-cat remnant of a long-ago litter. Moriarity, a Black Cat, and Smidge, another Black Cat -- both trapped, neutered, released. They lived on and around our property for maybe a dozen years. Moriarity, who we were never able to hold until the end, “got into something,” as the phrase goes. No saving him, sadly. Lonely Smidge decided she didn’t mind humans after all and got close enough to be nabbed, i.e., I opened the door and she walked in with an “I’m here, whattaya got?” attitude. She lived with us another few years -- the challenges of old age got her, i.e., cancer. Once she came into the house, she never ever tried to race out an open door. No cable TV in the yard, you know. So, now, inexplicably, we have a number of gently striped tabby cats hiding in the bushes and enjoying the twice daily Free Feral Buffet on the porch. The challenge is, of course, trapping them before they can reproduce. The cat trap waits. We continue, with great hope, to buy lottery tickets. And, of course, this Contemplation would be incomplete if I did not indignantly shout across the universe, “SPAY AND NEUTER, YOU CHOWDERHEADS.”

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A RESCUE THAT SAVED A MOM SO SHE COULD SEE HER PUPPIES AGAIN!

EDITION OF TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017 (PetPowellPress) -- We learned about this good deed from longtime animalfan Muriel Parker. She’s also a fan of her son, Steve, and her new daughter-in-law Nina -- they wed on September 23. 
And to demonstrate how aligned the newlyweds are, here’s a dog rescue story.
Muriel sent this with her comments merged with Nina’s explanation: 
“Nina spotted this sweet girl in the wooded area behind the Big Lots off 15th St in Plano. Whoever abandoned her there left a big plastic tub, presumably housing her 7 pups, and a pile of kibble just poured on the ground. She was running around sniffing frantically, which we later came to realize was her trying to pick up the scent of her missing pups. She ran right up to Nina, ribs showing and stinking to high heaven.

“Nina said, ‘She was frightened of me at first and acted like she thought I was going to hit her. It broke my heart but soon we were fast friends, for I am the Animal Whisperer! (Joking, but animals do seem to trust me, instinctively.) We phoned Plano Animal Services and arranged to drop her off there.
'When we arrived, the woman in line ahead of us happened to mention 7 puppies she'd just brought in. ‘What kind?’ we asked. ‘Pit mix,’ she replied - same as our mama dog! 
“ ‘Where did you find them?’ She replied, ‘Behind the Big Lots.’
“Mama and pups brought to the same place within minutes of each other! What are the odds?! That, my friends, was no coincidence. With tears in our eyes, we said our goodbyes and left her in the caring hands of the PAS. We're hoping that this story has a happy ending for her and all her pups and plan to keep tabs on that sweet mama to make sure she finds a good home, one way or another.”

Muriel says the shelter vet thinks the pups are 7 to 8 weeks old “and should be weaned to allow mommy to regain some weight and health. Three of the pups were smaller than the others, so he said he would put them with her for a bit to calm her fears. He said none of them would have lasted much longer if they hadn’t been rescued, especially with the cold weather we’ve having and more coming.”
Muriel says that “the woman who brought the puppies in just minutes before Steve and Nina came with the mommy said she didn’t see the mommy or she would have brought them all.”

And, we’ve saved this line for last because so many of you will share the emotion behind what Muriel Parker wrote: “Whoever dumped  them deserves that special place in hell for animal abusers. Sadly, it seems like it’s gonna be crowded down there.”
[Contact Plano Animal Services to offer to help a Mom and her puppies survive the fate that may arise from having been dumped by some irresponsible human. Here’s the LINK. I’m sure rescue groups (nobody’s crowded, right?) have contacts at Plano Animal Services and can tag this family and get it to safety. We’ll try to monitor. Hope we get family photos at some point.]
FROM BURNS FLAT

Honestly, it is amazing how similar the animal problems are in Burns Flat and North Texas. And they all begin with this one common fact: There are humans who do not care. The good thing is, there are humans who DO care. Last week we wrote about Terry Lynn Fisher, the Burns Flat symbol of rescue, who was going to a nearby city to try to rescue a little dog with an unattended broken leg. Terry Lynn got the dog into a vet’s office and “he is doing OK. Much longer and that infection could have been deadly.”
In the meantime, this dog Doobie is waiting for some help -- nothing’s broken, he’s simply heartworm positive. “He had been at the Sentinel, Okla., pound for months. We have worked wonders with him,” says Terry Lynn. 
A rescue group took him and Doobie’s heartworm condition was discovered during the physical Terry Lynn says the vet asked the rescue person “if she wanted him put down. I could not stand the thought of him being put down, so I had him taken to my vet.” 

The treatment and boarding for three months has passed the $2,000 mark. So, Terry Lynn and Doobie need some quick help. Email her at [email protected]. “The thought of having to let him go after all we have done to save him and get him healthy is heartbreaking...He is a wonderful dog and very friendly. ... I now everyone is full but ... I am drowning here and need a place for some to go.” 

Yep, there are more dogs needing homes in Burns Flat. Terry Lynn’s heart is much larger than the bankbook. She’s also trying to winterize the pound -- Burns Flat trusts her to take care of the animals. Email her at the same address: [email protected].

AND IN DENTON...SEVEN WAITING


 

 

 

Amy Poskey, our tipster for animal needs at the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter, reports that there are seven dogs she’s desperate to save. “I’m not giving up on these babies and I hope you won’t, either.  If seven rescues would be willing to save just one pooch each then we could save them all! ... All of these angels are fully vetted and ready for their miracle of finding love! 
“If anyone can save any of these love sponges, please contact me (Amy at [email protected]) , Gayla Nelsen (kennel supervisor) at [email protected] and/or Paul O’Neill (shelter manager) at paul.o’[email protected].
These dogs are (top row) Mrs. Doubtfire (59872), Romeo (72639) and Chase (71599). Bottom row dogs are Rhett (71598), Meadow (72010) and Cactus Jack (72171). The dog on the left is the fascinating Romulus (72125).
They’re all adoptable, not just taggable by rescue. Fees are $30 -- a bargain at twice the price. 
[LARRY ASIDE: And, again, we ask the questions: WHY ARE SO DARNED MANY GREAT DOGS ON DEATH ROW IN A CITY SHELTER? WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?]







CONTEMPLATIONS: Sorry about that photo line-up -- I'm a failed graphic artist, but it is an appropriately scary layout for the day, right? Halloween is the anniversary of the year in the 1950s in the basement of Texarkana's Highland Park Elementary School that I took on the greatest role of my acting career -- I portrayed The Wild Man of Borneo, my vivid presentation terrifying kids in the first, second and third grades. I don’t think 4th graders and above fell for it. ... Did you see the story about price-gouging at gasoline stations in Texas in the aftermath of Harvey’s landfall? Well, I swan, I cannot believe that there would be dastardly people preying on those who are suffering. So, what can a person do to teach those retailers a lesson? We’ve got to depend on the AG to do the public spanking. Names will make news, don’t you think? ... I’m going to repeat a paragraph from an earlier story in today’s edition because, in discussing the momma dog and her dumped puppies, I think Muriel Parker hit the ol’ nail on the head: “Whoever dumped  them deserves that special place in hell for animal abusers. Sadly, it seems like it’s gonna be crowded down there.” Can we get an “Amen!”? And, of course, some prayers for changes in the hearts of people who dump animals and hurt kids, teens and adults. Geez, what is the matter with those people?
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THE CAT HAS FOUR EARS FOR HALLOWEEN? OTHER ANIMALS AND AN ALARMING REPORT

EDITION OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017 (PetPowellPress) Before we get to an alarming problem (relax, it’s mechanical, not animal), we’ll discuss that 4-eared cat with the Goth lipstick and the annual SPCA of Texas reminder to people that they must protect their animals from the unusual sights and sounds of Halloween.
I figured I’d go to the SPCA website and look for an appropriate Halloween cat and sure enough, there was 158259, known shelter-wide as Bacon and, clearly, the only 4-eared cat who’ll be trick-or-treating on Tuesday. He’s 4 months old, and small and it occurs to me there may have been another SPCA adoptable cat sitting behind him -- those feline tricksters!
But you never can be sure in this era of genetic experimentation. I’m kidding. I hope.
To get the tips on protecting animals from the ghosts and goblins and chills of the season, click on the SPCA link HERE. That's the SPCA news release artwork -- it's animated on the SPCA site.
MEANWHILE, OUT AT THE LAKE...
Sydney Busch of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake forwarded this tip from Jan Wadsworth who is trying to find a home or homes for these two ultra-cute kittens. They’re attached to each other, Jan says.
Clearly, they just need a human who’ll be enchanted by both of them.
To offer to help the kittens, email [email protected].

WAITING IN MESQUITE
Two of many dogs -- these photos sent to us by Judi Brown, the volunteer who is working to raise the visibility of adoptables and rescueables (that a word?) in the Mesquite Animal Shelter.
The 50-pound dog with the tan highlights is a year old Shepherd mix, Baby (36893797), who, Judi wrote, “was surrendered due to the owner’s change in lifestyle. Her previous owners stated that Baby was an inside/ outside dog. They said she likes car rides and walks. They also said she knows sit, no, and go to bed commands. They said she likes to cuddle. However, Baby is overwhelmed by her change in lifestyle and all the shelter noises. She kept her tail between her legs and would only approach tentatively for a treat. Sudden movements caused her to retreat.” [LARRY ASIDE: Well, goodness. All of that is curable with the love of a good human. Lifestyle change. Geez. Hope it was not harsh for the humans, too. These days, you never know.]
The other dog is 14-pound Louie (36906783)i, a young terrier mix who arrived as a stray on the 24th. Like Baby, he also has trouble with the shelter environment. Judi says, “He is a work in progress as he needs a special person to spend time with him so he can relax and trust again. He let me hold him, but he wasn’t real sure how we felt about that. He responds to treats. He’s not used to a leash. He shares his kennel with another dog, and they seem to comfort one another.”
To ask about adopting or “tagging” either or both or any animal in the Mesquite shelter, get the number of the animal you want (it’s probably on the website) and included it when you contact the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].

ALARMING REPORT:
SECURITY ISN'T ALWAYS A QUIET EXPERIENCE
For a good while now we’ve endured a malfunctioning security alarm screaming through the neighborhood at all hours. It comes from an office park across a busy street from our otherwise quiet neighborhood. For two nights last week, it began sounding around sunset and stopped about 8 a.m. when people arrive at work. No phone calls were answered; no emails were answered. If there were burglars, they sure had time to make an escape. It’s an unpleasant, disturbing situation. Try writing The Lesser American Novel with a burglar alarm going off hour after hour in a town where the police force is so busy and understaffed that they almost have to investigate property crimes by appointment. 

So, last Wednesday night, about 1 a.m., well past my usual bedtime, I went to the couch and tried to drown out the screaming alarm by watching cable TV on my Kindle -- used earplugs, you know. (That’s Porche, who joined me on the couch -- she looks as if she might have been irritated.)
 So, to keep from getting involved in an intellectual plot, rather than a mystery, I chose to watch Family Feud. As I watched, the question was “Name someone your sleeping dog might dream about biting.” The players got all but one of the answers and, inexplicably I moved and disengaged my ear plugs. When the show flipped over the remaining answer, I couldn’t hear the great Steve Harvey announce the answer and I did not have my glasses on and could not read the tiny type on the Kindle screen. 
Then, with the alarm sounding through our otherwise quiet home, I spent 20 or 30 minutes Googling for the Family Feud answer. No dice. And the alarm didn’t stop sounding until around 8 a.m. -- by then I’d moved to the couch and pulled a pillow over my head. My literary cat, The Senator, crawled up on top of the pillow to help drown out the alarm. 
So, I’ve been left with these questions: (1) Anybody know the answers to that Family Feud dog question and (2) anybody know how to gently, politely persuade a private company to fix its security alarm.
 Before you answer #2, I’ve read The Godfather several times. Quoting from Mario Puzo’s great book, “Never get angry. Never make a threat. Reason with people.” He also wrote, “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” Who could turn down a visit to Two Guys From Italy, the great Italian restaurant in far north Dallas? (I had the Pesto Ala Genevese on Saturday afternoon -- so wonderful.) 
I’ve gotta get more sleep -- but there is no snooze button on a malfunctioning security alarm. 

On Sunday night, I watched It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. First time I saw it was, I think, October 27, 1966, a Thursday, which meant I had the night off from my night reporter job at The Texarkana Gazette and I watched it at home on my parents’ black and white TV set (Emerson? Zenith?) in the living room. It would be years before I realized Charles Schulz’s masterpiece was in color.
Nothing alarming about that. So, in order to emphasize how unsettling that malfunctioning alarm can be, I recorded this on my front porch at 5:07 a.m. on May 8, 2016. Here’s the LINK. Turn your speakers up to "normal" -- still won’t be as annoying as the live performance. The bird is about 10 feet from the microphone; the alarm is about two blocks, maybe. It’s the same alarm. The bird may have changed since last year.
 Morning Song contract may have expired. Birds have a strong union.
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SLEEPING DOGS, NAPPING CATS AND AN ADVENTURE INSPIRED BY...WELL, READ ON.

For this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, we’re going to suggest that you turn your speakers to a soft, enjoyable level and listen to this song as you read. It absolutely fits living with this dog.
We we will get to my, well, nipple adventure and some very public napping cats as we go along.
If you followed the musical suggestion, you’ll realize we’ve set the perfect tone for looking at this dog’s face. This is Dudley The Angel, another of our wander-up dogs. My funspouse Martha once took him to a choir rehearsal so she could get other people to convince me that he is a brown dog, not a black dog.
 (That's a doctored photo on the left, but in the right light, he has a golden brown sheen. Mr. Handsome!) I’m sure it’s my eyes failing to catch the glory of the brownish golden undercoat on this big ol’ free dog. Martha took the artistic mugshots. I snapped the third one of him and his big muzzle nudging me as I was typing this.
 He’s a joy.
That’s him sleeping on a floor pad back in March. (He’s named for the Cary Grant character in The Bishop’s Wife.)

The lead-off photo is of Dudley flat-out on the “dog couch” in our living room. He was on his side and, as we watched him, he ran -- just from the knees down, of course, in the tradition of sleeping dogs. And, in keeping with the theory of this column, we let the sleeping dog sleep.
So did the cats, who were not napping at the time.

When Dudley awoke, still on his side, he had a look that said, “Have you humans been watching me sleep?” Then he went back to sleep.
He has some kind of gift for bringing a smile to your heart.
But don’t they all when your heart isn’t too busy to smile?
Dudley and our Rottie boy, Texas Earl the Cheeseman, frequently share the long couch. And they share the joy of sleeping. Both were free dogs in Dallas. Dudley wandered up, Earl was dumped in Kiest Park.
Animals get dumped in Dallas. Not always by humans -- mostly by humans, but not always.
So, last week we took in a 5-week-old white kitten after his mom moved his three siblings (two orange, one gray) from their under-the-shelter “quarters” in a big hole in a tree trunk in our front yard. I couldn't leave him out there screaming for dinner. I made sure Mom wasn't coming back and brought him into the "emergency cat room," our patio room. We thought he was a girl for three days -- then our vet used his skills and experienced eyes to determine differently. 
The point is, this little guy (no photo yet, no name yet, keep visiting readlarrypowell.com and we’ll make the big reveal soon)...the little guy needed some help eating. I bought the kitten milk from our neighborhood PetSmart -- and the puppy nipples because they were out of kitten nipples.
On Friday, I was in a different part of town -- north of the Trinity -- and thought “surely this store will have kitten nipples.” Alas, it did not. This lack of kitten nipples may be an indication of just how fertile cats have been in the EAKS (Early Autumn Kitten Season) around here. The puppy nipples are working fine for the Baby Cat and he’s graduating gracefully to a mix of baby food and cat food. I don’t know how this will affect his mental state, this nursing on a puppy nipple.

 So, as I was shopping at the PetSmart on Inwood just north of Forest Lane, buying dog and domestic and feral cat supplies, I did what every animal nut does: I looked at the dogs playing in the “daycare” area, then went to the adoptable cats in their area.

Here are three that I found and two of them are nappers and one is a big orange cat named “Hulk” who I watched wake as I was fumbling to shoot his photo. As you can see, he’s almost human when he wakes. The girl with her paws crossed is Adora. And the semi-turned and rubbable-tummied cat is Nina. 
What do they have in common besides being at the PetSmart? They are all adorables that you can adopt from the Humane Society of Dallas County at dognkittycity.org. Adora likes to follow humans as they walk through the house, Nina is a “cuddle bug” and Hulk is described as “big strong boy” and a “sweetheart.” 
So, you can see how to adopt these great cats HERE or drop by the PetSmart where, yes, two employees tried to help me find kitten nipples without thinking I was some kind of Dallas weirdo. I'm almost certain.
[LARRY ASIDE: These cats already know how to sleep and at their age, they’re not going to send you off on a mind-bending search for kitten nipples. Honestly, I am a junior college dropout -- can you imagine how I’d feel if I were a college graduate or had a couple of post-grad degrees and was walking around asking strangers “Do you have kitten nipples?” That would be a waste of a degree, wouldn’t it!]
[Send photos of your sleeping dogs and napping cats -- any other beast that nods off in front of your camera from Amarillo lizards to Zany in-laws -- to [email protected] and we’ll post them for the world to see on readlarrypowell.com in our long-running weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. We’ve been publishing sleeper and napper photos since May 14, 2005. That is a lot of dogs and cats. We’re happy to show people how great it is that animals can be such vital parts of the human experience. We also use these photos to demonstrate that insomniacs can find sweet sleep, too, if they’ll just find the right couch or floorpad or huggable human.]


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PROTECTING ANIMALS: FROM WEATHER, FROM FATE AND FROM PEOPLE WHO 'MARKET' THEM...

AFTERNOON EDITION, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2017 (PetPowellPress) -- Driving in Dallas around 2 p.m. Friday, we saw sleet bouncing off our car’s hood. So, there’s your reminder to take your Readlarrypowell.com Two by Four of Enlightenment and help your unsophisticated neighbors remember to bring in the dogs and cats and be kind to animals. 
Naturally, we abhor violence, but endorse education at all ages.
Let me point out, please, that the opening photo is of pigeons sheltering under the I-35 bridge at Royal Lane about 2:30 p.m. Friday. If a pigeon is smart enough to get out of the weather, perhaps human ought to be smart enough to get their dogs and cats out of the weather. Put horses in the barns. And hire kids in warm clothing to drape battery operated Bovine Blankets on cattle and hold umbrellas over the beasts’ heads until the weather warms up. Yeah, I don't know what to do about cattle -- I'm a vegetarian and that may help some of them survive.

FROM THE SPCA:

CHARGES FILED IN HUNT COUNTY

Friday afternoon, the SPCA of Texas announced that Hunt County authorities have arrested two people “in connection with the seizure of 117 animals [September 25] from an alleged puppy mill in Hunt County, east of Greenville, TX. Jeffery Leon Barrett, 61, and Barbara Jean Barrett, 54, were placed in the Hunt County Criminal Detention Center -- bond for each was set at $5,000.
You may recall that the Hunt County Pct. 1 Constable Terry Jones, the Hunr County Sheriff’s Office and the SPCA rescued 93 adult dogs, 22 puppies and two cats.
The new release read, “The stench of feces and urine was so strong that it caused investigators to gag and could be smelled from the road.”
According to the SPCA, the owner ”let investigators know that they were selling the dogs.”
 The SPCA notes, “All large-scale animal breeders in Texas are required by law to be licensed and inspected on a regular basis. It is unclear at this point if the animal owner is properly licensed.
"The Texas puppy mill bill, known as the Large-Scale Commercial Dog and Cat Breeder Bill, took effect on September 1, 2012. It provides guidelines for the treatment of animals in large-scale commercial breeding operations in Texas, defined as breeders who keep 11 or more breeding females or sell 20 or more puppies or kittens a year.”
Depending on the findings of the court, this could be a Class A Misdemeanor or a State Jail Felony. Both could result in some time in the lock-up.
TWO DOGS TO HELP
These dogs are in the Wilmer Animal Shelter, a small facility with low walk-through numbers just south of Dallas. Laura Macias, who works to help small shelters get attention for their animals, reports that “I will donate to an approved 501 group that will pull them both. And I will transport to you in Texas and they have already been given shots.”

The contact is Laura at [email protected]. Or, call or txt 214-949-2726. 

Jayla and Piper are described as “female Boxer/Bully mixes.” The note reads that they came into the shelter together but are available individually. 
Laura wrote, “they have obviously not been given a great life. They are still so loving and just want to be with you -- even though they have been treated badly!!! They are just begging for your help.”

AN UPBEAT FINAL NOTE

Amy Poskey, our tipster/volunteer who monitors needs at the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter, happily writes that Lavender and her one pupster” have been pulled to safety by Epic Animal Rescue. 
“If anyone would like to make a donation for the care of this sweet momma and her baby, please click on the link,"Amy urges.
REMINDER: A little bit later Friday, we’re going to post photos of a dog in the spotlight of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. “Napping cats?” you ask. Heck, yeah, we found ‘em snoozing in public. We’ll tell you where in our weekend edition.

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ANIMALS AND PEOPLE AND CORPORATE TEAMS: STRUGGLES FOR SURVIVAL

EDITION OF FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2017 (PetPowellPress) -- Anybody else know what you were doing on October 27, 2004?
We’ll get to that in a minute. 
Let’s help some animals first, maybe throw in a wisecrack or two, make a suggestion for making the world a better place for man and beast.
That dog? Yes, she does look like a high-fashion model. She is so beautiful. Her name is Sandi. She's 6-months-old, a Retriever mix and currently on the clock in the Mesquite shelter, according to our tipster Judi Brown. Her # is 36870893. Call 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]. On the clock, we emphasize. That’s why she may be trying to “fade into the wall” in the second photo.
But Sandi's "on the clock" is less specific than Kirby's.The third photo is a Spaniel mix named Kirby, probably under 2, came in as a stray on Oct. 20 and is on the clock for 9 a.m. Friday, Judi says. He weighs 14 happy pounds. His # is 36874417. Use those same Sandi contacts above to save this little guy’s life.
You should use them in a hurry.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND

The State Fair of Texas is over and you’re not interested in any kind of football these days. Check with your favorite rescue group for activities. And, you know, this is a great weekend to visit animal shelters and get a new friend -- go to smaller shelters that have no public relations/marketing budget to match the big places. Wilmer. Red Oak. Corsicana. The Colony. Check your Zip Code for the nearest public shelter and save an animal’s life and, maybe, even your own. An unstressed moment with a dog or cat is worth a handful of pills that will keep you from playing in the NFL. 

That brown dog with the socks is Valentine (36697993), waiting quietly at The Colony. And if you click on this LINK you can learn about Sugar’s challenges (ID 36831934).
Shelter Manager Mark Cooper’s presentation of Sugar’s situation begins, “There's nothing more upsetting than encountering a dog who's happy-go-lucky spirit has been beaten and broken. It's heartbreaking to see a dog live in constant fear of EVERYTHING, because someone beat them down and broke their trust in all humans. It takes A LOT of time and dedication to earn a dogs trust when they assume all humans are here to harm them.”

THE DAS BELL CAT
 &
A BALLERINAHUAHUA

As I was perusing the current cats at Dallas Animal Services (see ‘em online HERE), I spotted this fantastic face among the adorable adoptables. This is Kelly (A1009442). As you may recall, DAS is running specials on orange cats and black cats through October -- they’re free. Not sure if Kelly qualifies as half-off because of a dash of both colors here and there.
Can you see that at first glance she appears to be wearing a bell on her red collar? It's not a bell (not in the city budget, probably), but it inspired me to think, ‘We’ve never put a bell on any of our cats.’ Then I remembered why: Ours have their own cell phones and prefer customized ring tones. A good cat knows how to screen the calls without picking up the phone.
Then, I went to the adoptable dogs and spotted this photo of Bella (A1011447), a Chihuahua girl who is clearly getting ready for the season and practicing a pas de deux she’ll perform while appearing in a local holiday production of The Nutcracker. [LARRY ASIDE: If Bella were my dog, I’d finish that move with a genuine hug and give that baby some treats and a blanket on the couch. How does such a dog wind up on the clock in a shelter that buys euthanasia juice in bulk? Who betrayed that girl Bella? OK, I’ll go take a sedative and wish Dallas didn’t have a limit on household pets and I didn’t have a limit on income.]
 See how to adopt her and Kelly at dallasanimalservices.org.

THIS DOG HAS A BABY
AND THEY BOTH NEED OUT

Our tipster Amy Poskey reports that this dog and her baby need to be out of the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter. “Sweet Lavender is a 1-2 yr young Labby mix who gave birth to a single male puppy last night [Wednesday] at the shelter.  They need out ASAP as we all know the puppy won't do well in the shelter environment.  Lavender is as sweet as pie and non-reactive to dogs walking by.  Can anyone PLEASE take in this wonderful mama and her pup?”

Contact Amy at [email protected] or email these shelter contacts: [email protected], paul.o’[email protected], [email protected], and/or [email protected]. The shelter phone number is 940-349-7594.
That's the dog and the pup on the right and there's a good reason that we have connected that photograph to the story about the "Grrr moment," as you will see. Read on.


ANOTHER GRRR MOMENT
FROM OUT A THE LAKE
We have no photo of this found dog, but, trust me, you’ll know what she looks like (look at Lavender from Denton and give a soft squint -- that’s what this “found dog” kind of looks like. Our found dog tip came from Sydney Busch, the veteran observer of human treatment of animals.She’s with Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake, the group that operates the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas. 
She wrote, “Grrrr--very young Black Lab needs her forever family. What’s better than a Lab?!? A very young Black Lab, found about to cross the highway near Athens ... rescued by a caring person who cannot keep her.” 
The dog is, Sidney writes, “microchipped but not registered (screams BREEDER --grrr). Probably not spayed.”
Time at the rescuer’s is limited. The Friends “will spay her at no charge for a good home,” Sydney says. (To ask about the dog, call Jenny Zimmerman at 903-675-2027 and leave a message.)
CONTEMPLATIONS:
IN HONOR OF MY FELLOW 10/27s
Back to today’s opening note, i.e., “Where were you on Oct. 27, 2004?” Me? I was getting the heave-ho out of that building with scores of other people. That’s The Big Paper Downtown, its legendary "Build The News upon the rock of truth..." message captured by a University of Texas at Austin photo. It was my professional home for 30 years -- loved every minute there except, maybe, the last 15 or so -- pretty disappointed in the management team, bless their sweet hearts. The Big Paper Downtown is not so big anymore. But, this isn’t the era of kids on bikes throwing papers into the shrubbery. This is the era of reading “the paper” on a phone -- yeah, anybody can publish, but how do you make money off ads that are too small for fine print? 
So, what was I doing on that afternoon 13 years ago? Having been excused from further participation, I left the historic Rock of Truth building and Martha and I went to our all-time favorite Arlington event, the (now-defunct) Book Fair of the American Association of University Women. We have quite a collection from years of shopping the Book Fair -- cookbooks, textbooks, books by local authors and friends and even books of poetry by Rod McKuen -- I have a friend I send those to -- now and then, she sends ‘em back. 
| mention all this so my fellow 10/27s will realize that they are not forgotten, that their unpleasant day in October 2004 has not been erased from history by the passage of time, the challenges of economic survival for newspapers m or the sad executives who try not to look back at the lives and careers they destroyed. Many of you 10/27s have gone on to new triumphs, a few in journalism. Some were “aged” out of the field, even though we can type, read, write, know the entire alphabet and make Mr. Subject and Mr. Verb agree. Most of us have kept busy. 
I can’t remember what the paper’s stock price was in 2004, but it used to soar beyond the $20 mark and it certainly wasn’t what it was Thursday afternoon: $4.50 a share. Those poor major stockholders. Ouch. They’re the ones with the professionally done signs that read “FIGURATIVELY HUNGRY! WILL CONSULT FOR FOOD.” 
Here’s the bottom line: Journalism is important to the survival of democracy -- let’s all remember that, whether we are readers or writers or reporters or editors or the poor souls in management. And remember, also, what Heraclitus of Ephesus (born 535 BC) said, “There is nothing permanent except change.” We’ll end with a quote from the insightful 20th century philosopher, Woody Boyd: “I hate change.”
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FROM ANIMAL CHALLENGES TO HUMAN LEGACY

EDITION OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 (PetPowellPress) -- We are assuming, Dear Readers, that you have already chosen your Halloween costumes. So, we’ll just move on. Let me take these cat paws off so I can type. Meow. Purrrr. Just the hand paws -- I think I enjoy the warm paws on my toes in this chilly weather. Kind of paints an unfortunate word picture, doesn’t it. Bermuda shorts, black socks, cat paws on a fat man. Oh, my. That photo? That’s me and Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson -- when it comes to a cat outfit, she wears it well. And, now, some opportunities to help animals:
WHAT? A STRAY IS CLAIMED, 

THEN SURRENDERED?
You have got to be kidding, right? Nope.
Judi Brown, our Mesquite tipster says Doug is a 3-year-old Lab mix who came to the shelter on October 17 as a stray.
“Then his owners reclaimed him and then turned around and surrendered him. His sad sorrowful eyes show his distress. When you meet Doug you won’t understand how anyone could give up such a beautiful, gentle, sweet dog.”
He’s 36845645. 

Ginger is a 9-year-old Minpin who is puzzled and nearly blind. She hasn’t been cared for and she’s thin. Yep, a stray. Docile and “content to be held,” Judi says. (She’s 36883860.)

Call 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].

 Oh, and that third dog? Look at that face, that tail. What else could you possibly name that dog except, yes, Happy. His Mesquite number is 36880229. Mention it when you try to save his life and keep Happy happy.

THE SMALL SHELTERS TO THE SOUTH

Red Oak Animal Shelter is crowded with no walk-in “shoppers” and so is Wilmer, reports our team of tipsters, Leighann Hayden and Laura Macias. 
To ask about any of the Red Oak or Wilmer animals, email Laura at [email protected] or call or text 214-949-2726.

 At Wilmer, you can adopt these young puppies --- possibly hound mixes (“May even have a little Doberman in there...). They are, clearly Earhounds. Their names are Melissa, Matthew and Megan.

And, of course, there’s another Earhound in Wilmer, the Beagle boy Cash, about 6 months old.
We’re also citing several from Red Oak including Buddy the Border Collie -- he’s available and needs a job, as all Border Collies do. He can herd his humans if you need him to or he can flop down on the couch with you. 

There also are several kittens at Red Oak -- Grayson is one of them. Handsome, beautiful coloring.
Available. RIGHT NOW.

FROM THE SPCA
In its newsletter Wednesday, the SPCA of Texas referred to the challenge of Hurricane Harvey. Part of the thank-you read, “ The SPCA of Texas is incredibly grateful for the overwhelming financial and in-kind donations from foundations, corporate partners and individuals to support our work and those we work with in the animal welfare world.
"We are able to respond to the needs of those affected by natural disaster with such grace, professionalism and with the highest level of care because of your support and the hard work on the part of our amazing staff, volunteers and board of directors and their tremendous effort and leadership during this time of crisis and throughout the year.”

That dog and cat are the featured adorable availables in this edition of the SPCA newsletter.
FYI, the annual SPCA Fur Ball in September, according to Event Chair Cindy Lindsley, “raised more than $500,000 to help the SPCA of Texas serve 75,000 animals and their people in 2017 and beyond. 
Read more at spca.org, including a reference to the annual SPCA appearance at NorthPark, the legendary Dallas shopping center. The Home for the Holidays Event and the SPCA adoption pavilion are scheduled November 13-December 23. That adoption event is nothing less than a “holiday tradition.”

THE BIG TEX POSTSEASON JOB FAIR
This guy Big Tex is a year-round cowboy. The State Fair has been closed since Sunday, but coming up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Big Tex, the State Fair of Texas and Good will Industries of Dallas, Inc., will host the second annual Big Tex Postseason Job Fair. 
Sixty local companies will be there to take applicaions and interview. This isn’t just for seasonal employes. The Fair’s release reported that the annual exhibition hires more than 6,000 seasonal employees, and, realizing the potential, “the State Fair saw an opportunity to help find more work for not only its seasonal staff members, but also to help others in the community find employment.” Read more about it at BigTex.com/JobFair. (FYI: That's a photo of Big Tex against the great Texas sky on the afternoon of Sunday, October 5.)
CONTEMPLATION: Our contemplation for the day is limited -- one person’s affect on his world. Our former colleague at The Big Paper Downtown, the writer Jeffrey Weiss, died around noon Wednesday. Cancer. Got him at just 62. As the sign read on the hat he wore, “Cancer Sucks.” You probably have a personal reason to agree with that sentiment -- I do.

Michael Granberry, one of the great writers who has graced the pages of the newspaper, wrote the obituary -- read it HERE. Writing something like that isn’t easy; Granberry excelled. 

As we used to say in the old days, Jeff “knew his way around a typewriter." He also knew people. He was a source of good feelings and laughter and, yes, understanding, in and out of the newsroom.
Here’s the Pete Seeger song playing as Marni saw her loved and adored husband go on and Dale watched his big brother leave. The rest of us remain with memories that inspired smiles and, no doubt, kinder behavior on the planet.
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AT MIDWEEK, WE FIND DOGS AND CATS IN NEED OF HUMAN INTERVENTION

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017 (PetPowellPress) -- Isn’t that a photo of a puzzled dog needing a human! Keep reading. First this historic note: Just as the Texas Rangers start to build a domed stadium to protect the team and fans from the Texas heat, the 2017 World Series begins on October 24 in Los Angeles with a 103-degree temp in an outdoor stadium. Heat at 103 is bound to be warping fault lines -- is that how quakes work? 
Life gets to be ironic now and then, doesn’t it? Still bums me out that the Rangers aren’t in the Series. But, as is the tradition with Texas Rangers fans, “Wait ‘til next year.”
That dog (above in his Dallas Animal Services photo and in this closeup) has nothing to do with irony or record heat, but that may be a challenging set of ears on that genuine DAS Earhound. He’s an older fellow named Cooper (A1011300) who is waiting for a home at DAS -- visit dallasanimalservices.org  or go to the big shelter at Westmoreland and I-30.
LUKE THE CAT

In an earlier edition we mentioned this cat Luke, an older fellow who needs a home. Why? Because, his “Foster mom” (she took him in 4 years ago when his original human died suddenly), is facing health issues and needs to find a place for Luke.
Luke is dealing with pancreatitis, our tipster Debbie Dees says, and he’s managing with help from people but he really needs help from a person who’ll be dedicated to putting him on a proper diet and giving him the love an older cat needs. 
“He has an exceptionally loving personality,” Debbie says. 
To offer to help Luke (in one photo he’s angling for time in his foster’s lap, and in the other he’s just chillin. To offer to help him, and help his foster human, text Debbie at 214-863-8555.

TWO CHIHUAHUAS IN NEED


This appeal is making the rounds of Chihuahua people and animal people and people people, too.
Melody Rickets’ note about this pair, Ginger (or Jinjer) and Prince, both around 10, reads, “The reason for my email is I have a friend that is need of some major help - she lives in McAllen and has gotten a new job here in Dallas to be closer to her father who has Alzheimers. She has a 5 fur babies and cannot find any rental property to accept all her babies. With a heavy heart she has to get rid of at least 2 that need to be kept together. ... Both are current on all their shots and are heartworm negative. These 2 stay outside during the day and they are crate-trained. They get along well with others - is there anyone or anything you can do to assist finding these babies a new home together?  I have 7 fur babies and cannot take them in and I have used all my contacts by finding homes for other animals -- so, no one I know wants to take in 2 more.”

To help Melody help the dogs and her friend, call 817-781-6861. Note that in that photo on the left, Ginger knows how to cast a tall shadow!
[LARRY ASIDE: We’re at the city limit, so we understand the situation of having filled all the open spaces at the homes of your friends and relatives. Got to be some acquaintances somewhere who need to experience the joy of living with two Chihuahuas -- we lived for years with Rosie and Vera and it was fun every day! We always knew when someone stepped onto our front sidewalk. That’s just one of many plusses to a pair of pint-sized bio-alarms!]
CONTEMPLATIONS: Britain’s Daily Mail has a story about dogs struggling to sleep when their days are disrupted. It’s HERE. We’ve made our own study and, based on the Rottie and the Perky-Eared Mutt who bunk with us, nothing gets in the way of their REM sleep, not even being rolled over so we can have at least a corner of the mattress. ... Isn’t it just a big hard to believe that it’s already October 25? The reindeer and angels are well into elbowing the goblins and jack o’ lanterns off store shelves. Thanksgiving? Third billing once again. ... Here’s a seasonal SONG. 
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CATS, DOGS, CURIOSITIES -- IT'S A WORLD WITH CHALLENGES

EDITION OF TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2017 (PetPowellPress) -- There are big crises and there are little crises in the world. Who knows how to sort them out every day? 
Seriously, one of you Dear Readers surely has way to solve the simple problems of life? Lawnmower repair, for example. A drip from the sink faucet.
Why is this cat's photo here? Because when I was looking for cats to highlight in this edition I went to spca.org to see what those folks have been up to and found, as you can see, a cat named -- not kidding -- John Cougar Mellencat. How funny is that? Beats the heck out of lawnmower repair or plumbing left in the hands of an ungifted repairman who types for a living!
LARRY TIME OUT. FYI: We may interrupt the chain of stories for a comment or lament or daydream. So, LET’S TALK ANIMALS FOR A MINUTE....

HELPING WITH THE SURGERY
We got a note from Sydney Busch, the longtime spokesperson for Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. It reads, “Thanks to all the hard work at the big gala fundraiser last spring AND to Rob Rae at Rita's Club Foundation, the clinic has resources for help with surgery costs for cats and for dogs over 25 lbs.”
 The “clinic” is that facility run by the Friends -- it is, as you all know, the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas. 
Example? That photo is from a year ago of some of the patients being cared for at the clinic after surgery -- they were referred to in the caption as little “burritos.” And doesn’t that fit!
At the clinic, after the surgery is paid for by the fundraiser money, the pet’s human “will be responsible for all the non-surgery, non-optional costs (flea pill, rabies shot, etc.). 
You can get vouchers for this at Family Resource Center in Gun Barrel City in person 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday; at Christian Life Center Food Pantry in Gun Barrel City 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday or Thursday; Athens Food Pantry, 715 E. Corsicana in Athens, 9 a.m-noon Monday-Friday; and Community Food Pantry at CCL Methodist Church in Tool, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Keep up with the Friends of the Animals and donate, offer help, volunteer, etc., at www.friendsoftheanimals.org.
LARRY TIME OUT: As someone who has encountered the Dallas Deluge of feral kittens in springtime and autumn, we’d just like to say to everyone who leaves their roaming cats unfixed, I’d like to whip your stupid.....AND NOW WE QUICKLY RETURN to our Tuesday report...
THREE COWTOWN DOGS NEED HOMES 

As the final full week of October arrived, we got a note from the great animal advocate Karen Lee of Barkleyworld.com. She got the appeal from Gayla Geist, “Foster Mom and Volunteer, Shelter2Rescue.”
 As you can see, two of these dogs are well-behaved pumpkin fans, but that third one appears to be the dog most likely to TP a neighbor’s yard. 
They’re 4 months old and are Dachshund mixes. Gayla’s note reads, “The mom is a black & Tan Doxie mix, father unknown. There are 2 girls (Peaches & Berry) and 1 boy (Dale). The smallest is Peaches is 5 lbs, the largest puppy is the boy, Dale who is 8 lbs. They have been dewormed.They are super social and live with a family with 2 small children. They are getting the mother spayed via TCAP.” The contact point is [email protected].
LARRY TIME OUT: Something in progress? We got a note from Terry Lynn Fisher in Burns Flat, Okla., that she’s making a 100-mile roundtrip Monday evening to pick up a young dog who had a broken leg, the people got one cast put on the puppy, then ignored him and now the dog’s leg has outgrown the cast and is rancid and they dumped him into a stranger’s yard. More later on this story. In the meantime, offer to help at [email protected]. Photos to come. I’d like to take a board to the SO...AND NOW WE RETURN TO OUR DAILY REPORT BEFORE I ERUPT INTO UNPLEASANT ‘FRENCH.’

DENTON’S DAZZLING DOZEN
Rudolph is an Earhound in the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter, one of a dozen on the clock. (Bless his heart, that slightly askew "mask" makes him look like the Lone Ranger after a bad night at the town saloon.) Amy Poskey, the volunteer shelter monitor, sent a note with photos of a dozen dogs and asked, “Remember these love sponges?,” then explained, “Well, they are STILL alive, STILL waiting for love, and some are STILL considered URGENT but have been given a reprieve cuz the shelter has had lots of adoptions recently.  HOWEVER, I have no idea how much longer these babies have ... If anyone can save any of these love sponges, please contact me ([email protected]) or [email protected], paul.o’[email protected], [email protected], and/or [email protected].” The shelter number is 940-349-7594.
See Amy’s complete note with all the photos and all the biographies by clicking HERE.

We picked Mrs. Doubtfire to feature, too, and we have a really good reason. She’s a rebounder. She under 8 and, Amy says, a “Pittie mix who was adopted a while back, found as a stray AGAIN, but wasn’t reclaimed this time. Through the years, the shelter staff have become acquainted with Mrs. Doubtfire cuz she has been at the shelter several times and she is now looking a little older and more gray!”
LARRY TIME OUT: OK, I fell for it. I bought a pack of the Mystery Oreos to try to decide what flavor the cookie company is trying out. My best guess? The taste of that canned kitten milk you give to ferals after their mom dumps them. Any other guesses?  Any other guesses? I tested about 20 of them before I decided I couldn't guess the flavor. Never met an Oreo flavor I didn't like.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE
Two dogs from a “hoarding situation” have been waiting at the Mesquite Animal Shelter (along with many others) for nearly a month. They’ve all been highlighted in emails from Judi Brown, our tipster on the canine waiting list at Mesquite. 
Among the dogs were two who had been together a while. On the right, 
Dakota (36654291) is that 2-year-old, 34-pound mixed breed who, Judi wrote, “was surrendered because the owner had too many dogs. They were outside dogs. Judging from the facial scarring, Dakota and Rabbit were frequently on the losing end of their fighting. Dakota has also recently had puppies. On top of that her ribs are showing! She’s timid but will certainly open up in a loving situation where she feels comfortable. You can tell by looking at her sweet face and soft eyes that she’s a good girl!”

Rabbit (36654570) is a year old and timid, as you can tell from that photo. Also, she’s a little bit beat up from the experience!
To tag these dogs or maybe even adopt them (what are the chances!), here are the contact points: 972–216-6283 or email [email protected]. Mention the ID numbers.
CONTEMPLATIONS: Halloween is coming. So let’s have a candy question: What hooked you on chocolate? Hershey Bar, Hershey Kisses or some other product that may have been advertised on TV but was not available in Texas at Halloween in the 1950s, ‘60s or ‘70s? Got to be someone from the West Coast in our readership who can name something we semi-rural Texas viewers never heard of this side of the Rockies. Remember TV when all you got was three channels and news from the East Coast? ... You’re an old goblin if the earliest cool Halloween costume you remember is Zorro -- back when you could carry a sword to the school Halloween Carnival and everybody trusted you to not whip it out and slice open a pumpkin or another kid! We were less nuts in those days. And Zorro wasn’t just a Disney TV show, he was a comic book, too! ... Here’s what is unfair in life: Archaeologists recently found human teeth they claim are 9.7 million years old and in perfect condition. I am not 9.7 million years old and, yet, my teeth are a profit center for an entire team of dentists. Sometimes I get the feeling that even though I didn’t put my kids through college, I may be helping someone else’s kids get degrees. In honor of those ancient teeth, we’ll call on Barry Manilow to remind us of what the incisors said to the canines HERE.

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EARHOUNDS AND OTHERS; A CONTEMPLATION ABOUT THE SAD STATE OF SOME HUMANS

EDITION OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2017 (PetPowellPress) -- Every now and then we get a photo of an astounding Earhound Ear Arrangement (AEEA).
That fantastic face belongs to Sam, currently on the clock in Mesquite.
Not sure, but Sam may have been the inspiration for the doors on a Delorean.
Maybe his Mom was a fan of Bing Crosby, of whom his friend Bob Hope once said, "His ears look like a taxi coming down the street with both doors open." [NOTE TO POST BABY-BOOMERS: Bing was an Oscar-winning actor and singer; Bob Hope an actor and comic who entertained U.S. troops around the world. Just thought I'd add that bit of history in case neither of those fellows was in your Cultural History textbook.]
Sam just looks like a dog in need of a friend.
That is his status -- he's one of many in need at Mesquite. Read on about him and check out other notes of the day and a contemplation about the tragic condition of human behavior.
LUKE THE CAT

We don’t have a recent photo of Luke, the 13-year-old black and white cat, but we do know that he is loved and in need of a new home. Four years ago he was rescued when his human died. The folks who took him have encountered new issues of their own and are trying to find a good home for this ol‘ boy, according to our tipster, Debbie Dees. Call her at 214-863-8555. Luke has some health problems that are cured by love and some meds, Debbie says. He’s currently in Lake Kiowa, north of Dallas in the I-35 corridor. But he can move to where ever he is wanted.
THEN THERE’S THIS PRETTY PITTY
Amy Poskey, the volunteer monitor for Denton’s McNatt Animal Shelter, was contacted by someone outside the shelter community finding a haven for this baby. The pup inspired Barkleyworld.com’s Karen Lee to declare, “WOW what a stunning dawg—looks like some boxer mixed in—look at those jowls!!  Very stunning!!”

The dog (whose name we don’t yet know) is 3, spayed and available.
Contact Bill Duncan (not the owner, Amy says; a dog fan) at cell 214-727-9891 or email [email protected] or [email protected].
FOUR AT ELMAR

ELMAR is usually ELM Animal Rescue -- Every Life Matters Animal Rescue, founded 2016. Maybe even called ELM, sometimes. 
Erin Warren tipped us to this one on the ELMAR Facebook page. Consider these four faces.

On Facebook, the ELM folks reported that they’e helping these dogs because their human is going into a nursing home and these older loved companions have no place to go. They are (clockwise) 10-year-old Sweetie; Nala who is 11 and blind; Chocolate at 10 and Scottie Jr. at 11. The ELM post says, “ All are spay/neutered & up to date on shots. They have been ranch/outside dogs but they have been at a pet resort for 4 weeks & get along with everyone people & dogs alike! Very friendly kiddos. They don't potty in their dog runs so that is an indication that they are housebroken or could easily learn.” Call 469-702-1356 to offer to help.

MESQUITE NOTABLES
Judi Brown regularly sends out a notes with a load of dogs needing help in the Mesquite Animal Shelter. The Earhounds might be dominant in this edition. 
[Remember: Include the animal’s ID # when you contact Mesquite at [email protected] or call 972-216-6283.]

We’ve already introduced you to Sam (#36835918, the under-2 Golden Retriever/Lab mix with the “horizontal pointing ears,” as Judi explained. His golden eyes “appear to be rimmed with eyeliner,” she says.
Joey, age 2 (#36832474), is a Chihuahua mix “with auburn coloring and big ears,” Judi writes. she says he needs time and patience and he’s being overwhelmed by the shelter noises. After he got familiar and relaxed, “he came alive for treats,” says Judi, who expects him to “no doubt blossom with TLC and cuddling.” He’s also, she writes, “9 pounds of cuteness.”
[LARRY ‘WHAT?’ ALERT! LARRY ‘WHAT?’ ALERT!] Here’s why the alert has been sounded. Boxer mix Mousie [#36848460] has been surrendered to the shelter after spending all her life in one home. Judy says Mousie ”was surrendered after 8 years because they just now found out she doesn’t like other pets. However, when I walked her through the bay she really didn’t react one way or the other to the other dogs. Mousie is adorable with her bug-like eyes and brindle/gray markings. She is low to the ground. Judging from the way she huddles in her kennel and her lack of energy, I’d say she is depressed. She seems intimidated and overwhelmed.” She might be a good 33-pound lap dog.
Tigger (#36839765) is two, a 53-pound Pittie mix, with “photogenic” markings, Judi says. Importantly, “He’s a happy, energetic guy that isn’t aware of his size. When he’s around people and getting attention his whole body wiggles and his happy tail can pack a wallop! He even tries to get on your lap! Tigger seems to love everyone. He would do best with an active family. He wagged his tail when meeting other dogs in the bay and when a dog barked at him he jumped back.”
OCTOBER REMINDER

 

 

 

 

Dallas Animal Services is running some specials. So we’re highlighting three of the “free” adoptables. I’ve included the dog’s entire name so you can see that I’m not making this stuff up-- the dog is named June Carter Cash. That adoptable black cat is Bo and the orange cat is Dude. Go to dallasanimalservices.org to see the Inventory of Adorable Adoptables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTEMPLATIONS:
THE HUMAN CONDITION


Sunday afternoon I opened a story that The Dallas Morning News had headlined “Body found during search for 3-year-old Sherin Mathews, Richardson police announce.” 
This is one of those stories that makes the human heart sink. We’ve known the suspicion of her fate for three weeks. We’re still moved to cry out, “Why?”  And, of course, "Who?"
This circumstance makes decent people sick -- like that story of Shavon Randle, 13, victim of “retaliation” over a drug theft by a relative -- just last week the city of Dallas leveled the home where she was killed, an unwanted memory of an awful crime.

Over the weekend, wild shooting in a Garland park resulted in a fatal wound to the head for 15-year-old Miguel Esquivel. 
Check the police reports: Dallas and its neighbors have a staggering list of fatalities -- shootings, stabbings, beatings, etc.
This horrifying human behavior, this disrespect for precious life, goes on and on in Dallas and North Texas. Elsewhere, too. Need I mention Las Vegas or Sandy Hook or the University of Texas Tower or war?
We know that we humans are not perfect, but there’s no reason to live as if lives of others are insignificant. We’ve been killing each other since the beginning of time. What keeps us from deciding not to be the bad person?

I've been a journalist for decades -- along the way I’ve covered murders and I’ve covered murder trials. Sometimes you see the exact point in time that a person decides to do the bad thing. You sit in the courtroom, look at the accused as the testimony unfolds and you ask the unanswerable question of the human heart: "Why?" "I snapped," just isn't good enough.
A veteran journalist, witness to so many evils, likes to think -- to hope -- that the accused individuals in these events are not representative of the way most humans behave. 
It’s not a total loss -- now and then someone makes a decision to NOT do something bad. It's a good thing that we never hear of them.
As you read this, we’ll try to spread the mission of decency and peace and respect. And, it’s probably appropriate to cry for that 3-year-old girl, that 13-year-old girl, that 15-year-old boy -- and the other lives lost to stupidity and disrespect.
Bless all of you for reading this far today. I love you. I know, because you are concerned about the fate of dogs and cats, that you are also concerned about humanity and its children.  So many humans are so good at loving, it is a shame that others fall fatally short of this very easy task.
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