ReadLarryPowell.com

MY FRIEND, THE SENATOR

Now and then you run across a person who will fascinate you more than others.
Our spotlight for this weekend’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap lands on a fellow who does that fascination trick for me. We’ve mentioned him many times: My friend, The Senator. He’s like what people used to say about Elvis Presley: “He’s a different kind of cat.”

That opening photograph is The Senator counseling a guy who admires him -- yes, to have one’s photo taken with The Senator as he edits and makes literary suggestions, that is a privilege.
No idea how he got started in life or where he came from, but, clearly, he is senatorial in his demeanor. We think that photo was from a holiday party -- he was reminding people that it was time to go back to work because the American people are paying their wages. That's my theory, anyway.
Someone loved him at some point. He was already fixed and fully adult when he wandered onto our front porch years ago and began living with the ferals. 
He didn’t fight. He didn’t argue. He just was just basic white cat with black adornments and a big purr. Not a pushover, not aggressive, but firm in his stance.

One day I held the front door open for him and he cautiously padded in, staked out a place next to my desk and has been a household fixture ever since. 
He’s great to hold. You don’t just hear his purr, you feel it -- like when you’re watching a parade and the high school drum section passes by and makes your lungs vibrate.

And I’ve mentioned many times before that this cat is named The Senator because he has a hairline that looks as if he’s gotten hair plugs -- like some of the men in the U.S. Senate.

 It is not difficult to imagine The Senator as a “person of influence” in the nation’s capital. He knows how to communicate. He can do it gently with a purr and a softly placed paw or he can be firm, i.e., sitting in my lap as I write and, when I type something he doesn’t like, he correctively nips my hand. I keep a box of Band-aids handy.
Still, a nip on the hand is kinder than some editors I’ve had. I’m kidding. Nobody’s as sweet as a newspaper editor -- why, heck, I, myself, was a sweet editor for many years. 
But The Senator is my companion.
And, as you can see in these photos, he does what I cannot do: He naps. Bless his heart.
He can nap with a purpose, too. One day I didn't see him, so I went on a house-wide search and found him curled up on a flat of cat food. Making a point, you know. I took the hint.

I included that “dance photo” of The Senator, also. He looks as if he’s just finished dancing on Broadway and hit this pose to stare at the audience at the end of a showstopper. When my friend Shirley Newsom, a veteran editor and animal fan, first saw this photo, she asked, “Is The Senator twerking?” He can if the situation requires it. 
But he’s got a grip on dignity. And he’s got an understanding of the needs of a human.
Sometimes his understanding is that I need neither the mousepad nor the mouse -- that’s him sleeping on the mousepad and the mouse, having imposed his big cat booty under the computer screen. It's one of those, "Let's see if I can fit under here" moments for The Senator.
Once I put a traditional cat bed under his private table and he crawled into it and curled up, then, muttering “I’m no stereotype,” he rose and went back to whatever it is he goes back to.

Usually, when I am writing, he is sleeping on the wooden TV tray I put next to the desk --not for him, but for me so I could, when I hit a pause, reach over and pet him, rub his side, rub his Senatorial head.
I can even pick him up and hold him.
These photos? They are of The Senator on the back of Martha’s recliner. Making a point.
As you can see, in one of the photos, he is face down on the cover -- you don’t have a cat without having a furniture cover, right? Why is he burying his face in the cover? Because I wouldn’t give him the TV remote and he couldn’t bear watching the news.
 Some people watch it, some make it. He’s a guy whose uncomfortable not being in the Washington spotlight, I guess.
On Friday morning, I reached for him and he was not there.
He also was not on the back of the recliner and not on a box next to the desk and not on the back of the couch. So I went looking for him and found his new place to sleep. That’s it in the last photo. He’s filling up the seat on my exerspouse Martha’s new recumbent bicycle. She wasn’t using it, so he took over. Of course, his paws don't reach the pedals. I guess he misses the Senate gym now and then. 
Yeah, I love The Senator. He’s what happens if you give a cat a chance. 

[LARRY REQUEST: Send the photos and stories of your admirable slumbering animals to [email protected] and we’ll post ‘em in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap and let the world learn about your friends. Remember, you may inspire someone to adopt and save a life. And, for sure, your slumbering friends will inspire the world’s insomniacs to believe that we, too, can sleep if w can find the comfy piece of exercise equipment.]

EXTRA EDITON: Cats' photos; Dog in a fix; Three who lost their humans

EXTRA EDITION FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2018 [PetPowellPress] We have three situations to examine in this extra edition -- (1) cats (2) protective nipper and (3) the Louisiana dogs.
The cats are in Azle. Dog two is in Richardson. And the other dogs are from Natchitoches, Louisiana -- that’s “Nack uh tish” for those of you trying to compare it to Nacogdoches, Texas. That’s “Nach uh doe chez.” Please read on:
MELODY OWEN’S CATS
We promised the animal advocate Melody Owen that we’d run photographs of the cats she’s trying to re-home as soon as she got some pictures. Melody’s rescued animals for years, tried to make good homes for them and now, in an unexpected era of life, is needing to find safe places for these babies to live.
Here is how to contact Melody: Email [email protected] or call 682-239-9994.
The opening black and white cat is Child, 6, “a castoff whose humans left him to fend for himself with a broken jaw.” The orange cat is Donnie, 4, a “lovely kind of guy” who was found on a gas station parking lot.
Two-year-old cats Pikachu and Silvio (left to right) enjoy each other. “Pikachu is the tortie with the nub tail. Silvio is going to be huge,” Melody says.

Then this Grasshopper, the 3-year-old girl who has “angel wings” across her shoulders. She's the mom of Zeebie and Bai.
And the photo with four cats is, “top to bottom,” Melody explains, “Zeebie, Grasshopper, Bai and Pikachu.”
The ultra comfortabe cat is Silvio sleeping.
Zeeby, now 2, "has never been outside” and “she loves lap time.” Littermate Bai is also loving and attention-demanding.
On the left, Annie, a 6-month-old Calico girl, “is a huge love-muffin.” 

[LARRY ASIDE: For people who are astonished that someone could care for this many cats, it is important to remember that Melody is caring for them because other people couldn't find it in their hearts to love and protect them. Melody has been taking up the mission because other people have willingly failed.]

TWO DOG SITUATIONS


FIRST TO RICHARDSON
I guess you’d describe this as an unfortunate hard-luck story for a dog. We got the information from Karen Lee of barkleyworld.org. The note explains that 13-year-old DoeDoe was in “protective custody.  When his owner who was in jail was ready to come get him, his house burned down.  Somehow DoeDoe ended up with an older lady with a walker.  When a mailman came to the door with a certified letter, the women struggled to get to the door. So the mailman opened the door and just entered the house. DoeDoe nipped him on the ankle. A protective snap. He's a wonderful dog, playful, happy, doesn't look anywhere near his years but he will have a hard time getting out of the Richardson Shelter.” He’s 18-0620D. The shelter’s at 1330 Columbia Dr. in Richardson. Call 971-231-8338.
THREE IN LOUISIANA
Mike Frazier of I Am Dog Rescue, located in Cross Road in North Texas, got in touch with Karen about three dogs that were victims of a July housefire in Natchitoches. Their three humans were killed in the fire. Mike says the dogs have been in the care of the Natchitoches Parish shelter since the fire.

I Am Dog has tagged Prince Charles (upper right) and is working on getting a transport and foster for him. Mike wrote, “Dillon (left) could easily be added on transport to DFW if another rescue has room for him. They can contact I Am Dog Rescue at iamdogrescue/@gmail.com.
Red is the third dog and he needs help, too. Isn't that a noble dog's face? How beautiful!
You may be able to detect a dark stripe down the center of Dillon’s back -- the shelter says “Dillon is believed to have been tied to the house and received a burn down the middle of his back. He will have a scar but the burn has healed and he has a great attitude about it.”
The shelter’s number is 318-357-9300, ext. 244/222.
Here’s the Facebook link to the Natchitoches shelter.
[LARRY ASIDE: As we enter the long holiday weekend, these are not the only dogs and cats in trouble from coast-to-coast, from Canada to Mexico. The BAD THING is they ARE at peril; the GOOD THING is there are HUMAN HEARTS that will work to save them. Humans -- we are such an odd bunch. Some of us can’t see the blessing of animals; some of us have hearts that won’t beat properly unless we’re helping and loving animals. May this weekend be a time when the good hearts take over the nation.]
-- To offer advice, solution or suggestion, click on “comment” below or send your thoughts and ideas to [email protected]. ---

PREPARING FOR A HOLIDAY WEEKEND: EARHOUNDS AND OTHER ADOPTABLES

EDITION OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2018 [PetPowellPress] Our gathering of info for the edition on the final day of August and the launching of the Labor Day Weekend will range from 21st century animals in danger to a 20th century extinction. It won’t all be drab. That’s the plan, anyway.

A REMINDER:
A YOUNG COUNTY CHALLENGE
In the early hours of Thursday we posted a note about 70 cats and 25 dogs needing rescue in Graham because the Humane Society of Young County is shutting down on Friday the 7th. Week away. Saving the animals is the pressure-filled mission.
Reach Shelter Manager Hollie Larance at 940-549-1692 at the shelter and 940-550-5905 (cell). Email [email protected]. Here are a couple of the shelter’s animals, a Border Collie named Boyd and a Siamese mix named Moony. Two of the faces that won’t survive more than a week if there’s no wave of rescuers/adoptors/decency making its way to Graham, Texas.

IS WHAT YOU’RE SEEING
A GREYHOUND GRAZING?
Oh, come on, Greyhounds don’t graze, do they?
 Nope -- not like deer.
But, that is Oscar, a Greyhound, who appears to be grazing. Sometimes circumstances change behavior.
We learned of Oscar’s triumph as an abandoned dog on a Lake Worth lot via the story told by Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. Read it HERE.
You can see adoptable Greyhounds HERE.

A QUARTER-CENTURY? REALLY?
A QUARTER-CENTURY!

Holy smoke. Operation Kindness’ Dog Day Afternoon will celebrate its 25th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 8, at the shelter, 3201 Earhart Drive in Carrollton. 
I was at the first one when OK Founder Jonnie England and her "gang" created it. Several after that, too. See that dog in the masthead of the readlarrypowell.com page? That’s Calamity. The photo was taken nearly two decades ago as I was driving her to Dog Day Afternoon where my little brother Garry was going to meet her to see if he wanted to adopt this long-time neighborhood stray. He saw her and his heart didn’t have choice -- she adored him. ADORED. It was a legend to the family and all friends and acquaintances.
  Lots of people have met their Souldogs at Dog Day Afternoon. Maybe even their Soulcats. 
Dog Day Afternoon -- it’s a festival of memories and futures for dogs, cats and people. Details of the 25th Afternoon and available dogs and cats are at operationkindness.org.

SOMEONE DUMPED
TWO EARHOUNDS
Yep, magnificent Earhounds, surrendered “because the owners had too many animals.”
Lottie (39480319), on the left, could be a Star Wars character, but so could her sister, Dottie (39480313).
These 9-pound marvels -- they love human attention -- are at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. Call 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]. 
They’re both fixed -- but that doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to sign on for major roles in the next Star Wars film.
See more Mesquite adoptables HERE.  

CONTEMPLATIONS:
EXTINCTION AND IDLE THOUGHTS


Last day of August and our weekend edition (Sept 1-3) will be about slumbering animals and humans. So, we feel that we should mention this: The last surviving American Passenger Pigeon died on September 1, 1914, in the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden where she’d been a lonely, living display. Why are there no more Passenger Pigeons? There were so many that they once darkened the skies when the giant flocks crossed the countryside. Blame man? Could be. Here’s a LINK TO AN NPR STORY.... On Thursday afternoon, as I was typing, I had Ferris Bueller’s Day Off playing in the background and stopped to watch the scene with Jennifer Grey at the police station. My thought was, “Gosh, I think I still like seeing Charlie Sheen in comedy roles.” ... Holiday weekend have an open spot on your viewing calendar? Having trouble finding a sweet romantic story to watch in the age of CGI, short scenes, HUGE EXPLOSIONS and limited dialogue? Here’s a trailer from a film that is SUDDENLY 28 years old! How can that be? ENJOY THIS pitch for the Alan Rickman/Juliet Stevenson film Truly Madly Deeply.  Here’s a contemplative quote from the great Alan Rickman: “If only life could be a little more tender and art a little more robust.”
--- Want to say something? Grip your MouthyMouse and click on “comment” below. Or email [email protected]. ---

70 CATS, 25 DOGS ENDANGERED AS YOUNG COUNTY SHELTER ANNOUNCES SEPT. 7 CLOSING

THURSDAY MORNING EXTRA: Overnight email brought reports that 70 cats and 25 dogs are in a bit of a spot in Graham because the Humane Society of Young County is closing next week.
 This news was “sudden,” said Hollie Larance, the manager of the shelter in Graham, about about 2 1/2 hours slightly northwest of Dallas/Fort Worth.
We spoke with her this morning after we got an alert from Kelly Bond, the noted advocate and rescuer with Road Trip 4 Paws. Hollie confirmed that the emergency plea for the animals had been issued because the shelter is “closing its doors" and all animals must be out by Friday, September 7.
Hollie says she’s concerned about the animals and the five employees she has. “I’m determined and I’m hardheaded,” Hollie said, declaring she is going to “do whatever it takes” to protect the animals. She’s working on funding to help the shelter, too. And, she says, one regret is if the shelter closes, “spay/neuter funding that we’ve been working on will vanish.”

 In the meantime, saving the animals is the pressure-filled mission. Reach Hollie at 940-549-1692 at the shelter and 940-550-5905 (cell). Email [email protected].
The Humane Society of Young County does as its name suggests -- serves the entire county. But, she notes, animals don’t pay attention to county lines and sometimes neither do their people. “I had a pig a few weeks ago from Dallas.” The potbellied pig was surrendered by a Dallas- area resident who said he’d not found a place to surrender it in D/FW. Where’s the pig now? “She went to a rescue in Wills Point,” Hollie says.

The shelter is at 20 Craig St., Graham, Texas, 76450. (FYI: Young County has a population of about 20,000 and around 9,000 of those people are in Graham.)
As you can see from the photos here , the shelter has remarkable dogs and cats -- remarkable in that they are waiting for rescue in a state where shelters and rescue groups are constantly loaded. 
One of the notes about the Young County crisis came from our pal Linda Ashton with Texas Pawprints, “Your Friendly Neighborhood Cat Ladies. She explains the pressure succinctly: “We are looking for fosters, but the kitten tsunami wiped us out foster-wise, as it did most other groups like us.”

Who are the animals in these photos?
 The pup with the ears is a Lab named Bellamy; the pup with attitude is a Border Collie named Boyd. As for cats, there are a ton of kittens and grown-ups, too. They range from the distinct faces of tortie Jemma and Siamese mix Moony, to the traditional shelter load of tabbies such as this little guy known as “Felix the Cat.”

See more Young County animals on PetFinder HERE.
 
--- To offer suggestions for helping the shelter, click on “comment” below or email [email protected]. ---

CATS THAT NEED TWO KINDS OF HELP; ASSORTED DOG AND HUMAN TALES

EDITION OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018 [PetPowellPress] We dedicate this edition to dogs and cats and the people who love them. And we launch this with cat considerations because today we have two people who want help for their cats.

You see boxed quotes about cats for this presentation. One quote is from the Australian poet/writer Pam Brown -- it reflects the reality of adoption. The other, from Canadian actress Hannah Simone, suggests that people without cats have opinions about people with cats.
 
TWO CAT SITUATIONS NEEDING
VERY DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS
Readlarrypowell.com wonders if you can get into Heaven without having been nice to a cat. And that brings us to our two cat situations.
We introduce them by citing a quote from the late author and voice of Westminster Dog Show Roger Caras: 
“Cats don't like change without their consent.”


STORY ONE: SARAH, DEUCE AND CHARLES
“I love them oh-so-much! I cry every day knowing I won’t be with them and I really don’t want to surrender them,” Sarah Flores wrote. She explains, "I decided to follow God’s plan for my life.”
Thus, these two beloved cats need a home in which they can live with love for a year. Then, Sarah says, she’ll reclaim them.

To offer that help or if you know of an organization or program that can help with long-term fosters, email both Sarah at [email protected] and readlarrypowell.com at [email protected] -- we may run into this situation again sometime. The info will be good to have handy.
Deuce (right) and Charles are, she says, inseparable brothers. 
“Where I’ll be moving I am not allowed to have cats.” Currently they live in Oak Cliff, but Sarah’s parents can’t watch them for her. “Due to a change in my career and where I will be moving to for only a year I can’t take them. I really don’t want to surrender them. They are my buddies and I love them oh so much.”

She wonders if there are other options? “If there is a possibility of a foster family I WOULD DO ANYTHING from shipping cat food and litter to the house.  Any information I would greatly appreciate it!”
 She’s sought help from several organizations, but year-long foster programs are -- is “rare” the right word?
Here’s a glimpse of Sarah’s life. “I just recently graduated, and I was supposed to come back to Texas to teach, which is my passion. I went away to Indiana for the summer to help start a nonprofit (Project Transformation) worked for in previous summers. While there my dreams morphed and changed and I was struggling with the idea of what my true vocation is. An offer came up to work there for the next year, half the pay, but I would be doing what I love. Helping the community and the children in it. So I turned down the teaching job and took the nonprofit one. Because of the quick turn around I wasn’t able to find a place that allows cats....”

How did she get the cats? “My mother took in a stray and after a few months she had a litter of 5 kittens all boys. My dad is not a cat person so he took in 3 of the kittens and the momma to Operation Kindness. I wanted one so my dad kept Charles for me and also Deuce for my mom. Later my mom went and got the momma (Laila) back.”

STORY TWO: MELODY’S FELINE MISSION
Melody Owen, who has written to us over the years about animals she is helping for other people, now finds herself trying to help her own cats. It’s a matter of things changing and planning ahead.

She is trying to re-home her cats. Here is how to contact her: Email Melody Owens at [email protected] or call 682-239-9994.
“I still have not found a home for the humans but the cats are my priority because they are my family.  Neither my husband nor I ever had any children.  I have always had a multiple pet household but was in a more secure financial situation until the last 10 years. It is not easy to start all over again when you are in your 60's.”

All of these cats, she says, “were raised in a home, loved and spoiled.  Since they came to me basically as strays, I tamed them all and Thumper (my American Pit Bull Terrier) was their protector and overseer.”  [LARRY ASIDE: We don’t have photos, but we do have brief descriptions. And BrainyQuote online gets credit for the cat quotes.]
The cats are:
Child, 6-year-old neutered male tuxedo cat -- a “cast-off whose humans left him to fend for himself with a broken jaw.”

Donny, a 4-year-old intact orange and white cat found in the parking lot of a gas station. A “lovely kind of guy and is one of those who knows when his human isn’t doing well.”

Grasshopper, 3-year-old unspayed gray on white shorthair -- found in the yard by the good dog Thumper. “Will ask for kisses by cupping your face in her paws and head-butting your lips for loving.” She had two kittens after being brought in.

Zeeby, now 2, is one of Grasshopper’s kittens. “She’s never been outside” and “she loves lap time.”

Bai, also 2, is the other of Grasshopper’s kittens. Also loving and attention-demanding and “Thumper and Bai are really good friends.”
Silvio, a 2-year-old boy, is still growing. Has a “sweet disposition” and is playful.
Pikachu, a 2-year-old tortie -- black with white and tan markings, has a “nub tail, about two inches” and is “very smart, playful and loving.”
Annie, a 6-month-old Calico girl, “is a huge love-muffin.” 

Wobbles, a 6-month-old gray and white boy, was in “bad shape” with a “hind-end problem” when Melody got him and, she says, “I didn’t think he’d last. Well, he is just fine and can keep up with the rest. Thumper adores him.”

Those are the cats that need to find homes though Melody is leaning toward keeping Wobbles due to his condition and his love for Thumper the Dog. 
“I am trying so hard to do right by them, but then again, I have failed.  I guess it has become obvious that I am not moving until I get my babies placed somewhere.  They are great pets and will offer their human all their love, loyalty and devotion.” 

LINDY & D.O. --
WAITING IN WILMER

The small city shelter in Wilmer south of Dallas on I-45 has two very different dogs, Lindy and D.O., united by a common need: being saved.
The contact points are Laura Macias at [email protected] or call or text 214-949-2726 (or Facebook Carrie Moody or Laura.)

Lindy, as you can see, has had puppies. The bio for this healthy girl reads, “This incredibly sweet, beautiful little girl was left at a local business - she is full of milk but no puppies were left with her. She is precious and just as loving as can be. ... Adores people, other dogs, everyone. This is truly a great little girl.”

Then there’s D.O., a young, neutered, 45-pound Lab/Catahoula/ Boxer mix. He was “an owner release from someone just unable to care for him and they brought him to the shelter in hopes someone will see how cute and wonderful he is and give him the home he deserves.” He has, as you can tell, “long legs and very cute floppy ears! We believe he is house-trained and we already know he is wonderful with other dogs including Lindy.”

SO EXCITED HE’S OUT OF FOCUS
We don’t know his name, but, thanks to Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake, we do know that he needs a home .
The story is “this fabulous 9-month old NEUTERED Lab mix wandered up to this house -- and they would keep this very sweet boy but he chases their cats and chickens. ...  He is great with other dogs and people!”

He’s up to date on vaccinations. Just needs a home. To ask about him email [email protected] or call 903-340-1020.

You can tell it’s the dog who’s excited because the feet and hand in the photo are very stable! He’s clearly excited from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. 
FYI: This tip brought to us courtesy of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake, the non-profit that operates the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City, Texas. You can read about the Friends HERE or on Facebook HERE.

CONTEMPLATIONS
NAPPING, ANNOYING CALLERS & PUMPKINS
This cat, The Senator, will be featured in this weekend’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. He’s a household fixture but he’s got a new way of sleeping we’ll discuss. In the meantime, we love to show your sleeping dogs, napping cats, slumbering pigs, people, porcupines, whatever you’ve got and it doesn’t have to start with “p” -- send photos and info to [email protected] and people around the world will see how trusting your critter is because you’ve filled your home with love. ...
On Tuesday I got the same recorded call FOUR TIMES an hour from a company offering us exciting health insurance benefits. I’ve punched the don’t-call-me number so frequently on that company that I’m starting to think that businesses -- particularly sleazy firms -- take the “do-not-call” list as seriously as a Dallas motorist takes a freeway off-ramp YIELD sign. Anyone got a solution to these 21st century annoyances? ... How about Wednesday’s unpleasant hot weather in North Texas. At any point did you stand outside and say, “This weather makes me feel like a wilted pumpkin plant.” It made my pumpkin plants feel like a wilted human. I snapped these photos in my front yard where I’ve distributed the assorted elements of my annual attempt to raise pumpkins beyond the greenery stage. These are Jack-Be-Littles, maybe some jack-o-lantern types. We won’t know for a while -- I lost the seed packets. We may never know. But after I water them, they always perk up and give me hope. You know, like the annual budget committee discussion of salaries in the 21st century. I've kept my 1999 Ford F150 in running condition -- you know...just in case I need to get a huge 2018 harvest to market. There's a reason I went into journalism instead of agriculture.
--- Offer an opinion or observation by using your HappyMouse to click on “comment” below. ---

THINKING ABOUT DOGS, CATS & PEOPLE

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2018 [PetPowellPress] At midweek we find ourselves challenged by moodiness brought on by Metrofever, first cousin to “cabin fever.” August is about to vanish and we didn’t even get out of Dallas County.
 We did visit vets and shelters, however. And we got a lot of email.
Still, I’d love to be in my 30s again and able to, on the spur of the moment, execute a daytrip to Santa Fe, N.M. Ah, those were the days. Ten hours up, ten hours back. Four hours of Sangre de Christo air and beautiful surroundings in the Land of Enchantment, formerly a part of the Republic of Texas.
Winning Lotto Texas is the only way I could live there. Almost the only way I can live here.
You see there the Santa Fe tourism logo (the city has a population of around 85,000 these days) -- when I see “City Different” I think, “You want to see a city different, visit Dallas and blink your eyes -- it's different every day, mostly because every key road is under construction, not under repair.” So, on a whim, I clicked into the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society page to see what’s up and found this guy Atticus Finch (A131918) a long way from Harper Lee’s South though there are mockingbirds in New Mexico. 
There is a local connection to that orange feline (A130789) -- that 3-month-old fellow is Butch Catsidy, named in honor of occasional Fort Worth resident Robert Leroy Parker and his pal Harry Alonzo Longabaugh. Oh, yeah, in order “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” More on Santa Fe’s no-kill shelter in Contemplations. (Ask about these or any animals in Santa Fe’s care at 505-983-4309 or click HERE. Maybe you’re going there for the Labor Day Weekend. What? No. Can’t go. Thanks, though. Planning on being in Austin with my winning Lotto Texas ticket. OK, moving along out of this dream state o' mine...

MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
DEADLINES FOR DOGS

Judi Brown, the constant biographer who volunteers for Mesquite Animal Shelter’s dogs, sent a series of emails with more than a half-dozen “Code Red” canines for 4 p.m. Wednesday. That is a loud clock of death ticking, isn’t it? One small shelter and a lot of needles of doom. We’ll list them and hope someone is inspired to rescue the animals.
Oh, and why are so many “Code Red” so soon after Clear the Shelter Day on the 18th? The emails report, “Because people are standing in line to surrender their animals, it puts so many of our sweet deserving dogs at risk.”

SELENE is the first here. Mentioned before. Bit an owner who was trying to break up a dog fight. Wasn’t wanted after that. Adopted and brought back. Solutions? Either adopt her into a quiet child-free, one-dog household or kill her. That’s what it’s coming down to. She’s spayed. Ask about 35532919.

DEXTER, a year-old retriever mix -- Who are we kidding? He clearly an EARHOUND -- came in on August 9 because “his owners didn’t have enough time for him.” Friendly, affectionate. #34183709.
DEYSEY (35532919), a young Shepherd mix, and SANDY (39447909), also Shepherdish, were surrendered together because “the owners were moving.” Now, their humans are gone and they’re due to get the needle. Nice, eh?

CANDY(39309633) has become socialized in the shelter. She’s a 4-year-old Retriever mix surrendered with two other dogs. Judi wrote, “The people that surrendered the dogs were given the three dogs and obviously didn’t particularly want them so they kept them tethered in the backyard.” [LARRY ASIDE: From a tether to the needle. Nice, eh?]

DAWN (39463343) is a Border Collie mix who came in as a stray on the 21st. Weighs 50 pounds, may be 3 years old. Uneasy in the shelter, but becomes a happy dog when not confined.
SHEILA (39263799) is a Brindle Pittie surrendered July 30. Had been handed from owner to owner before she was handed over to the shelter. Likes to be inside. “Friendly girl with a tail that doesn’t stop wagging.”

And, then, here are a couple of cuties that aren’t on DEATH ROW yet.
"Yet" is the key word.
Tex (39477972) “is an adorable 3-month-old Lab that arrived at the shelter on 8/23 as a stray. ... He is still growing into his paws! He has all the wonderful attributes of a Lab puppy: curious, alert, energetic, happy, affectionate, friendly, and sweet.”

Then there’s 6-year-old terrier mix T-Bone, in the shelter since the 21st. Constant wagger. Adorable. A 15-pounder who doesn’t like cats. ID is 30275599.
For any of these dogs or any of the animals in the shelter, cal 972–216-6283 or email [email protected]. You can see more Mesquite adoptables online HERE.
 
PLEADING EYES IN PARIS 

Our Lamar County tipster, goes by “Stephanie Ann” on Facebook, linked us to THIS VIDEO of this dog where the message reads, “Her pleading eyes will break your heart into a million pieces. But she’s a brindle dog in a shelter full of brindle dogs. Are her eyes enough to make her stand out? Save her life? She was once owned. She wears a pretty collar. I wonder if she gave her owner the same sad eyes as they dumped her off on a dirt road in the county. Did they look at her sad face and deny her the chance for a better life than this?” Email [email protected] or call 903-784-6774.


CONTEMPLATIONS
NO-KILL, RESPONSES & ‘OLD DOGS’
See that artwork? It’s from the Santa Fe Animal Shelter website and if you click HERE
you can learn about a city shelter that made a vow. ... Contemplate this: “Are there two different responses to people who are fostering kittens vs. fostering puppies? Do people say to the puppy people, “Oh, how sweet! Look at that! You’ll find a home for them in no time!” And do they say to kitten people, “Litter of kittens? Good luck with that!” We’ve had both at our house -- thanks to people of Zip Code 75224 who do not spay and neuter. If you're reading this, you should know that the last litter of unwanted kittens in our feral colony has been “fixed.” We’re working on getting their mom fixed, too, soon as we can touch her without a laceration! She’s safe, but she’s testy! (That's the cat Moms' only daughter, Ivy Diane, now an SPCA adoptable.) ... Driving along yesterday I heard a song I hadn’t heard in a long time. And while it is more from 1972 than from 2018, there are some points -- also, research reveals that the country artist Tom T. Hall wrote this after being at the July 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami. It was released in November 1972 -- Richard Nixon was re-elected on November 7. The title of the song is Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine and the great line I’m citing for your benefit is “Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes.” Amen. Yes, indeed, I love my old dogs and I'm pretty sure they care about me even when I'm holding a treat in front of 'em. Here’s the SONG. That's our oldest dog, Annie, who has owned our hearts for going on 15 years. Now and then she musters up the energy to walk over and demand a petting session -- doesn't last long but it is a compliment when she offers her ol' noggin for a soft patting.
--- Pet your ol’ dog, then click on “comment” below and celebrate that dog! ---

FACES TO LOVE, ANIMALS TO HELP AND CONTEMPLATION: LAUGHTER, KITTENS, YOUTH

EDITION OF TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2018 [PetPowellPress] -- The faces of the dogs and cats -- they have something that makes a human take a second look. In the case of Caly, it’s the suggestion that the face is accompanied by an enormous personality. She’s not a puppy, but I think this dog fits right into the quote from English philosopher Bernard Williams: “There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.”
Of course, I’ve never had a psychiatrist lick my face, but I’ve never been to England, either -- not sure what the practices entail there. Perhaps I’ve over-intepreted that quote -- while, I hope, inspiring a loving soul to adopt a beautiful dog. More on Caly in a minute.

TWO FROM DALLAS;
THE FOSTERING APPEAL
Now and then it’s good to find something to smile about in the morning. This time it happened on a Monday morning and it was found on the Facebook page for Dallas Animal Services, manager of the giant, nearly always full municipal shelter
that serves the city that named it’s airport Love. Yeah, “Love” ought to be the first thing you think of when you hear “Dallas.” A fella can dream, right?

This guy Smokey inspired the smile because he’s out of the shelter and into the DAS foster program. The DAS report reads, “Smokey is the happiest pup around because he's now in a foster home! Smokey's personality changed in 30 minutes thanks to the love and care he received. He was scared at the shelter and now Smokey is loving life and having fun.”

Then, the DAS pitch reads, “Whether for just a few days or a few months, loving foster homes are the bridge to a lifetime of love for shelter pets. Can you save a life by sharing some space in your home? Email dasfoster@dallascityhall. com to become a foster parent today!”

You may also foster cats. Among the feline faces in DAS care as of this writing is that of Oliver (A1040960). He’s neutered, about 10 months old and has been in the shelter since August 19. To ask about him, check with PetSmart Evryday Adoption Center at 972-381-1588, Ext. 5. Or, if you just want to help him or try out the sturdiness and goodness of your own heart, ask about fostering him at [email protected].

TWO FROM MESQUITE
IN NEED OF RESCUE/HOMES
Like most taxpayer-supportered shelters, Mesquite’s has a constant need for help moving out dogs and cats. 
We’ve got a couple of dogs forwarded to us by the volunteer Judi Brown.
Jess (39458856) is the lively Lab mix who came in as a stray on the 21st. He’s about a year old and weighs 40 pounds. And he’s outgoing and pulls on the leash when he’s walked. Just needs a guiding hand. 

Ah, but Caly (39479088) is no lively puppy -- she’s full grown at 2 years old, now spayed and weighs about 70 pounds.
 Here’s the big rub in this story of a great-faced dog. She came in on August 23 with “her two pups and their father. Caly and the dad were tethered in the former owner’s yard and it is unclear as to whether the pups were. The reason given for the surrender was that the animals were too much responsibility. The other three dogs have gone with rescue, but Caly remains at the shelter.”

The shelter noise bothers her, but “when out in the shelter yard where it is quieter and she has room to stretch her legs she ran and played and gave kisses and snuggles to the volunteer working with her. She is friendly and sweet-natured, calm, gentle and well-mannered. She knows the sit command and is obedient.”
To ask about Jess or Caly, go to the shelter website HERE or email [email protected].

MUCH MORE PLEASANT VOTING
IS UNDERWAY THAN POLITICS!
Yes, it’s the wonderful Artists for Animals calendar voting -- becoming a tradition around here. Voting for the favorite calendar animals continues through August 31 -- here’s the link to “2019 Tiny Dog Calendar Voting.”
And that’s a graph of the latest voting progress. (Click on it to make it grow like a puppy!)
Each vote is a dollar donation to Artists for Animals. I’m guessing there are people who are voting more than once to help a favorite dog win and to help animals they never met get a good break when they need it.
This fundraiser supports homeless pets and was co-founded by noted pro photographer Teresa Berg and Erin Hannigan, the award-winning principal oboeist of the Dallas Sympgony Orchestra. [In June, this splendid musician was presented the Ford Musician Award for Excellence in Community Service from the League of American Orchestras.]
Learn about Artists for Animals at https://artistsforanimalstx.org. 
[LARRY ASIDE: Yes, this is another example of the allure of animal faces! We’d show you some of the candidates, but we don’t want to influence the voters! And, this chart is as close to an exit poll as you’re going to get in this voting! That dog-faced boy, by the way, is not a candidate for the Tiny Dog Calendar 2019. He is the household Rottie, Texas Earl the Cheeseman, a lap dog personality in the body of a dog who always rides shotgun in the pickup. Teresa did NOT take that photograph! I want full credit for the muddled hues and lack of artistry.]

CONTEMPLATIONS

NEIL SIMON, KITTENS AND SONGS
On Sunday we encountered a load of emotional stuff. This certainly is worth contemplating: How much laughter has Neil Simon given our world? The death of this playwright summoned the memory of old joy that lingers fresh -- in 1968, the first time I saw the film The Odd Couple. I may never have laughed so much at a movie in my life. So many other Simon works made so many of us laugh -- and maybe even think, maybe even develop ambitions. His audiences enjoyed his work and isn’t that a wonderful thing. How important was Neil Simon? OK, you’re an actor in a theater comedy and you have the next line but in the spotlight your panicked question is “What do I say?” But the writer is gone. .... 
Our formerly foster kittens are on the SPCA adoptables pages at spca.org -- Ivy Diane is listed as Ivy, Alfie is listed by his original vet’s spelling “Alphie” and there are Dragon (already adopted at a PetSmart location) and Qwerty, top line on a keyboard. All beautiful adorable tabbies and each of them has a chunk of my heart. My sensiblespouse Martha notes that the SPCA is far better established to make sure they find homes than we are -- all we did was save them from running into streets or dying of thirst, predator attack or the Texas heat. Someone else now has the responsibility of loving them in a good home! We will continue to love them because we can’t not do it. ...
So, there I was on Sunday, one of my playwriting heroes gone and our rescued cats moved on and, experiencing a damning stall at the keyboard, I suddenly discovered that the ambitious youth I'd once been has been beaten down by years of newspaper deadlines and other personal challenges. On my way to the pet store, the car was too quiet so I turned the radio on and the first song I heard was Roy Clark’s Yesterday (When I Was Young) and the next one was Jerry Lee Lewis’ Middle Aged Crazy.  I quickly turned the radio off -- if the next song had been Johnny Cash doing Sunday Morning Comin’ Down, I’d have had to pull over at a Dairy Queen and eat soft-serve ice cream until the sugar rush beat back the melancholy of wasted years and dreams still waiting to come true. A fellow has to protect the integrity of his summer diet from emotional dining!
--- To offer commiseration or advice, grip your MoodyMouse and click on “comment” below. ---

EXAMINING THE 'DUMB' THEORY; LISTING ADOPTABLES & A THESIS CONTEMPLATION.

There are people who believe the dog and the cat are “dumb animals.”
I’m sure some use “dumb” as a synonym for “stupid.”
And I’m also certain there are people who use the word “dumb” in the excruciatingly anachronistic form meaning “unable to speak.” In their clinging to unenlightened ways of the 20th century, they refer to dogs and cats as “dumb animals.” They are "dumb" in neither usage of the word.
Our dogs can’t speak, but they can express themselves. They can cross the communications barrier and make their needs, desires, affections and appreciations known.
 
Feeling superior to dogs? Look around. The fast food industry has trained consumers to communicate with the efficiency of a dog. “Tell us what you want. Here it is. Move on. Be happy with what we gave you.”
Beloved dogs communicate positively -- I’d like a treat, I’d like some water, I’d like to sit with you on the couch during this entire game or until once of us nods off.
They are reacting to love. Dogs without love are like people without love -- snarly, uneasy, untrusting, desperate for the next hopeful thing. There are people who can’t cope with all that. Ask a therapist.

 Cats are good at “no.” Not following it as a direction but in giving it as a direction. Don’t touch me right now. Don’t move me right now. This type of food doesn’t please me.
But then there are the purrs, the greetings in the morning, the great affection shown when you sit to work and the cat knows you’d be better off paying attention to someone who loves you than staring at the blank screen, that empty sheet of paper, that bank balance you need to figure.
And cats show appreciation, too -- some of them will head-bonk you, others will move close to you and offer their most comforting purr of affection. What inspires them? Love. I don’t think there’s another word that captures the sensation. 
It’s the difference between “I live with a dog/cat” and “I own a pet.” One is cold possession, the other is warm acceptance of affection and partnership in a life.
What took me down this path of thought on a calm, quiet Sunday morning?

My cat, Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson, spent some time sitting in my lap as I typed. She purred. I wrote. She purred and would shove her face into the beard on my chin. It was a nice, sweet session. Must have been like Woodward and Bernstein working on Watergate.
Then there was my dog, Porche Noel, on the back of the couch, looking across the room and watching me type. She’s done that for years. When I stand, she’s nearly human: She may or may not choose to join me on a trip down the hall or into the utility room to finish a load of clothes. "Mind of her own," as you'd stay about an academically excellent granddaughter.

We all found each other. Kittie Leigh was a feral front porch kitten maybe 5 or 6 years ago. Porche Noel wandered up during Christmas season 8 or 9 years ago and stayed.

We -- me, my animalnutspouse Martha, the dogs, the cats -- all have a history that we share. Another word for that is “relationship.” We don’t just “have” a dog or have a cat. We live with them. Their home is our home.
If you can love a dog or a cat, you might just find yourself able to love people, too. Not all of them, but you’ll feel good about yourself if you give all of them a chance.
We turn to Kittie Leigh for the final paragraph, an explantion of the synergy in the companion animal lifestyle. She wrote,
“God love the dogs and cats that open hearts and make people behave more like the humans they are intended to be: Loving, able to communicate joy and appreciation, comforting and, of course, house- and litterbox-trained. Sorry, humans, I couldn’t resist -- we cats have a notorious sense of humor.”
 That Kittie Leigh -- what a kidder!


[LARRY ASIDE: You’ve seen photos throughout this presentation. Here are the IDs and locations from top to bottom. Maybe you could send this to someone who needs a dog or cat or dog AND cat to make a house a home in the 21st century. Adopt with love.
Also, we have a word from my personal counselor, Porche Noel. That's the photo from the book jacket on her bio, SWEET AND SLEEPY: An Agreeable Life in a Disagreeable Era, due in time for Christmas, maybe. This former "stray" wishes to remind you to watch the video in today's CONTEMPLATION at the end of this adoptables list. Porchey (using the familiar nickname) says the viddeo clearly supports the thesis of today's edition.  And here are the adoptables from top to bottom in this edition before you get to the video. Copy this edition and send it to everyone you know. Somebody needs a dog and/or cat. Our adoptables:


-- 1,2 from the Wilmer Shelter are Lindy, “left at a local business -- full of milk,, but no puppies left with her” and, the dog with eyeliner, Demo, an Aussie Lab Mix surrendered because “family could no longer care for him.” Email [email protected] or call or text 214-949-2726.)

-- 3 These two 14-year-old cats -- fixed and declawed and sweet -- are having terouble with “the stress of a toddler in the home” and their longtime human wants to find a wonderful home for the beloved feliines. Email [email protected]
-- 4 Max (A0671622) is a neutered German Shepherd in the Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Shelter since the 21st. He’s 8 years old, so shelter life probably isn’t his life. See dallasanimalservices.org. Call 214-670-6800. (He’s either a stray, a capture or a dumped dog. To dignified to die in a shelter.)

-- 5 Lily (A1037332 at Dallas Animal Services) is about 10 weeks old and came into the shelter last week. See dallasanimalservices.org. She is one of scores of kittens awaiting the needle at DAS -- or a human heart to save her. (A human heart in Dallas? Yes, so I’ve heard.)
-- 6 Vinny, with all the hearts on his background, is a nearly 4-year-old boy Pittie (37369071) at Fort worth Animal Care and Control. See adoptable dogs and cats at http://fortworthtexas.gov/animals/.
-- 7 Marvin is a grown up Great Pyrenees who, clearly, has raised both eyebrows at the prospect of being adopted from Denton’s McNatt Animal Shelter. Ask about him (#77864), at [email protected] or call 940-349-7594. 
-- 8 Dawn (39463343) is a Border Collie mix, a stray in the Mesquite shelter since Aug. 21. Fifty pounds, about 3 and “uneasy with the shelter environment.” Bashful, but working on being a responsive girl. Email [email protected].
-- 9 Our last adoptable photo is of 39459957, a little fellow who is around 20 days old and has quite the distinct color pattern. He’s too young for classifying as anything but “needs a home.. Ask about him at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. Here’s the shelter LINK.
Remember, all over North Texas, there are more cats and dogs in shelters than a civilized society should have. They ought to be in homes being loved.

CONTEMPLATION
Just in case you wonder about the communications skills of someone’s dog, I’ve included this LINK 

-- it's from 2015, but the theory of canine communication holds firm. After you watch it, see if you agree with me that the dog is communicating from the heart. Delivering a message. Getting the point across. I pretty certain that this dog is saying, “I missed you. I love you. Let’s go home and be happy.”
--- To offer advice, consultation or express consternation, grip your MoodyMouse and click on “comment” below or email [email protected]. ---

THE BURDEN OF THE EMPTY CARRIER

This is going to be a jumble of personalities for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
Why?
Because the writer of this piece is still trying to shake off the wretched feeling you get when you hand over your foster babies to an adoption program and, as it turns out, you were no where near being emotionally prepared for the separation and you are in bitter anguish over the reality that you’ll probably never see them again even though they’ve seen you nearly every day of their lives and, oh, my goodness, how can they go on without you!? There’s a run-on sentence nobody but an English teacher would try to diagram.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regaining control, one clause at a time. Keep reading to learn about these great sleeping Earhounds.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The kittens are (first pair) Ivy Diane (named in honor of our pal Diane Combs) and Dragon, named because as a baby kitten he would rise up on his back legs and hiss for the heck of it -- tiny dragon. The second pair? Why, that’s Qwerty on the left -- named for the first line of letters on a keyboard. And on the right is Alfie, as in “what’s it all about, Alfie?” Yep, Ivy Diane has three brothers.]

We don’t have any napping photos of these kittens -- footsteps set off a meowfest for this loud quartet. You couldn’t sneak up on them.
On Wednesday, we handed over our four foster tabbies to the care of the SPCA of Texas’ Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center.
The last time we were unable to find homes for kittens, the SPCA was in a small, aging building on Industrial Boulevard across the freeway from Downtown Dallas. That staff took care of those 20th century babies and found homes for them -- one, Victoria, even went to England to live. Since then the SPCA has moved to a wonderful, large, quiet and inviting facility. Industrial has become Riverfront though there is a river, but not much of a front.
Also, there are more kittens than ever in Dallas.

I mention all that to keep from crying on the keyboard. Giving up these babies was tough. Those kittens left four distinct echoes in our hearts.

What’s different at our house? It had been weeks since I walked down the hall without hearing happy kittens mewing, yowling and romping in the middle bedroom we now call “The Kittens’ Room.”

[LARRY FYI: I believe the SPCA Cat Room is the most tranquil living quarters in Dallas County -- it has perfect lighting, a place to read, handy literary cats and air-conditioning. Not sure there’s even a boutique hotel that can hold a cat comfort candle to the SPCA. Of course, I’ve never been to a boutique hotel -- my disposable income goes to cat and dog food.]
My funspouse Martha, a veteran foster and rescuer, and I, a veteran weeper, fostered this quartet for about two months. We’d brought them and their possessive mom in from the hellish heat and installed them in our “cat patio room” -- but only for a while. Why? Because Moms, as we call her, weaned them and we moved them out of the big wire kennel to help her recover physically and mentally! We still have Moms but it isn’t like we can cuddle her for comfort. She’s a standoffish pheral phantom -- sorry, that’s “feral” -- in the cat patio room. We’re trying to socialize her. We have bandages and insurance cards. If we fail, she’s a TNR girl with no ability to make babies.

Martha named the kittens. I knew I’d get attached if I named them -- Lord knows what I’d be like if I had named them...I’m already in enough of an emotional fix.
Wednesday night I dreamed -- and I’m not kidding about this; it’s a true dream --that I got a call from one of the boy kittens mewing that they’d all been adopted but one of his brothers had disappeared. I went into a panic, then I began to fight my way out of the dream state by reminding myself that kittens don’t carry cell phones. I didn’t so much awaken as I was like a bad boxer and “came to” after the 10-count.

While we don’t have any photos of the litter cat-napping, let me call your attention to that opening photo of the Earhounds on one of those platform beds favored by shelters these days.

Those two are our official sleepers for this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
Martha spotted them while we were visiting the adoption areas of the SPCA of Texas. Immediately she pointed out that they sleep with their ears flopped “open” -- so, whatever they are, they are Earhounds. And, by Thursday they were gone from the SPCA listings -- adopted. Someone, maybe two someones, acquired some great Earhounds who know how to sleep. The one on the left was named “Wanda Maximoff” and the other was “Storm.” Bet both of them are called “Baby.”

What do our kittens have in common with those two dogs? Two things: (1) The dependable SPCA of Texas and (2) they all enchanted me and Martha. We are easy saps, I guess.

But what does our Kitten Quartet have in common with this ancient heeler mix, Annie? I’ll tell you. They were all born in the same block on our street. The cats were born up the hill in our yard somewhere and Annie was born under a storage shed at the bottom of the hill. Recently I featured Annie in a Let Sleeping Dogs Lie and Napping Cats Nap and mentioned that she always sleeps with her her right front paw folded up under her leg. 
One night last week, before we were too kitten-teary to focus a phonecam, Martha took a front photo of Annie and I took the rear photo so people would see how our cranky ol’ darlin’ dog has been sleeping for the more than 14 years since we brought her home from her birthplace. She and her mom (Calamity, the girl in the photo at the top of our website) and her siblings found places to live -- yeah, we placed them but we didn’t tear up like we did with this 2018 Kitten Crop.

These four kittens and their mom are all being spayed or neutered (whichever is appropriate). 
That means these kittens are the absolute last offspring in a Feral Cat Colony Martha and I have been tending to for, probably, 20 years. It began with all black cats -- we did TNR with them and brought in the last of those, a girl named Smidge, when she decided she was too old to be outside. Clipped ear and all, she lived out her life as a happy household lay-about. Along the way, our colony efforts have also found homes for orange cats (a giant one named Griffin stands out), torties, gray tabbies and one darling Flamepoint Near-Siamese named Simon. Our stern rule has always been “Fix ‘em first!" And, now, there are to be no more “new” cats -- I put out food for two days and not a cat showed up. Nor did a possum nor a raccoon nor a skunk -- we’d had visits from them all. Our porch is our’s again.

Martha caught this tender photo of one of our adult fosters, Monet, a former front porch feral (socialized!), who played with the kittens nightly, giving wonderful little Alfie his last bath at our house. Hand me the tissues, will ya?
We celebrate the end of the production line. But our hearts benefited from the experience.
So, there are this weekend's sleeping dogs and there are our dear kittens. The baby felines aren’t on the SPCA adoptable list yet, but when they are, we want potential adoptors to know that they are dear, smart, sweet, charming and wonderful kittens. 
If you’re an adoptor, take good care of our little kittens.
They were the easiest fosters we ever had -- until we had to walk away with an empty cat carrier.
[Send photos of your sleepers and nappers and their stories to [email protected] and we’ll spotlight them in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Your ability to gain an animal’s trust is demonstrated by its ability to sleep comfortably with humans. You may inspire adoptions. And you will inspire all of us insomniacs to believe that we can get some sleep if we can just figure out how to fold our front paws.]

--- Offer opinions, advice or tips for getting past the Foster Separation Tearful Blues by clicking on “comment” below. ---

EXTRA EDITION: CLEAR-THE-SHELTER DOG RETURNED & 'UNWANTED' LITTLE DOG WAITS

MORNING EXTRA FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2018 -- Our overnight mail brought this rebound story, a dog who needs a good human. One picture shows a hopeful dog; in the second, Selene’s face shows a bit of apprehension, an “Oh, no! What is happening to me next” look. She’s a Clear The Shelter Rebound Dog, first we’ve seen, though there probably are others.
Judi Brown, the volunteer biographer for Mesquite Animal Services dogs, reports that Selene was adopted on Clear the Shelter Day on the 18th. She “went home with a family with three noisy youngsters. Some dogs would’ve enjoyed that, but Selene is a work in progress and will need a quieter household with older children -- or at least quieter children.”
Why do we know about this? It’s personal. Judi writes, “She is one of my favorites and I’m just putting out a plea there for her. She is so capable of loving. She gets so happy when she sees me. I spent more time with her (Thursday) and I swear she gets sweeter every time I am with her.” 

You may recall she was in the shelter because she’d bitten her previous human -- a person who tried to break up a fight between Selene and two other dogs over a toy. “The previous owners decide not to reclaim her” after the quarantine period ended. 
The already-spayed, 46-pound girl is a “Velcro dog” when Judi visits her. Her shelter ID is 35532919 -- use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
That Chihuahua? Not a rebound, but here’s the word used when Copper was surrendered on the 20th: “Unwanted.” [LARRY EXCLAMATION: Give me a break. Really? Unwanted? Oh, for crying out loud.] He’s about 5 years old and in quarantine to have “time to decompress”; he shows no aggression but just “wants to escape to a secure corner” of a kennel. The 17-pound dog has potential to “blossom in a loving home,” Judi says. In the traditional shelter tour, he “was too fearful to interact with the dogs and he was not interested in meeting the cats.” He’s #39453224. Call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
[LARRY ASIDE: We’re convinced that Mesquite’s biography program is surely helping with adoptions. We all know animals in a taxpayer-financed shelter are in a bad spot with only three ways to leave -- adopted, rescued or dead by needle. Some shelters just post photos and ID numbers on websites -- like a display of prisoners. In the matter of saving lives, the standards ought to be the highest. Takes time and effort -- it’s a work of the heart. There’s got to be some way for every taxpayer-financed shelter to bring the threatened animals into the public spotlight every day -- not just once a year.]

--- OFFER SUGGESTIONS FOR HELPING SHELTERS HELP ANIMALS BY CLICKING ON COMMENT BELOW OR EMAILING [email protected]. ---