ReadLarryPowell.com

THE FACES, THE HEARTS, THE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE A CITY'S 'FEEL' BETTER WITH ART

EDITION OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2019 [SweatPalPress] — Hang on, that’s PetPowell Press, not SweatPalPress. I was born in Texas — in November. It was misleading. OK, enough of that. It’ll be Autumn soon. It’ll arrive at 2:50 a.m. Dallas time on Monday, Sept. 23, according to the Odd Farmer’s Almanac — wait, that’s the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Speaking of cool, where is that mural-in-progress? We’ll explain shortly and show you what the finished product looks like -- in addition to some great charcoal work featuring animals…But, first, some opportunities...
ONCE AGAIN, IT’S THE FACES
THAT GRAB THE HEART!
Every now and then we feel the need to remind people that rescue groups have great adoptables, too. And they’re always in need of fosters — that helps save more animals. 
So, we got this note about this fabulous dog Alice that described her as a “senior” dog. We went to the pawsinthecity.org website and found out she’s 10 years old, a “Border Collie/Bulldog/American” and she’s spayed. She’s house-trained and crate-trained and up to date on shots. And she’s available through Paws in the City, the Dallas-based rescue group at pawsinthecity.org — Mark Verma is the vibrant prez.
So, when I clicked on the Paws site, I also spotted this fantastic photo of Droopy, about 5, a 16-pound Spaniel mix. What’s his story? “He was found and brought in to the shelter with an injury to his right eye, multiple bite wounds and tears to the skin in addition to being severely matted and in generally poor condition.

“The good news is, he'll be fine. After a minor eye surgery and a shave down to remove his matted fur, he is looking and feeling much better! Droopy is already settling into his foster home. He's doing great with the other dogs and kids in the home. He's very calm and will make a great family pet.”
Again, fostering is a life-saving adventure.  See how to foster and also see how to adopt at pawsinthecity.org.
TWO DOGS TO GO!
If that had been a restaurant announcement I’d have ordered “two dogs walkin’.” But, never mind cafe society, we’ve got an uplifting note from Amy Poskey about these two dogs that wound up in the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter.
These two pups — Penny on the left with life-long friend Holly — were surrendered to the Denton shelter because their human was going through a divorce and couldn’t “afford to take care of them.” 
Ah, but there’s good news. And the elated Amy sent a note reading, “I am beyond happy to report that Freedom Street Rescue in Houston has offered to take this precious twosome and already has a foster to adopt lined up!!!  HOWEVER, WE NEED HELP WITH TRANSPORT, PREFERABLY THIS SUNDAY, 8/4/19.  Jeanie Royal has offered to meet someone halfway on Sunday so we just need someone to pull Penny & Holly from the Denton Animal Shelter and meet Jeanie somewhere.”
 To volunteer to deliver the dogs, email [email protected].  Amy writes, “The shelter staff and everyone involved are also copied to this email cuz they will need to know what time someone can be at the shelter to pick them up.”

DETERMINED TO FIND A HOME
FOR RESCUED ROSCOE
We’re still trying to help Della Wallace find a home for Roscoe, the dog she rescued last fall when he was running headlong into traffic in Little Elm. 
He’s all ready for his new home — doesn’t get along with Chewy, Della and David’s dog of longest residency.
That first photo demonstrates that Roscoe knows how to relax. That is one of the images we published when Roscoe was the featured snoozer in our weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. 
But, it’s important now to find a really good home for loving Roscoe. He’s ready to be the head dog in a household. He’s an affectionate fellow. 
Sure, he’s got some anxiety challenges — heck, he was on the street and in the traffic for a while. Della can tell you how much and why she loves him and what you need to do to adopt him.
Email [email protected] or call (972)294-7415.
CONTEMPLATIONS
WHEN ART TURNS A WALL
INTO SOMETHING FOR A CITY
Aren’t you pleasantly surprised when you see some authorized artwork on the side of a building? Last week I parked in the lot behind Mai’s. That's the won- derful Viet- namese rest- aurant at 4812 Bryan Street. I was totally focused on Mai’s vegetarian tofu Imperial Rolls until I got out of the car and turned toward the building and saw an artist brushing paint onto the wall. I took some photos of the unfinished work and had a chat with Sheri Johnson Lopez, the artist from That’s Flippin’ Smart Art.
This was early last week and she said it would probably take the rest of the week to finish the piece with heart and angel’s wings. I stopped by this week to see how things were going and they were done. That’s the final product. It was worth the drive. Kind of tranquil and hopeful in the City of Dallas where the police are kept busy by the not quite orderly residents.
Sheri, by the way, is a product of Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth — that’s the university that advertises with those “Smaller. Smarter.” billboards. Sheri’s the first mural artist I’ve ever interrupted. She was happy to tell me about all the artwork she does in addition to painting walls. And, because I’m a fan of animals, I went to her Flippin Smart Art link and found these representatives of the charcoal portraits she does of animals. You can reach her at that Flippin' Smart Art website here.
As you look at them consider the joy of having your beloved animals around you and, also, consider the tranquility in the finished mural on the building. Dallas needs more tranquility.
—- Offer opinions or solutions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing Larry “Never Painted a Wall” Powell at [email protected]. —-

JULY HITS THE END OF THE LINE; WE KEEP PITCHING ANIMALS NEEDING HOMES

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2019 [PetPowellPress] End of the month. Bills are paid. Dogs and cats are fed. The Cowboys have personnel crises. The Texas Rangers are not going to the playoffs. We’ve celebrated the 1969 Moon Landing which occurred a month after the final episode of the first Star Trek series. That reminds me of the year our late companion, Inky, the Cocker Laureate of Texas, dressed as a Vulcan Spaniel for Halloween. If you don’t look at that photo, summertime seems nearly normal.

And the mercury hit 100 degrees on the penultimate afternoon of July. Yep, I’ve seen Halloween merchandise for sale in stores — right next to the back-to-school signs. 
Well, all that aside, following an afternoon of computer/online challenges (and that, doctor, is how I lost my mind), we’ll move into the world of dogs and cats and animal advocates.
TWO PUPS LOSE
‘LIFE-LONG FRIEND’;

WANDER TRAILER PARK
Well, this is an awful fix for some Dallas dogs. The story was posted by David Maldonado and says the dogs can get some help “if” — it’s the “if” that’s the challenge. 
David wrote, “These two pups just lost their life-long friend when their owner died. Their owner had lined up a family friend to take them in but that person has now left them abandoned.
“They are now wandering aimlessly around the trailer park where their owner once lived.”
 Well, ain’t that a sweet situation.
David writes “These pups need a hero to get them off the streets. The Lab/Boxer mix is a female and about 3 years old. The scruffy is a male but not sure on age. Both are dog friendly.”

And he says, that Dallas Street Dog Advocates “can help if there is a foster” and the link to volunteer to foster is www.dsda.org/foster. Email David at [email protected], He also suggests the dogs may need some pledges to help with assorted needs. 
Readlarrypowell.com hopes that even before the cyber ink is dry on this report someone has said, “I’ll help those dogs.”

MEANWHILE, SOME CATS

It’s not just the taxpayer-financed shelters that are loaded with cats, there’s quite a selection at the non-profit, constantly- hustling SPCA of Texas, too.
For example, Tuesday evening I clicked on spca.org and went to the cat listings and found this photo of a bedraggled cat named Tori (40480712).
She’s spayed, but here’s the thing: She’s 12 years, 2 months old and that means she needs a lap and a couch. And whenever I see a cat in one of these collars in a shelter, I get the feeling the cat is about to announce, “Excuse me. I don’t know why you’ve got me in this satellite dish, I was promised cable.” (She’s at the SPCA’s McKinney shelter.)

And why this cat isn’t in somebody’s home is a mystery — her name is Agatha Christie. She’s small, spayed and 3 months old. She’s described as a “white and blue tabby domestic shorthair.” She was transferred to the SPCA from another shelter so she, her listing reads, “continue my search for the purrfect forever home.” She’s at the Grand Prairie PetSmart.

RAVEN WAITS IN MESQUITE WITH
BANDIT BOO, DOGS AND CATS
Our Mesquite tipster Judi Brown says Raven, one or two years old, arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter as a stray. She’s officially ID 42309724, a 51-pound Shepherd “with glossy black hair, a long body and a long nose,” Judi writes. “She is truly regal looking! It’s really hard to understand why the owners didn’t come looking for her. It seemed like her whole objective was to please. I had a difficult time taking pictures of her body as she kept wanting to sit for treats. She also stayed very close. She loved being petted and loved belly rubs. She’s sweet, gentle, obedient, affectionate, and friendly. She’s the whole package!”
Also at the shelter is this boy Bandit Boo, a 53-pound, year-and-a-half-old Pittie mix who arrived as a stray on July 22 and “had an injury that was an open sore on top of his head….He’s been receiving medication and it is now scabbed over,” Judi writes, then adds, "I think this is why he has been overlooked! It’s certainly not because of his personality because he could win a personality contest for being so sweet, gentle, mild-mannered and well-behaved. … He’s a real love bug.” Though, she says, he may need some manners training when it comes to dealing with other dogs. 
FYI: I picked a photo of him doing a very “good dog” thing — lickin’ his chops!
 To ask about Raven or Bandit Boo or any other animal in the Mesquite shelter, call 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
 See more Mesquite dogs and cats by clicking HERE.
Among the cats is this quite distinct year-old fellow known as Lord Byron. He’s 342302377 and he’s in the cat room. He came in on July 24. This cat, by the way, is inclined to live a less excited life than the famed poet Lord Byron — unlike his namesake, the cat has been neutered.
CONTEMPLATIONS
These will be brief.
Topics to contemplate: Was the first hit rap song Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean? … Was the pushbutton transmission given a fair shot at success in the 1960s? … Do you have favorite summer song? Is it by The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, The Ventures or Bobbie Gentry? Geez, just how old ARE you? … Seriously, what is Dallas going to do about all this violence — the shootings, the car crashes, the robberies, the domestic disturbances? Is there really anything a city government can do to make people behave? ... And then, there’s this photo — fyi, the U.S. 67-at-I-20 shoulder-of-the-road couch was still there Tuesday. In the meantime I took West Five Mile Parkway from Polk Street up a slight wooded hill to Brook Spring Drive and just as I reached the bend where Five Mile becomes Brook Spring, I snapped a picture of this refrigerator that had been dropped off. I was surprised that I didn't find litters of puppies or kittens living in the open compartments and waiting for help. You may guess, of course, that this is not an authorized city dump. Doesn’t matter to someone who wants to get rid of an appliance. Attaboy, Dallas. Oh, and, yeah, the short street is littered with fast food trash and, now and then, chairs and tables. And, sometimes grown men, walking through the wooded area, will simply have a lie down. A few weeks ago, I saw a guy flat out in the weeds and, fearing he'd passed out from the heat, I stopped to offer him water and held, but he was kind of mildly irritated that I'd ruined his nap. Big D, my, oh, yes.
—- To offer opinions or solutions, click on ‘comment’ below or email me at [email protected]. —-

THE SOFA, THE EARS, THE CRITTERS AND A BENCH-CLEARING STROLL

EDITION OF TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Well, goodness, it’s Tuesday. Monday was kind of tension- filled, rough and warming up Texas-style. And I think I saw TV reports of highway difficulties. Say, that reminds me: I’ve been watching this green couch on the side of the road at the Wheatland exit off U.S. 67 South at I-20. It’s been there for several weeks. SEVERAL WEEKS, I emphasize, noting that such a thing would never happen north of the Trinity River in Dallas.
It hasn’t stayed in the same place — someone, now and then, must drive past, stop to see if it has potential and resposition it before driving away and leaving the sofa sitting on the shoulder. I've got a few weeks of photos -- I didn't start taking pictures until about the third or fourth time I drove past it.
There may not be as many free-roaming dogs in that area as there used to be — otherwise you’d drive by and see three or four happy but drowsy dogs about to nod off on the couch while they watch the traffic. Not sure who to call about furniture on the shoulder of a Dallas highway. There is no number for the Department of Who Cares About This in Dallas.
ANOTHER EARHOUND
WAITING  IN COWTOWN
We were reading a post by Ginger Leach of Fort Worth Animal Care and Control and discovered a sentence we wish we’d written. It perfectly captures the glory of an Earhound. And we’ll get to the “phone card around his neck” in a minute.
Ginger wrote, “I love this guy and he has got ears for days.”
“EARS FOR DAYS” — is that not a perfect description of this little boy?
He’s called Bones, his ID number is 42311717 and he’s about, maybe, 5 months old.
Ginger says, “This scared boy was found almost getting hit by a car, and a citizen brought him in. He got away in the parking lot and we were able to catch him again. He had a phone cord on his neck, like someone tied him up with it. He was very nippy due to be scared too death at first but he is easily motivated by food. he is doing better but needs someone to help him learn people and the world are not so bad.”
He clearly could us a few square meals and some huggin’.
Email the shelter at [email protected].
LOOK INTO SMALL SHELTERS

WITH BIG CHALLENGES
We speak, specifically, of the small Wilmer and Hutchins animal shelters and, of course, the crowded and contentious Lancaster Animal Shelter, formerly a proud spot on the animal advocacy landscape because it embraced being helped by volunteers. 
But, never mind all that human conflict, the goal is to save the animals. Yes, save the animals. Humans are on their own.
Of course, there are humans who step up on behalf of animals and that’s why we get emails from Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden about these small shelter challenges.
 These animals are in the Wilmer/Hutchins area and you can offer to help them by calling or texting 214-949-2726 or emailing [email protected]. Transportation can be arranged if you're a 501c3.
We’re starting with four — three of them are Border Collies and one is not but what they have in common is, according to the note, they were “found as strays at a local business. The person that owns the business had been attempting to care for them, but the business will or has closed, and there are headed to the shelter if a rescue or adopter cannot be found.”
 Duke is the first one, about 4 years, old. Daisy “may be middle-aged,” Beth is about 2 and Roxy, the possibly spayed “Scruffy Terrier, is around 3 or 4.
 The deal with Daisy is she is in need of veterinary care to examine and treat an odd lump on her abdomen. 

And, you see there the little kids in this appeal, Chase and Chance — Chase is the hound mix and Chance is the Great Pyr mix. The story is that even though they look alike only in that they are dogs, they probably are brothers. Only about 4 months old, “both ust as cute as cute can be” and they were found by a Good Samaritan who cannot keep them.

MEANWHILE IN LANCASTER, the population continues to be affected by the lack of human traffic and the appointment-style access to animals facing the needle.

The note from the small shelter advocates cites Jordan, a “young Tiger Tabby” who is “One of the best kitties ever — we are serious.” [We've chosen to post both of Jordan's photos.] The note adds, “So loving.  Adores being held.  Loves people.  Look at that sad little silent meow - heartbreaking to see ... please help - wonderful kitty so deserving of having someone to love ... very pretty fur too - beautiful.”
And, we’ll mention this Lancaster girl once again — her name is Samantha and you can call her Sam or whatever you want if you adopt her or rescuer her. Laura’s note reads, “She is incredibly urgent. This is the absolute sweetest girl — she is wonderful. Beautiful girl who posed for the pictures. Just as cute as can be.” 

Again, call or text 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS
FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, NAMES
|
& A 'BENCH-CLEARING BLANK'?
Zeke Elliott — He’s been in the National Football League 3 seasons and spent the first six games of the second one in suspension. So here we are, at the outset of his 4th season and WE'RE in suspension because he’s a holdout. Yep, no Super Bowls. … I watched video of the Oakland/Texas game in which a Rangers pitcher and an Athletics’ batter were at odds over post-homer bat placement on the ground. Big League Baseball, you know There was some shouting, some talk you wouldn’t hear in Sunday School. When you hear the term “bench-clearing” the next word is usually “brawl,” but this was such a lackluster standoff by two ho-hum teams at homeplate that you could call it a “bench-clearing stroll.” …. We noted last week that Dallas Animal Services had dumped, er, traded Rudy the Mascot dog to VCA Hospitals and picked two new mascots. There was voting to name the new mascots — DAS reports that the new public relations representatives are Chip the Dog and Tag the Cat. Two familiar instructions in the animal care business, Chip ’n’ Tag. Take a hint. Not sure if their full names are Chip Spay and Tag Neuter.
—- To offer advice or opinions, click on ‘comment’ below. —-

THERE ONCE WAS A DALLAS CAT

EDITION OF MONDAY, JULY 29, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Over the weekend there was a post on the Dallas Animal Services Facebook page congratulating the shelter and its supporters. Why?

Because, the post read, the city shelter live release rate has gone from 13% in 2007 to “exceeding 90% for four months in a row earlier this year!”

The post also read, “This critical transformation has been the result of years of hard work from animal lovers throughout the community and though there is still plenty of work to be done, we want to say THANK YOU to everyone -- adopters, fosters, volunteers, staff, rescue partners, advocates, elected officials and donors -- who have made an impact on this climb. You are #Dallas90."

That is a really nice sentiment. And bless those deserving individuals with the heart it takes to move things along. [LARRY NOTE: Over the weekend, as you can see in this DAS Facebook photo, the famed host of TV’s My Cat From Hell Jackson Galaxy and the city’s leading cat advocate Molly DeVoss (of the city's shelter advisory commission) visited cats at the big shelter.]

As any observer of the city’s animal shelter advancement since the turn of the century knows, this change for the better has had a tendency to move at glacial speed — except when it moves in politically-fueled spurts during a dramatic crisis.
Possibly the most lingering shelter incident to those of us who celebrated the political triumph and subsequent construction of the new one, has to do with the death of a cat.
Dear Readers, I am very serious about this suggestion: As I recall, the really sincere movement for attitudinal and managerial change at the new shelter began in 2010 when a cat escaped from his/her kennel at the shelter and crawled into a wall in the shelter break room. 
It then meowed and yowled in that space between sheets of wallboard until it stopped. Days later. 
Nobody did anything. Only then was the wall cut open and the dead cat removed. There was a trial. Nobody was found guilty of animal cruelty. 
But things began to change. The city stopped promoting people from Code Enforcement to be head of animal control and went outside the city to search for shelter professionals.

In the meantime, in this crisis, the task of running the shelter had been assigned to then-Dallas Police Lt. Scott Walton who only recently retired from his position as Deputy Chief.
In the wake of the death of the cat, the officer stepped into the shelter and began to make positive changes — the attitude toward dogs and cats and rescue groups and “animal nuts” (God bless us, every one) began to change in a previously unseen positive manner.
Animal services and animal advocates began to have a lessened adversarial relationship.
It took a Dallas cop to show the City of Dallas that the city’s animal shelter could be a place of respect and service, not just a place to warehouse animals until the needle was ready. (We'll tell you about these DAS animals a little later in this edition.)

So, while it is nice to praise the city’s managers and elected officials, the real motivating factor in this evolution from “pound” to “shelter” was a smart-right-mind-at-the-right-time Dallas cop and an un-named cat who died in the dark, crying out for help and getting none.
Yes, the “embarrassment factor” helped Dallas change its ways.
I’m serious about this: We should have a statue at the animal shelter — a memorial reminder. It should be a cat with no name, nothing really specific except that at first glance you can see it is shelter cat, perhaps raising one paw to greet an approaching human. All of us would be able to see our cats, our dogs in this artwork.
And that cat with no name and no shelter number would represent a better future for every cat and kitten, dog and puppy, and any other animal brought into the care of a rejuvenated Dallas Animal Services Shelter and Adoption Center.
The cat would be the reminder the incident when there was a failure to be a “shelter” and, perhaps, a reminder for all of us to do better at helping animals.
If that cat had not been allowed to die inside the shelter wall, the ensuing beneficial changes may never have occurred. Isn’t that a shame? 
Wouldn’t you think a city hall that thinks of itself as “sensitive” would have already worked to save the lives of the helpless?
But, no. It took death to make changes in Dallas. That’s a sad city tradition. After the floods inundate family homes in low-lying poor neighborhoods, after the factories belch lead smoke into neighborhoods, after inadequate design leads to fatal car crashes — yes, only after the headlines and petitions show up will the city put saving lives ahead of saving money.

And that is why the city’s animal shelter is just now, nearly two decades into the 21st century, reshaping itself into a welcoming-to-humans facility that has a mission of consistently saving more lives than it takes.
All it took to inspire change was an embarrassingly dead cat. God bless that little creature. It did not die for nothing — unlike the thousands of healthy animals that, almost without notice, have been — to use a word inaccurately — “euthanized.”
But, you know, the City of Dallas has long embraced that ol’ Texas theory of animal management: Got an animal problem? Let’s kill it."
So, there’s this other thing, too. I’m unclear on whether the 90% figure applies to the number of animal listed on the City of Dallas Animal shelter website at dallasanimalservices. org or on the Dallas Animal Services PetHarbor list of animals in the care of the shelter. Is there a difference? These two boxes demonstrate a difference on Saturday evening. The black and white list of animal is the DAS site and the colorful listing is the PetHarbor report.
In the meantime, you see a dog, a cat and a ferret. We’d be remiss if we didn’t show you some of the animals awaiting to be rescued, adopted or executed (“euthanized”). 

That dog with the “oh, my God, what awful thing am I waiting for now” look, is A0992098, a spayed “tricolor German Shepherd Dog mix” named Sammie, according to the city’s list of adoptables at dallas animal services.org. The “shelter staff thinks” she’s nearly 3 years old. She’s been at the shelter since July 24. 

The first big cat is Katerina (A10697040), spayed and just over 3 years old. Listed as a “tricolor and brown Domestic Shorthair,” she has been surviving at the big shelter since June 22.
The little orange kitten reaching out is Tapioca (A1073719), maybe 9 weeks old and in a DAS foster home snces Sunday, the listing says. Little guy. Big paws.
Amid the domestic rats and Guinea Pigs awaiting either adoption, rescue or the needle at the Dallas Shelter is this “tan and cream Ferret,” the already-spayed Cinnamon (A1076692). She’s been a shelter resident since Saturday.

And the tall, thin tabby is Louie (A1067772). He's about 16 weeks old and in the shelter's care for about a month. [LARRY ASIDE: And when I look at that face, I can see the little guy asking, "They left a cat in the wall? Why?" Sorry, the incident continues to puzzle me. If I heard a kitten in a wall, I'd make an opening. Opening in wall can be fixed; nobody's brought a shelter cat back to life yet.]
For any of these animals, stop by the shelter at I-30 and Westmoreland. Call the shelter at 214-670-6800. Go to dallasanimalservices.org to see how to adopt, how to help. Get with a rescue group that partners with the shelter -- learn that you can foster.
Also on the shelter’s Facebook page was this note: “We are so honored to be one of the first 25 cities to be recognized as a BETTER CITY FOR PETS by Mars Petcare US! We have a long way to go, but we are grateful that the efforts of our community to be an ever-improving place for pets have been noticed!”
And if you want to read more about the cat who died in the wall, here’s a story
that gives some insight into how business was being done nearly a decade ago. Click HERE.
That little cat changed the whole animal rescue/animal sheltering system in Dallas. One little cat changed attitudes and prosecutorial decisions for cases yet to come. Cruelty crimes became no longer “just an animal case” stalling out somewhere on the highway to justice. City Hall realized voters cared. The Dallas County District Attorney’s office endorsed efforts to protect animals with the laws.
Things changed. God bless that little cat. And all the other animals that cross the threshold of Dallas Animals Services and Adoption Center.
—- Offer opinions or solutions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing [email protected]

KITTIE LEIGH IS OUR NAPPING CAT; COOPER IS THE DOG WITH LONG SHELTER LIFE, BUT HE NEEDS A HOME

This weekend’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cat Nap takes you into the life of a dear feline and the astounding existence of a dog who has been in the custody of a local shelter for more than a year. I’ll be keeping the cat, but you can adopt the dog. Please read on.
THE KITTEN WHO STAYED
NAPS LIKE A CHAMPION
My cat, Deputy Chief Kitty Leigh Johnson, was once light gray with black stripes and she was cross-eyed. That’s how I first saw the little kitten staring at me through the front porch ornamental iron bars.

It took a split second to fall for her and about 30 seconds to convince her to come through the bars for breakfast. That might have been in early 2006 or thereabouts. I’ve misplaced the records and the photo I snapped of her way back then. Might have been 2005.
Age changes us all and the once delicately gray kitten has a much darker coat. And she is our featured feline in this edition of our weekly weekend presentation, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
 She is one of a parade of former ferals born somewhere in our yard during the quarter-century we’ve lived here. We’d catch ‘em, fix ‘em, adopt ‘em out or, if they were too testy, return ‘em to the yard. I think we only returned two in 25 years. And they hung around like they had half-interest in the deed. [That's her on her editing table while Texas Earl the Cheeseman, our rescued Rottie, sprawls on the floor.]
Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson is named in honor of Kyra Sedgwick's character, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, on The Closer . And Kittie Leigh is a personal cat. She sleeps in my arms, not on my lap. When I’m sacked out, she’s been known to crawl up and turn my neck into her pillow.
As I was typing madly on something this week, she stepped from the back of my desk, to the “cat table” next to me.
Then she wrote that note, curled up and went to sleep. Pretty sure she wrote it and signed it with her initials.

She has stripes that suggests a kinship with jungle tiger [see the photo with the old crank in the last graf of this Sleeper/Napper edition]. Kittie Leigh has a demeanor that suggests she could easily hold down a diplomatic corps position with the U.S. State Department.
People who don’t give a cat a second glance should know that this cat is more than a “companion animal,” she’s a companion soul.
You can sit with Kittie Leigh and study the world without getting into a big ol’ snit. Fan of Yoda, she is.
And, when she curls up to sleep, her fantastic coat displays elements of gold as it catches the light. She’s a radiant cat. 

The Radiant Cat is a benefit to a household — you find yourself watching the cat instead of the unpleasant political stories that won’t mean diddly in six weeks.
[ LARRY BEGGING: If you have a Radiant Cat or a Glowing Dog in your household, snap some photos of the critters sleeping and at play. Send the photos and the bio of the beloved baby to Larry Powell at [email protected]. We’ll put together the report and, as you can see from this photo, I’ll wear outdoor writing gear and Kittie Leigh will edit keenly. We'll post it in our weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Also, by telling the world about your sleeping dogs, napping cats, etc., you’ll be inspiring the world’s insomniacs to believe that they, too, can get some sleep if they can just get the right spotlight to make insomniacs look brighter than they are — and, as an insomniac, I woke up enough to laugh at that last sentence.]
HERE’S A CHANCE
TO GET A GOOD DOG
The message I got from Maryann Izzarelli was pretty simple. The veteran rescuer, an original member of the Team Bedford Facebook page founders, wrote: 
“If you have any space coming up to talk about Cooper that would be great. He’s been waiting over 400 days at the Bedford Shelter.”
Holy crap, I exclaimed silently. FOUR HUNDRED DAYS?

He is beautiful. And lively. And well-behaved. And a shelter favorite. 
As you can see in this handshake photo, he “backs the Blue.” 
You see his photos and the shelter info on that collection of photos of Cooper (#37831173).
Here’s the explanation Maryann sent: “Cooper originally came into the shelter in February 2018. He waited 4 months and was adopted in June 2018 into a very loving family who adored him and made him part of the family. Unfortunately they lost their employment and then apartment so Cooper ended up back at the shelter in October 2018. Although large and full of energy he actually did very well in an apartment but they devoted time to socializing and exercising him.”

So, he clearly knows how to behave!
And, Maryann reports, “Cooper has won the hearts of the shelter staff as well as the volunteers; he has many folks who have worked hard to make his long stay as pleasant as possible. He loves everyone he meets, but he needs a forever home with humans who will stick with him for the rest of his days.”
Here’s a link to a video of Cooper playing ball in the shelter yard. He’s clearly a lively dog who loves to be doing something — especially with a human.

So, how does someone with a heart and a good sense of responsibility visit Cooper to see about adopting him? Go to the Bedford Animal shelter at 1809 Reliance Parkway on the north side of Airport Freeway. Call 817-952-2191.
WHEN YOU VISIT COOPER, tell him Kittie Leigh and I said "hey" and we hope the next story we edit about him is the one where he gets a loving home and settles in for a long, happy life with people who love him more than they knew they could love.
—- Offer suggestions on helping Cooper find a permanent home by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing [email protected]. —-

'HELP HELP' -- ONE FOR EACH OF 2 DENTON DOGS; ASSORTED NOTES; DEEP-FRIED WONDERMENT FOR THE 2019 STATE FAIR

EXTRA EDITION FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019 [PetPowellPress] At first we were going to take Friday off…do household chores, pack up things to either store, donate or bag for the trash. But, then, we opened the morning email and found opportunities to help and to deep-fry. Two things a true Texan needs: a chance to help and something deep-fried.
SOMETHING’S PUT ASUNDER
SO
 DOGS ARE ON THE CLOCK
I hope by the time you read this Penny and Holly are in a loving home. 
We got the story from Amy Poskey, the noted monitor of situations at the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter. She writes, “These two angels are pulling my heartstrings, not only because they are seniors but also because they were surrendered together and I’m hoping they can stay together.  
“They were surrendered because their owner is going through a divorce and can’t afford to take care of them.  Breaks my heart. It would be great if they can stay together but not required; however, they are being kenneled together at the shelter and they are ADORABLE.”

Penny is a “senior” Chihuahua girl who is —- oh, my — “heartworm positive, has a heart murmur and is missing most of her teeth.” She has enough of herself left to be “super sweet” and aware of her surroundings and her need for her loving companion.
 Holly is the 8- to 10-year-old that Amy’s note describes as a “female Heinz 57 mutt dawg who is heartworm negative and weighs 45 pounds. She is also super sweet and check out those radar ears!” 
The contacts at the shelter (940-349-7594) are [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], and/or [email protected].
CROWDING AT MESQUITE
PUTS ANIMALS AT PERIL
One of those dogs closer and closer to the needle today is Jessie, a 2- to 3-year-old Shepherd Mix who came in as
a stray on July 5 — he might have been running from fireworks since the night before…and nobody came looking for him. Dammit that’s sad. Not unusual, but sad.
 Our tipster, the shelter volunteer biographer Judi Brown, says Jessie (42137564) “has a very interesting appearance in that he has big eyes and big ears that twitch back-and-forth changing his appearance. He’s sweet looking, and he truly is a real sweetheart! In his kennel he has the look of a deer in the headlights. He’s timid but warms up and will cautiously come to you. There’s no doubt he wants to make friends. He’s very gentle and calm.” 
 [LARRY ASIDE: Check out his Goth nails!]
Same euthanasia threat for Mercedes (42154807), a year-old Lab mix who arrived as a stray on July 8. She’s a playful puppy who weighs 63 pounds. Sits for treats. Needs an active family and, like most human children, needs some obedience training. [LARRY ASIDE: Oops, memories of kids I’ve seen in restaurants recently slipped into my writing.]
Bella’s a year-old Shepherd mix surrendered to the shelter on Thursday the 25th because — get this — “The owner said that she got too big for her small children.” Bella’s a lively girl who is spayed and weighs just 41 pounds. Judi said that after Bella romped in the exercise yard for a while, “She came to me for petting and I was rewarded with kisses!”
To ask about any of these dogs, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmes- quite.com. You can stop by, too — it’s at 1650 Gross Road. 
And you can see more dogs and cats currently in Mesquite’s shelter by clicking on this LINK. Among the cats are a zillion (traditional guess!) kittens including this guy BB 4 (42282642) — He looks like he ought to be on a poster hanging in a dorm room. Or maybe on the back windshield of my car with the information for tailgaters on a Dallas freeway: “Back off. This driver is scary!”
LATEST REPORT ON AMORA

The South Texas dog with all the ticks, Amora, continues to be treated for the misery caused by the little blood-suckers. Her blood has to get healthy, she has to recover from all sorts of side effects…but the ticks have fallen off or been removed. And Dallas DogRRR, which posted these photos, is hoping to bring her from the vet in Edinburg to the organization’s Dallas vets soon, according a Facebook posting.
CONTEMPLATIONS

BIG TEX TASTES — INCLUDING DEEP FRIED MOLE AND DEEP FRIED TEXICAN…OH, MY!

The State Fair of Texas owns the Lone Star funride chamber of my heart. As the weekend arrived we got a note from State Fair Public Relations Karissa Condoianis about the semi-finalists for the 2019 Big Tex Choice Awards — that’s the contest with all the Fair fare. These are among the competitors for the final titles Best Taste—Sweet, Best Taste-Savory and Most Creative. [The finals are Aug. 25, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. in the Tower Building in Fair Park. Tickets are HERE ]
I’m just going to nab a few of these entries that I have never imagined in my entire life of eating whatever I can find in the refrigerator. Among the semifinalists: PB & J Bacon Pickle Dog; Pig in a Cannoli; Deep Fried CRACKER JACK, Fried Southern Bourbon Bread Pudding. You can see the whole list in the Fair’s news release HERE.
One of the items is listed as a “Deep Fried Mexican Mole” which, for you people new to the cuisine, is NOT a yard pest, it’s pronounced “Moe-lay.” 
And, finally, there’s a listing for “Deep Fried Texican.”
[LARRY ASIDE: I don’t know the recipe but to me, as a native Texan who recalls we once were way back there referred to as “Texicans,” the name makes me think that’s a new festive way to display your loved one’s ashes on the fireplace mantle. Yep, there’s Granny — she’d put on her boots ’n’ spurs and run that ranch tougher than a big bite of tofu gristle. Always called herself a “Deep Fried Texican through and through.” You can salute her with another semifinalist, a “Champagne Jell-O Hot Shot.” Oh, my, I’ve just written a scene for a film titled Granny and the Texas Toast. Need I remind you, Dear Readers, that the Fair’s 2019 theme is “Celebrating Texas Creativity” and, fyi, that guy is wearing my shirt. Hmm, maybe not.] 

Back to reality: The Fair opens Sept. 27 and runs through Oct. 20. The weather may be a lot like it’s been for the past 48 hours in Dallas. Oh, yeah, that’s a photo of my late pal Inky, the Cocker Laureate of the State of Texas, showing us his impression of a State Fair fan who has just enjoyed a sampling of everything at the Fair that is deep-fried. I think he’d have been partial to the Southern Bourbon Bread Pudding — he was a gentleman.
—- Offer thoughts, recipes and lucky Lotto numbers by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected]. ---

DUMP DOGS; BURNS FLAT; EARHOUNDS; CATS; MOM'S MIMOSAS, SLY/DALLAS & MUSIC

EDITION OF THURSDAY/FRIDAY JULY 25-26, 2019 [PetPowellPress] A moment of honesty: I don’t care who shows up for the Dallas Cowboys training camp — I’m interested in who shows up to help dogs at the Dallas dump. Here goes:
IS THIS A MOVIE SET?
OR THE DALLAS DUMP?
This looks like a publicity shot from a motion picture about post-apocalyptic Earth. It’s not. Here’s a hint in one sentence:
 This is not the first dog to live with human trash in Dallas, Texas.
That’s right, this is a photograph of a dog who appears to live at the City of Dallas McCommas Bluff Landfill. Michelle Mitchell took the photo.
She is looking for help. Wednesday she sent this note: “I’m hoping for assistance, direction... anything. I have seen three dogs in bad shape at the McCommas Bluff Landfill…”

Here comes a horror story from Michelle. She writes, “Wild boar gored the male who was covered in maggots when he was alive. Not seeing him anymore. The second dog I haven’t seen in weeks. The third, a very pregnant Aussie mix, is in desperate need of help. I tried to catch to no avail and was told to get back in my vehicle. Dallas animal control won’t help. My house is at capacity with dogs so I couldn’t keep. I have photos of her from this past Monday.”


Of the beautiful, pregnant dog in the photo, Michelle writes, “The last place I saw her Monday was all the way at the top where the commercial garbage is dropped. …  All of the other rescues said that they couldn’t search for her because they needed permission.  She’s pretty big.  I’d say 70 pounds or so.  I have not seen her since Monday morning.  The times I’ve seen here are typically between 6 and 10 a.m.  Originally I would see her just after the main gate scales — Monday was the first time I saw her scavenging at the top of the heap. I did get out Monday and tried to lure her over — she was skittish and the employees yelled at me to get back in my truck, which is understandable since there’s huge equipment moving all the trash.”

Patty Sprong, the veteran rescuer/fosterer/animal advocate, suggested that Michelle check with the SPCA cruelty unit to see if something can be done.
And, who knows — as unlikely as it sounds, City of Dallas Sanitation may have a policy for dealing with wander-up, dumped or miraculously appearing dogs and cats. Surely. After all, the City of /Dallas prides itself on being prepared for all sorts of contingencies.
If you’ve got some suggestions for Michelle or you want to help her, email her at
[email protected]. You can leave a comment on this page, too, by clicking below. 
[LARRY ASIDE: Dumped, “set free” or “wander-up,” no animal needs a life on the edge in the city dump — no telling how many come out after dark and scavenge for food. Having been around Dallas for a while, I would not be surprised to hear that now and then, a puppy or kitten will fight its way out of a plastic bag and thrive for a while at the dump. People — trash. Yeah, I’m judging.]
REPORTS FROM THE FRONT

AT BURNS FLAT, OKLA.
Our longtime Oklahoma tipster, Terry Lynn Fisher, way out west in Burns Flat, has some updates and needs for dogs and cats. Here we go:

First this handsome fellow: “We've named him Rueger,” Terry Lynn writes. “He is just a baby. He belonged to a couple that could not afford the vet bills when he was hit and drug by a car. After learning they just let him run loose all the time on a busy highway, we spoke with them about surrendering him.. They agreed, so he is now ours. My vet did the initial treatment. But due to the severity of the many breaks in his front leg, he decided to send to a specialist for the surgeries. This beautiful boy is now on the mend. But he has a good-size vet bill. I have him in a very short term foster for now. I had many people offer to help with his vetting. Below is the information on where to help pay his vet bills. Any amount is greatly appreciated.  I believe his part at my vet has been covered. More updates to follow. Thank you all for being the people you are and understanding why every life matters... You all are the heroes.” 
The Terry Lynn Reuger account is at Deer Creek Animal Hospital, 20501 SE 29th St., Harrah OK 730654. Call 405-391-6220 or use PayPal at [email protected].
Then there’s this little upright kitty. “It was very touch and go on saving that leg. But now, he is up and playing and ready for rescue. Sadly, the vet bill is going to be pretty high, so as much as I hate to always be begging, we need help... AND, this little cutie needs a rescue to come to.” This account is at Terry Lynn’s local vet (the clinic is well aware of her work on behalf of animals), Elk Creek Clinic, 13 Airport Industrial, Elk City, OK 73644 or all 580-225-4863. And the PayPal is  [email protected]. (underscore between letters and numbers)
Meanwhile, at the city shelter: Terry Lynn writes, “Our pound is NOT set up for cats, so, sadly, I can not offer help with them very often. Right now, I have SIX kittens in urgent need of rescue.
“The first two are ready to go. Their momma and siblings were killed by coyotes. These two were up under a pile of stuff and the owner got out there before the coyotes got them. They were still nursing and their eyes weren't even open. They are now ready to go. Very social and loving.

“The others are a heartbreaking story. An elderly man about 30 miles east of me had a bunch of cats at his property. He decided it was time for them to go. His solution? To put them in a bag and THROW THEM IN THE LAKE. Seriously. While the person that knew would not tell me who he was, I know this happens a lot. The mutual friend was able to catch three of the tiny's and one of the older ones..The bigger one is ready to go...  My foster is bottle feeding the three tiny's…  but the larger one is ready to go too.”
And then there’s this: “I received several calls on this boy.. He was hanging around at the north edge of town. People stopped and tried to catch him but he was too scared. About 10 last night, I got a call that he was stuck in someone's fence where it faced the backroad he was hanging around. We went out and he wasn't actually stuck, just laying there. It took awhile, but he finally came to us...

“He is now in jail. He is thin and had some ticks, but overall, not too bad. He is very sweet and loving. He is a little scared at first, but then he just falls against you for love.”
Then she adds, “The ACO picked up two other dogs last night (I have not been up there yet for pictures) which means we are totally full again.”
[LARRY ASIDE: Does that dog look like he might have a bit of Harlequin Great Dane in his family tree? How beautiful is that dog! Bless his abandoned heart—may a loving human immediately give him a home!]
To help any of these dogs or cats, get in touch with Terry Lynn at [email protected].
SPEAKING OF GREAT DANES
Sydney Busch — we’ll call her the Guiding Light of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake — sent a note about this guy Tucker. 
He’s 8, neutered and current on his shots. And, the note reads, this Great Dane is “sweet as he can be!” [LARRY ASIDE: We have experience with a Great Danish dog, Hambone Jack, the Canine King of the Blues — “sweet” is an understatement for these babies.]
Tucker's previous home didn’t treat his skin infection — but his foster is and reports that he’s “completely housebroken.” He’s in Athens. To ask about adopting Tucker, email [email protected]. (And remember, Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake operates the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas — see www.friendsoftheanimals.org.]
EARHOUNDS IN MESQUITE:
THERE’S A COLLECTION
First we visit Pinto Max and Brownie — sounds like a Willie Nelson song, doesn’t it. But they’re a couple of Chihuahuas who were dumped at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on July 23 “due to landlord issues.” 
Our tipster, the shelter’s volunteer biographer Judi Brown, says, “They find comfort in curling up together in a carrier that they were brought in with. They are a bonded pair and have been together for six years."

 Six years? Yes. Here’s why. Brownie (#4229 1457) is 13 and he probably is 6-year-old Pinto Max’s daddy. Pinto Max (#42291447), like his dad, is on the “shy side,” Judi says. “After spending some time with Pinto Max, he did come to me and start wagging his tail.” He’s a 10-pounder, already fixed. 
Brownie weighs 15 pounds and, Judi says, when she was visiting with him, she discovered that “He wanted attention! He is surprisingly spry for his age. He got around quite well. … His body
is slightly chunky but this only adds to his cuteness.”
And that brings us to a Mini, a 2-year-old Yorkie Mix — clearly a purebred Earhound, like Brownie and Pinto Max — who arrived on July 19 as a stray. “She has been passed over because at first she had an attitude,” Judi writes, “Now she has decompressed and is an absolutely sweet, gentle, loving, friendly, lapdog wannabe! She has a skin condition with hair loss down her back. It may be mange. She was very cooperative when given an oatmeal bath. She seemed to know that I was helping her. Her back is very bony . She needs a proper diet. In spite of the skin condition she’s lively and very alert. She walked very well on a leash. Mini is truly 'mini' weighing only 8 pounds. At this weight she could almost fit in your pocket and go anywhere with you!”
To ask about any of these dogs, call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]. You can stop by, too — it’s at 1650 Gross Road. 
And you can see more dogs and cats currently in Mesquite’s shelter by clicking on this LINK.
The cats include a bunch of kittens, some ferals (Mesquite as a free-adoptions Barn Cat Program) and some cats beyond the “kitten stage.” For example, this is Ruby (41567189), 3 years and 2 months old, neutered and in the shelter since May 11. She’s in the cat room. [LARRY ASIDE: Based on my experience with these Tortie babies, a sane intellectual can sit and look at the patterns in this cat’s coat until the cows come home. Then you go outside and stare at the cows. I’m kidding. A cat is as adorable as a human — hmm, that’s not the recommendation I intended to give. Try this: A cat is MORE adorable than most humans, give or take a few points on the Adore-a-Meter.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
‘SMORES/THE ‘B’ WORD; STALLONE; THE MUSICAL REASON
My pal Kristine McCarty, the writer/momma/wife and former boss in the marketing industry (best boss I ever had, I swear), now publishes a blog called Mom’s Mimosa —read it at https://moms-mimosa.com . She recently wrote about “Spicy S’Mores Quesadillas” and I have dodged making them. But her latest is a examination of “WHEN IT’S OK TO BE A B*TCH.” This is the kind of thing that may come in handy when you're in animal rescue and some jerk just isn’t listening. You activate your “AUTHORITATIVE B*TCH.” I think this can apply to men, too. Some of us are too nice at the wrong time, I’ve been told by my authoritativespouse Martha, also an admirer of Kristine McCarty’s. … The magazine Vanity Fair has published a wide-ranging interview of Sylvester Stallone by writer/Co-Editor of Variety Claudia Eller and it touches on a Dallas topic. Here’s the LINK and here’s the passage in which the star explains his mid-career slump:
 Answering the question “Why do you think you found yourself on the outs?” Stallone says he “wasn’t as diligent as I should have been with making certain career choices” then he says, “For example, I did a film called “D-Tox,” and it had a really good cast, but one week into the film the producers decided to change tack, and the film had a cloud over it. It sat on the shelf for two years, and so that was kind of the beginning of 'Stallone is [over].' ” Here’s the deal: D-Tox, also known as Eye See You (released in 2002) began life as a novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning editor and novelist Howard Swindle, my late colleague at The Big Paper Downtown. It got great reviews from such people as mystery writer Tony Hillerman. The movie treatment changed the tale from a local cop doing detective work and juggling it with personal demons to an FBI agent sent to a remote sci-fi style detox clinic in Wyoming. If you never read the book, maybe you’d like the movie. Here’s a link to getting the book. Authors matter. And sometimes the “collaborative nature” of movies works out and sometimes it doesn’t. Rocky, for example, worked out. Eye See You did not. … We close with a musical note in honor of Terry Lynn Fisher and her work in Burns Flat, Okla. Click HERE.
—Offer opinions, film and book reviews or suggestions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing [email protected]. —

WE DISCUSS DOGS, AN OLD ISSUE, A NEW ISSUE AND WE GET CATTY ABOUT DALLAS TRAFFIC

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to this edition. It will have a winding path through the forest of information and opinions in the animal community. Possibly, if tracked, my mind will be following a path that looks like that a nibbling goat would take through the East Texas woods. A stop here, a stop there, re-tracking, standing still, napping. You get the drift. Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson was helping me with this edition until she threw up her paws and walked away. She’s a harsh editor. You’ve never seen a cat so quick to slap a dangling participle into next week.

HERE’S A GOOD DEED
THAT PAID OFF FOR A DOG
We spotted this on Jaclyn Smith’s Facebook page. Normally, these good deeds travel below our radar — animal people do a lot of this saving that never gets noticed. But it seemed to readlarrypowell.com that this might encourage people to be ready to help. 
Jacklyn, who I’ve never met but I now admire, wrote about a "good deed" visit to Dallas Animal Service this week. 
“I went to drop off newspaper at the shelter that I had been accumulating...Poor Chico is 14 years old and was surrendered to the shelter and just crying. I had no choice but to bring him home and beg for forgiveness afterwards😫. Poor thing was surrendered by his owner and confused and crying. How could someone turn over a dog that's blind and deaf that they had since puppy that's almost 15.”
[ LARRY ASIDE: I agree with Jaclyn: “HOW COULD THEY?” The dogs and cats of “animal people” are not treated as if they’re just a problem to be handed off. They are family. They give us so much. Bless Chico and give him many happy, safe, comfortable years.]
WHAT ABOUT SWEET AMORA?
While the nation’s attention and TV cameras was on a set of dog- and cat-free hearings in Washington, D.C., we were getting to the basic facts of a tick-coated dog. We posted this girl’s pictures and her story in our Wednesday edition — but we were lacking ONE KEY FACT. Where is this dog? 
Rather than wait for the “where?” question to be answered, we went ahead and told you about the torturous "what" of this dog. 
The bottom line is Amora is getting responsible care, she’s had the round of meds that will kills the ticks and make them fall off — that comes from Dallas Dog RRR (Rescue. Rehab. Reform.) She’s recovering from whatever the little bloodsuckers have done to her. A report from the rescue group reads, “She is eating food but having some shivers, most likely from the bath and activity. She is slowly recovering but it is happening slowly. Our first plan was to stabilize her and get her the care needed to survive! Next mission is to get her to Dallas."
Get her TO DALLAS? Yeah, based on the reports on the Dallas Dog RRR Facebook page, I thought she was a Dallas dog, too. But nope. she’s in Edinburg, way down south in Hidalgo County in the Rio Grande Valley. People have been donating to her cause. And she’s on the brink of being healthy enough to bring to North Texas for total recovery.
[LARRY ASIDE: It would be really good for people who like to help animals if rescue groups could include all the who, what, where, when, why details in each appeal about an animal that needs help -- and be handy to answer questions, too. The “where” might help people say, “I’m close to that critter; I’ll go help it!” Just a suggestion from someone who’s been writing about animals since 1965 in the the Lyndon Johnson administration. And for those of you who didn't have a civics or history class in public school, LBJ was president of the United States.]
A PROTEST FROM
OUT OF THE PAST?
Note to people who have protested the use of gas for “euthanasia” in shelters. Yeah, I know, you probably thought Garland was the last place on the planet doing that —- after all, public protests convinced the city end that barbaric behavior in 2010.
But, nope, there’s a place in Wyoming — Rock Springs — that’s still using gas. Oh, and get this: the story from CBS4 in Denver HERE https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/07/23/wyoming-animal-shelter-using-gas-chamber-euthanize-pets/ also reports “The Humane Society of the U.S. says Wyoming is one of just four states where shelters still use gas chambers rather than lethal injection to euthanize animals; the others are Missouri, Ohio and Utah.”
 [LARRY ASIDE: Aren’t you proud to know that Texas isn’t on that “still gassing animals” list! Of course, we have enough other animal problems. For example, see the next item.]
A PROTEST FROM
THE PRESENT IN TEXAS
Oh, brother. Just when you think civilization has come to the frontier — in spite of the nightly shootouts in Dallas — we have a story from Bastrop. It’s an ongoing thing.
We were tipped to this by our longtime pal Beverly Fyfe, the noted rescuer and advocate for animals. It has to do with a horse that was just simply allowed to die in misery because, well, some people appear to be living in the early part of the previous century. 
See Austin’s Fox7 story HERE.
People called the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office about the situation. The sheriff issued a statement and Fox7 quoted it: ““The downed horse in the field was approximately 37 years old. The owner had the option either to abruptly terminate the horse’s life, or to allow nature to take its own course with a horse that was in its final hours. Some people may not agree with the choice made by the owner, but that does not make it illegal.”

[LARRY ASIDE: So, there ya go. Cruel treatment of horse doesn’t warrant a look at the actual statues. Heck, I could be wrong. Maybe there’s not a don’t-be-cruel to horses statute in Texas. Mighta been blocked in the Legislature by outgoing State Rep. Jonathan ‘Kill the bill’ Stickland — I’m just guessin’. Might be more flack coming on this horse story — there’s a billboard with a photo of the dying horse on display on State Highway 71. The text reads “Texas: starvation is torture. Torture is a felony. Report criminal activity.” FYI: Bastrop is about 3 1/2 hours south of Dallas and 30 miles southeast of Austin. A lot of that is on I-35 south so it could be two or three days by the time the highway construction lets you get to Bastrop County.]
MEANWHILE, ROSCOE IS
IN NEED OF NEW HOUSING
A great dog who was rescued out of the traffic in Little Elm, Roscoe is now ready to go to his forever home. 
Our pal Della Wallace, who nabbed him last fall as he was heading for disaster, adores him, but she knows it’s time to move him into a place where he can be an only dog. He’s having trouble getting along with housemate Chewy, a much larger dog who was rescued and took up residency in the home of Della and David years before Roscoe came along.

Roscoe gets along with everyone else and is a loved dog, but he needs a home where he’s the focus. To offer to help — either adoption or rescue — email [email protected] or call (972)294-7415. She’ll be more than happy to tell you all about Roscoe.
The challenges of juggling the dogs are wearing on Della, a veteran at this sort of thing.
This is Roscoe in his special collar — he’s style-conscious and prefers the active colors over the traditional bland cone. He was wearing this in the aftermath of his life-altering surgery, so to speak.

CONTEMPLATIONS
TRAFFIC SCENES — DARING AND, MAYBE, STUPID
In the past week in Dallas: (1) Last Friday, traveling north on I-35 about 10 a.m. across from the Anatole, my 4 lanes of traffic were startled to see a tall man in black shirt and pants and gold sunglasses stepping from the shoulder of the road into the far right lane and walking to the dividing stripe where he paused to wait to walk across the second lane as cars slowed and dodged him. You bet I called the police. That guy was putting not only his life in danger, but the lives of confused drivers coming up on the scene. No idea what happened. I’m sure it would have made the news if he’d been stupidly wiped out. (2) On Wednesday, as I was driving across the Jefferson Viaduct into Downtown Dallas and about the time I beside the Omni, I saw an electric scooter rider flat out and unmoving on the brink of entering the bicycle lane on the far west side of the roadway. Two other scooter riders were standing near her. She was clearly kayoed. She did not appear to have been clipped by a car, but she might have run into a lane marker or simply fallen over. Within a few minutes, she tried to stand, but went reeling across the asphalt until someone caught her and gently lowered her to the surface. I called 911. I’m sure those scooters are safe — I mean, heck, that Dallas guy took one out into freeway traffic and made the national news. (3) So I continued into downtown and turned left onto one-way north Ervay by the Dallas Public Library. A half-block down the road I had to dodge to the right because some jackass was driving south on one-way north Ervay. [LARRY ASIDE: Why do people think they can walk across a 4-lane highway? Why do people risk their well-being on what used to be a kid’s toy? And can’t people see a “one way” sign in downtown Dallas? Should we eliminate all signs but traffic signs and encourage the return of smart and firm traffic cops directing idiot drivers in the newly busy and constantly under construction downtown Dallas? Just for fun, I’m re-running that detour sign I ran across, so to speak, in Oak Cliff last week. It’s sort of symbolic of traffic in the whole town. I’m sure it’s been moved by now. Surely.]
--- Pull over to the side of the road and offer opinions by clicking on 'comment' below or by emailing [email protected]. Be careful out there. ---

TRINA GOES WEST; RUDY'S NEW GIG; A DOG'S FACE; A COATING OF TICKS -- SHEESH!

EDITION OF JULY 23-24 [PetPowellPress] We’re going to begin with a happy note and we will end with a contemplation about a sight we thought had been relegated to the past because people care about their animals. Of course, once we remembered that the don’t care/so what people are still roaming the planet, well, you know — no unwanted animal is safe from ignorance and indifference. 
But, first, celebrate Trina. We ought to celebrate every day in the North Texas animal community — there are heroes at work.
NEW MEXICO WINS; IT GETS
AN ENCHANTING TEXAS DOG
Oh, boy, this went on for a few weeks — this appeal for help for Trina, the diabetic dog with the oddly bent front leg. But, shout hallelujah or a favorite word of exclamation, our tipster Amy Poskey, who monitors the Denton McNatt Animal Shelter, sent his note Tuesday:
“I’m very happy to report that our beautiful Trina has left the building!!!  Doberman Rescue of New Mexico pulled Trina this morning and she is on her way to greener pastures!  The president of Dobie Rescue of NM, Trish Coffey, will be fostering Trina in Albuquerque.  Trish has experience with diabetic Dobies so Trina is in good hands!”
[LARRY ASIDE: We’ve included the first photo we got of happy Trinia and, also, two of the more stylish portraits of this dog.]
 Trina is 8, people-friendly and good hands, Amy writes. “Thank you so much to Trish Coffey for taking Trina under her wing, Jennifer Rentfrow with Lone Star Dobie Rescue for connecting us with Trish, the Shelter Staff (Gayla, Randi and Julien) for giving us extra time to find a rescue, everyone who helped me network this angel, etc., etc., etc.!!!”
 You can donate to Trinia’s continuing care at this New Mexico SITE. 
And if you go to the rescue’s Facebook page HERE you can see how the organization reacted to the prospect of helping Trina.
THE RUDY STORY;
NAMING THE NEW MASCOTS
Interesting event at Dallas Animal Services. Rudy’s been traded to the VCA Animal Hospitals. Well, maybe not traded, but the DAS mascot for the past 7 years has been “adopted by our friends at VCA Animal Hospitals!” — that’s how the DAS Facebook announcement read.
Here’s his new mission, DAS says: “Now he will encourage their clients to adopt a pet and will spread the word about VCA's Healthy Start Program for newly adopted DAS pets which includes a free vet exam and $250 of treatment! As his last duty as DAS mascot, Rudy passed the torch on to one of our two new mascot”

So, now DAS is running a contest to name the new mascots. Here’s a visual of what was posted on the DAS site Tuesday. Click on it to make it larger or go to the DAS Facebook site.

Oh, and while you’re getting all excited about the new mascots, remember the Red, White & Blankets adoption special: If you donate a blanket to the DAS this week, the fee for adopting a pet is just FIVE LOUSY DOLLARS. DAS cited Hudson (A1072919) as an adoptable dog.

We went to dallasanimalservices.org to pick out an adoptable Dallas Cat and spotted #A1069 708, known as Opossum. He’s about 15 weeks old, the shelter says — in a foster home and available only to rescue groups right now — email [email protected].
FYI, the DAS numbers at dallasanimalservices.org say there are 152 dogs, 178 cats and 4 “other” available for adoption while the DAS PetHarbor listing HERE  says there are 321 dogs, 259 cats and 10 “other” adoptables at the shelter. [LARRY ASIDE: Interesting counting. You hope the city doesn’t count money as precisely as it appears to count dogs and cats and “other.” However many animals are in need, you’d think a city with millions of people would be able to responsibly empty a shelter and keep it that way. Spay and neuter. Be responsible. Be smarter than dumber. OK, off the soapbox and back to the mission.]
THE FACE? IS IT THE DOG’S FACE
THAT REACHES INTO YOUR HEART?
Pug, Chihuahua, Dachshund — that is quite the combination of facial creativity!
 Well, my goodness, is that the face of a worthwhile dog or what? Absolutely.
We got her story from our Mesquite Animal Services volunteer biographer Judi Brown. 
She writes that Belle is 5- to 6-year-old Pug/Chiweenie mix surrendered to the Shelter on 7/20. "They surrendered her due to potty training issues. She’s a darling little girl with coal black hair, a cute little underbite, and a curly tail!  She’s friendly and affectionate. She’s a lapdog wannabe. She’s also very alert. She was in tune to every noise outside the volunteer room door. She knows the commands sit and lay down. She walked well on a leash. She shares her kennel with another dog without a problem. The owner surrender form said that she was not raised with children but she is good with them. Belle weighs 14 pounds."
Her number is 42267686. Call 214–216–6283 or email [email protected] to tag Belle.
CONTEMPLATION
HOW CAN SOMEONE LET THIS HAPPEN TO A DOG?

I type that question knowing full well how it happens — nobody was paying attention to this dog. Her name is now “Amora.”
She’s currently in a vet’s care thanks to the work of Dallas DogRRR — Rescue. Rehab. Reform.
I’ll quote the organization’s understatement: “WARNING! GRAPHIC PHOTOS!”
And yes they are. Videos, too, of ticks wiggling and burrowing into this dog’s skin.
Looks like THOUSANDS of ticks. Yes, I’ve seen worse through the years — not on a live dog. I used to live in tick-laden Northeast Texas. 
These ticks are from around here. Dallas DogRRR explained, “This sweet stray wandered onto a stranger's yard who called us for help! This is her luckiest day. We are struggling with funds but we CANNOT let her die in this shape. We cannot let her leave this Earth thinking humans are the devil.”
When I first caught onto this dog’s case Tuesday, Dallas DogRRR had opened an appeal for funding and the total had reached a few thousand dollars. By 7 p.m., the donations totaled around $9,000. See the total HERE and you’ll also see a photo of the dog and the challenge. Click HERE  and you’ll see the disgusting videos. 
You’ll also be able to read some very sincere comments by people who have no patience for the humans who “did this to the dog.” I cleaned that up.
One guy wrote, “People that willingly do this to an animal deserve the chair — Sorry. Not sorry. I hope she makes it through this ordeal and experiences the love she deserves, and karma comes to those that allowed this to happen. Thank you for taking action to save her.”

The Dallas DogRRR “staff writer,” offered this: “The doctor sent me these videos and I could not stop crying, I am beyond sick to my stomach! We named her Amora she deserves to feel loved!!! I have no words, she is currently getting a blood transfusion ! How does this happen?? How did NO ONE try to help her??”
And, now, someone IS helping her. We’ll see how this turns out. Monitor Dallas Dog RRR’s Facebook page.
Our Contemplation: It’s a one-word question. “Why?” We don’t have an answer.
We have this: Heal the dog, find the dog a good home, make sure the dog knows she’s loved. That’s our second Contemplation — it also serves as an ambition.

—- Offer opinions or suggestions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing [email protected]. —-

MONDAY EXTRA EDITION: LOVING AND LOVED, THEY NEED HELP

MORNING EXTRA EDITION: MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019 [PetPowellPress]-- We’ll get right to these appeals. It’s Monday and you’re already feeling the press of the week’s challenges. 
Our Contemplations is devoted to the human/dogs relationship because the human is trying to help his dogs, Pepper an Pretzel.
THE FERRIS SHELTER’S
MONDAY EXPECTATIONS
We got an overnight email about the population pressure in the Ferris Animal Shelter. The note came from the small-shelter advocate Leighann Hayden who praises the Ferris shelter's new guiding Animal Control Officer Loralei Melend as being sensitive to animals issues and to the help of rescuers, too.
The new pressure this particular Monday is the expected arrival of two Great Pyrenees — Bailey and Casey — they will make the shelter officially “completely full.”
 You can see the Ferris available adorables on the Facebook page HERE.
Call or text Loralei at 214-725-2482 or email Loraleimelend @ferristexas.gov. 
We picked two dogs off the page — all of them are worth a look.
That first dog is ultra friendly and clearly not meant to spend the rest of her life in a shelter cage. She’s under 2 years old and “extremely sweet and good with other dogs.” Her video is on the Facebook page. 

That second dog, according to the shelter, had been hit by a car and was found “a few days ago.” Her wound has been sewn up; she’s had her shots. She’s about 5 months old and not fixed. 
Ferris’s animal shelter is at 1200 N. Central Ave. — the town is 22 minutes south of Dallas if there’s no traffic foul up on I-45 south. [LARRY ASIDE: You don’t have to come from Dallas to adopt at Ferris — there are paved roads leading to Ferris from ALL directions. Of course, the paved roads inside Dallas are probably under reconstruction…typed the taxpaying driver patiently.]
LANCASTER’S SHELTER
STILL UNDER PRESSURE
Our tipsters on the situation at Lancaster’s animal shelter continue to report that there are more animals than the facility needs to be handling. That is, the shelter is full. Dogs and cats. It’s the same message we’ve reported for weeks now.
That adorable kitten is one of many at peril in the shelter. 

The dog looking up is a Chihuahua mixed named Kyle who has a number of open wounds and a large lump on his side. Kasey, the sitting dog, is Kyle’s son. The story is “someone called animal control and the owner surrendered them.” 
The other dogs include the beautiful solid black Shepherd girl Samantha and the happy, friendly Shepherd/Setter mix Zach. 


 

 

 

To ask about adopting or rescuing these animals and the others in the shelter, call or text 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
CONTEMPLATION
HELPING PEPPER AND PRETZEL
Two rescued dogs are losing their human and he has taken steps to help them live happily after they are left behind.
Pepper’s the Chihuahua mix who is a former street dog.
Pretzel is the Dachshund who was rescued from a city shelter.
Both are about 9 years old, still lively and healthy.
 The appeal came from Mary Sullivan at
SOS Fosters for Pets in Need — call 972-850-8242 or email [email protected] to help the dogs.
Mary’s note reads, “Unfortunately, their wonderful owner has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and is trying so hard to see that his boys are safely settled with new families before he goes.  He’s taken such good care of these boys – they’re  UTD on shots, HW negative, and in excellent health.

“Pepper is a little more timid with people but comes around quickly.  Pretzel is quite friendly.  The owner also has a female Doxie mix named Lonnie who had disc surgery recently and just got off bedrest; I’m gathering info on her now.

“Anyway, although it would be nice if these guys could go together, it isn’t absolutely necessary.  Pepper is in a foster home now; if anyone can foster Pretzel, please let me know.  Both boys weigh about 18 lbs and get along well with other small- and medium-sized dogs.  
“And these guys come with swag!  Beds, blankets, bowls, toys galore, food, HW preventive and flea control…the works!  They’ve been dearly loved.”

This is what we are contemplating, that last sentence: “THEY’VE BEEN DEARLY LOVED.”
Isn’t that how it should be for all animals. No question there — it’s a statement.
—- Offer opinions and ideas by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email [email protected]. —-