AND FOR MONDAY, SOME CRITTERS ARE SPOTLIGHTED, A PUZZLE-NIBBLING PARROT & A THEORY ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR

EDITION OF MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We’re going to open Monday’s edition of readlarrypowell.com with two opportunities at the big Dallas Animal Services & Adoption Center in West Dallas. There are many more, as those animal totals suggest.

Back to adoptables: I went to dallasanimalservices.org Sunday afternoon and clicked on the “ADOPT A PET” button and then on the “Search Adoptable Pets” button and found an old dog that’s rescue only (not adoptable yet). How’s that for irony. Possibly I’ve rarely seen a more depressing photograph of a Dallas shelter dog. 
His name is Heiner and his number is A0614137. 
The dog came into the shelter on Friday. The staffers think the already-neutered, brindle and white Pittie mix is “about 14 years old.” [LARRY BLUNT ASIDE: Not to speak instructively, but that kind of crap shouldn’t happen. A 14-year-old dog ought to be cherished every day of his life. Who knows what all he survived in Dallas to get to 14.] Ask about helping Heiner by emailing [email protected]. |
Still waiting is this cat in what appears to be a tam o’ shanter. He was wearing a green tam o’shanter as DAS approached St. Patrick’s Day — but since this is Texas, probably nobody said, “Hey, wait, laddies ’n’ lassies, a tam o’ shanter is a Scottish hat — check with the poet Robert Burns.” The cat’s shelter name is Jericho — neither Irish nor Scottish. He’s listed as A1094741 and he’s just over 2 years old, currently in a foster home. Tabby cat, you know. They’re always photogenic in stylish headgear. He’s in a foster home — email [email protected] or call 214-670-6800.
A HEADS UP FOR TUESDAY
IN GUN BARREL CITY….
Word from Sydney Busch of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake is the spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrell City will be open Tuesday but not for spay/neuter.
She says the clinic will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday “for non-surgical services (vaccinations, heartworm testing, etc.).”
Rules? “Everyone entering the building will have her/his temp taken and anyone with fever will be turned away.  And no more than 3 clients at a time will be allowed to be in the building.”
Sydney adds, “Please plan to be patient and understanding!  Questions?  Call Sydney @ 903-451-4701.”

IN A TIME OF CRISIS, MESQUITE
CONTINUES TO SHOW OFF ADOPTABLES…
We continue to admire animal volunteers who, in the face of circumstances hustle on behalf of the animals. 
Our Mesquite tipsters include the hands-on animal biographers Debra Chisholm and Judi Brown. These three came from Judi.
Poppy, a 3-year-old Boxer mix girl, was surrendered to the Mesquite shelter on March 23. Why? “Due to aggression with their other dog,” the humans said. And Judi notes that the surrender occurred after they’d had Poppy for three years.” Only friendly with male dogs, they said. Didn’t hit it off with the new girl dog. So, she’s now in a shelter where she’s a little timid but after a while will roll over for belly rubs. Wants to be an indoor lap dog, apparently. She only weighs 37pounds -- her tail is docked. (Her # is 44066465.)
Who is that Chihuahua/Doxie mix? That Chiweenie is Pixie Dust (44001917), a 10-year-old reddish girl. Her story? She’s been “in protective custody due to the fact that she was found abandoned in a home and has not been on the database. Now she is on the database and can be either tagged or adopted.” The owners moved and left her behind by herself — she came into the shelter on March 11.
Judi adds, “I would like to note that she was definitely feeling better [Friday] and did a little happy dance when she saw me. She’s perky and she gave me kisses. She is warming up!  Because of her age she does have some dental issues.”
She’s getting over the insult of being left behind in a house without her humans. [LARRY HOPEFUL ASIDE: Just in case someone knows who left a dog inside an empty home, tip the Dallas County District Attorney, would ya? I think animal abandonment is, even in the time of a threatening virus, against the law in the Great State of Texas and, also, in the County of Dallas.]
The 10-pound dog, Judi wrote, “seems to have some curvature of her spine, but not sure whether that’s the result of being fearful or her recent surgery.”

That brings us to Karma (44056122), a 40-pound, year-old “Terrier Pit/Staffordshire Bullog mix” — how’s that for a family tree? She came into the shelter on the 20th as a stray. And she’s clearly an Earhound. Judi writes, “Her stand up ears and Boston Terrier-like markings make her adorable. She’s friendly, happy, outgoing, easy-going, and very playful. She loves toys and if you throw a toy she will run and get it but she will also find toys and entertain herself with them. If you’re looking for a playmate or someone to go to the dog park with, Karma would be an excellent choice. That way you could get your exercise at the same time.”
See more Mesquite animals by going to the city’s shelter site HERE.
Among the cats is #43972737, a 5-year-old boy known as Big Tom — he came in on March 6.
Remember, ask about Mesquite’s animals onine by emailing [email protected] — call the shelter at 972-216-6283. Use their shelter ID numbers to enhance the process.
[LARRY ASIDE: Here’s a special note to people who leave a little dog living in fear alone in a house: “Dear Creeps, !#%%&^***+#%^&-))78^ in a Texas prison without air-conditioning.” Pardon my French.”]
CONTEMPLATIONS
ELVIS THE PARROT, SIGNS AND TEMPERS
You may remember that a couple of weekends ago we posted photos of the critters who live with former Dallas Morning Newsers Walt and Sandy Stallings in rural Bandera. One of those critters is a parrot named Elvis. On Sunday Sandy posted this.
When I sent Sandy a note about using Elvis’ photo she wrote back, “I literally put the last piece in place and he started eating the puzzle.” Timing — parrots must be known for their timing. Elvis is, of course, a hunka, hunka of feathering love.
…Our pal Diane Combs, the veteran critter advocate, went past the Walnut Hill Rec Center over the weekend and spotted a sign that read, “If at first you don’t succeed, don’t try skydiving.” Now, that’s some humor for the viral era — you’re not going to walk into a crowded store and come out with a case of skydiving.

We’re on one of those neighborhood message sites in Eastern Fort Worth and Sunday I saw a message that read: “Tempers on the Rise. While taking dogs for their stroll we decided to take Meadowbrook to avoid all the loose dogs in the neighborhood. Well, we didn't even make it half way before we encountered two seperate situations of people screaming at each other and about to start a physical altercation. Social distancing was definitely not on their minds, lol. We decided to turn back because we were unsure of what may happen next ... didn't want to wait to see if guns would be drawn. Hoping everyone can try to keep themselves together for the good of the rest of us.Staying home is boring I understand but for heaven's sake if you're coming out if your home please be on your best behavior.”
But one guy, perhaps, pegged this correctly when he wrote, “I think things are as usual. We just have more free time to post.”
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