ReadLarryPowell.com

CATCHING UP WITH IVY JOY, FORMERLY A HOUSTON FREE-ROAMING KITTEN

This weekend’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie and Napping Cats Nap is a visit with old friends of readlarrypowell. com — people and animals we first wrote about a decade ago.
[LARRY ASIDE: We so frequently write about dogs and cats who  are in shelters because they've lost their homes to human folly. But in this case, we are celebrating an enduring family unit. And that is a wonderful pleasure.]
In late 2010 or early 2011, we started writing about a kitten named Ivy who had been rescued from a desperately solitary life in a Houston field by Frank and Edna Taylor.  [We opened this edition with a photo of grown-up Ivy Joy curled up in the bed that belonged to her canine pal Luna Rose -- more on that in a moment. The photo of the cat in the trashbin is the first we ever published of little Ivy.]
Ivy's rescue by Frank and Edna was the first act of kindness for that cat. And that glorious act, plus her "Dallas family life," have earned the spotlight for this beautiful all-grown-up cat in our weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

Connections were made and made and Ivy was adopted by Lezli and Michael Ragland in Dallas. Frank and Edna drove the cat up to Dallas to make everyone’s acquaintance. The Raglands kept Ivy’s name and added “Joy” because she was. Consider the photo of Ivy Joy caught in a moment of reflection.
She has, in fact lived up to the name Ivy Joy.
In 2016, we did an update on Ivy Joy and reported that she was enjoying life with the beautiful Boston, Luna Rose, and a Chi-Pug mix named Honey Bun. (Yes, all 3 are in that nose-to-nose-to-nose photo.) 
Earlier this summer, Luna Rose moved on to the next stop for all dogs — our readlarrypowell.com theological stance is “All dogs go BACK to Heaven.” We figure they’re angels sent here to help us learn patience and how to love with our hearts.
Lezli says, "Princess Ivy Joy will be about 10-11 years old in August.” [LARRY ASIDE: FYI. Last week Ivy Joy was diagnosed with a bone spur at the base of her spine and, as Lezli says, “So, that is why she is not as active as in her early older years.” The hope is her meds will help her keep up her usual Ivy Joe pace.]

Lezli continues, “She picked us for her family on August 27, 2011. She has grown into an amazing cat full of personality and love. She still has her feral moments and can be spirited at times (like going to the vet) , but her love for her people has truly grown...and our love for her is immense.
“She has brought so much joy to our lives. Her spirit is amazing and her ability to trust and adapt has proven successful. Ivy Joy has had a lot of adjustments recently since her best friend went to the Rainbow Bridge a couple of months ago....
She has never been without Luna Rose, until now. We see her grief and yet, she knew what was happening and sat with Luna Rose in her final hours. It was her way of saying ‘Good-bye and I love you.’
"We all miss Luna Rose so much. Ivy Joy [She sleeps in Luna Rose’s bed now and then] is learning to find friendship with Honey Bun, our Chug rescue.” 
Honey Bun, for a while, after Luna Rose went on, refused to leave her pal’s kennel.
Lezli says, “Honey Bun has been a member of the family for 8 years. She was not in good shape when we got her and love does wonderful things. She is a ‘Chipug’ or a a ‘Chug’.”
Luna Rose, Lezli says, “was the glue on the family — everyone is … adjusting.’ In the near future, Ivy Joy will have to adjust yet again when we combine households with my mom (AKA ‘Meemaw.’) …Mom has a senior cat, Louie Blue. He, too, is one of our rescues. This should prove interesting to say the least....and yet, we have faith, it will work out. We plan to keep them separated so neither is greatly stressed. Ivy Joy loves the sunshine and napping....she is our hearts and the Princess of our family...always. Our hearts are connected by paws.”
[LARRY NOTE: What a tribute to Ivy Joy, Luna Rose, Honey Bun and their humans! Write a tribute about your sleeping dog or napping cat and send it and photos to [email protected] and we'll feature
your beloved friends in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be inspiring people to give their love and their homes to wonderful animals. And you’ll be inspiring insomniacs to believe they, too, can get some sleep if they can just figure out how to curl up without becoming frozen in an oval!]
—- Offer happy thoughts and appreciations for animals by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing [email protected] (I’ll probably be wide awake no matter what hour of the day it arrives. I can’t curl up.) —

CELEBRATING WITH FRIENDS! (AT THE LAKE)

Here's a little newsy note we got Friday morning from Sydney Busch and it contains a significant notice about the Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic, the world's most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas. 
The first email I opened today came from Sydney and it reads:
"18 years ago today, Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic opened its doors with the goal of providing affordable spay/neuter surgery for those families wanting to be responsible pet owners.
"Dr. Glen Campbell has been our surgical veterinarian since we opened those doors - along with a wonderful group of volunteers who have been with us from the beginning.  Today, around 35-40 volunteers come in every Tuesday and make the day run smoothly.
"In these 18 years we have spayed/neutered over 45,000 animals which translates into literally millions of little lives prevented/saved.  AND it's improved our community with fewer packs of stray dogs, feral cats and fewer animals being turned into local shelters.

"So:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!"

[LARRY ASIDE: Congratu- lations to this enduring legend of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake and its Spay/Neuter Clinic. They also do "shots" there and that opening photo, from 2016, is of "patients in post-op" -- the photo was titled: "The Burritos."]

Sydney always has a handle on the needs of the clinic, so she also included this passage in the birthday notice. She writes, "Oh, and by the way, we could use the following:
bleach
distilled water
Q-tips
39 gallon trash bags
13 gallon kitchen bags
cotton balls
cases of drinking water for our hard-working volunteers
$$$ to help subsidize surgery costs for feral cat communities
these items can be brought by the clinic in GBC any Tuesday from 6am-4pm!"
Call 903-451-4701or 214-808-4701 to offer to help or arrange to bring supplies to the clinic. Click on the website friendsoftheanimals.org to donate. The U.S. Mail address is P.O. Box 5455, Mabank, TX, 75147. And you can read about Friends and the clinic on Facebook HERE.
--- Offer Friday thoughts by clicking on 'comments' below. ---

CELEBRATING GOOD HEARTS, ANIMALS THEY HELP AND THAT BIG GRIN FROM LOLA!

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Dear Readers — and specifically one Dear Reader — because of you and the work of 4-Legged Helpers, the handsome dog JB, currently in the Lancaster Animal Shelter, is one step closer to a happy life. 
Leighann Hayden of the Helpers opened our day Thursday with the revelation that a Dear Reader (who wants to remain anonymous) saw JB’s story and read comments regarding the dog and donated “a large amount towards” JB’s training and, consequently, success as a beloved dog in someone’s home. For more info on adopting or helping this dog who trusts only one human, his shelter handler KB, call or text 4-Legged Helpers President Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected]. You can still donate to JB’s cause — [email protected].
[LARRY ASIDE: It’s good to know, as a guy who types, that there are big-hearted people working so hard every day to rescue animals in shelters and out of shelters. You folks are earning some mighty bright halos. That was the first photo of JB we saw -- in a cage because he couldn't abide people. He's changing.]
ON THE NORTHERN SIDE
OF THE ANIMALFULPLEX
I couldn’t think of another way to describe a region that has so many taxpayer-supported animal shelters and volunteer rescue groups — Animalfulplex seems to fit. And that brings us to Cinnamon, the terrified, shaking dog in Denton’s McNatt Animal Shelter and Adoption Center. We’ve written about her before and nobody was wanting her but — STOP THE CYBERPRESSES, THERE’S GOOD NEWS.
Our Denton-watcher Amy Poskey writes, “I am sooooooooo happy to report that Cinnamon has left the building!!!  Diana Fields with 4Paws2Love Rescue pulled this sweetie pie today [Thursday] and Cinnamon will be in a loving foster home where she will be spoiled rotten!!!  THANK YOU,  DIANA!!!”
 You may donate to Cinnamon’s care by going to www.4paws2love.org and follow the organization’s work on Facebook HERE. 
In an earlier note, Amy explained that this “Timid Angel” was one of nearly 20 dogs suddenly homeless because their human died. Many of the animals wound up in the Denton Shelter. And Cinnamon, believed to be a 2- to 5-year-old English Pointer Mix, is the one who was “terrified in the shelter and just sits in her kennel and shakes.” That awful situation appears to have been remedied.
SOME SUCCESS WITH KITTENS,
BUT MOM AND BABY WAIT
In Tuesday’s edition, thanks to Amy Poskey, we had a note about a momma cat and 5 kittens who were being cared for by a good soul in Carrollton. They’d been found on the brink of disaster and rescued.
Amy reported Thursday, “Four of the five kittens went to rescue (YAY!), but the last little kitten still needs help and the momma kitty (Splash) also needs our help. Splash is a 1 yr, 6 mo young Calico who is on the smallish side and the last little kitten is just precious.  Splash has a spay appointment with TCAP to get spayed on August 19th.  She has already had her rabies, distemper, and leukemia vaccinations.
“So, if anyone can give this beautiful momma and her last kitten a loving home or rescue, please contact Ute Sander if you can help.  Thank you!  Amy.” Ute’s contact points are email [email protected] or call
972-330-3328.

CLOVER NIPPED A LAWN WORKER;
FORMALLY ATTIRED JEFF’S A STRAY
Oh, brother, here’s a dog in a tough spot. The bio about him from Mesquite Animal Services volunteer Debra Chisholm began, “This friendly fellow is Clover.”
Well, he is friendly, but there was this one incident….Debra reports he came into the shelter on July 16 “to serve time in bite quarantine. Details of the incident are that there is a chain link fence between the property of his owner and a neighbor.  A lawnworker was using a weed eater along the fence line of the neighbor and Clover jumped up and scratched him in the face. When the quarantine time was up, the owner decided not to reclaim him.” [LARRY ASIDE: At readlarrypowell.com we figure that someone who’ll give up his dog that easy isn’t good enough to have a dog.]
 Clover is 5, weighs 85 pounds, is neutered and “walks well on a leash but is a strong puller.  He knows the sit command and takes treats gently.  He is a high energy boy with a confident and outgoing personality... He is friendly and his tail rarely stops wagging.” His ID is 45088952.
The second dog is Jeff, a Pittie/Staffie mix who came in as a stray on the 24th. He’s about 2, weighs 53 pounds and will weigh slightly less once his personal surgery is completed. You know what I mean.
But look at him. He’s beautiful! He’s formally attired — black and white, right down to the tip of his happy tail.
 Debra writes, “He walks well on a leash and when led through the bay he did not have an unfriendly attitude toward the other dogs. He is a calm boy, yet lively and active.  His energy level is moderate. … He is amiable and has a sweet nature.  He has a mellow personality.”
Jeff is #45151297.
To ask about either of these dogs, email [email protected] or call 972-216-6283.
See more Mesquite animals on the shelter website HERE. Plenty of dogs and cats, and among those cats continuing to be un-adopted and un-rescued is #44425216, the 5-year-old fellow known as RuPaul.
CONTEMPLATIONS
ONE RESCUED DOG LEADS TO ANOTHER
If you could smile that big, would people wonder what you were up to? When I was putting together the item about Cinnamon the Terrified Dog being rescued by 4 Paws 2 Love Rescue, I went to the organization’s Facebook page and discovered this wonderful photo of Lola wearing her “drive-away-from-a-shelter-look."
That picture made me smile in my heart and I think, maybe we all need something to contemplate that makes us smile there these days. Bless that Bulldog Lola's Beautiful face!
— Offer reasons to smile and advice on life by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing [email protected]. —-

OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE SOME ANIMALS; CONTEMPLATING THREE FANS

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Life could be worse — I could be waiting for a home — like this ultra-cute black dog Benny or this deserving of goodness brown dog JB — both of whom we’ve written about before and we’ll get to them again in a minute. And don’t miss the story about Mesquite’s Brandy, either. Still waiting.

Speaking of sweating things out. We’re still concerned about JB, the dog in the Lancaster Animal Shelter who has a fan-following but can’t get adopted because he needs some training to get past his history with a mean human. He’s around two weeks from his euthanasia date. The folks with 4-Legged Helpers are raising money to get training for him. He’s signed up and just needs donations, according to 4-Legged Helpers President Laura Macias. Text or call Laura at 214-949-2726. Send PayPal donations to helpingshelterbabies @gmail.com and note that it’s for JB, to save his life.
We’re not kidding. He’s doomed if he doesn’t get some training.
MEANWHILE, WE’RE SMITTEN
BY THIS DOG WITH SLOBBER
Yeah, that ability to slobber is not Benny's best point in this appeal, but it is, as is said in my native Northeast Texas, “just the cutest liddul thang.” Our contact on Benny, Mary Sullivan sent the note saying that Benny has “gotten along with every dog he’s met. Adores people, too (especially those who like a little slobber), and enjoys training.” [LARRY NOTE: As I said when I wrote about him and his slobber a couple of weeks ago, “He had me at slobber.”]
As Mary wrote to us in the latest appeal, “I’m surprised that we haven’t gotten any action on him, because he’s such a sweetie.  However, I realize all too well that there are lots of big, black Pitties out there with temperaments like Benny’s who get passed over.  Very unfortunate.  On my bucket list is to adopt just such a dog someday.”
And she sent photos of “Big Ben, including one of him training with is awesome trainer, Cathy Painter at VBS.”

This 9-month-old, 55-pound dog has completed heartworm treatment and is ready to go to a loving home. Contact Mary at SOS Fosters for Pets in Need for more info: 214-783-2060 or [email protected].
[LARRY NOTE: I like the training photo — when I first saw it I thought, “Now, there’s a dog who knows how to engage in a thoughtful approach to life — sit and ponder.” Then I realized that his trainer was testing his patience when it came to a treat. Benny has more patience than I do. I got up twice and went to the kitchen while typing this note. I’m sure my funspouse Martha has chocolate hidden in there somewhere.]
PERIWINKLE'S PERPLEXIFICATION

& HANDSOME, PRETTY DOGS WAIT
What’s perplexing to Periwinkle? Not sure she realizes it, but it’s her state of being that’s perplexing at the present — she’s pregnant for perhaps the first time in a city animal shelter and the rush is on to get her out so she can deliver in a calmer environment with personal attention for her and the kittens. That’s the mission of 4-Legged Helpers — get Periwinkle to a serene delivery experience. Periwinkle, with the delicate Tabby insignia on her forehead, may be an Abyssinian mix, according to some of the “cat rescue people” who have seen her photo. She waits, but as we all know, maternity waits for no one — when it’s time to deliver the goods, it’s time.
Also at the Lancaster Animal Shelter, there are also some handsome dogs, in addition to JB who we mentioned once again in our opening paragraphs.
Consider this guy, Grayson, a male Staffie who will be available on Monday, Aug. 3 if no one claims him.
 Check out those eyes. The story from 4-Legged Helpers reads, “This BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL, EXTREMELY LOVABLE dog was spotted originally in the Hutchins/Dowdy Ferry area sporting a harness and chain-type prong collar.  He was easily captured when a Good Samaritan filled a dog bowl of every type of human food (grilled meat, sausage, you name it) enticing him to come eat.  He is really stunning.  Appears to be an expensive purebred that someone probably originally purchased.  We sadly expected and hoped to find a microchip but there was none. Such a sweet dog with some of the prettiest eyes we have seen.”

And that brings us to Aiden, the Hound/Shepherd Mix the nearly fawnish highlights over his eyes — he’s available on July 31 at Lancaster. And there is Kenzie, a “little sweetie pie (female Bulldog mix) who was found by a Good Samaritan in Lancaster.”
 he Good Sam can keep the dog only for a few days. If no one claims her, she’s going to the shelter. So, to ask about her, or any of these other animals — JB, Periwinkle, Grayson, Aiden, etc., — call or text Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
MEANWHILE, MESQUITE’S BRANDY
STILL ‘WAITING FOR A HUMAN'
Like so many of us who see incredible dogs and cats waiting in shelters, our Mesquite Animal Services volunteer biographer Debra Chisholm is puzzled as to why Brandy, surrendered on July 1, still hasn’t scored a good home. Adopt or rescue, either way works for opening up shelter space via movement and not a needle.

Debra writes, “She has become my buddy when I volunteer at the shelter and is so special that I wanted to resend her information and pics and make another plea for a rescue or adoption for her.

“Stated reason for the surrender was that the owner was ‘no longer able to care for her.’  Brandy is an American Staffordshire mix, is 12 years old and is a lightweight at 35 pounds.  She is not spayed and it appears as though she has had more than one litter of pups in her lifetime.  Former owner reports that she has lived outdoors as a watchdog.  Although not good with cats, she is friendly with children. 
“Also reported was that Brandy is ‘going blind" and that she "can't hold her bladder."  It is difficult to believe she is going blind because she gets around so well and does not seem to show signs of this.  She walks well on a leash.  When led through the bay she did not show an unfriendly attitude toward the other dogs, even those who were barking at her.  However, it is always a good idea to request a dog test from the shelter staff.  She is so friendly and affectionate and enjoys receiving attention, being petted and loved on.  Would you help give this girl a chance at an life inside with her people where she will be pampered and receive the TLC she deserves?  Please network or tag at [email protected], typing in the subject line TAG, ID 44986439.  Call the shelter at 972-216-6283.”

That brings us to Buddy (upper left), a 3-year-old, 62-pound, intact PittieStaffie who arrived on July 23. He’s excitable so he’ll need some manners training, Debra says. But he “loves treats and takes them gently,” so training may be a snap. His shelter ID is 45140502 — use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityof mesquite.com. [LARRY ASIDE: Does his tail wag? Look at it in that photo — so fast it’s a blur! Good boy!]
There are two German Shepherd mixes -- yes, definitely Earhounds
Tiara (right), about 3, weighs 70 pounds and came in on July 22 - she isn’t spayed. Yet. Debra writes, “She is a high-spirited girl with an exuberant and confident personality.  Tiara is friendly and enjoys attention and being petted.  She knows the sit command.  She will sit for treats and takes them gently.  Tiara walks well on a leash.  … There is so much to like about Tiara and she is highly adoptable."  Use her ID 45132636 when you call or email the shelter.
That brings us to Mercedes (#45128721), a 4-year-old, 57-pound German Shepherd mix who came in as a stray on the 22nd. Debra writes, “She was wandering alongside a busy highway and brought to safety to the shelter. …  She walks nicely on a leash.  When led through the bay she was intimidated by the dogs who barked at her.  She seems uneasy in the shelter environment.  She is a bit cautious, timid and nervous.  However, she is a girl with a sweet and mellow nature.  She pooped and pottied in the shelter yard so may be house-trained.  She is happy to sit for treats and takes them gently.  She has probably recently had a litter of pups.  This timid calm girl would undoubtedly warm up and respond to TLC in a quiet home environment.- Please help Mercedes find her very own perfect forever home by networking or tagging at rescues@cityof mesquite.com, typing in the subject line TAG, ID 45128721.  If additional information is needed please call 972-216-6283 or email at [email protected]."
See more animals in the Mesquite shelter by clicking HERE. You’ll see a lot of other dogs waiting, but you’ll also see a lot of kittens and several grown-up cats. Among the grownups are these two beautiful felines. That orange, white and black cat is “Kitty,” currently in the “Feral Room” and the orange and white cat is Cash, currently in the “Cat Room.” [LARRY ASIDE: They both look huggable and pet-able and don’t you wish people could say that about you when you’re posing for an important photo!]

CONTEMPLATIONS
PHOTOS OF FANS AND A FAN
We have photographs to augment our Contemplations. Three fans.
As you can see in that first photograph, my own personal confidant cat, The Senator, carefully supervises the work of my funspouse Martha. Her typing is rapid — note the blurry fingers on her left hand. The Senator’s thoughts frequently outrace the keys — he has spent time counseling others on proper behavior in elected positions. They didn’t all listen, as you may have guessed.
The second photo is of my office cat, William Powell, comforting me (and himself) as I attempt to navigate a particularly difficult passage in what will, no doubt, become a best-selling novel about a cat who once ran for the U.S. Senate and was talked into getting hairplugs to enhance his electability. He won….
Those two cats are fans of treats.
That third photo is also of a fan — it’s shows a fan that betrayed me. The glass “globe” fell off and shattered on the office floor. Made a loud noise. Movie loud. I’ve been to six hardware stores and several “we sell everything” stores and gone online, too — as yet I have been unable to find a shallow globe that fits this fan — there’s no brandname on the fan — it’s like it was manufactued in a plant run by people in the Federal Witness Protection Program. [LARRY ASIDE: I’ve had brain surgery so I know that not all the challenges of life are great, some of them do qualify as greatly annoying.] Anybody know of a one-size fits all fan parts store? Yeah, me, neither. I blame the pandemic.
—- Offer shopping advice or hope for the future by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing [email protected]. —-

JB GETS A BREAK; NIALL NEEDS ONE; 5 KITTENS; CINNAMON SHAKES!; CONTEMPLATIONS

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to the mid-week edition. We’ve got animal tales today and, of course, we’ll mention, once again, the countdown on the Lancaster dog JB (that’s his handsome mug). Less than two weeks between him and the needle. We have an update on his story.  And we’ll mention a dog we thought we’d never write about again because he’d been adopted and didn’t need any more “adopt me” publicity. Yes, people are at the core of this continuing story of Niall. Read on, please.
Oh, and this virus thing must be serious -- it just canceled the annual Texas High-Arkansas High more-than-a-century-old cross-state-line rivalry football game on Sept. 4 in Texarkana. Is NOTHING sacred? Back to animals.
‘SWEET NIALL’ RETURNS
TO THE SAGINAW SHELTER
Honestly, ladies and gents, when I saw this news from the animal rescuer/advocate Tami Kukla, it was very clear that this dog's world has been turned upside down. How’s that for linking a situation to a picture of a dog. 
Yep, that is Niall in a happy moment. So, why was he returned to the Saginaw Animal Shelter? Tami reports, “Because his adopters are moving after adopting him recently. This poor boy can't catch a break. He has such a personality and is 52 pounds of cuteness. Loves all dogs and even cats. Oh and is great at dog yoga. Niall needs us to help him. November is a long time to be waiting. Then he finally gets a home only to be told after a few weeks ‘we are moving to a place that doesn't allow dogs’.”
[LARRY ASIDE: How might one react to such news if you’ve worked so hard to find a home for this dog? I’ll give you a hint. I can’t print the expression here.]
Oh, and get this: Tami reports, “The people didn't give him his heartworm medication, either, so he can't start his injections. Livid. But we will be okay.”

You may recall that Niall’s former human had left him outside and unprotected from Texas parasites, so he wound up needing heartworm treatment.
Then, someone adopted him and it looked like everything was all set up. Ah, humans — the authors of illusions of love sometimes. 
So, now, he’s back at Saginaw. [LARRY NOTE: We should be grateful he was returned to Saginaw and not dumped on a lonely road in the heat or rain.]
The dog with the expressive faces — and you can see his damp pawprints on the shelter cement! — is available to someone who’ll love him forever. Here’s the Saginaw LINK. Email [email protected] or call 817-230-0460.
FIVE KITTENS
READY TO GO
We got this tip from Amy Poskey, the reliable advocate for animals who need a hand. Five kittens — five will need hands, the voice of experience confirms. 
This feline quintet is currently being cared for at a home in Carrollton.
The original appeal from Ute Sander reads, “These kittens need homes or foster or adopters/rescues. They where found dying but we can’t find any help and where they’re at, they can’t stay — the family is out of work and had no response from possible new owners. 

“So, if we can’t get help, they will get euthanized." To get “them, or any of them,” Ute wrote, email [email protected] or call 972-330-3328.
CINNAMON WAITS, SHAKES
IN HER DENTON KENNEL
Amy also tipped us to the story of this girl in Denton’s McNatt Animal Shelter and Adoption Center.
The note reads, “This beautiful, sweet girl is Cinnamon!  Bless her heart, she is terrified in the shelter and just sits in her kennel and shakes. She has never shown any aggression at all, she is just scared.  She probably hasn’t had a lot of socialization with people cuz she was in a home with 18 other dogs when her owner passed away.  She does very well with other dogs and would probably adjust better in a home with a pooch pal or two.  All she needs is a little time, patience, and understanding from a loving human.  Please give Cinnamon a chance to blossom and trust!”
She’s 2- to 5-years old, possibly an English Pointer/“Mutt Dawg Mix,” Amy writes. And the 35.4-pound dog is healthy, heartworm negative and dog friendly. She's #88466 at the shelter.
 Call the shelter at 940-349-7594 or email these shelter heroes: [email protected], [email protected],  [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].
THE UPDATE ON JB,
THE UNEASY DOG
We’ve told the story of JB several times — likes only one person, but needs to find a home or within two weeks this handsome boy will be euthanized at the Lancaster Animal Shelter.
Why? Because a previous human made him uneasy around other humans. He’s been betrayed by a human being and now, outside of one kennel staffer he loves, JB has nobody he can trust. That’s an ugly fix, thanks to a don’t-care human being. 
The good news is, 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that focuses on small shelters, has scored something on JB’s behalf. A note from the organization’s president, Laura Macias, reads, “ We need funds ASAP to save JB’s life. We found a trainer willing to work with JB (also known as Tyler at the shelter). Four weeks of training will run $1K.  He will stay and board where this trainer works. One of the animal control staff, KB, that we have mentioned that this dog loves, will help care for him.  Ideally we would like to raise enough money for him to stay 8 weeks.”

Laura also writes, “You may wonder why we are trying so very hard - it is because he is so very deserving.  These dogs are like little children that never had a chance - that have seen the worst of humanity.  He deserves someone to care.  PLEASE, this is his ONLY chance!  PLEASE -  text or call Laura at 214-949-2726.  NO donation too small - contact Laura for more information or our snail mail address.”

Those are some photos of the handsome JB. Be a crime against the world to let circumstances lead to the needle, wouldn’t it.
CONTEMPLATIONS
POLITICS, DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL & WILD WEST BORDER TOWN TEXARKANA
You know, I spent part of my long newspaper career writing about politics — when you write about anImals, you can see hope. Politics is iffy. ….
Earlier this week I saw a TV commercial for the “Official personal injury attorney of the Dallas Cowboys.” Kind of makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Not sure anybody advertises as the “Official Criminal Law Attorney of the Dallas Cowboys.”
Here’s my favorite headline from a recent edition of The Texarkana Gazette: “Murder and Mayhem Walking Tour gives spectators a taste of history” — yep, my hometown, the Twice as Nice Twin Cities, Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas, not really known as "Murder and Mayhem," but I may write that novel, now that I think about it. I’m from the Texas side, born in a former asylum two blocks inside the state line. That headline was on a Gazette story inspired by an authenticated historical incident tour of the city led by Texarkana Museums System Curator Jamie Simmons. And, to top off, it turns out that the score in the September 4, cross-the-state line-football rivalry between Texas High and Arkansas High will be this: Covid 19- Tigers & Razorbacks 0. Wait ’til next year. Yep, this game has been played annually for more than a century but it can’t beat the virus.
—- Offer social distancing condolences or coping advice by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing [email protected] —-

LOTS OF DOGS AND CATS TO SAVE AND WE DO SOME BABY BOOMERIFICATION MEMORIES...

EDITION OF TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Here we are in the dwindling days of July and sometimes it feels like each day ought to open with a big cloud that has a lit up sign that reads, Once Upon a Time.
Fairy tale existence aside, we’re facing some of the situations we saw at the outset of the month. For example, there’s that guy JB down to around 2 weeks on the clock at the Lancaster Animal Shelter if no one claims him for adoption or for rescue. I’m using his photo again because it bugs me that humans made him almost “unadoptable” and he’s going to pay for their sins with his puppy dog life. That ain’t right, is it. Next up, we go to Garland. Read on and avoid anything that isn’t good for you. FYI: Helping animals is good for ya.
CODE RED IZZIE IN GARLAND NEEDS
AN UNDERSTANDING PERSON — NOW
We got news of Izzie the Rottie over the weekend and checked with Garland Animal Services Monday to learn that this boy is still available.
 He’s been on the shelter’s “urgent” list since July 8. But patience is winning in the effort to save his life. Ask about A245952 when you email [email protected].
 The appeal for helping “intact” Izzie began by explaining that he was “an owner-surrender due to the owner being unable to provide care for Izzie any more.”
And here’s a hint of the challenge: The shelter’s note read, “When Izzie was surrendered to us, Izzie did okay on a leash but froze up once the other dogs started barking at him when he was being taken to his kennel. Medical staff member noted that Izzie was standoffish. He would back into the corner when the medical staff member would enter the kennel. Izzie would just stare at the medical staff member. Medical staff member did not feel comfortable putting a leash on him to give him intake vaccines and had to be safely restrained.”

This went on for a while and, according to the report, once when an evaluating officer attempted to interact with him, Izzie “was quick to start to back up to the side of the kennel” and eventually “gave the evaluating officer the stink eye and stared him down as evaluating officer made another attempt to pet him. ….”
OK, basically you get the drift about this handsome dog who is bewildered by unfamiliar circumstances. Eventually he “sat very still” when the leash was put on him, and he “eventually started to walk on his own on the leash…” He made it into the evaluation room without showing aggression, though he was “very scared.” And he took his meds without a problem.
The Garland Animal Services Rescue Team sent me this note about Izzie: “He has gotten better as time has passed, but still needing rescue’s assistance.”
Izzie’s 3, weighs about 75 pounds and is in desperate need of a rescue group to give him a way to have a happy life. Again, ask about A245952 when you email [email protected]. [LARRY ASIDE: This is grinding the ol’ heart. We have a senior Rottie at our house, Earl, and I cannot keep from remembering how he needed someone to save his life and he has rewarded us with great joy and companionship. It’s not a breed thing, it’s a dog thing — dog’s show gratitude by love and human’s oughta do that, too.]
THE LANCASTER SHELTER
DOESN’T JUST HAVE DOGS
Oh, goodness. Kitten Season is continuing. How do we know? Laura Macias of 4-Legged Helpers sent us photos of Lancaster cats including this baby Periwinkle, a lightly defined Tabby who is well-defined pregnant. Laura’s note says the shelter will release her to rescue to help her get through this significance moment in her young life. She’s not much more than a kitten herself. Has big eyes and is “very, very loving,” Laura wrote.
Then there are Cupcake and Biscuit, maybe 10-weeks old, and available for rescue. They’re smaller than their photos make them look. “They are the only babies at the shelter right now,” the note read.

Among the dogs on the clock are the majestic Husky, Oliver, said to be “a very sweet boy,” and this Boxer mix named Max, about 2 and “he’s just a great boy. Just sweet and adorable and extremely loving.” 
Then there’s Franklin, a Lab/Boxer mix who is “an absolute sweetheart” who is “really stunning in person. Very beautiful fur and the sweetest disposition.”
And that brings us to JB, about 2 weeks left in his life if not rescue or a good-hearted, patient adopter steps up to save him. He has behavior challenges that are getting better but not quickly enough. He only loves his favorite shelter helper but is working on learning to trust other people, too. 
There is a fund to help him adjust. According to the note about JB. “YOU CAN DONATE TO our PayPal at helpingshelterbabies @gmail.com but be sure to let Laura know  it is for JB's training fund.
To offer to help any of these animals, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
ONE MORE LANCASTER NOTE: As you may recall, there was a period of “communication fog” between rescue groups and the City of Lancaster Shelter. But things have changed and the shelter’s leader, Jonathan Harris, is making sure the community support is developing for the animals in the shelter and the people who work there, too.
Laura Macias tells us that there is an “Amazon wish list from the team that works at the shelter to help the animals.   Please, won't you help?  Several items here do not cost much.  There are things like dog food and toys and flea preventative desperately needed.  Mailing address and phone number below.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.
The Amazon link is HERE. Lancaster Animal Services is at 690 E. Main St., Lancaster, Tx. 75146. Call 972-268-2211 (Jonathan Harris is the leader who has put new enthusiasm for rescue into the shelter’s daily activities.)
CONTEMPLATIONS
ASSORTED NOTES FROM A BOOMER
I had not yet started my newspaper career on March 7, 1965, when I saw TV reports — in, ironically, black and white — on the “Bloody Sunday” situation on that bridge in Selma where, on that one day, they may have beaten John Lewis, but they sure didn’t beat him down, did they? In August of that year, I was hired by The Texarkana Gazette and, learning on the job, I even found myself writing on Civil Rights issues and personalities involved in challenging things on local schoolboards and city councils. Those were exciting times and they were heartbreaking times when you realized you’d spent your entire public school education seeing only white faces. That wasn’t good for America. Neither was the poll tax. Neither was taking sticks to people who simply wanted the American right to vote. But the names a kid reporter learned through the news continued to show up in historical accounts of American life. U.S. Rep. John Lewis, for example. Read more about him and the mission -- it'll help you understand how far the nation has come and how much further it has to go. … Looking at the list of celebrity deaths in recent days we saw Regis Philbin from decades of TV. And there was movie star Olivia de Havilland, peacefully passing at 104. Here’s one of her quotes — I’m dedicating it to anyone from the 20th Century. She said, “I’m all for typewriters, with instant carbon copies, and seeing films in cinemas.” I like typewriters, I miss the cinema and I’ve wrestled plenty of carbon paper in my time. The other notable I’ll cite is actor John Saxon. He was 83 when he died over the weekend — the first time I remember hearing of John Saxon, I wasn’t even a teenager. I was at my Uncle Charles and Aunt Ann’s house and two of my older girl cousins (high school age!) were about to go on a double-date to the Paramount Theater to see a movie with teenage heartthrob John Saxon, not much older than my cousins. Might have been Rock, Pretty Baby (1956; photo is from that film) or Summer Love (1957) — my memory fades. Whatever the case, the Paramount Theater had a “Colored Entrance.” Sheesh. John Saxon made a lot of movies through the years and every time I saw John Saxon in a film  it took me back for a moment to that era when you could spin a 45 rpm platter and hear At The Hop by Danny and the Juniors. … Let’s close out this segment of Baby Boomerification with some hot wax from 1958. CLICK HERE. “You can swing it, you can groove it, you can really start to move it at the hop.”
—— Offer your advice, opinions or condolences to time-travelers by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing [email protected] —-

ANIMALS LISTED AS 'PETS ONLY' AND OTHER STORIES FOR A MONDAY EDITION

EDITION OF MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We’re going to try to make this quick so we can all avoid living up to the words in that long-ago Karen Carpenter song: “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.” May have to wait for Tuesday for a genuine rainy day. Moving along:
WHAT WE SPOTTED
ON FORT WORTH’S LIST

Yep, they call it “Cowtown” but now and then among the dogs and cats you’ll find pigs and chickens. Same thing happens in Dallas. This is, after all, the Lone Star State.
Ginger Leach of Fort Worth Animal Care & Control reports that the “laying hen” has been “tagged.” Pet only, you know. And “pet only” goes for the three pigs. 
She reports, “Tagged by My Pig Filled Life but needs help with transport.” They are two teenage pigs and a baby (click on the photo to make it larger) — all three “surrendered to the shelter,” she writes. “The shelter is very stressful and they need out ASAP." Contact the shelter by emailing [email protected]. You can see the three pigs video by clicking HERE.
MEANWHILE, IN BIG D’s SHELTER
THERE WAITS A GIRL NAMED SHORTY
This face was spotted by the veteran dog-spotter, adopter, foster and advocate Kimberly Jones.
Shorty’s bio reads, “Droopy eyes, wrinkly skin, and a personality that are all 100% guaranteed to make your heart just melt! This is Shorty (#A0869538). She has quickly become a staff and volunteer favorite! She is sweet, gentle, and so SQUISHY! Adopt Shorty online at https://bit.ly/2WZp0M5
And, in keeping with the tradition of having available Tabby cats at Dallas Animal Services, there is this grown-up girl Baby Meow Meow (A1104663).
Remember, animal adoptions at DAS are free.
[LARRY ASIDE: Speaking of free, we’ve had many, many Dallas street dogs and formerly feral cats in our home through the years — never had to pay for any of them after we picked ‘em up off the street or out of a Dallas park — you know, where ever the good residents of Dallas decided to dump them. Save the animals — there are worse things you can do with your time during an election year.]
FOUR DUMPED IN EMORY;
HELP NEEDED TO SAVE THEM
Yeah, they’re not all dumped in Dallas. Though sometimes I think people from the Metrosprawl take the time to drive to East Texas and dump dogs and cats.
Not sure how these four wound up dumped in Emory, about 90 minutes east of Dallas. But we get the story via an email appeal for help from Allison Smith.
Allison writes, “There are 2 sweet cats and 2 dogs that were abandoned at my father’s house. There is NO yard and they are in small kennels in a metal shed. Cats are in small kennels in a bedroom. This is not ideal for animals!!  We need a rescue to help.”
To ask about helping these four, [email protected].
Allison says the family will make a donation to any rescue who helps them and adds, “I work with a local rescue but they are full and I'm already full up on taking care of animals! I can NOT take on these animals! My father can NOT take care of these animals. My mother has Alzheimers and my father can NOT take care of these animals and he has NO yard for the dogs to even be out that is why they are in individual kennels in his storage shed with out a door with a fan and that is attached to his carport. All kennels go with the animals. …We don’t know much about the animals other than both dogs are female. The white one is very sweet, calm and gentle. The black one is scared.

“The cats, grey one is female and orange is male. Neither seem comfortable being outside hence why my father put them inside. They are in kennels with a small cat pans inside and are VERY friendly.”
TWO SURRENDERED TOGETHER,
ANOTHER IS A STRAY IN MESQUITE
“Delightful girl” Molly and the other “family dog” Eddie were surrendered at Mesquite Animal Shelter on the 24th. Why? “Family is moving.”
Molly [45148887] is the 6-year-old mostly black Pittie mix — spayed, weighs 45 pounds and “OK with other dogs and children,” the ex-owner says.
Eddie, is about 7, neutered, and 60-pounds of congeniality, getting along with other dogs and kids.
[LARRY ASIDE: Here’s the thing that’ll grind you veteran dog-lovers. These dogs have been with the family since they were little puppies. They’ve never known another home. Certainly never known what life is like in a shelter.] 
Our biographical source, volunteer Debra Chisholm, said Molly is a “frisky and perky girl with a moderate energy level." She is outgoing, friendly and has a sweet nature and “is affectionate and wanted to climb into my lap as I sat on the bench.”
Eddie [4514895] is also a mix. He reported as “fine with other dogs and children” and, like Molly, knows some basic commands. He “takes treats gently and …is a friendly, well-adjusted fellow. He seems to have a confident outgoing personality and is a well-mannered boy.”
 For these dogs, email rescues@cityofmes- quite.com or call 972-216-6283.
Use that information, also, to ask about this Shepherd mix Raven who came in as a stray on July 16. She about 3, weighs 51 pounds and “walks well on a leash. In the yard she is playful and has a moderate energy level.  She is somewhat cautious and a bit skittish. 
"But Raven seeks out affection when she warms up to a human friend.  She will sit for treats and takes them gently.  She appears to have lived as an outside dog.  Doubtless a healthy diet, living arrangements inside with her people and good care will give her coat a fuller and more glossy look.”
OK, one more from Mesquite. This is an older girl — maybe 10 — a mixed-breed named Baby Girl. She’s spayed and weighs 62 pounds. Debra wrote, “Doubtless she has lived her life outdoors.  She does have a calm and gentle spirit and a mellow personality.  She is friendly and has a sweet nature.  She enjoys receiving attention.  Baby Girl does walk nicely on a leash and she did do her business in the shelter yard.  Baby Girl deserves to find a home in which she will be allowed to live inside with her people, given a proper diet and receive lots of TLC.”
 When you contact the shelter about Baby Girl, be sure to use her shelter number: 45136513.
CONTEMPLATIONS
Pop Tarts; The Shed; Blue Suits
I spent most of my adult life without even tasting a Pop Tart. They were, research shows, introduced in 1964, then, in 1967, frosted Pop Tarts were introduced. I was, of course, working late nights and weekends at the local newspaper in that era and focused entirely on learning to drink coffee and where to get hot donuts in a small town after midnight and before 5 a.m. I’m almost certain my kids didn’t eat Pop Tarts. But, who knows. I didn’t keep a food diary for them. And I’m afraid to ask. I’ve seen them eat donuts — some things run in the family. Oh, yeah, I've had several Pop Tarts lately. They make me feel guilty. Not like donut guilty, but like nutritional guilt.… I read that the first person to hit a regular season home run in Globe Life Field was Joey Gallo. He did it Sunday. The story I was reading — an online source — referred to the homer as the first in “The Shed.” I’ve seen the ballpark from the outside. “Shed” is too kind a description. Texas has now lost two of three games played in the air-conditioned building. In a 60-game season, they are knotted in last place with the Angels and the Mariners. Tied for first, the Athletics and the Astros. It’s early in the season but it’s also late in the season. … Personal baseball note: I miss Arlington Stadium, the first home of the Texas Rangers. That was an outdoor stadium with few extras and plenty of good views of the field. It was a hot place to watch the games. I guess it’s going to be hard to have a “throwback night” in a stadium with a sliding roof and air-conditioning. I do wonder what it’ll sound like inside during a North Texas hailstorm. I’ve written the last sentence to avoid trying to describe those powder blue uniforms without wondering if concessions sales (when the league allows ‘em again) will suffer when the team has to wear those powder blue suits.
—- Offer opinions or explanations by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing [email protected]. —-

REX, THE LOUNGING LIZARD...

This is not the original “Lounge Lizard,” but for our purposes, the reptile is a “Lounging Lizard,” the spotlight animal in this weekend’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

We got the photograph from our longtime rescue and animal advocate pal Della Wallace. 
“Found relaxing on my counter top,” Della wrote. “I’ve named him Rex.
Lizards rarely carry all the proper papers, so we don’t know if he’s a he or if his first name is an initial, “T.”

Della and hubby David live north of Dallas in an area we’ll call, for publication purposes, “an impromptu animal sanctuary.” I think they'll laugh at that. And there is evidence beyond Rex and the household dogs.
Della says she's not sure where Rex has gone. He didn't leave a note, so he may still be lounging in the house or he may have skittered out the door. In Texas, lizards will do that..
For a while, the family garage had a regular visitor, a full-grown raccoon named Zorro. That’s him coming through the “doggie door” or “cat door” or “raccoon door” in search of an evening meal.
A few weeks ago, Della snapped this photo of some local residents enjoying the cats’ buffet on the porch. I asked Della, “Are these Zorro’s kids?” And she explained, “They are at a different location. Zorro moved out. He must have found better digs. That hurts my feelings.”

Of course, Della does have a genuine sleeping dog we can put the spotlight on — that’s Alastair sleeping on not one, but two cushions making his recliner even softer. 
And, of course, as you see, Alastair’s a little dog who knows when to throw himself at the feet of his loved ones and elicit some “he’s so cute” reactions.
You may recall Alastair from previous events.
That’s him on his ride from Dallas Animal Services to David and Della’s house on Christmas Eve, 2012. He was known at the shelter at Chico, but that changed before the ink was dry on the paperwork. He became Alastair in honor of the Scottish actor Alastair Sim who portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 film of ol’ Charlie Dickens’ story, A Christmas Carol.
And some of you will recover that about 4 years after Alastair rode home with Della and David, he became a hero. Della recalled for us once that “Alastair saved David’s life by alerting me at 4:30 one morning that David was having a stroke. We saved him from the Dallas pound, he in return saved David!!! Hero Dog!!!!”
So, in one edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap you have a hero dog, a cavalcade of hungry raccoons and a fellow named Rex who is much too young and well-behaved to have been the inspiration for the term “lounge lizard.” That was, according to The New York Times writer William Safire in 1987, a term introduced in 1912.
Our dear Rex could be “T. Rex.” — that goes back well beyond 1912.
[SEND PHOTOS and BIOGRAPHIES of your slumbering animals to [email protected] and we’ll post their stories and pictures on readlarrypowell.com in our long-running weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll inspire people to open their homes to animals they can love and animals that can love them. And you’ll inspire insomniacs to believe they, too, can get some sleep if they can just find the right, well-fitting lizard suit.
That’s a file photo of our late Cocker Laureate of Texas and staff impersonator, Inky, -- he was giving us his impression of a Texas Lizard walking into a pre-virus cafeteria and spotting, on the buffet, a big ol’ steaming platter of Mom’s Good For What Ails Ya Meatloaf with a side of Hot ’n’ Hungry Lizard Mashed Taters with Summertime Gravy and a desert of free-range dewberries and home-made vanilla ice cream. Lizards eat well. How they stay so slim is a mystery. There is no “Eat Like a Lizard Diet” book on any bestseller list.]]
— Offer advice or encouragement by clicking on ‘comments’ below or email [email protected]. —-

EXTRA EDITION: JB'S NEWPHOTOS; SULLY ADOPTED; RUPAUL WAITS; CODE RED SNOOT; SAD FACE OF SWEET SEAN

EXTRA EDITION OF FRIDAY, SEPT. 24, 2020 [PetPowellPress] Our regular edition of readlarrypowell.com was very long and worth reading because of the emotion from people involved in rescue. Because it’s so long, we’re posting these notes in an Extra edition. And we’re adding to the Extra some Lancaster notes because we have new photos of this caged dog, JB, the young fellow with less than 3 weeks to live if nobody steps up to save his life.
Read and find a way to celebrate animals that makes them safe…
We’re starting with one that charmed two hearts yesterday, then we'll segue to Snoot (right) and sad-faced Sean, in a Lancaster note below.
THE NEWS FROM MESQUITE
First e-mail we opened Friday morning was from Debra Chisholm, volunteer biographer of critters at Mesquite Animal Services. The good news has to do with a dog we featured in the Friday morning report. That’s Sully — he was adopted late Thursday after we all put the “paper to bed,” as we used to say in newsrooms with deadlines.
Debra says, “The volunteer who interacted with the adopters and Sully gave the following report: Sully was adopted today. Nice young couple, big yard, fenced in, no kids. They even paid for additional dog’s adoption!” 
Sounds like people with hearts now have a dog named Sully.
You can see Sully’s bio when you scroll down to our earlier Friday edition. You’ll also be able to see the beautiful Sapphire [44981461] who is waiting at Mesquite. Sapphire is about 3 and a 44-pound spayed mix. She also is a little timid and is in the shelter because of a landlord decision. Use her ID number when you contact the shelter at rescues@cityofmesquite. com or call the shelter at 972-216-6283. 
In our morning edition, we gave the Mesquite Shelter LINK HERE.
We focused on a "clowder" of Mesquite Barn Cats in the first edition. In this one we’re spotlighting quite a handsome fellow, RuPaul (#44425216) who ISN’T A KITTEN, but is a 5-YEAR-OLD black-and-white fellow who is neutered. He’s also waiting in the Cat Room. He’s been at Mesquite since June 1.
THE PHOTOGENIC SNOOT:
CODE RED IN COWTOWN
Look at the face on that dog Snoot! [LARRY REFLECTION: I look in a mirror and I’m envious of the charm on the big dog’s mug.]
We learned about him from our pal Kimberly Jones, the advocate/rescuer who spotted him on the Fort Worth Animal Care & Control list of available dogs. He's on a second list, too. Keep reading. Kimberly also included info that FWACC lists Snoot (44035093) as “4 years, 4 months and 7 days” old. You’d think being heartworm positive was bad enough, but 56-pound, white/gray Bulldog mix Smoot has a condition worse than a defeatable parasite: He’s listed as CODE RED at Fort Worth Animal Care and Control. He’s on the clock and he can hear it ticking with his every breath. CODE RED, Kimberly emphasized, means this handsome, adorable fellow is “at highest risk of being euthanized. Foster, adopter, rescued needed ASAP.”
Step up to save Snoot by emailing fwacctag@fortworthtexas. gov. Adoptions are in person. Don’t call the shelter. [LARRY ASIDE: Times are odd. Sure be sad if any animal is a victim of a virus’ fouling up human lives and accessibility.]
NEW PHOTOS OF JB
& A SAD-FACED SWEET DOG, TOO
Our earlier edition today had a heartfelt wrap-up of the Lancaster Animal Shelter situation from Laura Macias of the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers. She, Leighann Hayden and their critter-saving pals are trying like the dickens to get JB off of death row — he’s under 3 weeks from an appointment with the needle. You saw his first photo — used for weeks — in the opening paragraph of this Extra Edition. These are his latest. Note the hand that’s petting his back — that is the hand of a man he loves, KB at the Shelter. 
It is the hands of others that give him an unsteady nature. He needs behavior training, thanks to the jerk who used to have him and didn’t treat him with love. That’s all outlined in the early edition. The purpose of this one is to show you a couple of fresh photos of JB OUTSIDE of a kennel. He’s pretty handsome and even seems to have a smile on that puppydog face of his. [LARRY NOTE: Is that not a GREAT tail on that dog! Love to see him wagging it for many loving humans -- and I can tell him there are loving humans.]

A note from Leighann demonstrates there is a definite effort to get this dog some help. She wrote, “You can donate to our PayPal at [email protected] but be sure to let Laura know it is for JB's training fund and right now we have NOT found a trainer making things incredibly difficult. 
To offer to adopt or rescue JB  or any Lancaster animal get in touch with Laura by calling or texting 214-949-2726 or by emailing cat_girl_71@yahoo.
And this sad-looking dog is a newly arrived on the list 4-Legged Helpers sends to rescuers and advocates (ask Laura to put you on the mailing list). This is Sean, an Anatolian Shepherd. The boy is available right now. He’s described as “an absolute sweetheart. very loving, very cute. He is a gentle boy that just so very much wants to be loved.”
CONTEMPLATIONS
EXTRA EDITION EXPLANATORY NOTE
It’s a 24-hour world. People making news and spotting news are working around the clock — and by using “news” I’m stretching beyond politicians and millionaire athletes and reaching into the lives of people who are rich in the experience of saving dogs and cats and horses and other beasts that have had unfortunate encounters with humanity.  Run-on sentence, but you get the point. Some mornings we look at the inbox and spot things that simply require early, widespread dissemination in order to help save lives. This was one of those days. Plus, I was so happy to see that Sully had a home and that JB had new pictures. Congratulations to all of you “animal nuts” in the Metrosprawl whose hearts and souls are devoted to a tough and worthy cause. I hope one of us wins Lotto Texas -- and the rest of us have a dog or cat who loves to sleep on the back of the couch, like my adored Porche Noel, or rexlax on the back of the recliner, like The Senator, my feline confidant.
—- Offer opinions by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing [email protected] where we love happy mail and our bills cleverly are sent to another address. —

A LONG FRIDAY EDITION -- IT'S DEDICATED TO HUMANS AND THE BEINGS THEY HELP

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020 [PetPowellPress] We don’t really know where to start today. So, we’re just going to post these things in no particular order — maybe it looks that way every day! This one’s long, folks, but it’s because the animals are worth the effort
. Consider the entire edition an attempt to praise the hearts already at work while it also serves as an attempt to put the emotional paddles to the hearts that need a jump-start in this time weirdness.
 We’re illustrating this segment with a photo you’ve seen before — people are trying to get more photos of JB/Tyler. He’s got less than 3 weeks to live if some behaviorist and a kind heart can’t team up to get him out of the Lancaster Shelter. All dogs and cats in shelters are urgent. In fact, Rachel the Dog only got out AFTER she’d had her puppies. (More in a minute on that event.)
 This boy JJ needs to be saved from what a human has done to him — made him reluctant to trust enough to believe that humans won’t hurt him. (Ask about him by calling or texting 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].)
[LARRY ASIDE: I hope the next item I write about this dog has the phrase “has been adopted” or “has been rescued” or “is going to the home of Lotto Texas winner Larry Powell.” That third one is the long-shot, so work for the first two.]
NOW, LADIES AND GENTS,
LET’S GO TO DEEP ELLUM
The legendary musical area of Deep Ellum has always drawn a lot of really hip cats. It also has drawn a lot of feral and free-roaming cats. Thus the organization of Cats of Deep Ellum is working on saving the namesake felines. We learned about this from our pal Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com who got the tip from one of her supporters/friends. The contact on this cat Lucy is [email protected].
 (Click on the artwork to make it grow.)
Kathy’s friend is fostering Lucy and she writes, “There’s a lot of feral cats there. She’s [Chelsea Wendell, the founder of the organization] feeding and doing TNR. Well I’m fostering a young cat for her that turned out to not be feral. She’s super sweet. A little timid but you can hold her and love on her. Chelsea …is able to transport out of Texas. Do you know anyone that is willing to give a sweet cat a second chance at life?”
 And there’s the photo and info on Lucy, the sweet cat who wasn’t feral after all.
[LARRY ASIDE: People who help feral cats — tough hearts, determined souls.]
RACHEL DELIVERS
AND GOES INTO BOARDING
It’s not that simple a story. Several days ago we posted this photo of Rachel and described her as being very pregnant in the Lancaster Shelter. The background, from Laura Macias of 4-Legged Helpers, is Rachel had the puppies Sunday “and sadly 3 died before we were told and couldn’t get them out. Ugggh.”
Now, she says, “Rachel and family are in boarding and will go to a Northern rescue as soon as they are 8 weeks (Mom’ going, too), so you can just report good news on her.” We also have these photos of the offspring Rachel is dealing with now.
Though, of course, she doesn’t really look old enough to have puppies.
  [LARRY ASIDE: Time for someone to launch a sincere spay/neuter campaign in Lancaster in addition to turning the shelter into a city-run no-kill shelter. That would speak well of Lancaster, wouldn't it.]


 

 

 

CATCHING UP ON TWO OTHERS IN LANCASTER — Blue, the dog being carried by loving shelter employee KB, is “in boarding and needs a rescue, but one is interested if I can just get a video of him interacting with other dogs,” Laura told us. 
And that girl Kimberly— remember her story? A woman asked her nephew to take the young dog to the shelter in hopes of getting her adopted. The nephew dumped the dog and she wound up on the clock at the shelter. Laura reported Thursday, “Kimberly was adopted yesterday.” We’ll probably get an update on Kimberly’s adoption at some point. The dog was quite sweet.
A RESULT OF A DOG’S LIFE
THAT NEEDS CONTEMPLATION
It is against the background of these rescues that we must consider what Laura has to tell us about the dog JJ. We posted him a few times. Maybe we all need to share the responsibility for this tragic outcome.
Laura writes: “One EMERGENCY dog can no longer be helped … Very sad news late yesterday. JJ passed away in his kennel.  This was an emergency case of a starving little guy that sadly, no one in rescue in Texas wanted  No one even inquired about him although we posted several times. An out of state rescue did ask about him, but he needed someone immediately and he just ran out of time.  We failed him..We want to bring attention to him, because he was so very deserving and we cried many tears today thinking of him.  He wasn't a Poodle, or a Corgi, or a purebred Lab or Boxer or GSD.  No, he was just a sweet little guy that adored everyone he met, wagging his cute little tail, and he deserved better in this life. We believe he has some type of organ failure based on his malnutrition probably from not eating in such a long time. 

“Please, we deal with some of the saddest and most deserving dogs.  They are not always beautiful.  Many might not be what some people would call cute although we do — we see their wonderful spirit and they all become beautiful or cute in our eyes, but not everyone sees what we see. Sometimes they are purebred but quite often they are not.  They have the sweetest spirits.  The most gentle souls.  THEY KNOW THEY ARE IN A SHELTER WHERE OTHER DOGS/CATS HAVE NOT MADE IT OUT.  The puppies and kittens do not always know where they are.  But we see it in the eyes of the adult dogs/cats that come into these shelters. They just know it is their last chance.  They have no voice, they know it is their last hope. 
“We try desperately to be that voice, but sometimes we fail...we failed today.  JJ deserved to be loved. To be happy and well fed.  To have someone love him.
“What do we see in those eyes?  ‘If only someone would choose me... please... choose me... I want to live... I promise I will be the best dog/cat ever... I have so much love to give…'  We see love.  Unconditional love."

 To show support or offer to get involved in these noble efforts, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected]. 
You see other photos sprinkled through this text. Use Laura’s contact info when you ask about sweet but ragged (from neglect) Great Pyr Ava. She’s available for adoption.
That possible Border Collie/ Pointer mix is 4-5-month-old Tad. Adorable cute and silly, and either a sibling or an offspring of Tess (to his left) who came in with him. She is maybe about a year old and she has the same “sweet” personality” as Tad. 
And that dangling dog is Trina, maybe 2 years old and believed to be a Boston Terrier mix. She was picked up to demonstrate her size. And, as it turns out, she’s OK with this pose. Her bio reads "very sweet little girl and was fine with everyone holding her.”
Those are some of the animals (dogs and cats) who are waiting in Lancaster. And as JJ demonstrated, they’re not always waiting for the needle or a rescue — sometimes they’re just waiting for the end.
TWO READY TO GO
IN THE MESQUITE SHELTER
We got the info on these two babies from the volunteer biographer Debra Chisholm at the Mesquite Animal Shelter.
 Sapphire [44981461] is the nearly 3-year-old mixed-breed girl who has been at the shelter since July 1 when her owner surrendered her because the landlord had forbid her to stay at the apartment. Sapphire weighs 44 pounds and is spayed. The bio reads, “She is timid, shy, nervous and fearful though is making progress in feeling a bit more comfortable.  She is cautious and slow to warm up and seems to want to trust.  She does not seem comfortable with human interaction, leading to the assumption that she may not have had a lot of socialization. … Sapphire does walk well on a leash and the former owner reported that she is ok with other dogs and children but not with cats.  She would need to be in a home without cats.  She is alert and very aware of her surroundings.  One of the shelter volunteers is working with her to help make feel more comfortable, relaxed and therefore more adoptable.”
The Shepherd mix is Sully (45079542), about a year old and 67 pounds — he’d been adopted last week, then brought back on the 21st because “he is too big and strong and not a good fit for the adoptors.” He’s neutered, up to date on shots and microchipped. Housetrained. Likes walks. Debra’s bio of Sully reads, “I found him to be friendly, energetic and with a pleasant and confident personality.  He enjoyed the shelter yard climbing equipment.  He had his nose to the ground and was very interested in exploring the smells so much so that it was a bit difficult to get pics and a video.  However, he did enjoy attention and petting I offered.  He has so much potential with a person or family who would be willing to invest the time, patience and effort with training.”

For either of these dogs, use their shelter IDs when you email rescues@cityof mesquite.com or call the shelter at 972-216-6283. You can see more Mesquite adoptables at the shelter’s LINK HERE. That includes being able to spot loving cats and working cats such as this bundle of kittens listed as “BARN CATS.” Barn cats need love, too.
HOW RECENTLY DID YOU SAY,
‘CAN’T WAIT ’TIL AUTUMN GETS HERE.’?
Could have been in the last 20 minutes, right? Well, on Thursday I was looking through the SPCA of Texas’ latest edition of Paw Street Journal and saw this note about a deal on cats. Companion cats. Yes, cats that need a companion or would make great companions — that sort of thing. When you adopt a cat for your cat the fee is just $30. If you want to adopt two cats that already get along, the SPCA will work a deal with you. 
So, among the cats currently on the adorable adoptables list at the SPCA is this girl Autumn, 7 years old and waiting at the Greenville Avenue PetSmart. She’s a “Blue, Cream and White Domestic Short-Hair Calico” in the shelter because her “owner fell on hard times.” What’s her big challenge — like so many during the viral shelter in place era, her doc says she “needs to lose a few pounds.” See her and learn more at spcafindapet.com. [LARRY NOTE: Readlarrypowell.com endorses cats, dogs and all other animals as companions — some are more huggable than others but you can talk to all of them though I’m not certain snakes are listening. They never come when called. Relax snake people, it’s a joke.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
REPETITION, BASEBALL AND PRICES
“If you do something for 100 days, you really improve.” — a guest on LIVE with Kelly & Ryan on Thursday. So I heard that and went into an immediate depression — I’ve typed a lot more than 100 days in a row and the quote that came to mind was Truman Capote’s, “That’s not writing, that’s typing.” Then I thought, bad luck for the Texas Rangers, they’ve only got a 60-game season. … Be great if the Rangers could win the World Series and I could sell a book that’s made into a movie and spins off a TV series then becomes an amusement park. Is that creative thinking or the musings of a lunatic? … Wear your mask. If you don’t have a hat, don’t get one. But masks are cheaper than hats and a hat is a matter of style and cool. I got special permission from The Hat People to wear this one. Otherwise, I’ve got a permit to wear a baseball cap. After all, it’s opening day for the Texas Rangers 2020 Irregular Season and at the ball park Friday night I’ll be … oh, wait. I’ll be at home watching this on TV. Like a good American who wants to stay healthy and who can’t afford a ticket but REALLY can’t afford concessions or a parking permit.
— Offer advice, affection or winning Lotto Texas numbers by clicking on ‘comments’ below or emailing [email protected]. —-