ON MONDAY, BEGINNING A WEEK OF OPPORTUNITIES TO BEAT THE ODDS

EDITION OF MONDAY, JAN. 25, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Last Monday of January 2021? Wow, the year is nearly 1/12th gone. How is that possible? Is there such a thing as "Pandemic Speed?" OK, moving along:
HOW IN THE WORLD
IS THIS DOG HOMELESS?
Beautiful Hound, yet, as our Denton tipster Amy Poskey reports, Nala's still waiting for a home.
You may recall her story: Found on a country road on Oct. 21; adopted from the Denton McNatt Shelter on Nov. 3 and returned the next day because the dog had chewed her bed and the owner "scruffed" her and she bit him. Later in November, Nala was again adopted -- similar experience. Right back to the shelter.
People who have been with the 2- or 3-year-old, 72-pound, beautiful dog believe she simple needs some patiences and positive teaching.
Ask about #90098 when you contact the McNatt Animal Care & Adoption Center by calling 940-349-7594 or by emailing these personnel: [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected].
[LARRY ASIDE: Show of hands, please, how many of you thought, "If I didn't already have a houseful of dogs, I'd give Nala a place to live." Yeah, me, too. Surely someone wants a beautiful dog with an opportunity to apply herself as "adored companion animal."]

CAPTAIN AND FRANK:
TWO WAITING IN MESQUITE
We got the stories on these dogs from our reliable Mesquite tipster Judi Brown, the volunteer dog biographer who also meets the animals she writes about on behalf of Mesquite Animal Services..
Handsome Captain (#46442512), a 6-year-old, 76 pound "big boy" American Pittie, came into the shelter as a stray on the 18th. Judy writes, "It’s amazing to me that his owners have not come for him because he’s an all-around great dog! Not only is he beautiful with big brown eyes, but he’s well-mannered. You might say he’s a southern gentleman. He does have a strong pull on the leash but then he’s a big boy ... I would call him a Gentle Giant! He did his business as soon as he got out into the yard and then he came back and stayed close to me. When I sat down he came up to me. He liked having his ears scratched. His tail wagged constantly. He sat for treats and took them very gently. He just stood around me looking up at me with his beautiful eyes as if to ask 'What can I do to please you?' ... I just can’t say enough good things about this delightful, easy-going boy."

Judi also focused on Frank (#46402559), a 3-year-old, 42-pound formerly stray Pittie mix. He arrived on the 11th. Noting that "he’s a very attractive boy with brindle markings and hazel eyes," Judi writes, "You could say he’s a brindle beauty! It took him several days to decompress and become approachable, but once trust was built his outgoing personality emerged. He was timid when I spent time with him in his kennel, but once he got out into the yard he livened up. He was very curious and explored the yard thoroughly. He also spent a lot of time with me. He would sit for treats and took them relatively gently. When I sat down he came up to me and seemed to enjoy having his ears scratched. I did notice that when strangers approached he became defensive and started barking. This is probably a fear reaction but means he will need to be introduced slowly to new people." 

To ask about either of these dogs 972-216–6283 or email [email protected]. See more Mesquite animals -- dogs and cats -- HERE.
As you can see, that is Big Friendly -- he's a 2-year-old fellow who's been in the shelter since the 15th. [LARRY ASIDE: First shelter cat we've ever encountered named Big Friendly. Never met a politician named that, either.]
STOPPING AT DAS'S PAGE
ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Yep, I decided I'd take a gander at the cats available for adoption and listed online by Dallas Animal Services. These are ALL the cat listings that were on the page at 3:34 p.m. Sunday (Halftime of the New England/Green Bay game). 
As a veteran observer of DAS operations, I am prepared to testify, your honor, that I cannot remember a time in my life when you could put photos of all of the DAS feline adoptables onto, basically, one 8-inch by 11-inch sheet of paper. Where have Dallas' adoptable cats gone?

Still plenty of dogs, and these are two of them you can see at dallasanimalservices.org. Paco is left with Dire Wolf.
DAS also has a Facebook presence, in case you're new to animal advocacy for the year 2021. DAS posted this note and photo for the weekend. "Athena is off experiencing the joys of being in a foster home through our Ticket To Ride program. This program allows our fosters to take in a large, adult dog for a shorter amount of time -- usually a week or two -- before they're transferred to one of our rescue partners. Do you have space on your lap for a pup for a week or two? Become a foster today at www.dallasanimalservices.org and ask our foster team about our Ticket To Ride program!"
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE DALLAS CAT; SNOWFALL; FLOWERS
We don't have a photo of the key cat in this contemplation -- only a mental picture of what happened to the cat because of a fatal decision at the shelter. The photos in that DAS item above represent several elements that have changed in the 20-something years I've been writing about DAS policies, people and systems. In 2021, there are fewer animals in custody, there are more humans involved and, even in a pandemic, there are ways to make sure animals get adopted. There was a time when the shelter was a warehouse for the doomed. No so much now, I think. All of this change occurred because ONE NAMELESS CAT was allowed to die inside the shelter walls. That resulted in a criminal trial but, more importantly, and more certainly, a new and humane way of protecting animals and doing business at the shelter. I'm still for putting up a statue that honors that cat. Without that cat's sad and still stunning fate, there are so many, many animals that would never have had a chance in Dallas. Now and then I find myself asking, "Can this new philosophy be real?" ....
Our Eastern Seaboard Bureau Chief Andy Fisher, reporting from Indian Lake in Denville, N.J., (that's a Sunday photo of the lake in winter) writes, "With their usual accuracy, the forecasters have nailed Tuesday's snowfall down to between 'two and 18 inches of snow'." Kind of a wide-ranging prediction. If we got a forecast like that, half the North Texas population would be on I-20 heading toward Florida or the casinos in Bossier City. Well, you know, if there wasn't a pandemic....
What does winter look like in our backyard? This photo was shot Saturday. As you can tell, the grass has gone green and needs to be mowed and there are irises blossoming atop the artificial volcanic landscape we acquired when we bought the chalet here at Ski Cowtown.
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