A CAVALCADE: CRITTERS, WILMER'S PAST, FELINE EARHOUND, WELCOME INTERRUPTION...

[EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Look at that dog face. Nostrils as big as her eyes. Interrupted me with her huge presence.
 She's not that big, but her pressence is.
I’ve been writing for a long time — started for money in newsrooms in August, 1965. I’ve been interrupted by shouting matches, a physical confrontation or two across the room, newsroom lovers’ spats, ringing phones nobody was answering, demonstrators outside, worn out typewriter ribbons going blank on the keys, a woman walking in with a baseball bat and asking for me by name (she just wanted to talk; the bat was incidental), etc. 

But on Tuesday afternoon, I was starting to write and, to sort of psyche myself up, I’d clicked onto that Highwayman song by Willie, Waylon, Kris and Johnny. 
Suddenly, at the sound of Willie Nelson’s voice, our dog Wendy Louise Wagstaff Arden came over and shoved herself between my desk and my knees and sort of spun me around so she could look at me. I don’t know why. Credit Willie for inspiring affection. But I loved that she did come over to see me when I needed a focus. I hugged her, patted her head, might have tugged at some of those world class whiskers. She gave me a dog grin and, tail wagging as usual, she walked across the room and flopped down on one of Porche Noel’s Transcendental Dogatation Hippie pad psychodelic rugs and went to sleep.
I took it as a compliment. Everybody, on a day when you're confronted with a challenge or wallowing in a bad mood, oughta have a dog walk up and say, “Hey, just checkin’ on you before I take a nap and dream of treats and grins.”

Why else are we here if not to make life better for dogs and cats and critters and even a human or two now and then?
WILMER WANDERER EMILY;
LET IN FROM THE COLD
Before we explain Emily’s situation in Wilmer’s tiny shelter, we’ll remind you that the dogs from Lancaster that we mentioned in Monday’s edition still need help from rescuers and adopters.
Now, there’s the Emily story and, remember, the contact points for helping Emily and the Lancaster dogs are these spots with 4-Legged Helpers: Call or text Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.

Adorable Emily “showed up in the winter storm,” explains 4-Legged Helpers, “and although the Wilmer Shelter has not been picking up dogs in some time now, in this case, someone did allow her to go into the shelter due to the critical need with the cold. (Much of Wilmer was without water during the storm, so not sure what this poor baby has been through.)”

The “little cutie pie” is in a shelter that doesn’t have public visiting of the animals — 4-Legged Helpers works to get any animals that wind up there into the watchful eyes of rescuers and people with good hearts. As the Helpers explained, “We can get her moved to a boarding situation that is very inexpensive for a few days, but she desperately needs a rescue group.”
MEANWHILE, IN MESQUITE BOOGIE,
BINGO, BLAZE AND ROXY

(ALSO PRECIOUS AND TULLY)
That headline sounds likes you can honky tonk and Boogie in Mesquite, gamble at Bingo and hang out with a couple of country singers, Blaze and Roxy. In reality, that may be true, but in this case we’re talking shelter dogs, courtesy of our tipsters, the dog biographers Debra Chisholm and Judi Brown.

Handsome Boogie’s story is he’s 2 1/2 years old, weighs 50 pounds and was an owner-surrender. He’s listed [ID #46644711] as a “mixed breed” and the Pet Bio Scanner says that mix is “American Bulldog/Dogo Agentino/American Staffordshire terrier.” Why surrendered? Financial hardships. He came in on the 13th. Since then, he’s been a gentleman, walks nicely on a leash, knows “sit” and “lay” and “has a low-key and mellow personality.” He was well-cared-for in his home and, his bio reads, “There is a lot to like about Boogie.”
Bingo (#46667334) is a Staffie mix who came in on the 18th and weighs 65 pounds at only six months. The more accustomed he gets to people, the warmer he gets. And the bio reads, “He has lots of puppy energy. This little fellow is frisky and perky…He loves treats and would undoubtedly respond well to training if treats were a part of the deal.”
Blaze (#46624687) is a 9-month-old, 40-pound former stray who came in on the 10th. His bio reads that “it is obvious from looking at him that he is very underweight and has not been well-cared for in his short life. Yet, Blaze has an exuberant and unquenchable spirit.” The experienced theory is he’s a treat-crazy boy who can be easily trained and, as a “housedog”, will become “a part of his family.”
Roxie (46676451) is about a year old, weighs 58 pound and was surrendered on the 20th “because the owners did not have enough time for her.”  That's her left and right. The bio says the previous owners had her for 11 months. “Roxy spent a lot of time in the backyard and owners said she especially enjoyed being inside with the children.” She’s good on a leash, low-key, mellow, well-mannered and affectionate.
Precious [46676480] is about 9, weighs 50 pounds and came into the shelter on the 20th because “his owner suffered a stroke and was no longer able to care for him.” Precious is a mix (Lab and Jindo and “etc.,” the bio says) and he’s lived indoors and outdoors and with cats — and is a “friendly fellow.” He hasn’t lived with kids. But he does have a “mellow personality.”
Tully (46664457) is a Pittie mix brought in as a stray on the 18th. He is about a year and a half old and weighs around 60 pounds. And his bio says hes a “high-energy youngster.” He’s strong. and “seems to want constant attention and perhaps he hasn’t had much of that.”

Remember, to ask about any of these pups or any Mesquite dog or cat, use their ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email
rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
AN EARHOUND DOESN’T ALWAYS
HAVE TO BE A FUNNY DOG…
While looking for a cat to remind people that North Texas has plenty of felines who need happy homes, we clicked onto spca.org to see the available adorables on the SPCA of Texas adoption list.
And, son of a gun, if we didn’t find formerly spotlighted Apollo still waiting for the right home. We’ve been noting his zany photo since before the Pandemic arrived, I’m almost certain. Whatever the case, he’s a dog with “great house manners” and he needs an adults-only home and no other dogs. He’ll need a secure fence, too. He’s not all that keen with humans he doesn’t know. (LARRY ASIDE: That makes him sound so human, right!)
And we spotted this photo of an Earhound described as a former Dallas street cat. Zeke is a 6-month-old kitten who, if he grows into his ears, may be as big as a lion. Oh, he’s probably already got mature ears and is about to enjoy a growth-spurt so his body will match. He’s listed as a “small’ Domestic Shorthair/Mix. (LARRY ZEKE ASIDE: The mix could have been mule, based on those ears.]
Check out Apollo and Zeke and many more by going to spca.org and learning about adoptions, volunteering and supporting the animals and the people who work to help them.
CONTEMPLATIONS
FIRST SWEAT OF '21; WHAT ABOUT WILMER? AND THE SONG....
My, how the weather has changed for the better. At 7:30 a.m. Tuesday I was in the garage walking 25 brisk minutes on my treadmill and broke into the First Sweat of 2021. Later that day the temp was in the 80s. Why do I keep the treadmill in the garage? Self-preservation. If I keep it in the house, I’m afraid I might jump up from the couch and over-exercise. Or, around midnight, I might trip over it in the dark on my way to the refrigerator. …
WHAT ABOUT WILMER? I’ll tell ya what about Wilmer. That’s where Emily the dog is waiting (first item today). In case you wondered, Wilmer’s a small town on the southern side of Dallas. Its population is around 4,400 and, according to the Handbook of Texas, the city was named Prairie Valley in 1872 when the Houston and Texas Central Railroad “established a stop” there. The town was founded in 1876 and , in 1884, Prairie Valley was renamed “Wilmer” in honor of A.J. Wilmer. As the Handbook explains it, Wilmer was “a conductor on the Houston and Texas Central who often passed through town.” Seems like there’d be a romantic Broadway musical in that story. Guess it’s a good thing the outlaw Sam Bass was usually on horseback or Wilmer might be Basston, i.e., Sam Basston.  That’s a photo of a Texas Central caboose and we don’t know if any of the people in the photo might be Conductor Wilmer. Or if any of them had dogs. Read more HERE. Kind of funny, I guess, that we know for whom Wilmer was named, but nobody can pinpoint why Dallas is named “Dallas.” … Speaking of Sam Bass, the bandit with Denton connections, here’s the LINK TO HIGHWAYMAN, a video of Willie, Waylon, Kris and Johnny — The Highwaymen — performing that legendary song that is melodic philosophy of the universe...maybe.
—-Offer opinions of the song or the world by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-