A PITCH FOR CATS BY A CAT; SOME DOGS WHO NEED SOME HELP LIKE ASAP, Y'ALL

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7. 2021 [PetPowellPress]  Y'all, that's my Kelly Clarkson impression. So, here's the truth: This is being written after dark on Tuesday night. There’s nothing particularly significant about that. But earlier in the evening, as the sun lingered in the west, I plopped down in the couch (checked for livestock in the couch first) and then looked over at my relaxingspouse Martha in her recliner. 
There, enhancing the experience of relaxation, was Martha’s personal cat, the former feral kitten Esme, named by Martha in honor of the snake in the 1978 Chevy Chase/Goldie Hawn film Foul Play. Esme probably has never seen a snake or that film. But she adores being with Martha and I thought that, maybe, her adorable mug might inspire someone to adopt a cat who has no home. 
Now, let’s talk dogs and humans for a minute.
ONE OF THE WORST PHRASES
IN THE ANIMAL RESCUE WORLD
This has to do with a former Mesquite stray, Leila, about 3, 51 pounds and a mixed- breed girl. We got the tip on her from the Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm.
This is the sentence that got to readlarrypowell.com: “When she first arrived at the shelter, she was frightened in particular of men.” [LARRY RANT: Debra is right to use that phrasing. It’s a description that shows up all too frequently in the animal world. And it inspires readlarrypowell.com to remind all Dear Readers that we know a number of men who work very, very hard to save animals and help them understand that they can trust again! It’s those bad eggs — the free-roaming jerks — that tick me off!]
 Back to Leila: She’s #46985707 at Mesquite — came into the shelter on March 27. Debra says, “One of our volunteers has been working consistently with her and as a result Leila is cautiously friendly with men after careful and slow introductions.  She appears to have been an inside dog and well-cared for.  She loves attention.” Use her Shelter ID 46985707 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email at rescues@cityofmesquite.com to ask about helping her.
Then there are these two dogs. They were surrendered to the shelter on March 28 because “their owner had over the limit of dogs allowed in the city…”
Camie is a mixed-breed: “Louisiana Catahoula Leopard/Aussie Shepherd in the mix,” the shelter says. She has “thick, luxurious, silky fur is about a year old, weighs 61 pounds and is not spayed.  Though Camie doesn't especially like having a leash put on, she does walk well on it.  When led through the bay Camie was quite scared of the other dogs. Former owner reported that she had lived indoors, that she lived with other dogs, cats and children and was OK with all.” Knows the “indoor commands” sit, paw, go to sleep and outside commands.
Debra also says that Camie “is what we term a Velcro dog in that when she feels comfortable with you, she stays very close!  … She undoubtedly can't figure out where she is and why she ended up here.” Camie is #37888462 at the shelter. 
And that brings us to Oreo, surrendered with Camie, and described as “a nearly purebred Louisiana Catahoula Leopard. Oreo is about a year old and weighs 68 pounds. Debra writes, “She is truly a sweetheart--calm, gentle, well-mannered.  She is very timid in the noisy shelter environment. Oreo is friendly and affectionate and jumped up on the bench beside me when we went outside for the photo shoot.  She is affectionate and seems to love attention.  Oreo appears to have been well-cared for during her year with her owners. … There is so much to like about this sweet and shy girl.  Doubtless outside the shelter environment Oreo would warm up and feel more comfortable.” She’s #46178472. 
As is customary at Mesquite, use the ID numbers when you call the shelter at 97-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesqauite.com.

AWWWWWW. LOOK AT
THIS CUTE LITTLE PUP
Look at this little girl. How in the world did she find herself in the spotlight of an appeal for help? The veteran rescuer and advocate Janie Perelman has the answer in this “plea for donations.” 
Xena is “out of surgery and recovering,” Janie’s note read. And she also gave a special “Thank you” to the folks at O’Connor Animal Hospital “for jumping on this one.”
 What was the challenge? Xena, according to the note with the appeal, “ate a hard yellow rubber substance/thing that lodged in her stomach — we think she found it outside. Good news is that it was not in the intestines! Will be hospitalized for about 3 days She is truly a warrior!”
 Janie says she met Xena “while in line at Petco- she was a tiny puppy with a stomach full of worms. Her owner was crying because he couldn’t afford vet care — I offered to help. The owner decided to surrender her to me — he described her as a Pittie puppy— she is more of a Dachshund Chi! She is a doll!
“All good until last night (2 nights ago) when she was yelping and crying out in pain. She went to the ER and something was spotted lodged in her stomach causing blockage. We hoped it would pass — it did not.”
 That was the point at which it was realized Xena was about to run up a “hefty price-tag” for life-saving surgery. To donate to Xena via her vet’s office call 972-570-0234.
MEANWHILE, THERE’S BERTHA,
A DOG WHO IS A SENIOR NO DOUBT…
Ginger Leach at Fort Worth Animal Care and Control is attempting to help an ol’ girl named Bertha touch the heart of a rescuer.
Ginger's note reads, "She needs a sanctuary or someone who loves the seniors. She can’t live in our office forever.. she deserves better.
She is blind and very hard of hearing. She basically walks our office until she gets tired, plops down and takes a nap. We haven’t been good with taking her out to potty during the day so she just goes and we clean it up. She needs a real routine and that is pretty hard to do at while we are working.
"Please someone give her a real home; she has such a great temperament and such a beautiful soul. Send a tag to
fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov
You can see video of Bertha on Ginger’s Facebook page HERE. At the shelter, Bertha is A46933286, a 9-year-old Australian Shepherd, 47 pounds, spayed female, HW positive.”
 She was surrendered on March 19 as “found — cannot keep.” She has “painful when walking arthritis” but is “very sweet.”

CONTEMPLATIONS

BEWILDERING ASSORTMENT

As I reach the end of the work day, after the Texas Rangers have won a game at the stadium in Arlington — I could remember “The Ballpark in Arlington” but I’ll be darned if the name of the current stadium pops into my mind tonight. To me, it looks like a place that’s already being prepared for its next incarnation: regional hay barn, airplane factory, winter home of the Great American Touring Circus and Trapeze Festival. That’s a Fox 4 photo, by the way. What we really want is for this unusual athletic stadium to look like it really is the home of the World Series champs rather than a municipal multi-purpose moneymaker. …
Wouldn’t it be great to have a 21st century Super Bowl champ and a 21st century World Series winner down the block from each other? Here we are in 2021, so both teams have just 79 years to win the titles. …
Probably no way for Arlington to convince Baylor to move the NCAA Champion Bears to the semi-new stadium.
—— Offer opinions and explanations by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put ‘Globe Life Field’ You Idiot in the subject line. —-