HANDSOME GATSBY, DOGS, CATS, HUMANS -- NOW AND THEN IT ALL WORKS OUT

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JULY 29/FRIDAY, JULY 30 [PetPowellPress] And, now, we begin to gently move toward the transitional weekend linking July 2021 to August 2021. What have we left undone? Scary question when you think, “Where do I start my list?” Do something gentle instead: Adopt or rescue a shelter animal. Talk a friend into finding a loving roommate at an animal shelter. The theory? This is Texas: We can “SAVE ‘EM ALL.” How about the eyes on that fabulous face of a dog named "Tank" -- adopt him and change his name. Moving along:
THREE CARROLLTON DOGS
MANAGE TO GET A BREAK
In our Wed- nesday edition we mentioned the efforts of Carroll- ton Animal Services to help three dogs — Homie (left), Calypso (right) and Tilly — find a safe place to await adoption. 

We got a copy of an update from Vanessa Johnson, the Senior Animal Care Specialist at Carrollton. It read, “GREAT JOB EVERYONE!! HOMIE AND CALYPSO HAVE LEFT THE BUILDING! TILLY IS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE FRIDAY!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK IN SHARING AND NETWORKING! :-)” 

In the interest of helping Carrollton move its shelter population along, we went to the shelter website and clicked on the listed animals here.
While we’re elated to learn of the rescue of these dogs, we’re also happy to go to the Carrollton site and look at the animals still awaiting a happy resolution.

 Look at the face on that beautiful boy Husky mix, 9-month-old, 46-pound Jacob (#48236707) who was an owner-surrender. He becomes available for adoption on Friday, July 30 — the fee is $5. Five lousy bucks for this fabulous dog. There’s going to be a lottery for Jacob. Call the shelter at 972-466-3420. Lottery is at 10 a.m. Friday.
Thomas the Cat (#48238920) a 3-year-old Tabby who came in as a stray on July 16. His bio says he’s “getting over a cold” and not yet ready for adoption. But he will be. [LARRY ASIDE: These gray tabbies are extremely rare in North Texas — wait a second, I typed a fictional feline assertion!] Go to the Carrollton website and you’ll see many Tabbies — including these three known as the “Rice Krispie Litter.” The 7-week-old kittens are named Snap, Crackle & Pop. They’re “semi-feral” but that just means they may be “semi-socialized,” too, with the right gentle soul taking care of them in a 5601c3 rescue group.]

While looking through Carrollton’s animals we ran into a genuine “first.”
This is #47962448, a year-old Guinea Pig named — and here’s the “first” — “Gatsby.” Never before seen a Guinea Pig with a name from the F. Scott Fitzgerald catalogue, but he looks exquisitely classy. Came in on June 10. Owner-surrender. Doesn’t “come with a cage.”
[DEAR READERS, Perhaps you recall F. Scott’s description of Jay Gatsby: “If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him." Yes, there is something gorgeous about this guinea pig.]
FROM STRAYDOG INC.
THE STORY OF SUE

You know, surely the story of Straydog Inc., the “No Kill Shelter And Sanctuary” in East Texas. It’s on the website at straydog.org. That is how we learned about this girl Sue.
That story is this: “Straydog rescued Sue after a breeder took her in to be euthanized ….” [LARRY PAUSE: Cheaper to kill her than love her, right Dear Breeder? LARRY RESUME:] “…EUTHANIZED due to a leg injury. Her leg was cut all the way around after getting caught in a trap. Her leg has been treated and she’s been wearing a cone for 3-4 months. Now, her wound is almost completely closed up and her sweet and loving personality is starting to come out! She’s getting lots of love and will be looking for a new home when she’s fully healed.”
Straydog is looking for help in funding Sue’s medical bills.  Click HERE to reach the donation page.
Email Straydog at straydogshelter @gmail.com. That’s in case you want to adopt this girl. The shelter’s mailing address is Straydog Shelter, P.O. Box 1465, Gun Barrel City, TX 75147.
Reminder: Straydog has adoption events scheduled for 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on August 14 at PetSmart Plano, 6204 W. Park Blvd. in Plano and (same times) at PetSmart Garland, 5401 N. Garland Road, in Garland.
And one more thing: You see that artwork — it’s for Straydog’s Pups in Pearls Gala on October 23 at Renaissance Dallas Legacy West in Plano. Read more about it at straydog.org. 

YURI ‘LOVES LIFE AND…
EVERYONE IN IT’
Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog biographer Judi Brown sent us the tip on “this happy girl Yuri.” She's a 4-year-old, 54-pound brindle and white Pittie girl who came in on the 19th as a stray. Judi writes, “She’s a fun-loving, happy, calm, playful girl who loves life and seemingly everyone in it. She loves toys and sought them out herself. She entertains herself with them. She makes quick work of the soft toys, so hard rubber toys that would be more durable would be advised.  Her tail wagged constantly. She came when I called her. She liked having her ears scratched. She would be a good dog for an active family. She would keep you entertained and vice versa.  … When I walked her through the bay she wanted to make friends with many of the dogs. Her tail was wagging.” To ask about Yuri use her ID #48140949 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@city- ofmesquite.com. Judi noted, also, that the photo session with Yuri “was a hot day and she definitely prefers to be inside in the air-conditioning!”
Judi also sent us a note about this 2-year-old, 58-pound kind of Boston-looking girl Bee. She was brought to the shelter on July 10 — she and a Husky named Abby had been ”abandoned at their home.” [LARRY NOTE: Abby may have been claimed — she was not on the shelter animal site Thursday afternoon.]
 Bee, the “little love bug,” is “absolutely adorable,” Judi writes, and adds, “This situation is hard to understand but especially because both of these dogs are very well behaved and all-around good dogs! As you can see Bee is adorable! I had a very difficult time selecting the pictures to go along with this evaluation because she is so photogenic! Besides that she is a total love bug! When I first went into her kennel she couldn’t stop wiggling and wagging! She was so happy for human contact and to have a friend! Once she got out into the yard she settled down but she is energetic, happy and outgoing. In spite of being energetic she’s also relatively calm. She did not jump on me.  She stayed close to me wanting attention. I was rewarded with lots of kisses.” She also likes air-conditioning. Bee is ID #48188670.

We’ll close Mesquite’s segment with Tank (#48047107) who Judi describes as a “beautiful boy with captivating eyes and a winning personalty. He’s a 2-year-old mixed breed — possibly Whippet/Jack Russell mix, Judi says — who weighs 35 pounds. His microchip gave his name as Tank, but Judi says, “In my opinion this does not fit him because he is not a large dog by any means. Not only did his owners choose not to come and re-claim, but he had an adoption pending that fell through. Now this is your lucky day because this is one special dog that is available to you! He is calm and very gentle and stays close. He’s obedient and wants to please. He doesn’t know how to sit for treats but he is highly motivated for them and does a little dance.” 
Again, for these Mesquite animals, use their ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].

THE 4-LEGGED HELPERS
CONTINUING TO HUSTLE
And they’re hustling for animals in Lancaster and Ferris that we mentioned in our previous edition and, of course, there’s this dog in the somewhat downtrodden Wilmer city shelter. 
The Help- ers sent photos of this girl and reported, “We found out there is a German Shepherd at the shelter, also.” 
The Help- ers said, "The guy currently picking up strays for the city ... said male but another Wilmer citizen said the dog was in her yard at one point and definitely a female.  She or he is very friendly ...Kelsey is a young dog and definite purebred GSD. Found out and about as a stray.”

Wilmer is also hosting (see yesterday’s edition) the young puppy Hayden and the Shep- herd/Smooth Collie Mix Blue. 
To help any of these animals, call or text 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or 214-906-7680 or email [email protected].
And you can see many of 4-Legged Helpers’ save-‘em projects by going to the Helpers’ Facebook page HERE. 
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE PAST & OTHER THINGS…
In the opening I asked, “What have we left undone?” Don’t even start on emptying the boxes I keep swearing I’ll unpack. Books, old files, CDs, VHS tapes, toys without batteries and, finally, in a large box dated 1972-2021, a collection of carefully organized “Futile Hopes” for the Texas Rangers in the World Series. I have found my ukelele — it was on the back of a closet shelf next to my Bowed Psaltry. I’m still looking for my mandolin. Can’t play any of ‘em. … What would I like to do before the year gets any older? Attend a movie in a real theater. After that, all my ambitions go into a cavalcade of blurs. [NOTE TO DALLAS: I miss going to the Granada Theater to see foreign films. Saw La Dolce Vita there. Felt nearly intellectual. Not sure I’ll get that sensation from Disney’s Jungle Cruise. Is there a theater in North Texas that shows foreign films? I can read subtitles, you know. French detective movies, maybe? Are North Texans destined to see all quality foreign films in our living rooms or on our iPads or Kindles? Where has civilization gone!!!! … Saw this subject line in my inbox: “FIND DEALS ON FOOTBALL MOUTHGUARDS —STARTING AT $12.99” Mouthguards sure are cheaper than left or right guards. But, I’m sure the mouthguards won’t be as mobile once the Dallas Cowboys season starts. You know, if everyone can stay off the injured list, Dak.
— Offer gridiron tips or foreign film suggestions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected]. —-