ReadLarryPowell.com

MONDAY'S REPORT: Love the Fair; Despise Animal Dumpers; Praise Rescuers; Bill on the Verge of Law

EDITION OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Before we get to being dumped on “The Lonely Road,” let's just take a moment to remember that this is the first Monday in weeks without the heart-warming sound of "Howdy" from Big Tex while the State Fair of Texas was open for business. Wasn’t it a relief to see the Fair and walk the fairgrounds as if the world might possibly be completely back to normal! 
I hardly know where to start with today’s edition — let’s begin with thanking the people who worked hard to give us an entertaining State Fair. If it was so easy to pull off, Houston or Austin would have launched a plot to steal it decades ago.
Speaking of movement, there was some on that Safe Outdoor Dogs bill over the weekend. The bill may be on the brink of “law” this week. We’ll get to that in a moment. Remember, it was on the brink of “law” once before and the guv slapped a veto on it.
But, you may also recall what the guv said when he vetoed the bill. He declared, “Texans love their dogs….” That brings us to a story of Texas dogs who are loved — now that they’ve been rescued from hellish abandonment. That phrase, “Texans love their dogs” needs an asterisk on it and an explanation “*not all Texans. Some are just mean and shouldn’t be allowed to call themselves Texans.” Now, read on about “The Lonely Road.”
THE CONTINUING EFFORTS
TO PROTECT DOGS
DUMPED ON ‘THE LONELY ROAD’

When we opened the email from the longtime rescuer and founder of the Society for Companion Animals Tawana Couch, we immediately thought, “There’s the title of the book.”

Here’s the note Tawana sent on Sunday:
 “Most mornings I drive the streets of Dallas looking for strays.

“This story of Daisy was heart-wrenching. I saw a car dump out a white dog on what I call ‘The Lonely Road,’ a dumping long road where there are few houses and [not a lot of] people go down much.
“For several weeks I would leave food out by the creek on The Lonely Road. The food would be gone. I spotted her a couple of times.
“Carol, my friend, decided to go for a walk down the dry creek and in the corner of her eye she sees a mama dog and her 4 puppies. 

“For the next few days we would go up to her and feed her. A huge storm was coming and we knew the creek would fill of water and drown the puppies. I crossed the half-full creek and put a leash on mama and we went through knee-high water to cross. I went back for her puppies. As you can see from the picture the creek did fill up. ...

“Mama has a scar where her imbedded collar was. She is a nice dog and a good mama named her Daisy.” 
We asked Tawana, “Just where is ‘The Lonely Road’.” She says it’s in the “general area of the intersection of 2700 Southerland and 3200 Kiest in southeastern Dallas where, Tawana wrote, “the road goes east on Southerland. It is in South Dallas where you see prostitution on the drive on Morrel St. to The Lonely Road. I have picked up many dogs on Morrell St. also very rough area…”
She describes The Lonely Road as a place “where dogs and trash are dumped.”
She saw Mama being dumped, but was “not close enough to get a license number from the car. 
“Just a week prior to Daisy’s dumping, a car dumped 3 pit bulls — mom, dad and daughter — out of their car. Once again not close enough to get a license number. Both dumpings occurred around 8 a.m. All this within a month and a half.
“Daisy we were able to rescue this past Wednesday before the storm. I knew I had to take a risk to cross the water and try to put a leash on her which she let me. She was a little hesitate walking in the water with me crossing the creek.

“Once we made it across, i went back for the 4 babies — 1 male, 3 females. The puppies would have been washed away from the heavy rain.”
What happens next?
 The Pit Family is still a rescue project.
In general, once all the rescued dogs are healthy, the SFCA system is to “fly them to shelters in parts of the U.S. that have a waiting list for dogs. Many are pre-adopted before they even arrive.”
Tawana says you can help SFCA by volunteering to transport animals to the airports or by assembling crates and kennels and by fostering! Other ways, too. Go to the societyforcompanionanimals.org to see what you can do.

Tawana says, “Daisy has had litters of puppies and most likely used just for breeding. The people who dumped her, I guess, did not want her puppies this time. She is not used to being petted but is given her love daily. She is at Boykin Kennels in Oak Cliff.”
And, Tawana says, “The great news is that a shelter up north, Animal Welfare Associations, is going to take Daisy and her puppies into their adoption program. SFCA plants to transport them in the first part of December.”
You see, of course, photos of Daisy and her puppies and the creek. 
Also, the three members of the Pittie family dumped on The Lonely Road were visited Sunday morning by Tawana. Matter of time until they’re “rescued.”
And, yes, that’s a German Shepherd — as readlarrypowell.com has noted, there are a lot of them being dumped and abandoned around here lately. 
Tawana says, “Noe the German Shepherd was picked up this past week on ‘the Lonely Road’ and is being boarded at Boykin Kennel. He will be leaving in November for a shelter in Vermont.”
[LARRY ASIDE: Yeah, the Greater Metrosprawl has a lot of Texas dogs and cats that are waiting in shelters and in rescue groups. And, there are people who don’t mind rolling up to a “dumping spot” on The Lonely Road or Dowdy Ferry Road or many other areas and shoving out the puppies, kittens, dogs and cats. Such behavior is against the law in Texas. But so is speeding and robbing banks. Somebody has to have the opportunity to catch ‘em and the chance to try ‘em. Nobody ever walked into a police station and confessed to dumping a pregnant dog in a creek bed next to The Lonely Road.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
TEXAS ANIMALS & LAWS
You may recall Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed the previous version of SB 5. It is a law that makes stupid and irresponsible tethering of dogs illegal [LARRY ASIDE: I used the “lay terms stupid and irresponsible” to refer to people who put big thick chains on dogs kept outside in lousy weather and starvation conditions, etc. I was being kind.] When the Guv vetoed the first SB 5, he declared, “Texans love their dogs, so it is no surprise that our statutes already protect them by outlawing true animal cruelty. Texas is no place for this kind of micro-managing and over-criminalization.” The new bill has a better chance, according to assorted folks in the animal-rescue community. After all, some of the stuff the guv didn’t like has been changed. 
Of course, as anybody who’s spent 20 minutes in animal rescue knows, “Texans love their dogs….” but it’s “some Texans,” not “all Texans” as the carcasses of dead animals and the horror of alive and abused animals demonstrate very clearly. 
There are the people who dumped pregnant Daisy, the clowns who tossed out the three Pitties and the nitwit who abandoned the German Shepherd on The Lonely Road. Now, these dogs weren’t tethered by big logging chains — as some Texas dogs have been. But, doesn't every mean way to treat an animal deserve a law that carries a stiff jail term and a fine as big as the ego on these “nobody’s lookin’ and nobody cares” animal dumpers?
[LARRY ASIDE: We sort of will have to be — what’s the word — oh, yeah, “convinced” that it’s possible to “over-criminalize animal cruelty.”]

If you go to the Texas Human Legislation Network Facebook page you can keep up with the way things are going with this bill. An amendment was attached to it that stirred opposition. THLN wrote, “UPDATE 10/17/2021: The Safe Outdoor Dogs bill NEEDS YOU! Last night a BAD amendment allowing chains on Dogs was added to SB 5 by Rep. Matt Schaefer of Tyler, TX (House District 6). We will have an opportunity to remove this bad amendment before the House votes again on Tuesday. We need you to remain engaged and continue to call your House Representatives and ask them to VOTE YES on SB 5 and NO to ALL AMENDMENTS.”

There you have it: An opportunity to exercise your right as Americans and Texans to influence your government to do the right thing. You don’t even have to vote — you just need to get your State Rep to vote on your behalf. Who is your State Representative? Ah, here’s a LINK
 that’ll help you find the elected official on the public payroll. You just have to know your address. You don’t even have to be a registered voter to speak to an elected official — but that powerful vote will help get the attention of anyone who has to run for office and win to keep getting paid.
In summation, you’d think following the advice “Be kind to animals” would not really need the involvement of the Texas Legislature and the governor. But, how well do those “Yield” and “No Dumping!” signs work?
— Offer opinions or objections by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

THE WOOFUS, THE DOG, THE BOAR AND THE KITTEN -- A SLEEPING ADVENTURE

How long can a kitten remain alert? As long as he wants to, once he thinks you want to see him napping.

For this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap I’d hoped to show you a calm, quiet photograph of our recently acquired formerly free-roaming kitten, Hastings, demonstrating a full-on cat nap.
No dice.
This is the most alert kitten we’ve ever encountered. No matter how quietly you enter his room, he’s wide-eyed and waiting. 
So, as you can see, I am holding him so he can look at something he asked to see after we got back from the State Fair of Texas earlier in the week.
Hastings is learning office skills. Some day he may be a genuine BCOC (Board-Certified Office Cat). Right now, this kitten that I found in the middle of Hastings Street in Duncanville is learning all the things he needs to know to be a house cat: (1) Where the food is and (2) Where the “personal facility” is. So far, so good. Smart boy.

And you may ask, “What is that kitten looking at with such deep interest?”

He is looking at the first photograph he’s ever seen of a pig. Or, as the sign on the big guy’s cage read, “Boris, Champion Big Boar, 1151 pounds.” That means the pig weighs 1150-point-something pounds more than the kitten when I found him. On Friday, the kitten weighed in at double his old weight -- he's now more than a pound!

We’re transitioning Hastings into his full name, “Captain Hastings,” but at his vet’s office, his paperwork carries the name “Streetboy” — I didn’t have a name for him when I picked him up on Oct. 4 and took him to the nearest vet, Pet Medical Center of Duncanville. He needed immediate help for his clogged-over eyes and starvation situation. Those angels worked miracles on this kid. Saved his life. My bottlefeedingspouse Martha and I helped once we had adequate directions.
Back to the Big Boar — no kin to any Big Bore in the political arena.
 I was trying to get a good photo of Boris' big ol’ face in that securely barred-cage not far from the Woofus Statue. You know of the Texas Woofus, of course. All Texans do, right? The Lone Star Chimera is very famous. (Here’s further reading: WOOFUS.)  I think Fair Park birds have become familiar with the Woofus' horns.
Boris the Big ol' Boar was absolutely inert for most of my sad attempt to capture him on my phone cam -- he and Hastings may share a branch on a family tree for all I know. "Feline" and "Porcine" do rhyme.
As I focused on Boris, suddenly he lifted his massive head and sneezed out of his giant nostrils right through the bars toward my shoes, about 3 feet away from the nasal point-of-origin.
My first thought was “Oh, brother! Swine Flu!”
And my second thought was “I’ve got 3 covid shots in me — I hope to heck they work against a big pig sneeze.”

On Friday morning, I asked Porche, our short, pudgy dog sometimes referred to lovingly as “Porky,” if she could work up an impression of Boris so we can teach Hastings how to work with a large State Fair animal — you know, just in case Hastings would choose the career “carny roustabout” over a position as “honored office cat.”
Immediately, Porche was excited and declared, “We’ll I’ll kiss Big Tex’s boots! Can you believe that I know Boris’ family! Before I moved in with you and your sometimes funspouse Martha, I used to put on my Hawgsnout costume and pretend to be a really fast little porker on the state exhibition circuit in the very popular pig races. Boris’ cousin Lightnin’ Swinester was a speedy rascal.”

Then Porche, as any award-winning stage performer would do, got into character and went to work. She flopped over and said, “To complete this porcine illusion, you’ll have to imagine I’m in a cage and that, like Boris, I have my back pressed up against the bars. Note, also, that in this spot-on illusion, I also have giant set of stock show-sized boy parts that I am unable to obscure. These decorative pillows in the shape of NFL footballs should help with your imagination. And, as I was told by Lightnin’ Swinester, those things can get in the way, inhibit your performance. And the cat needs to know they’re tender. You don’t want a young kitten working on his left and right jabs to make any mistakes in that area — ask any NFL receiver or a major league baseball catcher.”
Porche is into detail when she “becomes” another personality.
And, of course, she loves to flop down on her Ol’ Hippie Carpet of Transcendental Puppytation and soar like the magical beast she is. She was, however, an actual sleeping dog when I snapped that photograph Friday. She was on the brink in that mugshot.

 FYI, I took blue-eyed Captain Hastings to his 3rd vet visit Friday afternoon. It was the occasion of his first “temperature check” while healthy -- taken with the traditional kitten thermometer. I suspect he is, in this photo, using one paw to make a gesture in my direction. We were discussing why his temperature was not taken by an aim-and-shoot-the-forehead thermometer for cats. He wondered why his veterinarian’s office prefers the point-and-intrude style of thermometer. "More professional for such intimate work," I explained and he didn't buy it.
Hastings does have pretty eyes, though. And he’s in good health. And he apparently has been watching TV and has learned hand gestures that convert to little kitten paw signals. Oh, my. I've got to put some restrictions on his cable remote.
[DEAR READERS: Please let us know how your dogs and cats and other critters are sleeping as autumn gets its grip on the Northern Hemisphere. Email your slumber photos and bios to dallrp@aol.com. We'll post them in our weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be helping people realize there’s more room in their house for a puppy or a kitten than there is for a growing shoat. You’ll be helping insomniacs sleep, too, once they realize there’s no need to worry about being awakened by an eleven-hundred-pound Boar nudging the front door open and heading straight for the refrigerator. Well, until I typed that sentence, no insomniacs had reacted to the threat of a Giant Sneezing Boar seeking a midnight snack.]
—- Offer an opinion or a doubt by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “DROP YOU COUPONS AND BACK AWAY FROM THE PIE” in the subject line. ---

WAYS TO SAVE ANIMALS AND FINANCE THE EFFORTS; GREAT DOGS & CATS AVAILABLE

EDITION OF FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 [PetPowellPress] As a week of busyness draws to a close and a weekend of busyness prepares to open, we’re going to cite some situations we’ve previously introduced. Why? Because they still need to be “solved” — and, cue the heroic music, only Animal Fans can put on their supersuit capes and make sure the animals have loving homes! 
We’ll be talking Greyhounds/not-Greyhounds, waiting Dog ’n’ Kitty City dogs and a DART cat -- he couldn't grow a hairy D on that forehead! We'll talk other things, too. Exquisite food, for example. Opportunities to help animals and the people who help them. 

STILL WAITING FOR A HOME
IN DOG ’N’ KITTY CITY IN DALLAS
Bell is the Cattle Dog/Coon Dog/Earhound and Buzz is that boy dog with the mixed breed background. 
Some of you may recall that they were once saved, then re-saved and, then, wound up in the care of a person who turned out to be, our reliable tipster reported, “a cat hoarder and the dogs were staying in filth.” Other things led to Buzz and Bell being moved into the care and safety of the Humane Society of Dallas County’s famed facility, Dog ’n’ Kitty City near Love Field.
We’ll start with Bell, born 5/17/17, a Cattle Dog/Coonhound mix girl who is en route to overcoming a lousy early life — at the point, now, of available for adoption NOW. Both have white paws. Kind of cute.
Bell’s bio announces, “Good news - Bell seems to be POTTY TRAINED! Although she doesn't sit still for long, she is not interested in playing with toys. However, if you have doggie treats in your hand, she will chase those down all day long! Bell is not overly needy for attention and affection. Although she loves to be pet and scratched, she doesn't necessarily seek it out. We believe she would be happy and content with friendly feet to lay beside, a warm bed in the house, and a yard to run in. She just needs consistency and a place where she can feel safe!” See Bell on video HERE.
Buzz is the “mixed” boy with a “brown/chocolate” coat. His bio gives his date of birth as May 7, 2012, and reads, “Love! Love! Love this big, beautiful boy! Although he has an independent spirit, he can be affectionate and endearing. … Despite the hardships he has endured, he still seems to exude joy! He just makes everyone at the shelter happy! Great news - he seems to be POTTY TRAINED! He is also DOG FRIENDLY, but NO cats please. …” His bio is on the Dog ’n’ Kitty City site and you can see him enjoying a romp on video HERE.
Go to dognkittycity.org to see how to adopt these dogs, this cat and other animals in the care of the Humane Society of Dallas County.
And, in case you wondered, there are plenty of kitties at Dog ’n’ Kitty City. This fabulous tabby is named Dart. If you are familiar with public transportation in Dallas, you may be able to guess why. His bio explains, “Hi, my name is Dart and I was found at the DART train station. I am super sweet and looking to find a forever home.” Yep, looks like someone went to a DART station to catch a train and caught a cat instead. Ah, Dallas. Home of the freeroaming felines and canines.
DOGS ONCE THOUGHT
TO BE GREYHOUNDS, PLUS

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AND GALT
This item has a couple of topics. Both have to do with the legendary Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. 
Click on that artwork to make it large enough to read the details of the October 24 “fabulous Dia de los Muertos celebration and cooking demonstration” by Chef Abraham of Salum Restaurant at 4152 Cole Ave. in Dallas. We got this info about the “Cooking For The Hounds” event at 2 p.m. on Sunday the 24th from Susie McQuade of GALT — she also told us about the “mistaken identity dogs” we’ll get to in a moment. 
Emcee for this event at Salum is GALT’s Honorary Chairman, the TV voice of the Dallas Mavericks and FC Dallas, Mark Followill.
The menu includes: Avocado gazpacho with ancho chili shrimp; Albondigas in Pasilla; Chocoflan with Cajeta; and Pan de Muerto con Café de Olla. Chef Abraham will demonstrate making the dishes. 
Tickets for the event at the restaurant (CLICK HERE) are $135. But, if you’re “uncomfortable” with a public gathering, the GALT has Zoom tickets for $100 each — with that you can “watch” the cooking demonstration, receive a $50 gift card to Salum and a bottle of wine. That ticket includes getting a good view of the Chef’s demonstrations, a $50 gift card for Salum and a bottle of wine. Zoom participants will be able to bid in the live auction.
At Salum, there’ll be prizes for “the best male and female Dia de los Muertos attire.” Seating is limited to 50 people. 
Oh, and one more thing: Expect to see the actor Burton Gilliam (Paper Moon (that’s him in a famously comic role as the desk clerk), Blazing Saddles and the leader of the Flying Elvises-Utah Chapter in Honeymoon in Vegas, etc.). At Salum, he’ll be drawing the winning ticket for the GALT Greyt Thanksgiving Day Raffle (yep, Cowboys tickets) at Cooking for Hounds. FYI: Those raffle tickets are already sold out!
Now, back to the dogs GALT is caring for nowadays. And they are adoptable! You may
recall that the beautiful dogs Nick and Nora (she has the pointy ears) were rescued from a cruelty situation in Oklahoma. They were described at the time as “Greyhound puppies” — ah, but it turns out that is what they are NOT. But GALT held onto them because the organization exists to help animals find loving homes. 
GALT also has an interest in the 3-legged girl ShyAnne, formerly a stray from the Animal League of Washington County in Fayetteville, Ark. She’s nimble, energetic and “a bouncy girl, even with 3 legs.” 
 Plus, there’s not-a-Greyhound Flash, a year old brindle and white Siberian Husky/American Staffy mix.” He was a stray in Stephenville, southwest of the Metrosprawl. You may remember the quote Flash allegedly wrote for his introductory biography as a not-quite certified Greyhound: “I’d like to think I have some super-fast genes in me! I call myself and honorary 309-mile-an-hour-certainly-not-a-couch-potato!”
THE 4-LEGGED HELPERS
KEEP HELPIN’ AND HELPIN’
Here are two dogs from Lancaster and two kittens from Denton County, all getting the watchful eyes of the 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that serves as the contact point for several small shelters that have low human foot-traffic. Most of them have substantial paw traffic!
Trent is that 2-year-old Hound/Pointer Mix currently in the Lancaster Animal Shelter. He weighs 43 good-natured pounds. Very cute, the bio says. And It reads, “He is very sweet and always smiling. Extremely lovable.” 

Zane is this “Bulldog mix”, also in Lancaster. he is said to have the “sweetest, most soulful eyes. Truly beautiful dog. Zane loves other dogs and all people. He is a gorgeous dog — a beautiful blue color with big sweet eyes and the sweetest personality. …He is such a sweetie pie!” Yep, former stray.
And that brings us to a chooses-to-be-un-named shelter in Denton County. That facility has these Tiger Tabbies (and other kittens). Laci is the baby female and Baxter is the boy.
To ask about helping any of these animals or any animals the 4-Legged Helpers are trying to help, call or text 214-949-2726 or facebook MSG Laura Macias or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
You can follow the 4-Legged Helpers’ efforts (and volunteer with them) by monitoring their Facebook page HERE.
MEANWHILE IN BURNS FLAT,
PUPPIES KEEP SHOWING UP
We mentioned the Burns Flat, Okla., resilient rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher’s acquisition of a box of puppies earlier this week. 
Here these babies are in their official “puppy cage.” 
Terry Lynn wrote, “These babies were loaded in a cardboard box and dumped at the pound. Again. We have no place for them.  Offer to help board has been made but no place has an opening for them. There are six. They are so precious.  I started their shots yesterday (Wednesday).”

Terry Lynn describes the second batch of newly arrived puppies as being urgent — no place for them. She wrote, “Momma is small.  And sadly, under a year.  Her babies are four weeks old. Mom has been abused daily by her precious owner.  When I was sent a video of him picking her up by the throat and slamming her into the porch, I called the police. They seized her and babies but I have no place for them.  
“Pound is full and is not set up for babies.  My extra places are full as well.  We had an offer to help pay for boarding but there is no place with room right now that will take babies. Please. If anyone can help let me know.  This is urgent.”
 Email Terry Lynn at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com. [LARRY ASIDE: I was unable to conquer my technoshortcomings when I tried to enlarge the new puppies on the left. We'll work on getting better photos, unless, of course, someone has already saved these babies by the time you read this.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
A BIG BIRD AND SOME OTHER STUFF
I’m posting this photo for folks who never go west of the Arlington athletic stadium complex. This giant Mockingbird (State bird of Texas, you know.) at Center Street and the Road to Six Flags may not be a tourist attraction but it does give you something to look at other than the slow-to-change traffic light….
Back to Terry Lynn Fisher’s report from Burns Flat, Okla.: If you saw a guy slamming a dog onto the porch, who would you call to help you make bail after you beat the livin’ snot out of him? Oops, I let the dark side of my soul slip out. I’m law-abiding. So, probably, heck, I’d just buy the guy a cup of coffee and gently explain the wonder of animals and why they should be respected. Then, I’d reach across the table and slap him in the side of the head with a sturdy ceramic diner platter full of pancakes and syrup. …

Oh, pardon me. I have to stop daydreaming about such things. I suspect, however, that I am not alone. I do think, now and then, about the reliable readlarrypowell.com Two-by-Four of Enlightenment. My new one is reportedly in a ship stalled off the coast of California. Maybe by Christmas….
—- Offer ideas or theories of human behavior by clicking on ‘comment’ or emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “CALM DOWN, BUCKAROO” in the subject line. —-

Space, Space Travel, Earthling Animals, Earthling Homes Sought -- Someone Punch 'LAUNCH'?...

EDITION OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Wacky world, ain’t? One morning I’m judging cookies at the State Fair of Texas and the next i’m watching the guy who played the first Captain Kirk literally blast off toward space. 
Still not sure if he actually went into “space” or just scraped it in what could be compared to a really expensive carnival ride -- matter of time until someone sets up the Big Tex Suborbital Flight at Fair Park -- cost at least 1.2 million coupons a ride! Someone with a sense of math and science will probably work that out. [LARRY ASIDE: That is my cat, Stevie Ray, who may have been into space. We don’t have his travel records — they’ve been sealed — but I have my suspicions. Don’t earthling cats cast just one shadow? Cue the spooky music!]
ANOTHER GSD IN A SHELTER;
A HUSKY WHO ‘TALKS’

I’ve mentioned the recent epidemic of dumped, surrendered or strayed German Shepherds. Here’s one who was surrendered to the Bridgeport Shelter with some hope.
We learned about this AKC Registered, spayed, 2-year-old, 50-pound German Shepherd Dog named Duchess from the 4 -Legged Helpers, the non-profit that monitors needs in smaller and low-traffic shelters. 
The story is Duchess was surrendered by “someone [who] could no longer care for her due to a personal situation in the family and no longer has time to spend with her (firefighter who is not at home).  She was brought to the shelter in hopes of finding her a wonderful rescue/home.  Note: A cat-free home is best.  Just as pretty, sweet, and smart as can be.”
Also waiting in Bridgeport is this young Husky girl, Sasha, 1 or 2 years old and 42 pounds. The Helpers’ bio reads that Sasha “loves to talk to you (so cute) and enjoys riding in the car or truck and meeting new people. She is extremely friendly and VERY SWEET.  LOVES OTHER DOGS TOO SO WOULD BE GREAT IN A HOME WITH ANOTHER DOG.  Walks great on a leash … cat free home is best.  She would need to be checked by a vet to see if spayed or not.  She is a really cute, and super sweet dog who adores people and wants to be by your side (and her attempts at conversation are the cutest thing ever.”
IT SOUNDS LIKE A POEM’S TITLE,
BUT IT’S A LIST OF ‘THE WAITING’
Here’s the poetic part: “Jack, Tuty, Wheatley and Ivy…”
Jack, Tuty, Wheatley and Ivy
four dogs with a similar plight,
waiting for homes with cable
 so
so they can live it up each night.
Yeah, dogs and cats are so human sometimes. But there are the real stories about these four dogs from Mesquite Animal Services. FYI: Jack and Tuty have lived together before.
That’s Jack the Siberian Husky (left) — he came in on 10/2 with his sister, Tuty. They were strays, reports Mesquite’s volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm. Jack (#48248804) is about a year old, neutered and weighs 42 pounds. Debra says, “He is frisky with lots of tail-wagging puppy energy.” 
He and Tuty are kenneled together and “seem bonded,” she reports. And she writes, “It would be nice if they could be rescued or adopted together but doubtless they would adjust if not together since they are so young.  Jack and Tuty had a blast in the shelter yard during the photo session running together, playing and stretching their legs.  He does well on a leash.  He likes treats and takes them gently but does not know to sit for them.  This is one friendly and sweet-natured boy. … He placed his front paws several times on the stone wall in the yard, looking as though he would love to scale the fence above the wall.  He will obviously need a high and secure fence to keep him home!"

You see here a photo of Tuty [#4824880] stretched out at a good clip on her romp with Jack in the shelter yard. She is spayed, weighs around 30 pounds and is about a year old. Her bio reads, “She is one high-spirited girl who enjoyed running and playing with her brother in the shelter yard during the photo shoot.  She does walk well on a leash.  She likes toys and will chase (but not return) tennis balls. [BIO NOTE: Takes after her brother on the chase/no-return philosophy.] She takes treats gently but does not sit for them.  She is a friendly youngster with an outgoing and confident personality. …Tuty needs a tall and secure fence as (members of) her breed are typically escape artists.” Use the ID#s for Jack and Tuty when you contact the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

Use those same contact points to ask about this big boy Wheatley (#48824661), a 4-year-old, 94-pound Anatolian Shepherd mix — came in as a stray on Oct. 7. Debra writes, “He walks great on a leash.  He knows the sit command.  He takes treats and does so gently.  He is a friendly fellow who seeks and gives affection and attention.  He has a low-key personality, has a calm and gentle nature and is well-mannered.  He has been given a Nexgard as he came in with fleas.  He does not jump on you.  Wheatley has dreamy and soulful eyes that will melt your heart!  There's a lot to like about this big fella and he would seem very well suited to a person or family with a quiet and well-ordered lifestyle.

Ivy, #48808054, is “mixed-breed girl”  (one breed must be Earhound!) who, Debra writes, “arrived originally on 10/5, was adopted and returned to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 10/11.  Reason stated for the return was that she was experiencing separation anxiety as the adopter works long hours and the apartment manager would not allow the dog to remain.  Ivy weighs 49 pounds and is about a year old.  She is a high-energy and exuberant pup.  In her excitement she does jump on you.  She is playful, friendly and very sweet.  She does not seem to know any commands.  She walks nicely on the leash.  She is a very curious girl.  Ivy needs a home with a person or family who will spend time exercising and playing with her and giving her the attention she needs to get acclimated to a new environment.”
Again, use her ID 48808054 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email at rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
Jack, Tuty, Wheatley & Ivy — poetry in emotion, right? Lots of canine love in those four dogs. Tell a human who can appreciate the dogs.
THREE GIRLS FROM
LANCASTER’S SHELTER
There are boy dogs in the Lancaster Animal Shelter, too, but we’re going to feature these girls in this edition. 
That Lab/Bulldog mix is Katie, whose bio reads she “loves everyone and everything including all other dogs. Katie is only 10 months old but extremely well-behaved. Sweetest temperament, too. Affectionate, loving, cuddly, CUTE!! And check out those baby blue eyes — absolutely stunning. Weighs 50 pounds.” 

ROWAN is a 2-or-3-year-old Border Collie mix described as a “super cute little girl that is very sweet.  Look at those cute little ears and smiling face! Really great girl that is very deserving of a home. …Weighs 37 pounds - very nice medium size.”

And we’ve featured this girl Sophie before. She’s around a year old and has been spayed. Her bio reads, “Beautiful dog with big sweet loving eyes whose pics do not do her justice - she is so very cute in person. Shelter says ready to be rescued or adopted! She is an absolute sweetheart.”

To ask about these girls, call or text 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or Facebook MSG Laura Macias or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS
SPACE AND HISTORY AND HAM
I watched the Wednesday morning space shot on my laptop while sitting in a parked car after a 25-mile rush hour trip on I-30 from Fort Worth through Arlington, Grand Prairie, downtown Dallas and into Mesquite. A veteran traveler on the mystery that is I-30, I think that trip push us closer to peril than William Shatner may have faced on his flight to space. To borrow from the promotional theme for the first Alien movie, “In Space No One Can Hear You Honk.” If we could make auto travel safer than space travel, wouldn’t that be something! …
All the millionaire spaceguys have at-the-least played to a tie with the First American in Space, Ham the Astrochimp. Went up, came down, survived. That’s him just before his suborbital Project Mercury-Redstone 2 Mission on Jan. 31, 1961. [LARRY ASIDE: Ham lived to 25 and died on Jan. 19, 1983, in a darned zoo in North Carolina.]
 FYI: Ham is buried at the International Space Hall of Fame in Alamogordo, New Mexico. I’ve been there and I’ve been emotionally moved at that facility that celebrates the first space travel pioneers and their work. 
Read about the shameful treatment of this noble creature. Here’s a paragraph from that story that ripped my heart nearly out of my earthling chest: After his flight, “Ham was transferred to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. in 1963 and spent 17 years in solitude. He then spent three years at the North Carolina Zoo in the company of other chimps before dying on Jan. 19, 1983 at age 25, young for a chimpanzee. The Smithsonian Institution hoped to put his body on display before public outrage forced them to reconsider.” Still, that is not as sad as the Soviet Union’s first mammal in space: Laika The Dog was strapped into close quarters in Sputnik 2 for a low-orbit flight on Nov. 3, 1957. When did she die? Nov. 3, 1957. Why? Wikipedia describes it this way: “No capacity for her recovery and survival was planned and she died of overheating or asphyxiation shortly before she was to be poisoned.” Former stray from Moscow. Details of her death were hidden and obscured by the Russian government until 2002. 
Yep, fly with millionaires and your space destiny may be better than that of a sacrificed dog and a solitary chimp. LARRY QUESTION: Until we are better people on earth, do we really deserve to take our attitudes and judgements on the exploration of space?
—- Offer space advice or earth solutions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

BUTTONS, COOKIES, STRAYS, SKEPTICS AND A CAT -- A TYPICAL TEXAS DAY

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, OCT. 13, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Tuesday was State Fair of Texas Day for readlarry powell.com.
One of the things we found in the Creative Arts Building (where we helped judge the 2021 Cookie Contest), was this artistic representation of the symbol of the fair, the Midway cowboy, Big Tex.

Never thought I’d encounter anything like this.
The artist created this picture of Big Tex with buttons -- buttons of assorted collors. (On the left is Big Tex if he were a corny dog, I think.)
So, yep, Big Tex has a button nose and other button parts. Not sure if Big Tex has a belly button. If any artist knows, drop a line to dallrp@aol.com.
IN THE MEANTIME,
OKLAHOMA HAS SOME DOGS…
This comes from the dear and resilient rescue legend Terry Lynn Fisher in Burns Flat, Okla., way out in the western windswept and wintry area of the Sooner State. 
Yes, that is a traditional “box of puppies.”
Terry Lynn says, “I just had these babies dumped at the pound.  We are not set up for babies.   
“Threat of tornadoes tonight [Tuesday night] with severe storms so I’ve been trying to get things taken care of for the dogs.  If anyone can help please let me know.”
There are 4 girls and 2 boys in this litter.
And, we’re betting Terry Lynn got them a safe place to go, but just in case she still needs help with this litter or whatever other animals are in her sights, email her at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com.
TWO READY TO GO
AT MESQUITE SHELTER
We’ll start with Patches and move on to Blaze, an Earhound — there’s a possible “connection” and both have been profiled by Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog writer Judi Brown.

This beauty is Patches, a year-and-a-half old and around 30 pounds of formerly stray Beagle/Hound mix. She came in on October 7.
"Patches won’t be at the shelter long as she has so much to offer!" Judi writes. 
She came in with the other dog Judi is profiling today, Blaze. She says, “I don’t know if they’re siblings, running buddies or from the same household.” 

We’ll start with Patches — she’s “on the timid side,” Judi says, and she “and needs TLC and a slow introduction to build trust. She flinches when you reach for her head and a sudden movement will make her retreat. She is definitely friendly and wants to make friends. She comes to you cautiously wagging her tail. She’s very gentle and well mannered. She sits for treats and takes them gently. She walked OK on a leash although she was somewhat hesitant. That is probably due to the fact she’s not comfortable in the shelter environment. She wagged her tail meeting some dogs and when one small dog growled at her she jumped back.  She would probably do better in a quieter laid-back household without a lot of noise and distractions. I can see her being a lap dog and or a couch potato after she’s done her exploring.” Patches is #48822839 — use that when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@ cityofmesquite. com.

Use those contact points when you ask about this Earhound, Patches’ “running stray buddy” Blaze. How about those ears!

Blaze’s ID # is 4882280.

Judi writes that Patch’s “stray companion” is “definitely a head turner! Blaze is a 1 1/2-year-old mixed breed, possibly Carolina/Belgium Shepherd …He weighs 64 pounds. He immediately smelled treats on me and was not going to let me alone until I gave him one. In order to interact with him I had to remove the treats. He’s obviously very motivated by treats and does sit for them. He takes them gently.  But he also becomes very persistent wanting more. He will jump on you so will need to learn some manners training. He would probably do better with a family with older children until he learns not to jump.  There’s no doubt he wants to please. He stayed very close to the point it was difficult taking pictures of him. I found myself going in circles. He wants attention and is very receptive to being petted and having his ears scratched. He’s happy and wags his tail especially when you pay him attention. … He also would like to be mostly an inside dog in that he quickly got too warm and spent time standing by the door wanting to be back in by the AC.”
CONTEMPLATIONS
COOKIES, SKEPTICS & A CAT
These are some of the many cookies entered in the 2021 State Fair of Texas Cooking Baking Contest — my funspouse Martha and I were among the judges on Tuesday who were helping Big Tex decide who had the best cookies in several categories — party/holiday, icebox, drop cookies, etc. And, winners aside, here was the triumph of the day: It felt so GOOD to be back at Fair Park while the State Fair of Texas was in full operation and you could watch the judging of cookies, see some amazing and amusing artwork, see State Fair Souvenirs from the Texas Centennial in 1936 —so many things — and you could see a lot of people, too. We saw dear friends, a giant championship boar named Boris (flat out in his pen near the Woofus statue), Big Tex (of course!) and …well, let’s just say it’s a Great State Fair. Probably will write more later. While we love Boris, who woke only to sneeze while we stood by him, we also praise that whimsical portrait of an odd bird in show biz glasses! …
Our source at Holiday Insights, the on-line calendar of odd holidays and notes, reports that October the 13th is International Skeptics Day. Believe it or not. We take a moment to skeptically honor people who think the Dallas Cowboys have a shot at winning the NFL East. …
We’ll close with this portrait of a cat at work. (If you don’t have a cat, you might be missing some great moments in photography and personal relationships. This guy is our bottle-fed foundling, Simon Mycroft Holmes, abandoned at about 3 or 4 weeks of age and bottle-fed to big health by my catfanspouse Martha and I. I snapped this photo as he was sitting on the back of Martha’s chair and reading over her shoulder last weekend. Says he needs a lot of light on the smaller type sizes. “Tell me about it,” I responded blinkingly.
—- Offer advice or cookie recipes by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

IDENTIFIED AS GREYHOUNDS, NICK & NORA GOT A BREAK -- SO DID SHYANNE & FLASH

EDITION OF TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021 [PetPowellPress] As a guy who has watched rescue groups operate for decades, I’m on the brink of a declaration in honor of the hearts that try to “save ‘em all.” 
That is spine-crushing pressure 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. You can’t even practice for “the game,” you just suit up and wade into the skirmish and keep doing what you’re doin’ because what you’re doin’ is matter of life or death. There’s only one play called in the rescuers’ huddle. Your heart won’t let you punt, so you scramble with a “Hail Mary!”, to use the familiar football term. 
What inspired this typical Larry-thought-sans-solution? Read on about Nick and Nora and Shyann and Flash and the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas.
NICK, NORA AND THE GANG.
WAITING IN THE CARE OF GALT
I hesitate to use the term “mistaken identity,” but it does fit! Lovingly!
The bottom line of this portion of our Tuesday edition is somebody needs to give a great home to these two dogs. These two very happy and friendly dogs. Heck, they were saved in a cruelty raid in Oklahoma — they survived that life, now they just need a human or two who aren’t full-on jerks. 
There’s an illustration atop the website of the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas that illuminates GALTS’s mission. This is it: “No Grey turned away.”
Ah, but take a look at floppy-eared handsome Nick and the very beautiful dog with the pointy ears, Nora. Yep, Nick and Nora, just like the detective couple from The Thin Man books and movies. Nick and Nora. 
They’ve got a tale as sure as Dashiell Hammett turned out stories. 
I saw these two posted several weeks ago on the GALT website and mentioned them in one of our editions.
They’re still in the care of GALT. And over the weekend I was having a conversation with Susie McQuade, who, with husband John, founded GALTS in 2001. Online you can find that since that “magic year,” the folks with GALT have saved/placed more than 3,700 dogs.
 In general, GALT deals with Greyhounds (might be retired racing dogs, found dogs, dumped dogs, abused dogs) and other sighthounds in similar fixes. 
Now and then, a dog from a different family tree finds itself in the arms of loving GALT and its rescuers.
That is where Nick and Norma came in. Susie reminded readlarrypowell.com (I need reminding!) that these two were in rough shape when they were among animals rescued in a “cruelty seizure” by law officers and the Pauls Valley Animal Control in its namesake town about 90 minutes north of Thackerville, Okla. on I-35. (LARRY ASIDE: I used Thackerville as a starting point because people from Dallas and Fort Worth know the location of the closest place to lose Texas money in a casino.)
Susie, whose titles with the non-profit GALT include “Canine Management Coordinator,” explains the situation. Nick and Nora were very thin when rescued and the babies were mistaken for Greyhound puppies.
They are “extremely bonded” siblings. And they’ve moved from “afraid of everything and everyone” puppies, to healthy, happy and adoring and adorable dogs. And, GALT says, a DNA test revealed that they are “American Staffy and Boxer crosses.”
Their nickname at GALT is “Greyhound Gremlins” and this sentence explains that: “When the two play they can get noisy and sound like they are Tasmanian devils, but they also make the cutest and strangest sounds, hence their nickname, ‘The Gremlins’.”
On their GALT bio website, their foster wrote, “They love playing with our 3 Greyhounds and are OK with cats. They will be extremely hard to part with but will add character, cuteness and laughs to the right household. They are adorable!”
Go to this LINK to see how to adopt these two and you can see videos of them playing and posing.
NOW, THERE ARE TWO OTHER DOGS in the care of GALT that need some help finding a place to live.
We’ll start with Shyanne and I’ve first posted a photo of Shyanne sitting. She is beautiful. Just beautiful.
Now, look at her second photo. Something is immediately apparent. Shyanne has just three legs.
Why is that? 
Susie included a note from Carmen Nelson, Director of the Animal League of Washington County in Fayetteville, Ark. She contacted GALT to see if the organization “could possibly help this sweet girl named Shyanne that we recently rescued. She was a stray — hit by a car — and we had to amputate her leg. She is fully recovered, spayed, up-to-date on vaccines and microchipped. … Shyanne is very sweet, and a bouncy girl, even with 3 legs!  She is in a wonderful foster home currently, they have 4 children, and she is great with all of them.”
Then, Carmen explained, “I am reaching out to you since you are a Greyhound rescue and know the breed best.  We want her to be placed in the perfect home.  We are not asking for any transfer fees, we have all her medical care covered.  Most important to us is that she finds a loving family. I used to live in Dallas, and have a dear friend that has adopted 2 Greyhounds from your organization. I thought of your rescue first to help Shyanne.”
In her bio on the GALT page HERE there is a list of her “Best Qualities.” They also are endearing qualities. The list reads: “Best qualities – guard dog! Will protect the house from all intruders foreign or domestic (until she gets to know them). Sits for meals and treats. Signals when she needs to go potty. Good little sleeper. Loves to get kisses (not very licky in return). Goes out to pee in the rain. Thunder is a non-issue. She has the most beautiful shiny black coat. Ridiculously fearless, unless it's a vacuum cleaner.”
And here’s Flash, also not a Greyhound, in possibly his natural relaxation pose: Lounging. He’s described as “a one-year-old brindle and white Siberian Husky/American Staffy mix.”
His story is traditional in Texas Canine Lore: Found as a stray. And this was in Stephenville where he was taken in “by an older gentleman who could ot care for him,” his bio reads. “Flash is happy, happy boy who will love an active home. Flash is not cat- nor small-dog tolerant.” [LARRY NOTE: There are people who can match him with that tendency. Maybe one of ‘em can give him a great home.] You can see how to adopt by going to his bio HERE.
Flash apparently helped a GALT rescuer write his biography. One paragraph, purportedly penned by the 8-month-old boy reads, “I’m so happy that GALT stepped up to save me even though I’m not a full-breed Greyhound, I might not have any sighthound in me, but I’d like to think I have some super-fast genes in me! I call myself an honorary 30 mile-an-hour-certainly-not-a-couch-potato!”
Sounds like “active dog needs active family.” Got to be a family that needs a dog with a sense of being! As you can see in the photos, he’s comfortable on land or in a wading pool. Flash is, thus, so human!
AND IN CLOSING…
I’ve been a fan of GALT since its inception. And Susie was telling me about Nick and Nora coming into the “Arms of GALT” when they were misidentified as “Greyhound puppies.” So I quickly sent her an email that read, “I’m including a picture of a Greyhound puppy I picked up last Monday off a street in Duncanville. … We’re feeding him and tending to his every need and Martha has given him a good Greyhound name — Captain Hastings, in honor of the the Agatha Christie Detective Hercule Poirot’s police sidekick.” Susie responded politely and I interpreted her reaction as “Nice try, Larry.” Figured I couldn’t fool a veteran Greyhound person with a fluffy kitten. But I am working on his ability to run fast and, also, sleep on a couch — just like a real Greyhound!
Hastings is monitoring the situations with Nick & Nora, Shyanne and Flash and, he, too, wants them all to have great homes. He’s a sweet cat. Sweet enough to be a Greyhound! Remember, go to galtx.org to see how to help GALT help those 4 dogs. It’ll make Hastings happy.
—- Tell us a dog or cat story or give an opinion by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “I LOVE GREYHOUNDS” in the subject line. —-

COOKIES, CRITTERS AND CONTEMPLATIONS -- A MONDAY EDITION IN AUTUMN

EDITION OF MONDAY, OCT. 11, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Here we are on Cookie Contest Eve. On Tuesday, evidence of a “return to normal” will be visible when, at 10 a.m., the hard-working Creative Arts Department people at the State Fair of Texas host the beloved cookie-baking contest. 

[LARRY FYI: I have a slim friend who was so happy to be at the State Fair this year that she, while waiting in an extraordinarily long line to get a corny dog, decided, “I’m going to get two corny dogs.” And she did. Two corny dogs once a year -- that's not going to be a diet problem for "Slim." I'm almost certain. That's Big Tex from 2015 -- he's had a few corny dogs and still has a slim waist. Go figure -- never seen him jogging.]
Back to cookies (those are just a relative few of the scores -- probably even more -- of entries in the 2014 cookie contest): We probably can assume that the cookie-bakers, when the 2020 contest was pandemicked (that a word?), spent their year perfecting new recipes and new dazzling elements for their old ones.
FYI: The winning recipes traditionally appear in the State Fair Cookbook.
Some of those cookies are legend — my Fairfunspouse Martha and I have helped judge for several years and both of us (and maybe other judges, too!) still speak with reverence of a magnificent cookie made with the zest of Clementines. It was named the “Orange-Scented Clementine Shortbread Cookie.”
It was spectacular —- not some cookie that a rookie can mix and bake on the first try. This one took “artistry in the kitchen.” It involved timing, organization and careful baking of exquisite ingredients to perfect such a great State Fair of Texas cookie. [LARRY ASIDE:  That's not a cookie -- that's a knitted Zebra from the 2016 Fair. You can see all sorts of stuff in that Creative Arts Building! And, FYI: I’ve never had a bad cookie at the State Fair of Texas. I’ll swear that on a stack of whatever you’ve got in the oven!] More in Contemplations.
A PICTURE OF A DOG
WHO MAY JUST BE MOROSE
This is one of the dogs that the legendary Trinity GAP Rescue Club is trying to help. We’ve told GAP Rescues story so often that you can probably repeat that it evolved from the Euless Trinity High School Girl’s Awareness Program.
The caption appearing with this photo reads, “Meet Maverick. He is an owner-surrender due to moving. Information from previous owners. About 4 years old. Bassett mix. About 50 pounds. Dog friendly. Owner had a cat that he got along with. If interested in adopting, contact foster mom at mssquared@hotmail.com."

You can see more animals on the GAP Radar by clicking HERE.
TWO IN THE FERRIS SHELTER,
NEED SOME HUMAN HELP
That photo of the Siberian Husky romping is regal, befitting a dog named King. And the second photo of King suggests that the dog may have ambitions of being the Canine King of Comic Looks.

We got his story from 4-Legged Helpers, the non- profit that works with small, low-traffic shelters to get help for animals that may never been seen. 
Eleven-month-old King is in one of those smaller facilities -- the Ferris Shelter, on I-45 south of Dallas. The Helpers bio reads, “If you are looking for the SWEETEST, panda bear of a dog look no further.  … Playful, young, and extremely cute!  Loves and adores everyone and everything. Fully vaccinated and microchipped.  Knows some commands like sit, down.  He was released to the shelter by someone with some health issues that just could no longer care for him.  King is his actual name.”
That brings us to Gianna, a “young, female Aussie Cattledog mix.” Also at Ferris. And her bio reads, “Sweetest of the sweet and cutest of the cute!  This is a WONDERFUl girl who is just as precious and loving and sweet as can be.  Has had first DHPP vaccinations. She is very deserving and would make someone such a wonderful companion.  She is awesome.”
To ask about either of these dogs or any animal that’s in the “sphere of influence” of 4-Legged Helpers, call or text the helpers at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
AN OLDER CAT IS WAITING
IN THE DALLAS SHELTER
Just happened to spot this girl as I was wishing my diet allowed me to have hot biscuits with butter and strawberry preserves. Alas, I am not allowed to have biscuits or another cat — right now! But someone reading this may have permission to adopt — at NO cost — this girl Biscuit from Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center. 
Her bio says, she needs a “new home" now, “a home where she can not only be called Biscuit, but start making ‘biscuits’ in the bed, on the soft or on your tummy. She will purr and cuddle once she gets familiar with you. This 10-year-old sweetie has a lifetime of love to share with you. Her previous owner brought her to us and now Biscuit is wondering what has happened so let’s get her a new home now.”

You can see how to adopt Biscuit by clicking on the Dallas shelter's HOME PAGE HERE. 
CONTEMPLATIONS
SENECA, FOOTBALL, CRIME & TIME
I am by accident a subscriber to what purports to be an email of humorous quotes and notions. Sunday’s message was a quote from Seneca, the Roman philosopher. It read: “The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable.” I am assuming he said that after watching the defensive coordinator for his favorite university football team after the big game over the weekend at the State Fair of Texas. My colleague in philosophical contemplations Seneca and I (some of my long-ago ancestors were, allegedly, Roman) kid the Texas Longhorns, of course. What a game — all the way to the bitter end — 3 seconds left after the Sooners scored the go-ahead touchdown and won 55-48. My school didn't win, either, Saturday. But the Texarkana Junior College Fightin' Bulldogs haven't fielded a team since about 1965. …
My funspouse Martha frequently ends correspondence with a quote from Unknown Man #89, the 1977 Elmore Leonard crime novel. It reads, “A prompt man is a lonely man.” I am still trying to figure out what that means, though it may indicate that Seneca was right: a prompt man concerned about future events is miserable. So, also, is a prompt man concerned about past events.

In summation, we turn to the philosophers from the 1960s who gathered no moss. Click HERE 
for a timely song but don’t worry about being prompt with your click — there may be a commercial before the music plays!
—- Offer advice or objections by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put STOMP THE WATCH AND DANCE in your subject line. —-

CRITTERFANS, JUST EXACTLY WHAT IS THE SIZE LIMIT ON A NORTH AMERICAN 'LAPDOG'?

For this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, we turn to the famed Merriam Webster Dictionary for help.

The hallowed word-explainers answer our question, "What is the definition of “Lapdog”? 

Yes, we have photographs to support this definition from the company that’s been publishing definitions since 1828, right after I got out of high school. (LARRY ASIDE: Wait, let me check those records.)

Now, back to “Lapdog.” The first definition reads "Lapdog: A small dog that may be held in the lap.” (The other definition is political: “a servile dependent or follower.”) 
Merriam Webster says the “first known use” of “Lapdog” was in 1645 -- at that time it referred only to man's best friend, not man's best political operative.
Anyway, that was long, long time before our dog Wendy was born. She's only about 11 in years and it's been a while since she was a mere 11 in pounds. She could play on a seesaw with a third-grader at her current weight!
That first photo is Wendy in my literatefunspouse Martha’s lap last week. Wendy is “Sleeping Lapdog” in this photograph.
 She is not really “a small dog that may be held in the lap.” She is a large dog who may take over your lap.
So, why did Wendy take over Martha’s lap?
The second photo answers the question. You’ll note that Wendy is quite comfortable in the chair by herself. Her goal with her “Lapdog Impersonation” was to remind Martha that the brown recliner in our house belongs to Wendy.
Once Martha left it and moved to her own recliner, Wendy, the girl with the clown-make-up eyes, returned to her favorite sleeping chair.
And, nearby, Martha was in HER recliner with HER cat, the formerly feral kitten now known as “Esme.” She really is partial to Martha and will join her wherever Martha has chosen to read political news or tales of England while watching British mysteries on the living room TV. They’re a happy pair.
And Wendy is a happy “Lapdog with a purpose” — establish possession of her favorite recliner. She's very appreciative of her reigning status as Household Lapdog. "Kiss, kiss," she might say when Martha puts a book down and Esme goes off in search of a cat treats.
[Dear Readers, please send photos of your small, large or extra-large Lapcats and Lapdogs who are slumbering to dallrp@aol.com and we will spotlight them in our weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be showing people what it's like to have you and your furniture adored by a high-minded domestic animal. And you’ll be inspiring insomniacs to buy two recliners, give one to the dog or cat, and maybe try to nod off in the other one, comforted by the proximity of a household companion who won't be disturbed if you pipe down and go to sleep.]
—- Offer opinions, observations or psychic suggestions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put TURN THE TV OFF, NITWIT in the subject line. — -

DOGS WAITING TO BE WANTED, A CAT WITH NO NAME & TWO MOUSE NOTES

EDITION OF FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021 [PetPowellPress] I have asked my friend, Porche Noel, to give me a hand with this opening paragraph. She flopped over on her Hippie Rug of Galactic Tranquility and went to sleep.
So, here we go with whatever we can spot. Anybody else hear that whistling sound when you move your mouse? Look, if Facebook can crater on a Monday, anything can happen — even a whistling mouse. Ever really wonder if a mouse can whistle? Me, neither. I’ll see what I can find for today’s Contemplations.
Now, back to dogs and cats and a Mouse and Bugs note.
THE FACES OF THE ADORABLES
WHO SIT WAITING IN A SHELTER
The folks at Lancaster Animal Shelter have a bunch of too cute and too unwanted dogs right now. 
Take a look at that guy Joshua. Obviously he’s just a baby of a dog. Australian Shepherd Mix, the shelter says.
He’s a 3-month-old who was a “stray.” Just a wandering puppy.
His bio says, “He is adorable, sweet, cuddly and absolutely loves every- one and every- thing.” [LARRY ASIDE: Yeah, puppies are like that. Haven’t paid enough attention to some of the humans wandering this planet.]

And look at the face and eyes on Tanner (left), about 6 months old, said to be an /Anatolian Shepherd Mix. What? Yep, he’s also a stray. Cute, adorable puppy.
What about this guy Luke? He’s a 10-month old Shepherd Mix. And how did Luke wind up in a city shelter? Surprise! Surprise! He, too, is a stray.

[LARRY ASIDE: What’s the deal? Do people just adopt these puppies and then forget that they adopted them, so the human gift of “talent for being kind” never clicks in and the dog just wanders off? Good grief. Isn’t there some kind of therapy that will help these people remember to use their heads and hearts and not just the “SO WHAT/ DON’T CARE” lobe of their brains? Help me off this soapbox before a slat breaks and I decide an ultra-fattening slice of cake is the only thing that will make me feel better about humanity.]
If you go to the 4-Legged Helpers Facebook page HERE you see the stories of these great faces — Sammy the year-old bulldog mix (left) and Buddy the 10-month-old Bulldog mix who is a favorite of the 4-Legged Helpers. There are other animals needing help at the shelter. To ask about any of them, you may contact the 4-Legged Helpers
by calling or texting 214-949-2726 or FACEBOOK MSG Laura Macias or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. You may also call or text Lancaster Shelter Officer Todd McGehee at 214-436-6424 or EMAIL TMcGehee@lancaster-tx.com/
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH
ALL THE GERMAN SHEPHERDS?
Yeah, we asked that question about all the stray and dumped German Shepherd Dogs around here a couple of months ago. Then, the recent email tips from Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog biographers Judi Brown and Debra Chisholm included these big ol’ dawgs. 
Here of their stories and profiles of other dogs and a cat.

(GSD #1) Judi Brown wrote the story of Blossom (possibly the first GSD I’ve ever encountered named “Blossom”). 
“If you are patient and have a laid-back household,” Judi writes. “Blossom would most likely fit in. Blossom is an 11-months-old German Shepherd pup that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter as a stray on 10/2.”
Judi says the shelter environment of noise and activity has made Blossom a bit timid, but “she will warm up with TLC and attention. By the end of the photo shoot she was coming out from behind the bench and following me. I also got a few tail wags and so did another volunteer! She’s extremely sweet and gentle. She does want to make friends and she did stay very close. She seemed to like it when I petted her and scratched her ears. 
“Her name is appropriate because she does need more tender love and care for her to build trust. Then she can ‘blossom’ to her full potential! She is very calm. However, once trust is built, hopefully she will be more playful and energetic.” Blossom weighs 56 pounds. Her shelter ID is #48787885. Use that ID number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
(GSD #2) Judi also wrote the bio of Fritz, this king-sized (99- pounds) “majestic German Shepherd who arrived … on 9/29 as a stray.” 
During the get-acquainted/photo session, Judi says, “A few times he attempted to jump on me but did not when he was told not to. Due to his size though, he would definitely need to be taught not to do this so that he wouldn’t knock over a young child. Fritz is very alert. The sense of smell is apparently very important to him as he spent a lot of time checking out the yard with his nose. He was friendly and seemed to enjoy being petted. He sits for treats and takes them gently. He wasn’t interested in chasing a ball but was interested in one of my squeaky toys! He has some minor hair loss on his hind quarters and tail. He has been given Frontline to treat this. He does have a strong pull in the leash but then he is a big boy! … He obviously appreciates the A/C as he spent time by the door indicating he wanted to go back inside. He is protective of his kennel but the kennel tech that walked him through the bay said he seemed like he wanted to play with some of the dogs. We always suggest further dog testing.” And she says, Fritz would “love to lay at your feet as you enjoy family time.” He’s # 48766483.

(GSD #3) Debra wrote the story of Lucky, a 2 1/2-year-old, 86-pound German Shepherd Mix who came in as a stray on September 25. 
She writes, “Lucky had a blast in the shelter yard during the photo shoot.  He was quite active in scouting out the smells of the yard and in running about stretching his legs.  He is a high-energy fellow with a confident and outgoing personality.  Nothing shy about Lucky.  He walks very strongly on a leash and will need someone who can handle that strength.  Leash training would seem a great idea.  He's quite excitable and will jump on you.  He is a friendly boy, however and will undoubtedly make some person or family a devoted companion. Lucky would seem best suited to an adopter who is active and will spend time training and exercising him.” Lucky is #47483090. Use his ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Use that contact info for any of these Mesquite animals.
(NOT GSD, #1 CUTIE) Judi also got to meet Dolly who she describes as “a real cutie pie!” 
The 1-1/2-year-old girl is a “white Terrier mix with Dalmatian-like spots. She arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 10/1 as a stray. She weighs 51 pounds and is not fixed. She is a high energy dog with lots of puppy enthusiasm. She appears to love everybody. She’s happy and her tail wags constantly. She could use some manners training to be taught not to jump on you. She does mind when asked to get down but quickly forgets in her excitement to be close to you! When you sit down she tries to get on your lap as she wants to be loved on. She’s just a fun-loving, playful dog that would do best with an active family. She chases balls but does not retrieve them. She sits for treats and takes them gently. … She wagged her tail when meeting other dogs in the bay but was really more interested in getting out into the yard. Further dog testing is recommended. If you’re looking for an active, enthusiastic playful dog then come and meet Dolly. Besides gaining a playmate you’ll have a really cute dog that will get you a lot of compliments when you take her on a walk.” Her shelter ID is #49892060.Yep, same as all the dogs and cays, call 972-216-6283 or email rescues@city-ofmesquite.com.
And when you go to the Mesquite Shelter’s website HERE you can see more dogs and cats.
Among the cats is this nameless girl, #48776034, who is listed as a small, female Domestic Shorthair Mix. The shelter lists her as 1 year, 7 days old [LARRY ASIDE: The shelter may have on staff a very precise Feline Age Estimator.]
This girl has been in the shelter since September 30 and she’s living in the “Executive Suite.” You could call her “Sweet Suite.”
CONTEMPLATIONS
WHISTLING, SPORTS AND MUSIC
This section answers our opening question “Can a mouse whistle?” and it also explains why I never became a scientist: Not smart up to dream up the question “Can a mouse whistle?” and use it to get grants to fund research. Here’s the whistling mice link.  Next, we may ask the question, “Can a mouse whittle?” That’s crazy, of course — who’d sell a pocketknife to a mouse? Keep reading you'll find More Mouse at the end….
You know, Dallas/Fort Worth is getting a Major League Cricket stadium in 2022 — the old Grand Prairie AirHogs’ minor league baseball stadium is being converted. And Major League Rugby is coming to Arlington — the Dallas Jackals home pitch will be in Globe Life Park, now Choctaw Stadium, the 48,000-seat former field of the Texas Rangers big league baseball team. It would be nice, of course, if Globe Life Field, just finishing its second season with the Rangers, would someday be the home of a major league baseball team, instead of becoming the nation’s first Indoor Ping Pong Festival Stadium. The Texas Rangers, never even close to the 2021 playoffs, are now in what is traditionally referred to as “the hot stove league” — so, in hopes that 2022 will be better, turn up the heat when you beg the Rangers to dazzle the Major Leagues with talent and accomplishments in 2022. This is being written the morning after my childhood favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals, coughed up a walk-off homer to the Los Angeles Dodgers. …

Back to a musical Mouse. This one’s a classic, you ol’ rock hippies and garage band fans. Welcome to the Friday edition, Mouse and The Traps. FYI:  Many years ago at a newspaper in a galaxy far, far away (The Dallas Morning News), I interviewed a fabulous guitarist, (Harry Fisher Henderson) asked asked, “How’d you get your nickname?” and he replied, “Mouse called me Bugs because he said I played guitar quicker than a rabbit.” In summation, Mickey Mouse whistled in his debut cartoon, Steamboat Willie. And Mouse (Ron Weiss) thought Bugs, the Traps’ Guitarist ,was as quick as Bugs Bunny. Here’s the big hit, A Public Execution, released in December 1965— just in time for the holidays in the rock/Dylan/Beatles era.
Click HERE and enjoy a tune from an era just before Peace and Love broke out with the “counterculture.”.
— Offer your hip grooves by clickin’ on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put DON’T BOGART in the subject line. —-

ON ONE DAY IN OCTOBER, SOME UNTANGLING AND, OF COURSE, SAVE 'EM ALL

EDITION OF THURSDAY, OCT. 7, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to the world of animals and the people who love them. Please adjust your masks and drop at least a ten spot into the offering plate. Amen! Wait. Sorry. Wrong sentence. That was my opening for when I buy a big tent and start a traveling revival themed “Sinners With Critters: How Angels Earn Their Wings.” Can I get an “Amen!”?
TIME OUT! Can you imagine a more non-profit traveling revival than one that focuses exclusively on getting money from animal rescuers and advocates. As I frequently note, no animal rescuer or animal nut has ever won Lotto Texas or we’d have heard the shouts of relief and joy! (More on that cat in a minute.)

ONE MORE TIME: DOUBLE-O-LOVE

WITH BOND, JAMES BOND…
We’ve mentioned this dog several times recently, thanks to 4-Legged Helpers, and all of us are just a tad astonished that nobody has said, “He can be my dog!” 
He’s Bond, James Bond, currently in the care of a Denton County shelter that doesn’t want to be named, but that doesn’t mean the dog doesn’t have the potential and the inclination to be a great friend. 
The 4-Legged helpers report that there is a $100 donation designated to the non-profit rescue that will claim Bond before the needle can get him. To ask about him (adoption or rescue) call or text the Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. Facebook message Laura Macias, also.

The story on Bond is this: “Knows sit and how to take treats gently. Adores children. Ignores kitty cats. Loves everyone including all other dogs! Does very well on house-training as long as kept on a schedule where he can be let out morning, lunch, etc. He might even know how to shake, i.e. wag (not stir) a martini - we haven't asked him yet. LOL. He is already fixed, microchipped, and fully vaccinated.”

SENIOR BOY FREDDY
NEEDS SOME VET HELP
This guy is Freddy. We learned of him from volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm at Mesquite Animal Services. He is listed as an “Aussie Shepherd mix” and he came in as a stray on the 13th. Freddy is around a dozen years old, weighs just 35 pounds and isn’t neutered. (Oh, my)…. 
Debra’s note reads, “Freddy arrived in pretty rough shape with eye, ear and skin infections and with missing or broken teeth.  It is obvious that this boy has not had the essential care needed for good health.  Possibly he may have been living on the streets for some time. This is a follow-up evaluation to report that the meds and medicated shampoo baths he has received have made a difference in his appearance and undoubtedly in the way he feels. 

“Freddy gets a blue ribbon for how cooperative and submissive he is during bath times!  He has the sweetest, most calm and gentle personality.  He may be house-trained as he tries to hold it and will go outside.  Freddy walks well on a leash.  He loves treats, takes them gently and is highly motivated by them.  He is friendly and enjoys loving attention.   He will sit and give his paw.”
 Freddy is #48689489 — use that number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

You can follow Freddy and other animals on the Mesquite Rescue Network Facebook page HERE.
IS THERE AN OUTBREAK
OF BLACK AND WHITE DOGS?
OK, we’re going to focus on two black and white dogs from two different shelters.

This first girl is Sadie, a project of Friends of Rowlett Animals. (Here’s the LINK.)
Sadie is ID 10-05-2021-2and she came in a s a stray.
Here’s the contact info: Rowlett Animal Shelter 4402 Industrial St. Rowlett TX 75088. Phone: 972-412-6219 Fax: 972-412-6297 Email: animalservices@rowlett.com.
THEN THERE’S LUCY: This black and white girl Lucy is a 9-month-old ‘Terrier Mix’ who is described as “extremely friendly” and she’s a potty-trained/crate-trained dog who needs a new home.
The theory at Trinity GAP Rescue is she’d be an amazing companion for an active owner. The Rescue also notes that Lucy began her life in “very rough” fashion with “abuses from her owner.” To ask about adopting her, email steffeniegaprescue@gmail.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS
A RUSS NOTE, A FISH QUOTE & A KITTEN
I got my covid booster shot Wednesday morning — the side-effect may be disorientation on the computer keyboard. I don’t know how to explain my previous 55 years of typing for a living. Bad judgment when it came to media investments, I guess.
Other than a failure to control the direction of my thoughts, I’m OK — just like I was after the first two shots. I got them when I was on that millionaire’s flight into space. Wait, hmmm. Maybe fantasy memories are a side-effect. I’ll check with my friend in the medical field, Henry Jekyll. Oops, there I go again.
A RECOLLECTION OF RUSS
One of the many Facebook posts I’ve read recently was this one by our friend Mark Verma, the president of Paws In The City, the Dallas-based non-profit animal rescue group. He’s always hustling for animals and for many years was a guest with adoptables on Russ Martin’s radio show on 97.1 the Eagle. (Mark still shows up on the radio with adoptable dogs!) Russ, born Oct. 4, 1960, died Feb. 27, 2021. 
As Mark posted on Wednesday, “Yesterday was Russ Martin’s birthday and he would have been 61. A radio legend and close friend. But I always think of his commitment to police officers, firefighters, first responders and of course companion animals/animal rescue. He always told me no pics in the studio but I snuck a few in over the years…lol.” 
That's one of those pictures — and it captures Russ on the air with a dog at his side. He was a great friend to animals. Not only did he make time for them on his shows but he also created The Russ Martin Show Listeners Foundation in 2002 to benefit the families of firefighters and police officers who die “in the line of duty,” as the honored and honorable to too-frequently-used phrase goes. 
As those who knew him might tell you, there was Russ the Radio Personality and then there was Russ, the guy with the big, sensitive heart. …
NOW, ABOUT THAT KITTEN…FYI: I’m still trying to organize my week — it’s been in disarray because of the Facebook crash, the recovery of a tiny kitten, the lack of sleep and the urge to follow the suggestion of my fellow journalist Luther Heggs in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken: “Why don’t you run up an alley and holler ‘FISH!’? 
Following up on this potentially blind, incredibly skinny, very loud and cuddly kitten. My funspouse Martha and I thought we were done with raising a cat. But as I told you in the previous edition, I found a wee, little kitten with maybe 5-weeks of ugly life-neglect experience on a Duncanville street. 
Fortunately I have parental experience in dealing with twin infant boys and it comes in handy when you are tending to a “must-be-fed-every-3-hours” kitten who is louder than any nutty nightbird in the neighborhood. 
My experience with twins taught me that the right thing to do at night is, when awakened by a very loud infant or two, elbow your sleeping partner and say, “Somebody really needs you.” 
I’m kidding. Martha didn’t fall for that line of bunk. Martha’s stepmaternal instincts kicked in and she said in her terrifying 3 a.m. sleepy voice that I interpreted as, “Nice try, you nitwit” and she went back to sleep. She was taking the 5 a.m. shift. Bless her heart.
How tough is that kitten? At 3:15 a.m., as I was giving him his bottle of kitten formula, he bit the nipple off the bottle. Bit it right off. I said a prayer for his vanished mother — probably a cat with a big bandage on her tummy and a grimace in her mew.
That’s the latest photo of Hastings, taken around 1 p.m. Wednesday after I got back from getting my covid booster shot. 
That big mark on my cat-holding hand? Bruise from yardwork. Well, OK, it was attempted yardwork. That bracelet in disarray? Favorite gift from my knows-where-she-is-spouse Martha -- it's a bracelet with an engraving of the longitude and latitude of where we first me -- 3rd floor of the Rock of Truth building that once held The Formerly Big Paper in Downtown Dallas. Yep, two animal nuts meet and marry -- sounds like a sitcom, doesn't it. Maybe it is...
— Offer ideas or therapy by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put ‘SAVE ‘EM ALL’ in the subject line. —