WARMING 'HOUNDS, A BETTY WHITE NOTE; COURT GIVES 80 ANIMALS TO SPCA; POWDER THE DOG'S FLINCH ...

BEFORE THE TEMPS DROP EDITION OF FRIDAY, JAN. 14, 2022 [PetPowellPress] We’ve got 3 main topics today: The SPCA of Texas got custody of all those rescued animals from Hunt County at a hearing Friday. The Greyhound Adoption League of Texas is coping with a heating outage at its Houn House boarding facility. And in Mesquite there’s a dog with a strong “flinch response” because he wasn’t loved enough (if at all) in his previous home. Also, some Contemplations.
WHEN HEAT FAILS IN WINTER,
IT’S A DOG’S LIFE — BUT GALT'S
TRYING TO KEEP THINGS WARM
We'll get to the Betty White story in a second. First, there's a chance to help some people help animals.
About a week ago we cited the situation being faced by Houn House, the boarding facility of the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas: ”Broken gas line and no heat at the kennel” that began as the old year was ending.

This morning, as I awoke to a nice spring morning in our neighborhood, I opened the weekly newsletter from the folks with GALT and saw the headline, “OUR HEATING SAGA CONTINUES.”

GALT's report reads that by the end of that first weekend, “we were already on the second external diesel heating unit. This past Monday evening, the motor on the replacement unit stopped working and, unfortunately, the overnight temps were dropping to freezing. A third replacement unit was not immediately available. At 9 p.m. several volunteers converge upon Houn House to set up several crates in the area of the building that has electric heat for dogs that would not wear jackets.” [LARRY NOTE: More on that in Contemplations.]
The volunteers, according to GALT, set up fans to blow the “warmer air into the run area for the remaining hounds. Thanks to previous caulking repairs our volunteers made on new Year’s Eve and the strategic placement of towels to keep out the cold, the temperature in the kennel area stayed in the mid-50s overnight!”
While we usually cite photos of adorably adoptable Greyhounds, that’s a photo of the third heating unit that was set up this week and “now the heat is back on,” GALT reports. Also, GALT is “still waiting word from Atmos Energy about the long-term solution to repair the gas line to the facility.”

The reasons readlarrypowell mentions all this are these (1) This might be a great time for you to adopt or foster a Greyhound from GALT and (2) GALT always needs donations. These people are very serious about getting every Greyhound into a happy place. And, in winter, a warm place, and in spring, summer and autumn in Texas, a cool place. Go to galtx.org and see how you can help, foster and adopt. Maybe there’s somebody reading who can even repair the whole shebang at no cost. Heck, a fellow can dream, right?

 The weekly newsletter also had a tribute to actress/personality/animal fan Betty White. It was a “”note from one of our adoptors, Mark Johndrow, who got to meet her.” John had written about this photo, “In 2012, Paula and I, with Greyhound Skidmore Salvator (“Sal”) were on our annual Greyhounds Reach the Beach excursion in Delaware, enjoying the vendor tens, dog-watching, ice cream socials with dog friendly cold treats, evening gatherings at all the restaurants and a large enclosed field where the Greys were able to open up and run. On one particular afternoon, we spotted the figure we all know and love from TV, Betty White, walking on the beach! She was the keynote speaker that weekend. … On that day we were lucky enough to be n the beach when Ms. White was taking in the ocean breezes. We hurried our Sal a big to catch up, hoping for a quick photo. Not only did we get our photo, she took a few minutes out of her stroll to ask about us and our Sal. What stood out the most was that she was a kind, gentle, caring person with a heart to match her smile and wit. To this day we brag about meeting Betty White and were saddened to hear of her recent passing. We know that our Sal has gained a friend across that Rainbow Bridge and they shall met on the other sands again for another ear scratch and nose kisses.”
[LARRY TIME-OUT: I’ve got to dab something out of my eyes. I’ll blame allergies.]

OK, you already know how to adopt a GALT Greyhound — go to galtx.org — and among those Greyhounds is this girl Sally, a 5-year-old fawn female. [LARRY EARHOUND NOTE: Yes, Sally is an Earhound, too. And we refer to this set of ears as “Divorce Ears.” Sally was “surrendered due to a divorce,” GALT says. If you’ve ever been through a divorce, you know that for about 4 or 5 years your ears are kind of askew and will blow in the wind. Divorce Ear Syndrome.]

And, don’t forget, Nick and Nora. Rescued as tiny puppies from a cruelty situation in Paul’s Valley, Okla., the siblings were initially identified as Greyhound puppies, so GALT took them in. As you can see, Nick and Nora have not grown up to be actual Greyhounds, but they have grown up to be adorable adoptables and "Honorary Greyhounds" to be treasured and treated with the love all dogs deserve. They are clearly photogenic!
OK, everybody stay warm.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE
WARM DOGS AVAILABLE
This was the part of Powder’s bio that got to me. “He has a strong flinch reflex when you reach for him, indicating that was possibly harshly disciplined.” That came from Mesquite Animal Services volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm who has met and walked with this guy. Powder is about 2, weighs 58 pounds and came in as a stray. His breeds include a mix of “American Pit Bull/Dogo Argentino/American Bulldog.”
 Was he a treasured house dog? Not at all, Debra suggests. “From his appearance it seems likely that Powder lived outside.  He is tentative when walking on a leash.  He needs to build more confidence when being walked on a leash.  It is hard to tell how he reacts to other dogs because when he was led through the bay he was scared.  It takes a bit of time for him to warm up but after being shown kindness he will relax and enjoy loving attention. Powder was quite happy to explore the yard during the photo shoot.  He does have a cherry eye.  He has a calm and well-mannered demeanor and does not jump on you.” Powder is #49380224 — use that when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected] quite.com.

Debra says this black and tan mixed breed is Mason, about 2, weighs 57 pounds and came in as a stray on the 7th. “Nothing shy or timid about this fellow,” she writes, adding, “He has a very energy level and jumps on you quite a bit.  He needs obedience classes to be taught to not jump.  In fact, this would not be a good fit for a family with young children as he would jump on them and knock them over.  Mason would enjoy a family with teenage boys who would wrestle with and give him lots of exercise and play time.  Mason is friendly and seems really to enjoy hanging out with people.” He’s #49375396.
This guy is Gelato, a Dutch Shepherd mix who — get this, Dear Readers, — was SURRENDERED TO THE MESQUITE SHELTER on Jan. 6 with “3 other family dogs.” Why? “Financial hardship,” was the reason given, Debra reports. [LARRY ASIDE: Bless those dogs, bless those people — may all find happiness after this wretched experience.] The 45-pound, year-old, neutered dog is “quite timid and nervous and seems bewildered as to why he has ended up in a city shelter,” Debra writes. “He is a bit skittish and somewhat restless in the yard. He is cautiously friendly and takes a while to relax and warm up.  He needs to build confidence and learn to trust but he has so much potential. He will need a little extra TLC and patience.  He does not seem to know any commands. Gelato is OK with being petted and loved on.” He’s #49367132.
And there’s Big Man, 2, a 54-pound mixed-breed who was surrendered on the 6th because his human “has a sick relative who needs his attention and he did not have the time to care for Big Man any more.” Big Man is a “calm gentle and well-mannered” dog who “doesn’t jump on you,” Debra reports. He likes kids but not cats.
She also says, “He is cautiously friendly.  He just scared and doesn't quite know why he is in this noisy place instead of with the people who had him as a family pet for 2 years.  He does have some scars on his body but not sure the cause.  Owner said he was an inside/outside dog.  From the looks of him, he appears to have spent most of his time outdoors.  He needs to learn to trust and will doubtless relax."
And Debra wrote, "This boy captured my heart and I hope there is a person or family who will see his sweet nature and the potential he has to be a wonderful family pet.” Big Man is #49352968.
In honor of the weather, we cite another of the animals you can see by clicking on THIS LINK to animals in the Mesquite shelter. This girl is Sunny Lou (#48799568), just over 2 years old. Mesquite has a range of cats and kittens available for adoption and for rescue groups.
CONTEMPLATIONS
COATS, CATS & COWBOYS
That Greyhound story that included the line “Greyhounds that would not wear jackets” reminded me of some of the tough older fellers I grew up around in Northeast Texas. I am imagining the tough ex-athlete Greyhound fellows turning down the offer of a jacket and going to a corner of the yard to huddle with like-minded men and smoke in the winter night while complaining about how cold it is. But, that’s probably just my upbringing. I watched those guys from a distance -- never smoked. Winter coats have always sold well in Texas, right? But the men are still really tough, right? …
I began typing this as two perfectly warmed cats, William the Older Office Cat and Hastings the Apprentice Kitten (still not sure what he’ll grow into — might be a Tufted Texas Big Bend Leopard) stage a WWF (World Wide Feline) rasslin’ match on the floor of my office. Rowdy boys. They stopped after 3 falls and apparently took a commercial break at one of the food dishes. …

And just for fun, here’s a last-century recording of a Dallas Cowboys fight song. CLICK HERE. We have no betting tips and no prediction for the weekend’s playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. Not one prediction. OK, one prediction: No snow on the field. In spite of Stock Show Weather.
—- Offer favorite song or tap dance video by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “BE QUIET, BIG TAPPER” in the subject line. —-