THE CHALLENGES OF A SUNNY DAY RE: ANIMALS AND HUMANKIND

EDITION OF FRIDAY, FEB. 25, 2022 [PetPowellPress] The sun was beautiful Friday morning. It’s beautiful every day, it turns out. Somedays you can’t see it for the clouds, which also can be beautiful in Texas.
Remember, there are animals in shelters and rescue groups and — oh, my! — roaming in streets and parks all over the greater metrosprawl. Save ‘em all, right?
WE LOVE CHUCK, ADORE
CUDDLES; CRUELLA CHARMS
On this sunny Friday morning, we read a note regarding Chuck the Lab’s health. Earlier, people had been worried about the way he was walking, but a vet check seems to discount anything except maybe a minor skin issue and a bit of hip pain rimadyl will take care of — that’s according to a vet report.
[LARRY ASIDE: Chuck, also, might be a little bit heavy for his hips — yes, I can absolutely relate to that.] 

His bio, courtesy of Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm, says Chuck [#49555873] was surrendered to the shelter on Feb. 8. “Owner works too much and doesn’t have time for Chuck,” the bio reads. Also, it says he’s a year-and-a-half old, weighs 87 pounds and is neutered. House-trained, indoor/outdoor life and is a “friendly tail-wagging boy” who is “well-mannered, calm and gentle.” 
The routine is, as you probably know, if you’re interested in an animal in Mesquite, give the animals ID number when you call the shelter at
972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
That brings us to #49609469, the year-and-a-half-old, 56-pound copper and black-striped Pittie who came in as a stray on the 16th.
Her volunteer biographer Judi Brown writes, “Cuddles is appropriately named!”
And, Judi is enamored of Cuddles’ appearance, too. She writes, “Her coloring and her hazel eyes make her a stand out! When I took her back through the bay, another volunteer commented about how pretty she was. When I went into her kennel I was greeted with hugs, kisses and tail wags. Then when she got out into the yard she spent some time exploring indicating that she’s very alert. She kept checking out the gate but I didn’t get the impression she was trying to get out. It just seemed like she was curious and wanted to know what was going on around her. After she had thoroughly checked out the yard, she came back to spend time with me. When I sat down she tried to crawl on my lap indicating she is a lapdog wannabe. … At the end of our time together she got a little excited and jumped up but other than that she did not jump on me. It’s obvious she’s recently had a litter. … Cuddles is a good name for her because she is very affectionate and wants to go home with you to cuddle. I can see her curled up next to you on the couch or in her doggy bed. She weighs 56 pounds.”
And you can see more Mesquite dogs and cats at the shelter’s website HERE. 
[LARRY ASIDE: We’re all full up with cats at readlarrypowell.com's spacious, fully-staffed Mansion For Expenditures, but if we weren’t, there’s a chance we’d drive all the way to Mesquite and sign up to adopt this elegantly coated catgirl Cruella (#49614957). She's 2, small and came into the shelter on Feb. 17. Look for her in the catroom or online at the Mesquite site.]
4-LEGGED HELPERS ‘BEGGING’
FOR HELP IN SMALL SHELTERS
Nothing new in that headline, but that’s because humans “set animals free” or ignore them when they leave or just flat don’t care whatever happened to that dog we used to have. In some areas of Dallas and Denton counties, humans have bad habits when it comes to animals.

This girl is Sasha. “A friendly Boxer mix” who is in the Ferris Animal Shelter. She’s young. Healthy. And ready to be in an actual home again. 

This boy is Wilson, a 5 or 6-year-old, 70-pound “bulldog mix” who is in the care of a “private animal control” in Denton County. He’s playful, house-trained, and healthy — probably best as an “only dog” who is loved by his humans, the Helpers’ note suggested. 
For these and any other animals being monitored by 4-Legged Helpers, email Laura Macias at [email protected] or call or text 214-949-2726.
Also, you can see more animals in the 4-Legged Helpers’ “sphere of influence and care” by going to their Facebook page HERE.

[LARRY ASIDE: Remember, the Helpers are helping animals in shelters that don’t have big staffs and public relations campaigns to draw attention to their availability as a beloved member of the family. In fact, some cities have shelters but they’re regarded as places you warehouse unwanted animals until it’s time to kill ‘em and make room for the next ones.]
BE ON THE LOOKOUT
IN DALLAS’ OAK LAWN AREA….
You see photos of a Heeler who was frightened and elusive on Feb. 18. He’s still elusive. 
We got a note from Sara Wojtylak who explains, “I was fostering a dog who has lived his life outside. He's very skittish and broke out of his harness on Friday night (Feb. 18) when strangers (drunkenly) approached him, disregarding my  request not to. 
“I'm trying to spread the word to find him. My heart is breaking since it's so cold out and I'm at a loss for ideas. Can you keep your eye out for him and provide any suggestions on what I can do to locate him? He isn't chipped and doesn't have any identification on him.
“DAS originally found him in the Seagoville area at the intersection of 635 and 75 in the 75253 ZIP Code. I lost him in Oak Lawn, 75219. “
He was last seen near Hood and Fairmount, the note said.
You can see the contact point on that poster (click it to may it grow!). And, as you probably know, this guy won’t answer to Arlo — hasn’t been his name that long and he’s probably not interested in coming to you, anyway. Make sure you call the number, not the dog.
CONTEMPLATIONS
ASSORTED NOTES ON LIFE
Before I move on, this guy “Arlo” reminds me of our late Heeler mix Annie (right). We lived with her nearly her entire life -- got her when she was about a month old. That’s her mom, Calamity, in the nameplate at the top of readlarrypowell.com. She was a very elusive neighborhood stray — I tried to catch her for about two years. Eventually, my rescuespouse Martha and I got her when she had a litter of puppies (including Annie) under a neighbor’s storage shed. My brother, Garry, took Calamity and they were made for each other. The folks at East Lake Pet Orphanage took the other 5 puppies and we kept Annie. She was adorable and rascally and testy and then adorable again. Heelers are special. Too smart for their own good sometimes — like many dogs. Bless that boy “Arlo” and keep him safe until he can get into that wonderful, understanding, adoring home.
Speaking of loving dogs. ...
We’ve long admired the rescue work of Cheri Fults, founder of Recycled Pomeranians and Schipperkes. She posted this as that business in Ukraine was heating up and we fell right in line with her thinking: “To all of the ‘I can’t take my dog because I’m moving’ people … Ukrainians are sheltered in subways WITH their pets! Let’s hope and pray they are all safe.” I think you get the point if you’ve ever seen someone surrendering a puzzled animal at a kill shelter. …
Once again, the bottom line is this: Save ‘em all.
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