THE CRISES AT SHELTERS: THE DOGS AND CATS AND WHY DO HUMANS DUMP 'EM?

EDITION OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022 [PetPowellPress] NEWSBURST! I’m kidding. I’m saving that NEWSBURST declaration for the arrival of the first daytime high in the low 80s. Next week, maybe. 
What’s that? No, I’m not a weatherman. But I do predict hot and dry for the rest of the day. You don't have to be a certified TV meteorologist to get that right. Now, give some animals some cool homes.
A DOG THAT MIGHT JUST
TOUCH YOUR HEART….
HERE’S THE SENTENCE THAT GOT ME: “She just sat there, intently watching everyone who came in the shelters front door.”
Anybody who doesn’t think animals aren’t capable of anticipation and all other GOOD human emotions hasn’t spent any time around a dog or a cat or a cow or a horse, etc.
So, the people who tipped readlarrypowell to Lottie’s state of despair are a couple of our veteran tipsters through the years, Amy Poskey and Kimberly Jones.
Lottie, (#99782) at Denton Animal Services, is between 6 and 9 months old and has been available for adoption for about a month.
The subject line of the emails read “Adorable Lottie: Sad dog watches the door of shelter.” 
Someone we don’t know, writing as “thorpeland,” wrote earlier in the week, “I had to work up at the Denton Animal Shelter today. Anytime I'm there I like to take a look at the doggies and kittens they have, even though can't take in anymore.

“On this visit, I saw this poor girl. She just sat there, intently watching everyone who came in the shelter’s front door. Despite all the barking from other dogs, she remained quiet. Her ears would perk up each time someone new came in. I felt so bad for her. You could tell she was looking for a familiar face. I hope someone adopts her.”
The Denton Shelter, at 3717 N. Elm St., is open for walk-ins from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitations end at 4:30 p.m., the website says. Call the shelter at 940-349-7594.
And this is Lottie’s PetFinder LISTING.
[LARRY ASIDE: People of Earth, stop dumping your animals … They are, unlike some of you, thinking beings with hearts and emotions. Love. Love ‘em back. Think that sentence insulted people who dump animals into perilous situations? I think people that do that can’t read a lick.]
MEANWHILE IN DAINGERFIELD,
TWO CATS FEATURED, ETC.
Tami Kukla, the animal advocate who has “adopted” the Daingerfield Animal Shelter as a “save ‘em all” type project, tipped us to these two cats. Two cats; two different stories.
Violet and Holly are at the very real risk of euthanasia in the Daingerfield shelter. It’s at “critical capacity,” the appeal notes report.
[LARRY NOTE: Daingerfield, population pushing 2,700, is in East Texas, about 2 1/2 hours east/southeast of Dallas — take I-30 to Highway 49 and follow the signs. Way out there in the pine forests and fishing ponds and, yet, a small town with big city animal-dumping challenges.]
The first cat is Violet. The story is she “came in with her 3 babies a few months ago. She has been the calmest most loving girl. She is looking for a home that doesn't have a lot of excitement going on as she prefers to just hang out and chill. She is pretty shy so we would say a family with older kids.” The adoption fee is $60 and that “includes a voucher for her spay and rabies and microchip.”

Tami sent a shelter note about the other cat. It reads, “Miss Holly! Talk about the queen. This beautiful girl comes prespoiled (as do all of our animals). She is looking for a home that has no other animals and no little kids. She is very picky about her humans and has no problem letting you know if you are the one for her that day. She prefers to spend her day watching the world go by but has her moments of play time too.”
But there’s more from Tami and you’ll see deeper into The Holly Story. Tami wrote of Holly, “She has lived her entire 6 years of life at the Daingerfield Animal Shelter in Texas. The shelter is at Critical Capacity and she is at EU risk. We cannot let Holly never know what it is like to have a home of her own. That would be tragic. She has a fun-loving, sassy personality and wants to be your one and only. Adopt her today. 
I met Holly and she is a stunning girl who is a huge fan of treats.”

To save these cats, call the shelter at 903-645-2120. Email [email protected] The shelter is at 1107 Bert Street Daingerfield, TX 75638. Like Violet’s arrangement, the adoption fee is $60 and includes voucher for spay and rabies and microchip.

[LARRY NOTE: In case you wondered about how active Daingerfield’s euthanasia needle can get, here's the "ETC." part of the report. … On the 26th of July we posted a note about this dog Kessa. The story was “This gorgeous girl needs someone experienced with street dogs. She wants to learn people and the shelter team is working with her. She needs a rescue who can work with her.” Shortly thereafter, it became too late to help Kessa. Euthanized. Other dogs remain. See the shelter’s animal list on PetFinder HERE.]
AND SOME DOGS ARE WAITING
AND WHO CAN EXPLAIN WHY?
The people at 4-Legged Helpers have been hustling to find homes for animals that are in small shelters and for animals that are in “private animal control” situations. These two happen to be in Denton County.
 As you can see, these dogs are very photogenic and, probably, will be the companions you can talk to and gleefully talk about. We call those “good dogs.”
 But aren't they all!
That first dog is Daisy, a “spayed and vaccinated Aussie Shepherd Mix available now!”
She is said to be “a very affectionate, beautiful little girl that is extremely friendly!  SO SWEET.  She adores children and does well with other dogs once introduced properly.  A perfect family dog that just so very much wants to be loved. Already spayed and fully vaccinated.  Please, help save her!!  She is the very definition of sweetness.”
That brings us to Cali, described as a “spayed & vaccinated Catahoula mix.” Her status? “AVAILABLE NOW,” in Denton County. As you can see in that photo, Cali knows how to lounge with a human. It’s a comfort for both the human and the dog.
Her bio reads,
“You won't meet a more fun, loving, friendly, sweetie pie anywhere than Cali.  ADORES EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING.  All children.  All other dogs.  Goofy, playful, silly. Cali enjoys fetching balls and playing with toys so she is tons of fun.  Happiest pup anywhere.  We are serious! 
"Already spayed and fully vaccinated.  Please, help save her!!!”
To ask about rescuing or adopting these dogs, call or text 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected]
 Follow 4-Legged Helpers HERE
 — you’ll see animals they’re trying to help. Also contact the Helpers and volunteer to be one — fosters, transporters, do-gooders can all help save animal lives in this crushing time of dumping and abandoning.
CONTEMPLATIONS
LABELS AND OTHER NOTES
As I was typing this edition I thought about using the term “good dog” — something people frequently say to their canine pals. Then, as I thought about it, it occurred to me that in my entire lifetime, I’ve never met a dog who didn’t qualify as “Good Dog” — unless, of course, some jerk human had made the dog afraid of the world. I’ve been at adoption events where volunteers would caution, “Watch out! He doesn’t like men.” And, you’ve probably read bios here that quote a report that the dog “flinches when you reach out to pet” him or her. Humans — how can we get them to behave better than a good dog? …
AT OUR HOUSE these days, we have a few “floor fans” augmenting the central air-conditioning. During my insomnia last night it occurred to me that the home we live in now is suddenly sounding a lot like the house I grew up in — a 1948-built, 2 bedroom, 1 bath, frame home with no air-conditioning. We did have fans, though. Whirrrrrrr all night long mixed with the sounds of bugs, birds, barking dogs and passing traffic coming through the open windows. In those days, it was news when the temperature hit 100 — these days, it’s getting to be normal.
CAT-IN-A-BASKET? No, it’s “Cat—in-HER-Basket.” That’s my rescuespouse Martha’s personal cat, Esme, who arrived as a kitten in 2012 and was immediately named (by Martha) after Esme the Snake in the Chevy Chase/Goldie Hawn 1978 comedy Foul Play. Formerly a feral kitten in our old Dallas Zip Code. Now a cuddlecat. And she’ll talk to you if you don’t dish the treats out quick enough to suit her. Plus, she has a secret time-limit on petting by anyone but my funspouse Martha. I get about 3 minutes and Esme moves on. Still, what an honor!
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