ReadLarryPowell.com

UPDATE ON ASTRO, NEW NOTES, TIGER NOTES AND A LITTLE DOG IN A FAMILY FIX

EDITION OF FRIDAY, AUG. 19, 2022 [PetPowellPress] This is an extra edition for Friday — later today we’ll post Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, our long-running weekend feature.
 In the meantime, if you don’t have a dog or cat, you have an empty spot in your life. Not everybody is suited for living with an animal. So, if you’re not, don’t get one. Donate generously to rescue groups and you can claim all the dogs and cats as “animals I helped save.” MORE IN CONTEMPLATIONS, INCLUDING A DIFFERENT “TIGER” and a little dog in need of help. That photo? One morning this week Wendy said, “You take the selfie —you’ve got thumbs. Meanwhile, I’ll show people the attractive hair pattern on my chin and, then, they can realize you aimed the camera right up the nostrils on your gigantic nose.” She’s such a dear girl.
THE MASTIFF MIXES
IN FOREST HILL
We reported in our previous edition that the bonded Mastiff mixes who’d been on the clock in the Forest Hill Animal Shelter had been rescued. But we didn’t know by whom.
Fortunately, we know someone who knew. Our pal Kimberly Jones, the veteran rescuer and determined animal advocate, told us “Big Dogs Huge Paws got them!” 
She also sent us this photo. It’s among the “freedom pics” of the pups as they leave the shelter in the care of Big Dogs Huge Paws, the Colorado-based rescue that lives up to its name when it comes to their mission.
 Read all about Big Dogs Huge Paws Rescue at this link: bigdogshugepaws.com
You can see adoptable animals, see how to support the mission and read about the organization.
AN UPDATE ON ASTRO,
DOG WITH BULGING EYE
We got the tip on the Pound Pals update on Astro from Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com,
And it’s a good update so far: “The decision was made to move forward and take the last surgery spot on yesterday's surgery schedule even though we were not quite where we had hoped to be on the financial end.

“Astro had his eye removed. His leg was amputated and he was neutered. Dr. Rocky said he did not see any type of tumor behind Astro's bulging eye but the eye is being sent to histopathology to ensure there is no trace of cancer. Astro's leg was amputated at the hip. The entire leg will be sent in for histopathology. Our initial X-ray report list three possibilities - joint disease, fungal infection or cancer. The cause appeared to be contained within the knee joint so I am hoping for good news. Dr Rocky, however, believes it was cancer. In which case good news would be grade 1 or 2.”

And the update says those key reports will begin coming in next week. And the Pound Pals ask, “In the meanwhile, please keep Astro in prayer and if you have not donated for him yet but would like to help him, please send your donation through www.poundpals.com.

“Yesterday was a big day for him and his recovery is going to take some time. The soonest Astro will be able to leave the hospital will be August 29th. That is hospital time not boarding. Astro's post surgery hospital fees are building (and were not included in the surgery estimate). So we have gone out on a limb for Astro in hopes that followers will see him through.”
TWO YOUNG HOUNDS TURN UP
IN THE CARE OF FERRIS
These two are Merritt and Honor — boy and girl Hound mixes available at this very moment (unless someone beat you to them) at the Ferris Animal Shelter just south of Dallas. 
The story from 4-Legged Helpers reads that these two young hounds or hound-mixes “were found in a known dumping area out in rural Dallas County. They are SO SWEET and lovable.
"Is there anything goofier or more lovable than a hound pup?  Super sweet and friendly.  So happy to have been picked up. Finder believes them to be a young male and female.
"Clearly siblings.  They appear to be maybe 8-11 months old but this is best guess.” 
To ask about Merritt and Honor, call or text the 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].

THREE IN MESQUITE
AND HOW THEY GOT THERE
Volunteer Mesquite Animal Shelter dog biographer Judi Brown sent us the bio of Layla and Judi’s colleague in biography Debra Chisholm sent us the story of siblings Jazzy and Dorothy.

“Layla is quite the charmer!” Judi writes, noting that the Pittie mix was brought in as a stray by one of the shelter officers on August 12. Layla, about a year old, weighs 34 pounds and “walks well on a leash.” And, Judi says, she “knows the sit command. She has a moderate activity level and is spunky and outgoing.  She does jump on you so that will need some attention.  She has a confident personality.  She likes to play with balls and toys.  Layla spent a lot of time exploring the room where I did her photo session.  She is friendly and has such a sweet nature.  There is nothing timid or shy about her.  She wasn't  interested in treats.  She was happy to receive loving attention and allowed me to pet and love on her.” Use Layla’s shelter ID 50758108 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
 Same contact points when you ask the shelter about Dorothy (#50884506) and Jazzy (#50884448), both arrived at the shelter on Aug. 12, but, Debra writes, “It is uncertain whether Dorothy and Jazzy are from the same family or just running buddies.  Regardless, they are being kenneled together and do fine with each other.  

“Dorothy is an American Pit mix, approx 1 year old and weighing 34 pounds.  She is playful, high-spirited, enthusiastic and fun-loving.  She does jump on you which is something which will need to be addressed.  She does walk well on a leash.  She likes treats and takes them gently.  She is friendly, affectionate, a lap-dog wannabe and very much enjoys loving attention.  This tail-wagging pup wants more than anything to find her very own forever home.  Our shelter is so critically overcrowded that we are badly in need of adoptions and rescues.”

Jazzy is described by Debra as a “little cuddlebug” who is an “an American Staffordshire mix” At about 8 months old, unspayed Jazzy weighs in at 27 pounds.
 “She thoroughly enjoys interacting, cuddling and receiving loving attention from a human companion,” Debra wrote. “She does not walk on a leash and I had to carry her.  She has probably never had a leash on but could undoubtedly be leash trained.  She did not seem to have issues with the other dogs whose kennels we passed.  She is a frisky, tail-wagging bundle of puppy energy.  She likes treats and takes them gently.  She is playful and enjoyed playing with balls and toys.  She has a sweet, outgoing personality.”
Here’s another Mesquite sentence to remember: “Our shelter is way beyond capacity and we are out of space to properly house our dogs so please assist [these dogs] if you can by networking or tagging.”

THE SPCA, PETCO TEAM
TO SAVE THE ANIMALS…
This announcement arrived from the SPCA of Texas and it has to do with Saturday activities. The SPCA of Texas “will receive a $10,000 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love during a special celebration” at 1 p.m. Saturday at Petco Northview Plaza, 10675 E. NW Highway, in Dallas. (FYI: The SPCA will also have available adorables at the Petco site from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.Saturday.
] The grant, says the SPCA, “will support the organization’s lifesaving work for animals in the North Texas area through its Russell H. Perry Pet Resource Center.”
FYI at this LINK you can read SPCA press releases and at spca.org you can see adoptables and also learn how to volunteer at the SPCA.
CONTEMPLATIONS
CUTE DOG, TWO TYPES OF TIGERS
This is one of those dog situations that makes a person stop and think, i.e., contemplate the way things work out sometimes. We got the story from Mari Flores who tells us, “I have done some animal rescue in the past and I had a lady reach out to me …” Here’s the contemplation part: The lady’s daughter dumped her dog with mom and now won’t have anything to do with Mom or the dog. Mom lives in an apartment that doesn’t allow animals and she’s trying to find a home for the Chihuahua-type without losing her home. That’s the dog. We don’t know about the animal’s veterinary history and we don’t know the dog’s actual name. Mari is like me and most of you — our canine and feline spots are already full at our house. [LARRY ASIDE: And the rub is my wonderspouse Martha and I lived many years with two Chihuahuas, Vera and Rosie (now barking in Heaven) and I know what great friends these little ones can be.] If you can help this dog, right now the contact point is Mari at [email protected]. In the meantime, we’ll pray that Mother and Daughter work things out — they know inside that they need each other. …
And, if, as the big news story says, that local firm is able to clone Tasmanian Tigers — extinct since 1936 — back into existence, we’ll need a rescue group in North Texas to handle the animals people thought were so cute but turned out to be just a little too “old school critter” for the household. That’s a photo from Australia’s Hobart Zoo in the 1930s. Here’s a BBC story on the scientific project. Turns out the Tasmanian Tiger is not a dog and not a big cat, it is a marsupial — both the female and male have “pouches” — just like a possum. …

About the young Tiger recovered during an arrest in the Red Bird area of Dallas this week: My nativeDallasspouse and I used to live almost midway between this site and the Dallas Zoo to the north. We never once saw a Tiger roaming the neighborhood. If we’d seen one, I’d have treated it like any other cat in our Zip Code and taken it in. First I’d have tried to get it into a no-kill shelter — unless it really began to feel at home. If that happened — and I’m sure it would have; it always does — I’d have added a room onto the house and given him his own cable line and big screen TV. I know how to treat an animal who’s down on his luck. He’d have learned to like vegetarian meals and late night TV.
—-Offer whatever you think by clicking on ‘comment’ below by emailing [email protected] and put YOU NEED SLEEP in the subject line. —-

HERE WE ARE: HUMANS, MOVING TOWARD A WEEKEND; DOGS AND CATS WAITING

EDITION OF THURS PM/FRIDAM AUG. 18-19, 2022 [PetPowellPress] As I began typing this I looked out the office window and did not see a blistering sun frying what’s left of the brown grass and weeds that once covered our front yard with green. My strategy: Let the rain revive the “lawn.” That’s office cat William Powell — as I type this sentence — trying to determine if he can see grass growing. Wait. He may be waiting for the trash truck. He is a cat of varied interests.
ONCE UPON A TIME THERE
WAS A HOUSE, THEN ….
Oh, boy, this is one of those situations that’ll blister your brain if you try to analyze the behavior of the humans who were involved at one key moment in the lives of these FOUR cats.
Fortunately, there are other people stepping up to try to get the right thing done! 
Our tip came from determined animal advocate Kimberly Jones. The note she sent reads, “These 4 precious kitties were abandoned when their owners moved and their home torn down to build new construction... They currently live outdoors on the empty lot.”
That site is in the northern sector of the metro area and those are two of the cats on the property in the opening photo.
 But there’s more in the note. It reads, “A kind girl named Hayley has been caring for them... feeding them daily and making sure they are all spayed/neutered  and vaccinated. They need indoor fosters or adopters. ASAP!!!
"Animal Rescue Crusaders is helping screen adopters and find them homes!!!
CONTACT Hayley at [email protected] for more info on these adorable cats… You can also contact J'Anna with ARC via the links below or katsluvme72@hotmail. com)"

The cat walking with her tail curled is Bunty. Her link is HERE.
TULA is that cat in full fashion model mode — she has that great attitude for the camera. Click HERE FOR TULA.
FRIDA is a boy with a girl’s name. And you can read about this Tabby Tiger Mix HERE. How about the eyes on that handsome cat!
POPPY is a boy with a name that can go either way. Tuxedo & Domestic Shorthair Mix, his bio reads. See more about POPPY HERE.
And, in case you wondered Animal Rescue Crusaders of Texas says these cats don’t have to be adopted together. [LARRY ASIDE: But it sure would be tempting to some of us veteran catfans…I know better, but a fellow can dream, right?]
The Animal Rescue Crusaders of Texas Facebook page is HERE.
 And the Crusaders' WEBSITE IS HERE. It is there that you can see the Crusaders' purpose:
"Our mission is to rescue abandoned cats in North Texas, nurture them in loving foster homes, and work to place them safe and happy fur-ever homes."
THREE DOGS TO GO:
AVAILABLE TO DECENT PEOPLE
Perhaps that last line is harsh; on the other hand, perhaps it is not. There are not-so-swell people who often are the reasons animals wind up in shelters. But, then, there are people who, because of illness, have no choice — fate has backed them into a corner, bless their hearts.
We got the tip on these three from some of the angelic types. Yep, came from reliable tipsters 4-Legged Helpers, the organization that focuses on getting beneficial attention for animals in small shelters with little exposure to the outside world.

That Lab/Shepherd mix who opens this report is Crystal. She’s a “baby” in the Ferris Animal Shelter. And her bio reads, “Crystal is a beautiful baby girl that is just as sweet and precious as can be. Only about 5 months old.  She loves everyone and everything.  Just an absolute sweetheart.  Please help save her.  Please.”

Also in the Ferris shelter is this girl Sabrina, a Black Mouth Cur/Shepherd mix. She’s described as a “very friendly, extremely sweet little girl found out and about on her own.  She is lovable and just so very much wants to please.  Very cute - probably in the 1.5 to 2 yr old range per ACO's best guess.  Please, won't you help save this great little girl?”
Here’s the boy whose human hit a rough spot. This guy Blue is in the Wilmer Animal Shelter. He’s about a year-and-a-half old and described as “Mastiff/Bulldog Mix.” 
The bio from the 4-Legged Helpers reads this “sweetie…was released to the shelter due to someone being very ill and no longer able to care for him.  The family wrote a very sad note about how great a pup he is and why they were unable to keep him (apparently person is very frail, based on the write-up). 
“Blue is HOUSE-TRAINED, CRATE-TRAINED, and loves everyone.  Knows several different obedience commands and adores going on walks.  He loves to play and per the note they said he is great with children and adults alike.  LOVES OTHER DOGS and playing.”
To help Crystal, Sabrina and Blue, call or text the 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].


CONTEMPLATIONS
UPDATE, A TIGER & A TUNE

Last Friday we posted photos of two bonded Mastiff mixes who were waiting in the Forest Hill Animal Shelter on the southern side of Fort Worth. On Thursday we got a note from a reliable source. “Mastiffs are safe with rescue,” it read.
We’re working on discovering which rescue has these bonded pups. Why? Because (a) we can tell readers where they can be adopted and (b) — this one is pretty important — we can tell people who don’t have room for two former endangered Mastiffs just how they can help the rescue group feed and care for these two dogs. Communication — that is always a big help when it comes to financing the rescue of animals and so is money. Facts of life.
THIS WAS MY FAVORITE MOST ASTOUNDING DALLAS HEADLINE OF THE DAY Thursday. In The Big Paper Downtown, the first large type read: “Tiger found at Red Bird home during arrest, Dallas officials say.” The lower headline read “Dallas Animal Services said it secured the tiger, which is being held in protective custody.” My guess is “protective custody” may be synonymous with “evidence in an exotic animal sales case.” I’d rather learn that than hear that some knucklehead thought a tiger would be a good housecat. “More to come” on this tale of big city life and and a jungle creature. …
DOGS IN SMALL SHELTERS?…That phrase — do you realize it has the same rhythm as the legendary rock song Nights in White Satin? Dogs in small shelters; nights in white satin... Here’s the 1967 version by a fave band, The Moody Blues. Spin that platter HERE.
—- Offer music tips or time travel tickets by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘60s ROCK’ in the subject line. —-

DOGS NEEDING HUMAN HELP; A CAT NEEDING A NEW HOME; ANIMALS, RANGERS, VOLTS AND CASH

EDITION OF THURSDAY, AUG. 18, 2022 [PetPowellPress] Once upon a time…. wait, we’re talking animals in the Greater Metropolitan Don’t Care/So What Area of North Texas. Every abysmal story is more than once upon a time.
But remember this: There also are so many people who do care and when they say “So what” it’s the beginning of a question, “So, what else can I do for this precious animal?” Bless those angels — save the animals and fund the efforts! Here we go with some opportunities. That dog with the damaged eye? That is Astro. We’ll get to him in a minute.
YDIRA IS BACK AT DAS;
ONCE AGAIN ‘EU RISK’

A week or two ago we posted a note about a dog who strayed and found herself in the care of Dallas Animal Services.
You may recall her when you get a look at her ears. When she arrived at DAS the first time — let me repeat: THE FIRST TIME — her ears had yet to heal from the amateur scissoring performed on them somewhere in Big Ol’D, the city that named its airport Love.

Our tipster, the animal advocate Tami Kukla wrote, “EMERGENCY…YDIRA is back and EU risk.” 
Keep this number in mind: Ydira is #A1150041 at the shelter.
 The note she sent (her Facebook post) reminded us about the lousy ear treatment. And it read, “What a lovely girl with such a scrumptious personality. She was returned by her adopters due to ‘undefined behavior.’ Gosh if someone did that to your ears and you were in fight or flight as a stray wouldn't you need decompression time? Absolutely lovely affectionate girl who needs the stability and true love of a human She was un-reactive to dogs as she walked past kennels. EU Risk at DAS means she could be euthanized with no notice so she needs a hero NOW.”
Her bio says she’s 5 years old, weighs 83 pounds and is “heartworm positive.” Also, she is “very sweet and affectionate, bored and circling in her tiny kennel.”
 When you ask about Ydira #A1150041, travel to the Dallas Shelter & Adoption Center at I-30 and Westmoreland. Or, use that ID number when you e-mail dasfoster@ dallascityhall.com, dasrescue@dallas cityhall.com and/or dasadopt@dallascity hall.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: There are so many to save. You can start with Ydira and rebuild her faith in humans.]
A BELOVED CAT
NEEDS A NEW HOME
Deborah Lynn Verner is one of the toughest animal advocates/protectors we’ve ever known. Not real big, but plenty of tough.
When we first wrote about her years ago, she was busy rescuing dogs — all kinds, including failed fighters who’d survived — they’d been dumped in the then-relatively undeveloped area of Mountain Creek Road at its namesake lake on the border of Dallas and Grand Prairie.
Lately, she’s had to adjust her lifestyle and that means a change for her beloved cat Crystal — named because of her “crystal blue eyes,” Deborah says —needs some help.
She writes, “Urgent. Crystal is looking for a rescue to take her or a forever home, due to my worsening health conditions.
“I rescued her almost 13 years ago as a kitten. Rather, she adopted me. She's a small Siamese mix (spayed). She's very shy but sweet. She is an indoor-only cat due to being front declawed.
She gets along with both dogs and cats. She just doesn't like to be chased.
“She was due her Rabies vaccination in November 2021. She is not microchipped.
“She stays in my bedroom all the time, where she is most comfortable due to vision issues. She uses the litter box. She loves to lay in your lap, and will sleep next to you at night.
She comes with her Vet records, and remaining Tidy Cat Lightweight Litter. She eats Purina Cat Chow.”
Contact Deborah via Facebook HERE or email her at [email protected].
THE POUND PALS HEADLINE?
‘CRUNCH TIME FOR ASTRO’
You saw Astro's face in our opening passage.
The note we got from Pound Pals’ Kerri Thorn read that both Astro and a really ragged dog named Luigi (photo later in this item) came from the Palm Valley Humane Society in Edinburgh, Texas.”
And get this: “Astro” really is the big, 10-year-old dog’s name. Kerri’s note read, “He was dumped by by his owner in deplorable condition. He hadn’t been hit by a car. The eye is from an injury and the leg has been curled up for a while. He had been left in pain for quite a while. Our vet estimates 3-6 months. Astro will lose both the eye and the leg — and hopefully his heartworms.”

Kerry says that “Luigi is suspected of having an autoimmune disease. his skin is super ‘ruff.’ We are currently waiting on Cushings results. Luigi was a stray. His shelter name was ‘Gremlin.’”  [LARRY ASIDE: You may remember that “Gremlin” tag from an earlier post. I’ve been around a lot of dogs and a lot of people who don’t treat them nicely. I’d say Luigi fits the dog wonderfully and “Gremlin” might be more appropriate for the jerk humans who mistreated Astro and Luigi.]
To help these dogs get through their medical problems, you can donate at www.poundpals.com and you can email pound_pals @yahoo.com to ask about helping them.
Pound Pals’ U.S. Mail address is 314-A West Lennon, Suite 121, Emory, TX, 75440. At the Pound Pals’ Facebook site HERE you can read more about the dogs and more about the challenges of getting Astro onto a surgery calendar and paying for saving his life and giving him an incredibly better future. Same thing for Luigi.
[LARRY ASIDE: Luigi has one of the most beautiful dogfaces readlarrypowell has ever published. They’re all beautiful. Every one of them. And so are the feline faces I’ve seen throughout my life.]
CONTEMPLATIONS

TWO DOGS, HARDBALL & MONEY 
The appeal from 4-Legged Helpers on behalf of Sammy (the young Black Mouth Cur/Lab mix in the Hutchins City Shelter) and Daisy (the mature Aussie Shepherd mix in Denton County) was sent around quite a bit in the animal world. I got several copies, plus one of the later versions on Wednesday and wrote to Laura Macias of 4-Legged Helpers. I was whining — I’ll admit it — that “I can’t believe these dogs haven’t been helped!” They’re such great examples of dogs who’d improve a human’s life. Laura sent back an almost immediate reply — call it “breaking news.” She wrote that “they are going to a new rescue in CO. YAYA! They leave in 2-3 wks! I was looking for transport and I hope this is just the first of dogs they take from us! YAYA.” Want to help these dogs’ get a well-financed trip or other dogs find homes, get in touch with the helpers by calling or texting 2124-949-2726 or email [email protected]. …
WANT TO HELP THE TEXAS RANGERS? Wow. The manager’s gone. The GM is gone. And all we really needed was a couple of really good left-handed pitchers and a righty who isn’t afraid to throw a knuckleball, a curve ball, a fast ball or a fit. Heck, yeah, I’m in the running for General Manager. I have no experience — I’d be perfect for a job that changes every season. 
...
HAVE YOU PAID ATTENTION to the salaries paid big time pro football players? How about the salary that’s going to be paid the new ERCOT top volt? Online, the stats say Dallas QB Dak Prescott is going to make $42 million this year. The new ERCOT CEO could get $2.4 million a year. You’d think that the ERCOT guy, considering winter storms and summer heat, might have a very long year for $2.4 million. But we’ve seen the Cowboys play — Dak’s season might also seem like a very, very long year.

—- Offer good cheer or challenges by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put SHOULDA FINISHED COLLGE in the subject line. —-

TWO DOGS WITH STORIES OF RESCUE AND RECOVERY: BOTH NEED HOMES

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 [PetPowellPress] There is an emotionally glorious volunteer position in the world of animal rescue and advocacy.
It is called “fostering.”
FIRST UP: HARRY STYLES;
DROPPED OFF AT NIGHT…

We got the story of the canine Harry Styles on Tuesday from Bill Flanigin, the Texas writer with a fostering heart. Here’s Bill’s story of his current foster, 2-year-old Harry, a ward of North Texas Boston Terrier Rescue. 
Bill writes, “My wife (Allison Crow) and I have fostered nine dogs over the past 15 years, mostly puppies. It takes patience. Patience when we introduce the fosters to our two boxers, Leroy, and Clementine. Patience in finding the right match for the dogs we’ve been charged with nurturing and protecting. And most importantly, patience with my wife when she wants to keep every cute, cuddly animal we take into our home.

“(Our dogs Daisy Mae, Leroy, Clementine, and Rocky were all foster-fails. Each of them is/was ‘the best dog in the world.’)

“Harry was dropped off at night in a tiny crate at an animal shelter. Abandoned. He had been injured, presumably in a fight with another dog, and his left eye was damaged beyond repair. He was frightened and traumatized. His eye was surgically removed, but Harry had a lot of healing to do, both physically and emotionally. 

“We picked Harry up from transport in Georgetown, Texas, and brought him to our home in Lago Vista [on Lake Travis northwest of Austin]. 

“On the first night, he cried in his crate until I finally cuddled with him on the living room sofa where he finally slept for a couple of hours. And so our journey with Harry began.
We’ve had him for three weeks. We’ve slowly introduced him to our dogs, and although he’s full grown, he still has some puppy energy. He plays fetch with his toys and when he gets too hot outside, he cools off in the pool. He likes the little corner step! He jumps up in our lap for hugs and cuddles and explores the yard with so much curiosity.
"Harry was neutered about 10 days ago, a requirement for adoption through most any rescue organization. He bounced back from that procedure pretty quickly.
“Harry is so happy! It breaks our heart a little that my wife and I can’t keep him. His puppy energy is too much for our senior dogs, both of which have health issues and are not long for this world. They are anxious with him around, although it has gotten better and they’ve settled in some, it’s not what’s best for them and they have to come first as senior pups.
“What’s best for Harry is someone that works from home or is home most of the day. He would do well with another dog that loves to play, but not one that is territorial. He could easily be blinded if something happened to his one good eye. He walks pretty well on the leash but a little more work couldn’t hurt. He can jump. He hasn’t gotten in any difficulty with this, but he can sail over a sofa or chair if something catches his fancy.
“At night, he crashes, but gets up early and with renewed excitement. Man, he is a cutey! He LOVES his toys and antler chews.
“Boston Terrier Rescue of North Texas vets all applications to find the perfect match for their fur babies. If you think you could love Harry to the moon and back, consider reaching out to them.”
You get the feeling Harry has charmed the writer Bill Flanigin. And, as you can see, Dear Readers, the the author Flanigin has a heart for fostering.


North Texas Boston Terrier Rescue lists Harry as a 2-year-old Frenchton — “half Boston/half French Bulldog. Visit the rescue site texasbostons.com to read more about the dog Harry Styles (as in the British pop singer, left). Email [email protected]. Call 844-428-7767. And if you want more details on Harry's personality, etc., call 512-466-0203. 
(More on foster/writer Bill Flanigin in Contemplations.)
FRANKIE RETURNS TO DALLAS
AFTER SOMEHOW BEING STRAY…
One of our longtime animal world contacts, Stephen Foster, sent a note that began “Hey, Larry! Can you ACTUALLY retire from rescue?”
He’s been working at it, but this founder of DFW FurGotten Friends has encountered a circumstance that keeps him from hanging up that RETIRED sign! 
He writes, “Although I have a very good friend taking over DFW FurGotten Friends, so I can get my sanity back, I just can't turn my back on a dog that was adopted under my watch. This is a register-your-chip story and can-we- find-a-foster-or-adopter!

“On Monday, August 8, I got a call from an Animal Control Officer in Hempstead, Texas. A Police Officer in Prairie View, Texas, picked up a red Pit Mix running loose and took her to the only area shelter. That dog had a chip implanted by our vet but it was never registered by the adopter. 

“I have to admit, one of the biggest mistakes I made running a rescue was giving the responsibility of registering an adopter’s new dog to the adopter. Thankfully if a dog is found, with a chip my rescue put in, I'll get that call if they can't find the owner. 
“So, today, 8/15, I spent 7 hours on the road to get a girl no one came to claim after over a week. I’m so grateful for the Hempstead Animal Control for keeping her over the weekend after her hold was up. They really care about the animals.
“Frankie is now back in Dallas, and, in her condition, I’m not concerned about finding the original adopters. Although it’s obvious she hasn’t missed a meal, she has a serious eye infection and a cherry eye nearly blinding one eye. These are the things we would expect any dog owner to take care of. However, I would like to know who adopted her. If only to call them and see why she was on the streets.

“Maybe she just got out and they didn’t know where to look. Maybe she was stolen and taken so far away they didn’t know where to look. Or maybe, once they found out how much the vet bills would be to fix her eye problems, they just dumped her. 

“In any case, if they had registered that chip, we could contact them to make sure they didn’t want her back.
“For now, DFW FurGotten friends is in a bind with a dog they didn’t expect to have. This girl will get all the medical care she needs but she will need a new loving home or a foster while they look for that home.”

Those photos show Frankie exploring an office and (in a readlarrypowell.com favorite) riding back to Dallas with Stephen! Our theory is Stephen had turned his radio on to a ‘60s channel and the pair of them were singing along with The Righteous Brothers on “Unchained Melody.” Frankie looks as if she’s hitting a low note. Or maybe they’re singing along with Willie Nelson and On The Road Again.
Whatever is happening, you can help Frankie find a place to live by calling DFW’s Furgotten Friends at 214-970-2247 or by emailing [email protected]. The website is htttps://dfwfgf.org. So, somebody sign up to help Frankie by fostering or adopting.
[LARRY ASIDE: This concludes our appeal to “Help Stephen Foster Retire!” Though we don’t think it’ll really ever completely happen. Honest!]
CONTEMPLATIONS
A WRITER; BASEBALL; A CAT
Our opening note about Harry Styles came from the writer Bill Flanigin who also has an Apple Podcast called I’m Not Mad, I’m Just Irritated. Here’s the LINK. And, his books are on amazon.com HERE. He’s writer — used to be a teacher - and, of course, is a fan of dogs and fostering them. Writers have such soft hearts. …

Best baseball moment of 2022? The guy running bases with his cellphone — he was suspended for one game. Try again for best baseball moment of 2022. It wasn’t firing the Texas Rangers skipper Chris Woodward. Couldn’t have been for the lousy record — the franchise has thrived for decades with lousy records. I’ve stopped wondering where the World Series Victory Parade will be held. I just know that in 2022 and year-after-year it won’t be in any Zip Code in the Metroplex.
This cat? That is Esme, my funspouse Martha’s personal cat. They were watching TV when I snapped this photo. Esme is a formerly feral front porch kitten from Zip Code 75224 in Dallas where Oak Cliff meets the Red Bird area at Ledbetter and Love Freeway. "Spay & Neuter" is merely a theory to much of the area, not a practice. We got the feral kitten Esme off the front porch in 2012.  She’s got a strong personality, some quick paws and a steady appetite for cat food. I’m not sure she has any political affiliation but I have seen her watching baseball games with Martha. Favors the American League. You’d think it’s unusual to see a cat shake her head when the home team does something the contenders don’t do. It hasn’t been unusual for many rebuilding years.
—- Offer baseball tips or reading tips by clicking on ‘comment’ or emailing [email protected] and put SPAY, NEUTER AND GET SOME PITCHING AND BATS in the subject line. —-

A GATHERING OF DOGS AND CATS -- AND WE CAN'T EXPLAIN TOM'S PICTURE...

EDITION OF MONDAY PM 8-15 & TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2022 [PetPowellPress] Once upon a time….OK, may be twice. Thrice at the most. Anyway, I forget where I was going with that, so, let’s just dive into the mission of spotlighting animals who need homes and help.
Wait, now I remember: I will not accept the job of manager of the Texas Rangers unless I also can have authority over the price of parking, peanuts and soft drinks at the stadium.
Also, I am sick of Texas Rangers “rebuilding years.” This whole century has been a rebuilding year. Rather write about baseball than about politics. In baseball —unlike politics — the foul lines don’t move.
AN ADVENTURE ON
THE DAS WEBSITE…
I got this tip on an “EU Risk” dog named Kimbo forwarded via veteran rescuer/animal advocate Tami Kukla.
On Monday, I clicked to the Dallas Animal Services website in hopes of finding Kimbo and writing him into someone’s heart. As you can see, Kimbo was A153188 in the shelter and on the DAS list he was labeled “EU Risk: Space.” 
(Click on that chart to make it grow.) I went to the DAS website to try to find #A153188. No dice. But I’m trying to learn what happened to the dog — did a rescuer swoop in at the last moment and save this dog?

I scrolled through many, many pages of animals listed as available on the DAS website at bedallas90.org. 
I did find these two. Fantasia (A1153811) is a 2-year-old, 54-pound mixed breed girl who is said to be good on a leash and known for her “friendly personality." That cat is Sunshine (A1153753), a 4-year-old 15-pound orange cat who has been trying to adjust to the racket and “surprises” in the Dallas Animal Services Shelter and Adoption Center. 

Then, as I approached the end of the combo listing of dogs and cats — click after click after click to move through the giant collection of at-risk animals — I encountered this photograph of a cat named Tom.
He is a year-old, 9-pound domestic shorthair. His DAS ID is A1154798.
How he got into or out of this fix is not explained in his biography. It simply quotes him as saying, “I’ve had so many interesting adventures lately, but I’m really looking forward to settling down with a new family. DAS has been exciting too, and I’m still getting to know my new friends here.”
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
HERE ARE FIVE IN NEED
We’re so grateful to Mesquite Animal Services for having “dog biographers” on its roster of volunteers who work to get animals adopted out of the city shelter — and, as we’ve noted, the shelter has found itself a little fuller than ever before during this odd time in animal history in North Texas. 

Remember, when you find yourself interested in any of these animals, use the sweetheart's official ID number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].

First up (above and below), we learn of Jetta [#50846922] from our bio tipster Judi Brown. She writes, “Jetta is a 5-month-old Retriever/Australian Kelpie mix who arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/8 as a stray. She weighs 37 pounds and is not spayed. She looks cutest when her ears are standing up!!! She’s an absolute sweetheart. She wants so badly for someone to love her. She is timid. She doesn’t know what to make of all the noise and commotion at the shelter. But she does let you know that she wants you to love on her. When you sit down she comes to you and puts her head on your lap. When she goes for a walk she walks between your legs for additional security. She sometimes slinks. She rolls over her belly rubs in a submissive way. She attempted to make friends with some of the smaller dogs in smaller kennels but was intimidated by the bigger dogs barking at her. Because she is so timid she will need some TLC to develop her full potential. She would probably do best in a quiet, laid-back household.”
Judi also got to meet and write about this girl.
Judi writes, “Bonnie [ID #50795632] seems to be smiling in these photos. She probably is because she is a happy 6-month-old Lab/retriever mix that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/1 as a stray. She weighs 60 pounds and is not fixed. She’s not only beautiful with her cream coloring and fluffy curly tail, but she’s also very soft! She is gentle, loving, friendly, well mannered, and easy-going.  She could be classified as a southern lass! She’s very alert and explored the yard with her nose. She chased a ball two times, but it was very hot out and soon tired. … She walked very well on a leash. She went nose to nose sniffing most dogs in the bay, even the ones that were barking at her. I did not see any signs of aggression! She would most likely do well with a family with well-behaved young children!”
Judi’s bio-writing colleague Debra Chisholm got the chance to meet “this delightful fellow” Toby. Debra says her Dog Scanner app “suggests Australian Cattle Dog, Dalmatian, Louisiana Catahoula Leopard in the mix.” 
Picked up as a stray on Aug. 2 by one of the Mesquite Animal Services officers.
Shelter stats say Toby (ID 50801755) is about 2 years old and weighs 40 pounds. Debra says, “He is lively and active and has a bit of nervous and restless energy.  He was not interested in toys or balls or treats.  He was interested however in thoroughly scouting out the yard and room where I did the photo shoot.  Toby walks nicely on a leash and did not react to the other dogs when led through the bay. … This boy has a moderate activity level.  There is really so much to like about Toby so please assist him out of the shelter by networking or tagging at [email protected],"
There’s also this aspect of life in the Mesquite facility. Toby's note included this passage: “Our shelter is desperately in need of kennel space due to the large numbers of dogs and cats entering as surrenders and stray so any help would be greatly appreciated.”

That brings us to Kris (#50753779), “a Plott Hound mix that arrived as a stray” on July 26.
 He’s about 2 years old and weighs 35-to-40 pounds. Debra wrote, “This sweet boy seems uneasy in the shelter environment due to the noise of the other dogs and all the activity going on.  Because of our critically overcrowded situation Kris is being housed in the hallway in a wire kennel.  

“He is a frisky, perky, spunky boy with a bit of nervous and restless energy. 

 “During the photo session he was on the move," running back and forth in the yard.  He kept coming back to the gate and looking out in the parking lot as if expecting his people to come to pick him up. He does walk well on a leash and pottied in the yard.  He is friendly, though a bit reserved, and is OK. with receiving loving attention.  Please help Kris out of the shelter and on the way to his forever home by networking or tagging.”

Ah, Brutus. What a great name for a dog. Why is the dog with the chocolate brown coat in the Mesquite Animal Shelter? Debra tells us he was surrendered on July 26 and the reason “was that of financial hardship.”

Brutus is about 3 1/2 years old, weighs 55 pounds and is neutered. His shelter ID is #42613195.
 Debra writes, “The back story on Brutus is that he was adopted in the fall of 2019 as a pup.  Fast forward nearly 3 years later and he now finds himself back at the Mesquite Shelter.  He walks nicely on a leash. … He knows the sit command. He was intensely interested in scouting out the yard and had his nose to the ground much of the time during the photo session. Is this boy timid, shy or fearful? Absolutely not!  He is confident and outgoing and would doubtless make some person or family a wonderful companion.  He is high energy, friendly and playful.  He would seem best suited to a person or family with an active lifestyle and would benefit from daily exercise and playtime.”

When you visit the shelter’s website HERE you’ll see that there are a lot of cats and kittens available. Among them is this guy Citrus (#50472925), a delightfully lounging nearly 4-month-old, small, orange cat. You can meet him in the lobby at Mesquite Animal Services. He’s been at the shelter since June 18. And, we can’t tell from his bio if he’s had an eye injury, or if he’s learned to sleep with one eye open. But our experience has always been that an orange cat is an affectionate cat. He probably just needs an affectionate human to match.
CONTEMPLATIONS

THERE CAME A KNOCK & OTHER NOTES
As I was beginning to type this edition’s opening paragraph, someone did not ring our doorbell. Someone banged on our front door — a solicitor sans manners, is my theory. I let the dogs bark as if the individual was an invader from Mars. You should hear them get after it when an actual Martian comes a’callin’. Polite solicitors ring the doorbell, then step off the porch and wait for me to get out of my typing attire and find my jeans and my good door-opening shirt and calm the dogs.
This person moved on to the neighbor’s house before I could get there. The dogs continued to bark. The cats continued to nap. I continue to wonder what it was that I had planned to write.
 No idea what he was selling. And he wasn’t stealing my 1999 Ford F!50, so we’re jake at this point. I don’t even know if a ’99 model has a catalytic converter, the latest rage in acquisitions by thieves who can’t get honest work in spite of today’s hiring climate.
I’m still sort of surprised that the Texas Rangers dumped the manager. But, it’s happened before and, darn it, I’ll bet the Rangers will never get Ron “Two Pennants” Washington back on the payroll. Ah, those were the days. Texas was in the 2010 and the 2011 World Series.
What? Oh, the last time the Dallas Cowboys played in the Super Bowl? That would be the Jan. 28, 1996, Super Bowl — they beat Pittsburgh, 27-17. And since then, well, since the dawn of the 21st Century… well, it’s a rebuilding year, right? I think RYV is catching at the big sports complex in Arlington — Rebuilding Year Virus.
— Offer coaching advice in any sport by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and putting ‘HUT HUT CURVEBALL’ in the subject line. —-

MONDAY ARRIVES WITH CHALLENGES -- A CONSTANT IN THE ANIMAL WORLD

EDITION OF MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2022 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to Monday and, trust me, Dear Readers, some stories are easier to write than others — on some of them, you don’t have to stop and think about the way things turned out before you can go on with the next sentence. Other stories? They require an emotional assessment of facts and lives and some coping.

Today I put my hands on the keyboard, froze my brain (not hard to do sometimes), realized I needed an emotional boost. So, I lifted my hands off the keys, turned and woke this dog Porche Noel by reaching down to cradle her face in my hands and kiss her on the nose — yeah, I strained my back, but it was worth it.

In the meantime, two well-trained Office Cats, Stevie Ray (left) and his mentor, William Powell, had a paw-fight through the office curtain. It’s a tradition for those two.

Porche reminds me daily that humans benefit from dogs and cats far more than we deserve. These next dogs we write about reminded me of Porche’s path in life.
FIRST, THE SAD TALE
OF ‘WALKER’ THE DOG
My pal Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com has seen more than her share of tough cases of animals in a medical crisis. Her non-profit works to help them survive their challenges when money actually is an object. She sent me the tip on we first knew as "Walker" late Sunday. 
You may recall his story. Found suffering from heat exhaustion and many other maladies. This happened toward the end of July. The original note, from Pound Pals, with the photo of the dog in a wheelbarrow, read, “This fellow stumbled up to a home in the heat of the day and collapsed.”

In the ensuing weeks, there was a battle for his life — heat exhaution, skin infections and other things. For lack of a collar or chip, he got the temporary name Walker. He appeared to respond to affection and medical care.
Later it was discovered that his name was Buddy. That emerged as there was a “discussion” between the rescue group and the person who insisted that Buddy, in spite of his medical challenges, would be an “outdoor dog” in this lousy heat.
Pound Pals, which handles the tough cases in the Emory, Texas, area east of Dallas and other areas, too, got custody of the dog who knew his name Buddy and began to line up financial support that might just save his life.

As last weekend was arriving, Buddy took at hellish turn for the worse as he began suffering a drop in red blood cells. It was the end for this dog who had won so many hearts.
Pound Pals' Kerri Thorn posted the notice on the Pound Pals Facebook page. She opened it this way: 
“This is my favorite photo of Buddy. Wouldn't it be nice if dogs got to make any wish and have it come true? I wonder what Buddy would have wished for - his health restored? More time with the family who had neglected him? More time to start over with another family? I don't know: Dogs love their owners even when the owners are neglectful. But by one account, Buddy ventured off that day or was just out trying to roam an area he had roamed all his life. l wonder if he was making his rounds one last time or looking for help….”
And there’s this paragraph, “Buddy was a good boy. Buddy was a very good boy. His previous owner said that ‘Buddy spent his life making friends. He was well known in the area he lived in. He would visit neighbors and they would give him treats and pets'.

"Buddy didn't know that he was being neglected - at least not for a long time but age, extreme heat, heartworms and a thyroid condition finally caught up with Buddy.

“Buddy was a heartbreaking case on all fronts but one thing is for sure, a lot of people showed up for Buddy. Many of you donated, some visited, many prayed and a special prayer blanket was sent. He found a friend in his vet tech, Erica, and his ears would perk at the sound of her voice. Erica sent me this message earlier this week, ‘Everyone loves him here. I promise you, he is getting talked to, loved on, and attention. Bless him. He is a sweet’ kiddo.” 
Read the whole message about Buddy by going to the Pound Pals Facebook page HERE.
The non-profit was expecting his “outstanding hospital invoice” on Monday. Kerri’s note also reads, “Please consider visiting our Memorial Garden and giving Buddy one last scratch behind the ears, a piece of angel food cake, a game of halo toss or a Heavenly bone by visiting
http://poundpalsfundraising.weebly.com/memorial-garden.htm
That's Buddy -- standing after he'd had some loving medical care. Bless his heart.
ONE MORE BUDDY-RELATED
NOTE ABOUT A DOG, LUIGI
The Pound Pals people also note that Buddy’s leaving opened a spot in the program (read the story on the Pound Pals Facebook page). 
That means that this senior dog Luigi has a place to go. [LARRY ASIDE: To me, that is one of the most beautiful dog faces I have ever seen -- Luigi has the face of a survivor in a world of challenges.]
The Pound Pals post reads, “When a foster spot is vacated, another death row senior is allowed to enter our program, receive the vet care they have been denied, live inside a home and receive the love they deserve. Pound Pals takes on the tough cases - the cases that everyone else turns their back on. Today, Luigi is bringing his plea to the Pound Pals Village and Buddy being the gentleman he was, decided to vacate his spot so another senior could know what it is like to have a home and be loved.

“Unlike Buddy, Luigi has never had a family of any kind. He has never had a neighborhood looking out for him. He doesn't receive pets and treats when he visits homes. Instead, he is shooed away. He was such an outcast that he has been named ‘Gremlin’ by shelter staff.... but Luigi knows he is not some ugly ‘creature’, he is no Gremlin! Luigi holds his head high in the hope that he will finally belong, finally be loved. 
“Let's do this - for Luigi and for Buddy. Buddy's assigned foster, although heartbroken that she will not be allowed to share her home and heart with Buddy, is willing to open her home and heart to Luigi. Please help us make that happen by making a pledge toward Luigi's extensive medical care. Pledges are not due until Pound Pals has custody of Luigi and freedom photo is posted.
“Luigi says, ‘Woof!!’ I have never been "considered" before so I am not sure what that means for a death row senior like me but Thank you for considering me.” Contact Pound Pals to offer to help -- go to www.poundpals.com or email [email protected].
‘STREET DOG’ ELLA
GETS A GOOD BREAK
Back on July 15, the folks at The Street Dog Project posted photos of what readlarrypowel.com thinks is a dog who was simultaneously beautiful and distressed. 
Those are the initial photographs. One shows that great face and the others shows that distressed “mass” on her right side.
The lone biographical sentence — after all she’s a “street dog” and doesn’t carry ID papers or explanations — read, “She was sick when we pulled her from the overcrowded shelter so has been in medical boarding so donations towards her care are greatly appreciated!
"Y’all are the best, thank you so much!”
That was posted on July 15. She underwent surgery that day — thanks to The Street Dog Project and supporters.

We heard this weekend from Rekka Melby of TSDP. She included THIS VIDEO OF A HAPPIER ELLA. (If my technoskills are functioning this Monday morning you’ll see a very good girl! — larry). 

About Ella’s surgery and post-surgery challenges, Rekka reports, “It was a tough removal of the mass but the good news is we got clear margins!  Unfortunately, she used her cone to rub her surgery site so she had to stay closely confined in medical boarding during her recovery.

“Her skin continues to be an uphill battle. She was given another cytopoint injection to help with her itchiness and she may need to see a dermatologist.
“She's been on doxycycline and will start the injection phase of heartworm treatment soon. Ella's medical bills have cost over $2,500 so donations towards her care are a huge help and greatly appreciated!”

To donate to Ella’s recovery and her future as “Not-a-street/shelter dog!”, click on this Street Dog Project LINK. 
As Rekka’s note reads, “Ella had a rough start to life out on the streets but she's ready to put all of that behind her and find the loving family she deserved all along!”
And remember, The Street Dog Project can always use help with fostering and transportation and other tasks that go along with saving lives. Click HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS
COMING UP LATER; PLUS PORCHE & COWBOYS
This edition was already “full” when we got to the noon-hour, so later today you’ll see a second edition with several other dogs and cats and people either needing or giving help. Contemplate how busy the rescue world is right now — and how busy the shelter world is. Tell all your friends that you’d trust to adopt a dog or cat to adopt one or two. Of course, if you’re reading this, your friends probably already have the local limit on housecats and indoor dogs. But there has to be a better solution than “euthanize.” …
Regarding the state Buddy was in when he “stumbled up to a home in the heat of the day and collapsed.” That reminded me of Porche — she limped up to our Dallas home, squeezed through the bars on the front porch gate, wolfed down the feral cat buffet and was, suddenly, too full to squeeze out of the burglar bars and flee. That was in 2009. She’s been with us ever since. Porche is one of those starving, injured, frightened “stray/dumped” dogs who survived “belonging” to some soul-less horror story of a human being. 
I find comfort in her presence. I also find comfort that she’s no longer with the creep who mistreated her all all those years ago. Porche knows she gives me comfort and serves as an inspiration. She’s one of those starving, scared, scrambling for food and comfort dogs who got rescued before it was too late.
A JOURNALISTIC QUESTION: I’m not sure what this means, but I got my hometown newspaper’s online edition Sunday and could not find a story about the Dallas Cowboys’s first pre-season game, but I did find a story about the Hope Watermelon Festival in Hope, Ark. As you probably know (if you care about these things) the Denver Broncos shellacked the Cowboys 17-7. Ouch. I’m sure the team will get good enough to earn a story in out-of-town papers at some point. Surely.
—- Offer uplifting tales of cats and dogs by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put SAVE ‘EM ALL in the subject line. —-

ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS THIS COLORFUL OFFICE RUG....

Our theme this weekend is “Medication.” I’m sorry. That’s a typo. I meant to write that our theme is “mediTation.” I was distracted by a cad. I mean cat. See how easy it is to hit the wrong key?
This is, of course, our long-running weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. We have one of each.
As it turns out, I personally know both of these distinct personalities. I have written with one of them in the same room with me since 2009 — that’s my girl Porche Noel, found on the porch at Christmas. And the other is William Powell, my Office Cat since 2018 — I hired him after he and I painted a house together. Seemed like if he could keep the brushes and the buckets straight, he might work out as an office cat/literary advisor.
But, never mind their resumes, meditation is our topic for this edition.

Anybody who lives with a yutz who yearns to be a highly-paid fiction writer needs a place to meditate. Ask my literatespouse Martha, the only person in the house who can say, “You oughta rewrite that. Where’s my comfort bag?” She says it. Porche gives off a low growl and pretends to gack. William just shakes his head, picks up his copy of House Cat Monthly and walks off to work the magazine’s Catsword Puzzle.

A couple of years ago, Porche, the cerebral type, went online and bought her Universal Carpet of Household Meditation. This is, according to the Contemplative Handbook of Usage, the “60s Model, for Dogs AND Cats.” 
I wouldn’t know for sure what that indicates, but “free spirit” is the term that comes to mind. .
As you can see in that first photo, Porche likes to meditate on the edge of the known universe. Sometimes you can hear her “ommmmmm” gently traveling from her meditative belly through the office. 
She influenced William Powell The Office Cat to “give the rug a ride,” as she put it in her flower child hipness. It took a couple of days of campaigning — Porche would wake William not by shaking his food dish but by asking “Alexa, please play Marakesh Express.” 
As you can see from the photos, they have different approaches to the Universal Carpet of Household Mediation. Neither will soil it, of course. A calm mind doesn’t soil carpets.
 Porche may like to be at the edge of the colorful mind travel mat, but William prefers a solid pose in the heart of the universe.
We’ll close with Porche’s sleepy face photo first, then, to the meditative mix, I’ll add two photos of William as he explained his new take on a calm and thoughtful life to me. He’s such a handsome boy. Those antlers? They’re on a decoration we keep in the office. “Makes you write merrily,” advised my gramatically correct office cat, William Powell.

As you can tell from the photos, “A calmed mind is a great sleeping companion.”
And that’s the story of two of the meditative household individuals I love. The others paid me not to write about them.
So, here’s the LINK TO Crosby, Stills and Nash performing 1969’s MARAKESH EXPRESS.

[DEAR READERS: Please send us photographs of your slumbering dogs and snoozing cats and the stories of their lives and your love for them by emailing [email protected]. We’ll proudly post their tales and tails in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap on readlarrypowell.com. Why? Because we love them already. You may be helping a household decide to acquire a dog or cat from a tough spot in a shelter — it’s a matter of activating the love. And, you may just be convincing insomniacs (other than me) that they can get some sleep if they’ll just flop down on a hippie-designed mat go “ommmmmm.”]

— Offer sleeping tips or wakeful thoughts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘COOL SIDE OF THE PILLOW, GOOFBALL’ in the subject line. —

FOR FRIDAY: A CHALLENGE FOR A COUPLE OF DOGS; HUMANE TOMORROW'S TRIBUTE

EDITION OF FRIDAY, AUG. 11, 2022 [PetPowellPress] The State Fair of Texas opens September 30 and I’m expecting a cold snap to greet us all that day. Heck: 90 degrees would be a cold snap.
A COUPLE OF MASTIFF MIXES
WAITING IN A SMALL SHELTER?
OK, here’s the deal. Small shelter, busy staff, could be out on a call. (The # is 817-999-2406). 
But there’s a chance as you read this that there are still a couple of Mastiff mixes surviving in the Forest hill Animal Shelter at 6901 Anglin, on the southern side of I-20 on the southeast corner of Fort Worth.
You may have seen the message in your inbox this week. The note describes these dogs as a “BONDED MASTIFF PAIR.” They look like a TOO HOT BONDED MASTIFF PAIR, but, heck, there’s not a dog in Texas that doesn’t have a dripping hang-out tongue in August.
Still, these boy dogs — like all dogs and cats — deserve an air-conditioned abode with a human who’s happy to see ‘em taking up space on the couch. [LARRY ASIDE: I watched last night’s Field of Dreams baseball game with three dogs (two on the couch, one on the carpet), one lap cat and my reclinerspouse. There was room, emotionally, for two mastiff mixes, but only emotionally, not practically. Surely someone has room for these two big dogs. Maybe in a home, maybe in a rescue group that just got blessed by some angels adopting dogs and opening up spaces.]
The bio — not sure who wrote it — read “They seem very bonded and want to be together. Currently separated. Large - at least 150-pounds each. No known vetting. Have numerous pressure wounds. This shelter has little to no foot traffic and no recue assistance. these dogs need a miracle to make it out alive.”
And the note said, email [email protected]. But didn’t identify that as either a rescuer’s email or the email of a shelter staffer.
And we have no idea how these two dogs wound up in a small shelter. But we suspect some jerk human didn’t do the right and moral things these dogs need to survive on this planet.
CONTEMPLATION
A DOG AND A LEGEND
I got this from last night’s Facebook post by Stacy Smith, Executive Director at Humane Tomorrow, one of our very favorite rescue and advocacy groups in the Greater DFW Critterplex.
Those of you who knew the spotlight human in the story of this dog may just need to get some tear-dabbing tissue ready.
Stacy began her paen to the legend and the dog with: 
“This is the ‘why.’
This fun ‘little’ guy was rescued in honor of a very special man in the animal world, Skip Trimble, who passed away last month after dedicating the better part of 40 years to making the world a better place for animals and people, especially those in Dallas.

“I thought it fitting to name this sweet, happy, mostly-bald puppy from Dallas Animal Services after him. Skipper has lived up to his namesake with his gregarious and happy disposition toward life despite having experienced some of the worst the world has to offer.

“Skipper came to Humane Tomorrow with sarcoptic mange, intestinal parasites, a urinary tract infection, and an ear infection. He was also very underweight. A few weeks of medicine, baths, and TLC and voila! He’s a whole new puppy. And tonight he has a home.
“Here's his gotcha picture, and before and after shots, plus one of the great man he was named for, with Jean-Paul Bonnelly, the photographer
who captured these beautiful shots of him. May Skip’s memory live on in thousands more rescued animals and may Skipper live a long and prosperous life with new parents Paul and Lisa Vinson Bodley."
[LARRY ASIDE: Doesn’t that make you rescuers feel good about the lives you’ve devoted to saving animals and finding good homes for them? Our pal Jean-Paul Bonnelly photographed animals for the wonderful local magazine (now gone) Urban Animal, edited by the great Bob Walton. It’s a matter of teamwork, this saving of animals and honoring the heroes. Thanks, Stacy for the wonderful tribute to the great Skip Trimble. Save ‘em all.]
— Offer an idea by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put SAVE ‘EM ALL in the subject line and mean it! —

A SWIFT AUGUST, CAT STRIPES, DOG FACES, DONATIONS, BARGAINS AND BASEBALL WITH EGGS (SOMETIMES FRESH!)

EDITION OF THURSDAY, AUG. 11, 2022 [PetPowellPress] We’re approaching the middle of the month. Tap the brakes a little bit on the Augustmobile. Why has summer moved so swiftly? 
Consider this cultural evidence: Which of these did you first see this summer? (a) TV ad for artificial Christmas trees. (b) Back to school advertising. (c) A catalog announcing “Halloween Begins”? 
At readlarrypowell.com, where we’re trying to slow the calendar a bit, we saw the Christmas tree ad in early July around the 4th. We watched back-to-school signs going up in a local store about the same time. And last week, before schoolkids had even changed out of their summer vacation costumes, we got the Halloween Begins catalog. Deck the halls. Right?
AND, NOW AND THEN, THERE
ARE MYSTERIES AT SHELTERS
Now and then? Heck, no. there are DAILY mysteries at shelters and the mystery always begins with, “How in the world did wonderful animal wind up without a home?” That can be followed by “What kind of idiot didn’t take care of this baby?”
These two are on the radar of the small shelter advocates, the 4-Legged Helpers. They try to get animals safely moved out of low-human traffic shelters with unenthusiastic municipal budgets for saving animal lives. The ACOs in such shelters frequently work hard to save the animals. Budgets can handcuff the efforts.
Today’s report from the Helpers touches on two of our favorite topics: Beautifully striped cats -- check out that forehead pattern on Benji! --and a big ol’ dawg who deserves to be hugged! These two are in the care of the Ferris Animal Shelter. 
The cat is Benji, a “baby male Tiger Tabby.” He’s vaccinated and “available now.” And the bio from 4-Legged helpers reads, “Benji is all love.  A purring little cutie pie that was found out and about in a new housing development all by himself.  He is extremely friendly and lovable!  ADORES EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING. … Appears to be 6-8 months old in all likelihood.  He is a great size, and perfect even for small children.  He is a love bunny,cuddle bug :-).” [LARRY ASIDE: Show of hands, gentlemen, how many of us have been called “a love bunny, cuddle bug”” Feels good, doesn’t it!]
That brings us to handsome Noah with the great eyes. He, too, is available now at the Ferris Animal Shelter. This Great Pyrenees is described as an “extremely friendly, big, lovable boy that was found out on his own and it appears he has been lost for a bit.  Poor sweet baby.  Fortunately he tested heartworm negative, so that is great!  He is quite adorable.  A calm big sweetie pie that just wants love.  Very gentle.  Super sweet.”

To ask about helping the Helpers help either or both of these wonderful animals, call or text 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
And don’t forget that The Helpers are also trying to save Sammy the Black Mouth Cur mix and Daisy the Aussie Shepherd mix — each of them comes with a $175 donation to the 501c3 rescue that helps them.
MEANWHILE, OUT AT THE LAKE
A DEAL FOR ANIMAL CARE
Usually when we mention Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake it’s to tell you something that helps animals. This item is not the least bit different. It’s notice that from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday (yes, the 13th), the Friends of the Animals will be hosting a clinic featuring “affordable vaccinations, heartworm testing, microchipping, more!.” No appointment necessary. Just you and the critters show up. Questions? Call either of these numbers: 903-451-4701 or           214-808-4701 (cell).
We got the details on this event from our longtime reliable Friends tipster Sydney Busch. This event is being conducted at the Friends of the Animals Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic,122 Old Gun Barrel Ln S, Gun Barrel City, TX 75147. The Friends operate the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City, Texas. Not every clinic can say that!

A HEADS UP FOR SFCA
GIVING DAY PROMOTION
We’re always happy to get happy reminders from the Society for Companion Animals, the rescue organization founded by Tawana Couch. She and the organization work hard to get endangered animals out of the over-stuffed-with-unwanted-animals Dallas/Fort Worth area by finding spots for them in other states.
That opening artwork shows that you can start donating already to the SFCA’s cause via the North Texas Giving Day 2022 site — the actual Giving Day date is Sept. 22. Clicking HERE will take you to the donation site for Society for Companion Animals Flying Pets.
Also, the organization needs some supplies — crates of all sizes for transporting dogs, kennel bowls, dry dog food. Go to societyforcompanionanimals.org to see how to help with supplies, transport and other ways to save animals.
CONTEMPLATIONS
THOUGHTS AND NEAR-THOUGHTS
There are a lot of things that run through my brain that don’t qualify as “thoughts.” They’re more like a Cerebrumburps. Had one just now. Maybe half-a-thought. I could get wealthy if I could just learn to….Money can’t buy everything… See what I mean? Ricocheting mental particulate matter. I’m no scientist, but I sure do love ice cream. Wow, there’s another one! …
Wasn’t the rain wonderful Wednesday? I went out into our front yard about 45 minutes into the “rain event” and our dead grass was still so dry that it crunched as I waded across the yard. …

Thursday morning I got an email from a farm-type store. The subject line rad “Star Your Flock For FreshEggs Daily.” I have a childhood aversion to flocks of chickens. We’d set up a baseball field in our back yard. The loving and good-natured neighbor behind home plate, Meemaw, had a chicken coop and a fowl ball onto the roof -- sorry, that's "foul ball" -- would set off a racket from the birds. Blast one over the left field and center field fences and and you got an automatic out because the ball was going into the traffic on busy College Drive and we could afford only one baseball. I’m not kidding.
Ah, but if you hit a fly ball toward right field, and you had any muscle at all in your elementary school body, you’d send the ol’ horsehide sailing over our yard, over our back fence and over the alley into the big chicken yard so carefully kept peacefully by our cranky neighbor lady. I’ll call her Mrs. Crank.
You can’t expect chickens to keep a secret when a pre-teen accidentally slams a hardball into the well-populated chicken yard. Mrs. Cranky would run out, get the ball, check the chickens and our game would be over.
All three of us learned to bat left-handed and hold off on the power just enough to avoid disturbing the chickens. And the ground rule was a ball hit into the chicken yard was an out. I think learning to hold off on the power instead of robustly applying it is what kept all three of us from making it to the big leagues. So, nope, I’m not so desperate for fresh eggs that I’ll put up with the nightmarish sound of a flock of chickens startled by the sudden arrival of a round, rolling object. [This is not where the term “shelled” came from. Pretty sure.] I’ve tried to teach the dogs how to field a tennis ball, but I’m not sure they wouldn’t be distracted by the crowing of a rooster or the clucking of a hen and misplay a fly ball to right field. 
Go Rangers. We’re all fans of the Texas Rangers — understanding fans, though the dogs sleep through late innings. We’re aching for a World Series victory. If anybody ever makes the team change its name, maybe they’ll go with the Lone Star Roosters. Or the Texas Rhode Island Reds. It’s baseball 2022 — anything can happen. Even the playground concept of a free runner on base in extra innings. I miss baseball but I definitely do not the sound of an alarmed chicken clucking “I got it! I got it!” just before hitting the wall.
—- Offer egg ideas or beak jokes by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put GO RANGERS PLEASE in the subject line.—-

AT MIDWEEK: MOODS, MUTTS, MEWS AND MORE, INCLUDING CONTEMPLATIONS

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022 [PetPowellPress] In the meantime, remind all your dogless/catless friends that this is a great time to save ‘em all. Spay and neuter ‘em, too. And, of course, as John and the Plastic Ono Band sang, “Give peace a chance.” It’s longshot day at readlarrypowell.com.
SOMETIMES ANIMAL FOLKS
NEED A BOOST OF SPIRIT
Here are the surefire winning Lotto Texas numbers for tonight’s drawing: REDACTED.
Yeah, right. But, you know, there are people who’d pick placing a threatened dog or cat as a higher priority than getting a lucky lottery break. They call us “animal nuts.” We wear the label proudly, don’t we. [Note to Lotto Texas: I’d wear the label “Lotto Texas Winner” just as proudly. Hint. Hint.]
Look, here’s the deal. As a veteran writer of animal tales and human challenges, I frequently encounter some “blue moods” in the rescue world. But you resilient people pop right back. That’s how so many animals get saved.
This morning I got a note from 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that tries to get attention for animals in small, underfunded, ignored municipal shelters.
En route to an appeal for Sammy and Daisy, it began with a sentiment you may have encountered in your own thoughts: “No one looking. No one seems to care. They sit and wait and hope but no one even looks at them! Sad to see them give up.” 
Who gives up? The lonely animals in cages. Who doesn’t? The good human hearts. You’ve probably seen those hearts at work. And, as the Helpers’ note read, “There are zero walk-ins to many of these DFW area shelters/rural locations that we post.” The animals, the Helpers note, are frequently “not seen by anyone other than shelter staff or the person that found or rescued them.”
 In the case of these two dogs — and we’ve posted them before, but nobody’s interested —call or text 214-949-2726 or email [email protected] to help them. If you’re a 501c3, you can get some transportation from the Helpers. 
And each dog -- Sammy the Black Mouth Cur/Lab mix and Daisy the Aussie Shepherd Mix -- comes with a $175 donation to the non-profit that helps them.
Sammy is “only 9 or 10 months old,” the Helpers report. And he’s currently waiting for either a human or the needle in the Hutchins Animal Shelter on the southern side of Dallas. He’s the “silly, lovable and so sweet” boy who “showed up at at trucking yard in Hutchins and fortunately they were feeding him. Friendly and loveable. He has been vaccinated. Just needs someone to love.” (He’s not only rescueable, but he’s adoptable. Check with the Helpers at those contact points above.)
Beautiful Daisy, being tended to in Denton County, is described as “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.”

MEANWHILE, BARKLEYWORLD
WORKS WITH EVERMAN’S 34! 

Yes, the city shelter in Everman, south of Fort Worth, is coping with 34 unexpected dogs — results of a cruelty case, reports our pal Karen Lee, the founding, guiding light of barkleyworld.com. And, yes, barkleyworld.com is helping those dogs get ready for better lives.
Takes money, you know. The latest report reads, “Barkleyworld really needs your support! Still so many pleas for help from families who cannot afford critical vet care for their pets as well as requests for help from rescuers working with overloaded animal shelters. We are helping Everman Animal Shelter with 34 dogs brought in from a cruelty situation.

“Their current vet bill is at $2200 which we have offered to pay. There is still much more vetting to be done. They also need homes and or rescues….so please help if you can in that area. The Everman Animal Shelter is overflowing as are many many other shelters in the DFW area. Please adopt and don’t shop!!!”
 You can donate at the www.barkleyworld.com. Read more about the organization on Facebook HERE.
Karen closed the appeal with, “As I always say, if you are able to give, please give with a cheerful heart!!! Thank you and have a great day.”
On the Barkleyworld homepage HERE you can read about the dog Dennis and Karen Lee adopted in 1996 from Homeward Bound Animal Rescue. Barkley lived to be 19 and he inspired Karen and Dennis to create barkleyworld.com. Barkley not only owned their hearts, he became an inspiration to help other animals. Barkleyworld was founded in 2013 —and his spirit is still powerful.

FYI: Everman’s shelter is always looking for fosters — call 817-561-5495.

COMING UP THIS WEEKEND:
STRAYDOG’S PLANO VISIT
The good folks at Straydog Inc., the legendary no-kill shelter/sanctuary in East Texas, are celebrating — that’s the right word, I think — the Clear The Shelters event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Shops at Willow Bend in the Neiman Marcos Courtyard. That’s at 6121 W. Park Blvd. in Plano.

And all the adoption fees at Straydog are
“waived through August.” See the adoptables at straydog.org. 
We’re citing two of the available adorables and, yes, we’ve judged these books by the cover and we also paid attention to Straydog’s bios of these babies. 

That first girl is Violet — she was born at Straydog. And, last year, was adopted “but unfortunately, they could not keep her.” Readlarry powell.com, already at the canine limit, fell for this girl based completely on her distinct looks. Straydog’s bio reads, “Look at this beautiful girl!  She has gorgeous markings which are a result of being part Black Mouth Cur and shepherd.  ... She is super smart, is house-trained and ready for a new home.  She loves everyone she meets and gets along well with other dogs.  We think she is the perfect dog for your family.  Come out to our shelter and meet her.  You will fall in love.”
Then there’s Cruella, not born at Straydog, but taken in and protected by the no-kill shelter/sanctuary. She was “a little wary of people” but “is now very friendly because of the love and attention she received at the shelter.” Ten months old, weighs 40 pounds, has a beautiful soft coat “that does not shed.” Playful family dog in the making, they say.
[LARRY ASIDE: We have “family dogs” and there are just two humans in the household. All of us dogs, humans and cats shed, we discovered during this overly blistering summer.]
There are a lot more dogs in the care of the good folks at Straydog and if you CLICK HERE,  you can see them. Email [email protected]. Send U.S. Mail to Straydog Shelter, PO Box 1465, Gun Barrel City, TX 75147.
CONTEMPLATIONS
IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY
Do you think better in summer
or better in the fall
?
Or do you just think
hardly ever at all?

Yeah, that’s doggerel that came to me as I was mewsing over the number of people now living and likely to be living in the growing Dallas/Fort Worth Metropolitan Statistical Area. It’s beyond 8 million, all the sites say.
You’d think that in an area with this many people there wouldn’t be a single dog or cat that didn’t have a good Texas home. Heck, if every home had a dog and/or cat in the Metrocritterplex, we’d have empty shelters, wouldn’t we? If I win Lotto Texas tonight, I’m going to fund a big public relations campaign to promote lifelong adoptions of animals. What’ll we call it? I’ve already ruled out the “HEY, STUPID, SAVE A LIFE” campaign. Leaning toward “MY DOG IS SMARTER THAN YOUR CAT CAMPAIGN.” You see, in those two sentences, why my post newspaper career in marketing was marginal at best.

OK, so here’s a summer song. We turn to the magic year of 1966 and The Lovin’ Spoonful HERE.
The song has this romantic big city lyric: “Running up the stairs, gonna meet you on the rooftop.” In 1966, I was living in a town that didn’t have a rooftop you could meet anybody on unless you were wearing spiked shoes and figured out how to keep from sliding off the shingles and plopping into the front yard St Augustine grass with a mighty thud. Ah, romance.
—- Offer objections or OKs by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “COLD SNAP, CHILLY RAIN, WIN LOTTO” in the subject line. —-