ON VETERANS DAY, WE CITE A 7-DOG SITUATION, ARTFUL CLOVER, HELPING ANIMALS AND A VIOLET REMINDER

EDITION OF THURSDAYPM/FRIDAYALLDAY, NOVEMBER 10/11, 2022 [PetPowellPress] We’re posting these flags in honor of veterans of military service for the United States of America. That’s the theme of Veterans Day. That flag over the Texas flag is the one we got in 1959 after Alaska became a state on Jan. 3, 1959, and Hawaii joined the union on Aug. 21, 1959. Fifty stars. Before that we had this 48-star flag -- six stars by 8 stars. It was the flag that was flying on June 1, 1954, when President Dwight Eisenhower signed the law declaring that November 11 would be Veterans Day, honoring veterans of all U.S. wars. It’s the flag a lot of us Baby Boomers first knew in our classrooms, at football games and leading off rodeo grand entries and parades. The “lower 48” states’ stars, as we used to say. Thanks to the veterans, I got to vote on Tuesday any way I wanted to without getting a note from a palace. Maybe you did, too. It was a darned good feeling, wasn't it.
OH, MY, IT’S THE FACE
OF THIS DOG CLOVER!
Dears readers, if someone looks at me and yells, “HEY! DOGFACE!” I’m always going to take it as a compliment and this dog Clover is one of the reasons. That dog’s face is a sensational work of art.
So what’s Clover’s story — well, there’s good news. She’s one of the many animals from small shelters that the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers have been working to save. And there is good news.
 Clover is a 6-month-old, 36-pound Black-Mouth Cur mix who has been in the low-human-traffic Ferris Animal Shelter since early October. Her bio reads, “This precious baby girl doesn't know what the heck happened so that she found herself wandering the tough streets without a home. She's so bashful but completely submissive.”
So, what was needed, if no rescue or adoptor could take her, was a foster who’d help her become an adoptable human-loving household dog.
And, on Thursday, we learned that Clover’s story has taken a good turn. The note posted on the 4-Legged Helpers Inc. Facebook page HERE read, “ATTENTION RESCUES: We found a foster home for our sweet girl Clover! Who can take her into their rescue for the next leg of her journey in finding a home? IF YOU CAN HELP... call or text: 214-949-2726 or email: [email protected]."
 That’s the artwork that appears on the 4 Legged Helpers Inc. Facebook page and you can see other animals waiting for an escape route from small, rarely-visited animal shelters. Among them is Tyler, this beautiful 2-year-old, 60-poundish Border Collie/Lab mix in the care of the Ferris shelter. He’s adorable. And available.
SIX YORKIE MIXES AND A CHIHUAHUA
SURRENDERED TO PACKED EVERMAN
Yep, that’s something you hope never occurs again in this century. We got the story from our Everman tipster Heather Harrison. The note was part warning, part appeal. Here’s how it reads: “EVERMAN SHELTER is overflowing, no space is left!   They are pleading for help!
“An owner just surrendered her 6 yorkie mixes, 1 chihuahua.   All males, no known vetting. They are all sharing 1 kennel as there is no other open space currently.  If anyone has space for just 1 it would be helpful!” Call the Everman shelter at 817-561-5495.
MEANWHILE, IN MESQUITE,
MO JO THE ALOOF STRAY….
Among the many animals waiting in the Mesquite Animal Shelter is this guy Mo Jo and he’s got a description we’ve not seen before in a stray dog.
The story of Mo Jo comes from volunteer dog biographer Judi Brown who first describes Mo Jo as “adorable with his black and white wiry hair and low-to-the-ground body!” He’s a not-yet-fixed, 3-year-old, 30-pound Terrier mix who came into the shelter as a stray on Nov. 3. 
Judi then wrote a description that points out how very wonderfully distinct Mo Jo is. She wrote, “I had a difficult time getting good pictures to show him off in a positive light. He was very aloof.”
Mr. Mo Jo Aloof probably has “not had much socialization, Judi wrote. “He spent most of his time scouting out the yard. After approximately 20 minutes with me sitting on the ground he finally came to me and let me pet him. He even gave me a few tail wags! He is a work in progress and will need TLC and patience for him to build trust. There’s no doubt that he has potential for being a devoted family companion. … If you have time and like working with dogs please come and spend time with MoJo.”

Mo Jo is #51462043 at the shelter. Use that Mo Jo ID number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]. 

This girl is Jada [#51437656] and Judi describes her as “very stunning” and as “a majestic beauty.” She’s an 8-month-old Akita/Alaskan Husky mix. A stray. Arrived on Halloween. She weighs just 38 pounds. Judi writes, “She’s gentle, well mannered, friendly (but not overly so), affectionate, easy-going, alert, and just plain sweet! When I called her she came to me and didn’t seem to tire of having her ears scratched. I was rewarded with kisses and tail wags. She chased toys and occasionally brought them back. She sits for treats and takes them gently. … She spent considerable time standing by the door indicating she wanted to go in even though it was a nice day. This indicated to me that she’s been an inside dog. And who wouldn’t want to have this soft loving dog by your side in the house with you?” And Judi adds, “I wouldn’t delay long because with her many fine qualities she will not be at the shelter long.”

With this dog, Judi won a bet. She opened Franz’s bio with “I bet you can’t look at this sweet face with his happy smile and not smile yourself! This happy guy is Franz [51428490]. He is a very attractive 3- to 4-year-old Welsh Corgi/Shepherd mix that came to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 10/29 as a stray. He weighs 30 pounds. He is not fixed. If you spend five minutes with Franz you will be in love. I was! He’s got a winning personality! He is sweet, friendly, joyful, frisky, playful, well mannered, and affectionate. He should be very easy to train as he is EXTREMELY motivated by treats. He sits before you ask him to in anticipation of a treat. He also follows you around partly because he wants to be with you but also because he wants a treat! He does grab the treat out of your hand, but does not bite you. Because he wants to be close to you he occasionally jumps on you. He frolicked in the yard and at times tried to entice me to enter into his game playing. He was not interested in playing with balls or toys. … Franz is a real prize and won’t be at the shelter long so don’t delay before tagging him or come meet him. He would love to curl up by your side on the couch while you’re watching TV or reading a good book.”
There are many more dogs and cats and kittens available for adoption at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. You can see them by clicking HERE.
When we went to the shelter site to look at cats, we found two felines named Autumn. [LARRY ASIDE: I could live with that, two cats with the same name. And "Autumn" beats "Hey, you, get off the counter!" and then you hears members of your clowder landing on the hardwood all over your house. I'm kidding -- but it could happen.]
Autumn on the left is #51320650, a 3-years-and-2-months-old Domestic Shorthair mix who came into the shelter on Oct. 13. She’s medium size, white/orange and waiting in the Cat Room at Mesquite Animal Services.
The other Autumn is #51124091, also a Domestic Shorthair mix. She’s “large” and “orange. And she came into the shelter on September 15. She’s in the Conference Room, not the Cat Room. Nobody wanted to guess her age. 
So, there you go, two opportunities to get some Autumn into your life at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. And there are plenty of kittens along with all the dogs and cats. 
Remember use their ID numbers when you contact the shelter: Call Mesquite Animal Shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]
CONTEMPLATIONS
ASSORTED NOTES FOR THE MOMENT
Anybody else “study up” on why November 11 is Veterans Day? Yeah, I remembered from either sixth grade or junior high. It had to do with the end of World War I. Armistice Day, it was called then. You may recall (not that any of you are old enough, of course) that World War I ended at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918 — “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.” You may also recall that World War I was called “The War To End All Wars.” Humans, always overly optimistic. Bless all the Veterans. Cold war, hot war, peacetime, police action, etc. ...
I never get enough of peacetime and I hope that peacefulness becomes the reputation of this entire planet. I am prone to ignoring the tendencies of many humans. But I’m trying to get beyond that. …
Don’t forget: Adopt Violet the cat from the Daingerfield Animal Shelter and you’ll be honoring readlarrypowell.com's first office cat, Deputy Chief Kittie Leigh Johnson (Spring 2011- 11/4/2022). Word from Daingerfield is Violet is one swell cat with a loving personality. Who among us couldn’t use a loving personality around the house after a day at the office? Kittie Leigh was like that — she was a role model for humans and critters. Call the shelter at 903-645-2120. Email [email protected]. Or visit the shelter at 1103 Bert St. in Daingerfield, That's Kittie Leigh, my first office cat. She'd appreciate it if someone who knows how to make a cat feel at home would adopt Violet. So would I.
—- Offer opinions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected]. Bless Violet and make her happy.—-