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A QUESTION IN THE LAND OF INSOMNIA -- OVER OR UNDER? ASK OUR PAL LARRY

Our question for this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap is this: 
Over the covers or under the covers?
And that brings us to our featured canine, a fellow we’ve known for nearly a decade, Diane Combs’ miniature Dachshund, Larry.
[LARRY THE TYPIST ASIDE: Yes, he and I share a name — Diane wanted it that way. Also, she named a dog “Martha” in honor of my funspouse. We once named a freshly-found kitten Diane but one vet visit later the kitten was quickly renamed Simon. Seriously, who but a pro can Gender ID a freshly born kitten?]

Back to that photograph of the “blankie” with pawprints.
We have, at our house, only animals who sleep atop the covers. But at Diane’s, well, we need to discuss Larry, the Public Relations King of wherever he goes — you oughta see him working a dog park! You’d think he was up for election somewhere.
Now, look carefully at that photo of the “blankie.”  Here’s how Diane explains it: “He rarely sleeps when he's NOT under the covers, so one of these photos shows ‘Larry the Lump’ under the blankie on the couch.

“The other one is of him sleeping in his toy box -- so at least your readers can see what he looks like.”

[LARRY THE TYPIST ASIDE II: We’ve included a photo of Larry The PR King as he poses happily for the camera. Yes, he IS irresistible. Too handsome out from under the covers to be regarded as “Larry The Lump!]
[DEAR READERS: Please send us photos of your slumbering dogs and cats or any other critter that dozes off at your house. Tell us how you got ‘em and why you love ‘em and why they love you, too. Email photos and info to [email protected] and we’ll feature them in our weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be helping someone decide to open their home to an animal. And you’ll be helping insomniacs wonder if they actually could sleep if they put a blanket OVER their heads. Tried it. Doesn’t work for me. Makes me think I’ve won the “victim” role in a pirate kidnap movie.]
—- Offer sleeping tips or tips for life when awake by clicking on ‘comment below’ or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘YOU SNORE WHEN YOU’RE AWAKE!' in the subject line. —-

AS THE WEEK ENDS, THE WEEKEND HAS OPPORTUNITIES -- DOGS, CATS, KICKERS?

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to Friday and remember this: We’re approaching a weekend that is merely TWO days long. So, show up for work on Monday, Unless you’ve had the foresight to schedule a day off to get over Sunday night’s Dallas Cowboys/San Francisco game. May Brett Maher have the opportunities to kick a dozen extra points and nail every one of them….
OK, we’re starting in East Texas, then moseying back into Dallas/Fort Worth in this edition — we’ll mention the “small shelter frustrations” that are tough to take on the southern edge of Dallas. Here goes.
THE STRAYDOG PEOPLE
AND A WEEKEND EVENT
Ok, we’re referring to the angels who run and support Straydog Inc. as “the Straydog People” because we see it as kind of a label of honor. Straydog Inc., the no-kill shelter and sanctuary in East Texas, has a legacy of love and triumph on behalf of animals. 
And there are many people who have adopted animals from this organization. You can see many to adopt on the shelter’s website at straydog.org. Or, you can see some of the adorable adoptables in person from 11 .m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the PetSmart West Plano, Willow Bend, at 6204 W. Park Blvd. in Plano.
This big guy with all the personality in his face and tail and ear is Leonardo, a “brown/ chocolate” Lab/Mastiff Mix — he was “born in 2014 and he weighs 55 pounds,” his bio reads on the Straydog site. And, it adds, “He gets along well with other dogs. He would make a great dog for anyone who has the time and heart to give him the love he deserves.) Email [email protected].
This genuine Earhound is Ren, a Shepherd fellow born on in April 2019. He’s friendly, house-trained and, his bio reads, “a very energetic boy who loves to play ball and absolutely loves the water.  He gets along with other dogs.  He is a little anxious around new people, but once he gets to know you he is a big love bug.  His looks are very endearing with his unique ears.  He would make a great companion for long walks or runs.” Same email as the one for Leonardo ([email protected]) and this next adorable adoptable.
Yes, you might find a stray cat now and then at the stray dog shelter. This one is Krissy. Her colors are gray, blue and silver — might be some black in that great coat if the light hits everything right. This girl, the Straydog bio says, “was feral when we found her with 2 babies after her owner passed away.” Krissy isn’t much more than a kitten — her birthday is guessed at sometime in November 2021.
Since Straydog took her in, she’s weaned the babies “and has become more loveable,” the bio reads. “She has been getting used to people handling her.  She is very sweet but still needs more love.  She is looking for a loving home.  If you would like to adopt her please go to our website and fill out an application.” And, of course, email [email protected]. 
[LARRY RECOMMENDATION: Take some time to visit this link and learn about the founding of Straydog Inc. and the people who have built it and guided its evolution since founding in 1994. If you’re not moved by the 2003 entry and the “last words” of Pat Arnold, have yourself checked for tear ducts and a heartbeat.]
BIG CHALLENGE FOR SMALL SHELTERS?
MORE PAW TRAFFIC THAN FOOT TRAFFIC
In bright red leaders across the top of the latest email from 4-Legged Helpers, there was this message: NOW VERY URGENT!!! DALLAS-FORT WORTH TX RURAL SHELTERS URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP!  It’s not a new message, but is from the heart. As it happens, the good folks at the Ferris Animal Shelter are loaded with animals. And the good folks with the 4-Legged Helpers are trying to get these dogs into a rescue, a foster or a home. Empty the shelter without using a needle, you know?
Any of you Dear Readers old enough to remember the TV show A Family Affair with Brian Keith, Sebastian Cabot. big sister Cissy (Kathy Garver) and 6-year-old twins Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnny Whitaker)?
Why do I ask that? Well, it’s because the first two pups — both in the Ferris Animal Shelter — listed on this desperate plea from 4-Legged Helpers are a brother and sister, Buffy and Jody, a couple of 6- to 8-week-old Heeler mixes. [LARRY ASIDE: I’m not sure which is the boy or which is Buffy, so, while we wait for a response from the puppies, my advice is you’d improve your life by giving a great home to a pair of siblings. Teach ‘em together. Love ‘em together. Show them that humans are better than our reputation for rotten behavior in the animal kingdom. We’ve never had sibling dogs, but we have had sibling cats and cats who were distant cousins, we’re pretty sure. Here’s an irrefutable fact: Human love makes the difference in animal lives.]
Also waiting a way into a good home is this dog Sloane, a Belgian Malinois, maybe a year-and-a-half old and in the Ferris shelter because she was “found out and about” in Hutchins. She’s a “not large” 41 pounds right now. and “what a sweetie,” her bio reads. 

Still waiting, also, are dogs previously mentioned: Jayson, Waylon, JJ and Thomas. You can see these pups (that’s Jayson with the great eye make up) on the 4-Legged Friends FACEBOOK PAGE HERE.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
SOME OF THE ‘WAITING’
Our tipster, volunteer dog-biographer Debra Chisholm, began with, “This happy-go-lucky fellow is Balto” and when i saw this photo I immediately recognized him as an Earhound — Happy Go Lucky Division of the Breed.
Debra says Balto is a mixed breed and the Dog Scanner app “suggests Husky, Kelpie and Terrier in the mix).” He came in on the 14th as a stray picked up by a police officer. He’s about 2 (could be “somewhat younger” and weighs 65 pounds. Also, Debra writes, “He is a handsome boy with the one blue/one brown eye distinction. He knows the sit command. He has lots of spunk and energy.  He is athletic and enjoys romping and running in the yard. …  He will need a secure and high fence as he is a bit of a jumper.  He saw a dog in the parking lot and apparently wanted to make friends, so jumped up on the wall ledge to get a better look!  He is a friendly boy and is happy to receive petting and attention from a human friend (when he manages to slow down!).  Balto would seem best suited for an active person or family who would spend time daily with him providing plenty of enrichment, exercise and playtime.
Balto is #51873061 — use that ID when you call the shelter at 927-216-6283 or email [email protected]. Same system for these other Mesquite animals.
Bulma (#51840990), possibly 6 or 7 years old, is 57-pound, not-spayed mixed breed — yep, arrived as a stray on Jan. 9. And then what happened? Debra reports, “Owners were contacted but have opted not to reclaim. This is very puzzling because she has such a sweet and fun personality.  She walks nicely on a leash and did not show any aggression toward the dogs she was led past who were barking at her.  Of course it is always a good idea to ask for a dog test from the shelter staff if interested in sweet girl.  She pottied in the yard so is possibly house trained.  Bulma knows the sit command.  She is a tail-wagging girl with a moderate energy level.  … Has a rather submissive personality.  She rolled over on her back for belly rubs.  Bulma is friendly and perfectly OK with receiving loving attention from a human companion.”
“Adorable and cutesy girl” Melo is, Debra reports, a Terrier mix who came into the shelter on January 6. Why? “She was abandoned by her owner and he has failed to reclaim her.  Melo [ID #51822147] weighs approx 35-40 pounds, is about 2 years old and is spayed.  She appears to be healthy and well-cared for. She's spunky and frisky without being hyperactive.  Melo is athletic and enjoyed climbing on our play equipment in the yard. She had such fun exploring all the smells of the yard and stretching her legs.  … Melo loved the attention I paid to her, especially scratching her on her hind quarters.  This pleasant-natured girl needs a new home and she would probably do best with an active person or family who would spend daily time playing, exercising and providing some training.  She is a nice compact size and would be perfect for someone looking for a smaller-sized dog to live inside.” (Remember, use her ID 51822147 when you contact the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
[LARRY FYI FROM SHELTER NOTES: This came with the Melo story: “Our shelter is very over-crowded and a number of our dogs are having to be housed in crates rather than regulation-sized kennels, Melo being one of them.” Adopting, fostering, rescuing can help resolve that situation. So can taking care of your own dogs in a safe and proper manner. But no need to preach that gospel in the Metroplex, right?]
This girl with the elegant appearance is Trudi (#51868126) who, Debra writes, is a Lab “youngster that was picked up by one of our officers and brought to the shelter on 1/13 as a stray.  Trudi weighs 58 pounds, is approx 1 year old and is not spayed.  This is a gentle soul, calm and a bit shy and timid.  I felt instantly drawn to her. 

“Trudi has a mellow and laid back personality and demeanor.  She is uneasy and nervous and has not acclimated to the new environment in which she finds herself. Trudi walks on a leash but is somewhat hesitant in doing so.  She did not have a negative reaction to any other dog she was walked past.  She likes treats and takes them gently.  Trudi is friendly and more than happy to receive loving attention.  Doubtless in a quiet home setting and with tender loving care she would blossom to her full potential.”
Remember, for any animal in Mesquite’s care, use the ID number when you contact the shelter at 972-216-6283 or by emailing [email protected].
Mesquite has plenty of dogs for good homes, plenty of cats, too. See them at THIS LINK.  Among the cats is this year-old girl Evelyn (#51801339). [LARRY ASIDE: She’s a very rare Domestic Shorthair Mix — I’m kidding about that. In fact, I’m almost certain Dallas/Fort Worth has more Domestic Shorthair mixes than any other geographical location in the known universe. We have always had great experiences with these cats (and other cats, too).] Evelyn came into the shelter on January 17, her size is listed as “medium” and her location when you get ready to visit her at the Mesquite shelter is in the Conference Room. (See Conferring Contemplation next.)
CONTEMPLATIONS
CAT CONFERRING AND OTHER NOTES
Regarding Evelyn in the Conference Room: It has been my experience that cats like to confer when given the opportunity and invitation from a loving human. Here’s one now — as I was writing the passage about Mesquite’s cat Evelyn, my own great feline, William Powell The Office Cat, stepped quietly onto my desk and went to sleep sitting up as I typed. He wasn’t conferring at the time, he was conpurring. I took it as a compliment. The same way I take it when my funspouse Martha falls asleep in the middle of one of my monologues about what’s wrong with journalism today or how computers give me more trouble than the curse of carbon paper ever did. …

LARRY FYI: We checked our records and when we moved 3 years ago, we left NO top secret documents behind or in storage. We also were way ahead of the federal government, hitting our debt ceiling years ago.
Friday morning I heard a radio newscaster report, “An extremely toxic site is Dallas is being demolished.” Immediately I wondered, “How did they narrow it down to just one?” Come on, Dallas, I’m just kiddin’ ya, Big Ol' D. When I was at The Big Paper Downtown, reporters did a lot of stories about toxic sites in Dallas. Some stories even mentioned city hall. (I hope you laughed at that line.)
—- Offer advice and admonitions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put READ THIS, KNUCKLEHEAD, in the subject line. —-