AN OL' DOG GETS A NEW DEAL; SPCA'S VACCINATION SPECIAL; BIG TEX WINS ANOTHER CROWN; AH, TEXAS HISTORY ......

EDITION OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022 [PetPowellPress] State Fair of Texas wins again! [I snapped that shot of Big Tex on the Midway at the 2022 State Fair — in October, though it seems like only a week or so ago.]
Moving along on today’s topics: The SPCA of Texas has a great deal on vaccinations for dogs and cats.
And a shelter dog named Brewsky gets a late-in-life break.
We’ll start with Brewsky, then ease through the other news all the way to a Contemplation about Big Tex’s showplace.
And, in honor of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (running through Feb 4), “Giddyup, y’all!”
AN OLD DOG GETS A CHANCE
AS A SHELTER WORKS FOR HIM
On January 11, we posted the story of Brewsky thanks to a report on his situation by Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog bio-writer Debra Chisholm and now, thanks to Debra, we can tell you the follow up.

The original story from Debra read, “This precious senior is Brewsky, a Rottweiler mix that was surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 1/9.  Reason for the surrender is that the son of the owner is moving out of state and that the owner is elderly and not able to provide proper care for Brewsky.  The backstory is a sad one.  Brewsky was adopted from the shelter in 2013 as a pup, owned for 9 years and now is back at the shelter as a surrender.  He weighs 60 pounds, is approx 10 years old and is neutered.”

Debra sent a note this morning that reads, “The following was posted for him with the result being a tag by one of our finest rescues, Dallas Pets Alive, due to a kind, foster stepping up to the plate. He left with this sweet girl yesterday. His quality of life may not be the best, and there may be no fixing his medical issues but at least he is with a caring, loving person who is willing to see him through whatever the future holds.”

Debra’s followup on Brewsky's health read, “Sadly, MAS staff noticed that Brewsky struggled to urinate and had not been eating well.  He was sent for a vet check and senior panel … His prognosis is poor. He is suffering with an enlarged bladder, which the vet suspects is related to some neurological concerns causing him to not urinate properly.  He also has muscular dystrophy and not eating well in the shelter.” 
[LARRY ASIDE: Mercifully — and those of us who have had older dogs know that “mercifully” is the right word — Brewsky has a human now who’ll help him through whatever he’s going to face. Perhaps, he’ll recover. Perhaps not. But what he’ll have now is someone who can make him feel loved and adored in good and bad times. Visit dallaspetsalive.org to learn about helping that non-profit. And see more Mesquite Animal Shelter adorable adoptables HERE. 

SPCA OF TEXAS DEAL
ON CAT, DOG VACCINATIONS
This is quite a handy opportunity at the SPCA of Texas for dogs and cats needing “combo” vaccinations.
We got the story on this from SPCA of Texas Manager of Public Relations Becky Adamietz-Deo. The opportunity runs through January 31 at the SPCA’s Myron K. Martin Spay/Neuter & Veterinary Clinic, 2400 Lone Star Drive, on the western side of downtown Dallas. 
When you purchase the $20 rabies vaccinations for your dogs and cats, you get the “free combination vaccines —DHPPC for dogs and FVRCP for cats.”
And, according to SPCA of Texas Chief Medical Officer Dr. Amber Alu. “Vaccinations are considered so important to pet health that they are regarded as a cornerstone of preventive care.”
And the SPCA release says, “The DHPP canine vaccine is a ‘5 in 1’ vaccination that prevents two types of hepatitis, distemper, parainfluenza and parvovirus. It is recommended that dogs receive the DHPP vaccine at 8, 12, and 16 weeks, one year later, and then one to three years after that.
“FVRCP is a combination vaccine that protects cats from feline herpesvirus 1 and feline calicivirus which both cause upper respiratory tract disease. It is recommended for both indoor and outdoor cats as a core vaccine.”

[LARRY ASIDE: If you are reading this on our website, you probably already know all of that — your animals are properly vaccinated. But you may have friends with animals who aren’t “up-to-date,” so feel free to copy that info and send it to them on behalf of their animals. Of course, if you don’t have a dog or cat, the SPCA of Texas can happily help you add an adorable adoptable to your household. We featured this 8-year-old guy Apollo earlier in the week — I post this photo because it makes me smile whenever I think of Apollo, a rescued from a bad situation dog, who loves to roll on the lawn! And, as readlarrypowell.com loves feline friends with the stripes, we feature this cat Joyce as an adorable adoptable at the SPCA of Texas.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
BIG TEX, COWTOWN'S SHOW & TEXAS

BIg Tex swaps hat for crown -- again. Yep, we got this news release from Karissa Condoianis, Senior Vice President of Public Relations at the Fair. Maybe you attended in 2022 — we were there. And the story from the State Fair reads, “For back-to-back years, the State Fair of Texas has recorded the highest attendance amongst the fairs and festivals industry, leading Carnival Warehouse’s Top 50 List with more than 2.5 million people in attendance for the 2022 exposition. It’s true: Everything really is bigger in Texas — and not just in Dallas. Our neighbors and friends at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo joined us atop the list at #2 with more than 2.4 million people in attendance for their 2022 event.”
 The release continues, “As a nonprofit organization, the State Fair of Texas’ mission is to celebrate all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment. A Big Tex-sized thank you to all 2,547,289 folks who visited us during the 24-day run of the 2022 State Fair of Texas, allowing us to focus on our mission-giving the other 341 days of the year. To learn more about the Fair’s contributions in the community, please visit BigTex.com/AnnualReport. Mark your calendars for the 2023 State Fair of Texas, opening Friday, September 29, and running through Sunday, October 22.” [LARRY ASIDE: Corny dog craving?]
CAN THIS BE COINCIDENCE IN THE CARNIVAL INDUSTRY? This great State Fair of Texas news has been announced during the opening week of the 2023 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, the winter festival that captures the attention of cowboys and exhibition fans from all over the state. (It’s marketing line is “This Thing Is Legendary.”). Took my toddler twins to it when they were just over 2 years old — a half-century ago when I was a reporter at The Fort Worth Press (gone since 1975.) … I do recall that when I first attended the Cowtown extravaganza, it was known as The Fort Worth Fat Stock Show — I was a little self-conscious when I ordered a giant ice cream cone. I got over it. And in 1987, the board changed the name to Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. [LARRY ASIDE: Hmmm, dumping “Fat Stock Show” may have been the first “cancellation” of an accepted cultural term — though it referred to big cows and bulls, in general. I was big, but not show-quality stock.]
One of my favorite “historical tales” from my days as a young reporter was hearing about Fort Worth’s reaction to Dallas winning the right to host the 1936 Texas independence Centennial at Fair Park during the State Fair. Lots of cultural stuff. Fort Worth’s leadership (legendary businessman Amon Carter), countered with a more exotic celebration featuring famed fan dancer Sally Rand. The slogan, I was told, quickly became “Go to Dallas for culture. Come to Fort Worth for fun.” I’ve lived around here since 1972 — watched Dallas become known as “New York’s sixth borough” and enjoyed Fort Worth lovingly, wisely preserve itself as “Where the west begins” and “Cowtown.” We’ll turn to Little Texas to explain it all in a song. Enjoy THIS LITTLE TEXAS SONG FOR A BIG BLESSING.Yank your boots on and turn up your speakers. Can I get an “Amen” from all 254 counties — surely this is something Dallas and Fort Worth and their counties can agree on.
—- Praise Texas by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put DON’T WEAR SPURS WHEN YOU DRIVE IN DALLAS in the subject line. —-