EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2023 [PetPowellPress] The first email I opened Wednesday morning was from a restaurant chain declaring the 8th was National Hashbrown Day.
As a diet-sensitive writer, I immediately googled “hashbrowns and nutrition” and determined that a serving of hashbrowns is better for you than a dozen donuts in one sitting.
As a fellow who knows right from wrong at the plate, I adore vegetarian hashbrowns, but I also know that the true value of hashbrowns to me is emotional, not nutritional.
Please, I’ll have the spinach with my not-a-real-egg omelet. No toast. No biscuit. OK, enough of that. Let’s go into the world of rescuers, animals and free-roaming "Don'tcares" still not hip to the plight of animals.
That’s my cat Stevie Ray, snoozing on the office “scratching chair” and dreaming of hashbrowns. Pretty sure.
HUSTLING ANIMALS OUT OF
SMALL SHELTERS — IS THAT
HARD OR JUST IMPOSSIBLES…
I don’t know. But I sure get some steady email appeals from the folks with 4-Legged Helpers and other organizations trying to help animals.
The latest from the Helpers notes that “small shelters are completely full.” And the email includes another mention of a specific cat and a mention of a new dog. And we’ll discuss them shortly. The Helpers also write, “Some new additional dogs [are] located at 
vet clinics or with finders that have asked to help save them.” Some even have $275 donations to the 501c3s that help them. You can keep up with 4-Legged Helpers on Facebook HERE.
That girl Emma was the first dog listed when I clicked on the site this morning after getting the latest email request for help. And her story, this time, read, “Sad news... Emma is being returned because child is fearful of dogs. Will you Please help us share this girl so her second stay at the Ferris TX Animal Shelter won't be a long one?” Ask about Emma by calling the shelter at 972-544-2110 (select “animal control”) or email [email protected]. [LARRY ASIDE: I’d see 
that as an opportunity to help a kid learn to love a dog, but that’s just me.] Emmy’s original biography is HERE .
That brings us to a couple of other critters on the radar at 4-LeggedHelpers. You may have seen them before, but that doesn’t mean they don’t still need homes.
That cat is Emmie Mew-Mew, a Bombay or a Bombay mix in the Ferris shelter. The young cat is described as “the sweetest girl ever. Very friendly and affectionate. She was found out and about on her own. Check out her gorgeous shiny fur and those stunning eyes.”
And that brings us to Jax, the Black and Tan Shepherd, currently in Ferris — he was found straying in Hutchins and moved into the care of Ferris. His bio reads, “He is everything a good boy should be. Friendly, Affectionate, Lovable, Super sweet!
"Very calm in his kennel. … He is such a good boy. Please help! This is a very deserving GORGEOUS dog. HELP! He's here hoping and waiting…”
To ask about adopting these animals or helping with them by fostering or transporting, etc., call or text the 4-Legged helpers at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
OK, SO HERE’S A DOG
WAITING IN A SHELTER
This is one of those dog bios that starts with a sad but challenging sentence. “Sandy needs to learn how to receive loving affection,” began the bio by Mesquite dog-writer Judi Brown.
As you read this you’ll spot where humans have failed Sandy so far.
Sandy’s a 2-year-old, 30-pound “sandy-colored with some red highlights” mixed breed, Judi reports. And she came into the 
shelter on March 3 as a stray. [LARRY ASIDE: Yep, a stray. Human failure.] “She is not spayed. [LARRY ASIDE: Score a second human failure.]
And there’s this.
The veteran hands-on dog biographer Judi writes, “I suspect that Sandy has not received a lot of socialization. She was leery of the leash. Once she had the leash on she did walk okay. She spent a lot of time pacing in the yard exhibiting nervous energy. I had to follow her around to get pictures. She was cautiously friendly. At first her tail was tucked but with time she relaxed. She 
didn’t seem to know the sit command. She was not motivated by treats. She didn’t even want any! She spent a lot of time looking out the gate and whining. I’m assuming she was missing her owners. She did attempt to escape so her new owners will need a tall secure fence. She did come to me a few times and allowed me to pet her. I get the feeling she could get used to this affection. She even put her head on my lap one time! Sandy is not happy in the shelter and would benefit from being adopted into a loving home with an active family.”
So, if you want to be that human does all the right things for a dog named Sandy, use her ID #52169685 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Same system when you ask the Mesquite shelter about Reba (#5204468). Veteran volunteer dog bio- 
writer Debra Chisholm reported on this mixed- breed “adorable youngster.” Reba, came in as a stray on Feb. 10. She’s about 8 months old, weighs 37 pounds and is spayed. She “walks well on a leash” and ”knows the ‘sit’ command.” Debra also writes, “Reba is a spunky and frisky pup that does jump on you so that is something that will need to be worked on. She is friendly, affectionate, loves to receive loving attention and will give kisses. She was fostered for a number of days by one of the staff in order to give her a break from the shelter. Foster related the following: She is lovable but gets scared easily, possibly not socialized much or leash trained. The foster worked with her and she is doing better. … There is a lot to like about Reba. She needs a person or family who will spend time daily with her playing, exercising and teaching some commands.”
That brings us to Rambo’s bio by Judi. He’s #52140125, a 6-year-old Lab mix who, already neutered, weighs 70 pounds. He came in as an owner-surrender on Feb. 27.
And why ws that? “The owner stated that she was surrendering him because she was going out of town and didn’t know when she was coming back.”
He got a good report from that person who said Rambo “was very friendly, good with other dogs and good with children.” And Judi writes, “I can also testify that he’s very friendly. I was met with tail wags and I don’t believe his tail stopped wagging the whole time we were 
together. And when I walked him through the bay he wagged his tail meeting dogs that were friendly and jumped away from those that were not. … Several times I could tell he was going to jump on me and he had the intelligence and manners to refrain. He sits for treats and takes them gently. He’s highly motivated by treats. … Several times he stood by the door even though it was a nice day. This is probably an indication that he was an inside dog. He was not interested in balls but he found a squeaky toy that he entertained himself with and wanted me to throw for him. He is active, friendly, loving, happy, well-mannered, and playful. He’s another diamond in the rough. It’s hard to believe that such an outstanding dog as this would end up at a shelter.”
There are many other dogs and cats in the Mesquite Shelter. Most have biographical information about their history and behavior. You can read them and see the photos by clicking on THIS LINK TO THE SHELTER.
Among the animals you can see? Ah, this beautiful Domestic Shorthair mix named Ivy. She’s #52091178 and she’s listed as being 2 years and 13 days old.
[LARRY ASIDE: I can’t figure my cats’ ages that precisely — but I’m not a shelter professional, either. I don’t have one of those computer-driven Cattage-o-matics from K-tel, as seen on TV.]
So, there she is, Ivy, the beautiful medium-sized cat who came in on Feb. 18 and is waiting in, where else, the shelter’s Cat Room. Can be all yours — just contact the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS
CRABBY, NOXIOUS MOOD TAKING OVER
Ok, I’ll admit it. Sometimes I just get downright peeved at all the “unwanted” dogs and cats around here. Not peeved at the 
animals, but peeved at the humans who put those animals’ lives at rock-solid risks in big shelters and small shelters, on roadways, in city parks, in dumping areas. You see where I’m going? Yes, you are correct. People are starting to really BLEEP me off.
That puts me in a really bad mood. See this dog? Thats’ my personal dog Porche Noel. Since she came into our life more than nine years ago, she has had a calming effect on me. She knows when I need it.
I need some calming effect right now. She and I are going to gaze at our navels for several days -- not real sure if she has one -- and try to realign our time-change auras before the big brain-jerking temporal adjustment this weekend.
We’re both sick of all the violence in this world. And I’m on a constant diet. That combination tells me that Porche and I need some time off to consider how we can either make the world a better 
place or fund and construct the Texas Colony for Peace on Mars. Porche swears low-gravity will suit her just fine — “I’m already a dog with a low center of gravity,” she explains. She says, also, low gravity on Mars will me happy when I look on the scales.
See you in a few days. Ommmmm. Email me at [email protected] if you (a) have any tips on refurbishing a worn-down brain or (b) want to go to Mars and can chip in on funding the ride. The days off may help my punctuation, my sentence structure and my spelink.
— Offer calming tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “EASY DOES IT, SPACE CADET” in the subject line. —-
