THE STATE FAIR AND ITS MIDWAY; DOGS, CATS AND THEIR CHALLENGES

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY/THURSAY MAY 17-18, 2023 [PetPowellPress] Before we get to our usual topics of helping or being helped by dogs and cats, we have a great bit of news from the State Fair of Texas. Yep, it’s mid-May and checkout that artwork from the 2023 State Fair of Texas — September 29-October 22 at the place we know as “historic Fair Park” in Dallas.

We’ll address more of the revelation in the 2023 Fair theme “Explore the Midway” in our Contemplations below. (Click on that artwork to make it grow like Big Tex.)
Now, back to our usual "news beat":  We need some smart and loving people to take over the care of animals today.

LUCY: EXPECTING
IN EVERMAN &
OTHER CHALLENGES
There is a chance that this dog may have presented her pups by the time you read this. My fault. I overlooked the appeal for help last week. But I checked with our Everman tipster Wednesday just as soon as I saw the overlooked email.
And Heather Harrison reports that Lucy is still pregnant but “due any day now.” And she has a $300 pledge from a sponsor.
You see photos of Lucy and Bruce and I think it’s pretty clear in that opening photo which is which.
Heather’s note reads, “EVERMAN TX SHELTER is pleading for help!!   They are in a dire situation. Lucy is a 4-year-old, female Pitbull mix. She is due to have babies within the next week most likely.  She is growing bigger by the day.   She is a sweet, docile & calm girl that just wants to sit with a human.   Very well mannered & quiet. 
“She came in as a stray with her boyfriend, Bruce.  Both are still at the shelter but LUCY is now critical as she needs a safe place to have her babies.”

To help Lucy or the 3 kittens left from that photo, call the Everman Shelter at 817-561-5495.
Those are 5 kittens who arrived with “umbilical cords still attached” and in “dire need of rescue,” Heather reported. [LARRY ASIDE: Three are left — yep, still in need of the helping hand of bottle-feeding humans with an understanding of the importance of cats in our world.
You know who else is still on the clock in Everman Animal Shelter? This guy, 10-year-old Boxer mix Rocky. The note we got from Heather read, “He is a sweet, old soul that just wants a quiet place to lay his head.  The shelter is terrifying to him!  He is very calm, easy going & gentle.  Dog, cat & kid social.  Fully vetted.”

WHY IS ROCKY IN A SMALL TOWN ANIMAL SHELTER?
Crime. Heather’s note read, “Sadly, Rocky's owner was murdered which landed him in the shelter.  He obviously has not lived a great life as he is very emaciated & malnourished.  But he holds no grudges.  He longs for a gentle touch & soft bed.
"ANYONE HAVE SPACE TO SAVE THIS GUY???   THE ODDS ARE AGAINST HIM!”

Again, the Everman Shelter phone number is 817-461-5495. And the Facebook Page is HERE.  
HOW DOES A DOG LIKE THIS
WIND UP AS A SHELTER ‘STRAY’?
There’s your mystery question for the day.
So, we turn to a person who knows Cotton the Dog to get some of the details on this boy. Judi Brown, volunteer dog-writer for MeSquite Animal Services, says that even from his photos “you can tell that Cotton is a gentle sweet boy.”

But there’s much, much more to this guy and his challenges.
 He’s a 9-month-old Lab Retriever/ English Pointer mix who came in on May 11. Not neutered. Weighs 40 pounds.
“Before I even did his evaluation,” Judi writes, “Several staff members told me what a good dog Cotton is. He’s a nice-looking dog with beautiful coloring with brown spots that are more pronounced on his ears, alluring pale blue eyes and soft fur.
“He’s special in more ways than one,” she writes. “He’s a special-needs dog because he’s completely deaf and somewhat visually impaired. From what I gather he sees shapes and outlines of objects. He does get around well. He’s a smart dog and very capable of learning sign language. He already knows the sit command by following hand signals. He is somewhat interested in toys. He gives kisses and tail wags. He appears to be a happy guy. He’s athletic and climbed around on the play equipment in the yard. He seeks attention and occasionally jumps on you. He’s very loving, easy-going, playful, and gentle.” 

Cotton is #52633030— use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]

Who else is waiting? Well, lots of Mesquite animals, including Cinnamon (#51060747), Sugar (#52633030), Allie (#52622608), Chip (#52561825) and King (#52597864) That Ebony Earhound is King — just over 3, a German Shepherd/Dutch Shepherd mix who came in on May 6 — picked up as a stray. He’s lost hair — not because of mange, but “the issue may be a poor diet, skin allergies, etc.”
How can you see their photos? Here is the link to the animals in the Mesquite Animal Shelter: https://www.cityof mesquite.com/1239/Animals-in-the-Shelter. You can see many cats — we’ve previously featured some them, such as 2-year-old Ivy (#52091178), waiting in the shelter since Feb. 18.

I’m swearin’ on a stack of Dog & Cat Behavior Books that the volunteers at Mesquite are a hard-working bunch. Reward ‘em by adopting a dog or cat who’ll love you every day of their lives.
CONTEMPLATIONS
KITTENS, A BONUS, & THE FAIR
When I contemplate kittens — not so frequently that there’s a psychiatric name for the syndrome — but when I contemplate kittens, I remember that at readlarrypowell.com we’ve bottle-fed several kittens. One of them who stayed with us is Apprentice Office Cat Stevie Ray who still treats us like his parents. I guess we are. It’s a good position to have in life. Yes, one of the first things Stevie Ray learned from the dogs was how to sleep anywhere at anytime for no particular reason.
… 
I got an email with the subject line “Please accept your 2023 bonus.” Yeah, it wasn’t money. It was a magazine promotion. But, ah, such daydreams it inspired. I went straight to the nearby grocery store and bought a Lotto Texas ticket adored with my lucky numbers. I’ll let you know. ...
BACK TO THE BIG NEWS FROM THE STATE FAIR. There's a pretty comprehensive story on the BigTex.com website HERE
that gives interesting history of the annual Texas-sized party/event/exposition, etc.  In the words of every Baby Boomer kid from a two-stoplight town in Texas, “Heck, yawl, ah cain’t hardly wait for thuh Fair!” Remember, go to bigtex.com and click on the "Get Involved" button and click on CREATIVE ARTS where you can see how to be a contested in assorted contests of  Texas creativity — it's amazing when you look at the list of events and competitions. There’s a lot of “more” on the calendar for the Great State Fair of Texas. Kind of a happy thing in the spring to think about the Midway and the State Fair Car Show and shopping for all sorts of things!  The Fair is more fun than a barrel of monkeys and one year, at the guess-your-weight booth, I won a barrel of monkeys. I’m kidding. But I would kind of like a couple of State Fair Belgian Waffles right now. OK, I'm dieiting and working on regaining control of my thought process. I just have one; most people have thought processes. But I'm focused on a waffle.
—- Offer Fair memories and tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘HOWDY, LAY OFF THE WAFFLES’ in the subject line. —-