EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2023 [PetPowellPress] Poodles are cute. Golden Retrievers are magnificent. Great Danes are awesome. Collies are motion picture photogenic. Betty the Chihuahua is adorable on TV detective show Will Trent!
Brown dogs are … Brown dogs are …. frequently found in shelters!
But so are the other dogs. Save ‘em all, you know? Never met a dog that wasn’t a keeper somewhere. Example: That dog in the photo didn’t fit in some clown’s apartment, but she did fit in my rescuespouse Martha’s heart, so she saved her off the street and gave her a spot on our couches. Perfect fit.
We’re going to launch this edition with an appeal on behalf of a brown dog who looks to be headed for the farewell needle in Dallas, the city that has an airport and a freeway named Love. How’s that for irony. “Yeah, I love dogs,” said the boss. “Order some more of that euthanasia juice. The citizens are really dumpin’ animals this month.”
LITTLE MAMA:
FEARFUL AND AT RISK
This is the dog that inspired our opening paragraphs. Little Mama is her shelter name, A1177769 is her shelter number. The post about her reads “ADOPT/RESCUE – PRE-LAB -SPACE LITTLE MAMA Dallas Animal Services.” “Pre-Lab” is, I believe the sanitized term the shelter uses for “waiting for the needle of death.”
Little Mama is spayed. She weighs 42 pounds. (The DAS bio says she’s around a year old — doesn’t give a date when she came into the shelter.)
The bio posted on the Facebook page of Dallas Urgent Shelter Dogs HERE reports “Little Mama was surrendered by her owner due to financial reasons. Little Mama was primarily an outdoor dog and lived in a home with 4 other dogs. Little Mama was described as tolerant of other dogs and playful with children. Little Mama has been fearful here in the shelter but responds well with treats. Due to space, Little Mama is at risk of euthanasia.
“SHELTER OBSERVATION 4/20/23; Scared, growling and tail tucked
“SHELTER OBSERVATION 5/22/23: Reactive, barking when I approached kennel side. I offered her treats and she would stop barking to take them then run of the back and continue barking. After treating her for a few minutes, Little mama would calm down and stopped barking.”
The note says email [email protected] for more information. Perhaps you may also want to drop by the DAS Shelter & Adoption Center at Westmoreland and I-30 west of downtown Dallas. Here’s the shelter link the an early bio of Little Mama.
It has that photo — appears to be an early photo of a frightened, dumped dog wondering what the hell is coming next. No animal should ever feel that awful emotion.
THE MESSAGE WAS SIMPLE:
‘WE NEED A FOSTER’
It arrived in a Facebook post by Maleska Fletes, longtime rescuer and advocate who is a member of the board of DFW’s Furgotten Friends.
The appeal reads, “Calling all the bulldog lovers!
“These pups are 2-year-old siblings, one male, one female, that need a foster home together. They like other dogs and love people.
"As far as we know, they have no behavior problems.
"The owner has injured themselves, and they are no longer able to care for these pups that they have loved since babies. Please help us find a safe home for them. Please share. #adoption #dogrescue #fostertoadopt #dogfoster #bulldoglovers #help #helpneeded #texas #bullybreeds."
You can see more on the Furgotten Friends Facebook page HERE.
MEANWHILE, IN MESQUITE
HERE ARE ‘FOUR TO GO’
Yep, four dogs among the animals waiting in the Mesquite Animal Shelter are getting a bit of spotlight in this edition. Consider this a reminder to tell potential animal people you know that local shelters have plenty of great dogs and cats waiting. Here we go:
Our tipster, the Mesquite volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm reports that this Earhound Greta is a German Shepherd mix picked up “by one of our officers and brought to the Mesquite Animal Shelter as a stray on 5/17.” The 5-year-old, 63-pound girl is, Debra writes, “the sweetest, well-behaved, calm and gentle girl. She has a mellow low-key nature. She knows the sit and paw commands. Greta likes treats and takes them gently. She walks well on a leash. She pottied outside her kennel. This friendly girl is more than happy to receive loving attention. She appears to have recently had a litter of pups. She very probably has lived as an outside dog judging from the fly bites on her ears and her scruffy coat.”
Greta is #52677777 — use that shelter ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]
Same contact system for Rena (#52656529). a stray who came to the shelter on May 15. She’s about 6-months-old, spayed and weighs around 25 pounds. Debra’s bio of Rena reads, “She is a high energy pup that jumps and climbs on things. She is playful and plays with toys and balls. She loves treats and takes them gently. Rena walks quite nicely on a leash. She is amiable and is happy to be petted and loved on. This high-spirited girl would really benefit from obedience classes. She needs an active person or family who would stay committed to her and would provide consistent playtime, enrichment, and exercise. Please help Rena out of the shelter and on the way to a new life by networking or tagging at [email protected], typing in the subject line TAG, ID 52656529.”
Debra also got to work with Sparky (52672067), a terrier mix brought in as a stray on May 16. Debra writes, “This is one delightfully charming youngster. Sparky weighs 51 pounds, is approx 7 months old and is not neutered. I named him Sparky because he is such a lively and spunky boy. He has the softest, silkiest fur and the most beautiful eyes. Sparky knows the sit command. When I conducted his evaluation he seemed absolutely thrilled to be outside of his kennel stretching his legs. In fact he ran and played in the yard as well as spending a significant amount of time sniffing out all the interesting scents. He did walk quite nicely on a leash. This friendly, affectionate youngster wanted to climb on my lap and was happy to have a human companion shower him with affection… a highly adoptable boy with a lovable personality.”
That brings us to Minnie, described by Debra as a “little livewire pup.”
She’s a Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix who came in as a stray on the 15th. Minnie (#52656434) is about 4 months old and weighs 27 pounds — she isn’t yet spayed. Debra’s bio of Mini reads, “She is one fun-loving, tail-wagging youngster with an abundance of puppy energy. She does not have a timid, shy or fearful bone in her body! She is playful and likes toys and balls. Minnie is affectionate and is a lap dog wannabe. She is perfectly good with receiving loving attention. Minnie walks very nicely on a leash for such a young dog. She likes treats and will sit for them. This little gal would seem best suited for an active person or family that would commit to daily exercise and playtime as well as teaching some basic commands.”
Again, remember to use the ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]
See more animals in the Mesquite Shelter by clicking on THIS LINK.
You can see many more dogs and a dynamic number of cats including this month-old baby, #52717549. She’s a grey Domestic Medium Hair mix who arrived on May 22 and is listed as “Rescue Only” for right now. Readlarrypowell.com decided to feature her because we took a look at that photo and realized right away what the nameless kitten is up to. She’s rehearsing her high-kick dance moves because she’ll be skilled enough to do high-kicking with the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade six months from now on November 23.
CONTEMPLATIONS
MAYBE WE’LL HAVE SOME…
Realizing that I’ve already written this week about the State Fair of Texas and Thanksgiving, I have vowed to s l o w t h e m e n t i o n o f f u t u r e e v e n t s.
That slows things, but it's sure tough to read. Wait a minute — let me rethink that. Just how long do I want the political campaign season to last. I'm already halfway through a large bottle of aspirin.
Here’s a question I often ask myself as I devour a chocolate-dipped soft-serve vanilla ice cream cone: “How much WOULD I weigh if I owned a Dairy Queen?” Oh, my.
I spotted these two notes on the Holiday Insights listing for May 25 — if you’re planning ahead. It’s National Towel Day (in the United Kingdom) and National Tap Dance Day. Please do not celebrate them simultaneously in public. Everybody has a phone camera these days.
—- Offer some kind of advice by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email [email protected] and put “CHOCOLATE SUSTAINS LIFE” in the subject line. —-