MATCHING HUMANS, DOGS AND CATS? PLUS, A SHELTER DOG'S PHOTOS TAKE US INTO THE FARAWAY PAST

EDITION OF TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2023 [PetPowellPress] If I could have more dogs, would I? If I could have more cats, would I? If I could sleep 8 full hours a night, would I?
That was my challenge: Ask three questions in a row that I could answer with "Yes." I bombed out on the 4th question: "Am I willing to never eat ice cream the rest of my life?"  
See that dog Wendy? She's enduring her time in "The Collar." Bangs around a lot. Whams into walls with it. She would be in the blue inflatable collar but she figured out how to defeat it and lick the stitches on her left paw... So., back to the old collar for now — she can still get treats while in that collar, and nap, so she’s OK for now. We’re monitoring her moods and, at 14, she’s a good napper.
This picture? That's what a dog wearing "The Collar" looks like right after she asks, "Hey, when I'm wearing this thing can you see up my nostrils?"
ANOTHER NOD TOWARD
A PLOTTISH FELLOW
Somebody “good” adopt this dog, for crying out loud. 
Yep, we mentioned Drako already, but we know that he needs a rejuvenation of interest from the reading public and all of your sensible, dog-loving acquaintances.
 Drako is a Plott Hound mix, currently in the Mesquite Animal Shelter. And that is why we got this note from one of our Mesquite volunteer contacts, the dog-writer Judi Brown.
“I’m bringing Drako to your attention again. He’s a shelter favorite because of his sterling qualities. He’s handsome, loving, gentle, playful, most likely housebroken. He’s the whole package! He’s got a strong ball drive. He would do well with an active family with children..If you cannot tag this deserving, southern gentleman please network him.”
Drako is a 3-year-old, 67-pound fellow with a “glossy brindle coat.” Arrived as a stray on April 27. And, Judi’s earlier bio of Drako read, “He was microchipped, and his owners were called but they chose not to come get him. I just can’t figure that one out. I seldom fall for a dog as quickly as I did for Drako but he captured my heart with his loving, friendly, easy-going, playful, happy personality! He no sooner got out into the yard when he found a squeaky toy and ran around joyfully squeaking it! … I just can’t say enough about Drako. He’s an amazing guy and would make an amazing pet for an active family. He would most likely do well with children. He would need a large yard to play in and a loving family to love on! He would want to spend his evenings with his new family curled up watching TV or just enjoying family time.”
 To ask about adopting or rescuing or meeting Drako, use his ID 352534306 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]
BEFORE WE GET TO
A DOG IN A HAIRBOW,
HERE’S A CAT TALE…
The folks at 4-Legged Helpers can encounter many notable moments in their work with the smaller shelters and rescuers on the southern side of the Big D sprawl. 
We’ll start with this cat. She’s Melody, currently among the many animals getting few visits from prospective adoptors in the Ferris Animal Shelter. Her bio describes her as “a young female” who is “buff, beige and white” and the “sweetest little girl ever. Loves absolutely everyone.” 
So why is she in a low-traffic shelter? The 4-Legged Helpers email says, “Someone was no longer able to care for her (could not even have her fixed, apparently) and she is now at the shelter in hopes of a forever home.  She is as precious as can be.  Complete cuddly love bunny.”

To help Melody or the next three dogs we’re going to mention, call or text 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected]
We’ve posted earlier photos of Lainey, the Weimaraner/Pointer/possibly Rhodesian Mix. She’s been in the Ferris shelter since September. It turns out that there’s an earlier photo of Lainey than the picture of her standing in a field. She also is that girl with the bow on her head!
So, what’s the deal with that? We checked with Leighann Hayden of the helpers. She says, “Believe it or not, that is Lainey with the bow when she first came in and was somewhat hairless.  She photographs  both blue and brown.” 

Lainey’s bio reads, “Someone fostered her for a long period of time to help out but no rescue group ever stepped up for her and now she is back at the shelter. She is spayed, all vaccs. Please. So deserving!!!  Found out and about with two Heeler puppies that a rescue pulled.  We think they were probably hers. She is SO VERY cute and sweet.  Please help!!!”

We’ve posted Reid before, too. He’s a Boxer/Basenji Mix in the Ferris shelter. His bio reads, “Reid is a wonderful boy that was found out and about on his own. Everyone that has met him loves him. Such a sweetie pie!  He has been hoping and waiting for such a long time - and we have no idea what.  He is SUCH A GREAT DOG.  The best.”

And there is this girl — this photogenic dog — Bella, a Boxer/Catahoula Mix. She’s the girl who was found tethered in front of a vet clinic in Dallas. The going theory is, “Apparently someone who could no longer care for her was desperate to try to save her and tied her there so they could help.”
Bella is described as “extremely well behaved. Amazing eyes!   Gentle little soul.  She is a sweet little couch potato.  The vet clinic where she currently is cannot keep her.  She is the most wonderful girl.  Good with dogs.  Loves absolutely everyone.”
I’m sure 4-Legged Helpers would appreciate it if you’d forward this appeal for the cat and 3 dogs to anyone you know who is a decent human being with a way to help or adopt an animal.
[LARRY ASIDE: Save ‘em all, you know? Save ‘em all. They aren’t just “animals.” They are beings who respond to their names, who respond to your needs, who think before they do things (most of the time — like humans), who feel anguish when they lose loved ones… I can’t believe humans just kill ‘em to get ‘em out of the way in shelters so more future victims can wait there a while. What is wrong with people? It’s the old Texas system of animal control: “Got an animal problem? Let’s kill it.” How stupid can people get?]
CONTEMPLATIONS
GEE, THAT FACE LOOKS FAMILIAR…
Turns out I ran across a point of Contemplation by opening the Fort Worth Animal Care & Control website and clicking on adoptable animals. 
This dog Nova is an indicator of how personal animal advocacy and rescue can be. Perhaps you've had this experience. You pop open an animal shelter website and, son of a gun, there's a photograph that you could swear is a dog you had 30 years ago. 
This girl Nova, except for the trailing motherhood indicators, looks nearly exactly like our girl Nicki from the 1990s.
Nova is #48327952 at FWACC. She's a little over 2 years old, a small female Aussie Cattle Dog Mix who came into the shelter with some puppies on April 20.
[LARRY EXPLANATION: We now introduce Nicki’ story into this appeal for Nova.]

Nicki was the most perfect dog we ever had. I swear! On a special Saturday in 1992, Martha was at an “Animal Fair” on a giant parking lot Duncanville -- she was introducing her soon-to-be-successful PetPowell Pet Sitting Service to the world. I'd been at home working on something newspaper-related and around noon I went to the Animal Fair to check on Martha. I walked up and said something like "How's it going" and she happily declared, "I adopted a dog!” Her brown eyes gleamed and her dimples grew bright enough to rival the sun! Sure enough enough she’d adopted a dog. Under the PetPowell Pet Sitting display table, Martha had a big bowl of water for the new dog Nicki to drink, but Nicki was standing in it, cooling her paws. She wagged her tail — she was happy to meet me. And, I got to take her home and bond while Martha finished the show.
You can see Nicki's resemblance to Nova in these photos from my business/funspouse Martha's Dog Files. Nicki appeared to be a flat-coated dog when we got her -- but when we gave her that first bath, she fluffed up like a Macy's Parade balloon! Fluffy and adorable -- of course, I was envious, having never been either.  Nicki, the first dog we adopted as married people, was never a mother -- that we know of -- but she was a rescue. Best Southwest Humane Society had been moving her from shelter to shelter "to keep her alive" and when Martha adopted her, the adoption was via Lancaster Animal Services.That puppy in the photo with Nicki is Annie, daughter of Calamity, the rescued dog in the photo at the top of our website. 
I guess when I saw Nova trotting along with a puppy, it took me back to the era when we were cuddling puppies and kittens and wondering how in the world we'd wound up with a house full without even leaving our Zip Code. We've had so many dogs and cats through the years of rescuing and advocacy that it's almost impossible to go through the roster at a big city shelter and not run across a dog that looks like a member of the family. Bless them every one -- they still own our hearts..
Perhaps someone can adopt Nova and learn about love from her and show her that there are humans who can love her and give her a happy life.
At Fort Worth Animal Care and Control, you can adopt Nova for $49. She's had all her shots. She's at the Silcox Animal Care and Adoption Center in, according to the website, Kennel 4 in "Dog Holding." The Silcox Center is at 4900 Martin St. in southeastern Fort Worth. Phone 817-392-1234. 
Here’s the link to the adoptables. I know Nova just looks like Nicki — dogs are like people, not all the same. Cats aren’t all the same, either. But now and then, the added element of a friendly human can help a dog or a cat unveil a loving personality. What? Yes, it is the loving personality of the human that gets unveiled. The dog and cat merely activate their own loving patience. And Lord knows patience is a key to having a relationship with us humans.
—- Offer tips on being patient by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put KEEP YOUR HAT ON in the subject line. —-