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COPING WITH A DOG WHO COPES WITHOUT A TRADITIONAL JOY IN A DOG'S LIFE

What can you do for a dog who can't scratch?
Ah, that is the question that launches this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
 We are speaking of this girl Porche Noel, my adorable companion.
 Because of unfortunate treatment in her first home -- before she escaped and landed with us -- she no longer can properly lift either of her back legs and scratch her belly, her side or her ears.
It turns out that I have been looking for a raison de mon existence for decades. As the Detective Hercule Poirot might have responded: "Monsieur, c'est la joie d'aider ce chien à trouver le bonheu relief."  Basically, scratching this dog into a state of relief is my reason for existence.
How can a person tell that a dog needs help scratching. You see him or her slowly stepping across the floor, stopping, lifting a back paw toward her tummy, then putting that paw down and trying with the other to reach that needs-to-be-scratched area. 
Isn't that a sad thing? A dog who cannot scratch! 

From a starving growler/snapper, she has become a genuine, loving darling member of the family.Blame the jerk who mistreated her before she escaped and came to us with her doubting attitude, rasp instead of a bark and her need to eat anything in anybody's food bowl!  
So that brings us to the question again: What can you do for a dog who can't scratch? And the answer is, "You scratch for her," That's right. I keep my nails a little longer than most humans and when I see Porche trying to scratch, I'll just reach under her tummy and scratch until she walks off, Sometimes -- without asking! -- I'll throw in an ear scratch, a chin scratch or a top of the back scratch from her collar line to the top of her tail. 
My reward? She treats me as if I was a member of her childhood litter. It is an honor that is, perhaps, rarely bestowed on a human. 
So, what else do I do for her? I paid off her college loans. I give her treats. I wash her bed linen and her bed, too.  You'd be surprised how big the loan is when a dog is pursuing a doctorate in Behavioral Science. Helps her understand me and my funspouse Martha. 
Now and then Porche will get extra treats. They all do -- dogs and cats. But of all our animals -- past and present -- Porche Noel is the only one who could not scratch like a dog. 
Sometimes when she's sleeping -- you see her there in a contortion pose in her daybed (her nightbed is ours) -- I'll scratch her tummy and, yes, I think I see a smile forming on the corners of that canine mouth. Can I tell when she's been scratched enough? She opens her eyes and glares. Dogs can be so human.
[DEAR READERS, While our focus in this edition is the wonderful Porche Noel, I also have a cat who is a fan of a good scratching. That is the rascal Stevie Ray Treeboy in one of his favorite poses in my lap. How does he tell me he's ready to be scratched? He doesn't say a word. He just jumps into my lap and gives me a "What are ya waitin' for, cuticleboy?" smile. If you have a dog or cat who is a photographable snoozer, send the photos and the critter's bio to [email protected] and include the animal's bio, too. We love to show them off in our weekend edition.]


----Offer commentary or scratching advice by clicking on 'comment' below or by emailing [email protected] and put this in the subject line: SCRATCHING -- THE HEROIC GESTURE. ---

IT'S THE FACES & IT'S THE FACTS, I.E., ANIMALS ARE AT PERIL DUE TO HUMANS

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2023 [PetPowellPress] Let me check the calendar. Holy smokin’ rubber-burnin’ hot rods, can it be the last day of June already this blissful summer of our youth? We’ll get back to this in Contemplations. First, help some animals find homes. I had copied some photos of a dog named Little Guy who needed to get out of a local shelter pretty darned quickly, but, inexplicably, mention of him on a rescue website vanished, so I'm hoping he was saved. If anyone knows, email [email protected] and let me know before I flip out, er, before I lose my patience with whole darned system. Oh, yeah, my photo-capturing app quit working after I "stored" the pictures. It's just been a wonderful evening at the keyboard. Thank heavens, I don't play piano and I didn't get into medical school.
SOMETIMES THE FACES
JUST GET TO ME….OK
IT’S THAT WAY ALL THE TIME
Mesquite volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm send this assessment of a shelter dog by her colleague Judi Brown. Volunteers — where would shelters be without them! OK, back to the dog.
This beauty is Annie, a 3-month-old “shiny black Dachshund mix that weighs 8 pounds,” Judi writes.Why is she in the Mesquite Animal Shelter. Came in “on June 22 as a seized custody case.”
Alone? Nope. Judi writes, “She came in with another dog from the same household that I named Ava. They share the same kennel. Annie has the attributes of a happy, lively, playful, friendly, wiggly puppy. She is very alert and is very interested in what’s going on around her. She explores her surroundings. I had a difficult time taking still pictures of her because whenever I got close to her, she would sit. … She does jump on you, but then she’s just a puppy. She is highly motivated by treats so should be easy to train. She was not interested in playing with toys, but that could’ve been because she wanted to spend most the time with me. Annie is very sociable. She has the attributes of a fun-loving puppy. She also has lots of kisses to share.”
Annie is #52950302. Use that ID for her when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Same system to ask about this girl Ava (ID 52950277), a 32-pound, un-spayed, year-old Pittie/Retriever mix who came in “seized” with Annie. 
Judi writes, “Ava loves life and everyone in it. She’s just fun to be around. Come and meet her and you’ll see what I mean. … She is delightful. Because she’s so energetic, fun loving, friendly, alert, and affectionate, she would do well with a young family with children. Ava loves people and wanted to stay so close that it was difficult to get pictures of her. She had me going around in circles. She was not interested in toys as she just wanted my attention. She does jump on you because she’s so excitable. She is highly motivated by treats so she could be taught not to do this. She does want to please. … S If you’re looking for a fun-loving dog to grow up with your children, please come and meet Ava. She told me she does not want to be a backyard dog. She wants to be a member of your household.”
Judi also got to meet this gray Pittie girl who she found inspirational. Judi wrote, “Venus is the goddess of love. In spite of the fact that this Venus has not been well taken care of, and probably hasn’t been loved as much as she deserved, she has lots of love to give you. Venus is a 4-year-old, 61-pound gray and white stocky terrier Pit that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 6/22. She is already spayed. …
She has some hair loss on her back and tail. She has been given Nexgard and I’m told is already looking better! Her ears have been bitten by flies. She has also recently had a litter. Venus has a beautiful, loving, forgiving attitude. She is truly beautiful on the inside, and it shows! She stayed close, looking up at me with her beautiful, gray eyes wagging her tail. I fell in love! She sits for treats and takes them very gently. She was not interested in playing with toys or balls. She occasionally jumps on you for a little extra loving. She wants so badly to be loved!”
And, by now, you know the method: Use her ID (#52949394 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].|
Remember, as we mentioned earlier, the Mesquite animal shelter is so full that the city is offering 50% off on adoption fees for dogs and cats. 
“They have cats?” you may ask. Yes, indeed. To see more dogs and the cats, too, click on THIS LINK .
Some of the cats are adults and some of them are barely a handful of kitten. This little bitty kitten is #52948939 who arrived on June 22 when he was just 14 days old. Small at the time, gray and black with stripes. He’s a Domestic Shorthair Mix and he’s so cute that he is listed as currently in the care of a “staff foster.” There are plenty of adult cats, took, including this handsome fellow Frankie (#52504122), listed as 2 years, 20 months and 5 days old. [LARRY ASIDE: Precision age assessment is a talent, I think.] Frankie came into the shelter on April 24 and you can see him in the Mesquite Animal Services Conference Room. His shelter bio lists him as “Available” and I think that may include not only for adoption but for conferring on any human topic that concerns you. His answer, no doubt, will be purrfect. [LARRY ASIDE: I can’t believe I used a “purrfect gag” — but, you know, I found it amewsing.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
RATTLING AROUND IN THE BRAIN
Summer always takes me back to my teen years, hence the reference to hot rods. Didn’t have one, but I saw some! And, at night, when the sky was clear, we could sit in the yard and look at the sky an watch the glow of the experimental Echo communications satellite orbit over our part of the planet. Yep, hot rods to higher space —we were living in the gestation period of Star Trek (9/8/1966) ...
I was up at 3 a.m. Thursday — no idea why. Couldn’t go back to sleep. Nothing on TV — nothing on the 12,0000 cable channels we have interested me. I couldn’t read because my eyes were sleepy -- only my eyes. And overnight radio isn’t that interesting to me these days. You know what I did? I flopped on the couch next to Porche Noel who had followed me into the living room. She went to sleep and I cuddled her and found great comfort in the 14-year-old dog’s snoring. Not sure she’d have found comfort in mine. She’s a funny dog. Got her free, you know, but she’s worth a million bucks. …
Anybody reading this able to identify this line-up of nighttime DJs? Dex Card, Art Roberts, Ron Riley? They had an afternoon chopper traffic guy named Captain Stubby — that right? Whatever happened to traffic helicopters? I used to translate Latin II homework while listening to some of those radio guys. Hint: In Texarkana you had to wait until after dark to catch the midwestern signal.
Is it any wonder that I am an insomniac? I find myself trying to cite radio show line-ups, movie casts and, also, trying to explain why in the world I ever bought a 1971 Chevrolet Vega. If you can answer that one, Doctor, send me an invoice.
—- Offer tips, answers and good songs by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “TURN OFF THAT RADIO AND GO TO SLEEP!” in the subject line. —-

AN ASSORTMENT OF AVAILABLE ANIMALS; CONTEMPLATIONS IN THIS SHELTER ERA

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2023 [PetPowellPress] Perhaps it is the heat that causes me to rise feverishly to a point of disbelief in how people treat animals in the greater Metrosprawl. Maybe not. Perhaps I have slipped into inadvertent sanity. Well, let’s move on together in the mission of loving animals. How hard can that be? Look at that photo of Sammy. Some people make it really difficult to forgive their behavior toward animals.
TWO AMONG MANY IN TOUGH SPOTS
AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES
Well, of course, there are more than two at the crowded big city animal shelter run by Dallas Animal Services. Is this city too big to expect loving behavior from humans?
Check out the Dallas Urgent Shelter Dogs Facebook page and you’ll see this guy Sammy (A1183028). 
Here’s the LINK. 
A post on that site carried this photo of Sammy. If you aren’t angry, you need to have the batteries on your emotions checked.
A post by D. Guzman Medina read, “Please help find rescue and foster! He deserves love and life. URGENT.” An accompanying post by Cindy Hodges reads, “Poor Dog. Male Pitbull Mix name Sammy is in Bad Shape. Looks like dog had a rope or something around its neck. SAMMY DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE. Please Help. [email protected]."
CONSIDER THIS CAT SMOKIE, also a resident of Tough Luck Death Row in the Dallas animal shelter. The post about Smokie on the same Facebook page reads, “Adopt/Rescue – Needs placement by 6/29 @ 11am Smokie (A0895670) 9 year old.”
Yes, he’s a 9 year old cat on death row in a city shelter. How’d a 9-year-old cat — neutered already and weighing just 10.7 pound —wind up on Death Row in an over-crowded big city shelter? The bio on this site reads, “Smokie was surrendered to our shelter due to housing reasons. His owner said he is tolerant of dogs, cats and children. Cat care staff described Smokie as relaxed around people but tenses when he sees other cats. Our cat housing area has become very full and sadly Smokie has been placed at high risk of euthanasia. Email [email protected] if interested in Smokie.”
Wait! One more note about a DAS dog. I spotted the note on an open-posting Facebook page for 4-Legged Helpers — it came first from Florence M DiGennaro at Dallas Urgent Shelter Dogs
This wonderful girl is Venus (A1183025, a 4-year-old Rottie — based on appearances. The note reads that she was found in the “4800 Block Sharp St, Dallas 75247” and she is on “stray hold until 7/1” and “awaiting routine eval."
Contact the shelter about Venus.
Here’s the link to FRIENDS OF DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES  — it’ll show you things the shelter needs and maybe an animal you or a friend need but don’t know it yet.
And, again this is the link to DALLAS URGENT SHELTER DOGS.
 And, a reminder that you can go to https://bedallas90.org to see all the official City of Dallas Animal Shelter notes, opportunities and animals. You can click on this chart to make it grow large enough to read and break your heart. Or you can go to the bedallas90 site and really get emotionally ticked off when you see how full the shelter is. Maybe you’ll realize you have a heart that’s big enough to save an animal. Thank you, Dallasites & Nearby Residents Who Are a Dog or Cat or a Dog and a Cat shy of having a perfect household.
STATE DOG OF TEXAS & OTHERS
WAITING IN SMALL-TOWN SHELTER
This tip from Laura Macias, our original tipster with the 4-Legged Helpers group of small-shelter rescuers, reads bluntly “No interest in even one dog! All in full shelter but no interest at all.” The Ferris and Hutchins dogs are, we’re told, mostly in the Ferris shelter just south of Dallas and there’s “transport available to any 501c3 rescue” who’ll take one or more of these. [LARRY FYI: 
Readlarrypowell com believes all dogs are the State Dogs of Texas, but the Texas Legislature, several years ago, specifically declared the Blue Lacey to be the actual State Dog of Texas. Both houses of the Texas Legislature and the executive branch agreed -- magic! -- on the declaration in June, 2005.]
That girl on the couch in a Ferris foster home is Lainey, the mostly Blue Lacey with, perhaps, “Lab or even Bulldog mixed in. Longer ears, though, like a Lab or Weim,” her bio read. She’s young, spayed and has been in shelter or long-term foster care since September. 
She’s described as a “really sweet girl — just as loving as can be.” Lainey was found “out and about with two heeler puppies that a rescue pulled. We think they were probably hers.” There is, her bio reads, a “$600 donation to the 501c3 Rescue that can help save Lainey!”
This young, 35-pound girl is Hannah, 1 1/2 - to 2-years old, said to be a Corgi/Terrier mix. “Loves other dogs and people, too,” the bio reads. (That's her romping with Leilah). "She was found in a “neighborhood playing with kids and wanting to play catch. She knows several obedience commands and is kennel-trained.” Nobody ever came for Hannah.
To ask about helping any of these dogs, of course, call or text 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
This dog with the big grin and big tail is Leilah, a “young girl that very much loves people , hanging out with other dogs and is just the bet fo the best.” How’d she wind up in a shelter? She was found, her bio reads, “at the Rogers Wildlife Sanctuary and she trailed some Peacocks to a covered area during a thunderstorm and was sitting there hanging out with them until some volunteers noticed her. WHAT A SWEETIE PIE. Very happy and playful. She fell in love with a Pyrenees that the shelter had for a period of time and still checks his kennel to see if he is there. Leash trained. Will return to kennel on command.:

This girl is Sophie, a “Red/Brown Border Collie” who was found in Hutchins. Submissive “to every dog she meets,” her bio reads. She’s “looks closer to 1 year old” than 2 and weighs 37 pounds. She was found “out and about in Hutchins trying to hide from the storms. Great on a leash.”
Emmie, this beautiful 15-months old blonde German Shepherd girl “was an owner release from someone that could no longer care for her.” She is described as “stunningly beautiful and has great manners and is very sweet. Listens to commands (knows several) and adores playing fetch, as you can see” in the photo.
Once again, the contact points are 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
ANIMALS ARE WAITING
FOR LOVING HOMES
And, maybe, cable TV or a dish or … look, do the electronics matter at all when a dog or cat finds a human heart that recognizes the need for companionship and adoration? We got these reports from the great volunteer dog-writers at Mesquite Animal Shelter, Debra Chisholm and Judi Brown.
Debra has the bio of Dash, a 2 1/2-months-old, 14-pound boy Lab mix who was picked up by an ACO on June 16. Debra writes, “Dash is appropriately named because he spends his time dashing here and there in pursuit of some fun! … Dash is an on-the-go fellow with lots of puppy enthusiasm and behavior.  He does jump on you, as puppies often do.  He could use some manners training, as all puppies do!  He did not seem to have a clue as to what that thing was I was putting around his neck to encourage him to walk. He ran and played during his eval and loved entertaining himself with toys and balls.  He is a fun-loving, confident and outgoing youngster.  Nothing bashful or timid about him!  He is a friendly little guy and was more than happy to have me pet him.  Mostly he loved receiving the yummy treats I offered him.  Though he obviously does not know the sit command, he learned very quickly what was expected in order for him to receive those treats.  I think he would be very easy to train.”
Dash’s shelter ID is #52908569 — use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
You can see many, many more Mesquite animals by going to this Mesquite Shelter LINK.
 Dogs and cats wait by the carload — maybe by the busload or the truckload. The shelter is very crowded, our tipsters tell us. 
In addition to the new posting of Dash from Debra, we looked at the current inventory to see if Cinnamon, a favorite of Debra’s colleague in volunteer dog-writing, our pal Judi Brown. Cinnamon won Judi’s heart. Ask about #51060747 at the shelter when you call 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Cinnamon is an almost 3-year-old Pittie mix who is spayed and adorable and came into the shelter LAST SEPTEMBER SEVENTH. [LARRY ASIDE: Bless Mesquite for being patient with those Pittie adoptions. And, yes, readlarrypowell.com believes these pups are quite capable of being adorable, sweet, well-behaved and the dog you always wanted. They reflect the kindness of their humans.]
Cinnamon’s online bio reads, “She is a beauty! Cinnamon is energetic and loves to run and play in the shelter yard. She enjoys being close to her human companion.” Read more of it on the Mesquite site. 
You can also see many adoptable cats and kittens there, including this one — that is kitten #52915802 showing off her “Salon Attitude” of “Do you mind doing my nails as long as we’re here?” She’s about 3 months old, a Domestic Shorthair Mix with a great orange color and the pressure of being in a city shelter that is overloaded for the summer.
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE SOLITUDE OF THINKING
Yeah, I’m still trying to figure out what that subtitle really means. It might just mean that my office is too quiet. Spend enough time in a room and a non-conversational-while-snoozing dog and cat with just you and a typing device and your own thoughts and you’ll go nuts. How’s that for a run-on sentence?
 Yeah, I’ve ridden that rollercoaster for decades. Sometimes I hit “Pause” and contemplate the position of life. For example:
My mood has been blue lately, aggravated by the plight of humanity at war and exercising the “right to be stupid.” And, oh, geezalou, I’m wretchedly, additionally depressed by the animals packed in city shelters with so little hope for help that it breaks my ol’ newspaper reporter’s heart — and who knew I had one? That photo of Sammy set off my wish for better people to occupy the planet — don’t kill off the ones who are here, just make ‘em better. They’ll enjoy it, surely. … I do, however, confess having a desire to see the So what/Don’t care people punished just a little bit to get their attention. Nothing serious, just stuff that causes ‘em to need anti-itch ointment in hard-to-reach areas. Or perhaps, constant cable outages during their favorite TV shows. Maybe a sudden allergy to their favorite desserts. Otherwise, if they don’t change, they are going to get what literate folks my age refer to as “their just deserts” which, having used it for years, I now discover — thanks to an online search — that the term referencing a punishing result comes from the French word deservire meaning “to deserve.” So, perhaps people who aren’t kind to animals deserve “just desserts.” Perhaps that's dishes made with spoiled ingredients yet expected to be eaten with relish. Like what they probably give their dogs that now annoy them by being hungry in an inattentive, unloving, jackass household. Pardon my playing with words and my entirely accurate French.
—- Offer ideas or home repair tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘DROP THAT HAMMER AND PICK UP THAT PARTICIPLE’ in the subject line. —-

DEAR BIG SHELTERS, PLUS ANYBODY WITH A HEART’S INVESTMENT IN ANIMALS….

EDITION OF TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY JUNE 27-28, 2023 [PetPowellPress] Ah, Dear Readers, the constant nature of “help this animal” notes is wearing me down this month. It’s not the heat; it’s the stupidity. Could be mine; might be the system’s.

Every now and then a happy note about a rescued dog or cat might replace my need for half-a-bottle of tequila or a whole chocolate pie. 
Haven’t had tequila or pie in a while, but I see scores of desperate dog and cat situations daily.
All you have to do is click on the magic dog and cats websites.
It would be good to be able to report on a happy rescue or a wonderful adoption. Not just constant brain- beating reports on animals doomed on behalf of taxpayers — is that a good phrasing? [LARRY FYI: That's my 44-pound housedog Porche Noel on her office bed -- I've had her for 14 years. I got her one afternoon when she was stray, starving, couldn't bark because of a too-tight collar and walked with a pronounced limp due to injuries in her back legs and hips. She was terrified of me, but she couldn't run away in fear. If she'd gone in that snarling, nipping condition to a shelter today -- after the post-Pandemic population explosion -- she'd have been needled to death by sunset. Is that what should have happened to the dog who offices with me in the daytime/early evening and who spends her nights on our bed with two humans and an occasional cat? Read on.]
A THOUGHT FOR A DAY

ON WHICH ANIMALS DIE
And, based on reports from area shelter observers and desperate animal advocates, that day is just about EVERY day. [Check out the daily reports at Dallas Animal Services’ website HERE https://bedallas90.org. and then click on “VIEW THE DAILY REPORT CARD.” You can see that the outcomes can be appalling, upsetting and disgusting. Dallas isn’t alone — it just happens to post the scorecard of Death vs. the Unwanted Animals.]
 But keep in mind, the shelter is working against the inert tendencies of a city full of people with a “So what!/Don’t care” attitude about everything except sports teams and road construction. [LARRY ASIDE: Is that too harsh — or spot-on? Have I painted with a broad brush? I am a former resident and I’d not want to give Dallas the brush-off.”] 
The question remains: Is there a solution that’s safe for the animals?
[LARRY ASIDE: I’ve hit the end of my rope today. The ticking clocks throughout the metrosprawl are banging the metal brainpan (size extra small) inside my head. I need some hours of thinking about something else. Or, perhaps, reading the carefully thought-out expressions by other people in Dallas/Fort Worth & Beyond.]
If you’ve got a solution for saving the animals (not just 9 out of 10 on a good day, email [email protected]. 
Let us all know how premature death-by-legal-needle need not be the fate of so damned many dogs and cats in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth Region of Limited Solutions. Look around. Because of residents’ lackluster behavior, we are all right back living under the Old West Theory of Animal Control: Got an animal problem? Let’s kill it.
Some people may read this and think, “What a whiner.” So what. I’m an adult American male —my wife says its my birthright to have a gift for whining. And I’d whine the worst song in The Sex Pistols’ catalogue if it would get people to live up to helping dogs and cats survive the fate of being born or stray in Dallas/Fort Worth.
I included a couple of pieces of artwork I got off postings by some animal people I know. You see from them how the general population behaves. Change some minds, you know? Persuade people to be kinder to animals. 
And, for crying out loud, protect your animals from 4th of July Fireworks and free-roaming idiots - unless you are an idiot, and then you should immediately go to the nearest law-enforcement office and turn yourself in for violating the famed Texas Laws Against Stupidity. Maybe you’ll be rehabilitated and, then, elected to public office. Wait! It may not be against the law to be stupid in Texas.
OK, Dear Readers, today, for some reason, my lightweight brain hurts from all the rotten stuff humans are doing to animals while claiming euthansia is the kindest thing humans can do for them. 
Death to healthy animals isn’t “kind,” it’s just friggin’ convenient for city governments and the people who budget and run their assorted departments. I am almost certain I am not the first person to think these things. Almost certain. 
If I win Lotto Texas, maybe I’ll be regarded as smart enough to change some minds about killing animals instead of helping them.
—- Offer your rotten, stinkin’ opinion or, perhaps, your brilliantly smart and entertaining succinct solutions by clicking on comment below or by emailing me at [email protected]. To quote and tweak from Ghostbusters, “Ah ain’t afraid uh no ghostwriters.” —-

IT'S A GREAT SEASON TO SAVE SOME ANIMALS...HERE ARE SOME TO SAVE

EDITION OF MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2023 [PetPowellPress] Monday mornings can be rough. It’s my antiquated thought process — I have no chips facilitating thinking in my brain. So, let’s see who we can help today… I’m not sure my brain has the proper coolant to work efficiently when dealing with an alphabet.
SO, YEP, NORTHEAST TEXAS
HAS AVAILABLE PUPPIES
We’d never have known about this quartet of cuties if it weren’t for two of our great animal-fan sources, Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com and Gail Whelan of the Companion Animal Network (CAN).
They’ve been helping animals for years. And, sure enough, in this hot spell, here are four more they’ve tipped us about at readlarrypowell.com.
Gail had the original note from Companion Animal Network and Karen is among those of us linked to the network and alerted me.
We have a clue of how these four puppies came to be project of CAN. It is in the final sentence of the appeal. Four words. “Person giving them away.” [LARRY ASIDE: Veteran rescuers have encountered the situations on roadsides, in store parking lots — just about anywhere you park and display a cardboard box or a pickup bed full of wiggly puppies. 
The woman who found these dogs being given away turned to CAN for help. Three girls and a boy.]
Here’s the sentence that stopped your veteran puppypal Larry in his typing tracks. “Person giving them away said they are Rotties.” [LARRY ASIDE: I’ve lived with a Rottie boy, Texas Earl the Cheeseman. He was a Rottie. I’m not exactly sure I see “Rottie” in these pups, but if I had room, I’d take all four of ‘em in and watch ‘em grow up just to see what they look like and how they behave. If they are Rottie mixes and have the wonderful temperament that my adored Earl had, you’d be the happiest adoptor in your part of the world.]

So, Gail reports these dogs have had their first vaccination and have been wormed. Three girls and a boy. CAN will transport them if needed. Call 903-967-3226.
[LARRY NOTE TO PERSON WHO ORIGINALLY HAD THESE PUPPIES: Please get your boy dogs and your mommy dogs neutered and spayed (in that order, of course, though some people are always confused about which surgery goes with which.) It’s not that we’re against puppies — we’re against UNWANTED puppies being put in immediate danger of death when they “surprise” the people who lectured the momma dog, “Don’t you go out there in the yard and get pregnant.” You know how bright people can be.]
DOGS WAITING FOR YOU?
MESQUITE HAS 'EM
The unwanted animals keep arriving at the Mesquite Animal Services Shelter and the volunteers keep working to move them into loving homes. Remember, in June, Mesquite’s shelter has “half-off” adoption specials. That has nothing to do with Diana’s tail, of course.
We’ll start this report from the volunteer dog-writers with Diana. Judi Brown writes that “Diana has very interesting grayish brown coloring and what looks like half of a tail. She is unique in that way!”

Diana (#45878157) is a 4-year-old, 63-pound Pittie type who came into the shelter first as a stray on October 21. “She was adopted two months later,” Judi writes. Ah, but, then, she reports, “Her owners failed to keep her secure and she showed up at the shelter two times in 2022. Both times her owners reclaimed her. On 6/18 this year she came in as a stray. This time her owners are ignoring calls from the shelter so she is now available for adoption.”
Here’s a sad sentence for you. Judi writes, “When she was out in the yard, she spent a lot of time looking out the gate. She looked very sad. I suspect she was looking for her owners! She also had drool indicating she had a nervous stomach. Even though she’s super-sweet she obviously has not acclimated to the shelter yet. Who can blame her?”

 Diana sits for treats, takes them gently, is “highly motivated by treats and kept sitting in anticipation of a treat reward. …Diana is gentle, friendly, and well-behaved. She has a semi-strong pull on the leash. … She’s already spayed! She needs owners this time that will care enough about her to make sure that she’s secure in her surroundings.”

Use her ID 45878167 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].

Judi also met up with this girl and writes, “If Bambi could talk, she would ask ‘Aren’t I cute?’ She’s got more growing to do but will promise to keep her Southern charm!  Bambi is a 2 to 4 month 13 pound blonde Retriever/Lab mix that came to Mesquite Animal Shelter on 6/20 as a stray. She is not spayed. She’s a delightful girl that wags her tail a lot to show you she’s happy and glad to spend time with you! She stayed so close when I was taking pictures of her that she had me going around in circles! She comes to you for petting and rolls over for belly rubs. Bambi is very affectionate, friendly, calm, sweet, and laid-back. I have a feeling that once she is comfortable in a loving home, she will become more animated and playful. She did sit for treats. She did not appear to be interested in toys or balls. She could use more practice on a leash.,,, She would love to curl up at your feet in a pile of blankets or in her own bed.”
Bambi is #52926152. Use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]."
You can see more of Mesquite’s adorable adoptables on the shelter’s website HERE.
In addition to the many dogs, there are a lot of cats and kittens including these two nameless kittens. Adopt ‘em from the overcrowded shelter and you can give them names that fit perfectly their personalities and their adorable cat faces.
A CAT RESCUE QUESTION?
ANSWER, DON’T SEND KITTENS
Not all homeless cats and kittens are in animal shelters. Sometimes they just show up in your yard or your neighborhood.
We're citing two different notes we saw on a Fort Worth neighborhood bulletin pages over the weekend. 
 One of the messages read, “I have been feeding Tom Cat, left, since he was a tiny stray. Then he decided he needed a family….. not sure where she came from but I can’t let them starve.”
[LARRY ASIDE: SHOW OF HANDS, VETERAN RESCUERS, how many of you began your careers with a similar thought about kittens or puppies. Yeah, I know. It’s a common experience for people who have actual working hearts!]

Then there was this note: “My wife rescued a 4 week old grey/white striped kitten from her job site. We did bring him in for his deworm shot yesterday, but he's too young for the rest of his vaccinations. He is super friendly and active. You can see he is a little cross-eyed, but he sees just fine as far as we can tell. He is eating a soft and hard food mix. We will provide some babycat food as well. We are looking to find him a good home. Please let me know if you have any questions.”
[LARRY ASIDE: And that, ladies and gents, is how a kitten finds a home. Show up on a job site and charm the right person.]
CONTEMPLATIONS

SPEAKING OF MAKING SENSE
How about that stuff involving Russia! That’s what makes me grateful to be in the U.S. All we’re fretting about in the U.S. is how many people can run for president at one time and when will they start running out of their campaign money is there a bill in the House or Senate that urges them to appropriate ours? You know, for the good of the nation, right?…

Oh, and some of us are worried — as is usual each summer —about the Texas Rangers’ pitching. Two out of three unfortunate relief experiences in New York. I’m sure things will be different in air-conditioned Arlington’s air-conditioned Globe Life Field With a Roof. …
It’s a hot afternoon in Texas and where well-to-do folks have a big pool and an air-conditioned clubhouse, I have a lawn with dying grass and robust weeds that refuse to wilt and die in the heat. Our dogs and cats are living in air-conditioned comfort — every dog and cat in Texas should have that privilege. Kids, too. OK, here’s an international report: At 9:21 a.m. Monday, I Googled the current temp and forecast for Moscow — the one in Russia. Temp was 78 and sky was cloudy. Projected temps range for the rest of the week? Mid- to low-70s and mid- to upper-50s with rain. I wonder if there’s a correlation involving prevailing cooler weather and the cooler heads prevailing.
—- Offer ideas or doubts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put EVERYBODY CHILL in the subject line. —-

THE JOY OF FOSTERING IS ALSO THE WAY TO A STUDY OF SLUMBERING

Dear Readers: Before you begin exploring this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cat Nap, consider this declaration: Slumbering household animals indicate there is hope for the planet! At least on your block.
I’m typing this while enjoying an office occupied by one ol’ probably obsolete newshound and, at last count, 300 cats. I’m kidding about the cats.

What we’ve got for this edition is a visit from one of the world’s most effective fosters, the great Patty Sprong, a longtime member of the animal advocate community.
 This is someone who finds joy in getting a formerly unwanted critter into a happy home. Hubby Steve, as I recall, might have fallen, now and then, for one or two or more of the fosters who make their ways through the household. 

You want to see some slumbering dogs? Patty has the supply for this weekend’s edition. 

The opening photos are of “my new Pom foster, Maria,” Patty says. “She’s a fluffy girl, in both senses of the word. She has a horribly thick undercoat which we are brushing out daily. She must have been miserable in this heat, and as you can see, she’s enjoying the cool wood floors.”
 [LARRY ASIDE: I think we can also declare that “Three out of three dogs believe there’s comfort in a shared chair.”]

Patty included the photo of “my other three: Bing, my foster fail, and Jett and Johnny, my fosters. It is so nice to see them inside and staying cool. I worry about all the dogs outside this time of year.

“You’ve already featured Jett, the black Chi. He’s available through Emma’s Wish and Maria will be available through Recycled Poms. 

Patty says, “Bing is the orange and white Chihuahua/Jack Russell Terrier mix. He’s 12. Jett, the Black Chi foster is 8. Johnny Rocket, the fluffy forever foster is supposed to be turning 15, but I don’t buy it.”
[LARRY ASIDE: So, Dear Readers, if you’ve never fostered for a rescue or a shelter, there are those who walk among you who can tell you that fostering a dog or a cat or a litter of one or/and the other is an Adventure of the Heart. An Achievement of the Heart, too.
  Ask around — maybe you’re a foster-in-waiting! Do they all get adopted? Just about all of them, though as some humans will tell you happily, that’s why the term “Foster Fail” was adopted by animal advocates! I cite Patty’s Bing. Foster Failed his way right into a loving home!]
[DEAR READERS: PLEASE SEND photos and bios of your slumbering critters to [email protected] so we can spotlight them in our long-running weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Big cat, eh?
To demonstrate that there are “nearly napping cats,” that is a photo of my Junior Office Cat Stevie Ray — he catnaps near me on the auxiliary desktop because I know where the treats are. I caught him yawning. He objected and left the office.]
—- Offer an opinion or an embrace by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put INSOMNIACS RULE! in the subject line. —-

EVERMAN SHELTER CHALLENGE; TWO SISTERS IN MESQUITE; CONTEMPLATING: THE NUMBERS IN DALLAS

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2023 [PetPowellPress] What is your mission for the upcoming weekend? Yeah, I don’t have a clue, either. With that completely unhelpful opening, we proceed with this edition.  
EVERMAN SHELTER'S
NEW CHALLENGES….
We got the “personnel note” Friday morning from our longtime Everman Animal Shelter tipster, volunteer Heather Harrison. It is a “personnel” note because it deals with a job change and a volunteer situation.

Heather informed us that the shelter is now without an ACO. Lots of animals are waiting for help. And volunteers are needed right now. Like, y’know, right now!
Heather’s appeal for help read, “Everman Shelter is now without an ACO — Thirty-five plus dogs now sitting in a tiny shelter! Pleading for rescue assistance.”
To offer to help, contact the shelter at 817-561-5495.
In a note posted on the Facebook site, there’s an appeal that reads, “We are in desperate need of volunteers!! We are now without an ACO so we are working double time for the animals!
Volunteers needed for:
- Cleaning kennels
- Walking dogs
- Cuddling dogs
- Cleaning cat condos
- Socializing kittens.”
And there’s this note from Heather: “Even pulling just 1 Dog would be a huge help!!   Shelter is in critical status.”

To rescue an animal or to volunteer, call the Everman Shelter at 817-561-5495.
 
And we’re posting just a few photos of the many animals waiting for a loving hand, a kind word and a way out of a small, crowded city shelter on the southeastern edge of Fort Worth— easy access to Everman from I-20.
That girl Sadie, with clear evidence that she’s had puppies, is a 3-year-old Pittie described as ;’very calm, docile and well-mannered. Loves being with a human. Dog social. Vaccinated.”
Winnie and Penny? They are 10-month-old female “Terrier-(Doodle) mixes,” their bio wonders. They’re described as “Very sweet! Love people. Vaccinated.”


And there are a couple of German Shepherd mix brothers waiting — Apollo and Bullet. And there’s a 2-year-old female Shepherd mix named Shady. [LARRY ASIDE: I have no idea if those brothers are kin to Shady, but what difference does it make when the mission is to save their lives and get them out of a crowded shelter into one, two or three good homes.]
See more Everman adoptables and animals in need of a good break from humans when you visit the Everman shelter page on Facebook HERE.
TWO SISTERS WAITING
IN MESQUITE SHELTER
It’s not unusual to find sisters in city shelters. It can be puzzling, however, when you see two pretty dogs and you begin to wonder just who let ‘em go and hasn’t tried to find ‘em. [LARRY ASIDE: Surely t here’s a good reason, right? Yeah, and surely I am a trapeze artist.]
We learned about these siblings from our tipster Judi Brown, the veteran volunteer dog-writer at Mesquite Animal Services. 
These dogs are listed as “Siberian Husky” and they have blue eyes. 
Feather is the beige dog — a year-old, 49-pound girl who came in as a stray on June 16 with her sister Heather, the black and white dog below.
Feather is #52905315 and Judi says that “when I first took Feather out into the yard, she had her tail tucked. With some time and TLC, she gradually warmed up some. She did stay close indicating to me that she did want to make friends. She was alert and curious looking out the gate. It was hot out, so I brought her into the laundry room, and with more time she warmed up. I was able to get her to come to me by giving her treats. … Once she relaxes and trust is built, I’m sure she will be more lively and playful. … She has so much potential and would like to be an integral part of your family.” 

[LARRY ASIDE: Before we get to Heather, let me remind you, Dear Readers, that the Mesquite shelter is packed these days. That means animals need to get out happily or they’ll leave the shelter sadly — you know what I mean. Also, the Mesquite folks are currently running a half-off adoption fee special — that’ll go through the rest of the month.]
That brings us to sister Heather, the year-old, 50-pound black and white girl listed as a Siberian Husky. She’s #52905340.
Use their shelter ID numbers when you contact the Mesquite Shelter at the email address [email protected] or phone the shelter at 972-216-6283.
And here is a LINK to the shelter’s HOW TO ADOPT instructions.
Judi reports that Heather “is a very loving, sweet dog.” At a year-old and 50 pounds, Heather is listed as a “black and white Siberian Husky.” Neither sister is spayed. Heather is said to be the more outdoing sister. And, Judi writes, “She wants to know what’s going on around her. For the most part, she stayed really close indicating she wanted to be friends. She didn’t appear to know the sit command but did take treats gently. She also was not interested in playing with toys or balls at this time. However, I feel once she is in a loving home where she’s more relaxed she will become more animated. At that point she would probably be more interested in playing. She still isn't 100% comfortable with the shelter environment. … You will notice some patches of hair missing on her back. Staff indicated it’s probably flea dermatitis. She has been given a Nexgard and will be getting a skin scrape.

Remember, the shelter is running a half-off special through the end of the month. That’s dogs, cats, whatever you’ve got that needs a home.
CONTEMPLATION
S
THE DAS REPORT FOR JUNE 21
On the second day of Summer 2023, we took a look at the FIRST day of Summer 2023. We wondered if the City of Dallas Animal Shelter and Adoption Center had posted its June 21 figures and so we clicked on the daily report card on the DAS online site. HERE’S THAT LINK where, Thursday afternoon, you could see this illustration (click on it to make it grow) that includes the number of euthanized animals on the first day of summer 2023. Eight dogs and 16 cats didn’t make it to the second day of summer, thanks to (a) the shelter’s needle and (b) the Dallas residents’ don’t care/so what attitudes toward what happens behind closed doors at Dallas Animal Services. 
Of course, the shelter may have administered the needle, but the real villains are the humans who don’t care enough to properly tend to their own animals. Could be yet another reason not to live in Dallas, Texas: The Don't Care/So What? People.
So, how do you change public attitudes about animals? Public relations campaigns? Name an official Dallas Dog and Dallas Cat to make advertising appearances that speak to residents on taking care of animals so their allegedly beloved pets don’t wind up being killed by strangers. 
Don’t know how those needle folks can do that job if the animal isn’t hurting or isn’t irreparably injured or diseased.
Anybody got a solution to reaching the hearts of Dallas taxpayers and elected officials?
So, I went to the DAS website — www.bedallas90.org/ — http://www.bedallas90.org/ and grabbed photos of the first 8 dogs available and the first 8 cats available. (Two days later, I have no idea how many of those animals survived the passage of DASST (Dallas Animal Services Shelter Time).

There are a lot more waiting on either adoption, rescue or the needle. Maybe the City of Dallas government — i.e., elected council members — ought to take a more active role in using their massive political influence to persuade residents to stop dumping or “setting free” their animals and to start caring for their animals.
 Surely there’s a brain somewhere that can come up with a successful Be Kind To Animals campaign for Dallas. “Love Field. Love Freeway. Love Animals.” How’s that for a quick message. No charge.
[LARRY ASIDE: I’ve been writing about and observing the City of Dallas for decades. In general, nothing gets done if it doesn’t make money. You don’t think they build all those skyscrapers so dogs and cats will have a safe place to live if the builders can’t find tenants, do you? I’m almost about ready to declare that Dallas’ government and most of its residents view animals as municipal annoyances. Anybody want to argue against that suggestion? Contemplatively, Animal Nut Larry.]
— OFFER SERIOUS ADVICE by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected]. —-

IT’S NOT THE HEAT, IT’S THE …OH, WHATEVER IT IS DOGS & CATS NEED COOL HOMES...

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY June 21-22, 2023 [PetPowellPress] If you were raised without air-conditioning, have someone raise your hand for you, ol’ timer.
I’m kidding. I can raise my hand without difficulty. I have to be able to strainlessly drink my hot coffee in the morning. Over the last two mornings and afternoons, if my coffee wasn’t quite hot enough, I just set the cup out on the window ledge for a minute for two. At lunch, that’s where I cook my TV dinner from late June through early September. More in Contemplations, but, first, help some animals.
REMEMBER ALL THOSE
WILLS POINT PUPPIES?
Yeah, the puppies (8 from two moms, 1 from a 3rd mom) and 4 older dogs, all dumped in Lib Grimmett’s yard in Wills Point,
 The 8 pups are about 9 weeks old and the lone pup is 12-weeks old.
What the heck does a person do when some jerk dumps that many dogs in your yard?
Hustle and pray, I guess.
Last night I got a great note from Lib. It read, “We were able to place the puppies with a foster who is finding homes for them.  We are keeping the big dogs for now. It's so hot we've been bringing them into the laundry room to keep them cool. Want to make sure they go to families who will take good care of them.”
To ask about the dogs or how to help the foster, email [email protected].
MEANWHILE, IN THE METROSPRAWL,
CARROLLTON’S SPOTLIGHTED DOGS
These dogs may not have been dumped en masse in somebody’s yard, but they’re still in a bit of a pickle in the canine/shelter world.
 A note making the rounds from Carrollton Animal Services Senior Animal Care Specialist Vanessa Johnson begins, “We have not received any tags, adoptions or pulls for anyone. Please keep sharing and networking.”

The appeal to rescue groups for help (which we’re aiming at any good soul!) reads, “As an open-intake facility, Carrollton Animal Services sees new animals arriving daily and we are often pressed for space. … If these animals are not rescued or adopted by 5 pm on Saturday, July 1, 2023, they may need to be considered for euthanasia.”
Informative and blunt right to the end result. So, who are we talking about?” 
Thanks to Vanessa’s note, we can begin with Finn-Again, a 3-year-old, neutered Pittie mix — he’s about 3 and weighs 51 pounds. He’s heartworm negative and had his shots. Finn-Again came in as a stray in March. Walks “pretty well” on a leash, his bio says. And there’s this quote: “His time in the shelter is starting to get to him and he is becoming a little reactive in his kennel." But there’s this: He “has some manners and is continuing to work on them. … He is a fun loving guy who would fit in well to any home.”
Reba, a year old and 46 pounds (and spayed!) is a Pittie mix whose regarded as a “red-headed lady” (perhaps just as her namesake Country star Reba McIntyre). Her bio calls this canine Reba “the life of the party” and says “she has never met a stranger and is good with other dogs.” Has been in the shelter since early May and has demonstrated that she loves people — “big and small, she loves them all!,” the bio reads.
Kronk, a Pittie mix, is 3 and larger than Reba — he’s 70 pounds. His brio reads, “This blocky-headed lover boy is Kronk. He came into the shelter as a stray back in March. He was adopted for a short time and returned for… well, um, being a dog. He’s a strong fella who would do best with a harness. Kronk has never met anyone he didn’t like. He has met several families and is looking for the right one to settle down with. He is potty-trained and takes to training well.”

This fellow is 5-year-old, 113-pound Malamute mix Godzilla. (He’s reserved for “rescue only/experienced adoptor). And he’s described as a “big ol’ ball of fluff.”
His bio reads, “He came into the shelter as a stray with A LOT of medical issues. While we are still trying to get some of them under control, he is getting much better.  He is a mellow guy who doesn’t ask for a lot. He’s getting over a skin infection that will likely be a lifelong issue, as well as ear and eye infections. Since he is a bigger guy with some health concerns, we are looking for a rescue or experienced adopter for him. Godzilla has been with us since the middle of May.”

The final dog on Carrollton’s email list is Sheba Sheba, a 3-year-old, 54-pound spayed Shepherd mix. She, too, is reserved for a rescue or experienced adopter. Her bio reads,
“She came into the shelter as a stray with a funny haircut. She has been checked out and the vet couldn’t find anything wrong with her skin. Although she has only been with us a short while, she is already beginning to show signs of kennel stress and is using her mouth inappropriately. We are looking for a rescue or experienced adopter who can give her the time and space to allow her to decompress. Right now, she would do best in a home without small children. Sheba Sheba is potty trained.”

And the reminder is in the final paragraph of the appeal: “If these animals are not rescued or adopted by 5 pm on Saturday, July 1, 2023, they may need to be considered for euthanasia.”
The Carrollton shelter is at 2247 Sandy Lake Rd. — call 972-466-3420.
MEANWHILE, SPCA OF TEXAS
HAS A PHOTOGENIC DOG

Your dog or cat may be photogenic — as photogenic as Apollo — and that’s the initial note in this SPCA- themed item. When you go to spca.org you can get details on the 2024 SPCA Pet Photo Calendar Contest. 
I did just that and found a surprise. Apollo is still waiting for a home!
I think we’ve been posting the happily-upside-down-dog’s photo for several years now. He clearly can live with humans — he’s in foster care. And he’s adored.
On the spca.org website, when you go to adoptable dogs and click on Apollo you can also see his video (with appropriate music for the happy canine. …
Apollo is now nearly 6 years old, a 44-pound Mixed Breed who weighs 48 happy pounds and can be adopted for just $75. [LARRY ASIDE: If memory serves — and I double-checked previous editions, Apollo arrived at the SPCA as “part of a cruelty case in February 2019,” his SPCA bio reported, adding, “He had a long journey to recovery, but with patience, love and an awesome foster dad, Apollo has flourished into the goofy, loyal pup you see today!”]
Get the details of that SPCA Pet Photo Calendar Contest by clicking HERE .

[LARRY ASIDE: Having taken in a number of dogs and cats through the years, it still confounds me that someone has not given this guy Apollo a great “forever” home. He’s probably a lot more entertaining that half the channels on cable TV.. FYI: That cat is Marbles (#52688676), the only “nearly upside-down-like-Apollo photo in the current display of available cats. Marbles was one of several rescued kittens in a litter who found safety in the arms of a rescuer and, later, the SPCA. ]
MORE BIG ANIMALS BOOKED
FOR STATE FAIR OF TEXAS
These are big genuine Texas-based animals. You may have seen them — in your dreams after watching or reading Jurassic Park (it was a book first, you know). OK, so the deal is we checked in with the news releases on bigtex.com — the online home of Big Tex and the State Fair of Texas. 
There we found an announcement that reads, “The wonders of the prehistoric area make their way to Fair Park for this year’s Dinosaurs at the Lagoon. Featuring 10 life-sized dinosaurs found in Texas, a kids’ play area, and plenty of seating and dining options, the brand-new Dinosaurs at the Lagoon exhibit brings together Fair fun with bilingual educational entertainment for the whole family. Be sure to get your photo with a 57-foot-tall Alamosaurus!|
 Click HERE for State Fair news and also click HERE to see how to apply for a job with the great State Fair of Texas.
The Fair has a bunch of “new attractions” for this year's run including the Acrobuffos’ Water Bombs fight and street performer Sara Twister, “bringing her contortionist and archery skills to the Lone Star State.” Lots of other new attractions are booked. Go to the bigtex.com link and click on ABOUT US, then Media Room and then “Press Releases.” it’s a whole new world of Fair attractions for the Sept. 29-Oct. 22 Fair Park legend. [LARRY ASIDE: Temps no higher than the mid-80s, I’m lead to believe by a quick Google of Dallas temp forecasts in September 2023. I could be wrong. Might be a snowstorm.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
Once upon a time...
Our childhood home in Northeast Texas didn’t have air-conditioning until 1968. I moved out in
July that year. As my packed second-hand ’66 Mustang and I were rolling away from the Hazel Street 2-bedroom, one bath home (2 adults, 3 boys), the air-conditioning system installers were rolling up.  They were arriving with summer comfort fir my little brothers and my deserving, hard-working parents. Until that point I had no idea how expensive a child I had been. Finally, with my expensive tastes gone, the folks could afford air-conditioning. ...
LOOKING BACK? 
We got to travel to New Mexico one time when I was in elementary school. Pop worked for the railroad and we got a family pack deal on the train that ran from one edge of Texas to the other — from Texarkana to El Paso, a more than 800-mile train ride. We visited Pop’s ol’ pals Kenneth and Sue and their son Wayne. One of the cool things we kids got to do was go swimming — in an irrigation ditch near Anthony, N.M.! It was great fun! And cooler than any pond in Northeast Texas. And that irrigation ditch  may be where I fell for New Mexico and its climate. Haven't been there since Martha and I went ther eon our honeymoon in the previous century.
BUT, EACH MORNING before I begin typing, I click onto an Earthcam camera from my favorite city in the Land of Enchantment, Santa Fe. This morning when I clicked, well, you can see what the temp was in Santa Fe in the morning. Here’ the Santa Fe Plaza Cam LINK  . 
As a native Texan, I always like to think I could justify living in New Mexico by explaining that I believe it was part of the Republic of Texas way back and I wouldn’t be insulting my home state or New Mexico. Born in Texas, you know — about 2 blocks inside the State Line from Arkansas. So were my sons — a few years later. [Makes you wonder how I define the word “few,” doesn’t it. Loosely is the answer.] Everybody stay cool — protect your dogs and cats and kids and your ownselves.
—- Offer cooling tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put DROP THAT ICEBAG AND STEP AWAY FROM THE REFRIGERATOR in the subject line. —

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO ACTIVATING THE HUMAN HEART...DOGS IN TOUGH SPOTS AND CATS, TOO

EDITION OF JUNE 20-21, 2023 [PetPowellPress] Most of us animal fans are happily enjoying life with our dogs and/or cats or whatever we’ve adopted from a shelter or picked up off the streets.
 But, some of us are in tough spots emotionally. Those folks are trying to save one anmal or a couple of litters or they’re shelter volunteers trying to save every animal in the building.
What do they all have in common? They need other human hearts to help them. And, FYI, there is great joy in saving an animal. If you know someone who needs to know that feeling and can handle it, let ‘em know about these animals. That dog? Not available. That’s my Office Dog Porche Noel on her bed she shares with us. Nobody will ever get as lucky as we got when we found her on our front porch 14 years ago. But you may get just blessed enough for your life when you pick up your next dog or cat or help someone else adopt their dog or cat. In the meantime, see if you can help the people and animals we mention in this edition.
CRICKET, THE YOUNGISH DOG,
RESCUED TWICE, NEEDS A HOME
FOR HER HAPPY, LOVING LIFE
People with hearts will understand this dog’s situation. Her name is Cricket. She was found with her deceased human — the guy who’d originally rescued her.
We learned about Cricket from the late human’s sister Kerry and her husband Monty. Kerry writes, “Cricket was my brother’s lap dog. She is a 3.6-year-old Dashie with ‘Flying Nun Ears.’”
Kerry’s brother was 78. He was a rancher. And, Kerry says, he had “rescued three dogs from a bad breeder in Temple.” After the unexpected death, Bucee went to Kerry and Monty and, Kerry writes, “My cousin has Lily and right now we are loving on Cricket.” 
But Cricket is a young dog with a long life expectancy and Kerry and Monty, because of age and health, are trying to find a good home for her late brother’s loving dog. They live in Kemah on Galveston Bay near Houston.
Dear Readers: Those of you who’v ever been in this situation may have some advice for the people trying to help this Doxie girl or you may know someone who is perfect for Cricket. Or, maybe YOU are perfect for Cricket. To offer to help Kerry and Monty by helping Cricket find a good home, email [email protected].
Kerry says, “We don’t want to rehome Cricket, but her vet says we will not make her life-span of 13 more years. … Since we don’t have a doggie door and backyard, she has accidents occasionally. I don’t want her starting bad habits.  Her shots are current as of May 20, 2023.  She has cute clothes and costumes, her bed, toys, matching collars and leashes. Loves Laps and car/truck rides. Needs adults not children because she was never around them.” Again, to ask about adorable Cricket, email [email protected].
FROM ONE DOG IN KEMAH
TO NINE IN EAST TEXAS….
We’ve written about this situation twice before, but perhaps the third time will be the charm for Lib Grimmett in Wills Point. She’s got custody of 9 dumped puppies and 4 grown dogs because some jerk dropped ‘em all off at her house and kept going.
This many dogs would be a lot of challenge for any property except maybe the King Ranch.
In her last note to us, Lib told us the she and her sister “are doing everything we can to find homes for these guys but if we can't by … Thursday, we have made the hard decision to have them put down.  It is breaking our hearts, but we have no other recourse.”
Eight of the 9-week old puppies are from 2 mothers, a 9th dumped puppy is about 12 weeks old, and the 4 grown dogs, also need a place or places to go. That’s FOURTEEN DOGS with not much of a chance to survive.
 Perhaps someone at a no-kill shelter or a sanctuary can help Lib — Email [email protected] or call 972-352-9330.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
SASSY BEATS THE ODDS…
Actually, I’m starting to think that any dog in the Mesquite Animal Shelter has great odds because of the volunteers, the staffers and the support of the theory that saving animals is a good thing.
This comes up today because I got an email from a pass-it-on source that carried this headline: SASSY TO BE EUTHANIZED AT MESQUITE SHELTER. 
That arrived on Sunday. I’d written about Sassy last week. She was charming people. But sometimes charm ain’t enough, you know? As soon as I opened that SASSY TO BE EUTHANIZED note, I emailed my two main sources at Mesquite Animal Services, the volunteer dog writers Judi Brown and Debra Chisholm.
I was, of course, upset that a perfectly good dog was the narrow space of a holiday weekend from euthanasia. But Debra and Judi quickly called off my anxiety! They said Sassy had been adopted on Saturday. God bless ya, Mesquite Shelter, Mesquite Adoptor and Sassy the Dog.
As Judi explained, Sassy was seen as a “little unpredictable.” But, she’s been adopted and we hope and pray that Sassy and her human are happy forever and ever. Her bio reported that she’d “lived a hard life, being in a backyard her whole life.” And she was matted, probably painfully ignored by her previous human. But, you know, sometimes a dog and a human will just match up and become dedicated to each other. That’s what readlarrypowell.com hopes for Sassy!
As long as she had my attention, Judi took the opportunity of my Sassy question to tell us, “I sure wish someone would recognize Drako’s sterling qualities. Another long termer that I absolutely adore is Cinnamon. I’ve done everything I can to get her out there, and she keeps getting passed by.” So, we’ll add those two to today’s report.
Mr. Handsome with the big Hollywood smile is Drako, a 3-year-old, 67-pound Plott Hound with a “glossy brindle coat” — he’s “already fixed” and came in as a stray on April 27. Judi’s first 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 sits for treats and gives his paw. He takes treats gently. He’s very well behaved and wants to please. As big as he is, he’s extremely gentle! He’s curious and alert and explored the yard but kept coming back to me. I seldom say this, but I really think he’s housebroken. He kept his kennel clean and it was obvious when he got out in the yard he had been saving it for a long time. … He’s an amazing guy and would make an amazing pet for an active family. He would most likely do well with children.
 Drako is #52534306. Use that ID when you email the shelter at rescues@ cityofmesquite.com or call the shelter at 972-216-6283.
And this is Judi’s beloved hopeful adoptee Cinnamon. She’s bee in the shelter since September 7. A 40-pound Pittie mix who came in a s a stray. On Memorial Day — back in May — Judi spent part of her holiday at the shelter “mainly to see cinnamon,” she wrote. “ She is tugging at my heart. She needs a hero. She’s been at the shelter 8 long months and is now starting to shut down. She’s come a long way. At first, when she came to the shelter she wasn’t very socialized but now she’s friendly, she comes to you, she likes to have her ears scratched, and she gives kisses.” 
And Judi wrote a few weeks ago, “When I first met her, she used to chase balls and run and play, but now she’s so needy that she stays very close, wanting treats and attention. Once she got into a loving home, I sure her playfulness would return.” Cinnamon is #51050747.
Debra, in the meantime, points out a “Rescue Only” Siberian Husky who is in the shelter. She is known as Akira and her ID is 52872581. 
Akira came is as a stray on June 12. “She had jumped off a bridge and upon arriving at the shelter was taken to the vet.” No broken bones, but the 33-pound, maybe 2-years-old Husky is “quite timid and shy and uneasy in the shelter environment.”
Debra also writes, “There is something about this girl that just draws you to her.  I brushed her out a bit.  She was not interested in treats, toys or balls.  Won't you please help Akira's stay at the shelter to be a short one?  She has had a traumatic experience and needs a quiet, warm and caring environment.  Living outdoors in the extreme Texas heat is far from ideal for a Husky so she would like to live indoors in the cool a/c with her people.”
Debra and Judi both send the message that the shelter is “full to overflowing and kennel space is badly needed.”
[LARRY ASIDE: There are a number of missing Huskies in the area and we’re wondering if Akira is one that went missing in Garland and wound up in Mesquite? Stuff like that happens. Dogs and cats are not exactly bound to the city limits rules of suburbs and cities.
You can see many more (and urgent) dogs and cats in the Mesquite Shelter by going to it’s website HERE
Among the animals waiting is Frankie (#52504122), a handsome 2-1/2-year-old Domestic Medium Shorthair fellow. He came in on April 24 and is available for adoption. Where would a cat like this be staying in a city shelter? Look for him in the Conference Room.
CONTEMPLATIONS
TITANIC, TUNES, HEAT
Re: The Submersible, Titan, at the scene of the Titanic’s wreckage. If someone ever tells you I’m on one of those tourist subs or any other submarine, don’t believe ‘em. I discovered during a spell of MRIs on my brain that I am quite claustrophobic. Had to have sedatives to endure the braincheck. I’m sometimes iffy on elevators. No punchline to a paragraph on claustrophobia. It’s no laughing matter, is it, my fellow Claustrophobics. Give me a little room here as I finish this paragraph. I’m surprised I could handle a mask during The Pandemic. I get queasy putting on support socks. On 100-degree days, Claustrophobia keeps me from crawling into the refrigerator with my Kindle and reading in comfort. Have to use my Kindle — the light goes out when I shut the door. …
AN APPROPRIATE SONG? How about The Loving Spoonful’s Summer in The City? CLICK HERE.
AND WHEN IS SUMMER IN THE CITY? The Old Farmer’s Almanac says it’s going to arrive at 9:58 a.m. Wednesday in our sweaty neck of the Texas woods. Give yourself a break — sit in an air-conditioned room and remember how much you loved summer in your teens. Then, REMEMBER THAT AUTUMN IN TEXAS arrives at 12:49 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23. The State Fair of Texas opens on Sept. 29 and runs through Oct. 22. How cool is that to consider on a 100-degree day in June?

—- Offer weather advice or dream topics by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and use the subject line “IT’S TEXAS! GET OVER IT, SWEATY!” —-

A LOT OF DOGS WAITING IN TOUGH SPOT; A JINDO IN A FIX; JUNETEENTH AND THE USA

EDITION OF MONDAY, JUNE 19, 2023 [PetPowellPress] Ah, the weekend continues -- thank you, Fort Worth's Opal Lee, "Grandmother of Juneteenth! We’ve got messages to report, plus a Contemplation.
Every day we get emails about animals on the brink of man-made doom. The only way to save the animals is to get humans involved with the life-saving efforts.
And part of the mission might need to be saving the animals before their humans can fail them. 
We may need to rent a big air-conditioned tent and put on a Save ‘em All Revival — do some conversion work on the hearts that don't care and think “so what” when told dogs and cats are going to be euthanized. Help me off this soapbox and I’ll keep typing this edition. If a slat breaks and I land buttocks-first on the ground, it always sets off the Richter Scale. It’s bad enough to have this heat, we don’t need earthquakes, too, around here.
WE OFFER A CHECK-UP REPORT
ON A WILLS POINT SITUATION
Maybe you remember this story from a week or so ago. Lib Grimmett in Wills Point, east of the Metrosprawl, was the recipient of a goofball human’s dumping of 9 puppies and 4 dogs at her home.
Remember, one person or one rescue group or one no-kill shelter doesn’t have to take all of ‘em at once — just take one or two until they’re all quickly and lovingly saved. This is a job for the people with hearts, not the people who rolled these animals out onto Lib’s homesite and drove away.
Many people have written notes about this pressure-on-the-heart situation on Facebook and other sites, but the bottom line is nobody’s stepped up to help find a safe place for any of these dumped dogs. 
[That's the bunch on the right and 4 of the females on the left.]
Here’s the note Lib sent to readlarrypowell.com this weekend: “We are doing everything we can to find homes for these guys but if we can't by next Thursday, we have made the hard decision to have them put down.  It is breaking our hearts, but we have no other recourse.”
That’s awful. Just really awful.
Lib also writes, “If you know of any vet or organization that can help defray the cost of this for us, please let me know.  Our vet (bill) here will be about $1k but if we have to do it there, we will.  Truly breaking our hearts but we have tried everything. The puppies (from 2 mothers) are 9 weeks old and the other (non-related) one is 12-week-old. 

“We had an incident with one of our cats and the big dogs because we have 3 cats inside and they went after one when we brought them into the house to shelter them from the storm last night.  I had to take my sister to the doctor today.  It has become an untenable situation for us."

If there’s anyone who can help place these animals or take some of them in — you can save them by emailing [email protected] or call 972-352-9330.

[DEAR READERS: I included that paragraph about the cats/dogs conflict in this report because it emphasizes just what a horrible thing it was for the dumper to unload these animals in somebody’s yard and flee. This kind of behavior isn’t new in rural and semi-rural areas. In a city, you might get two or three dogs at a time in your yard or a cat about to deliver an 8-kitten litter. In the county there are people who’ll take ol’ Spot down to the bayou and shoot him goodbye in the head and throw his (maybe) lifeless body into the water. Some people use the bag-the-litter-and-throw-it-into-the-creek method of “Rural Euthanasia" of unwanted dogs and cats. 
Other people who won’t shoot or drown a dog, don’t mind throwing it or a litter out onto a property that looks “dog friendly.” 
Thee methods of eliminating a problem reflect just about the sorriest behavior you can pull in a state where, the governor once declared, “Texans love their dogs. You sure as hell hope these people don’t have kids — no telling what could happen to them or how they’ll turn out.
 And if anyone knows who might have dumped these dogs, notify the local authorities — abandoning animals happens to be a violation of the law in the State of Texas. It's probably a sin in most states.]
One more note: Lib attached this quote to the appeal for help with these animals. It’s from St. Francis of Assisi: “Start by doing what is necessary, then do what's possible and suddenly, you are doing the impossible.”
He never lived in East Texas, but maybe his words will still matter to the fate of all these dumped and now on-the-clock dogs.]
THE JINDO’S NAME? BOMI --
SITUATION? IN A TOUGH SPOT
We got the appeal regarding this dog — a Korean Jindo — from one of our longtime-tipsters and animal advocates in Denton and the area, Amy Poskey. 
She’s trying to help a friend help an animal that is currently in the Hickory Creek Animal Shelter south of Denton, just north of Lake Lewisville on I-35E. So, yes, there are plenty of people who might help Bomi. Might. Maybe. We'll see, right?
Amy’s weekend update on the dog came from Hickory Creek Animal Services Officer Hannah Breaux. The report was “As of right now Bomi is not allowed to be pulled or fostered or adopted cuz they are still considering her evaluations.  They will be making a decision Monday or Tuesday.”

The earlier note from Amy reported that Bomi is “an owner surrender and she is extremely fearful; therefore, she will most likely need an experienced foster. Poor baby is scared and has no idea why she ended up at the shelter.” The 2-year-old dog weighs about 35 pounds. 
The contact point to ask about helping Bomi is Hannah Breaux at the Hickory Creek Anmal Shelter at 940-465-7444 or email [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS
OUR ANIMAL MISSION
PLUS HONORING THE 19TH
We call this segment “Contemplations” because we hope it encourages people to take a time out in their busy, overfilled days and give some calm, rational thought to challenges, blessings and people and animals they love. I happen to love animals, their protectors and, also, people dedicated to a number of  beneficial causes in the United States of America. [Yeah, I’m a peacenik and a person who sees America the Beautiful because of all of its people not in spite of all the cranks in or out of office.]
THE HEARTFELT MISSION of readlarrypowell.com is to encourage the “save ‘em all” philosophy and, indeed, save as many animals as need saving in our sprawling and continually growing MetroPaveItOverPlex. It is, as so many of all of us animal nuts know, a mission of the heart. We’re loyal to the mission and to the people who work to save ‘em all. I want to take a few words here to praise you all. It won’t take long. You are Angels on the Earth, even when you’re horsey, not that I’ve ever encountered a cranky animal rescuer or advocate. I grade “easy,” as a teacher might say of a particularly challenging class. I might have learned that philosophy from needing “easy” grading in math classes — whisper “Algebra” to me and watch me break out in a panicked sweat. …
WE LOOK BACK AT JUNETEENTH: When I was a kid in farthest corner of Northeast Texas (the Ark-La-Tex, i.e., Texarkana, Texas), there were Juneteenth celebrations at some churches and in some parks. Not everybody celebrated in those days — they should have, but, it takes Americans time to get “illuminated” on some issues and situations.
People were celebrating “freeing the slaves,” we kids from our part of town were told. I suspect it took me and most of my classmates until we were nearly grown to fully understand what “freeing the slaves” encompassed — more precisely to comprehend what it meant to be declared free but not allowed to be free in a nation that was celebrated as “the land of the free” (in some neighborhoods, anyway).
Early in my career as a reporter, I discovered something about human beings: We are a curiously frustrating species. Can’t tell the content of one heart from another until we open our mouths without, apparently, thinking. Not that people ever comment without thinking in the United States of America (or any other nation on the planet, apparently!). To cite performer Edwin Starr’s opening lines from his 1970 hit, “WAR! What is it good for?”

Back to Juneteenth: Ask around and every now and then you’ll find somebody who went to a segregated high school. I did. My younger brothers went to the same school but it was not segregated by the time they were there. It was the ‘60s and early ‘70s. Things were changing — or trying to change. We should celebrate and appreciate change, i.e., change for the good in our nation. Beneficial change, is, I believe, the foundation of a strong America, don’t you think?
Making things better matters to the soul of the nation. I hope I can get an "Amen."
—- Offer thoughts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “God Bless America and Texas, Too” in the subject line. —-