THE PIPER STORY AND OTHER TALES OF ANIMALS IN NEED; HUMAN FAILINGS, TOO

EDITION OF THURSDAY/FRIDAY SEPT. 21-22, 2023 [PetPowellPress] We’re going to feature a dog — a genuine longshot — named Piper in our small-shelter segment. It's a human situation -- not a humane situation. All she needs is to be taught how to eat. And — of course — humans who’ll get her apparently doomed self out of a small city shelter. Read on. Tell anybody you know that their heart is needed to help this specific dog. Keep reading.
LARRY FYI: This is a Thursday edition, but I put Friday on the dateline, too, because I haven’t checked my Lotto Texas numbers yet and I may turn out to be one of the few people in the state who, since last week, would look forward to having to go Austin to do business with the state. OK, let’s remember that the Texas Legislature can be influenced to help animals, and move forward with today’s report.
You know — no doubt by the emails you’re getting — that this is North Texas Giving Day. Google it and look for your place to donate to animals, theatres and other non-profits. …
Bless all of you non-profits for animals and theatre and may you all need to hire professional accountants and investment counselors to manage the huge donations.]
MEANWHILE IN WILMER,
SHELTER DOGS WAITING
We keep up with these small shelter situations through the eyes and hearts of the 4-Legged Helpers and other animal associates. More on this dog Piper in a moment.
The latest big press of animals in small, woefully funded facilities is at the Wilmer Animal Shelter. [Wilmer, population pushing 7,000 this year, is on the southern side of Dallas. It’s on all the maps.]
Here’s the 4-Legged Helpers’ description of the small shelter: “This tiny rural shelter looks like a rusted tin shed and has zero people adopting and these postings are often the only chance these sweet pets have to be rescued/saved.”

The Helpers urge, “IF YOU CAN HELP, call or text 214-949-2726 or 972-897-4926 or email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Ask about transport if your a 501c3 who’ll help.
This Wilmer girl is Brenn, described as a “Catahoula Mix” — she may be about 6 months old. And she’s gotten her shelter shots. Her bio says she “is a little, sweet puppy who loves everyone and everything. She adores all other dogs and is happy and lovable. Playful and sweet.” [LARRY ASIDE: Yes, that sounds like a traditional puppy. All she’s missing is a human to help her carry all those good characteristics into adulthood. Yep, all depends on a human. Looking around the planet, “all depends on a human” doesn’t really inspire confidence, does it? But maybe you or someone you know is this dog’s perfect human. Same for all these other Wilmer dogs.]
We’ve got two photos of Selena, a “young female Basenji/Boxer mix,” the shelter bio says. [LARRY ASIDE: That first photo shows her as clearly having potential as an advertising model for dog beds. Her eyes in both photos demonstrate her ability to act. Too beautiful a dog to be in a shelter. Get me off my soapbox — they’re all too beautiful for waiting in a shelter for the needle. Good grief, the though of that disgusts me daily. Overwhelmingly.]
Selena is around 9 to 15-months old, her bip says. She’s described as a “beautiful girl that is very, very, sweet.. She adores all other dogs.  She has a very gentle nature.  Very beautiful markings.”

Melia is about 2 and weighs 56-pounds — she’s a Lab/Boxer Mix who, in that photo clearly demonstrates her ability to display “Texas Summer Tongue.” Her brief bio reads, “You will not meet a sweeter girl than Melia anywhere! She is precious. Gentle, well-behaved, adores other dogs, loves people. Such a sweet, sweet girl.” 

And that brings us to Piper who, the Helpers note reads, “needs experienced dog person.” She’s a Siberian Husky waiting in the Wilmer Shelter.
The bio from 4-Legged Helpers reads:
“Piper needs someone very special.  Her family brought her to the shelter in hopes someone can help her.  Apparently she is the sweetest girl until there is a treat or food being held by someone, then she acts up badly and the family that had her apparently did not know how to work with her.  Just stated their daughter was scared of her.
“As everyone probably knows reading this, food or treat aggression is very workable with the right experienced dog person. There are many articles and how to's on the internet on hand feeding and correcting a dog the minute the growling starts. … Sadly, Wilmer is a place where most people are probably not fortunate enough to be able to even talk to a dog trainer. And it makes you wonder, too, if the dog was ever fed properly … If you want to attempt to help this girl, she really needs someone extremely experienced willing to work carefully with her or she will probably be euthanized.” 
[LARRY ASIDE: How’s that for a blistering irony? A dog euthanized because she didn’t know how to eat? Surely there’s a rescue or rescuer who can help Piper in an area where no one has tried to help her before. Ask our little girl Porche Noel if she’s mannerly now because patience and love can help a dog acquire dinnertime manners? It’s an act of love from a human to a dog. I may cry. Sorry. My Porche means a lot to me — we’ve taught each other manners without a bite and without the THREAT OF THE NEEDLE IN A TAXPAYER-FINANCED PLACED IRONICALLY CALLED A ‘SHELTER.'’]
***
MEANWHILE, A MYSTERY SOLVED!
IS THERE REALLY A DOG NAMED
SPOT?
We now have the answer and it comes from our pal, Mesquite Animal Services volunteer dog-writer Judi Brown.
This is the dog. In that first photo he looks as if someone has just asked, “What’s the deal with that spot?” and he has replied, “What spot?” [LARRY ASIDE TO DEAR READERS!: [If you’ve ever seen Young Frankenstein (1974) you’ll recognize that “What spot?” as a rewriting of the Marty Feldman “Igor” scene in which he asks, “What hump?” If you haven’t seen the film, find it and watch it. And if you don’t have a dog named Spot, here’s your chance.]
Yes, Judi confirms, Spot is named for the spot. He’s a year-old, 51-pound Staffie who came into Mesquite’s Shelter as a stray on Sept. 15. [LARRY INQARRY, ER, INQUIRY: Not neutered?— Gee, wonder why he’d stray?]
 Judi writes that Spot (#54166756) has “a sprinkling of freckles across his nose. He’s mostly white and that’s probably because he’s the color of sugar and is as sweet as sugar! He’s got an adorable face. He stayed very close to me looking up at me as though he was wanting to know what I wanted him to do. It’s very obvious that he craves human attention and that he wants to please. He comes when you call him. He seems to be a happy, contented boy. … He is gentle, calm, laid-back, friendly (but not overly so) and very well mannered. Since he’s such a good dog, he would be the perfect companion to snuggle up with you on the couch or in his bed at your feet.”
Use his ID number when you call Mesquite Animal Services at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
There are many other dogs in the on-line list at Mesquite Animal Services. You can see them — and the cats, too, by going to THIS LINK.
While we may not see a cat with a legendary name such as “Kitty” in the Mesquite listings, there is, among the many kittens, a full-grown fellow (#54109275) with an appropriate cat name for the bewitching Halloween time of year — this boy is Salem. He’s just over 4 years old, a small, black cat who came in on September 7. As you can see, he can be held and photographed charmingly. He’s that rarity of rarities, a Domestic Shorthair Mix. And, you can find him in the shelter’s Conference Room. [LARRY ASIDE: Yes, readlarrypowell.com loves cats and they should all be living in homes that love them. Help me off this soapbox once again — I’ve clocked my up and down steps for the morning. Darned near fit, I am. Hello, Summer Olympics, here I come in the Olympic Stairtumbling Competition.)
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE TRADITIONAL TEXAS
ANIMAL CONTROL PHILOSOPHY
The plight of the dog Piper jabbed me in the heart and made me recollect the decades — since 1965 — that I’ve been writing or editing stories about animals and animal shelters and cities that consistently whittle money off the animal shelter and animal welfare budgets. And, I have come — through the years — to one rock-solid conclusion. The traditional Texas animal control philosophy is this: “Got an animal problem? Let’s kill it.” 
Turns out it’s more like “Let’s kill THEM.” 
Yeah, that indicates “The animal problem is people-based.” And the people are the don’t care/so what humans and the politicians who are elected to office and cut animal services budgets until there’s no blood left to bleed. These philosophies BETRAY the efforts of staffers and volunteers to actually provide life-saving shelter to animals rejected by the rotten-hearted jerks.
It’s the 21st Century. Humans have prevailed. We can do better than “Let’s kill ‘em.” Surely.
—- Offer a solution by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and ask yourself. “How many animals are getting the needle in my town today” It’s a public responsibly. —-