EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27, 2023 [PetPowellPress] First things first: This is Crush-A-Can Day and I know some of you might have crushed a can a time or two in your festive days. More on that in Contemplations.
Also this morning we have a question about how safe you feel now that NASA has brought particulate space matter from asteroid Bennu through space, landed it in Utah and is opening the container to see what they caught? Couldn’t anybody get a restraining order to say, “Hey, hey, wait a sec! Did you guys not notice that Covid pandemic?”
I have a nightmare thought — probably based on my pre-teen and teen years of watching such scary space traveler films as Not of This Earth. Cue the spooky music, but here’s my plot, er, theory: The matter found on the asteroid thrives in the oxygen-rich atmosphere of earth, rejuvenates as space beings and scientist discover there is apparently no way to spay or neuter these rapidly reproducing and odd breed of dogs and cats from space. Also, these beasties can all eat chocolate without peril and soon Planet Earth is without chocolate! And then where would we be! Constant nightmare while we're all trying to get to the danged Milky Way. Moving along….
SPEAKING OF SPACE TRAVEL,
PLUTO’S GOT A PAIR OF
OUTTA THIS WORLD EYES
Appropriate, perhaps, to present the profile of a dog named Pluto after we discuss NASA and its astroid projects. This guy Pluto may be one of the most beautiful dogs in the known universe.
Volunteer Mesquite Dog Writer Debra Chisholm forwarded the bio by her colleague in volunteer dog-writing, Judi Brown. Judi got the happy job of meeting and profiling Pluto. He’s #54471221 at the shelter.
Judi wrote, “Pluto is a handsome, fluffy, tri-colored Australian Shepherd. He’s a year old and weighs 34 pounds. He was surrendered on 9/25. The kennel card stated he was unwanted.”
[LARRY ASIDE: How is it possible to UNWANT this dog? Or just about any dog? Pardon my interruption.]
Judi continues, “The surrender form indicated he was too active and needed more training. He is not neutered. The surrender form said that his previous owners had found him and that they had had him for nine months. He was both an outdoor and indoor dog. They stated that he was friendly with other dogs and absolutely loves children! They also stated that he knows the sit, paw and lay down commands. He did sit and give his paw for me. He took the offered treats gently.
“He’s so friendly that his whole hind end wiggles. Australian Shepherds are very intelligent and if their minds are not kept active, they will get into things they are not supposed to. They need a lot of activity and stimulation. They need training. I get the feeling that Pluto’s previous owners did not have the time to put into this special dog. He does repeatedly jump on you and needs to be reminded and trained not to do so! He does want to please so if you’ve got the time to invest in this deserving dog, Your rewards will be great!”
To ask about Pluto, use his ID #54471221 when you email [email protected] or call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
See many more dogs and cats by going to this City of Mesquite Animal Shelter LINK.
[LARRY ASIDE: I looked for a cat with a space-travel link and the only one I could find was this guy Max, #54026056, who was, for the photo, clearly reliving his time on the Command Deck of the Enterprise during his days as a Space Captain. Max is a 2-years-and-a-month old fellow — and he's that rarity on this planet or any other planet, a grey and white Domestic Shorthair Mix. He came in on August 24, so he’s been waiting to hear from Mission Control or from a warm-hearted human for more than a month. He’s said to be waiting in the lobby at Mequite Animal Services. Beam him into your heart.]
TIME WORKING AGAINST
2 DOGS IN SMALL SHELTER
You’ve seen these two before and the folks with 4-Legged Helpers keep pushing to find someone to rescue or adopt them.
The key contact information for helping is call or text 972-897-4926 or 214-949-2726 or email [email protected] and/or [email protected].
Callie, sitting and smiling is a year-old, 56-pound English/American Bulldog Mix waiting in the Ferris Animal Shelter. Heartbreaking opening line in her bio: “Callie was found out and about one evening and appeared to be searching for her puppies. Very sad since none were found so unknown if someone just dumped her or if her puppies were lost or what happened. The ACO's tell us she is the sweetest girl ever. Just gentle, loving, and sweet."
That brings us to year-old Colby. His bio reads, “We think he is either what they call a light grey Weimaraner (which in actuality looks sort of like light tan) or he might be Silver Lab or mix. Whatever he is, he is gorgeous. And such a sweetie. Appears to be around a year old or just older. Probably in the 10-18 month old range. He LOVES LOVES LOVES all other dogs, both male and female. Adores people. MUST SAVE - A true shelter favorite by everyone.”
[LARRY ASIDE: I hope both of these are in good homes by the time you contact the 4-Legged Helpers. In that case, ask ‘em what other dogs or cats they’re trying to help. Maybe, also, ask if there’s any way you can help them get animals out of small, understaffed, under budgeted suburban and edge-of-the-country animal shelters. You may actually find your own wonderful destiny. For example, ask about Selena in the tiny, overcrowded Wilmer Shelter. She’s an Earhound with personality and the clock is ticking.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
INDOOR CATS; CANS ’N’ A QUOTE
We begin with something I saw online. Call it FROM A SPOT IN METRODANGER. On a neighborhood bulletin board this morning, I spotted this heartfelt appeal from a mother: “Whomever keeps trapping my cats (and other neighbors cats) and taking them to other neighborhoods to dump them, there's a special place in 🔥🔥🔥 for you!!! Plus you're seriously, seriously messing with mine and my family's mental health!”
Naturally this post inspired at least two viewpoints from readers. One was that, indeed, the mean cat-thief is a rotten SOB. Hard to argue that.
But the other one was “cats should always be indoor cats in the violence-prone world we have today.”
I understand the joy of an outdoor cat -- a cat who comes when called, who joins you on the porch at twilight, who mews when it's time to come inside and have dinner or a nap. But that's not a safe life anywhere near a freeway or a busy street or neighbors so near that you yell "God bless" when they sneeze on the other side of the house.
Indeed, look around. Any of you see Andy or Barney and do you really think you’re still living in Mayberry? People shoot each other all the time — shooting a cat is no big deal to the staggering load of metroplexbleeps we have to put up with these days. Keep reminding yourself: THIS AIN’T MAYBERRY!
Natural predators? North Texas CITIES AND DEVELOPMENTS have hawks, North Texas has coyotes, North Texas has foxes. They’re all keeping their eyes open for their next meals. Free-roaming dogs? Yelling “Stop!” doesn’t work with a hungry dog pack from an irresponsible home. Your cat probably hasn't been trained to expect danger -- like a born-and-raised outdoors cat has.
Yes, the indoor cat is a safe cat unless the human is a don’t care/so what idiot. A housecat cat stalking a sparrow is a target of a hawk. You’re neighbor’s got an air-rifle? Why let your cat become a target?
You don’t want to mourn the sudden disappearance of your cat? Give it a responsible home.
Sure, you can always get another cat in Dallas and Fort Worth. When you do, try to keep that one safe from the danger our environment.
[LARRY ASIDE: Do I also need to type “Spay and neuter!”? You think no in-the-mood tomcat ever dashed out an open door to hunt down a date? An unfixed tomcat is quick on his paws!]
TODAY’S FINAL NOTE has to do with the online calendar site Holiday Insights noting that the 27th is Crush-A-Can Day. The name is clear. The site says it traced the holiday “back to 2017” but also reports, “We found no factual information about this special day. Nor did we find the creator or any reference to him/her.” Here’s the LINK. And here’s a quote about the Crush-a-Can Day from Holiday Insights and “Author Unknown.” It reads: “Yesterday I got hit in the head with a soda can. Luckily, it was a soft drink.”
And they say, “Space, the Final Frontier.” Ha. Open up a can of brain-building Infonoodlesoup.
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