SEASONAL SUGGESTION: TOP TIME OF YEAR TO GIVE A SHELTER ANIMAL A GREAT HOME...

EDITION OF TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY OCT. 3-4 2023 [PetPowellPress] Oh, any time of year is a good time to get a critter out of a kill shelter and into a good home. Back to the season at hand: Autumn, are you en route? Really? Rain and thunderstorms? OK, so, anybody who parks a dog or cat outside should go ahead and bring ‘em inside. Seems like the right thing to do, doesn’t it?
And, yet…well, there are some people who declare, “Ol’ Bully loves his dawg house — he don’t spook at thuh thunder.” Still, city animal shelters somehow manage to add terrified dogs to the population after thunderstorms.
 Cat’s in storms? Why risk your cat’s life? Of course, that’s a good question to ask any day of the year.
The radio was on as I typed this. And among the loyal listeners to the WBAP morning show is my Senior Office Cat William Powell who heard the forecast of thunderstorms and rain and autumnal temps and immediately went to his observation station at the office window. He shoves his head between the curtains to keep a cateye on things. William, who joined our family when he was an outdoor kitten -- he helped me paint a house -- prefers a perfectly climate-controlled atmospheres.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE
TO FIND A GOOD DOG A HOME?
That’s like asking “How long is a piece of string?” All depends on the human, right?
 And some humans have been hustling and hustling to find a home for this girl Bella. So far the only thing the Boxer/Catahoula mix has found is humans with patience and affection. No humans with room in a home. Bella does have $400 pledge to a 501c3 Rescue that will take her in and find a home. 
We’ve told her story before, thanks to the folks with 4-Legged Helpers. Somebody left Bella tied to the front of a South Dallas vet’s office and she’s been waiting patiently with those good folks ever since. Months ago, you know. Her bio describes her as “Amazing eyes!   Gentle little soul.  She is a sweet little couch potato. The vet clinic where she currently is cannot keep her.  Note that Bella adores other dogs - she is just that sweet - just precious - Bella is the most wonderful girl.  Loves absolutely everyone. Sweet, precious, and lovable.”
Bella is one of many dogs that the 4-Legged Helpers are working to get into safe places and homes. To ask about any of them, call or text 214-949-2726 or 972-897-4926 or email [email protected] or fourlegged- [email protected].
When you ask about Bella, also ask about Brenn(rt), Selena (lft), Melia(rt) and Callie. These dogs? Each one of them is waiting to be rescued or adopted or rolled up dead in a plastic bag. 
They’re in the “Small Shelter Plight” on the southern side of Dallas. Use the 4-Legged Helpers contact info to ask about them. To save their lives. To give them a good and decent home. 
How hard can that be in an area of millions of people with such big hearts? Pass this on to two or three million of the local residents and try to find at least 4 hearts that aren’t too busy worrying about the Dallas Cowboys’ future and can fret a little bit about all the dogs and cats at peril around here.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
DOGS CHUCHO AND DALE
[LARRY ASIDE: Chucho & Dale sounds like a cartoon adventure of two dogs looking for work on Broadway, doesn’t it. I could be mistaken. Let’s move along and help ‘em find homes.]
We got the tips on them volunteer dog-writer Judi Brown of Mesquite Animal Services. 
Chucho is #54478588 at the shelter. He’s a 1-to-2-years old and was born “without an eyeball and gets around just fine,” his bio reads.
Judi wrote, “When I first took Chucho out, several staff members commented on what a good boy he is. It’s true, he’s a total sweetheart! Chucho is a … 64-pound golden Staffordshire/American pitbull mix that was surrendered to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 9/26. They moved into an apartment and the landlord wouldn’t allow him. He is not fixed. You can see … [that] he’s sad and missing his family. You can also see that one eye is mostly closed. He was born without an eyeball. The eye is slightly red and he will be taken to the vet. It probably needs to be sewn shut. Please ask the shelter for the vet report. Chucho is a calm, easy-going, well-behaved boy with good manners. He doesn’t jump on you. He’s curious and explored the yard. He doesn’t appear to know the sit command but that‘s something you could teach him. He mostly stayed close and literally physically rubs up against you. He craves human contact. The surrender report said that he was an outdoor dog and that he liked to run. Even though he will need a yard to run in, he will also need a couch or his own bed in the house with his new family.”
To ask about Chucho or this next pup, Dale, be sure to use their shelter ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Dale is #54496745 and he’s listed as a 2-year-old Belgian Shepherd/Black Mouth Cur mix and is said to be an “active fun-loving guy with spirit …”
Judi writes, “Dale has unique ears that flip over on the tip. … He weighs 36 pounds and came in as a stray. He is not neutered. He could be a detective as he’s very curious. He spent a lot of time exploring the yard. He doesn’t appear to know the sit command but is highly motivated by treats. One of the things he was finding were treats that other dogs had left behind. It must’ve been like a treasure hunt for him! 

“When he was done exploring, he came running back to where I was sitting. At that point he was ready for some human interaction. He put his head on my lap and seemed to enjoy having his ears scratched. … He went nose to nose introducing himself to other dogs. He walks okay on a leash. He’s a sweet, fun loving, friendly, playful pup that wants to be your companion. If you’re a jogger, he would want to join you on your runs. But then when he comes home, he wants to lay beside you on the couch or by your feet in his own bed.”
See these dogs and more — puppies, cats, kittens, too — at the Mesquite Animal Shelter online site HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS

THE URGE TO EAT…CHOCOLATE!
Ah, to sleep, perchance to dream of chocolate cookies, cakes, pies, candy bars — is there a chocolate salad? Thank you for helping me move through this morning craving without dashing to a store to get a bag of pre-Halloween candy and a shipping box full of cookies. I was awake at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday and caught the last few scenes and songs from Cabaret. Hadn’t seen that film in years. No way I can blame Cabaret for this craving for chocolate. It's all on me. Literally. Moving along….
I saw a headline in The Big Paper Downtown. It read “Plants Score Big Tax Breaks” and I thought “High time I get a tax break because of the weeds that have sprung up in my front yard.” Then I read the rest of the story. It’s about manufacturing plants in Sherman, north of Dallas. That’s not even my favorite Sherman. From the late 1950s/early ‘60s, this is my favorite Sherman — it’s a comedy cartoon with the most real dog in TV, Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman. Ah, they don’t make ‘em like they used to, right? …
"One of the great things about writing on a computer is you can click the type into a readable size,” wrote the guy who is tired of squinting at 11-point type. See you at the cabaret — is there a cabaret that serves chocolates with Diet Cokes? Ah, the hefty American lifestyle.
—— Offer diet tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and make the subject line read ‘GAZE INTO MY EYES…YOU ARE GETTING VERY SLEEEEEPY. AVOID CHOCOLATE BECKONING FROM 24-HOUR STORES.’ —-