HELPING HUMANS HELP ANIMALS; ALSO ASKIN' 'GOTCHEREARSON? MOANBACK'

EDITION OF OCT. 4-5, 2023 [PetPowellPress]  OK, if you’re reading this on Wednesday, why, heck, “10-4, good buddy.” We’ll tune into the CB era in Contemplations. Oh, my goodness, some of you have probably never seen or heard a CB radio! More later.
First, let’s help some animals in the real world. 
Oh, yes, Senior Office Cat William Powell and Junior Office Cat Stevie Ray (on his Scratching Chair) are on alert — they’re preparing to report weather conditions in the event of a rainstorm. Also, they like to wait for the Wednesday trash trucks — one “regular,” one “recycle.” They sit in the window and talk to the drivers on their CB units. I’m kidding. Our cats have cell phones. In the springtime, they take out-of-state visitors on hikes to observe the neighborhood’s many birds. Strictly observation, not acquisition. My office cats are sophisticats.
A BIG DOG HAS BIG NEED
FOR HOME OR A FOSTER

That is one big handsome dog, isn’t he?
 The story comes from the veteran rescuer and homefinder (not sure that’s a real word) for unwanted animals, our longtime tipster Gail Whelan. She the heart of CAN Adoptions, i.e., the Companion-Animal Network.
The tip was forwarded to us by our pal, the artistic photographer and animal advocate Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com, the organization that helps dogs and the people who love them. 

This guy was found in the "wilds" of East Texas.  Gail’s note reads that he was “found abandoned in the country. He is amazing!”
And, she writes, “Knows some commands. Has been an inside dog. Absolutely perfect temperament and personality. Great with other dogs. Probably a little strong for small children but older would be OK.”
He’s around 18 months old and weighs 74 pounds. He’s been vaccinated, is heartworm negative and microchipped - now. Gail writes, “All he did at the Vet is kiss everyone!!! We will have him neutered ASAP.”
The ideal situation would be that this pup was immediately adopted into a wonderful home. Second choice is an “appropriate foster home.”

Gail notes, “He is on 200 acres in the country and not safe!!! …. I am terrified because there is NO FENCE on this property and there are lots of coyotes, wild pigs, etc.”
 [LARRY ASIDE: And, every now and then you have to consider the awful fact that sometimes an armed human with a foul heart or no sense of decency will wander up and take aim.]
 To ask about helping this big fellow live a long and happy life, call Companion Animal Network at 903-967-3226 or email [email protected].
A SPUNKY JOY &
A WELL-WHISKERED CAT
We got the tip on this dog with the wondrous black coat from Mesquite Animal Services volunteer dog- writer Debra Chisholm. And, we also got photos of a dog who’s so happy that the camera can’t “freeze” her tail — it’s so happyfast (I made up that word -- larry) that it’s blurry! 
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Debra writes, “This little bundle of exuberance and spunk is Joy, a mixed- breed youngster that was picked up as a stray by one of our officers on 9/29. … She weighs 19 pounds, is about 9 months old and is not spayed.

“You wouldn't recognize her from the way she was when she first came to the shelter.  She was tense and nervous and didn't want to come out of her kennel.  However, one of our staff members took a ‘shine’ to her and worked with her. 
“When I did her eval, she had done a 180-degree turnaround.  She was friendly, sociable and sought companionship from human friends.  

“When the staff member who worked with her came into the room and knelt beside her, she was all over him, giving kisses and just thrilled to see him.  She walks fine on a leash.  She is a life-of-the-party, on-the-go kind of gal, exploring the room and begging for treats.  Her tail wags constantly.  Joy is full of life, exuberance and joy...hence the name I chose. 

“Looking for a pup to train and invest time in to become a loved and cherished family member?  Then Joy may just be the girl for you! It will indeed be an investment of time and patience as she needs daily exercise, training, enrichment and playtime and of course all that goes into working through all the puppy kind of behavior and energy.”
Joy is #54498737 — use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
You can see more Mesquite Animal Shelter adorable adoptables by going to this SHELTER LINK.
Got a loving place for a cat? Rosa (#54071242) is that rarest of breeds, the Domestic Shorthair Mix (still researching that description “rarest”).
Rosa is a 13-month-old small orange girl with a championship set of whiskers! [LARRY ASIDE: She looks like she’s got a Hollywood make-up artist and she’s in a western courthouse scene as Judge Kitty.] Rosa came into the shelter on August 31 and you can meet her this early in October in the Mesquite Animal Services Conference Room.
AND YOU THOUGHT DOG-FIGHTING
ENDED WITH THE MICHAEL VICK CASE….
I was working on some paragraphs Wednesday when suddenly my rescuespouse Martha exclaimed, “YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!” It seems a U.S. Pentagon official has been arrested for participating in a dog-fight ring.
If you haven’t encountered the story, here’s the link to Fox5 in Washington, D.C.
Here’s the NBC version — it’s a little more graphic.
And USA Today has this print story HERE. That story says the two guys arrested in this case may be facing “a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for possessing, training, or transporting animals for participation in animal fighting.” [LARRY ASIDE: Do you think five years is really enough? Not even close, is it.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
LOOKING BACK AT A RADIO WAVE
In the opening I supposed that there are a lot of readers of this online document who may be incredibly familiar with computer communication, but may never have never seen a Citizen Band radio attached to a dashboard or heard someone radio from one handle to another. 
That aside, this goofy thought occurs to me: While microchips are great helpers in finding lost critters, what if we gave each dog and cat a CB Radio and let ‘em pick their own handle? Yes, you’d need a fully-financed government office to handle that. See how the simplest idea can boost the American economy. I’ll check my presidential qualifications. 
If you’re familiar with CB radio from the “old days” in the 1970s — along about the time of the “oil crisis” in 1973 —- you’ve probably heard a voice from a dashboard radio say, “Gotcherearson? Moanback.”
Nobody ever says those things on a cell phone, right?
CB became a civilization. It inspired communication among strangers. It brought creativity out of talented souls.
And in honor of the CB Era and the people who loved it, we have two video/audio presentations for you to close out today’s edition.
I didn’t have a CB radio — oh? CB is “Citizen’s Band.” But, I did go to movies. And I listened to the radio on my 1971 Chevy Vega until the engine blew up, so I’d have heard these performances. 
C.W. McCall’s talkin’ song made into a movie, Convoy. Click HERE.
And, then, there was that great CB romance movie Smokie and the Bandit with Burt Reynolds and Sally Field and the great guitar pickin’, song-writin’ and singin’ Jerry Reed….. Here’s Jerry with East Bound and Down which, by the way, mentions my beloved hometown, Texarkana! Click HERE .

Keep yer ears ohn and moanback.
— Offer sage advice or candy tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘YOU BOUGHT 2 VEGAS? THOROUGH DUMBLEEP” in the subject line. —-