IN THIS EDITION? ANIMALS TO HELP, ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN HELPED AND ANIMAL NUTS (OUR KIND OF PEOPLE!)

EDITION OF THURSDAY-FRIDAY, OCT. 19-20, 2023 [PetPowellPress] A couple of weeks ago I asked Laura Macias of the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers something like "How are things going with getting help for the animals?” 
As you Dear Readers know, getting animals to safety is a daily challenge. You may be able to find all the inventory you can stand, but when you start looking for reliable adoptor humans, the people vanish like rats when the kitchen light comes on. Sometimes you just can’t find the right amount of homes and funds and rescue groups for placement in the right places with the right people.
Does that accurately summarize the daily challenges? Only thing I didn’t mention is the flawed lackluster humans who keep dumping, ignoring and abusing animals they once said they’d love forever. [LARRY ASIDE: You lacklusters ARE on a list. Remember that.]
Back to Laura. When I asked Laura what sort of success the 4-Legged Helpers were having rescuing animals, she proudly began to give me some joyous answers. So, in the spirit of encouraging rescues and rescuers, I'm going to cite success stories every now and then.
 Why? Because the constant diet of 'OMG HELP THIS ANIMAL NOW OR ELSE' appeals is getting to me, smashing my cheerfulness like a kid taking a hammer to a picklejar. Fragmented and irreperable. See more in CONTEMPLATIONS, of course.
Having set you up for happy news, perhaps you’ll forgive my noting the current state of the two animals pictured here. They’ve been in need of homes for a while now and they are exemples of animals that keep waiting and waiting — only they don’t know it becaue they’re just living their lives.
Bella is the dog in the “leaning on the fence” photo. She’s got $600 in donations pledged to the 501c3 that’ll take her in and helps her find a home. By now (surely) you recall her story — found tied to something in front of a South Dallas vet clinic, cared for by months now by the vet, but she can’t seem to find a home. Her bio reads that she is “extremely well-behaved,” has “amazing eyes” and is a “gentle, little soul.” Said to be a Boxer/Catahoula Mix.
That second dog (in the three-shot frames) is Melia who, Laura reports, “now has $800 in donations to the 501c3” that’ll take her in and find her a home. She’s among the small-shelter dogs waiting in not-quite state-of-the-art shelters in cities on the southern side of Dallas. Melia has a “Summertime Texas Tongue,” as you can see. She’s also said to be precous, sweet, gentle, well-behaved…
So how would you save these dogs from the march of time toward a needle? You’d call or text 214-949-2726 or email [email protected]. 
They are, Laura says, “beyond urgent.” That’s a “chronic condition” in small and large shelters in the Greater Metrosprawl. [LARRY REMINDER:  Don’t forget to visit Contemplations.]

MOLLY AND HOLLY,
THE BULLDOG MIXES
These are 2-year-old siblings who were “brought into the Mesquite Animal Shelter on October 12.” Volunteer dog-biographer Judi Brown reports that 6-pound Holly is “very photogenic with her glossy tri-color coat and hazel eyes” and that Molly, 10-pounds lighter, is under treatement for Demadex. 
They even sat together for that shelter photo.
They’re said to be “English Bulldog/American Bulldog mixes."
And Judi says, “They are a bonded pair. They even sleep with their bodies intertwined. When I had Holly out in the yard today, she started whining. I suspect she was missing her sister. Our hopes are that they will be adopted or rescued together. They are both extremely sweet. Staff members have commented about how sweet they are.

“Holly has either recently had a litter or been overbred. At one point, I stood up against the shelter wall, and Holly stood next to me leaning on me for closeness. … She’s wearing a Halloween scarf to let you know she would like to be with Molly on your front porch helping to greet the trick-or-treaters….She is sweet, calm, friendly, and very affectionate. She would like to cuddle with you and Molly on the couch or on a pile of blankets on the floor. Holly is #54584647 at the shelter and Molly is #54584683. Use those numbers to help the shelter ID them when you call 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Judi says, “Molly (right) is adorable in spite of her skin condition. ….She was very cooperative in the bath. After the bath I was given appreciative kisses! Her eyes are also matted. Take notice that her tail is wagging … In spite of the fact that she obviously is itchy, she’s a very happy, outgoing girl. … She’s so happy her body wiggles all over. She occasionally jumps on you, but in a very gentle loving way. I helped her sit with guidance. I’m not sure whether she actually knows the command. … She has either recently had a litter or has been overbred.
This fellow with the great face is Zorro (#54576022), picked up by a Mesquite Animal Control Officer on the 14th. Biographer Judi writes, “My first impression after spending some time with Zorro was that he is a super special dog. He even has a heart-shaped nose and a spot on his back that is shaped like a heart. How special is that?  Zorro is a year-old, 65-pound Staffordshire/terrier pit mix…He is not neutered. He does have beautiful blue eyes that look up at you adoringly. He’s well mannered. He sits for treats and takes them gently. He’s highly motivated by treats so should be easy to train. He’s generous with kisses. He’s very photogenic. He’s sweet, gentle, and attentive. He was not interested in meeting other dogs. … I imagine he’d be a real cuddle bug. Zorro in the subject line along with ID 54576022 to ensure proper tagging.”
There are so many more animals in the Mesquite Shelter. We’ll cite 4 more that have come to our attention because of the work of voLunteers Judi Brown and Debra Chisholm. You can read their assessments of these dogs by going to the Mesquite Animal Shelter website HERE
and searching for them by name and ID number: Jess (54596359), Jazz (#54591046), Greta (#54576815) and Starling (#54589884). These are among the many dogs being cared for in the Mesquite shelter and, of course, that shelter website LINK HERE takes you not just to dogs but to available cats, too. That kitten came in on the 16th —- photo is so recent that he was just 4 days old and with Mom when the picture was taken.
Ask about #546003412 when you think about giving a Mom and her little boy a good home.
They are “rescue-only” but surely something with a responsible human can be worked out.
CONTEMPLATIONS
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

I'm going to attempt to feature happy tales now and then. We need happy tales. Else we’re all going to flame out — I’ve only been doing this since back in the 20th Century; some of you rescuers have been at it longer than I have. I can’t afford to dye my hair — got dogs and cats to feed, you know. Thanks to Laura Macias of 4-Legged Helpers, we have some upbeat reports today. She sent me the photo of that plane and it came with the brief explanation “3 to Minneapolis.”
So, yes, 3 Texas dogs, as summer was blistering us all, caught a ride to Minneapolis, Minn., where, we’re betting, they’ll happily enjoy frolicking in snow on the way back into the house after they’ve “relieved” themselves in winter.  [LARRY ASIDE: They may never adjust to rooting for the Vikings instead of the Cowboys, but, perhaps, the joy of a warm life in a good home will make up for not watching the Cowboys cough up a hairball on a Sunday afternoon.]
That little pup with the shelter toy is Lele in her “freedom photo,” Laura reported. “She’s going to Lend A Paw, which is a new group in Dallas.”
And that dog in a car photo? We mentioned her before. “Callie was adopted,” Laura told us.
A cat photo? That is a photo of a cat who found a home and the report from Laura read, “Roo Kitty off to his new life!” Such a relief to see “Roo Kitty off to his new life!” rather than a message that nobody came for the cat or the dog or that a photo shows a dog or cat just before the staff had to take the “unwanted” animal to the “lab” for the horror of euthanasia as a tool to make room for the next animal to be klled at taxpayer expense. There’s enough killing in this world without humans turning their budget-balancing desires into a system of keeping shelter cages empty. [LARRY ASIDE: Thanks, Laura, for the photos and the info and, especially, thanks to you and the 4-Legged Helpers for working against the odds to help animals find places to live out their lives. It’s the work of angels.]
IF ANY RESCUE GROUPS or shelters have happily found homes for animals and proudly want toi let us tell the click-in world about your triumphs, send “getaway” photos and contact information and a sentence or two about the animals to [email protected]. Maybe someone will want to donate to your non-profit cause. We believe it is your heartfelt work that elevates the term “Animal Nut” to a worthy label for human beings. Proud of all you genuine life-saving animal nuts.
BUT JUST IN CASE: It’s possible, under the press of constant “save this animal or else” appeals, I may just finally burn out. Burn right on out of energy and drive and I may even lose the desire to snack on chocolate — and where would I be then? What’ll I doi? When the State Fair Carnival leaves town it may just have a new guess-your-weight guy working for peanuts. Literally. Or maybe, I'll take up my old role as "The Bearded Lady" and travel the nation singing the really good number from my “Songs of Mae West” album. Try clicking on THIS SONG (and please ignore whatever commercial pops up first). Never had a dog or cat named Mae West -- but it occurs to me that many of you may never have heard of her.
LARRY FYI: Surely you've heard of the movie star William Powell. My office cat is, indeed, the legendary William Powell, a cat nobody wanted until I met him and we painted a house together. Pretty danged handsome feline, ain't he. Rangers fan, too.
—- Offer sage advice or whatever ya got by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘SAVE ‘EM ALL’ in the subject line. —-