GIVING, SPENDING, ADOPTING, RESCUING, LOVING AND OTHER WORDS FOR HELPING ANIMALS IN TOUGH SPOTS

EDITION OF TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY NOV 28-29 [PetPowellPress] It’s been chilly, but I still don’t miss the Summer of 2023. Here’s our report:
AS IT TURNS OUT…
I began this note with “as it turns out” because somehow I did not realize this particular Tuesday was beyond “just a Tuesday” — it is also “Giving Tuesday.” Lots and lots of animal advocate and rescue organizations are signed up as participants — in case people have some extra cash with which to do good things. 
They range from the young and small — such as founder Michael Shaub’s Dallas-area rescue Lend a Paw (saved 4 dogs from West Texas last weekend, we’re told) —- to the established places you’ve known for years that make headlines for good works, i.e., the legendary Straydog Inc., the “No Kill Dog Shelter & Sanctuary” in East Texas.
There are many more of these places registered as Giving Tuesday participants. The emails arrived in droves.
These places are fueled by wonderful hearts, but they run on money. You know how the non-profit world works. [LARRY ASIDE: I’m prepared to suggest that no one from a non-profit animal organization has ever won Lotto Texas or any other big gamble.]
Giving Tuesday has been around since 2012 when it was founded in New York at the 92nd Street Y’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact. It’s a global Tuesday these days. Here’s a link to Giving Tuesday. 
SPEAKING OF HEARTS
WORKING FOR ANIMALS
We cite this dog Reilly — a fixture on appeals by 4-Legged Helpers for a number of weeks now.
She’s in the Wilmer Animal Shelter on I-45 not far from the southern city limits of Dallas. And, if you’re a 501c3 who needs help with transporting, the Helpers can, indeed, help with that.
Reilly’s bio describes her as about a year old and a “German Shorthair Pointer or Lab Mix.”

The bio reads, “Reilly  is so INCREDIBLY SWEET and SO PRETTY.  A really beautiful dog.  The more we look at her the more we think German Shorthair Pointer or Lab mix. Look at the markings on her feet. Very sweet and she so much wants to be loved.   PLEASE HELP SAVE HER!!!”

To help the Helpers help Reilly, call or text the 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected]. And, to see more animals that need homes and help, go to the 4-Legged Helpers Facebook page HERE.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE
MR. HANDSOME’S WAITING
Thanks to Mesquite Animal Services volunteer dog-writer Debra Chisholm, we’ve gotten a look at “this handsome and lively youngster” Otto. He’s said to be an “American Staffy/American Pit Bull Terrier mix that arrived as a stray at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/21.” He’s about a year old, weighs 47 pounds and Debra describes him as “one tail-wagging, high-energy, life-of-the-party kind of guy.  He is quite energetic and playful.  He does jump on you so will need to receive some manners/obedience training in order to fit int with his family better.  He walks nicely on a leash.  …  He is a curious pup and seemed interested in what was going on outside the confines of the shelter yard.  He positioned himself at the gate in order to watch what was going on in the parking lot and field outside the shelter.  He is happy to receive loving attention from a human friend... that is, when he slows down long enough!  He has an underbite that only adds to his cuteness.”
Otto’s shelter ID is #54826615. Use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Same system when you ask about these other Mesquite animals.
This guy who appreciates a hug is Boyd (ID # 54800543], a “mixed breed boy picked up by one of our officers and brought to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/16 as a stray,” Debra reports. She says, “My Dog Scanner app suggests the following in his breed: American Pit Bull, Boxer and Jindo.  Whatever is in his breed, he is one thoroughly charming and delightful youngster.  He is approx 1 year old and weighs 56 pounds.  Boyd is a bundle of exuberant, fun-loving, high energy.  He walks well on a leash.  He is athletic and entertained himself in the yard (as well as us!).  His passion is everything tennis balls!  He spent most of his time during the photo shoot chasing balls, fetching, chewing on them and running around with them in his mouth.  It was comical to watch. … With his propensity to jump, he will need a high secure fence.  A 4-foot chain link fence will not do for this fellow.” And Debra added, “If you could meet Boyd I think you would find him to be as delightful as I did.”
This is Sweet Pea (#54808925), so named “because she is just that: SWEET!!,” Debra wrote. She came in as a stray on the 17th — she’s about 2 and weighs 51 pounds. And Debra writes, “My Dog Scanner app suggests the following in her breed mix:  English Pointer, English Foxhound and German Shorthaired Pointer.  She is a thoroughly charming happy-go-lucky pooch.  She walks well on a leash.  …  She has an outgoing and confident personality.  It was fun to watch her doing zoomies in the yard and enjoying the beautiful cool sunny weather.  She is energetic and lively.  She climbed on our play equipment to enjoy the scenery from that perspective. Sweet Pea enjoys playing with toys and balls.  She will sit for treats and takes them gently.  This girl is friendly, affectionate, gives kisses and is happy to be petted and loved on.  Often I ask myself, ‘Why is this dog in a city shelter with her owner not coming to reclaim?’  It totally baffles me ….”
Year-old Boomer (#54813050) came in as a stray on the 18th — he weighs about 52 pounds and, Debra write, “This is a boy with tons of puppy energy and enthusiasm.  He has a zest for living!  He is high-spirited and energetic.  He does jump on you and that will need to be addressed.  In fact, manners training would be an excellent idea for this pup and help to make him more adoptable.  He walks well on a leash.  … He loves treats and seems quite treat-motivated, perhaps making the training process somewhat easier.  He is athletic and climbed on the play equipment in our yard.  He is friendly, affectionate and is more than happy to receive loving attention.  His soft, fluffy coat is perfect for cuddling and hugging,  This would a good fit for a person or family with an active lifestyle. 
Look at this dog’s photos and then read this description from Debra: “To say she is shut down and terrified is an understatement. She sits in her kennel with her head down or facing the wall. She will not look at you and perhaps she thinks if she can’t see you then you can’t see her. On the 10th day in the shelter, she allowed a volunteer to briefly touch her.  She was very uncomfortable during the encounter but did not flee. She is so frightened of the leash that when it’s put on her, she starts screaming and thrashing and will not stop until it’s removed. She’s having to be removed from her kennel daily so it can be cleaned. This is so traumatic for her that any progress made the day before is lost and we have to start fresh again. She has shown an indication that she wants to trust but in the shelter environment it’s going to be difficult to achieve.  Therefore, she needs to be rescued and the sooner the better as the shelter is over capacity and realistically speaking it’s hard to justify kennel space for a dog who seems unadoptable. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it is to be that scared for that long.”

Whisper arrived as a stray on Nov. 16. She’s about a year old and is a Husky mix. To ask about helping Whisper, use her shelter ID 54802206 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]
 
Here’s the LINK TO THE SHELTER AND ITS ANIMAL BIOGRAPHIES.
We have some personal thoughts on cats in the next segment.
CONTEMPLATIONS
CATS AND OTHER NOTES
As you probably know, Dear Readers, there are available cats in the Mesquite Animal Shelter — quite a few of them, including this fellow Tyke. He’s #54134439 and he’s one of several little black and white kitties in the Mesquite Shelter. Tyke is just over 3 months old. He arrived on Sept. 11 and he’s available for adoption. What kind of cat is Tyke? That rarest of all cats: a Domestic Shorthair Mix — I’m still researching the true rarity of that type of cat. I suspect Tyke may be fully adorable in each stage of his life. That’s been my experience with cats, and I’ve lived with at least three black and white cats — Cyril, Poirot and, now, my Junior Office Cat Stevie Ray. ….
Too much stuff is cramming is way into my existence. Call it the December Approaches Syndrome. And I don’t have a single problem in the pressure — just things that probably will make me smile. Now and then I’m so human that I manage to overcrowd my calendar and undercrowd my bank account. …
I watched a few minutes of the service for First Lady Rosalynn Carter — I heard prayers and stories and heard hopeful songs (including John Lennon’s Imagine as performed by country couple Garth Brooks and Miss Tricia Yearwood). As I listened to the part of the service I was tuned to, I immediately thought, “Yep, that is almost certainly based on the Southern Baptists funerals I heard in my earlier years. Music, preachers, a quiet crowd of mourners — and, quite importantly — laughter. I think there is laughter because good souls cannot go through life without a sense of humor. I’m not a clergyman, but I have played one on stage.
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