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A CROWD OF CATS RESCUED; DOGS WAIT FOR HOMES; A BIRD ON A PARKING LOT

EDITION OF FRIDAY, NOV. 31, 2023 —MADE YOU LOOK —FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023 [PetPowellPress] Seems like only yesterday was summer and the sun wasn’t shutting down for the night during evening rush hour. I walked out onto the front porch in mid-afternoon Thursday and in the coolish, wet air as drops dripped (what else would they do) off the roof, I came up with a description for this fall not-quite-rain weather condition: “autumnal oozing drip.” Sounds like a sinus problem, doesn’t it. Let’s talk dogs and cats.
CATS AND A COUCH — 

45 FELINES RESCUED
[LARRY ASIDE: FORTY FIVE!!?? In my personal rescue episodes, it’s usually been one-on-one with me trying to coax or corral one loose dog or one wandering cat and that was only if my personal charm didn’t work in beckoning the critter into the safe place known as my “rescue hug.” So, bless all of you Big-Hearted Softhearts — that’s a double-positive — who convinced these cats to come along with you to a safe place.]
Our tipster who goes by the moniker Murphy Rescued tipped us to this note from the Garland Animal Shelter and Adoption Center. It was posted on the shelter’s Facebook page Wednesday. It’s a cat story — and a human story.
This happened a day or so ago, but it didn’t happen in a split-second. Rescue rarely does.
This note from the Garland folks began:
“Today, our dedicated team rescued 45 cats from a hoarding situation. These poor kitties were living in unsanitary conditions with dangerously high ammonia levels.
“We're thrilled to announce that after working with the owner, they have agreed to sign the cats over to us. This means we can now provide them with the care they desperately need and work towards finding them loving forever homes.
“To ensure that these precious fur babies have the best chance at finding their forever families, we are partnering with Operation Kindness. ... Every single kitty will undergo spaying and neutering so that they can be immediately placed up for adoption and/or rescue.”

The Garland Shelter also revealed that “in celebration of this remarkable rescue and to encourage as many adoptions as possible, we have decided to waive the adoption fees for ALL cats from Friday through Sunday this week.”

The Shelter also wrote “So if you or someone you know is ready to welcome a feline friend into their lives, now is the perfect time!”

To help Garland finance the care of these cats, go to this “Donations” LINK.
The note from the shelter says, “This is the largest number of animals we have had come in at one time.”
Here's the shelter online LINK and here is the shelter's FACEBOOK LINK.

One of the many comments on the Facebook post reads,”The home they’re pictured in looks relatively kept up with! Cats look healthy too. Maybe they were just trying to help strays and it quickly got out of hand! Praying for the humans and pets involved!”
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The Human Element was also noted in a passage from the Shelter’s report: “Thank you all for your continued support and for helping us give these cats a second chance at happiness. Let's spread the word and find them the loving families they truly deserve. Together, we can make a difference!”
ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE
OF BIG D? JAG & TWINS?
There’s a 4th dog, too, Reilly, who we’ve mentioned previously as she waits in the care of the tiny suburban Wilmer Shelter.
Contact points are the same for all of these dogs — the 4-Legged Helpers email at [email protected] and the call/text # 214-949-2726.
These puppies are Justin and Jordan — we don’t know which is which, as you’ll see when reading on. 
The bio read that Justin and Jordan are “possibly Swiss Mountain Dog Mix or Aussie Mix, Approximately 4-5 months old.”
 And the bio continues, “These pups are complete twins - so much so we have trouble telling them apart.  They are so fun and so cute. Sadly, a Good Samaritan found them after their mother had been rescued from a rural area, then suddenly passed away from heartworm disease. 
"So fortunate that the Good Samaritan located them. Not to worry, they are already being put on heartworm prevention so they do not suffer the same fate as their sweet mommy.  
"PLEASE, Won't you help save one or both??? They are both adorable.”

JAG has a name that means something. He’s about a year old, a neutered Hound/Boxer mix. 
HIs bio reads, “Jag was found by some Navy people so what better name than Jag?  So cute. This is a great young dog that has been FULLY VETTED.  He knows some obedience.  Loves other dogs.  Enjoys cuddle time and chasing balls. 
"He is wonderful with everyone and EVEN HOUSETRAINED.  VERY SWEET FACE. Big pretty brown eyes.”

Again, to ask about any of these dogs, email [email protected] and call/text # 214-949-2726.
STRAYDOG’S PUPDATE
ARRIVES WITH A NOTE
ABOUT HUMAN NATURE…

Oh, OK, that’s not “officially” how The Straydog Pupdate opened the bi-weekly e-newsletter, but it does spot-on reflect the happenings in the opening paragraph. If you’ve been in rescue or advocacy for longer than 30 or 40 minutes or endured the holiday season, you’ll see the truth in the opening paragraph. Straydog’s newsletter opened:
"During the holiday season, it warms our hearts to see adoption rates increase. But for every adoption, we receive at least three requests to take in a dog with nowhere else to go. As you can imagine, each time a neglected or abandoned dog arrives in our care, it breaks our hearts.”
Thus, during the “Season of Giving,” Straydog is slicing its $175 adoption fee to just $75. Yep, a hundred bucks off. (Click on the art to make it grow.)
Not only is that the current fee, it also will be the fee on Saturday, Dec. 16, when Straydog hosts its Home For The Holidays Event 10 a.m.-3 p.ml.) at The Shops at Willow Bend’s Neiman Marcus Courtyard (6121 W. Park Blvd in Plano.) Here are three of the adoptables waiting for their humans at the Straydog shelter.
This edition of Pupdate also notes that there’s a way to help without taking a dog home. (Though, who can resist, right?) Look at those three above. Right off the current list of Straydogs’s adordable adoptables.
 Here’s that paragraph about Straydog’s “blessing.” It reads: "Since the holidays are also the traditional time of giving, we are blessed to have a group of dedicated supporters who have pledged a matching gift challenge of $75,000. Through the end of the year, every dollar you donate will be matched – dollar for dollar – up to $75,000. With our intake rates increasing, this matching gift challenge couldn't have come at a better time.”
Go to straydog.org, the East Texas “No-Kill Dog Shelter and Sanctuary” and scroll down to the “bottom of the website” — takes about a second-and-a-half to “CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE” on that site.
CONTEMPLATIONS
A BIRD, THE SKY & RICE…
When I took this photograph Thursday I was reminded of sportswriter Grantland Rice’s immortal opening passage in a 1924 sports story. It began “Outlined against a blue-gray October sky….” That was how he described the setting in a story about the Notre Dame/Army game at the Polo Grounds in New York. [LARRY HISTORICAL NOTE: Notre Dame’ Fighting Irish beat the Cadets, 13-7. I wasn’t there and it wasn’t on TV. Cable was down and the communications satellites were malfunctioning. I might have made up that last sentence.]
BACK TO THE BIRD: He is outlined against a November sky. And that bird is? A temporary friend I made while I was putting grocery baskets back in line — what do you call those big metal parking things? — on the parking lot of a big grocery store Thursday morning. The baskets were slammed together as if someone with no sense of direction or the term “line ‘em up” had dropped ‘em off. No. Really they looked as if they’d been shoved haphazardly by people you usually encounter on Dallas freeways. Yeah, those people with “no sense of white lines or traffic signs.” 

That bird watched me, then, when he was satisfied with my work, he flew away and I left, wondering if I have some kind of  undiagnozed syndrom that forces me to keep grocery carts neatly stored on the lot. Wasn’t the first time I’ve done this. Probably won’t be the last.

HERE IS THE FULL OPENING of Grantland Rice’s game report that has transfixed young sportswriters for nearly a century! He wrote this on Oct. 18, 1924:
 “Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below. — Grantland Rice, October 18, 1924”

Yeah, sportswriting has changed since 1924. I’m a former sportswriter/editor and for this edition I had to rely for inspiration on a bird who stopped by to watch me line up grocery carts. He was, however, “outlined against a cold gray sky” and is now part of dramatic lore who, with wings spread, formed a crest across his chest and peered down on a bewildered panorama spread out on the asphalt below. Yeah, I got out of sportswriting in the 1960s and went to the news side of reportage and editing before I was, after several decades, swept over the precipice in Dallas.
Well, at least the grocery carts were orderly when I left the parking lot. and the bird was happy.

—- Offer advice on anything by clicking on ‘comment’ before or email [email protected] and put “FOR THE BIRDS” in the subject line. —-

SPCA PICKS A NEW TOP DOG: MISSING FORT WORTH PUG; CONTEMPLATING ANIMALS

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY NOV. 29-30, 2023 [PetPowellPress] The big animal news in town Wednesday was human — the SPCA of Texas has a new "Top Dog." The SPCA announced that J. Christopher ‘Chris’ Luna, is the new President & CEO of the enduring non-profit organization for helping animals. 
He’s a former Dallas City Council member — 3 terms starting in the early 90s. (More work and mission history is in the announcement on the SPCA website at spca.org. That history includes work with non-profit organizations.)
The new SPCA president & CEO has live in Dallas for 35 years, the release says. And it also says that the SPCA Board of Director chose him “following an extensive national search process. Luna replaces Karen Froehlich, who resigned rom the organization in February 2023.”
The news release also notes that Luna and “his husband, Kent Mecklenburg, and Bacio, their senior doggy daughter.”
[LARRY ASIDE: We’re dedicating today’s Contemplations to an SPCA dog and cat who need homes. Some adoptions into good homes would really be happy launching of the Luna Administration.]
SOME THOUGHTS
ABOUT DOG THIEVES
Not having attended law school in Texas and kept up studies of the law, I have no idea what the punishment is for stealing a dog or a cat. But I have a thought or two on how severe I think the punishment ought to be.
I shall, of course, keep those thoughts to myself as we remind ourselves that all criminal cases have two kinds of punishment — one is designated for the villains and the other is experienced by the victims.
The case of this pug popped up on a neighborhood bulletin page in the area of eastern Fort Worth. The posts report that this male pug was stolen from a gated front yard a couple of days ago. Happened in the area of 29th and Long Avenue. And there’s a police report.
The many-times-forwarded note reads, “The owner is devastated. Praying for the power of social media. He has recently been groomed with cheetah print. Have all documents to prove ownership. He’s an emotional support dog and takes daily meds.”
Another note read that the dog’s human “is devastated. She’s walking around asking neighbors and local businesses. She’s at a loss. Praying this reaches the right person in any neighborhood..”
And one comment on the bulletin board asked, “Microchipped?” and the response was “No, and I’m trying to comfort and scold her all at the same time. Reality is without that microchip there’s very little chance of reuniting. I promised I would share in my neighborhood for her. …. Police report has been filed.”
[LARRY ASIDE: Just thought I’d mention this cruel crime — it can’t be easy for the dog — in case you know someone who trusts people to not steal things and who thinks microchips aren’t needed and who thinks, “Aw, nobody’s gonna come into my yard and steal my dog.” We’ll monitor this case and let you know what happens. Yeah, some people steal dogs to sell ‘em. Drugs are cheap. And bad behavior can be heartless.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE FACES, THE WHISKERS, THE FUTURE
Ziggy Pawdust? Ziggy Pawdust? Keep reading! When we first got the news that the SPCA of Texas had a brand new chief executive, i.e., Chris Luna, now the President and CEO, we thought “Knowledge of how Dallas works is a good thing to have in the non-profit community.” And, as you probably know, the SPCA of Texas is a legendary animal welfare organization. It’s people — employees and volunteers — are extremely dedicated to the cause. And, yes, so are its “clients,” the people who find canine and feline members of the family waiting for them at the SPCA.

So, we decided to dedicate this segment of CONTEMPLATIONS to the future, i.e., President & CEO Chris Luna and the staff and volunteers AND the supporters and, especially, to the animals. So, here are two very adoptable animals waiting at the SPCA of Texas.
You can see these and the many more available adorables by clicking on the SPCA’s Find-a-Pet link HERE.
We scrolled through page after page of dogs and cats and chose the very last dog on the canine pages for highlighting. That fellow (right) is Ziggy Pawdust (#525440067) at the SPCA.
 Clearly Ziggy is a creatively literate dog and that explains why his bio is in the first-person.
It reads, “ABOUT ME: I'm a star-man, waiting in the sky ... Actually, I'm waiting in the shelter. For YOU! Won't you come and meet me? I know it'll be worthwhile I My foster friends say that I ride well in a car, loved meeting new friends out and about in town. I am heartworm positive, so I can't be at my most physically active until my treatment has finished, but that would be completely covered after my adoption.
“From my foster friend that took me out on a day adventure: ‘Ziggy Pawdust is awesome! He is very smart. He's so sweet and would give kisses and body hugs, seemingly appreciative for a day out. His favorite was exploring shaded walking trails in a public park. He sniffed for squirrels and watched people play Frisbee golf. He is eager to explore new places and did well inside Home Depot and Pet Supplies Plus, where he met new people, sniffed plants and toys, and investigated Halloween decorations.’
DREAM HOME: I'd be comfy anywhere, I'm not picky! DOGS: I could hang out with another dog who wants to play - bring them to meet me!”
[LARRY ASIDE: AND THIS CAT? Yes, it was the world championship whiskers that drew me to Cutie Pie. Here’s her bio.]
“Introducing the one and only Cutie Pie! Her name isn't just a name; it's a description. She is a bundle of sweetness and affection. If you're in need of some purr-fectly sweet moments in your life, Cutie Pie is your answer.
She's a true cuddle enthusiast, always ready to curl up in your lap and shower you with affection. She is extremely curious and will entertain you with her playfulness!
“FOSTER TESTIMONIAL: "Cutie Pie is so curious and goofy! She is always wanting to know what I am doing or be a part of it if she can. My favorite thing about her is that she'll turn everything into a game, which makes me laugh so hard. She gets these crazy random zoomies and jumps off the walls ... She also loooves giving you kisses like a puppy would. She is very affectionate towards humans and has the sweetest little meow."
Then, in a first-person portion of the bio, Cutie Pie writes, “I will need to be on a prescription diet to help me keep me happy and healthy for the rest of my life. Feel free to talk with an adoptions specialist for more information on my medical needs. I decided I did not want to be friends with my Foster mom's resident cat, BUT I loved her DOG! Canine buddies are more my style. Kids may be great, but I have been around them so I would like to meet the whole family to be sure we are a match. Come meet me any day of the week at 2400 Lone Star Dr. from 12pm to 6pm.”
 That’s the same place you can meet up with Ziggy Pawdust. Go to spca.org to see how to adopt animals or how to foster animals or how to volunteer or support the SPCA of Texas. You can call the SPCA at 214-742-7722 to ask about meeting an animal.
ON it’s opening page, the SPCA has this passage that is, as many of us can testify, a rock-solid expression of truth:

“Adopting a homeless animal will change their lives and yours in rich, meaningful ways.”

—- Offer HOPE or LUCKY LOTTO NUMBERS by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected]. Save ‘em all. —-

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.
—- Offer advice or caution by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “AMEN AND DOGS & CATS — SAVE ‘EM ALL” in the subject line. —-

THERE WAS A CAT, THEN THERE WAS A DOG... SOME RESCUE; SOME DON'T CARE

EDITION OF MONDAY, NOV. 27, 2023 [PetPowellPress] It’s Monday and I’m emotionally/energly/focusly “holiday weekended.” I just needed one more day off, maybe, to properly gather myself.
 Let’s get right to the point. Hang on, I’ve misplaced that index card. Ah, it was under Senior Office Cat William Powell (left) as he and Junior Office Cat Stevie Ray awaited Monday morning treats. 
On the right that is their ol’ pal, that deer wearing a post-Thanksgiving seasonally appropriate red nose. The boys like to listen to gentle cello music while they watch me type. I don’t know why office cats are not mandatory in high-pressure corporations. Oh, wait. Yes I do. They’re too amewsing in the board rooms.
We’ll open with a Cat Cogitation that evolves into a Canine Consideration.
FIRST A CAT, THEN
A DOG, THEN A ….
Well, the third thing in that headline is a consternation over the number of “lost” or “dumped” or “strayed” or “ignored until they must escape to survive” animals who are the victims of a human “don’t care/so what?” attitude during a “holiday time-out.”
What brings this up is the chance encounter Monday morning with some people who rescued animals and posted their appeals for help on a Next Door neighborhood page. Praise these people as good hearts doing the right thing. I don’t know them or the animals. But I know bonafide rescuers and animals that have been saved. I know the challenges when idiots gamble with the lives of animals.
 That cat wrapped up in a towel and cradled in a car is a “found” feline. The note posted by Sarah over the weekend reads, “Cat found on entrance ramp of 30 and Bridge Street. Right in front of White Lakes Hills neighborhood [of Eastern Fort Worth]. Very sweet and calm, has to be someone’s pet.”
[LARRY ASIDE: Possibly, but as one person wrote on the site, “Probably dumped like so many lately. Such a beautiful kitty.”]

Aanastacia posted the note about this dog in a picture that looks as if it might have been clipped from an award-winning motion picture or was a hot-rod pasenger scene in the film American Graffiti.
Anastaciia, on the Next Door site, posted this brief note about that dog running loose in southern Fort Worth. She wrote, “Found someone’s fur baby on Summer Creek Dr. He was almost hit and (I) stopped to put blinkers on but he ran up to my car. He is pretty young, telling from his claws and paws and was whining.”

CONTEMPLATIONS
WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH SOME PEOPLE!!!!!

Neither of these weekend notes about rescued animals has a resolution as of around noon on Monday — I’ll keep looking for the results. 
Both notes were posted on a neighborhood bulletin board in Fort Worth. But they represent what happens in so many neighborhoods throughout the metrosprawl — ask any rescuer or animal control officer in Dallas, Irving, Mesquite, Arlington, Grand Prairie, etc. Just pick a town.

Our theory, based on observation, is that sometimes innocent folks who aren’t prone to cat and dog rescues will stop and pick up, i.e., save the life of a dog or cat. 
Because they are good-hearted people, the may assume that the person who used to have the animal is a big-hearted human being who’d do the same thing near a busy thoroughfare on a cold day in November. 
Fat chance. Nope. Most of the time, we’re willing to declare, the people who “lose,” “dump,” “fail to shut a gate,” etc., are simply boneheads with an attitude of don’t care/so what about the animals. If they “lose” a dog or cat, it’s OK by them — “I was tired of feedin’ it,” they’d happily explain. Or, “I was on vacation and couldn’t find anybody to take care of it.” 

No amount of preachin’ is going to change their minds which are set-in-concrete-but-not-nearly-as-smart-as-it. Not even a loving application of the readlarrypowell.com Two-by-Four-of-Enlightenment will make ‘em brighter.

The rest of us just have to keep an eye out for animals who used to live with these morally bankrupt individuals. And if they aren’t morally bankrupt, then I apologize to the clearly unqualified-to-have-an-animal pickleheaded goofballs. My apologies to all pickles for lumping you in these people.
—- Offer an opinion about the pickleheads or a solution to their behavior by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email [email protected] and put FIX THE HEARTLESS WHO DUMP ANIMALS in the subject line. [Fix may be used in two ways. But that would be wrong, of course.] —-

TESTING OLD PHOTO SYSTEM IN CASE SANTA'S PAYING ATTENTION....

Practicing carols, I'm led to believe.

Cats can mew.
That's what they do.
And they can purrr
But my dogs can grrrr
And not a one at any time
Can figure a way to
make a dime.
(Poet: Larry No Rhymin' Nor Reas'nin Powell 11-25-22)

AND, YES, SOME OF US DO ENVY THE ABILITY OF DOGS TO NOD OFF.....

Ah, for the last weekend of November we get the opportunity to sleep. We may not take it, but it's there. No everybody has the nod-off skills of a happy dog.
As an example living up to the weekend edition's title, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, we've picked out a Thanksgiving morning photo of Porche Noel (brown ears, foreground) in full-on napping, and, head up and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the wonderful Porche.
I'm not sure how many Macy's parades she's watched with me, but something about it fascinates her. Could be the marching bands -- I think she's always been interested in learning to play the slide trombone.
Her leg reach means she can only hit two or three notes.
 Short legs, big heart. That's Porche on the living room couch during the  Cowboys game -- her usual NFL viewing position.  She'd set her alarm so she'd  have enough time for a quick walk before rushing back in to watch the Dolly Parton halftime show. Big fan of Dolly's. And I caught Porche going through a costume catalogue and looking for sparkly dog tights and other gear. For a long time Porche thought Jolene was the name of a dog who'd run off. We finally explained the song to her.
Wendy, some mornings, prefers to ignore her tendency to nap and, when I'm on the laptop, she'll just stick hear head around the corner to see if I'm hitting all the punctuation correctly. She was up Sunday watching the KERA-TV Doc Martin marathon when I got back from buying supplies, i,e., dog and cat food and my diet salad supplies. Happy girl. Not a fan of salads.  [The final photo is of Wendy snoozing in Martha's lap during the UT/Texas Tech game. Comfort radiates from her face! Martha was comfortable, too. Also napping.]
Cats, dogs and writing stories about them -- it just somehow seems to always fit together, not necessarily for major profit.
As for this edition, we're having technical problems with photos and "stuff" -- I'm not schooled enough to define "stuff" but I can tell you, in kind words, that it fouls up everything I've been trying to accomplish on the keyboard for two days. I'm almost certain I am to blame, I have been led to believe. And I have no douts.
[DEAR READERS, Please send photos and biographies of you beloved dogs, cats and other critters who'll nod off for the camera. We love to show them off to the world. The addess is [email protected]. The fee is nothing. Try finding that this time of year!]

SOME GENTLE THANKSIVING MEMORIES -- FROM PEOPLE TO PIE.

    Ah, Thanksgiving. A favorite holiday that’s a feast of memories, right?
    Here are some personal recollections of Thanksgivings Past. I probably won’t need a lawyer after you read these.
    Oh, and there’s this: I hope something will inspire you to go into the kitchen and give a Thanksgiving hug to the cook — unless you’re in a restaurant, then tip big and yell, “Thanks, Kitchen! Easy on the garlic!”

    Not everbody has a home for the holidays. But they’ve got hearts and, now and then, a sense of humor.
    
(THANKS NOTE 1) From early on I remember Thanksgiving excitement over watching the black and white movie about the Bob Cratchit family in London celebrating Thanksgiving with all the kids.

TIME OUT!
    Some of you caught my little movie joke. Thanksgiving is an American holiday, as my teachers at Texarkana’s Highland Park Elementary School told us each year. Teaching Context: That was in the ‘50s, when World War II was still a fresh memory for our moms and dads. 
I was clearly thinking of the Cratchit family from a 1938 film based on ol’ Charlie Dicken’s ghost story, A Christmas Carol. I’m just kidding. 
    Here we go back to Thanksgivings of the past.

    (THANKS NOTE 2) When I was a kid we didn’t watch any movies at Thanksgiving except for the 1946 black-and-white Christmas film It’s a Wonderful Life. For years and years local channels could show this film repeatedly and night after night (starting at Halloween) because it was not “owned” by anyone. That went on right up until around 1994 when NBC’s lawyers discovered that the big network could, indeed, own it, be the only network that could broadcast and make money off of it. NBC put it on a limited schedule: once on Thanksgiving and once on Christmas Eve. Of course, if you still have a VCR you can show your decades-old videotape copy. Or, if you’re hooked up to the modern world you can stream it free on Amazon Prime these days. Don’t know how long that’ll last. “Free” isn’t a popular word in the languages of marketing and commerce.
That’s a scene from the film with Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey and Henry Travers as Clarence the Angel. I’m thankful we can still see the movie and celebrate it’s themes and triumphs as we review things we are grateful for on this American holiday.
    (THANKS 3) Oh, yeah, there’s this family memory: In the ‘50s and early ‘60s if my family watched a movie or TV program broadcast “in living color” at Thanksgiving we still saw it in black and white. The family didn’t get a color TV until around 1968 after I’d left town to become a world famous sportswriter — a noble but failed experiment.
 Another reason for giving thanks — I couldn’t handle the travel and schedule that challenges sportswriters. I am thankful for some stories I acquired in that era. Maybe some day I’ll be thankful I took notes so I could put ‘em all in a book. I also took notes when I was covering courthouses and politics — those notes may need a lawyer when published. I’m kidding, kind of …. That’s one of the early colorful peacock versions -- Thank you, Google! -- that NBC used to announce that program was brought to you “in living color.”
    (THANKS 4) Moving back to Thanksgiving traditions. Like many of you, Dear Readers, my funspouse Martha and I have Thanksgiving traditions. 
My primary tradition is I don't go to grocery stores at any time on the day before a holiday. 
I've been trapped in the madhouse of overloaded baskets and underfunded shoppers at the checkout. What you are watching will either melt your heart or melt your ice cream. I’d rather shop early than put my emotions to the test.
|
    (THANKS 5) Martha’s got a Chocolate Pie tradition. It’s a family hand-me-down that is a blessing for which to be so thankful when it shows up on a holiday menu! She’ll bake it more than just at Thanksgiving. Either of our sons calls up and asks, “Can you make me that pie?” and she asks, “Just one enough?”
Back during the most recent State Fair of Texas, Martha and I were among the judges for the Creative Arts Department's pie-baking contests. [LARRY FYI: We judges and fans of the fair are THANKFUL for the hard work by State Fair of Texas Creative Arts Director Kathy Bennett and her team. Here’s a reality: Counting contests, competitors, workers and volunteers, the State Fair’s Creative Arts contests have a lot more precision moving parts than Big Tex or a ferris wheel!] 

There were a LOT of pies judged at the great State Fair of Texas in 2023. Lot of categories, too. Martha and I drew the challenge of tasting chocolate pies. There were more than 30 chocolate pie entries. You see a photo of one of the many tables filled by entries in the assorted pie contests.
And, with that emblem of Texas highlighting it, that’s one of the chocolate pies in the contest. [LARRY ASIDE: I've never had a bad competitive pie (or cookie!) at the State Fair of Texas!] 
How did I feel about getting to judge the pies? In keeping with today’s theme of Thanksgiving, I was incredibly thankful. I was getting to live out the childhood fantasy of the little Texarkana, Texas, boy I’d been: Holding a spoon and being within reaching distance of sampling all the chocolate pie I could eat! 
Thus, from early in October we have a solid reason for me to be thankful for this holiday. I actually got to taste all the chocolate pie I could eat. Well, all I could eat until Thanksgiving, of course, when I intend to taste some more. I think an alarm just went off in my doctor’s office. Or it could be the alarm on the oven where, amazingly, a second Thanksgiving chocolate pie is being baked.
    (THANKS 6) My funcookingspouse Martha and I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving as a family holiday -- though in my lost and wandering years as a bachelor feller, I did have great times with friends who also worked newspaper schedules, i.e., early and late and overtime on holidays to get the paper out. 

Thanksgiving in my early years was in Texarkana, Texas. I think some of the original Pilgrims still lived in our Hazel Street neighborhood — that’s how far back I go…
I am quite grateful for memories such as watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in black and white. Mom was in the kitchen making Thanksgiving Dinner — Chicken and dressing and giblet gravy and mashed potatoes and green beans and biscuits and .. What’s that? No, we didn’t have turkey — poor families were thankful for chicken! The chicken at our Thanksgiving could come from nearby Piggly Wiggly or A&P or it might have been one of the chickens we’d met at Grandpa’s and Grandma’s house out in the country on the Arkansas side of town. [LARRY ASIDE: That might have inspired my inclination toward being a vegetarian. Don’t eat your friends just because it’s a holiday, you know?]

Back to Thanksgiving mornings: That Thanksgiving parade artwork is from 1956, (if Google's source got the date right).
I’d watch the entire Macy’s parade broadcast. But at some point, brainy middle brother Barry would wander off to find another book to read. Baby Brother Garry might nod off or he’d put on his boots and go out into the backyard to play with Queenie the Border Collie. 
She was rarely allowed in the house (nowadays the dogs at our house are rarely outside!). But that was the 1950s and the only dogs who’d have been allowed in our built in 1949 wood frame house were Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Roy Rogers’ Bullet and Nick and Nora Charles’ Asta, The Thin Man’s detective dog. Wait a second -- you see that photo of the parade balloon Snoopy with Woodstock on his noggin. Our Weatherford pals Deana, Jim and Lee Hanson recently sent me a card with a photo of Charlie Brown's dog from the TV comic strip Peanuts in the parade -- yeah, they know my adoration for what the locals call the "Macy's Day Parade!"
And, of course, fans of the parade and the Rocky & Bullwinkle show recognize one of the stars of The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle -- it was on ABC 1959-64, not NBC. Except for the characters appearing in the parade. I've included a publicity photo of co-star Rocky. It's Thanksgiving, you know?
While there was a time when dogs and some cats wouldn't be allowed in the house with their kids to watch a parade, those times are gone. Thankfully. At our house, the dogs and cats watch the parade with me. They might nap a little. But I don’t. That's my beloved Porche -- recent football game put her out like a light. Internal clock woke her up for dinner.
    (THANKS 7) My dad usually worked overtime on holidays — he was a mail-handler at the big railroad station downtown. That means that no matter the weather or the temperature or his temperature or his mood, he’d be outside on the back dock at the railroad station throwing giant bag-after-bag of mail either into or out of a boxcar. 
The mail was always on the move — holidays didn’t stop the trains. The overtime Pop earned paid for a lot, I was told as a child. School fees, school clothes, shoes we walked in, morning oatmeal, etc. We must have been the 3 most costly boys in Bowie County. 
Mom held off on serving the big meal until after 3 p.m. when Pop got home from work. 
In the evening, family members from in and out of town would stop by — aunts, uncles, cousins. They loved to sit and talk and laugh with Uncle Calvin and Aunt Pearl. (In Northeast Texan that's "Unkul Cahvin 'n' Ain't Purl.") Those visits — reasons to be grateful on Thanksgivings through the years. 
That's my pop as a young soldier -- it wasn't long until he waded ashore at Normandy and he and his infantry unit began the drive to free Europe. In my childhood. I was born several years after the war, but Pop would still show signs of being so happy to be home. For that I am thankful on this very day. He deserved joy in life. Pop had started working at the railroad station when he was a kid, then took some time off for that expenses-paid walking tour of Europe -- it was no vacation, but it was a learning experience. I'm thankful he was our daddy.
    (THANKS 8) Getting back to chocolate pie, a topic of thankfulness from which I am never far!
 Among the family traditions since 1991 when Martha and I married: THE Chocolate Pie.
 It is made by following a recipe handed down from her grandmother to her daughters including Martha's mom, my beloved mom-in-law Violet Muse.
There's a family story about Grandmother Eunice Lewis’ last minutes. Her daughters and other relatives were solemnly gathered around her bed. This was a beloved woman the family was praying over. 

I've known a few of her daughters and they all had great hearts of faith and great senses of humor and tradition, too. 
That day in 1981 as the family stood around the bed and prayed for comfort and joy for this wonderful role model, suddenly all realized that treasured Grandma Eunice had "gone on.”
All too quickly she had left them. 

And there was weeping and hugging and quiet contemplation and gently, in a voice heard by the mourning cooks once counseled by Eunice, someone very quietly, very seriously asked, "Did anybody get Momma's chocolate pie recipe." 
After a moment of dramatic silence, a younger niece, dabbing her eyes, provided relief as she said solemnly, “I've got a copy. She gave it to me." 
And, there, suddenly, was one more reason for giving thanks at the family tables, including the one Martha and I will be at when our little boy Bret hosts our other little boy (his twin) Bart and his kids and assorted folks on Thanksgiving 2023.

Grandmother Eunice's 20th century legend as a pie-baker, enhanced by Martha’s 21st century skill of baking with affection, will add piepan joy to another family gathering on Thanksgiving Day.
As my cleverspouse Martha once wrote, “A great pie recipe can travel through time.”
— MAY THIS BE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING FOR YOU ALL.  MAY WONDERFUL MEMORIES ABOUT AND THE CALORIES NOT COUNT ONE SINGLE OUNCE!  —-

AS THANKSGIVING DRAWS NIGH, ANIMAL OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND

EDITION OF 11/21/22/23 [PetPowellPress] Already it’s the Tuesday moving to Wednesday before Thanksgiving — the 21st heading to the 22nd then to the 23rd in 2023. I’m rarely this good with numbers. Got ‘em all in the right order.

November of 2023 and we’re still here after what can only be described one hot son-of-a-gun-summer. So? Ah, as the temps in our Texas Zip Codes descend, we turn to the magnificent writer John Steinbeck and his 1962 road trip with his Standard Poodle: Travels with Charley: In Search of America. Mr. Steinbeck wrote, “What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” [LARRY ASIDE: That’s a 1963 cover of the book. And may your 2023 Thanksgiving have some sweet pies. Maybe some sweet peas, too. I’ll be dieting. As is my holiday custom. And watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in my Santa costume. Oh, wait, this is an odd-numbered year — I wear the Big Turkey Costume in odd years.]
SPOTTING A DOG
ON A TUESDAY…
I clicked on something — can’t remember what —- and suddenly I saw this note by Dallas Urgent Shelter Dogs poster Florence M. DiGennaro.
 The dog’s name is Joe and his number is A1195879 at Dallas Animal Services. He’s a 4-year-old, 43-pound dog who is — stop me if you’re surprised in Dallas — “Heartworm Positive.” 
He becomes available for adoption on the 22nd — that’s Wednesday. 
And the post on the Dallas Urgent Shelter Dogs Facebook site reads, “Joe was found as a stray in the community. He is a little nervous around unfamiliar people. We are hoping to find him placement soon if he is not reclaimed. Email [email protected]."
And here’s a link to Dallas Urgent Shelter Dogs.
[LARRY ASIDE: In general, treatment for heartworms is no big deal for dogs — just get a vet to help you and then you help the dog stay calm and quiet while the medicine does its work. You and the dog will both benefit from the relationship. Preventing heartworms is also a snap — if you’ll just take the animal to the vet first thing and get the preventative. If you don’t do this stuff, you’re just killing the dog you said you’d love. Harsh? Hell, yes, I’m harsh. So is watching a dog who loves you die when it didn’t have to. Please value your animals. They value you. There’s probably not a person reading this who doesn’t have a good relationship with a vet and a heartworm-free dog. Yeah, I’m preachin’ to the choir. Frustration with human behavior is a genuine aggravation. Can I get an ‘Amen!’?]
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE
WE CITE BEN & JERRY

AND A FEW MORE….
Pretty sure there’s not an ice cream fan in the Greater Metrosprawl who isn’t aware of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. Some of us are too aware of it. But never mind ice cream, let’s talk dogs.
Thanks to the volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm we have the story of a couple of dogs who showed up as strays on Nov. 10.
Debra opened her bio of Ben with “They don’t come any cuter than this adorable youngster.” Ben and his brother Jerry came in at the same time and are, Debra reports, American Staffy/American Pit Bull mixes, both about 4 months old. Ben weighs in at 25 pounds and Jerry scores 35 pounds on the shelter scales.
 Ben, the brownish dog, is #54761709 and Jerry is #54761695. Use their numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]. Same system for the other animals in this report.
Debra reports that Ben is “timid and shy” in his kennel, but “once out into a good-sized room that was quiet and away from the commotion of the other dogs, he blossomed.  He is playful, enjoying toys and tennis balls..a tail-wagging little charmer.  He does not walk on a leash, as undoubtedly he has never had a leash on.  He seems more comfortable and trusting than his sibling.”
 Ben’s story reads that he “loves and takes treats gently and would most likely be easy to train when offering tasty treats as rewards.  He is friendly, affectionate, and likes belly rubs and petting.”

Debra writes that Jerry “is a pup that has potential to become a devoted and loving companion to some fortunate person or family but currently is timid, shy, fearful and nervous in the shelter environment.  His brother is more active and playful.  In fact, when they were brought into the room in which I did their eval, pics and video Jerry found a comfy, fluffy doggie bed and parked himself there for the entire time he was in the room.  It was a quiet place away from the commotion of the other dogs and he just wanted to relax and chill.  He will need additional time and interaction with staff and volunteers in order to warm up, trust and figure out that no one wants to harm him. … He was fine with my petting him.  He wasn't interested in treats, toys or exploring the room.  I will do another video and eval when he has warmed up more.”
This girl is Okie (#54726091), “an American Pit Bull/Argentino Dogo mix that was picked up by police officers as a stray and brought to doggie jail at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/4. This very sweet youngster is 8 months old, weighs 46 pounds and was spayed last week.  She walks very well on a leash.  She thoroughly enjoyed stretching her legs and checking out the smells in the shelter yard. She is well-behaved, lively and spunky. … She is also friendly, has a sweet personality and is perfectly fine with being petted and loved on.”
And this is Dora (#54788096). Debra says Dora is “an American Pit Bull mix picked up by one of our officers as a stray and brought to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 11/14.  She weighs 21 pounds and is approx 5 months old.  
“Though truly a sweet and loving girl, it is obvious she hasn't had good care.  Her skin is dry and flaky and her coat scruffy.  Her nails are incredibly long and that will be taken care of by our staff.  But even though she has not had the attention she deserves, she is still sweet and gentle.  Dora does walk nicely on a leash.  She loves treats and sits for them.  She has a low-key personality and is mild-mannered.  And yet she is playful and especially loves to play with tennis balls.  She had no issues with me petting her and giving her TLC.  Dora deserves far better than she's had so far in her short life.”
See more adorable adoptables in the Mesquite Animal Shelter by clicking on THIS LINK. You’ll see dogs and puppies and cats and kittens.
Among the cats is this baby boy with the odd name for a cat: Parrot. He’s #54497017 at the shelter. Around 3 months old now, the little kitten in the photo is still regarded as “mall. He came in on Sept. 20, is listed as “rescue only” and is waiting in the shelter’s Conference Room. What kind of cat? The very rare Domestic Shorthair Mix — we’re not sure how rare, really. OK, maybe we’re pushing things to describe Domestic Shorthair Mix as rare. But this is Parrot and like all cats he is “One of a Kind.”
CONTEMPLATIONS
CAN’T AFFORD A TOY? A QUESTION…
As Thanksgiving is nigh, I’ve heard a number of radio spots about donating money so people can afford a toy for their kid. And, mean-spirited as I am, I thought, “If you can’t afford to give your kid a toy, don’t give your kid a dog or cat. It’ll probably just tend tragically for the kid and the animal.”
So, Dear Readers, is that good advice? Or am I just underestimating the ability of humans to take care of animal they’ve adopted with the best of intentions? …
FAVORITE PART OF THANKSGIVING? The people you’re with, of course. And, naturally, watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and, also, contemplating attempting to stay awake throughout the Dallas Cowboys football game. But, mostly, the fun conversations are the big draw. ….
Favorite thing to watch on Thanksgiving? It ain’t the scales. Slice me off some more of that pie. For which I intend to be extraordinarily thankful. It is America The Beautiful, right?
—- Offer diet tips and avoidance advice by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “DROP THAT FORK. HAND OVER THAT SPOON, SLIM’ in the subject line. Mmmm. —-

EVERMAN ANIMALS & COOLER TEMPS; EILEEN'S EYE SURGERY SUCCESS & 1923

EDITION OF MONDAY, SEPT. 20, 1923 [PetPowellPress] Oops~!~ I meant 2023. That’s a mistake we millionaires will make now and then.
 On Monday I’ve got the Jerrys. Perhaps you saw the Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones announcing that the great Super Bowl-winning Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson would go into the Ring of Honor on “Dec. 30, 1923…” Only a century off. I just want to say, “Mr. Jones, I understand completely. Might have typed that a time or two myself this year — I have the benefit of not having a camera trained on me with a hot mike.” It’s why I sought a career in print journalism rather than broadcast.
MEANWHILE, EVERMAN
ISSUES COOLING NOTE
The tip on this came from our longtime pal and tipster Karen Lee, founder with hubby Dennis, of the noted barkleyworld.com, the non-profit that helps people help animals with medical challenges. .
In this case, Karen sent us clicking to the Everman Shelter’s facebook link here:
https://www. facebook.com/ CityOfEverman AnimalShelter
The note Everman posted about this dog didn’t include his or her name or shelter ID number, but it did give us this weather-related information:
“The temps are cooling again so the staff is working hard to get the dogs warm! TO ADOPT: Everman Shelter 817-561-5495.”
 [LARRY ASIDE: Yes, that is clearly an Earhound Giganticus.]
We scrolled down a notch and found this photo of a cat with a championship set of whiskers. 
That cat’s photo came with this text: “Looking for an adorable new friend?
“This lil guy is the silliest! He absolutely loves everyone he meets, including other kitties! Very social. TO ADOPT:
Everman Shelter 817-561-5495.”
The shelter is on the southeastern side of Fort Worth, just across I-20 from Cowtown. It’s at 3961 Bluebell Drive in Everman. Email [email protected].
[LARRY FYI: This is probably my failing, but I clicked all over the place on the Everman sites and couldn’t find a single place that listed the shelter ID numbers for the animals or  their names or told anything about their ages or weight, etc. Just saw the photos of great animals. But, maybe someone at the shelter can do what I couldn’t do and provide helpful information for potential adoptors.]
THREE HAPPY WORDS:
‘IT WAS A SUCCESS’
We got those words from our pal, Kim Pierce, the cat rescuer/animal advocate/ writer/ex-colleague at The Big Paper Downtown. “It was a success” is description of the surgery performed on this cat Eileen.
That’s Eileen’s “before” picture and below you can see her “post surgery” photograph — she’s still in the waking up stage in that picture. But things are definitely better for her.
Here’s Kim’s report. [LARRY ASIDE: You may recall some of the background, but in case you missed earlier notes, I’m including all of Kim’s note.] She writes:
 “Eileen was born without eyelids, which means her corneas were constantly irritated from rubbing. Most cats like her would be put down. But she was so loving and lovable, that East Lake Pet Orphanage decided they would raise funds ($5,000) and do the unusual surgery. It was performed last Thursday by Dr. Darryl Bubrig, who specializes in surgery and dentistry. And it was a success.

 “Now they are just waiting for the swelling to go down, as you would for any plastic surgery procedure. Dr. Bubrig says she is seeing well and doing well in recovery.

“One of the staffers told me, 'She … was purring in Dr. Bubrig’s arms when I saw her today (Saturday).' The surgery, I’m told, is rare and ELPO was lucky to have someone on staff with the know-how to do it.”
Read more about ELPO by going to this website: eastlakepetorphanage.com.
CONTEMPLATIONS
JERRY, CANDY & PARDONED ‘BIRDS’

Yeah, Jerry Jones was probably excited when he announced the Jimmy Johnson Ring of Honor revelation as 1923 instead of 2023. But how many of us have written the wrong date on a check? Of course, how many of us write checks these days? I’m always typing the dates on our editions and I’ve typed lots of 1900 dates rather than 20..whatever. More than likely I typed 1966 or, maybe, 1991. Graduation year; happily married year. My mind has been known to wander like a dog exploring the smells in a new yard, i.e., quickly going nowhere. …

Anybody else still eating Halloween candy left over from a lack of visitors that evening? I have GOT to clean out the pantry. Usually I’ve finished secretly nibbling all the Halloween candy by Thanksgiving week. …
Enjoy your Thanksgiving week. I understand from media reports that a lot of people are traveling. My plans are to stay within 5 miles of this office chair. That’s just in case a holiday short story or novel breaks out in my brainpan.
President Biden pardoned the Thanksgiving turkeys Liberty and Bell at a traditional event in Washington this morning. The phrase “Pardon the turkeys” is not related to the behavior of anyone in the U.S. Congress or the Texas Legislature. I am almost certain, typed your vegetarian critter writer Larry. Here’s the video of the presidential pardoning of the turkeys and if that doesn't work just gobble it, er, google it. You can hear President Biden saying, “Congratulations, birds, congratulations.” As we say in Veggieland, “Save ‘em all. Have some greens and a hot biscuit. Finish off with a diet pie.” Diet pie? Hah.
— Offer a veggie holiday menu or a favorite recipe by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “KINDA HEFTY, FOR A VEGETARIAN, AREN'T YA, SLIM?’ in the subject line. —-

NO SIZE LIMIT ON A LAPDOG WHO LOVES YOU -- WENDY SNOOZES

Each weekend we try to offer a little uplifting enjoyment of animals in our long-running feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
Lately we’ve enjoyed a challenge — pilling a dog who isn’t interested in being pilled.

That dog is Wendy. We’ve guessed her to be a Bird Dog/Boxer Mix or something in the neighborhood of a meeting of those two breeds. Whatever’s on the family tree, she’ll never qualify for any of Westminster’s “Lapdog” categories.
 We’ve had her since Martha rescued her in 2009 and, yet, Wendy has never bothered to produce her documents of birth or, possibly, arrival on this planet from another star system.. She may have a lawyer, I’m not certain.
She is, of course, a delightful dog. She has always run swiftly, gracefully and happily across the backyards and down the hallways of our homes. Loved to lead the other pups on merry chases. Gets along swell with the cats. Will bark at relatives, sales personnel on the porch and skilled individuals who’ll tweak the air-conditioning and the plumbing. We’re not sure how he managed to make the burglar alarm guy vanish. It is her way, you know. I’m kidding about the burglar alarm. She was unusually quiet when he was here working. My theory is she began to wonder why she wasn't getting paid monthly for sounding alarm at the approach of strange footsteps.
The bottom line is Wendy is a happy dog. 
Until I’m trying to pill her.  Once it's done, she gets over it quickly and goes to Martha for comfort.
 FYI: We’ve tried wrapping those pills in everything from cold cuts to cheese to $20 bills — not for Wendy. Too smart. Too determined. My attempts  usually come down to these instructions: “Foolish human: Hold dog jaws open and shove pill way back. Remove fingers quickly. Quicker than that!” Within a half-minute she’s done with being bitter and is calmly waiting for treats.
That opening photo was snapped Thursday night as Martha watched British mysteries on PBS while Wendy slept off the trials of the day. She’d already gotten her evening pills and had nodded off in Martha’s lap.
Earlier, as Martha sat in her favorite chair and relaxed, Wendy, a substantial dog, got up onto the nearby Favorite Couch of Martha’s and gently stepped from it into Martha’s lap. I thought the scene looked familiar.
So, on Friday, as I went through the photos in my computer, I ran across this picture I’d snapped on Dec. 30, 2015 — we’ve had Wendy since 2009 and she’s always been “Martha’s girl.”
In that photo you see Martha in a Determined-to-Relax pose and Wendy in the “I Beat You To It, Martha” pose. And joining the Let Sleeping Dogs Lie fest to add letting napping cats nap is Martha’s absolutely beloved cat, Annabelle Bob. She was a rescue named in honor of Martha’s BCOAT — Best Cat Of All Time. Yep, Bob the Cat inspired the name Annabelle Bob.
So, as things go, we’ll continue to enjoy the company of dogs and cats and even each other.
Martha has the ability to nap, but she is married to an insomniac. That can’t be easy. I lay awake nights worrying about it.
[DEAR READERS, Please send photos of your slumbering dogs and cats or any other snoozing critter to [email protected]. Also send the bios of your beasties and tell us what they mean to you. We’ll spotlight the animals and their tails, er, tales, in our weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Your happy tales may inspire someone to rescue a dog or cat out of an overcrowded city shelter in the Winter of 2023.]
--- Save ‘em all before a system can claim another one.---