EDITION OF TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY JULY 16-17, 2023 [PetPowellPress] We’ll not open this edition by discussing the weather. We’ve frozen that topic out of the discussion. Iced it completely out. Put the chill on it. Shut it up in the icebox. Taken a cold-hearted approach.
No matter how much it feels like we’re living on an iceberg, I still can’t declare that I miss the temps in the Summer of ’23.
That’s cool cat Stevie Ray chilling on the alternative desk in the office. He’s having an in-and-out episodic morning in the office. Stand at the office door and whine. Move to the hallway. Return to the office door and whine to be readmitted. He think’s sit-and-stands/walk to door/repeat 'till you drop are the perfect exercises for me.
THEY CALL HIM ‘CURLY;’
HE WAITS IN EVERMAN…
The crowded Everman Animal Shelter, on the southeastern edge of Fort Worth, has a load of adoptable adorable (aka “adorable adoptables”).
Among them is this guy Curly.
We learned of Curly via a tip from our longtime Everman tipster Heather Harrison.
She writes, “CURLY is a 3-year-old male Retriever mix. Very sweet & social. Well mannered. Such soulful eyes 🥺
“He once had a home but is now sitting alone at a small, cold shelter. Pleading for his life.”
Then she adds, “Shelter is killing for space. His time is ticking…”
To ask about Curley or any other animal in the shelter, call 817-561-5495 or email [email protected].
Also waiting in the shelter? This pair of young Hound mixes we’ve mentioned before: Bo and Duke
AND, AS I WAS SCROLLING the Everman animal Facebook page HERE, I discovered to my delight a video of a lively pup named Dusk. Scroll down on the Everman site to see him in full horseplay with an equally happy shelter.
His bio (the pup’s, not the staffer’s) reads, “DUSK is all puppy! This guy is packed with puppy energy & excitement! Loves with all his heart. Do you wanna be smothered in puppy kisses?”
And, Heather reports, “He has a sibling named Midnight.” Also waiting in the crowded Everman shelter. Again, call the shelter at 817-561-5495 or email [email protected]. Or drop by the facility at 3961 Bluebell Dr. In Everman. Might want to call first.
A FORT WORTH FIRE, A CAT
AND BARKLEYWORLD
We got a note from our pal Karen Lee at barkleyworld.com about a tough situation in a tough winter in Cowtown.
It involves a cat, a house and people at a really lousy time.
Karen explained that she’d gotten “a sad email… from a lady whose niece lost everything but her cat Beau in a house fire last week. Beau escaped the burning house when a window shattered.
“He was rescued and taken to VEG (Veterinary Emergency Group) in Fort Worth. He was treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation but is thankfully okay and has been reunited with his ‘mother.’ Even though the niece was unable to pay for vet services upfront, under the circumstances, VEG proceeded with treatment at a final cost of $4,082. Now the family is asking for help. In a very nice gesture, VEG donated $1500 towards the bill which left a balance of $2,582.”
How’s does barkleyworld.com fit it? It’s mission is to help the people who are trying to help their animals get past tough life-threatening or life-altering situations.
Thus, Karen’s note to supporters of this noble pro-animal effort. (That's Barkley on the left.)
Karen wrote, “Barkleyworld paid the balance but along with 8 other pets we’ve helped so far in January ( and it’s only the 15th), well, we could use some help. I try not to ask unless I’m in real dire straits but I did want to share this story with you and give you a chance to donate if you’d like to. We still have some gas in the tank but this year has started off with a bang!”
Karen also told supporters, “I thank you all for your donations that allow us to keep going and helping these families with pets in need. And I don’t want you to think I’m taking a long winter’s nap—we are working hard at Barkleyworld.”
See how to donate at www.barkleyworld.com. You can also see how a dog named Barkley inspired Karen and hubby Dennis to found Barkleyworld in 2013.
The purpose of Barkleyworld is outlined on its website: “Reaching out to help strangers with catastrophic veterinarian costs is the heart and soul of Barkleyworld.” And, as you saw earlier, there are vets who’ll help, too. The animals are important — their love matters. So does the love humans have for these animals. Love is a good thing on this planet.
CONTEMPLATIONS
STAYING FOCUSED & OTHER NOTES
You may ask yourself: What does an animal advocate do in her spare time? We’ve cited the work of Barkleyworld’s Karen Lee many times — not just the animal projects, but her “other work.” She is an artist with a camera. [[ proudly own and show off her book, Las Cruces Clouds]. This week, as winter gripped so many of us, she posted this colorful photo and wrote, “Orange and black sky — very interesting.” Indeed, interesting; especially beautiful. Captured perfectly.
A few days earlier, Karen posted this photograph from the New Mexico sky. And the caption did NOT read “Space aliens disguised as clouds arrive in mountains.” She explained to her fans and other online visitors, “Beautiful but kinda unnerving!! My favorite clouds — the Lenticulars!!” [LARRY ASIDE: I swear, Karen is an artist with focus and she clearly knows how to make a sight in the sky a fantastic work for this of us who couldn’t see that far from our backyards this week! Anybody can snap a picture, but it takes a genuine artist to capture the scene!]
Meanwhile, back on the earth-based radio, one of the guests Tuesday on WBAP’s Morning News was a representative of the Texas Baptists Men’s Disaster Relief Program. And the radio staff, afterward, cited disasters in the U.S. and other stricken spots around the world. Someone said something like “Those guys will go anywhere to help in a disaster” and radio’s funniest guy, Hal Jay, said, “I think I even saw ‘em at the Cowboys’ game Sunday.” I snorted my decaf. Wait ’til next year. Have the Texas Baptist Men on standby for the opener.
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