EDITION OF FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2024 [PetPowellPress] Ah, Friday arrives and the sun and the moon are in their usual places. As far as we know, anyway. Be safe this weekend. Behave. And be ready for next week's eclipse. What? It's not a weekly thing? But it made so much money! Surely somebody's working on staging a fake eclipse as a skyward feature at a Beyonce stadium concert. Surely.
A WONDERFUL CAT INSPIRES
A RECOLLECTION OF LOVE
This is the first photo readlarrypowell ever published of a beloved cat named Ivy Joy — more than a decade ago. We have the photo because her Houston rescuers, Edna and Frank Taylor, took it after they got her to safety and she loved to hang out in that little trash container. Dallas connections helped this cat transition into a long life as Ivy Joy.
We have that adorable cat’s photos and the beloved cat's story, written by Ivy Joy's beloved “Mom “ Lezli Ragland on our Prayers & Passages page. Lezli even mentions those great Ivy Joy white whiskers.
Click on the link in the upper right corner of this page and it'll take you to the wonderfully written appreciation of a little kitten that grew to be a big presence of love.
Suggestion: Keep some tissues handy -- Ivy Joy not only loved her humans, she was deeply loved by them. It'll touch your heart.
ANIMAL CRUELTY AWARENESS
MONTH AND THE FUTURE…
We got a great reminder earlier this week from the office of Shelby Bobosky, the Executive Director of the Texas
Humane Legislation Network — you’re familiar with THLN for it’s work with the Texas Legislature and other offices that can be influential when it comes to protecting animals.
The note opened with this: “In recognizing Animal Cruelty Awareness Month, we wanted to share with you that legislators often tell us they detest animal cruelty but that “it does not happen in my district.”
In rebuttal, the THLN’s Executive Director’s note cited three animal cruelty cases that “bring to light that animal cruelty is continuous and everywhere. Had these amazing partners not stepped in, would these animals still be there?”
The cited cases included the March 22 event in which SPCA of Texas Animal cruelty Investigations “removed 17 cruelly-treated dogs from a property near Canton, Texas.” Sixteen Cocker Spaniels and one Boxer — “cruelly confined to deplorable living conditions,” the THLN note read. The dogs were “heavily matted and caked with feces, making it hard for them to walk.” Skin and eye issues.
You may remember this one, too. On March 18, Animal Investigation and Response (AIR) “assisted the Erath County Sheriff’s Office with the seizure of over 100 animals living in horrific conditions.” Dogs, hamsters, rats, reptiles, birds horses, goats pigs and a ferret.
The THLN note included this quote from Monica Alley, the founder of Animal Investigation and Response. She said, “This particular case is up there in my top worst cases but on a whole different level of its very own. I have never seen so many bones in my entire 50 years of life. Bones to me equals death and death was most certainly in the air as we removed animals from this property into safety. To say these animals are survivors is an understatement.” [LARRY NOTE: You may recall, Dear Readers, seeing photos from this rescue in one of our recent editions. Wretchedly sad photos of bones and animals at peril.]
The third incident the THLN note cited occured on March 29 when two women were arrested by the McAllen Police “on 94 counts of animal cruelty. At least 97 dogs were seized from a home in McAllen…after a delivery driver called authorities to report smells coming from the 
home.” Neighbors had called police to report rancid trash. The delivery driver’s report launched the investigation, apparently.
The THLN note ended with an animal cruelty passage under the headline, “Animal cruelty is everywhere, but so are we.”
The text reads, “It is up to us to educate our elected officials on the prevalence of animal cruelty, why we need to take animal cruelty seriously and help our partners (law enforcement officers, animal control officers, cruelty investigators, and non-profits) when they take on these enormous cruelty cases.”
And, there’s this passage: “Animal cruelty ends when laws are changed, taught and enforced and these cases make our mission more important than ever.”
At the www.thln.org website you can keep up with animal political issues, animal legal issues and even buy some supportive t-shirts. [LARRY ASIDE: I like the anti-chained dog shirt. But I really liked the political shirt displayed in our Contemplations below. Always been a fan of dogs — in and out of politics.]
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE:
BUTTERCUP IS WAITING
We got the story on this “adorable youngster” from Mesquite Shelter volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm. She reports that the mixed-breed. “Girl arrived as a stray…on April 6. And, she writes, “My Dog Scanner app suggests the following in her breed: Anatolian Shepherd, American Foxhound and Black Mouth Cur.”
Buttercup is, Debra says, a “sweet, 8-months-old, 34-pound girl with “the most stunning eyes and a sprinkling of cute freckles across her nose.”
And Debra also writes, “Buttercup was shaking like a leaf and was very fearful and timid when she initially entered the shelter. She was moved from the noisy bay into the quiet surroundings of the office of our manager. She became much less fearful and anxious as a result. She is very friendly and loves receiving strokes and petting.
“Buttercup walks well on a leash. When led past other dogs, she was intimidated by the ones who barked at her. She does not seem to know any commands, was not interested in the treats I offered, nor could I interest her in toys or balls. She likes to climb and so will need a home in which she can live inside with her people and go outside to stretch her legs in the yard that has a high and secure fence.
“She whines occasionally, and I interpret that to mean she’s missing her people and is expecting to be reunited with them. However, no one has come looking for this youngster. Therefore, she is needing a new home with people who will shower her with TLC and stay committed to her.”
To offer to help Buttercup with a good home, cite her shelter ID # 55671997 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email 
[email protected].
And, remember, Buttercup’s adoption fee is 20 bucks. Yep, just $20 to get a dog that’s worth millions to a good-hearted human.
See more Mesquite animals by clicking on this link to the animals in the city’s shelter.
While you’re at that site, you can see this youngster — his name is Cheese and he’s approaching one month old. If he grows into the size of those front paws, you may be able to call him Tiger or Lionboy.
Orange fellow — he’s a staff foster care cat right now.
Came in on April 5 so, he may have been able to watch the eclipse — if he had some glasses. He’s #55669354.
CONTEMPLATIONS
ABOUT A DOG,ABOUT A CAT, ABOUT POLITICS
HOW FAR HAS THIS DOG COME?
He's traveled a long way (happily) for a dog who had trouble standing up when we became familiar with his case.
We've been tracking this guy 
Mooney for some time now -- ever since veteran rescuer and animal advocate Kimberly Jones rescued him from a dire situation. He was a parvo puppy who was being offered "free" on a neighborhood website. But he was in a dire condition. The photo on the left is one of the first taken in Mooney's challenging recovery.
Lots of medical problems were threatening his life.
You may recall how sick the little guy was. We've got the photos provided by Kimberly from early in the efforts to save his life. She set up a gofundme site HERE for him so he’d be certain to get all the right medical treatment a sick little dog needs.
I opened with one of the first “sickly” photos of Mooney — it’ll help demonstrate that he’s “come a long way” in the care of veteran rescuer Kimberly. The other photos show him this week — he’s still under vet care and has been diagnosed as hydrocephalic, but he’s thriving with his buddies at Kimberly’s. (I think that's Apache in 
the background.)
Mooney turns out to be a born romper. He’s a demonstration of how so many of you people rallied with Kimberly to raise a sickly pup into a happier puppyhood . He still need care and you can help him by going to his gofundme page HERE.
And that brings us to an old photo of Ivy Joy, the cat we mentioned earlier and is paid tribute on our Prayers & Passages page (click the link above right). I found this photo from more than a decade ago. It shows Ivy Joy examining her image in a mirror. I didn’t post it in the earlier story because I thought it fit well in our “CONTEMPLATIONS” feature. 
Yes, That is Ivy Joy contemplating her image.
We’ll close with a funny t-shirt available on the Texas Humane Legislation Network website.
I never considered myself to be a “political person” until I saw this T-shirt and in case your eyes are not strong enough to read the list, the only candidate checked is “Dog.”
Cracks me up.
If my dog, Porche Noel, were to be elected to the Texas House, there’d be some changes. Everybody would be on a very strict restroom schedule, there wouldn't be any wild barking at each other and each desk would have a tray 
of treats ready for the honorable Legislators.
I have no idea what else she'd change -- it's tied up in a committee hearing at her political headquarters.
Back to the ballot on the t-shirt: No matter which human is actually elected, I have no idea what changes they’ll try to make. Scary thought, ain’t it!
Keep the roads paved, support thorough education for young kids in Texas and don’t force me to take a driving test to get a license. Reasonable stuff. A dog would understand. A cat would be in charge of the campaign committee.
—- Offer advice or doubt by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email [email protected] and announce your candidacy for any office at no charge. —-
