EDITION OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024 [PetPowellPress]. As we head into the Labor Day Weekend, everybody remember to ignore the … wait. I forgot what we’re should ignore.
Oh, yeah! Ignore glowing circular objects flying in formation in the Texas sky. Consider this: “I’ll never forget the Thanksgiving Saucer Invasion of the Panhandle in 1957.”
Hang on. Time-out. (Pregnant pause…..) Oops, I accidentally copied and pasted a rejected sentence from my next sci-fi novel — it’s titled, “That’s Not Dallas: It’s Houston.”
Speaking of, did you see the recent news story about Dallas distributing a promotional packet that, instead of a picture of Big D had a photo of Houston on the cover?
Somehow that “can’t tell Dallas from Houston” event reminded me of a 1957 sighting of flying saucers at Levelland, about 45 minutes west of Lubbock in the Texas Panhandle.
More in Contemplations. First, we try to help Earthlings help Earthdogs and Earthcats. [LARRY ASIDE: It’s an election year — I promised not to mention Earthrats.]
AND NOW, INTRODUCING
A LITTLE PUMPERNICKEL
[DEAR READERS, At readlarrypowell.com we learned long ago that one of the surefire ways of becoming transfixed by a dog or cat involves the ol’ phrase: “Look directly into the eyes….” I was reminded of that when I read our pal Debra Chisholm’s opening to the story of this Mesquite Animal Services dog. The eyes will grab your heart! Read on and hand your heart over.’]
Debra writes, “Look into the eyes of this precious boy and you will see uncertainty and yes, even hope. He is Pumpernickel, a mixed breed boy that was found wandering around in a parking lot in a high business district. The likelihood that he was dumped is high considering that there were no houses nearby.
“Perhaps it was because he has Demodex mange and his owner did not want to deal with it. Who knows? Bottom line, he is at the Mesquite Animal Shelter and needing out.”
He is “rescue only” due to the Demodex mange for which the shelter is resting him.
Debra says he’s 5 or 6 months old, weighs 28 pounds and “He does not know to walk on a leash so had to be carried to the room in which I did his eval. We will be working with him on that. He likes treats and takes them politely. He will sit in anticipation of yet another one. Despite his past experience he is in good spirits and enjoys human companionship, being spoken to softly and gently and petted.
“I got some tentative tail wags from sweet boy as we hung out together. This calm and gentle pup needs out badly because a city shelter is no place to get healthy from a skin issue such as Demodex. “
Pumpernickel is #56628872. Cite his number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email at [email protected].|
Debra also provided the photo and bio of this beauty, Wendy.
{LARRY ASIDE: Is that not clearly a Hollywood publicity portrait for a beautiful household dog? If we didn’t already have a Wendy Dog I’d get in line to sign the papers.]
Debra says Wendy is “an American Pit Bull/American Staffordshire Terrier mix picked up as a stray by one of our officers and brought to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/23. She weighs 60 pounds and is about 2 years of age.”
As you know, Dear readers, the Mesquite volunteer dog biographers spend time with the animals to help prospective adoptors and rescuers understand them. Debra wrote, “Wendy initially had a hard time feeling comfortable with us and still is somewhat timid and nervous. Currently in her kennel she is a bit lethargic and uninterested in what is going on around her. However, when I got her out and walked her around she perked up. She responds to human closeness and affection. Right now she has a low energy level but we expect her to become more lively and alert as we continue to interact with her. She likes treats and will sit for them, taking them nicely. In the room in which I took her pictures she climbed onto a lower shelf that had a pile of fluffy blankets and was content to enjoy the luxury of the quiet space and soft blankets. She appears to have lived as a outside dog with calluses on her elbow and a coat that is dull, though she seems to have been well fed. Wendy has found a place in my heart and I'm hoping someone will read this eval and view her pics and realize her potential to be a devoted companion.”
Wendy is #56624046. Cite that number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email at [email protected].
DEAR READERS: As you know, Mesquite Animal Services, the staffers and the volunteer dog-writers maintain a steady presentation of the shelter’s adoptable dogs and cats. So, OK, here’s one more dog before we get to a cat.]
This guy Gabe comes with a set of directions on his photos. Debra forwarded the bio by Catherine Ludwick. Gabe is #5524967. [HIs first photo directs "Kiss here!"]
Catherine wrote, "Spending time with Gabe may result in the following side effects: (1) uncontrollable urge to kiss Gabe’s wrinkled forehead, (2) tendency to relax while rubbing Gabe’s silky ears, (3) pride when people stop you to tell you how pretty Gabe is, and (4) desire to pet and cuddle Gabe. Gabe is a 2-1/2-year-old neutered male American Staffordshire/Tosa mix who weighs 57lbs.
"He came in as a stray on 2/9 to the Mesquite Animal Shelter. Yes, that’s over 200 days in the shelter, and Gabe is struggling! Let’s save this extraordinary boy.”
To ask about Gabe, cite his ID #5524967 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
At this Mesquite shelter LINK you can see all sorts of dogs and cats — all ages. And you’ll even see some without names. For example, this is #56662654 — a Domestic Medium Hair Mix who came into the shelter on August 29. The age is not listed in this cat’s bio. And neither is the gender. This is, thus, the cat with no name. [LARRY ASIDE: Perhaps “Clint Eastcat” would be a good name.]. This cat’s gender is not identifiable and that suggests a reluctance to reveal secrets to strangers. A lot of cats are like that. This one is “available,” the shelter bio says, and you can see “Clint Eastcat” --ask for him by number, of course! -- in the “Feral Room.” [LARRY ASIDE: It has been our experience that “feral” is just a label and the label can be changed with the right amount of tender human care. FYI: Our Senior Office Cat William Powell and Junior Office Cat Stevie Ray Treeboy both came from feral situations and have turned out to be quite adorable. Get to know your cat; let your cat get to know you; pay them above the Screen Actor’s Guild Feline Character Actor scale.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
BELOVED ‘ANIMAL NUTS’ &
THE LEVELLAND STORY OF 1957
At one point in our decades-long history at readlarrypowell.com, I almost knew how many shelters there were in the area known as the “Metroplex.” And I had a bit of a handle on how many rescue groups were operating around here — operative word “LOTS,” as in “lots of ‘em!." But it takes a special talent for organization and a gift of wrangling numbers to keep up with the statistics. You’re ol’ pal Larry has no number sense and his ability to organize accurately and consistently vanished in first grade when he got an box of 8 crayons and lost count at 4.
So, here’s the suggestion: The internet was created to help animal lovers keep up with the populations of city shelters, non-profit shelters, animal rescue groups and general challenges to the well being of animals. Yep, the whole internet was created just for us saps with cheap computers and limited attention spans. That’s a blanket description that inexperetly and without supportng facts covers all 254 animal-loving counties in the Lone Star State. Our theory at readlarrypowell.com is this: There is at least one Animal Nut, er, Animal Advocate with a computer in every single one of those counties.
If you know of a county without an Animal Nut (among the highest forms of praise we can deliver at readlarrypowell.com) let us know. Our two highest forms of praise? “Good dog!” and “Good cat!”
NOW ABOUT LEVELLAND. Levelland and UFOs? Yep, made a big splash in November 1957. I made a reference earlier to Levelland being about 45 minutes west of Lubbock. As it turns out, in the world of UFO Lore, Levelland is 2 1/2hours east of Roswell, N.M, by car — I don’t know how far it is by flying saucer. Here's a LEVELLAND UFO WIKIPEDIA LINK.
—- ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY WEEKEND ON PLANET EARTH and tell us where you’re from by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘I SAW YOU ON MARS’ in the subject line. ——
