EDITION OF TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY AUG. 20-21, 2024 [PetPowellPress] I grew up in extreme Northeast Texas in a house without air-conditioning. But it was never D/FWHeatroplex hot. Summer in Dallas/Fort Worth always makes me appreciate air-conditioning, steady electricity and the joy of nightfall after a long August day.
Also, I’m not a big fan of driving on icy streets.
And now, with our typing fingers properly limbered and not overly warmed up for August, let’s move along.
THE TUESDAY UPDATE
ON DELIGHTFUL PHOENIX
You’ve seen enough photos of Phoenix’s mysteriously burned back. So I asked Steffenie Vera of Trinity GAP Rescue if we could get some facial photos of this great dog who is struggling against painful burns.
Steffenie sent these two photos taken by Phoenix’s foster.
“Phoenix is still in such pain and is back at the vet’s for a few days,” Steffenie reports.
As you can see in these pictures, Phoenix knows how to “ride” and she might just have an understanding of how to drink water — or lap up a milkshake — out of a human’s drinking cup!
In the mean time, she’s spending time (as you can see) in a special medical jacket that, if I recall correctly, carefully protects the burned area on her back and enhances healing. The vet staff is sweetly, kindly “hands-on” when it comes to helping Phoenix heal.
[LARRY ASIDE: As you may recall, Trinity GAP Rescue got a call from it’s partner in rescue, the Euless Animal Shelter, about this six-month-old puppy with the awful burns on her neck and back. GAP Rescue took over care of this dog. Nobody now involved with Phoenix is sure how the dog was burned, but they are certain “she is a complete sweetheart…with a trends spirit to survive.”
To offer to help Phoenix’s case — medical bills, apply to adopt, offer a viable tip on how she was burned — email Steffenie at
steffeniegap [email protected] and visit the non-profit’s site at https://trinitygaprescue.org/.
Information on helping, fostering, donating and adopting are all on that site.
It is possible that only one person in this sprawling metro area knowns how Phoenix was injured — most
going theories are “it was intentional.” No proof just yet. Just theories. And, as Steffenie told us, “She is also terrified of men, so that is another red flag. She was found abandoned in a park, so no idea why or who could have done it. So sad.”
[LARRY ASIDE: I guess it’s possible that some jerk kid inadvertently hurt the dog. But, it seems just as possible that a grownup did it out of meanness or meaneness's traveling partner: complete ignorance. The truth is that if we announced an opportunity to “discuss” this situation face-to-face with the individual who burned this dog, there’d be a line of people around the block waiting to “counsel” the fiend. One sweet and lovely person I know suggested something like “I’d only need 5 minutes — that’s all.” That sent chills romping up and down my spine. Frankly, I’m on her side. And I might even dust off my personal Readlarrypowelldotcom Two-by-Four of Enlightenment and do some “lecturing.”]
Now, as we move to the next item, remember, the mission is “Be Kind To Animals” — it’s a good rule for generations and the whole planet.
MEANWHILE IN OKLAHOMA,
DOG IN WEEDS NOW IN RESCUE!
And, yes, that rock-solid rescue is the legendary Terry Lynn Fisher, our longtime contact for animal challenges in the far-western Oklahoma town of Burns Flat. Lately she’s been carefully rescuing dogs that have been dumped along I-40 north of Burns Flat.
You may recall seeing this photo of the dog in the roadside prairie plants when we first posted almost two weeks ago.
Terry Lynn explains, “Roughly about 10 days ago, I started receiving messages about a little Chihuahua that was seen maybe 12 miles north of me. It was heading south on Highway 44 which ends up running across interstate 40, down into Burns Flat. Multiple messages were sent to me from different people stating they saw this dog walking down 44 headed south.
“The next day, the Sheriff Department called me and said they were getting reports about this little Chihuahua crossing interstate 40 several times.
“I went and sat down there with binoculars, watching to see if I could see basically where it was kind of hanging out at. It seemed to be going up to a parking lot that was a little bit off of the interstate, and I noticed it was hanging out there. I contacted those people and asked if I could set a trap on their property and explained what was going on, and they said, of course.
“Throughout the next week I got several pictures of him every day going to get food and water. With the heat index is over 110 I made sure there was water in the trap and outside of the trap daily.
“Every evening, and every morning would be seen at the trap, but he would never go in it. I had a larger one set before the small one, and I don’t think he was heavy enough to set it off, because the food was gone each day, but he wasn’t there.
“Last night my camera started alerting me that he was there, so I started watching the pictures as they came in. He was really interested in the food I had put in there, so I made sure to keep a close watch on it. The last picture showed the trap door closed, which I wasn’t sure if he got in it or not because he set it off before. No more pictures came for the next five minutes, so I jumped in the car and ran up there, and sure enough, there this little guy was.
“Remember, he’s crossed the interstate several times each day, and avoided getting hit. Coyotes and whatever else could’ve been out there were unable to get him, so this little boy was a survivor.
“He was not happy when I loaded the trap up in the car. And it’s a fear-growling bark, you can tell just from his eyes. We gave him some water and I took him 35 miles west to my foster. I had one lined up, just in case we ever caught him
“So this little guy is now off the interstate, and safe and home. The foster’s going to work with him to make sure he’s going to be adoptable, and if it’s a good fit for their family, she plans to adopt him herself.
"The original owner that gave it [away] signed right over to me, so the dog will not be going back to that guy that did not take care of it.
“I’ll be honest y’all, after losing one of my I-40 Pups to a car, I don’t think my heart could’ve taken to lose another one up there. So for me, this is victory, and such a blessing.
“Just had to share the awesome news of this little guy now be safe — Terry Lynn.”
And, if you want to thank Terry Lynn for her work with this dog and the other dumped I-40 dogs, email her at [email protected].
MEANWHILE, IN EVERMAN
PUPS AND CATS WAITING
The note that came to us from [email protected] was headlined “EVERMAN TX — PUPPIES SET TO DIE! RESCUE NEEDED."
The email’s opening paragraph read, “Everman TX Shelter is at capacity! There are numerous puppies that need immediate rescue! Shelter is pleading for rescue help!"
(And there are more dogs and cats available at the Shelter — here’s the link to the website:
https://municipalanimalservices.net/adopt/
The dogs we’re highlighting are, according to the note we received:
“Tootsie - 4 month old, female Lab mix. Very sweet & loving. Dog social. Loves to play. Vaccinated.
“Blossom & Doodle - 4 month old, female Lab mix sisters. Very outgoing & silly. Love everyone they meet. Vaccinated.”
[LARRY ASIDE: And that cat, as you can tell, is Bella — got some eyes-wide-open for this photo session. Catfans will ell you she looks like she’s absolutely ready to politely take over your house and make it a place comfortable for any species.]
To ask about helping these or any Everman Shelter animals, call 817-561-5495.
CONTEMPLATIONS
ASSORTED THOUGHTS IN THE HEAT
Why does the heat kill the grass in my front yard while inspiring the weeds to grow as if their mission was to be so tall they block out the sun? …
The western side of our house catches more sun than the eastern side. By 5 p.m., the cats have moved out of the bedroom and into the cooler living room and home offices. I have TVs in several rooms so no matter how hot it is in the house, I can always watch something I’d have ignored if I could go outside and mow the weeds. …
Are you, like me, one of those rare persons in today’s world? You, also, remember watching political conventions with lots of old white guys at big hard-to-handle microphones on black and white TV broadcasts. Yep, many things are better and different these days. In my era, by cracky, you could see political conventions in black and white but only on three channels — ABC, CBS and NBC. Last night’s convention was on more channels than the Summer Olympics.
Things have changed on the ol’ TV dial…For one thing, you no longer have a TV dial. It’s the little things you miss. Like having to explain to your parents, “I don’t know — I just twisted the dial and it fell off in my hand!”
—- Offer anything brainy by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and ask “Captain Kangaroo was in color?” —
