AN ARMADILLO, A CAT AND SOME HEROIC HUMANS IN A TOWN CALLED BURNS FLAT...

[EDITION OF WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY SEPT. 18-19, 2024 [PetPowellPress] We’re going to begin with a story from Oklahoma. It may inspire people to “keep on goin’” with a rescue project made tough by circumstances, i.e., people...
And there’s a connection to the injured cat in the second story.
Both stories come from Terry Lynn Fisher, the legendary animal advocate/rescuer in Burns Flat, Okla.
THE ARMADILLO ADVENTURE:
AN OKLAHOMA CHALLENGE
[LARRY EXPLANATION: I’ve been writing about animals and animal rescuers and “no-count villains” for decades. This morning I got a note from the heroic Terry Lynn Fisher in Burns Flat way out in western Okla. I read it and thought, “This story may inspire people to take up animal rescue as a heroic lifestyle.” I know a lot of you who are those heroes already. Animals always need more heroes. Here’s an example of why.
Terry Lynn began her email by making a point that there are “so many animals needing your help.”
The story from Terry Lynn begins:
“I have to share this ‘just because.’ Just because lately it’s been so hard and sad here; just because lately there have been so many animals needing your help; just because to me it’s a wonderful happy ending. 
“A couple of days ago somebody sent me a message that a lady in my town had an armadillo in her backyard. I contacted her and she sent



me a video of it and it was a full grown armadillo digging, trying to get under her fence but for whatever reason (it) could not get out.
“She was telling me about all the people that said, ‘Just get a shovel and chop its head off. Shoot it, hit it with a hammer, put poison out.’
“I was just sickened by the things she was telling me people were advising her to do
“I asked her if we could set a trap and see if we could catch it .... She agreed, but said that if it wasn’t gone soon, she was going to call our chief of police, who is honestly honestly in my opinion, a sadistic idiot. He loves nothing more than to shoot and kill animals — dogs cats, whatever it is.
“I took the trap down and set it with fruit. That night my camera sent me several images of the armadillo, sniffing around the trap, really wanting that fruit. However, it never went into the trap.
“She [The woman] saw where it had burrowed a big deep, long tunnel under her back porch patio. That was where it was staying during the day. I took more fruit down and set the trap back a little farther from where the hole was, and she said if I didn’t catch it last night, then she was going to call our chief of police.
“I spent most of last night at an emergency vet with one of the cats here that got ripped up by two pits.” [LARRY NOTE: THAT STORY IS NEXT TODAY.] Terry Lynn continues,“When I got home, I took a shower and went to bed, and my phone started dinging. The camera was sending pictures.
“The armadillo came out of his hole; you could see him towards the back of the trap, really wanting that fruit he could smell, and then right in front of the trap. The next picture that was sent was the trap door closed. But, I couldn’t see if he was actually in it.
“I got another image sent to my phone this morning [Tuesday] and it was of her dog really interested in that trap. I had a good feeling the armadillo was in there, and, sure enough, when I called her to go look, she did, and he was.
“Jason and I took him out and release him in an area where we’ve released others and that several of them already live.
“So, with all the heartache and horrible things happening, to me, I needed this bright spot of the day.
“Another little critter, safely away from the evil of mankind.
I just had to share it, because it really made me feel good.”
[LARRY NOTE: And there, Dear Readers, you have read the story of this rescued Armadillo “Just Because.” Read on about the attacked and rescued cat from Burns Flat.]
THE CAT THAT NEEDED
TERRY LYNN’S HELP…
Terry Lynn writes:
“Last night, I received an urgent call that two or three pitbulls had just attacked one of the feral cats here in town. This is one of the boys that we had just got neutered a couple months ago; he’s really a sweet and loving cat, but he does continue to live in the colony. Luckily,
a guy walking down the street, saw the attack and ran up and chased the dogs away, which gave the cat a chance to run under a car 
“Fearing the worst, the lady that feeds them just grabbed him up in a towel and put him a crate. We don’t really have an emergency vet …, so I started making phone calls to try to find one. We were lucky enough to find one in Weatherford, which is about 35 miles away. I called and explained that I had to try to raise the money for him, but nobody would see him unless I paid upfront, and he told me to bring him over right now. We headed that way, and he met us there, and got him in immediately. They had to sedate him to really check him over, because he was totally freaking out.  They shaved the biggest part of his body to find the wounds, and I was so shocked to see that he wasn’t hurt more than he was. I was honestly expecting to be ripped up because they said that two dogs were playing tug-of-war with his  body. 

“He does have several punctures; some of them are quite deep. They’re keeping them open to let them drain so infection doesn’t set in, and he had quite a bit of swelling around the chest and neck area so they’re keeping an eye on that.
“We are hoping he gets to come home today or tomorrow, but I have to pay the bill before we can get him out. Last night we were just worried about saving his life, so I’ll work on the rest of it now.
“He is pretty positive. He’ll have a really good outcome, but he will be in pain for a while, and we will have to keep him indoors for a few days at least.
“If anyone can help with this Vet bill, please let me know. I’m waiting to hear back on the exact amount but I know on the sign in the office it said emergency office. Call was $150 alone, that’s not counting the treatment that he did. Any and all help is greatly appreciated. …I’ll update him as soon as I hear more.”
To offer to help the Armadillo or the cat [A phrase I’ve never typed before — Larry], email Terry Lynn at r[email protected]. —-
CONTEMPLATIONS
A THOUGHT OR TWO OR NONE
I’m frequently not certain that what I write or say or think can qualify as an actual thought. I may have watched too much TV from about 1957 to the current political stories in 2024. ….
I can read, but I’ve been trying to read one of the great Martha Grimes’ British-set mysteries, The Stargazer, for about 10 years — it’s got an
exciting opening and moves wonderfully with her writing and I can’t find a time to do any reading. My literatespouse Martha has read and re-read all
of Martha Grimes' books. I keep The Stargazy on my Kindle and call it up periodically. I like what I’ve read so far -- Martha loves the book. She's the literate partner in the marriage and so is Office Cat William Powell, he tells me. Martha and I met the author Grimes at a book tour appearance years ago in Dallas — she’s a pretty splendid personality and is one fantastic author! …
The greatest year I had in elementary school was the 4th grade — that’s when I discovered a concept called “classroom library.” It was a few book-filled shelves in the back of the class. I read through The Hardy Boys books but could never quite get to the alway-checked-out Nancy Drew Mysteries. I wound up reading biographies of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and, being in Texas, a bio of Davy Crockett, the former U.S. Congressman from Tennessee. You may have heard of him — if you grew up in Texas. Ah, books. What wonderful adventures on Earth and in space [Hail Robert Heinlein, author of so much space fiction that appears to be coming true.] Ask any millionaire who's been to space. …
—- Offer tips and gripes by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘HEY YOU’ in the subject line. —-