EDITION OF MONDAY/TUESDAY SEPT. 22-23, 2024 [PetPowellPlus] Well, HELLO AUTUMN! Any of you dog-walkin’ humans have your umbrella ready at 5:30 a.m.? Heck, yeah! I keep it by the door — it got dusty during the summer, but held up well in the shower. The dogs went back to sleep.
The cats demanded breakfast.
[NOTE TO READERS: We're having photo problems with this edition. They may appear during the the day....in the meantime, we think we have text!]
Oh, and I got an email Monday morning that had this subject line: “Selected Just For You: The Vehicle Ultrasonic Rodent Repeller.” I checked — it’s not specifically designed for driving on Dallas freeways. [No offense to most Dallas freeway and tollways drivers, of course! That’s Senior Office Cat William Powell teaching me how to stunt drive on a freeway. He's the coolest cat I know at the wheel. —Larry]
North Texas Giving Day — oops, sorry. Out of habit I typed that. OK, just call an early reminder for 2025.
AND HOW LIVELY/LOVELY
A PUP CAN OWN YOUR HEART
Our pal, the veteran animal advocate and rescuer Kimberly Jones tipped us to this Garland Animal Shelter & Adoption Center girl over the weekend.
Her name is Lola and, as you can see, she can pose for a photograph as good as any elementary-school student in the United States. [LARRY ASIDE: Look at that pose! She’s minding the teacher, don’t you think?]
The second photo shows Lola being a puppy. She’s not rally a puppy, however — the shelter site says A272820 is a spayed, 2-year-old German Shepherd mix.
Here’s the story, according to reliable tipster KJ’s note. Lola is “one of the lovely long-timers at the Garland Animal Shelter & Adoption Center! Some might overlook her because of her skin allergies, but Lola is the most adorable wigglebutt you'll ever meet, and she's ready to steal your heart. She loves back scratches, spending time with her humans, and enjoying tasty treats—she's the perfect mix of sweet and fun! And did we mention she loves toys? Lola would thrive best as the only dog in a loving home where she can soak up all the attention.”
Info gleaned Monday from the Garland Animal Shelter & Adoption Center HERE www.garlandanimalservices.org/184/
Animal-Services outlined Lola’s current status and also led us to a batch of other dogs and cats waiting for homes. (You
can all the shelter at 972-205-3570 or stop by at 1902 State Highway 66 in Garland.
And that cat? Ah, we clicked on the Garland Animal Shelter & Adoption Center link and it not only took us to all the dogs (including wonderful Lola) but to a number of adoptable cats including #A276617 who has the most Texas Cat Name we’ve encountered in a while. He’s a currently “un-altered” gray and black Domestic Shorthair Mix who was “delivered and he’s about 3 years old, the staff thinks. What is his positively Texas name? “Sweet Tea.” Yep, “Sweet Tea.” Great name for a Texas cat.
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
THERE’S SARGE AND OTHERS!
This buy is Sarge and his volunteer biographer at Mesquite Animal Services, Judi Brown, writes:
"Have you ever had a dog come up to you and lean his body up against you when you’re standing? Well, that’s what Sarge does. It’s quite touching!
“Sarge is a magnificent boy with beautiful reddish coloring.”
He’s a year-old, 76-pound Doberman Pinscher who came in on the 17th as a stray. Judi writes. “He does have two skin growths (tags?) hanging from the mammary glands. They don’t seem to bother him. He’s very alert and active. He was curious about the people outside the gate.
“At one point he was whining. I’m assuming he was missing his owners. He’s highly motivated by treats and sits in anticipation of them. At one point, I called him from across the yard and he came running. He is very affectionate and gives sloppy kisses. He’s sweet, well mannered, and very attentive. He does not jump on you but does jump up. The staff thinks he’s housebroken. He was not interested in meeting other dogs, and I did not see any aggression. … He would benefit from a yard so he could stretch those long legs of his. However, he’s an inside dog wannabe.”
Sarge is #56903797 — cite that ID when you call the shelter at 972— or email [email protected].
Same system for all queries about dogs and cats in Mesquite — cite their numbers when you call 972- or email [email protected].
[LARRY ASIDE: That’s got to be the “Hiya, I’m Aspen. Look into my eyes” greeting” greeting by this guy Judi wrote about]
Judy’s bio of #56902789 begins, “Does it take you a while to warm up to strangers? Aspen is no different. At first he was a little aloof and spent most of his time wandering around the yard. With TLC and time Aspen warmed up to me. Aspen is a one-year-old, 59-pound Siberian Husky that arrived … on 9/17 as a stray. He’s got one brown eye and one blue eye. He’s also very handsome. He’s very alert and wants to know everything that’s going on in his world. He did welcome some customers in the lobby. There was a little girl and he was really taken with her. He is gentle and sweet. He didn’t pull when walking on a leash. He introduced himself to other dogs without any problem. … Huskies like to run and therefore can be escape artists. I did not notice Aspen trying to escape. However, it would be advisable to have a tall secure fence. Also, Huskies are very fluffy and need to be brushed frequently. This good natured boy would bring love into your home.
Now we get to Gunter and Judi begins, "I saved the worst for last. I wanted you to see Gunther’s sweet face, attractive coco coloring, and imploring eyes before you saw the scarring and scabbing.
“I don’t think it distracts from his cuteness. Gunther [#56883771] is a 3-year-old American Terrier Pitbull who weighs 68 pounds and was brought into the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 9/13 by a concerned citizen. He wasn’t able to tell me what caused the scarring and scabbing on his face and tail.
“It looks like he got the worst end of a fight. Speculating: some of the scarring may be from burns or possibly pigmentation problems.
"At any rate, he is not holding grudges. As a matter of fact, he’s very loving. He wants a new family that will protect and cherish him, and he will in turn be a devoted companion. He’s highly motivated by treats and sits for them. He needs practice with taking the treats gently. He loves squeaky toys and can entertain himself with them.”
And Judi says, “He jumps up for attention but does not jump on you. He came from across the yard when I called him. He’s athletic, alert, highly engaged, lively, and playful. …He was non-reactive to other dogs. Instead he wanted my attention. He wants to be an inside dog. He wanted you to know he likes most sports on TV. He would gladly sit attentively by you and cheer on your team.“
Again, cite Gunther’s shelter ID #56883771 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Click on this Mesquite Shelter LINK when you want to see the listings for these pups or other dogs and lots of cats, too.
CONTEMPLATIONS
JUST SOME IDLE OR STABLE THOUGHTS
While reading my hometown newspaper Monday morning — that’s the Texarkana Gazette — I spotted a regular feature written by staffer Mallory Wyatt. It’s something all newspapers (offline and online) ought to provide for the benefit of their readers and the city’s animals.
It’s a photo and a short description of an animal who needs a loving home. In this case the Writer Wyatt focused on this Pittie mix fellow Maverick as the “Animal Care and Adoption Center’s Pet of the Week.” Once sentence really made me smile and I thought you dog-lovers might agree with the humor in it: “(Maverick) has a dark gray coat and he enjoys rolling around in sand and dirt.” [LARRY ASIDE: I’ve looked in a mirror this morning and see some overwhelming gray hair, so I’m thinking of digging a “Hair Touch-Up Pit’ in the backyard and following Maverick’s example. Writer Mallory Wyatt notes that “Maverick could be either a running buddy or a couch potato.” HIs adoption fee of $152 “includes neutering, rabies vaccination, microchipping and registration. For more information, call the Animal Care and Adoption Center at 870-773-6388.” Oh and the photo of Maverick was a Gazette Staff Photo taken by the writer Mallory Wyatt.
LOOKING BACK: As I was typing the summarized version of the report by Mallory Wyatt it occurred tome that I’d never met her — and, in fact, I haven’t met a Gazette staffer in decades. I rarely go “home” these days. Also, I got my first professional journalism job (nighttime obit writer/reporter) in June of 1965 and there’s probably not a reporter in the Twin Cities of Texarkana who was even born when I, as a young Southern Baptist Boy, was learning all the forbidden words I’d get to use in a newsroom discussion or argument! I’m sure those words are obsolete but now. You know, words such as “typewriter” and “hot type” and “Stop the Presses.” What — did you think I’d expose the other words used in a newsroom’s heated arguments? Nah, those are words from the past — I am almost certain. Yes, and I don’t need to lose weight, either.
—- Offer advice or tales of triumph by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected]. —-
