ON A DARK AND RAINY DAY, THERE ARE LOVELY WAYS TO LIGHT UP THE HUMAN HEART

EDITION OF TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY SEPT. 3-4, 2024 [PetPowellPress] Before we get to the connection between a movie theater and a
spay/neuter clinic, we’ll address the soggy farewell to summer and its dry 100-degree days.
How wonderful was that Tuesday morning glimpse of autumn! As this is being typed, the sky is still autumnaly cloudy, dark with vibrant rain  peppering the area and not a sign of a 100-degree temp on a thermometer in the entire paved and unpaved sprawl.
Before we go farther into this weather report, let me just offer my sincere best wishes to people who, like our household, have the dogs on a firm schedule. Yep, as the 9:30 a.m. “Morning Moment of Truth" arrived,” there wasn’t a dog in the house who’d go out into that big raindrop storm that had settled over our spread, Rancho Soggy.
What you see in this photo is the other side of a beautiful rain. Little Porche Noel (foreground) and Wendy Louise Wagstaff Arden are waiting to hear the last rain drop of the current storm hit the roof.
In the meantime, my fellow admirers of dogs and cats, everybody grab your towels, mops and hold onto your patience as we move on while the rain takes its sweet time. That’s Senior Office Cat William Powell who smiled and asked, “These mutts never heard of a litter box?” 
MEANWHILE, IN EVERMAN,
SERENA IS WAITING
This note popped up in the Tuesday email thanks to one of our longtime tipsters, Heather Harrison, who has been dedicated to helping Everman animals for years.

She headlined this email, “SERENA IS PLEADING FOR A MIRACLE.”
And here’s the story for this dog in s shelter in the small town of Everman on the southern edge of southeastern Fort Worth.

Heather’s note reads, “Serena is a 2-year-old, female Pitbull mix. She has clearly lived a very rough life before arriving to the shelter. Her face is riddled with scars & her body is so frail.
“But she doesn't seem to hold any grudges because she loves everyone she meets. Such a sweet, affectionate girl. She wants nothing more than a human to love her. Very quiet & calm.”
Heather’s note adds this chilling assessment: "Everman TX Shelter fills up quickly so her time is ticking...ANYONE HAVE SPACE FOR THIS GIRL?? TO ADOPT/RESCUE 817-561-5495.”
[LARRY ASIDE: And there you have it. One more Pittie girl winds up in a bad spot because humans can’t live up to even the slightest standards of decency.]
MEANWHILE, ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE METROSPRAWL
We’ll begin with this guy Barney who’s bio and story of being stray-and-found was sent to us by the veteran volunteer dog-bio-writer

Debra Chisholm. She reports that a Mesquite Animal Services officer picked Barney up as a stray on Aug. 29.
And Debra writes, “OK, at first glance, Barney looks quite intimidating. He is a 72-pound, approx 2 -year-old Pit Bull mix. But appearances can be deceiving and first impressions can be wrong.
“In reality, this big boy is a well mannered, gentle fellow with a low to medium activity level. He is lively, active and alert, a tail-wagging sweetheart! He really likes treats and will take them nicely.  He wants to stay close.
“I anticipated he would have a strong pull on the leash because of his weight, but that was not the case. He walks quite nicely on a leash. I’m told by one of our staff who has spent time with him that he appears to be house-trained, and that he does not seem reactive to dogs or cats. (However, if interested in Barney, please ask for an official dog test from the staff.) She commented on how well-behaved and polite he is. He does know the sit command and he was quite curious about checking out things in the yard and in the room in which I did his eval. He seems to have been well cared for as he is not underweight. As you can see, there is a lot to like about this big boy!”
Barney is #56666169 — cite that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 for email [email protected].
Debra also provided the bio for this girl Mindy. And you use the same system to ask the shelter about Mindy — she’s #566640233 at Mesquite.
Mindy came into the shelter the same way Barney arrived: Picked up as a stray by an officer on Aug. 29.
She weighs about 45 pounds, is 2-years-old and and, Debra’s Dog Scanner App “suggests” that Mindy is a mix of “Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog and Entlebucher Mountain Dog with a couple of other minor breeds. She has


such an unusual and beautiful coat along with two blue eyes with one of the eyes half brown. Very unique. She has a calm and gentle nature, and is a bit shy still. She is docile and submissive with a chill personality. She was not interested in either treats or playing with toys and balls. …
"She does respond nicely to loving attention and does not in the least resist it. Perhaps you can tell that this little girl has won my heart!”
You can see many more dogs and cats and kittens by going to this Mesquite Shelter SITE.
 Among the kittens, as your local stores begin to decorate for Halloween, is this wonderfully named, eyes-wide-open kitten Mystic (56495508).
She’s a 2-month-old Gray and Silver Domestic Medium Hair Mix who came into the shelter on August 3.
[LARRY ASIDE: She’s “rescue only” and currently in the scare of a staff foster. But, maybe you have a rescue group who’ll help you get this girl Mystic. Just a magical thought. ]
WHAT DOES A MOVIE THEATER
HAVE TO DO WITH ANIMAL ADVOCATES?
IT’S A GENUINE ‘ROUND-UP’ FOR ANIMALS
Ah, it’s a mutual admiration society, perhaps.
We got the note from Sydney Busch, the guiding light and spokesperson for Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. As you know, these Friends also operate the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas.
And they have a supporter who happens to show movies in a theater in Gun Barrel City, the little town named for honesty. The story, according to the Texas State Historical Association HERE is it got its name because of the town's motto, “We shoot straight with you.”
Sydney sent us a note about the latest connection between Hometown Cinema in Gun Barrel City and the Friends. She wrote, “Hometown Cinema in GBC is celebrating us in September...They are asking all customers to round-up their payment for tickets/snacks and that round-up will go to us!”
That’s throughout September — you can see what films are on the Hometown Cinema big screens by clicking on this LINK,
Also, as you probably know, the Friend’s low-cost spay/neuter clinic operates on Tuesdays. And on certain Saturdays, the Friends operate a Vaccination Clinic at the facility. The next Saturday Vaccination Clinic is from 10 a.m. to noon on September 14.
Want info on how to help the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake maintain their pro-animal programs and clinics? Call 903-451-4701 or 214-808-4701. And you can see other things the Clinic need by going to Friends wish list LINK.
CONTEMPLATIONS
QUESTIONS FOR THE AGES
A question, apparently, for the ages: "Anybody else bugged by the constant load of dumped dogs and cats in shelters?“ Seriously, for as long as I can remember, city and county animal shelters have been killing dogs and cats to make room for the next batch of dumped dogs and cats. Why does it have to be like that? Isn’t there a better system? I may have reached the point in life where the second most common question in my daily life is “What the hell is wrong with people?”…
What? The most common question? I’ll tell you: The actual most common question in my daily life is, “Where’s the men’s room?” That question usually has an answer.
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