EDITION OF THURSDAY, JAN. 9, 2025 [PetPowellPress] Whoa, remember how relentlessly hot it was last summer.
I'm a native Texan, born two blocks inside the state line. So in the years I've been around, I have learned the difference between winter and summer for Texans. It's this: We know that winter will end in a few hours or, at most, a few days. But in July and August you might not be sure that the heat of summer is ever going to end at all!
Our question of the day? How important are stray dogs and cats? Answer with your heart. And read on... I'm using two of our former strays to illustrate this segment -- Dudley The Angel, a big ol' dog, and Porche Noel, a smaller variety. Strays. When you think about "strays," use your heart to see the companions you can have whose mere presence gives you inspiration to love a dog or a cat whose only know history is one word: "stray."
Remember, area shelters are full of dogs and cats -- many are strays, many are "dumped." After winter storms? Likely to be more that dug out of yards or darted through open doors and ran for their lives during a fireworks "attack" beyond their comprehension. Bless their hearts.
HIS NAME IS RUGER. HIS TALE?
'PICKED UP AS A STRAY'
Majestic dog with fascinating eyes, isn't he.
We learned of him from Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog-biographer Debra Chisholm who has met him an worked with him.
He was, Debra wrote, "Picked up by one of ur officers as a stray on Jan. 4. ...." He is "primarily a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog, weighing 60 pounds and approx one year old."
In writing about Ruger, Debra said, ""The words that come to mind in describing his behavior are inquisitive, curious, and investigative. In the yard, he had his nose continually to the ground, as well as looking out the gate and over the wall. In the room where I did his video, he heard activity in the hallway and through the windows into the lobby and he was so interested in knowing what was going on. He also stood at the windows, looking out into the parking lot and was observing what was going on there. I have seldom seen a dog as engaged with his surroundings as Ruger!"
Beyond that, Ruger is said to walk well on a leash, probably is house-trained, and, though he doesn't know commands, Debra writes "He has a confident outgoing personality. Ruger was a bit restless during the time I spent with him. He appears to have been well taken care of. He has a beautiful coat and the most stunning blue eyes. ... He really resisted being put back into his kennel, and who can blame him? He needs assistance in leaving the shelter life behind, so please network or tag at [email protected], typing in the subject line TAG, ID 57577948. Interested but need more information? Then please call 972-216-6283 or email at [email protected]."
[LARRY ASIDE: I used several Ruger photos -- they speak for him better than I can type for him. Thanks for the work, Debra! That's from all the strays at our house.]
Judi Brown, Debra's colleague in volunteer dog-writing at Mesquite, took on the challenge of photographing this girl Harper.
Judi explains, "Harper wants to be near you. I had a difficult time taking pictures of her because she kept me going around in circles. She is a 1- to 2-year-old Plott Hound/Black Mouth Cur mix that weighs 63 pounds and arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 1/4 -- brought in by one of our officers.
"She has recently had a litter." [LARRY ASIDE: Geez, I wonder why she was picked up by an officer... Think "human failure as an animal person" might be involved?]
Judi says that Harper "appeared to be timid in her kennel, but once she got out in the yard she came to life! She was frisky and was attempting to entice me to play with her. She does fetch and retrieve balls. She sits for treats and takes them gently. She comes when you call her. She’s friendly, outgoing, active, and affectionate. She didn’t have a problem meeting other dogs. She walked OK on a leash."
Harper is #57577621 -- cite that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
ONE MORE STRAY? Judi reports, "I got carried away taking photos of this goofy, fun-loving puppy. She was so photogenic and very entertaining. Dazzle will truly dazzle you with her personality and her cuteness. She is a 5-month-old, 23-pound, blue-eyed Carolina Dog that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter as a stray on 1/4. She would be the perfect dog for a young family that is active and would play with her. You can’t help but smile being around her. She’s a regular wiggle worm. ... She sits for treats and takes them gently. She does jump on you but gets down when told to do so. ..."
To ask the shelter about Dazzle, cite her ID #57576945 when call 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
You can see Judi's entire bio report by going to Dazzle's listing on the Mesquite Shelter website. Click on this:
https://www.cityofmesquite.com/1239/Animals-in-the-Shelter. Then navigate to the adoptables.
There are many, many more available at Mesquite. I thought I'd close with this boy Zayn. Striking face at such a young age!!!
And as long as your on that Mesquite shelter site, you can see the volunteer-written biographies of these dogs by scrolling through the list of adorable adoptables. Look for Lab mix Dixie (#57560679); Mixed Breed Minnie Mae (#57565669); Shiba Inu/Kelpie mix Gus (#57574325) and "Speckled Lab mix Murphy (357574115).
[LARRY ASIDE: Thanks to the hustling dog-writers for the great work and the cat link. You'd think that there are enough people now living in the Metro area to give a good home to every animal in every shelter by the time the Winter of '25 Thaw sets in.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
ASSORTED NOTES OF STUFF AND STRAYS
Way back in the early '70s I took a job as a reporter at a tabloid newspaper called The Fort Worth Press. I started that job in December and a month later I first heard a very special local term for cold and wet conditions: "Stock Show Weather." The 2025 Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo runs Jan. 17-Feb. 8, so, the current conditions are, so to a speak, just a "warm-up act" for this year's Stock Show weather. ...
SPEAKING OF TRADITIONS: Somebody move the Cotton Bowl back to the Cotton Bowl. It will help get the Earth back on its axis. Open some new malls, too. That'll help with the American equilibrium. ....
BACK TO STRAYS: Among the hundreds of news stories and feature stories I may see each day, was this one on Thursday morning.
I've copied the headline and the photo and here is the LINK THAT CONNECTED me to the story. It immediately had me contemplating because
we currently live with three formerly stray dogs who have given us a lifetime-and-a-half of joy. In the 33 years Martha and I have been married, we've adopted a lot of dogs and cats and quite a few were strays -- all dignified enough to be involved in international negotiations for peace on earth. Honest!
--- Offer genius ideas or whatever you can come up with to benefit the planet by clicking on 'comment' below or by emailing [email protected]. ---
