EDITION OF MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2025 [PetPowellPress] Some Mondays turn out to be so different from others. This is one of those different Mondays.
We'll introduce no philosophizing, just some facts and notions.
At our house during the weekend, we spend a good bit of time huggin' dogs and cats --- all former former wanderers in big cities. Think about your own animals and the animal-people you know as we go through this edition.
THE OBITUARY
IN THE BIG PAPER
As I caught up on my Sunday newspaper reading during the evening hours, I found the obituary for one of the guiding lights of animal rescue, the great Ed Busch, husband of Sydney Busch, our constant contact with Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake.
I first encountered the gentleman Ed Busch in the early '70s when he had a talk radio show on the now-gone radio station WBAP-AM in Dallas. Entertaining and interesting. Years pass and he's a noted national radio industry consultant living in Mabank with Sydney and they are guiding lights for the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake -- they develop ways people can help animals, including the creation of the Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic in Gun Barrel City and a system of providing low-cost shots and care for animals at the clinic. .
Here is the link to the Ed Busch obituary in The Dallas Morning News. The obituary's section about memorials reads, "For anyone considering a memorial gift, it was Ed's wish that you please donate to your local animal shelter, where your contribution will do the most good in your community; then consider volunteering or adopting one of many loving animals just waiting for a forever home.""
Here's a link to the Friends' Facebook site.
MEANWHILE, IN BURNS FLAT,
TWO DOGS AND TERRY LYNN
As you may recall, we've been writing for years about the heroic animal rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher in Burns Flat, Okla. That's a little town so far west in Oklahoma that it might as well have a Texas Panhandle Zip Code.
Lately, Terry Lynn's friends and fans have been monitoring her determination to beat a heart health situation that has tried to knock her on on backside but hasn't been able to thanks to timely medical care and TLT (Terry Lynn Toughness).
But, now and then, Terry Lynn encounters something in the animal world that can break her heart.
Here's the note she sent over the weekend.
"My heart is broken….Back in February, one of the fire fighters called Jason about a litter of 7 puppies dumped out east of town
"We went and looked. They were so little. The wind chills at that time got down to -20 at night. So, of course, we loaded them up and took them home
"I found wonderful homes for five and the other two have still been with me.
"Due to my health issues, it’s been really hard to care for them but what do you do? I wouldn’t bail on them because it
was hard for me, so here they stayed. I have been actively searching for rescue or foster because it’s really getting to be
too much for me right now
"Yesterday morning *the 26th), Rowdy, the little male wasn’t as frisky as he usually was. We watched him throughout the day and he seemed ok, just like maybe he was sore or something. When i got them out this morning he just wasn’t himself. I called the vet but mine is out of town and i never got any call backs from other ones. He was going to head to my vet as soon as he is back in town.
"Rowdy had been drinking but would not eat. Jason was going to come help me later to feed him with a syringe I was out back with my dogs about a hour ago, and he was drinking water, but still not acting right.
"I went and got their room ready with food and water and fresh blankets, and then I walked out back to get them in. The little girl jumped up right away and ran to the gate, but Rowdy just laid there. He went to sleep and just did not wake up. This poor sweet boy did not survive it. He looks so peaceful laying in there, and I’m pretty sure he probably ate something and got a blockage because there was part of the boxspring that they had tore up. I just wished I could’ve got him in somewhere to save him, but he is now at peace.
"These weren’t even my dogs, I was just taking care of them until we could find a home for them. But it still hurts so bad, that I could not save his life.
"I’m waiting for someone to get home to help me bury him, and his sister Speckles is in their room. It’s kind of weird because she’s in there howling, and I’ve never heard that before. I just don’t feel like I can handle all this right now, I don’t feel well, I’m tired, now this heartbreak is just too much.
"I’m sorry, my sweet Rowdy. I hope you at least felt love while you were here. The hard part about Rescue. Sometimes it’s just too much. I’m so sorry i failed you little man."
[LARRY ASIDE: From there, over the weekend, Terry Lynn moved to this accounting of the stories of these last two from a rescued (dumped) litter she'd worked to save.]
THE LATEST ON SPECKLES...
As the weekend was coming to a close, Terry Lynn provided this update on Rowdy's sister Speckles, described as "a seven-month-old Catahoula mix…. full of love and playful. She gets along with all other dogs."
Terry Lynn took in Speckles "and her six siblings in back in frigid February after someone dumped them east of Burns Flat.
Homes were found for all the pups but Rowdy (see above story) and Speckles.
Terry Lynn writes, "She is so unique looking. She is ready for a home of her own and I really need help with her. She has had her shots and gets spayed next month. She had a few people wanting her in the beginning but they just weren’t good homes for her so she is still here.
"If interested in adopting Speckles, or if you’re a rescue with room, please message me Terry Lynn Fisher at [email protected].
[LARRY ASIDE: Terry Lynn says she will work with you to arrange transportation for Speckles.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
A MONDAY
"Air-conditioning is hard to adjust," said the husband, "My toes are freezing off." "Sleep on the porch," his comfortable wife with the toasty toes replied just before nodding off. [Dialogue from unpublished novel Be Quiet, The Dogs 'n' Cats Agreed.]....
LARRY WEEKEND NOTE: I sat under the shade tree in the backyard with the dogs over the weekend. It was a stupid thing to do. The dogs were OK, but I felt like falling over when I tried to stand up. The truth may be that though I was born into an un-air-conditioned era, I am a genuine child of air-conditioning. ...
COLLEGES ARE AIR-CONDITIONED. You'd think I'd have earned two or three degrees just to stay chilled. Nah, turned out newspaper newsrooms were air-conditioned. (I made a decision -- and got to drink coffee at my desk.)
--- Offer ideas or dog 'n' cat tales by clicking on 'COMMENT' below or email [email protected] and put 'CHILL--A SUGGESTION' in the subject line. ---
