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CATS, DOGS, RESCUES AND A TRADITIONAL FUND DRIVE FOR 'EM ALL -- PLUS COOL TEXAS TEMPS AND THE GREAT STATE FAIR

EDITION OF THURSDAY, SEPT. 5, 2025 [PetPowellPress] Fleeting thought: Isn’’t it wonderful how State Fair of Texas temps have arrived in plenty of time to chill Fair Park and the Midway before the great Fair opens for its September 27-October 20 run!
You can see a lot of things at the State Fair of Texas that you won’t see anywhere else. For example, consider this artistic tribute to Big Tex. Created with buttons -- if my eyes do not deceive me! We’ll follow up on the Fair in Contemplations. First, we’ll try to help animals and the people who are helping them. You don’t have to wear boots to help animals though I have been in animal circumstances in which boots were pretty good idea thought of much too late -- of course.
AND, OF COURSE, YOU MAY
HAVE SEEN A ‘GIVING DAY’ NOTE
Or two. Or 20. Or more. Lots of local animal groups are signed up for this annual fundraiser. We’ve gotten several notes and we’re citing
one non-profit in particular for no particular reason except readlarrypowell.com likes cats and this non-profit’s note came with a lovely trio of kittens. (Also we’ve written now-and-then about Take Me Home Pet Rescue for many years —if memory serves.
Our office dogs think those cats are cute, too. Senior Office Cat, the handsome William Powell, mumbled, “We’ll see how long cute lasts” and looked into a mirror and smiled cutely, handsomely.
So, consider this a general reminder on behalf of all organizations that have registered to participate in the annual North Texas Giving Day Drive. You can give now and all the way through Giving Day on September 19, according to the website at northtexasgivingday,org. Click on “DONATE” and open the “Find a Cause” link where you can navigate to the organization of your choice or explore animal rescue organizations among many others with human causes.
Here’s the story on the photo of the kittens. It came from the email from Dana Huffman, President & Volunteer at Richardson-based Take Me Home Pet Rescue. The story reads: “Meet the Star Wars litter discovered by a feral feeder in Arlington. Their momma was gone! A call to Take Me Home set our rescue in motion. Volunteers transported the babies to North Texas, got them the medical care they needed and then handed them off to loving foster homes. Finn, Solo and Poe are thriving and ready to meet their new families.This is just one rescue story. So many more are happening as I write.” And Dana’s note adds, “Please consider an early gift, or a gift on September 19, North Texas Giving Day. If you are unable to donate please consider being a foster.  We cover all food and medical costs. Your participation keeps us doing the work we love, saving as many dogs and cats as we can!”
[LARRY ASIDE: Yep, money is essential, but fostering is divine. May all animal-oriented non-profits hit the jackpot for North Texas Giving Day.]
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE
AN ASSORTMENT OF ADORABLES
As you know, Mesquite Animal Services has a team of determined volunteers who work to get animals into loving homes.
These biographies can generally be seen on the Mesquite Animal Shelter website HERE.
At readlarrypowell.com we present some of the many bios and we “edit” them to fit into our space. But you, Dear Readers, can click on the Mesquite link and read the entire biographies and see photos the animals who need homes. (The writers, among them Judi Brown and Debra Chisholm, provide a first hand/first paw presentation of the dogs’ moods, tendencies and love of adoration.)
Today’s bios are provided by Judi Brown, our first Mesquite shelter dog-writin' contact years ago. Here we go with the edited versions of Judi’s bios!
This first pup is Radar (#56648737), a 4-year-old, 50-pound black and white Pittie with, the bio reads, “a cute face” and a personality that is “easy-going, affectionate” and “super sweet.”
Judi wrote, “I know you’re thinking here’s another black dog and a terrier Pit at that! Well, Radar isn’t just any black terrier Pit. He’s got an exceptionally sweet, easy-going disposition and an adorable face! Besides that he’s a Dallas Cowboy fan (see scarf)! … He waited patiently in his kennel for me to get him out, but then immediately let me know that he was happy to see me. … He wants to please and looks up at you with adoring brown eyes. He’s loving, calm, friendly, tail wagging, happy, and well mannered. He appears to be very devoted and surely would make a loyal companion….”
Remember, see more of the bio on the shelter website and cite his Mesquite Shelter ID #56648727 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Same system for this girl Celeste, also bio’d by Judi. Celeste is #56593716.
Judi wrote, “Celeste means 'heavenly,' which is an appropriate name for this sweet girl. Celeste is a 1 to 2-year-old, 35-pound brindle Husky/Dutch Shepherd mix that came to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/19 as a stray. The bonus is that she’s already spayed.
“She also wanted to wear a bright colored scarf to attract your attention. Her tail curls with a tip of white on the end. She also has one blue eye and one brown eye. She leaped and bounded around the yard, and sometimes got so excited that she jumped on me. … She is smart so she would be a quick study. … She came running to me when I called her from across the yard. She’s affectionate and seeks attention. She’s curious, friendly, outgoing, frisky, playful, and joyful. …”
Judi also provided the bio of Darla who, Judi writes, "is very unique in her markings. Her head is completely black. Then the rest of her body is black and white. Look at those standup ears! Darla is a 4- to 5-year-old, 40-pound Fox Terrier/Rat Terrier mix that came into the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/27 as a stray.
“She should compete for the Olympics. She is very agile! She loves to get up on things … I’m assuming it gives her a better view of her environment. She will also need a very secure, tall fence as it appeared she was trying to find a way to get out of the yard. Possibly she’s looking for her previous owners. … She is friendly and seeks affection. When I first went to her kennel, she struck out her paw as if she was saying ‘Pick me.’ She also came and put her head on my lap."
Darla is #56648758. Cite it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
That brings us to Addie (#56656572), an 8-year-old, 50-pound Australian Kelpie/Shepherd mix. She came in as a stray on Aug. 28. Judi writes that Addie “was cautiously friendly, but with time I won her over. I suspect she has not had the love and pampering she deserves. She has relatively large mammary tumors and lipomas. …age related! Her eyes are also matted and she has some minor hair loss down her back. She has been given Nexgard. In spite of that she has forgiven her previous adopters and is wanting to go into a quiet, laid-back, loving home environment where she can live out the rest of her life!”
Again, to ask about Addie, follow the same routine: Cite her shelter ID number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected]. Judi says Addie "was in seventh heaven when given a soft blanket!”
Remember, visit that Animals in the Shelter link
https://www.cityofmesquite.com/1239/Animals-in-the-Shelter.  to see the complete biographies and many other dogs and cats and kittens.
This cat? He’s a cat with coincidence —in keeping with the opening Take Me Home kittens’ theme that Mesquite cat is Skywalker (#56495307), a youngish Domestic Shorthair Mix with a gray and black coat. He’s been in the shelter since August 3. He’s available for adoption. So, where would you find Skywalker in Mesquite? He’s waiting in the Mesquite Animal Shelter Cat Room.
[LARRY ASIDE: May the Happy Adoption Force be with him!]
CONTEMPLATIONS
AH, THE COOL WEATHER'S INFLUENCE
Back to the State Fair of Texas and its legendary Creative Arts.
You can see lots of Creative Arts entries and triumphs by visiting
bigtex.com and clicking on “Get Involved” and, then, “Creative Arts.” Click on that steer painting so it'll grow and you'll see the colors -- or go to bigtex.com and see it on the Fair's website.
The State Fair of Texas demonstrates to the world that not all Texans are rich oil producers or cattle barons or bankers who moved here from New York City.
Some Texans work to win blue ribbons with fantastic recipes and all sorts of canned fruits and vegetables, and pictures with brushes or with cameras and…well, it’s artsy and takes talent, there are Texans trying to conquer it.
Some of us, of course, gleefully walk the happily crowded Midway while hoping to win win a stuffed bear so big you gotta swap your electric car for a gas-powered pickup to get it all the way home. Ah, Dear Readers, thank you for allowing me to daydream a little bit. After all, as the song written by Rodgers & Hammerstein for the early '60s State Fair movie goes:
“Our state fair is a great state fair
Don’t miss it, don’t even be late
Our state fair is a great state fair,
It’s the best state fair in our state.”
[LARRY ASIDE: Well, heck, this is a pretty darned big state.]
—- Offer wisdom or wax eloquently by clicking on “comment” below or by emailing [email protected] and put “LAY OFF THE FAIR SWEETS” in the subject line. ——

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.
—- OFFER ADVICE OR CHAGRIN BY CLICKING ON ‘COMMENT’ BELOW OR BY. EMAILING [email protected] AND DEMAND ANSWERS. —-

ONCE UPON A TIME, A GUY PAINTING A HOUSE ACQUIRED A GREAT PERSONAITY IN A CAT SUIT

[DEAR READERS: You can interpret that headline in a few ways, but I'll confess right now that I've never acquired a personality in a cat suit. I don't own a cat suit. Now, read on about William Powell.]
Here we are, my fellow Americans, celebrating Labor Day 2024, a Monday federal holiday created in honor of Americans who work!
As my Senior Office Cat William Powell points out, “You are, after all, the son of a union man.”

So true. And we have workers in our own home office. Now, let’s ease our way into this edition of our long-running weekend feature titled “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.”
That is one of the our earliest photos of Senior Office Cat William Powell. I’d been outside, one foot on a ladder and the other on the “brick-walled” front-of-the-house flower bed. Why? Because in that Summer 2018 it was time to paint the wood trim on our home in a nice neighborhood in southern Oak Cliff. And that brings us to William Powell’s arrival.
There I was — only an aluminum ladder to keep my fat backside delicately balanced — and I was scraping some inexplicably untidy white paint off the wood.
[DEAR READERS: Keep in mind that at that point in life I’d spent from Summer 1965 through Summer of 2018 without ever having learned to do anything profitable except type while simultaneously remembering the alphabet and the rules for spelling and grammar, some of which I followed flawlessly for decades. I never learned how to really "work."]
I looked down from my uncertain perch and sitting on the sidewalk between the flowerbed and the grassy yard, was a young cat. I got down off the wall by deftly descending via ladder and sat down on the flowerbed wall while feeling safe for the first time in hours. That’s my blue shirt — the rest of it had white
specks and accidental smears. And that cat that ventured up to sit next to me is the wandering —- nearly
grown-up — kitten who would become known as “William Powell.”
In the following hours he quickly adapted to his position of leadership in the household. [That's William snoozing in his personal rocking chair in the bedroom. He might share it with Junior Office Cat Stevie Ray if pressed.]
Nowadays, the first thing every morning is William shows the other cats and the dogs that it’s time to have breakfast at their assigned AODs — Areas of Dining. Then, when I go to my office to begin typing on some piece of great fiction or entertaining nonfiction or letters and emails to my dear friends, William races to beat me to the office. [On the left, that's Dudley the Angel, William at the door to Martha's office and, on Martha's office floor, Hastings, the kitten rescued off a Duncanville Street.
Back to William: He leaps onto his Office Observation Platform Site (OOPS) to make sure all is OK from the house to the street [photo right]. If it isn’t he may sound an alarm — kind of a guttural snarl. Amplified, it would sound like a giant dinosaur threatening a city in a movie.

William, as the Senior Office Cat, is also responsible for educating Stevie Ray Treeboy, the Junior Office Cat I rescued when I found him yowling to the world while intently gripping a flimsy mimosa branch early one morning in 2018 — that mimosa was about 25 feet from the flowerbed but, a few years later, the new owners had the tree removed and took out all the precious flowers (My rose bush! My rose bush!, bawled the typer) I’d dripped paint on when William and I gave that side of the house a new coat of tough, cheap white paint.
Back to the day I met William. That’s my blue painting shirt in the corner of the photo as William — such green eyes — explains the principles of paint-brushing on wooden surfaces to me. He held up his front paws and all I could see was fur nearly covering the pads. He said to me, “Follow this rule: If you’re painting, keep these babies covered!” he yowled as he whipped out his claws. He added, “The rule is ‘Cover the surface, don’t carve it!’ That’s the Law of the Cats.” [LARRY ASIDE: I speak Cat semi-fluently.]
Such a smart cat. In fact, that  day I met him, I walked over to our front door, opened it, asked, “Would you like to come in?” He responded by walking in, looking around and staying— He has never again volunteered to help me paint anything in or out of the house.
“I’m a housecat,” he once told me. “It is my elevated position in life and I’m keeping it.”
William’s “do-no-actual labor — advise only” attitude is why he’s in top management at readlarrypowell.com.
He raised Stevie Ray — taught him how to nap quietly, how to show up for meals, how to flop in the office and be ready for assignments. How to charm, then lecture dogs — the dogs learned behavior rules from William, too.
Yes, Dear Readers and dog and cat fans, the guy who types all this stuff is crazy about cats and dogs. And William Powell is the guiding light for mannerly behavior in its, dogs or children in any office situation.
The feline napper William Powell is a cool cat — awake, asleep or monitoring the work in the office.
The final photo? There’s William and Stevie Ray in a counseling session on that Office Observation Platform Site. (OOPS). [LARRY CONFESSION; William refuses to refer to it as “The OOPS.” He’s too clever a cat to stoop to my level. — LARRY]
[DEAR READERS: Send photos of your slumbering critters to [email protected] and tell us why you love ‘em and how you got ‘em. We’ll spotlight them in our long-running weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. It’s a joy to see why people love their critters — and readlarrypowell.com believes it helps people decide to make room in their lives for a dog, a cat or any other critter in need of a loving life.]

HOLIDAY WEEKEND? MAKE LIFE A HOLIDAY FOR DOGS & CATS. WHAT OF LEVELLAND & UFOS?

EDITION OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024 [PetPowellPress]. As we head into the Labor Day Weekend, everybody remember to ignore the … wait. I forgot what we’re should ignore.
Oh, yeah! Ignore glowing circular objects flying in formation in the Texas sky. Consider this: “I’ll never forget the Thanksgiving Saucer Invasion of the Panhandle in 1957.”
Hang on. Time-out. (Pregnant pause…..) Oops, I accidentally copied and pasted a rejected sentence from my next sci-fi novel — it’s titled, “That’s Not Dallas: It’s Houston.”
Speaking of, did you see the recent news story about Dallas distributing a promotional packet that, instead of a picture of Big D had a photo of Houston on the cover?
Somehow that “can’t tell Dallas from Houston” event reminded me of a 1957 sighting of flying saucers at Levelland, about 45 minutes west of Lubbock in the Texas Panhandle.
More in Contemplations. First, we try to help Earthlings help Earthdogs and Earthcats. [LARRY ASIDE: It’s an election year — I promised not to mention Earthrats.]
AND NOW, INTRODUCING
A LITTLE PUMPERNICKEL
[DEAR READERS, At readlarrypowell.com we learned long ago that one of the surefire ways of becoming transfixed by a dog or cat involves the ol’ phrase: “Look directly into the eyes….” I was reminded of that when I read our pal Debra Chisholm’s opening to the story of this   Mesquite Animal Services dog. The eyes will grab your heart! Read on and hand your heart over.’]
Debra writes, “Look into the eyes of this precious boy and you will see uncertainty and yes, even hope.  He is Pumpernickel, a mixed breed boy that was found wandering around in a parking lot in a high business district.  The likelihood that he was dumped is high considering that there were no houses nearby. 
“Perhaps it was because he has Demodex mange and his owner did not want to deal with it.  Who knows?  Bottom line, he is at the Mesquite Animal Shelter and needing out.”
He is “rescue only” due to the Demodex mange for which the shelter is resting him.
Debra says he’s 5 or 6 months old, weighs 28 pounds and “He does not know to walk on a leash so had to be carried to the room in which I did his eval.  We will be working with him on that.  He likes treats and takes them politely.  He will sit in anticipation of yet another one.  Despite his past experience he is in good spirits and enjoys human companionship, being spoken to softly and gently and petted.
“I got some tentative tail wags from sweet boy as we hung out together.  This calm and gentle pup needs out badly because a city shelter is no place to get healthy from a skin issue such as Demodex. “
Pumpernickel is #56628872. Cite his number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email at [email protected].|
Debra also provided the photo and bio of this beauty, Wendy.
{LARRY ASIDE: Is that not clearly a Hollywood publicity portrait for a beautiful household dog? If we didn’t already have a Wendy Dog I’d get in line to sign the papers.]
Debra says Wendy is “an American Pit Bull/American Staffordshire Terrier mix picked up as a stray by one of our officers and brought to the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/23. She weighs 60 pounds and is about 2 years of age.”
As you know, Dear readers, the Mesquite volunteer dog biographers spend time with the animals to help prospective adoptors and rescuers understand them. Debra wrote, “Wendy initially had a hard time feeling comfortable with us and still is somewhat timid and nervous.  Currently in her kennel she is a bit lethargic and uninterested in what is going on around her.  However, when I got her out and walked her around she perked up.  She responds to human closeness and affection.  Right now she has a low energy level but we expect her to become more lively and alert as we continue to interact with her.  She likes treats and will sit for them, taking them nicely. In the room in which I took her pictures she climbed onto a lower shelf that had a pile of fluffy blankets and was content to enjoy the luxury of the quiet space and soft blankets. She appears to have lived as a outside dog with calluses on her elbow and a coat that is dull, though she seems to have been well fed.  Wendy has found a place in my heart and I'm hoping someone will read this eval and view her pics and realize her potential to be a devoted companion.”
Wendy is #56624046. Cite that number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email at [email protected].
DEAR READERS: As you know, Mesquite Animal Services, the staffers and the volunteer dog-writers maintain a steady presentation of the shelter’s adoptable dogs and cats. So, OK, here’s one more dog before we get to a cat.]
This guy Gabe comes with a set of directions on his photos. Debra forwarded the bio by Catherine Ludwick. Gabe is #5524967. [HIs first photo directs "Kiss here!"]
Catherine wrote, "Spending time with Gabe may result in the following side effects: (1) uncontrollable urge to kiss Gabe’s wrinkled forehead, (2) tendency to relax while rubbing Gabe’s silky ears, (3) pride when people stop you to tell you how pretty Gabe is, and (4) desire to pet and cuddle Gabe.  Gabe is a 2-1/2-year-old neutered male American Staffordshire/Tosa mix who weighs 57lbs.
"He came in as a stray on 2/9 to the Mesquite Animal Shelter. Yes, that’s over 200 days in the shelter, and Gabe is struggling! Let’s save this extraordinary boy.”
To ask about Gabe, cite his ID #5524967 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
At this Mesquite shelter LINK you can see all sorts of dogs and cats — all ages. And you’ll even see some without names. For example, this is #56662654 — a Domestic Medium Hair Mix who came into the shelter on August 29. The age is not listed in this cat’s bio. And neither is the gender. This is, thus, the cat with no name. [LARRY ASIDE: Perhaps “Clint Eastcat” would be a good name.]. This cat’s gender is not identifiable and that suggests a reluctance to reveal secrets to strangers. A lot of cats are like that. This one is “available,” the shelter bio says, and you can see “Clint Eastcat” --ask for him by number, of course! -- in the “Feral Room.” [LARRY ASIDE: It has been our experience that “feral” is just a label and the label can be changed with the right amount of tender human care. FYI: Our Senior Office Cat William Powell and Junior Office Cat Stevie Ray Treeboy both came from feral situations and have turned out to be quite adorable. Get to know your cat; let your cat get to know you; pay them above the Screen Actor’s Guild Feline Character Actor scale.]

CONTEMPLATIONS
BELOVED ‘ANIMAL NUTS’ & 
THE LEVELLAND STORY OF 1957
At one point in our decades-long history at readlarrypowell.com, I almost knew how many shelters there were in the area known as the “Metroplex.” And I had a bit of a handle on how many rescue groups were operating around here — operative word “LOTS,” as in “lots of ‘em!." But it takes a special talent for organization and a gift of wrangling numbers to keep up with the statistics. You’re ol’ pal Larry has no number sense and his ability to organize accurately and consistently vanished in first grade when he got an box of 8 crayons and lost count at 4.
So, here’s the suggestion: The internet was created to help animal lovers keep up with the populations of city shelters, non-profit shelters, animal rescue groups and general challenges to the well being of animals. Yep, the whole internet was created just for us saps with cheap computers and limited attention spans. That’s a blanket description that inexperetly and without supportng facts covers all 254 animal-loving counties in the Lone Star State. Our theory at readlarrypowell.com is this: There is at least one Animal Nut, er, Animal Advocate with a computer in every single one of those counties.
If you know of a county without an Animal Nut (among the highest forms of praise we can deliver at readlarrypowell.com) let us know. Our two highest forms of praise? “Good dog!” and “Good cat!”
NOW ABOUT LEVELLAND. Levelland and UFOs? Yep, made a big splash in November 1957. I made a reference earlier to Levelland being about 45 minutes west of Lubbock. As it turns out, in the world of UFO Lore, Levelland is 2 1/2hours east of Roswell, N.M, by car — I don’t know how far it is by flying saucer. Here's a LEVELLAND UFO WIKIPEDIA LINK.
—- ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY WEEKEND ON PLANET EARTH and tell us where you’re from by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘I SAW YOU ON MARS’ in the subject line. ——

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2024 [PetPowellPress] I fell in the kitchen Tuesday morning. Tuesday evening rain fell on our neighborhood. I’m not sure there’s a connection. My Office Cat William Powell has waved me off of my inclination to pursue scientific explanations. He traces everything back to July 1969 when The Eagle landed on the moon without asking the local landing strip for permission. “Galactic manners matter,” William frequently tells me. “Earthlings could learn from the communication customs.”
WE GET A HAPPY REPORT
& AN APPEAL ON BEHALF
OF THE GOOD GIRL PHOENIX
You may recognize this dog — Phoenix is the little girl who was inexplicably, but seriously burned, rescued by the Euless Animal Shelter and wound up in the care of Trinity GAP Rescue. Horrible burn on her back.
And, here she is, in the cone that signals “I’m getting well!,”
Our pal Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com forwarded an update from Steffenie Vela of Trinity Gap Rescue. As you may know, barkleyworld.com was established to help animals get hard-to-fund medical care. And Trinity GAP Rescue evolved from a project of the Euless Trinity High School Girls Awareness Program.
The update on Phoenix is “she is healing so nicely and GAP thanks you ALL for your donations to help her.”
Now, there is “another urgent need, Karen’s note read. And she quoted Steffenie:
Phoenix “is losing her medical foster September 4 and has no place to go. We need a foster for this sweet girl. She is doing so great and is also in training since she is a 7-month-old puppy. We just can’t put her in boarding or back at the shelter after all she has gone through.
“Her wounds are almost healed and she no longer has to go to the vet except for check ups. She is our miracle puppy!
“Thanks to all who supported her. We are so grateful.
“If you would like to foster or adopt this amazing and loving girl, please email [email protected]."
And, remember, you can also help animals by donating to barkleyworld.com — the story of its creation is on the website.
A LOOK AT (QUOTING)
‘UNDISCOVERED TREASURES’
Our longtime Mesquite Animal Services contact Debra Chisholm, forwarded this message about a dog named Beckett (#55930966).
The note from Catherine Ludwick has several facets of rescue and shelter life.
Catherine wrote, “There are lots of undiscovered treasures at Mesquite Animal Shelter! All you have to do to find it is to look beyond kennel behavior and spend time outside of the shelter with these dogs!
“One such hidden treasure is Beckett. What a beauty inside and out. Beckett is a social and active boy who wants to be with his people. Outside the kennel he’s calm, curious, and affectionate; Beckett shines!
“Beckett is a stray who arrived on 5/15 at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. He may be Belgian Shepherd and Black Mouth Cur in his breed mix. He has the most captivating eyes, weighs 53 pounds, is approx 1 1/2 years old, and has been neutered. He is one lively fellow with plenty of personality. Don’t overlook Beckett!” Remember, cite his ID #55930966 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
See many more “undiscovered treasures” in the Mesquite Animal Shelter — plenty of dogs and plenty of cats at this MESQUITE SHELTER LINK. 
Among the adoptable kittens is this guy Carrot, He’s small and “red,” his bio says. A Domestic Shorthair Mix, he’s just over 3 months old and arrived at the shelter on July 26. Available to adopt — just walking the shelter’s Conference Room and look for a brightly kitten called Carrot.
CONTEMPLATIONS
DINAH & INSPIRATION…
It seems appropriate that readlarrypowell.com cites with gratitude the “star” of last weekend’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cat Nap. — that was this beautiful girl Dinah, nominated by her human, Lori Teutsch of Dallas.  Dinah’s held the job as “loyal companion” for the past 8 year. She was adopted at 7 weeks old from Texas Pawprints Cat Rescue.
I love it when people love their animals and help us show them off to people who may not have a cat or a dog. (If you’ve got a dog or cat and photos of the beloved critter sleeping or napping, send the story of how you got ‘em and what they mean to you and  photos of them awake, sleeping and napping to [email protected]. My belief is that demonstrations of beloved animals in a loving home encourage other people to understand that they, too, can both help animals and benefit themselves by adopting an animal and living up to the joy of being the human the animal loves.
Send photos of your slumberer/napper/sleeper and their stories to [email protected]. We’ve been celebrating the animals and their people in our weekend editions since the early part of this century. And we've never had a typographical errrur. -- Sincerely, Larry (& His Sleeping Dogs and Napping Cats.)
—- Celebrate animals and tell people about the cool sides of dogs and cats by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected]. —-

 

IN THE WAKE OF AN AMUSING KITCHEN MOMENT, WE DISCUSS A MOMMA DOG AND 3 PUPS, PLUS HIGH POINTS IN A LIFE

EDITION OF TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY/MAYBE BEYOND 8-27/28/’24 [PetPowellPress] OK, Dear Readers, we’re a little slow out of the chute for this particular edition. More in Contemplations. But at least (knock on wood) it’s not two internet failures in a row. And, yes, that is my personal dog Porche Noel -- I love her plays a major role in this edition's early morning drama. She also has never spent a moment in a city shelter -- that we know of -- rescued dog, adored and treasured.
FYI: There are a zillion (not an official count) city taxpayer-financed shelters in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area. Anybody know of a shelter that has a bit of room for more dogs and cats? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
Just as humans put these animals into shelters (by intention, accident, or raging ignorance), only humans can get ‘em out. What we can’t figure out how to get people beyond the usual pro-animal circles interested in saving these lives. Bless all you animal people for keepin’ on keeping on!
MEANWHILE, MOM & HER
3 STILL-NURSING PUPS
NEED A SAFE PLACE
Yep, this is a Momma Dog and her babies story of a special situation. They are safe BECAUSE of a shelter and now they need that transitional home.
As you probably know either from eyewitness accounts or from a reports on readlarrypowell.com, Mesquite Animal Services has staffers and volunteers constantly at work saving lives of shelter animals. Sometimes they save ‘em BEFORE they are shelter animals. Read on.
Our prime source for the Mesquite bios and photos is the group of volunteer biographers who not only write about the animals but also get to meet them and learn about them so they can better profile them on the Mesquite Animal Services website. Helps people get interested in adopting an animal — such as that beautiful, obviously momma dog, Maxine, and her three pups.
Debra Chisholm tells us about this family. She begins: “Let me introduce you to three adorable 2-month-old pups and their Mom, Maxine.”
The puppies have been “coat-coded” so we can tell them apart.

Debra writes, “They are Poppy ID 56575473 (white), Boots ID 56575479 (black), Roxie ID 56618918 (brown/black) and mama Maxine ID 56575465.
“Maxine, Poppy and Boots were picked up by one of our officers and Roxie was brought to the shelter on 8/21.  Here's their story:  “Maxine had been homeless and eluding our officers for months.  “When one of our officers spoke with the residents, they stated that she had pups on their property that she had made her home — an abandoned vacant backyard full of trash and junk. 
“Finally on 8/15 one of our officers calmly and gently approached Maxine and after gaining her trust was able to leash her and bring the three of them to the shelter. Apparently she was tired of trying to survive alone with her pups.  The pups all weigh between 5-6 pounds. 
“Poppy, the white pup is the most extroverted and active.  She is quite the explorer, playful, friendly and an absolutely adorable ball of fluff. 
“Boots, the black pup, is timid, shy and fearful. He just seemed to want to find a corner in which to huddle and hopes he appears invisible.  However, he did warm up a bit during the photo session and began to explore the room.  He was totally OK with being held, cuddled and loved on! 
“And then there's Roxie, the brown/black pup, also shy, timid and uneasy.  She, too, was a-ok with snuggling, cuddling, and being kissed and loved on and is in need of plenty of TLC, patience and affection. 
“Mama and pups are a package deal since the youngsters are not weaned.  A city shelter is no place for 2-month-old-puppies whose immune systems are not adequately developed. 
“Please assist by networking or tagging at [email protected], typing their ID numbers (above) in the subject line.  They are a precious family in need of a well-deserved home.  If more info is needed please call 972-216-6283 or email at [email protected].”
CONTEMPLATIONS
CONFESSION? KERPLUNK?
Had an early morning slip & fall on the kitchen tile and I can’t raise my right typing hand any higher than the colon. What? The colon on the keyboard, silly, though I did jostle the innards and I won’t be able to pitch for the Texas Rangers for a couple of weeks. Truth is, I never really considered Porche Noel to be a roadblock until about 5:56 a.m. when she moved to the right when I expected her to move to the left. Ooof. She’s OK. Was untouched by my fall and then ate well, too.
Early in the morning I wrote, “I’m hoping to draw a comfortable breath by sundown — it’s the right side and that nostril is a little larger — now! Never pick your nose while innocently walking through your own home — I’m always learning philosophical lessons from my own mishaps.
Back to Porche Noel: My mission was to get her outside before she went inside, if you get my drift.
The delay I spent gasping for air (while waiting for the team first aid crew to rush into the kitchen with a stretcher and oxygen) was enough for me to recover and stand up while waving to the crowd. (The other two dogs and a chuckling cat were just observers, though the cat kept pointing to my slick-souled house shoes and laughin’, “Shoulda paid extra for the Claws Model!”.) That's Stevie Ray with the straight face -- as soon as the shutter snapped, he exploded with catlaughter.
To the mechanics of the situation. When I Iean to the left as I type, I feel normal — that’s not a political assessment from a longtime journalist — it’s a recognition of my new never-before-felt rib pain! Lose enough weigh and when you hit the floor, your ribs will let you know how exposed you are to a painful, sudden adult onset tumbling injury. Moving along….carefully. ….
IN A BIT OF SPEED-READING across the open screen on my computer I read “Who generally has the cheapest car insurance” and immediately I thought, “How does The Who score cheap car insurance?" Upon rereading, I realized the line had nothing to do with The Who but was just bait for an insurance company. Though, it did amuse me to think of old rock-n’-rollers retiring from the road and opening an insurance office.
What was The Who’s biggest hit? No idea. How about My Generation or, from the 1970’s "Rock Opera Tommy,” Pinball Wizard?
In honor of my fellow Baby Boomers and all our assorted “good and holy and decent” causes, how about The Who’s My Generation from December 1965? Remember the opening line, you rebel children? “People try to put us down.” [LARRY ASIDE: Clearly I struck my head in that kitchen fall and I have awakened six decades in the past — I still have my hair and my beard and, sometimes, I can sing along with a song on the radio if it’s tuned to a satellite broadcast from the ‘60s. Anybody else remember rock ’n’ roll on the AM radio frequencies? OK, everybody stay safe and watch your step.]
—- Talk about my generation or shoot yer mouth off by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘PARDON ME, SIR, MAY I HELP YOU UP?’ in the subject line. —-

NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGE OF COMPUTER 'SITUATIONS' AND HELPING ANIMALS, TOO --- MAYBE

EDITION OF MONDAY/TUESDAY AUG. 26-27, 2024 [PetPowellPress] The bewilderment of a Monday is difficult to endure sometimes. Old habit from school days. At least I don’t have a test I haven’t studied for this morning. I may have typed that sentence 3 hours too soon.
Look at it this way: Life is a pop quiz day after day.

[LARRY UPDATE AS 3 PM APPROACHED:  SOMEWHERE IN THE GREAT INTERWEB, ALONG ABOUT NOON, THERE WAS AN UNEXPLAINED BREAKDOWN OF SOMETHING THAT CAUSED OUR CONNECTSION OUT IN THE WORLD TO STOP WORKNG. NOW, AS WE APPROACHE 3 P.M., STUFF IS WORKING AGAIN. MY APOLOGIES ON BEHALF OF THE DOGS, CATS AND PEOPLE FOR THE INEXPLICABLE CRASH OF THE NONBIOCOMMUNICATION SYSTEM. SURELY NO HUMAN WAS TO BLAME. ]
QUILT? YOU NEED
A CATS ’N’ CUPS QUILT?
Yes, readlarrypowell.com confesses to being solidly a Fan of Cats. We’re also a Fan of Dogs. And, now and then, we even slide into the toughest category of all: “Fan of People.” You know how tough people can be to love.
OK, enough kidding about people in a political year. Look what these people have done on behalf of animals — again!
We got the note from our reliable tipster, Sydney Busch, the guiding light and public voice of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. As you probably know, the Friends operate the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City, Texas.
And their efforts are admired by a talented team of crafters who have, for years, quilted annually on behalf of the Friends, the Clinic and animals.
Sydney explains, “The wonderful women of the Gun Barrel Quilting Guild have again made and donated to us a fabulous full-size quilt to raffle…”
And, Sydney says, this beautiful quilt (the photos are “front and back) is on display at the clinic in Gun Barrel City. The tickets to support the Friends and help the animals are $5 each or 5 for $20. [LARRY ASIDE: There is no limit to the amount of money you may spend to help the Friends help the animals.]
The quilt will be raffled at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26, “just in time for Christmas,” Sydney writes.
If you’re in Dallas, you can get to Gun Barrel City in about an hour (minding the speed limit) by taking U.S. 175 southeasterly for about 60 miles .The clinic is at 122 Old Gun Barrel Ln #8 in Gun Barrel City.
[LARRY ASIDE: I cited the driving directions from Dallas because, as we all know, based on financial and corporate and sports reports, etc., Dallas has become the center of the universe. It’s all those new people who need directions. People who live in East Texas and Fort Worth already know how to get to Gun Barrel City.]
By the way, the Friends Clinic does spaying and neutering on Tuesdays and, on some Saturdays, it opens for low-cost vaccinations and a few other treatments of animals.
To get in touch with Sidney, email [email protected] or call 903-451-4701 or 214-808-4701. Follow the Friends at www.friendsoftheanimals.org or on Facebook HERE.
[LARRY NOTE: I’ve been posting photos of the Guild’s quilts for several years and they’re always fascinating. The kittens in the cups got to me this year! Who’da thought of that? Next year they’ll probably create a quilt with cats quilting! Live models will pose for it. I’m almost certain cats can quilt.]
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE,
SOME OF MANY TO HELP
Welcome to a Monday presentation of a brother/sister pair at Mesquite Animal Services.
First up is Clover (#56606144) — his sister is Cookie (#56606124).
“Sweet and timid,” Clover is, according to our tipster, the dog bio writer Judi Brown.
Judi says Clover is “also sweet and timid’ and, “He is darker than his sister and his ears are bigger. Clover is a 5-month-old, 18-pound Pittie/Basenji mix…”
Clover and Cookie came in on Aug. 20 as strays.
Judi says “Clover “wagged his tail constantly and stayed close seeking my attention. He’s very gentle and calm. He will most likely be much more outgoing when he’s in his forever, loving home. When I sat down he put his head on my lap. He was very hesitant about walking on the leash.  That’s something you could teach him. He loves having his ears scratched. He would like to be an inside dog where he can lay by you, and you can scratch his ears. As a reward, he will give you kisses!
Email [email protected] to tag Clover. Same contact point for Cookie. And, yes, use their ID numbers when you contact the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].

Judi writes that Cookie is “not only sweet, but timid.” She’s 5 months old, weighs 21 pounds and is a Pittie “with alluring hazel eyes.”
Judi says both Clover and Cookie “are too thin and need some groceries. Cookie’s ribs are showing. In spite of being timid she stayed close, obviously wanting to establish a relationship. At the same time her tail wagged constantly. She’s not only sweet, but she’s calm, gentle, and well mannered. When I sat down, she literally got on my lap and put her head on my shoulder. She didn’t want to get down. She seeks companionship, and there’s no doubt she would be very loyal. She would do best with a laid-back family.”
Lots more dogs and plenty of cats available at Mesquite Animal Services. You can see them at the shelter’s link HERE.
And among the cats and kittens is a kitten heading toward cat-hood!. This is Moon (#56363972).  Gw a little over 3 months old, a Domestic  Shorthair Mix and smallish with a brownish coat. He’s been in the shelter’s care since July 15 and the is currently available to become your personal cat. Where can you see him at the shelter? Where else would you put a communicative cat? Moon is in the Conference Room.
AND THEN, THERE’S A NEED
TO HELP DOGS GET OUTTA TOWN!
You’re aware, no doubt, of Tawana Couch’s enduring non-profit organization The Society for Companion Animals.
We’re citing two needs that appeared in the latest email we got from Tawana.
— “TRANSPORT AND FOSTERS NEEDED!,” the headline read. And the text says SFCA needs “ volunteers willing to travel to surrounding animal shelters where we have pre-arranged rescues. Usually the pickup date/time are flexible. If you are willing to join our on-call list to pick up dogs and deliver to Boykin when needed, contact Tawana at [email protected].
— Then there’s this special need: HALF-DAY FOSTERS FOR 8 DOGS. That’s for August 29 — hours are 3:30 pm. To 7:30 pm. Tawana’s note says volunteers “pick up the dogs at Boykin Kennel at 3:15 p.m. to take home, then drop off at 7:30 p.m. at 619 Woolsey Dr. In Dallas. Five medium dogs, 1 small and 2 extra large. To volunteer to help, email [email protected].
[LARRY ASIDE: There are worse things you can do in life than help animals find homes. It’s been our experience that the dogs love to be loved and the cats are careful about it, but generally come around. Bless ‘em all.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
THINGS THAT GO FAST?
How quick is August? Real quick. Labor Day is only week away and that’s next Monday, the 2nd of September….
But wait a second! You want to know something REALLY FAST!!!???
I was reading the morning report from veteran newsman and founder/guiding light of Real News PR Jeff Crilley and discovered this astounding fact: Today (yep, Aug. 26) is the birthday of Macauley Culkin, the child-star of the Home Alone hits. Yep. He’s 44. Son of a gun, I used to be 44, too!!!!
[LARRY ASIDE: I don’t remember getting to 44 as quickly as Mac got there! I got to 60 pretty quickly, though.]
I was in a store over the weekend that was installing its Halloween decorations. Can’t we just slow down and enjoy the national non-holiday culture?
—- Offer tips and stuff by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected]. —-

DINAH -- THE CAT WHO KNOWS HOW TO NAP AND ADORES A HUMAN, TOO

This cat with the “Look of a Star” is Dinah.

Her human Lori Teutsch sent readlarrypowell.com a note that opened with this sentence: “Here is a candidate for your Sleeping Dogs/Napping Cats feature.”
One glance at that opening photo and we knew this veteran cat had won the spotlight in our long-running weekend feature “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.”
The upside-down napping cat picture sealed the deal.
Lori tells us The Story of Dinah. She writes:
“My cat Dinah has been a loyal companion for eight years now. 
(She was adopted through Texas Pawprints Cat Rescue — the website is HERE  and the Facebook link is HERE.)



“She enjoys snoozing on the couch on hot summer days and napping in her cat tree during cooler times.
“When she isn't watching the bluejays swoop down and grab their peanuts, she is ‘on patrol’ looking out the screen of
her custom ‘cattio.’  Yes, life is good,” Lori declared.
But Dinah isn’t just a “layabout cat.”


Lori explains: “Dinah performs an important service by keeping the baby gecko population in check. When one of those creatures enters the house, I yell ‘Dinah!!!!!’ and she comes running to chase and devour her ‘treat.’  🙂  That really makes her day and I am so glad she solves that problem for me. In reality, she is my treat, and a great friend and roommate. ❤️.”
We have some more photos of Dinah that Lori sent. This is one photogenic kitty cat.
Lori explains these photos with these paragraphs:
"Dinah has vestibular syndrome [balance and motion problems]  and, long story short, she has made almost a full recovery.  She  may never climb or jump for example a fence but she can jump up on the chair and couch.  
"I had these steps made for her so she could climb on the 'Lazy Boy' chair, up on the steps to her cat tree.  I've included a couple of pictures of them."

And there's that photo of Dinah stretched out -- demonstrating her ability to nap like a grown up cat!

So, how did Lori find this varmint-control, cat-napping cutie?
“I got her at 7 weeks.  She seemed so shy at Hollywood Feed where Pawprints was set up.
"They put her in my hand and I had to take her!  😁. Once she got home she was full of energy and I don’t remember her ever sleeping.  Always on the go.

"Her nickname is ‘D’ and sometimes I tell her she is Little D living large in the Big D.”
[DEAR READERS: Hello. I am Senior Office Cat William Powell, a formerly free-roaming OCC (Oak Cliff Cat) who
managed to land a job monitoring cat and dog situations at readlarrypowell.com. It’s my job, today, to invite you, Dear Readers, to do as Lori and Dinah have done and tell us the story of your snoozing dogs or catnapping kitties. Send stories and photos to [email protected]. Those of us on the website staff will spotlight them in our long-running weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be helping other good-hearted people decide to give a happy place in their homes to a dog or cat or a dog and a cat or dogs and cats. The world always can use more examples of happiness. Thanks, William Powell. [email protected]. Available for Consultations — Fee To Be Determined. Relax -- that's a joke from an independently wealthy feline. Regards, William.]

LOTS OF ANIMALS STILL WAITING FOR HUMAN DECISIONS; WE ALSO TAKE A CASUAL LOOK/ AT POETRY LIFTED FROM A BOOK

EDITION OF FRIDAY, AUG. 23, 2024 [PetPowellPress] I’m blaming the heat for draining my desire to keep typing until my fingers sweat off. But, the doesn’t mean I can’t cite animals in need of homes or poetry that features such things as cows and termites. Yes, blame the heat. Now, moving along:
LITERARY-MINDED? NEED
A GOOD PAL TO READ WITH?
DEAR READERS: At our house we practice the highest levels of civilization by always having these four things: Plenty of dogs, plenty of cats, plenty of calories and plenty of books.
Thus, please allow me to introduce you to what I’ve found on the SPCA of Texas website's adoption lists.
PAUSE PLEASE: Speaking of books. Before readlarrypowell.com was even in elementary school, I had books — gifts from my parents and my Aunt Noni (“Noh-knee -- how the cousins and neighbors all pronounced “Nora” in those days).
Among the books I proudly possessed were the Mark Twain books Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. My dad and mom would help me understand what I was reading.
Having explained that my connection to Mark Twain is “early childhood literary circles,” I’ll now explain that my appreciation of Mark Twain’s name is what drew me to this dog on the adoptable dogs list at the SPCA of Texas’ website spca.org. Yep, Bark Twain caught my eye. [If we had room, I’d be applying for him!] He’s a 2-years-and-10-months-old mixed breed who weighs 56 pounds and is currently available, according to his “page,” for a $25 fee at the SPCA of Texas,  His bio says “Kids under 12 Okay. Other dogs okay.” Here’s the Link to Bark Twain.
I also found photos of other wonderful adoptables and picked this quartet to highlight. Same website — spca.org, You also can click to adorable/adoptable cats. These are 8of them. [LARRY ASIDE: I can’t recall ever having met a cat named Strudel or having ever encountered a feline named “Tommy The Cat.” (He's an older fellow in need of a really good home.)]
Old cats, young cats. Old dogs, young dogs. Old writer, formerly young writer, relates to all ages of dogs and cats -- not available for re-homing. 

[LARRY ASIDE: Special admiration for and appreciation to the enduring SPCA of Texas for continuing the mission of protecting animals and finding good homes for them. FYI: At spca.org you can also see how you can help by donating or, importantly in the EoCS (Era of Crowded Shelters), fostering animals. If you told somebody “I’m fostering Strudel,” (the little top-right kitten) would they look at you with a bit of curiosity?]
MEANWHILE, CHECKING IN
ON LAST WEEKEND’S TOTALS….
During the week we went hunting online to see how things went with what was labeled last weekend as the “Clear The Shelters Mega Adoption Event.” We spotted the response online at the NBCDFW website — makes since because the local NBC TV station (Channel 5) launched the event a decade ago. Click on THIS NBCDFW LINK   and you’ll find a headline that reads:
“705 animals find forever homes in Clear the Shelters MEGA Adoption Event.”
[LARRY ASIDE: Anybody know where the public can find statistics showing how many animals were adopted from local taxpayer-financed city shelters during the 10th annual Clear the Shelters Mega Adoption? Also be pretty interesting to see if we could find out how many dogs and cats were dumped at shelters during the same celebratory adoption period. Not that people have a lack of comprehension of what their actions mean to animals.]

CONTEMPLATIONS
THE FUTURE? IS THERE RHYME OR RAISIN?
OK, one raisin joke per century. That word play was left over from the 1900s. Found a word kit in an old notebook. Let’s move on .
In the email Thursday morning I got a note about “The Cordless Ultrasonic Rodent Repeller. For $50."… Before I opened the email and read it, I thought this was something you set outside your door to discourage visiting politicians in an election year.
Relax. I’m just kidding people running for national office. Everybody in a small town knows a broom or a wet mop works just as well. (I’m kidding. I hope you knew that already.)
Speaking of favorite TV shows. I was watching Monk on recent morning and the detective’s line was a description about his beloved wife Trudy. “She could recite a hundred poems by heart,” he said. And I thought, “Holy lazy iambic pentameter! I’m way, way behind on memorizing poems.”
I can’t even name 100 poems or even claim confidently that I’ve read 100 poems. So, I’ll just offer one that I learned something about while appearing in a play with The Great Pretenders in Carrollton decades go — one of my fellow actors in the murder mystery Laura was far more literate than I. (He played the villain and I played the cop.)
I’d always lazily thought the Purple Cow poem was the work of the magnificently clever Ogden Nash. But, no, clever though it is, it is not by Mr. Nash. It is a poem first published in 1895 by Gelett Burgess (1-30-1966/9-18-1951), a poet, artist, art critic, author and humorist, my research reveals haphazardly.
Here’s the Burgess Purple Cow poem:
I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one,
But I can tell you, anyhow.
I’d rather see than be one.

Now, in honor of Ogden Nash (8-19-1902/5-19-1971), a 20th Century poet and humorist, we’ll site this 4-line poem, “The Termite,” by Mr. Nash. He wrote:

“Some primal termite knocked on wood
And tasted it, and found it good!
And that is why your Cousin May
Fell through the parlor floor today.”

[LARRY POETIC NOTION:

The purple cow inspired
Wondrin if the termite might be hued
Or simply nibbled through the floor
While happily gnawing nude.

[A TIP FROM LARRY: The “termite/might” combination is intentional. Still, never let an iffy termite poem bug you! Let it inspire you! You may find yourself with the heart to rhyme “hued” and “nude” without blanching.]
— Offer solid ideas by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put nothing insectly poetic in the note. —-

HELP SOME EARTH DOGS AND CATS; CONSIDER THE MARKET FOR MARTIAN KITTENS

EDITION OF WED-THURS-FRI AUG. 21-22-23, 2024 [PetPowellPress] This dateline is extended because I’m in the mood to mush on ahead. Wait. Is “mush ahead” really a term for a Texan to use in August?
I’ll get Senior Office Cat William Powell to assign that “Alaskan Usage Project” to Junior Office Cat Stevie Ray Treeboy.
NOT IN EARTH-ORBIT,
BUT STILL STELLAR DOGS!
[LARRY ASIDE: We’re going to dedicate the rescue and adoption efforts for these three dogs not just to the hard workers/volunteer writers at
Mesquite Animal Shelter, but also to the two astronauts — Suni and Butch. You may know them more formally as Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, two astronauts who left Earth on June 5 for an 8-day stay on the International Space Station but things are fouled up with the return and they may not get back to earth until next year. We don’t know if they’ve already voted absentee. That's a photo of their ship via NASA.]
We focused on these three dogs because of their names: Venus, Saturn and Pluto. Saturn and Venus are sisters of Pluto. Read on.
We begin with Venus (#56557817) because, after all, Venus is closest of the three to Earth.
Mesquite volunteer dog-biographer Judi Brown began her Venus bio with, "Has your life been boring lately? Are you
needing something to give it a spark? Venus is your answer. She will keep you on your toes and entertained and at the same time give you lots of love. She is 6-month-old brindle hound dog that weighs 12 pounds and came into the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 8/13 with her brother Pluto and her sister Saturn. She is too thin and could use some groceries. But that hasn’t stopped her from enjoying life to the fullest. She is vivacious, happy, playful, and affectionate. … She wants to spend most of her time cuddling with her new loving family. Children would be a bonus!”
Cite Venus’ ID 56557817 when you contact the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Same system for sister Saturn (ID 56557817.)
Of Saturn, Judi writes, “How can you resist those eyes and those floppy ears? This girl is so sweet and endearing! Saturn is a six month old, 19 pound dark brindle hound dog that arrived … on 8/13 as a stray. She came in with her sibling sister Venus and her brother Pluto. Saturn is too thin. Her ribs are showing. She could use some kibbles. In spite of being too thin, she is not lacking in energy. She is very inquisitive, indicating she’s probably very smart. She’s also a bundle of joy.  She would love you to share your home with her. She would love to cuddle with you on the couch or in her own special bed at your feet.”
Pluto is #56557827. Judi writes, “Pluto is a happy puppy that thinks the world is his oyster. Hopefully with a loving home it will be. Pluto is 6-month-old brindle hound dog that weighs 14 pounds. He arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on
8/13 as a stray along with his sisters, Venus and Saturn. They are all under-nourished and could use some groceries. However, that did not deter Pluto from investigating everything in the room in which I did his eval. He’s also a climber, but then again, remember he’s just a puppy. He would need extra stimulation in the form of playtime, toys, and exercise. He should do really well with children. He wants to be an inside dog, mostly where he can cuddle with his new family.”
Remember to save these dogs by adopting or rescuing, cite their ID numbers when you call the shelter at : 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
You can click on this MESQUITE SHELTER LINK and see many more adoptable dogs and cats and kittens. From Earth, of course, though they may be Heavenly creatures!
FROM ‘NEAR EAST TEXAS’:
LITTLE PISTOL NEEDS A HOME
We got the tip on this darling dog from our pal Sydney Busch, the longtime guiding light of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake, the organizing and operating entity of the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas.
As you may know, the Friends Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic is busy on Tuesdays with its mission of helping people get their dogs and cats “fixed.” And on some weekends the friends host a “shot clinic” that helps keep the animals healthy and vaccinated against evil germs and  communicable diseases.
Sometimes the Friends of the Animals step up to help in other situations. This girl Pistol is one of the little pups who may benefit from someone asking the Friends for help.
Sydney’s note reads that Pistol is “well house-trained..Loves to cuddle. Gets along well with others...Loves to go for rides on the golf cart and vehicles.”
Why does she need a home? Her surviving “Dad” called the Friends earlier this week “looking for help in placing her. This is his wife’s dog and his wife died a month ago.” In the midst of this tragedy, the husband is working to find a good and safe place for Pistol. The widower works for UPS and, Sydney’s note reads, “is gone for days at a time and cannot care for Pistol.”
To ask about giving Pistol a good, safe and adoring home, call 903-340-6890.
The Friends of Animals can be contacted on their website
www.friendsoftheanimals.org or on their Facebook Page .
NEIGHBORHOOD PHENOM:
THE SUDDEN KITTEN!
For years at readlarrypowell.com we’ve monitored assorted neighborhood bulletin boards and there are some consistent situations. Dogs always get out of yards; cats always have kittens that wind up roaming.
[HINT TO SOME NEIGHBOR- HOODS: In North Texas, with its “protect nature neighborhoods of trees and flowing water,” we live in a land of predators. If your cat goes missing after you let it out and it doesn’t show up to eat breakfast, it may have fallen victim to coyotes, owls, hawks, stray dogs, bigger cats (bobcats, for example), foxes, humans without hearts, etc. You MUST PROTECT YOUR ANIMALS FROM NATURE! No housecat knows to look up for a circling hawk!]
Now, here’s a case of a good soul — initials ER — in the Fort Worth Ryanwood neighborhood posting these photos and a note. And we’re applauding this human’s effort because it shows some heart. Here’s what the note says:
“We found this kitty on the street. Almost hit her with my car. Kept her but now I have to give her away because my dog is allergic to her. She keeps getting into his things and then he becomes really itchy to the point of him scratching his skin off. Pics of her and the result of her playing with my dog’s ear. I heard if she is taken to shelter they put her down. Can someone advise?”
[LARRY ASIDE: This is a case of Oscar Wilde’s famous declaration, “No good deed goes unpunished.” Helping this cat and treating that dog’s allergic ears may cost money.]
I don’t know how to link you to connect this rescuer, dear readers, but email [email protected] if you want to ask about helping out by adopting the cat. Or to give tips on how to find it a safe home.
CONTEMPLATIONS
BACK TO OUTER SPACE…WITH EARTHLING IDEAS
We renew our spaceflight dialogue with a return to the topic of the elongated mission of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.
Unlike your reporter here, the Astronauts Suni and Butch — can you believe those names? How Hollywood is this getting to be!!! — appear to have conquered all hints of claustrophobia. Yep, that’s why I had to turn down that moon mission back July 1969— capsule was just too small! I know I’m not the only non-orbiting claustrophobic insomniac on Planet Earth. I might have made-up that “turn down the moon mission” part. I don’t fly. It’ll take more than a rocket engine to get my earthbuttocks off the ground.
Now, let’s look to the future of Mankind In Space.
No actual Martian Cats — that we know of — are currently available at local shelters. But it’s just a matter of time. [AND FRANKLY READLARRYPOWELL.COM is not exactly 100 percent certain that either the top cat Stevie Ray or the bottom cat Hastings (on a back-up office desk Wednesday morning) are actually from Earth -- both sort of showed up at unexpected moments in odd ways and already had their paperwork completed.]
Anybody who’s been involved in rescue for more than a half-hour knows how humans behave.
One day in the future you’ll roll up to a grocery store and on the parking lot, near the entrance, there’ll be a Mars Rover with a sign on the windshield that reads “Martian Puppies $25 each, $30 a pair.” Or you’ll see a sign reading “FREE MARTIAN KITTENS.”
You know it, I know it and the American people know it — somewhere in the United States there’s already a “breeder” plotting a way to take fertile male and female cats to Mars to get ‘em to “breed in that red sand so I can fly ‘em back to Earth and make a bundle selling Martian Kittens."
LARRY NOTE: I swear, just thinking about that marketing plan makes me believe just a little bit more that there are People Of Earth who have Martian DNA from visits to our planet before the invention of radar could have spotted a Martian Lander easing down near Roswell, N.M., or in the West Texas sand dunes at Monahans.
What’s that? I have no idea what it would take to spay/neuter a Martian cat — I’ve been focused on promoting that practice for Planet Earth, its stray cats and a few humans I’ve met and read about through the years.
—- Offer SPACE ADVICE by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put ‘RED PLANET ROCKS’ in the subject line. —-