Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

The shelter has been very busy with adoptions the past two weeks and many of them were newbies I didn’t get a chance to meet. They were Sally, Patty, Griffey, Debbie, Minnie, Scooby Dee, Lucy, Toronto, Cosmo, Birdie, Willy, and Enano. There were also some dogs adopted who had been waiting for their new families for quite a while.

Luna

Here is our delightful Luna with her new family. Thanks for the going-home picture, staff member Mackenzie!

Reba

Reba was adopted (again) and we are hoping this will be her perfect fit. She had been waiting a long time.

Polly

I only met Polly once. She was quite shy, but a sweetheart. Thanks for the going-home picture, staff member Becca!

Jill

Jill is a wonderful Shepherd. Lucky family! And she has an interesting ear look.

Donnie

Donnie is such a good boy. We loved his one-ear-up and one-ear-down presentation!

Buddy

Buddy was one of my favorites, an eight-year-old senior. As always, we are grateful for those who adopt so they can give a dog a wonderful retirement.

Betty

I didn’t get to meet Betty, she was adopted very quickly. But volunteer Lori sent me a picture of her. Thank you, Lori!

Jubilee

This girl was adopted (again) on Tuesday. We’re hoping this will be her forever family.

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, March 29, 2023. But things change fast and our goal is always to find wonderful homes for our dogs as quickly as possible. To see if today’s featured dogs are still available and to see other available dogs, click on the link to the currently available dogs here.

“The shelter is open for walk-through viewing and meet-and-greets 10 AM – 7 PM seven days per week. Meet-and-greets are done on a first-come/first-served basis. The shelter address is 4246 Turner Rd. SE, Salem.

When you come to the shelter and see a pet you are interested in meeting, please take note of the pet’s name and visit the front desk in the lobby. Our Customer Care team will be happy to assist you with the next steps.”

I’ve heard them say I’m quite a character and a comedian. I’m not sure what that means, but I would like to find my forever person soon! Is that you?

Mac Daddy (Mac to his friends) is a three-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier mix. He has a big, blocky head, and he doesn’t change expression often, but to those of us who know him, he is quite the entertainer.

Mac was found as a stray, but he has been at the shelter since January 20th, giving him the time to win over many staff members and volunteers. This was quite evident on Sunday when two of his staff fans came to say hi while we were in Mary’s Place. First was Hannah.

If you look closely, you will see a bit of a smile as Mac enjoys the attention of both Hannah and Marianne.

Mac LOVES being in Mary’s Place. He wants people to watch as he tosses around stuffed toys and soaks up love from everyone around.

The next Sunday visitor was staff member Kyra. Mac wasn’t quite sure if she was going to actually throw the tennis ball, but he enjoyed the game.

Mac is not for the first-time dog person. He needs someone who is experienced in reading dog body language. While Mac loves being around his friends, he can become over-stimulated if there is a lot of action, and become jumpy and mouthy. He will do best in a calm home with no small children (he is startled by unpredictable movements). He enjoys playing with other dogs, but will need to meet any he would be living with, and can be a bit much for some dogs. We don’t know about his behavior with cats, as he has no experience that we know of with them. Mac was adopted once, but returned when it was not the right fit. He is nervous around new people and environments, so will need someone who will let him adjust at his own pace. Mac also needs some help in polishing his house-training. Being able to be on a regular schedule where he can go out often will help.

The first thing you notice when you look at Mac is his strange gate. The shelter vet is not sure what the cause is, probably neurological, but he does not seem to be in any pain. While he is clumsy, it doesn’t slow him down for a minute. He also enjoys training sessions, as you’ll see him working with Linda at the end of his movie.

Marianne is one of Mac’s biggest fans.

She has this to say about him: “Mac Daddy is such a special dog. He has made so much progress since he’s been at the shelter. He is a loving, goofy, and playful boy who is extremely treat-motivated and can learn new things quickly. Due to his neurological condition, he is very clumsy and uncoordinated at times, but I think it only adds to his charm. However, this also means that he might jump or run headlong into you without really realizing what he’s doing. He can be quite cuddly, but he also loves to play with squeaky toys and he loves food puzzles. He bonds pretty quickly to people who spend time with him, and his reaction to seeing a favorite person is priceless.”


Linda has been working with Mac on basic manners, like “wait” and “leave it,” and he has caught on quickly, showing what a smart boy he is.

He also is not above trying to get what he wants with the pathetic look.

Mac has some HUGE news! He wants to tell you himself. As always, his expression says it all! ☺️

I’ve heard that people think Akitas are aloof. What? Not me!

Look at this beautiful face! Her name is Fancy and she is an Akita mix, about a year old.

I can’t remember the last time we had an Akita mix at the shelter, and she has created quite a lot of excitement among volunteers. Not only is she a beauty, but she is affectionate and gentle, too. She came to us from another shelter where she had been found as a stray.

Since I don’t know much about Akitas, I looked them up and found some interesting information.

“Before Akitas had an ‘official’ breed name they were referred to simply as ‘snow country dogs.’ The breed originated from the snowy, rural, mountainous region of Japan. The Akita is designated as a national treasure in Japan. Famous author and political activist Helen Keller is credited with bringing the first Akita into the United States in 1937. Independent and sometimes aloof with strangers, Akitas are affectionate with their families and form strong bonds. Highly intelligent, strong-willed, and proud, the Akita responds best to respectful commands and positive-training techniques.” (AKC.org)

Fancy was not surprised by any of this information (though she didn’t know about Helen Keller). We quickly discovered that she knew several cues.

Fancy seemed to enjoy attention from Marianne while getting ready to pose for her pictures.

Finally, Fancy was ready to pose.

Then we took her into Mary’s Place and she loved it, and had quite a bit to say.

We enjoyed sitting around visiting and telling funny dog stories.

Sometimes posing just isn’t in the cards.

We had a few snacks.

We were so smitten with this affectionate girl.

To show you what a calm dog she is, here she is hanging out with us in Mary’s Place.

Fancy is looking for a home with enough space for her to romp, and a family to cuddle with. She is a big girl at 79 pounds, so she’ll take up most of the couch. She can be nervous at first meeting new people, so slow introductions will be good. She would need to meet any other dogs she would be living with.

If you are looking for an “aloof Akita,” she’s not it. But if you are looking for an affectionate dog who will keep you laughing, come and meet Fancy at the shelter.

I’m new here. I’m a little nervous, but I’m trying my best to be good.

I met Ezra for the first time on Sunday. He had just arrived two days before from another shelter where he had been turned in as a stray. A shy boy at first meeting, he gradually began to warm up.

He is about two years old and is a Lab mix. Being so new, we don’t know much about him, but several dog walkers have left comments after taking him out. Here are a few: “In and out of kennel easily. Very little pulling. Takes treats, very gentle.”; “Not a leash puller, really sweet. Also likes to eat grass.”; “Shy at first, but warms up and is sweet as pie.”

He tried hard to please us during his first photoshoot, and started to feel safe with Linda.

Kate joined us and Ezra made another new friend.

We decided to take him into Mary’s Place to see if he felt comfortable. He immediately jumped up on the couch and snuggled with Megan.

Ezra’s past may be a mystery, but we already know that he is a very sweet boy looking for a forever family who will love him. We think that will be a very lucky family, indeed. If you think Ezra might be the dog your family has been hoping for, come to the shelter and spend a little time with him. We think you will love him as much as we do.

That’s it for this week!

As always, thanks to my photo team volunteers Marianne, Megan, Linda, Kate and Lori. Also thanks to staff members Mackenzie, Becca, Hannah, and Kyra.

All of the dogs I have featured today, along with other terrific dogs waiting to be adopted, can be found at Oregon Humane Society Salem Campus at this link.

Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, try to make arrangements to get to the shelter soon. Some dogs are adopted more quickly than you might think.

You can reach me at adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com