Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

It’s been another excellent week for adoptions at Willamette Humane Society! The happiest one for me personally was Brady’s. You may remember that this sweet boy had been in a California shelter for ten months before arriving at WHS on July 22. He quickly became a staff and volunteer favorite because of his story and his wonderful personality. Last Sunday he developed a huge crush on Bella, a staff member’s three-legged hound. It seemed only right that he told her first of his impending adoption.

Among the many adoptions during the last week were these Blog Dogs.

WillaMutt Strut 2012

On Saturday Willamette Humane Society hosted the first annual WillaMutt Strut. There was a 5K fun run, a 5K walk, and a 1.5K walk. Afterward there were dog contests and games. There was a fantastic turnout of people and their dogs and the atmosphere was filled with anticipation and excitement. Over 300 people participated! (I haven’t heard the final count of the money that was raised to help the WHS animals, but I will report that next week.) I was there with my camera and am working on a video that I will post at a later date. In the meantime, I wanted to share a few of the pictures that I took at this outstanding event.

Remember Lady and Jake, the bonded older Shepherd pair who were adopted a few months ago? Jake has passed away, but was there in spirit with his family.

Aniston, in her Adopt Me vest, was one of the excellent representatives of WHS dogs available for adoption.

Roo was another WHS dog hoping for his forever family. Here he is with Krystal, the volunteer who first proposed the idea of the WillaMutt Strut. Roo was adopted that afternoon!

Buster and Ginger, two WHS alumni, were tuckered out at the end of the morning!

And here is the winner of the Willamutt Strut Mutt contest!

As you can tell by the faces in these shots, it was a really good time!

Chatter

Sunday’s play group was a warm one and the pool was a favorite location.

While some dogs shy away from my camera, Memphis kept wanting his picture taken!

Grace and Memphis, found as strays, have decided that the shelter is a good place to be until they find new families.

I’ve been here before…I’m hoping that this time I’ll find my forever home.

Today when I arrived at the shelter, I saw volunteer Angie walking Chloe, a three-year-old Beagle mix who has been a WHS dog before. She is hoping that she will find her forever home once and for all very soon. She has a wonderful smile. She does need a secure fence, as she loves to explore. She’ll make a great adventure partner!

She also has a serious side.

I’m a big boy and I’ll make a great friend!

This is Colt, a two-year-old American Bulldog mix. Sarah is very fond of this big boy and wanted him featured on this post. Colt has a great attitude toward life, sure that it is full of fun and excitement. He will make a great jogging partner and will need a large yard to expend his energy. He knows several commands and likes to hang out with people. He can be a tad bossy with other dogs, so should meet any potential house siblings before going home.

A Special Story

Kingston is a one-year-old Shepherd mix. He gets along with dogs (he had a great time in play group on Sunday!) and even cats! He loves kids. He will make a terrific new family member. Here he is today with Sarah and Emelynn.

Kingston’s story is a special one. It is posted on his kennel.

I’m one of the 13 Puppies!

I get so excited every time one of the 13 puppies arrives at WHS to be put up for adoption! This is Daisy. I wish I knew if she was the little one who couldn’t get through the doggy door when she was tiny. But in any case, she is a sweetheart. She even sat on command! What a cute face!

I’m back, but it wasn’t my fault.

Teddy was adopted briefly and returned through no fault of his own. The adopter family had kids and wanted an active dog. Teddy is a couch potato. He likes kids, but most of the time his version of fun is to sit and watch whatever is going on. Sunday in play group, he took his usual chair in the shade, sharing it with Sarah, and enjoyed the romping of the other dogs. What Teddy needs is a retired couple who are looking for a calm, uncomplicated companion. Yep, grandkids would be fine for visits as long as Teddy had his relaxing time. Let’s get this boy his perfect home!

Here Teddy is hanging out with volunteers Tamera and Nancy on Sunday afternoon.

I was a star at WillaMutt Strut!

Aniston was a wonderful representative at the Strut on Saturday. Here she was on Sunday with volunteer Mayra. Aniston is a three-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier mix. She loves to play, go for walks, or just hang out. She especially loves chasing tennis balls and will race after them over and over. She’s a keeper!

Here she was showing off during the WillaMutt Strut.

Yep, I’m another black Lab! Wanna PLAY?

Meet Gunner, a four-year-old Lab mix. He is a big goof who loves to chase tennis balls, hike, go for long walks or do just about anything that an active family enjoys. Gunner will be an enthusiastic partner for any adventure. Here he is with one of his fans, Sarah.

Gunner is very fond of Sarah, too.

Updates

Monday was an especially fun day for four WHS volunteers. We took Biggie up to NWARR Rescue in Washington. He was pretty excited that morning and got all dressed up for his big road trip!

Here we are about ready to leave the shelter. From left to right, Beth, Kate, Biggie, me, Marla.

On the road…

Biggie is now happily settling in at the rescue for some training. Another big part of the day was getting to spend some time with Spike. For long-time readers of my blog, I have no doubt that you remember the story of our boy. If you are a new reader, suffice it to say that Spike is a well-loved rescue dog.

With that happy report, I’ll close for this week.

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