Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I thought I’d start out this post with a picture from my recent trip to Scotland. As I was waiting for a bus in Edinburgh, I saw a mother, little girl, baby, and an older dog walking toward me. The dog was off-leash, but watching his little girl very closely. As they got nearer to me, I asked if I could take a picture. The mother smiled and agreed. Ailbert, the dog, is ten years old and a treasured member of the family.

We had some great blog adoptions last week, some which were second timers. Here they are.

I was so happy that I was at the shelter when Thunder’s people found him. I happened to be walking by one of the yards when they were first falling in love with this terrific boy. So naturally I had to put my two cents in about what a great dog he is. Here are the photos I snapped just before he went home.

It wasn’t until this moment that Thunder realized he was going home.

Chatter

Play group was a little soggy, but fun nevertheless. However, it seemed that getting adopted into forever homes was on a lot of minds.

Heidi and Dakota, our two elder ladies, are still waiting for their new homes. The way they prance around the yard and play, it’s hard to believe they are 14 and 12, respectively. They are Toy Poodle mixes and are a delight to watch. I have found many volunteers being Kennel Buddies with these two sweet dogs.

Romeo, our elder statesman at nine years old, is also still waiting. He continues to be a happy boy and a favorite of many staff and volunteers.

Nikko is a four-year-old Miniature Poodle mix. He loves play group and gets along well with other dogs. He would do best in a quiet home without small children, as he gets anxious when he feels cornered. He loves to cuddle and go for rides.

Mickey is a newbie at the shelter. He went to play group for the first time on Sunday and had a great time. He especially enjoyed hanging out on the “mellow” side with smaller, less rambunctious dogs. He’s affectionate and happy. He’s a ten-year-old German Shepherd/Collie mix.

What a girl!

I heard about Delilah before I met her. I heard she was a S.T.A.R.T. dog whom you instantly fell in love with. I heard she was very overweight. I heard she had a great smile. And then Sarah and I met her.

Delilah is a six-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. These pictures tell about her better than I can.

Somewhat self-conscious about her size, she explained it to Sarah this way.

One more…

I couldn’t resist one more picture of ever-smiling Romeo out with volunteer Kaliska as I got into my car.

Mickey has a respite!

I received a happy email from fellow volunteer Julie last night saying that Mickey was spending a few days at her house with her dog, Riley. Here’s what she wrote about this great boy. “He is a sweet, calm, well-mannered fellow. He and Riley get along great. She would prefer he play, but he is not interested in playing. He walks well on a leash, and is house trained. He loves walks and to lie by your feet. He also does great on car rides.”

And here are some pictures she sent. Someone is going to be very lucky to adopt this beautiful dog!

Axel, a dog in need of a special person

When I arrived at the shelter today, the first and last dog I wanted to spend time with was Axel, a two-year-old Boxer mix. Axel is a high-energy boy who needs an experienced dog owner. During our first outing, we went to the big yard to play ball. He was happy to pose for me sitting on the platform.

Axel needs to live in a place where there are not other dogs close by, as he barks at them. In play group on Sunday, he did well with most other dogs, but would need to meet any other dogs he would live with and would not be a candidate for the dog park. He loves to play fetch and brings the ball back, ready to race after it again and again.

Axel is in the process of learning better manners. He is a quick, bright student, but will need someone willing to put in time to help him become the well-mannered dog for which he has the potential. As I enjoyed spending time with Axel this afternoon, I kept thinking that while he needs training, he is so worth the effort. At the end of my shift, after the other walkers had gone home and there were no more dogs outside, I took Axel out again and played ball with him for a long time. He loved it and enjoyed just hanging out with me. With no other dogs around, he didn’t bark and was so happy romping around the yard. When it was time for me to leave, he let me put his head halti on without complaint and walked quietly by my side to his kennel. Here are some pictures of our second yard time. I hope you can get a feeling for his personality through these shots. Axel has been at WHS since April 25. Finding just the right home for him is a challenge, but what a great friend he will make once we do!

This was the last picture I took of him today. I loved how he liked to go fetch the ball, then run back to me and lie leaning against my legs while he surveyed his world.

I’m a big girl and I’m happy!

Nikita is a five-year-old Shepherd/Husky mix who has a ton of energy and an optimistic outlook on life. Here she is today with volunteer Joe. She has a hold on her, so we’re hoping that she’ll be going to her forever home very soon! She’s a beauty and has one brown and one blue eye.

My name is Nugget and I’m worth my weight in gold!

This sweet girl with Kathy is Nugget, a two-year-old American Staffordshire mix. She came to the shelter as a stray, so not much is known about her, but she is extremely friendly, walks well on leash and has a beautiful smile. She had a fun time in play group on Sunday and got along well with everyone. She took my treats politely and knows some basic commands. What a great family dog!

Yep, still here, but hoping not for long!

I was thrilled today to see that Romeo has a hold on him, so all of his many fans are hoping that he’ll soon be going home. Here he is with Debbie, a happy boy as always.

Here is one more Romeo picture sent to me by volunteer Harley who took Romeo out yesterday. While not a water dog, he tried to figure out how to get the hot dog bit at the bottom of the pool.

I’m quite popular here at the shelter!

Yes, I know I already put on quite a few pictures of Delilah from Sunday, but I can’t resist a couple more from today. Joan took her out this afternoon and at first wondered if Delilah would pull and be difficult to walk. I assured her that would not be the case. As you can see, Delilah has yet another fan.

Got a secure back yard? I’m embarrassed to say, I need one!

Gemini is back again. He is a two-year-old Chihuahua mix who came to us through the Wings of Rescue last December. He’s a great little dog who gets along with everyone including children, other dogs, and cats. He should not, however, be around chickens. His only problem is that he is an escape artist and loves to go on adventures by himself. (He doesn’t intend to get into trouble.) So, he will make a great new family member if they can outsmart him with fencing! He’s affectionate and very cute. Somewhere out there is a person with a Fort Knox fence!

Yep, still here…

I can’t end my post without including Kyra, our nine-year-old Australian Shepherd mix. I am always amazed when I see her happy, ever-hopeful expression week after week. Besides her age, I’m sure the “old lady bumps” on her body don’t help, either, when potential adopters look at her. But if they only could see beyond her bumpy exterior to the big heart and happy soul inside. Kyra is a gem. She gets along with all people including children and ignores cats. She can be a bit grumpy with other dogs, but when you’re an old lady, that happens. There must be a family out there which is looking for a calm, friendly, happy older girl who loves to take leisurely walks and then sleep by your side. Here she is today with Kathy.

Updates

Since Tayanita is a Wednesday dog walker, I get frequent reports on Moby and Hope. However, I was happy to get to take this family picture on Monday. You may remember that both Hope and Moby are deaf and Tayantia is teaching them sign language.

Mary’s first beach adventure!

Here ya go, Mary fans! Mary’s family went to the beach. She had a great time, according to Heather. “Mary had her first beach trip today she was so excited and loved running in the sand and playing in the water :)”

This one is my favorite. After an action-packed day, Kayia and her nanny-dog, Mary, were all tuckered out.

That’s it 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.
You can reach me at adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com