Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

Halloween is coming! It was great to be back at Willamette Humane Society after being gone for more than two weeks! It was wonderful to see my fellow volunteer “peeps” and, of course, all of the new dogs as well some old friends who are still waiting for their forever homes. I brought along a couple of fun Halloween bandanas and the dogs were great sports and wore them without complaint.

But before I talk about some of our terrific available dogs, here are the Blog dogs who were adopted while I was gone.

Everyone here likes me! You will, too!

The first new dog I met today was Logan, a one-year-old German Shepherd mix who is such a delightful young dog! He’s a big boy, but walks well on leash and listens to directions. He already knows several commands, but would love to take some of the WHS training classes here at the shelter. He is treat-motivated and takes them politely, so will be easy to train. Here he is today with Emelynn, one of his many fans.

Yes, I really am this cute in person!

Can you look at this face and not smile? This is Batik, a two-year-old Australian Shepherd mix. She is such a sweetheart! She takes treats nicely and loves them, which will make her a good trainee. She’d make a good dog for a first-time owner. Here she is today showing her personality with Angie. She already has three holds on her, so will probably be going home very soon!

Need a partner for jogging? Running? Playing fetch? How about for sitting at your feet (or on the couch)?

This young, energetic boy is Endo, a three-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix and a new favorite of Sarah’s. Looking for a dog with a sense of humor? Endo is your man! He is such a happy dog who will need exercise and a yard to romp in. He is good-natured and would be an ideal candidate for our WHS training classes. There is no doubt that this boy believes that life is FUN!

Do you need a small dog AND a big one?

Meet Minor, a two-year-old Terrier mix. He is a bit timid on his own, but he has a best friend named Major and they are hoping to go to a home together. Here is Minor today with Kathy.

And this is Major. He is a two-year-old Shepherd mix. Major has a ton of energy and loves his best friend, Minor. We’re hoping these BFFs can find just the right home for them both!

My name is Jane and I’m new here. I’m waiting for my new family!

Another new dog to me was Jane, a one-year-old Shepherd mix. She was spending time with new volunteer walker Carol this afternoon. Jane is a gentle soul. She took my treats gently, and was happy to pose for her pictures. She knows several commands. Although I just met her, she won my heart!

Yep, I’ve got it all…looks, personality, and smarts!

He’s right! Reno is a four-year-old Lab mix who is pretty much the whole package. He walks beautifully on leash, takes treats gently, already knows several commands, and is food-motivated. He’d love to attend some training classes to learn more stuff. He won Angie’s affection very quickly. What a great dog!

Emelynn’s Pick of the Week

Emelynn’s pick of the week was Prieta, a one-year-old Rottweiler who was adopted and returned because she needs a secure fence. Prieta has an extremely sweet and gentle personality. She has been an outdoor dog, but would like to be an indoor/outdoor dog. She will need some additional house-training, however. Emelynn is one of Prieta’s biggest fans, as is easy to tell from these pictures!

We’re still here…waiting for our forever homes.

I had hoped that my favorite long-termers would all have found new homes by the time I returned from my trip, but while I was happy to see them, I was disappointed they are still waiting. They are not discouraged, however, and all happily let me put Halloween bandanas on them.

Emma

Emma is a three-year-old American Staffordshire mix. She was found in a San Fernando Valley neighborhood one morning, running up to anyone she saw, desperately seeking help. Apparently Emma had given birth 2-3 weeks prior, her puppies were taken by someone, and she was dumped in the area. People in the neighborhood stepped up to make sure Emma was taken off the street and her story touched many people who donated to her cause. After being in a California shelter for four months, she was accepted by the S.T.A.R.T. team to be transported to WHS to start a new life. Emma has become a favorite of staff and volunteers who see her as a good-natured, affectionate dog who is hoping for a forever home in Oregon. She is a smart and sensitive soul who would be a wonderful companion for jogging, walking, or just to sit beside you at home. She will be a loyal friend. The woman who opened her car door and her heart to Emma in California checks in with me frequently to ask about Emma. She and we are hoping for a wonderful home for sweet Emma. Volunteer Carol became another Emma fan today!

Gilbert

Gilbert has been waiting for his forever home since his arrival last December. He has been in a foster home for the last several months. He continues to hope that soon he will be adopted by his perfect fit of a family. Here is his latest report.

“Hey everyone, how ya’ doin’? My name is Gilbert and I am a young, happy, healthy, silly, full-of-life Pit Terrier mix. I am almost three years old. I am old enough to be past the terrible twos and potty trained, yet young enough to learn more tricks and go exploring with my forever family. I currently live with three big dogs and have also been fostered with puppies and small dogs. My neighbor’s dog likes to come over and play with me, too. I like to play tug-o-war, tennis with my ball, and chase with my foster mom’s dogs. I also like the attention of adults and kids. I have lots of energy and like to go on walks. I walk well with a harness. I know my name and other commands like: come, sit, stay, down, leave it, wait, “in” (to go into my crate), “up” (to get in the car). I love to sleep in my crate at nighttime and I also love to go on car rides. When I am done with all this play, I love to take naps in the sun. I get very excited when I meet new dogs. I want to play with them all, but my “bowling ball” style makes some dogs nervous. So give me some time to get to know you and your dog, with a meet and greet or two, and we may soon be friends!”

Faye

Faye is a two-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix who has been at the shelter since August. She loves people and play group. Her kennel presentation isn’t always the best, but she has a good heart and will be a loyal friend. Her adoption comes with a WHS training class. She enjoyed spending time with Joan today, but I couldn’t get her to smile.

Jersey

I cannot understand why Jersey has not been adopted. She is a three-year-old Bull Terrier mix who has been waiting for a home since July. She loves people and has good manners. She might do best as an only dog in the family. I’m hoping that the perfect family for this good girl will come soon! Joan enjoyed playing with her this afternoon.

Tara and Hunter

Tara and Hunter are a bonded Beagle pair who need to find a home together. Tara is nine and Hunter is eight. They have lived together their entire lives. They have been at WHS since September. I’m hoping that a “Beagle person” will discover these two fun characters and take them home! Today they spent some quality time with Joan and Angie.

Updates!

Bo

Bo arrived at WHS on August 11. He was shy and his coat was patchy. It was decided his medical issues needed to be addressed before he could be put up for adoption. For several weeks Bo’s gentle personality won him many staff and volunteer fans, including me.

One staff member especially fell in love with Bo. Here is her story.

“I have been fostering Bo since the end of August. He came to the shelter with major hair loss, inflamed skin, itchy all over and yeast infections in his ears. He was just an all around one uncomfortable guy. He wasn’t improving at the rate needed, and he was also losing weight. I decided to take him home with me for a simple respite over night trip. That one night turned into 2 months…. which ultimately landed him a permanent home with me. When I first brought him home, all he wanted to do was lay down, and sleep. He would not engage in any sort of play, or beg for attention. He was nicknamed our “old man”. After a few days he started to warm up. I was taking him to the dog park and on long walks just to get him socialized more. His skin started improving and he started to finally put on some pounds! Yay! Not only that, but I was starting to see the 3 year old inside of him come out. When he first came to the shelter, the volunteers told me he was always on the fence line in play group, not really wanting to engage with play. After I started socializing him more, he started to blossom. I brought him to a play group and everyone was so happy and surprised on how active he was! Good for you Bo, not such an “old man” anymore!!! Now he’s the star of the show! His fur is coming back more luscious than ever, and I can really see some Husky in him. You will have plenty of updates and pictures. He is one happy boy, and I am one happy momma.”

Skipper/Cinco

I also received this wonderful update for a dog I met only briefly before he was scooped up by a loving couple. Here was Cinco when I met him.

And now…

“We adopted Skipper in May his name at that time was Cinco.  He is a great addition to our family. We had pictures taken for our church directory and we were able to bring Skipper to the photo shoot, you can see how photogenic he is, the photographer did a wonderful job of capturing his personality. Skipper loves to go for rides and we recently took him camping for a few days, he had a great time, even went on the boat with us. He has become quite attached to me and follows me all around the house, up and down the stairs, everywhere. When I am at my sewing machine he will sit on the window seat and watch the neighborhood. He has become a real lap dog and loves to be petted and talked to. We are so happy we made the decision to visit WHS and found our little guy.”

Simba/Zuna

For my long-time blog readers, you’ll remember Simba. She was one of my favorites from the moment I met her in October 2011. She won the jackpot with a terrific home with a family who rescues dogs. I received an update on her a few months ago. Last week I asked for and received a new one.

This was Simba when I met her.

“Zuna is our angel. We couldn’t ask for a better dog. She had her issues at first. But this is what happens in new families. We got to know each other and she learned our expectations quickly. Now she’s in a pack of 4, her BFF is a 3.5 pound Chihuahua. They are the princesses of the castle and the best behaved! They spend their days curled in a ball snuggled on my bed. She is a bike riding machine and goes for a run every day, then back to bed! You’d never know she was a running dog by the way she is in the house, as mellow as they come.

She has taken to bringing the best out of any dog with previous dog issues. She used to panic and screech around new dogs, scaring the owners and everyone else! But she now can be in a pack of dogs without breaking her focus on us, eye contact is always there. She could easily be off leash (but never is) on her walks and outings. She is in the heal position at all times.

She isn’t just smart, she’s a true Pitty…all about pleasing her people. She trusts us entirely and wants to please. She knows she’s safe with us and that we wont lead her in the wrong direction.

She enjoys being a step-mama! All the scared dogs flock to her for comfort and she pulls them gently out of their shell. Puppies love her, she’s a great pitty advocate, meeting all our children, parents, and friends with her gentle presence and sitting nicely for a belly scratch.

As rescuers, we spend a lot if time rehabilitating dogs. Zuna is such a great example. She plays a key role in a dog’s progress from shy shelter dog, to outgoing family dog.

We love our sweet girl and thank God for YOUR BLOG that drew me to her. I’ll never forget it.”

That’s it for this week! This Saturday evening is the annual Bowser’s Boo Bash. I’ll be taking pictures and will tell you all about it next week! Hope to see many local animal lovers there!

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