Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

It was a wonderful week for dog adoptions at Willamette Humane Society! Twenty-two went to their new homes! Here are the ones that were Blog Dogs.

Chatter

Sunday’s play group was great fun. The weather was ideal and the dogs thoroughly enjoyed being out together in the sunshine. They split their time between hanging out with fellow canines and us humans.

Spitzer, a four-year-old Miniature Pinscher/Chihuahua mix, decided he’d like to make a day of it.

Koda, an eleven-year-old Miniature Poodle mix, had an air of authority in the small-dog yard.

However, it didn’t mean Bob thought so.

Then there was Rambo, a three-year-old Chihuahua/Jack Russell Terrier mix, who showed off a remarkable skill.

It’s always exciting when a new dog arrives! Volunteer Linda brought her dog, Henry, to play and he got a warm welcome.

And on a serious note, Thelma had a talk with Lady. Both girls have been waiting for their forever families for a long time. Thelma and Lady are Pit Bull Terrier mixes. Thelma is three and Lady is two.

Then there were times when the dogs just hung out with us. They didn’t talk, just enjoyed feeling loved. Here is staff member Sarah with Casper, Bob, Rambo and Favorite (staff member Kim’s dog).

Adrian, a seven-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix, enjoyed staff member Cassidy’s attention.

And Tom’s, as well.

Thelma and Kya (Sherrie’s dog) decided to wish Sherrie a happy Mother’s Day.

Thelma is quite the people dog. First with Sherrie, then Karen.

Casper seemed to know this would be his last week as a shelter dog and spent some special time with staff member Kim.

I’m a really good dog in need of a stable home so I can blossom!

After play group, one of the first dogs I wanted new pictures of was Adrian, a seven-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix. The pictures I had taken when she first arrived at the shelter were so serious, and I hoped to catch her in a smile. No such luck. Here she is with Taya and no matter what silly noises I made or how many hot dog bits I offered, her expression didn’t change. But don’t let that look fool you. Adrian is an eager, cooperative gal. She spent a couple of days with with my friend, Karla, and she reports that while she was somewhat anxious when Karla would leave the house, she settled, and greeted her with a thumping tale when Karla returned. She slept quietly in a crate with the door open all night. Adrian would do best in a calm home with older kids and no cats. Karla also said that Adrian learns quickly and is house trained. She loves being with people and settles very soon when she’s with them. She also did very well in play group with the more mellow dogs. I’m getting very fond of this sweet girl and hope she finds just the right home very soon. (And I’m still going to try to get her to smile!)

And try I did this afternoon. No luck. However, I did get these sweet pictures of Adrian with Joan. You’ll get a feel for how gentle and calm this girl is.

I’m a newbie here. Need a new best friend?

Meet Honey, a one-year-old Australian Kelpie mix who is full of fun and energy. Just out of “puppyhood,” this girl is ready for an active family. She’d love to hike, run, jog—you name it, she’ll join in the game. She loved my hot dog bits, so training should be fun. She’d love the WHS classes and no doubt would excel in them. Luke fell in love with this youngster, as did I. If you’ve always wanted an eager young dog to train, Honey could be the perfect one for you!

She loves to pose for my camera!

My name is Jules and I’m a former California girl!

We’re not quite sure exactly what this cutie is, but think she’s a Dachshund/Terrier mix. Whatever she is, she’s adorable. She’s about a year old and since she came from California, we don’t know much about her history. She is a cuddler and a lap dog, we know for sure. She needs a little work on food guarding issues, but the staff can explain how to help her overcome that problem. Jules is a happy, eager little gal who is looking forward to being an Oregon dog now. Taya certainly enjoyed her time with her on Sunday.

Today Jules was sporting a cone, having just been spayed. Here she was with Kathy. Yep, she’s a lap dog for sure!

 

You say you’re up for a puppy? Then meet Sam!

At four months, Sam, an American Bulldog mix is quite the little man. Taya and I took him into a visitation room and were quite entertained by this bundle of energy. Sam came to us as a S.T.A.R.T. dog from California and has had no training yet. Being a pup, he is quite mouthy and has not yet learned impulse control. But fear not! Included in his adoption fee is a package of puppy classes for Sam and his new person. The classes will help Sam with socialization, house training, and behavior skills. Because of his puppy teeth, he should not go home with small children. Yes, as a puppy, he’ll be a challenge, but what a worthwhile one!

 Sweet Emma

When I first arrived at WHS on Sunday morning, I was greeted by Emma and Corinne, who was taking Emma out for her morning walk. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know Emma well. She’s a three-year-old American Staffordshire mix from California. To read Emma’s story, click here: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/search/Sweet%20Emma/.

After play group and after all the pictures of new dogs were taken, I took Emma out again to the big yard for some one-on-one time. She loves to explore all the new smells since the last time she was out. Her coat is looking so much better and she feels great.

For a dog who used to always look worried, Emma now smiles much more often and seems certain that her perfect family will find her. She just needs to wait a little longer. The many people who love her hope she’s right.

After all the dogs were walked today, and our shift was over, I took Emma out for some relaxing time in the shade. I was joined by Emelynn and Jolene. We all enjoyed our time together.

Exercise? You need to exercise? Well, I do, too! We could do it together!

After taking Emma back in on Sunday, I took my other current favorite, Sheila out for awhile. Sheila is another California S.T.A.R.T. dog who has stolen my heart. She is a five-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix. At 63 pounds (don’t tell her I mentioned that), she knows she needs to lose a few pounds. She thinks she’d make a great exercise partner for you. Shelia is an affectionate, happy girl who after spending five months in a shelter in California, came to Oregon to find her forever home. Maybe it’s yours?

I love a dog who laughs at my jokes!

Today Caroline took Sheila out for her walk, then they relaxed for awhile under the trees. Could Sheila BE any more relaxed? Sure hope this sweetheart is found by her forever family soon!

There were a couple of newbies I needed to meet today. The first one was this little character, Snoop, an eleven-year-old purebred Beagle. Steve took him out for his afternoon walk and reported that Snoop walks well on leash and is an active, happy boy. Snoop has a good history with other dogs and even cats! He enjoys kids over age five, walks and car rides. He loved my hot dog bits and was very cooperative for his “photo shoot.” He’s a delightful little dog!

Some people say I have Paul Newman eyes! Not sure what that means, but it’s good, right?

Another new arrival is Roscoe, a seven-year-old Boxer mix. Roscoe is such a handsome boy with beautiful blue eyes. He enjoyed some time with Caroline today and she said he’ll make a terrific jogging or running partner. He also is affectionate and would like to sit in your lap after a jog. He has lived with both cats and other dogs. I have a feeling this cutie won’t be at the shelter long!

Emelynn’s Pick of the Week!

Today Emelynn spent time with her current favorite, Roxy, a three-year-old Boxer/Pit Bull terrier mix. Roxy is having a hard time in the shelter environment. She is quite shy and while she loves to spend time outside with people, she really doesn’t want to return to her kennel. She did much better when a volunteer took her on a respite for a couple of days. Roxy needs a home without cats and with older kids. She is a sweet, loving dog who came to us through S.T.A.R.T. from California, so we don’t know her history. Emelynn loves Roxy and hopes she finds the right home soon. Here they were hanging out together this afternoon.

Here’s what she looks like standing upright!

We’ve been here awhile and we’re still waiting for the right families for us. How about yours?

Steve and Joan took Koda and Mater out this afternoon. These two Miniature Poodle mixes came to the shelter together and share a kennel, but do not have to be adopted together (unless you fall in love with the two of them and want both boys!) They are quite the little characters. They are eleven years old, but you’d never know it from the springs in their steps. They love going to play group and romp happily with everyone.

 

I’m over my cold and ready to find my new family!

I was so happy today to find Billy Jean out of the ISO kennels (she had a cold.) She’s one of Caroline’s favorites, as you can tell by the smile on both of their faces. Billy Jean is a six-year-old Boxer mix. She will do best in a calm home with adults. She does have some food and resource guarding behavior that she is working on improving, so an experienced dog owner would be perfect for this girl. She loved my hot dog bits, and already knows some commands, so training her will be fun for both her and her new owner. I love her smile!

Yes, I’m really this cute and I’m looking for a patient family!

Bob is a five-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mix. He has no idea he is actually a very small dog. He loves to go to play group and race around the yard with his friends. He also like to cuddle with people. He does, however, like to go on adventures, so will need a very secure yard. He also needs some help with house training. But even with these issues, he’s a fun, happy little guy who is just hoping to be a part of a family.

Here he is with Steve this afternoon.

 

Updates

Rockstar/Tanner!

For all of Tanner’s fans, here’s another fun picture from Karen. It seems that the barn cat has decided that he’d rather be a house cat. Tanner, of course, couldn’t agree more. They’ve become great buds.

Ava/Kili

Emelynn and I met Ava and then I wrote about her on my March 5 blog post. Here is some of what I wrote:

This is Ava, a two-year-old Pointer/Shar-Pei mix(?) Perhaps a touch of Greyhound? No one knows for sure, but what we do know is that Ava is hoping for a new family in Oregon. She came from a shelter in California and so we don’t know her history. She is quite shy at first meeting, but warms up with a little time. 

Ava touched both Emelynn and me and we always wondered how she was doing in her new home. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I received this update last week!

“I really enjoy the dog blog you run and thought you might like the update. My husband and I adopted a dog named ‘Ava,’ who we now call Kili (kee-lee), on March 9th. She is doing excellent with us. We were told that she had some shyness issues, and she has really come out of her shell in the past month. She loves to play, and is very affectionate. She’s been easy to train, and we currently are taking the Check-in and Chill-out class at WHS. She also gets along very well with our two rescued cats (including our 3-leg black cat George that was adopted from WHS in 2011). We couldn’t be happier with our new family member. Thanks so much for rescuing her from the shelter in California and for bringing her into our lives.”

Coco/Aja

I was very excited when I got this update last night! I’m so happy for this very special girl!

“Hi Martha,

I have to thank you for your terrific blog about the WHS adoptables. Your write-up and photos of Coco convinced me that I just had to meet her. The extra info and cute pictures surely must have spurred many adoptions. Coco—now Aja (eh-zha), is a doll. So calm, affectionate, pretty well mannered (who of us couldn’t use a little polish?) and soooo cute. When I brought my daughters into meet her at WHS, she was immediately drawn to them. I knew then it was a done deal. Aja is an awesome addition to our family. Attached is a pic of Aja lounging on one of my girl’s bean bag chair. : )

Thanks again,
Aja’s Mama”

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