Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

Wow! I’m thrilled to report that during the past week there were 23 dog adoptions! I thought last week was amazing with 17, but this week topped it! Of the 23, there were thirteen Blog Dogs. Here they are.

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month and adopters have really come through, giving many of our wonderful seniors new beginnings. One story is especially happy. If you read last week’s post, you know Cassidy’s story. Here is the adoption picture when volunteer Marianne took her home for good. And by the way, Cassidy’s new name is Patience.

Here is Patience her first night of the rest of her life in her forever home.

 

 

Chatter

Sunday’s play groups were busy! Maybe it was the chilly weather, but the Rough and Rowdy yard was hopping with racing dogs.

Koda, Ty, and Lillith made big loops running full speed.

Meanwhile, in the Calm and Mellow side, newbie Cookie made her preferences clear.

 

 

 

I’m a good dog!

I love these pictures of Nico and volunteer Linda that I snapped on Sunday. He is an Australian Kelpie/Pit Bull Terrier mix. He is two years old and weighs about 50 pounds. He’s been at WHS since July. He’ll need a home with experienced owners and no cats. Nico loves people and is hoping just the right family will find him. Volunteer Linda has been spending time with this eager, smart boy, working on his manners. That day, just for fun, they were working on rolling over.

Linda has been taking Nico on respites to her house lately. Here he is excitedly exploring her big yard.

I subbed for another walker on Monday afternoon and, at the end of the shift, Nico and I spent some quiet time together. He’s been waiting for his right family for so long. We hope they find him soon.

 

 

 

You can call me Houdini or you can call me Dolo. I answer to both!

I’m not quite sure why Houdini has two names, but I do know that he is a delightful, fun guy. He has perfected the “Won’t you adopt me p-l-e-a-s-e???” pitiful look (see below). Here he is with one of his fans, Jolene.

Houdini is a two-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix, weighing in at 60 pounds (of which a few could be shed). He loves play group and on Sunday romped with the Rough and Rowdy guys for a long time until we could tell that his short legs were tired, though his spirit was still eager to romp. His endearing face wins him many fans. He would like an active family who would help him lose those pesky extra pounds, take him on adventures, and then let him curl up beside them in the evening. He already knows several commands and is eager to learn more. A family with older kids would fit this boy perfectly.

 

 

 

I’m back (again). But I’m a good girl!

Yes, Lillith is back again. Sometimes when people adopt a youngster they don’t realize how much energy the dog has and needs to expend. Lillith is a Pit Bull Terrier mix and is about a year old. She is brimming with exuberance. On Sunday I saw her out in a yard with Rayne and went out to watch. Lillith was so funny. She had found two big plastic balls. She wanted to play with both of them, but couldn’t keep them both with her when we threw one. She would run and get it, then come back so she had control of both balls. Rayne and I both had to laugh at her.

She would have played the game for hours, but we needed to go in and Lillith wasn’t about to give up BOTH balls. We told her she could have one and take it back to her kennel and she was happy, but didn’t totally trust that we meant it. When I offered her hot dog bits, a treat she loves, she chose to turn them down so that she didn’t have to release the ball. So this is what we got!

Lillith needs a forever family who will help her fine-tune her training, take her running or jogging, let her race around a yard chasing a ball, and then cuddle with her in the evening. We love Lillith and hope her right people will come soon.

 

 

 

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month! So why not adopt ME?

While several of our senior dogs have been adopted lately, Petey has not. This little love bug is an eleven-year-old, thirteen-pound Miniature Dachshund. He gets along with other small dogs, cats, and older kids. He has the cutest little prance as he walks and is a happy guy. His one problem is house-training, but with consistency, this would improve. He’s a snuggler and a lap dog. Petey is hoping for a retirement home where he can be taken for leisurely strolls around the neighborhood, then curl up with his person in the evening. We’re hoping this sweet boy will find a forever home soon. He’s been waiting since November 3rd. Here he is with Luke and Wendi, two of his many friends at the shelter.

He even knows some tricks!

 

 

 

Please excuse my cone. I’m a happy youngster eager to meet you!

Socks, a three-year-old Border Collie/Lab mix, is such a happy girl, even with her cone on, having just been spayed. She’s got some pent-up energy since she can’t dash around the yards until her cone can come off, but it’s not getting her down. Socks is house-trained, treat-motivated, and knows a few commands. She would make a great jogging partner and would do very well with older kids who would enjoy romping with her. Here she was with Ian on Sunday.

And here she was today with Sandra, a new member of our Wednesday walking team. (We’re always so happy when we get a new volunteer to help us walk our shelter dogs!) As you can see, Socks is still smiling!

 

 

 

 

It’s not every day that someone like me arrives here!

I’d like to introduce you to a newbie who came in on Sunday and is already on the adoption floor with a hold as she waits for her new family. Her name is Lucy. She is a 93-pound, two-year-old St. Bernard purebred. She has been an outdoor dog her whole life and would like to be indoors some of the time, and promises to learn house-training very quickly! She also would like a home without cats or small dogs. Lucy is a delight! She has loved every person she’s met so far at the shelter, including Jolene! I hope she gets to go home very soon!

 

 

 

I’m going to be a BIG girl!

I don’t usually feature puppies, but I’ve been waiting for this sweetheart to get to the adoption floor, and Emelynn has fallen in love with her, so I decided to introduce you to Suzzane. At four months old and thirty pounds, this pup will grow up to be 60 – 75 pounds. She’s a S.T.A.R.T. dog from California, so we don’t know her short history. We think she is a Shepherd/Sighthound mix. She will need a very active family who is willing to put in the time for the training that she’ll need. But she is very eager and anxious to learn new things, so training will be a blast. Emelynn spent some fun time with her in her kennel this afternoon.

 

 

 

Dogs are okay, but I like my people better!

We brought shy Elsinore out to play group a couple of Sundays ago, before she was adoptable, but she wasn’t interested in playing with the other dogs. What did she want to do? She jumped up on the people bench and right into Harmony’s lap. Elsinore is a seven-pound, two-year-old Chihuahua. She was found as a stray, so we don’t know much about her past, but she is currently in a foster home and her foster mom can’t say enough good things about this sweetheart. Elsinore is house-trained, gets along fine with the other dogs in the family as well as a two-year-old human little person who loves to cuddle with her. Elsinore is a little nervous around new things, and takes a little time to warm up, but other than that, she is perfect. If you’d like to meet this little gem, call the Foster Coordinator at 503-585-5900 Extension 303.

 

 

 

I’m back. I’m hoping to find my perfect fit of a family soon!

Juno is a beautiful ten-month-old Anatolian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. She was surrendered by her first family because she was too active. She is back again due to being reactive to other animals. She did fine with the dogs and cats in the home, but had a difficult time with ones she did not know. She is fine with people. Juno will need a family with the experience and time to help her through positive training to overcome her issues. She would do best in a family with older children or just adults. Today when I walked her at the shelter, she did fine on leash, paid attention to me and happily took my treats for being good walking by another dog in a yard. I’m hoping the right person will find this girl and give her training and a great home. Here she was with Jeff on Sunday.

 

 

 

Emelynn’s Pick of the Week!

Does he look familiar? Yep, it’s Houdini again. Emelynn took him out a second time this afternoon after all the dogs had been walked, so I knew she would choose him for her pick, and I certainly can’t blame her. This stocky little character is a hoot. I found the two of them under a tree reading. And at first, Houdini didn’t realize what book Emelynn had. But once he did, he was mesmerized!

 

 

 

Updates!

Bo

I first met Bo when he was surrendered to the shelter in February of 2013. Kathy was walking dogs on my shift then, and I could tell when she met him that it was love at first sight. Here is a picture I took of them on one of their first walks. Bo was still a one-year-old puppy then. It wasn’t long before Kathy knew she had to adopt this cutie.

Last week I was visiting Kathy and took the picture below of the two of them again. This is what Kathy has to say about this wonderful boy.

“Bo is one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever known.  The past year and a half have been some of the happiest times around here. As well as knowing basic commands, Bo has learned ‘Lowrider’ (Army Crawl) and ‘Dance.’ He loves to run and fetch the tennis ball and since adopting him, he has gotten much better with ‘Drop it.’  We’ve also worked on catching a Frisbee! Bo is quite the cuddler and really enjoys being with his people. He loves giving lots of kisses and sweet, gentle hugs. And he loves his Papillon sister! He tries to be very careful with her, even a gentle reach with his big paw could knock her silly! Out of all of us, when he wants to play, he loves when his big (human) brother, the wrestler, plays with him. Needless to say, he tires Bo out the most! We love this sweet boy so much, we can’t imagine life without him.  Thank you WHS!”

I didn’t notice it until I uploaded this photo, but look who photo-bombed Bo’s picture!

 

 

Daisy

While I was walking dogs today a woman arrived, hoping to visit with someone who remembered her dog whom she had adopted at the beginning of October. Of course we did. It was Daisy! Here she was when she first arrived as a S.T.A.R.T. dog last August. As the weeks went by and no one adopted Daisy, we started to worry.

And here Daisy is today with her adopter, Donna.

Donna is over the moon about Daisy. She loved telling me all about how they spend their days. Daisy follows Donna everywhere. They go for walks, snuggle, and enjoy treats. Donna is a care-giver and Daisy often goes with her to the delight of the patient. It was obvious that there is a special bond between these two and it was a joy to see what a wonderful new life this little dog from an overcrowded shelter in California has now.

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