Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,
I wondered with Thanksgiving week being so busy for people, if our dog adoption numbers would be dramatically lower. I needn’t have worried. There have been twelve dog adoptions since last Wednesday, ten of them were Blog Dogs. Here they are:
Playgroup on Sunday was smaller than usual, since we’ve had so many adoptions lately. But everyone still had lots of fun and a couple of shy dogs who need more socialization had many positive interactions.
Shy Miracle is slowly becoming more brave. More on her later in this post.
Kati, a newbie who seems to never have been on a leash, loved having the freedom to romp with other dogs.
I didn’t get adopted during Adopt A Senior Month, so I’m still waiting for you!
Kane is still patiently waiting for his perfect family to find him and take him home to retire. He is a twelve-year-old Dogue de Bordeaux mix whom everyone thinks of as a gentle giant or a loveable teddy bear disguised as a dog. At 88 pounds, Kane loves nothing more than rolling over and getting his tummy scratched. He is extremely gentle, happy, and fun. He will run for short distances out of pure joy of life. He is almost recovered from a cold and will be out of the ISO kennels soon, so he will be able to return to playgroups, which he thoroughly enjoys. Kane has been at WHS since October 27. He has a great history with children, though his energy level is low, so long romps are over for this sweet boy. Here are some of his many moods with Jolene, one of his fans.
Here Kane was today, still in ISO, and still just as gentle.
I’m hoping for a person who will help me become the dog I want to be.
Jack has been adopted twice and returned through no fault of his own. Both adopters liked him but he wasn’t the right fit for the families. Jack is a two-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix and is a S.T.A.R.T. dog from California. He is waiting for someone who wants an active, eager boy. He hasn’t had the opportunity to get a lot of training, but is food-motivated, so he’s looking forward to learning new things, including impulse control. He is a rowdy player and will need to get regular exercise. Here he is with Diane. We’re hoping the right fit of a family will find him soon.
I’m a young, enthusiastic, joyful boy! I’m looking for a new best friend.
Meet Max, a ten-month-old Lab mix, who can’t wait to go home with a new family! This youngster will need room to romp and someone with patience to train him, as he hasn’t learned a lot of self-control in his young life. Max is a happy, energetic, food-motivated boy who will grow up into a great jogging, running, or hiking partner. With the proper training, Max will develop into a devoted best buddy. Here he is with Jolene.
I’m still here and I’m still shy, but I’m getting a little braver.
Miracle has been available for adoption since October 24th. She is one of our S.T.A.R.T. dogs from an overcrowded shelter in California. It is obvious from her demeanor that Miracle has had a rough beginning in life. She is a four-year-old Boxer/Dalmatian mix. She is extremely shy and nervous around new things and seems to just now be learning that all of life is not scary. She actually started to play a little bit in playgroup on Sunday. She would do best in a home with another confident, well-adjusted dog who would show Miracle how to be a family pet. Small children would make her too nervous, so older kids who would sense when to give her space would be better. She should also not go home with cats. Miracle may need a little time and patience from a new family, but what a gift of love she will become. Here she was on Sunday with new volunteers Laslo and Katalin. I’m so hoping this sweet girl will be found by a loving family very soon.
My name is Wyatt and I’d love to go on adventures with you!
Today I spent some quality time with Wyatt for the first time. I really enjoyed getting to know this three-year-old Shepherd/Pug mix. Here he is with Caroline before we headed out to the big yard for some fun.
Wyatt isn’t a ball dog, but enjoyed running around freely. He is good about coming when called, sits when asked, and took my hot dog bits gently. He didn’t mind posing on the platform, but wouldn’t smile for the camera.
And he was perfectly willing to head back inside after our romp. Wyatt is a wonderful medium-sized (37 pounds) boy waiting for his forever family to come and take him home before Christmas.
I’m new and can’t wait to meet my family!
Johnson is a two-year-old Border Collie/Chow mix with one of the cutest faces I’ve ever seen! He smiles on cue, or at least seems to. He walks well on leash, is eager for treats, and already knows some commands. He loves people, can be somewhat reactive around other dogs, so will need to meet any dogs he will live with. Here he was with Ian on Sunday.
Emelynn’s Pick of the Week!
I met Penny and Cecil for the first time on Sunday. They had just been surrendered and were scared of all the new people and noises. But once Caroline and I took them outside and let them snuggle in Caroline’s lap, they began to relax. They are both two-year-old Chihuahua mixes, though they look very different. They keep each other in sight and seem very bonded. They share a kennel at the shelter and we hope a family will realize how much they love each other and will give them both a forever home.
I couldn’t wait for Emelynn to meet them today. I knew she’d fall in love and she did. It was nippy out, so both dogs wore sweaters. Here we were about to start on our walk. Cecil is much braver than Penny, but kept checking in with her to make sure she was doing okay.
As we headed down the path, Cecil and Emelynn took the lead, while Penny and I followed. Penny decided she liked walking on the railroad ties rather than in the dirt.
We stopped once to pose for a picture.
Then it was time to head back to their kennels, stopping to rest briefly on a bench.
Spending time with them today made me all the more convinced that they need to go home together. Penny needs Cecil to boost her confidence and Cecil takes looking out for Penny very seriously.
I’m almost over my cold!
This happy-go-lucky boy is Goodwin, a six-year-old German Shepherd/Lab mix who is one joyful character. Having a cold hasn’t slowed him down one bit. He loves to romp and has a perpetual grin. He’ll need an active family with older kids because of his exuberance. Goodwin loves hot dog bits and will be a breeze to train because he’s happy to work for a nibble. I love this boy’s zest for life! Here he is with Jolene.
I spent some time with Goodwin this afternoon. He was so excited to get to go out to the ISO yard to play fetch. He loves running after tennis balls and does a good job of returning them, though he doesn’t always want to let them go right away. He’s such a delightful boy and will make some lucky family a fantastic new member. Here are some shots I took today during our game.
I want to learn stuff. Will you teach me?
Kati is another one of our S.T.A.R.T. dogs who arrived a couple of weeks ago from California. She is a five-year-old Beagle/Pit Bull Terrier mix. When I first met her, she was so nervous and afraid of all of the new things she was experiencing in the shelter. She didn’t act like she had ever been walked on a leash. But what a difference a week makes! This sweet little girl has gained confidence and once out in playgroup had an absolutely fantastic time racing around the yard with other dogs. She loves hot dog bits and so will be easy and eager to train. She will make a wonderful family dog. Here she is with Alexis on Sunday.
I’m looking for a special home.
Juno is a beautiful Anatolian Shepherd/Border Collie mix who is eleven months old. She enjoys romping with dogs she is comfortable with. She has lived with another dog before, whom she loved, but she can be quite picky about which dogs she likes. She would like to have a job and a person all her own. She loves people and is very smart. She knows several commands, walks well on leash, and enjoys hanging out with you after playing. She needs to go to a home with older children, as she can be possessive of her toys, something she knows she needs to work on. She is house-trained and even crate-trained. We’re hoping this beauty will be home before Christmas. Yes, that’s Caroline behind her!
Updates!
Rockie/Ricky
We were so pleased last week when Rockie, now Ricky, came back to visit play group.
Here he was at WHS last July. Volunteer Debbie was his biggest fan.
His person, Jo, is crazy about him and says he is the light of her life. After losing her beloved Lab three years ago, it took some time before she felt ready for another best friend. Then she came to the shelter and it was love at first sight. Here they were last week. Can you tell they have a special bond?
Edison
When Edison, a three-year-old purebred Golden Retriever, arrived at WHS last March, it was clear he had some issues and would need a special home. He was very uneasy around people he didn’t know and showed increasing anxiety in the shelter environment. He became more and more reactive around other dogs. WHS contacted several rescue groups, but after evaluating him, they decided they couldn’t take him. Staff and volunteers were becoming increasingly worried about him and we were getting very attached. Here he was with Emelynn.
We realized Edison would need someone who would give him the time, love, and structure he needed. That’s when foster volunteer Marge decided to take him home. Within days she realized she could not give him up and adopted him. Here is some of what she said about this special boy.
“I am so thankful that he has come into my life and that I have come into his life. This sweet boy absolutely is loving life. He has obtained his Canine Good Citizen, has been in an obedience ring and earned the first leg on an obedience title. He is a natural at the sport of Dock Diving and competed in the competition that was held at the Oregon State Fair this year. He qualified for the finals in the World Dock Diving Competition and finished in 8th position in the Semi-Pro division. He has many wonderful friends. He is great with other dogs, people, in the house, travels well in the motor home. I cannot rave enough about him.”
And here are some pictures of Edison’s new and wonderful life. Some people think that dogs at a shelter are “broken.” Need proof that they aren’t?
CoCo
CoCo arrived at the shelter in November. She was an instant favorite among volunteers and staff. Not only was she cute, she had a delightful personality. Here she was in playgroup, stopping play long enough to happily pose for me.
She was adopted quickly and I received this terrific update last week.
“Sweet CoCo Puff seems like she’s always been a member of the family. She has been crate trained in under a week and seems perfectly happy to know where her special place is. Although we were told she needed potty training reinforcement, we have had no problems. She takes a ball in her mouth and goes right out to the yard. She is absolutely patient and tolerant of our three-year-old daughter, who adores her new doggie. CoCo is peaceful with our chickens and barks only when the doorbell rings or we get home. She happily greets our guests with whole body wiggles (since she doesn’t have a tail). She loves to snuggle and be petted. She loves rides in the car so much that she sometimes doesn’t get out right away. She walks pretty well on a leash with her harness and seems to know already that we are her people. She sits politely in the other room while we eat at the table, so we have had no food issues. She’s the sweetest and most even-tempered dog. We are so glad to have found her and are grateful to the WHS volunteer who was working last Saturday evening who introduced us. Happy Holidays!”
On these very happy notes, 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.
You can reach me at adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com
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