Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

Happy April Fools’ Day! I was hoping that none of the dogs would think about the fact that today was April first, but Lemon must have a calendar in her kennel. I’m not sure if volunteer Francis was in on the prank or not.

She certainly enjoys her own simple humor!

We had 21 dogs adopted this week! Of them, here are the Blog Dogs who are home for Easter!

 

You may remember Joker, the boy who came back to WHS with a terrible skin condition and was in a foster home during his on-going recovery. He came into the shelter for a check-up last week and a visitor was instantly swept away and adopted him, knowing he is still is on medication. Here they are together. This is what the staff said about the adoption: Ashley is dedicated to Joker’s long-term care, heading home with his special diet. She fell in love after seeing Joker interacting with people…his favorite! Partial to Shepherds, she was looking for a medium-size dog, and Joker fit the bill. “His face is adorable,” she said. Joker will share a home with Ashley and a cat and bird sibling.

 

 

Chatter

We all love spring playgroups! On Sunday the sun was out, but it wasn’t too hot. Everyone felt like romping and the conversation was lively.

Lee is Sunday playgroup’s lead and wanted a nice picture posing with Lentil. Lentil had other ideas.

Lentil is a two-year-old Staffordshire/Bull Terrier mix.

 

Oden was especially talkative as he sat with Marianne.

Oden is a one-year-old American Bulldog mix.

 

And here’s what happens when both boys get together!

Then it was time to ROMP!

Lentil sometimes thinks he’s in his own little world.

Meanwhile, in the other, less rowdy yard, Prince Willie wanted everyone to know he had great news!

 

 

 

I’m going to be the best friend you ever had!

This beautiful boy is Hans, a two-year-old German Shepherd. Hans wants a home with a family who will be patient and understanding. He needs some confidence building, as he is nervous about new situations and people. Once he feels safe, he is a snuggler and will be your loyal companion. He is still healing from an old fracture of a front leg, so his new family will have to keep an eye on him so that he doesn’t overexert himself. Hans rides well in a car and is house-trained. Here he is hanging out with Jolene.

 

 

 

I’m still here! I’ll be in Kennel #32 when you come to adopt me!

Sweet Pea is just that, one of the sweetest dogs ever. You’ll remember her from Emelynn’s Pick of the Week in my last post. Here she was on Sunday with Daniel who is another one of her many fans. Sweet Pea is an eight-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix who has not had an easy life. She has great hope that her NEXT family will be her forever one.

And Sweet Pea was also Emelynn’s Pick of the Week!  (Again!)

This shelter dog is very popular! When I asked Emelynn who her pick would be this week, there was no hesitation.

Sweet Pea is such a happy dog!

 

 

 

How I LOVE April Fools’ Day!

Lemon‘s pranks continue…subtly…with Caroline. Lemon is a five-year-old Pointer/Retriever mix. She is gentle and, as you have seen, has her own special sense of humor. She has a hold, so we’re hoping she’ll soon be in her new forever home.

 

 

 

While we’re not spring chickens (actually we’re not chickens at all) we have a lot of love yet to give!

Scooper and Babe are back once again. Scooper is a fourteen- and Bebe is a fifteen-year-old Shih Tzu mix. They are healthy and happy and looking for a new home. They need to stay together since they have been best friends for the last twelve years. They do not act their ages, and have a spring in their step when out on walks. Their needs are simple: a lap to sit in, walks around the neighborhood, snuggle time in the evening. They are eager to have a new family to love. Together their adoption fee is $150. Here they were on Sunday with Ian.

Scooper just got a new haircut and is looking especially spiffy!

 

 

 

I’m a little gray around my muzzle, but I’m still a lively girl!

Lilly is a new arrival and is a ten-year-old Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix. She is looking for a calm retirement home where she can be the laid-back sweet girl that she likes to be. She has good manners and has lived with a cat and dog in her former home. She has always been an indoor dog and is house-trained. She does not like to be bothered while she is eating, so would do best in a home with older kids who will respect her need to be left alone during dinner. Lilly is a happy, eager gal who loved my hot dog bits and her time outside with new volunteer Kylie.

 

 

 

No one here understands why I haven’t been adopted yet!

That’s for sure! Priscilla was a newbie last week when I first introduced her to my readers. She is a four-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix. She was found as a stray, so we don’t know much about her, but she has become very popular with staff, volunteers, and other canines. Priscilla is playful, friendly and eager. She is house-trained and scored very well on her behavior assessment. She enjoys the company of other dogs. As a Cattle Dog, she likes to have a job, so waiting all day for her people to come home would not be something she’d like. Instead, she’d like to be around her peeps to help wherever she can. Need a companion while you go about your day? Priscilla would be perfect for you. So why is she still waiting at the shelter for her forever family? Her many fans are hoping she’ll soon be found by a loving family who will be very lucky. Here she is with Samantha on Sunday.

 

 

 

Poor Pip is so tired of his cone.

Pip does not understand why he still has to wear a cone and he complains about it to anyone who will listen. Here he was telling new volunteer Jacob his tale of woe.

He settled down when I told him it wouldn’t be much longer. Pip arrived at WHS on January 30th and is still hoping a new family will find him soon. He is a two-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix and what a fun boy he is! He has a lot of energy, so is hoping for an active family. He loves to play with other dogs. He walks nicely on leash. Pip is treat-motivated and loves to learn, so he’s a perfect candidate for WHS training classes. Fingers crossed that he’ll find a new home before next post!

Here is the way he’ll soon look, once again handsome, with Sandra a couple of weeks ago.

 

 

 

I have a little cold, but that doesn’t keep me from playing with my new ball and Colby! And I’m still adoptable!

Juicy Fruit caught a cold last week and was moved to the ISO kennels until she gets over it, but oh my, what fun she was having with Colby in the ISO yard. Juicy Fruit is eight years old and weighs 70 pounds. (She needs to lose between fifteen and twenty of those pounds because her excess weight is hard on her joints.) She scored well enough on her behavior assessment to get a PG rating, meaning she is an extremely gentle soul. And as you can see, she also will be a great playmate besides a snuggler. Some family is going to be mighty lucky when they adopt her!

 

 

 

I’m back and waiting for the perfect fit of a family for me!

The last dog I walked today was Thor. He was returned when he was not the right fit for the adopting family. Thor is a one-year-old Australian Cattle Dog/Pit Bull Terrier mix. Because he is still a young boy, he has lots of energy so will need a family able to give him the exercise and the time that he needs. He’d love to attend WHS training classes so he could polish his manners. He is eager, happy, and excited to get the chance to learn to be the best dog he can be. Here he was with Daniel on Sunday.

I decided to take Thor out to the big yard and let him play. However, when we got there, it started to rain. But Thor didn’t let a little shower stop him from having fun.

I wasn’t quite sure why that game would be fun, but I shouldn’t have doubted him. He had a blast. See for yourself.

 

 

 

Updates!

Boy, do I have updates this week!

Wizard/J.P.

Here was Wizard when he was at WHS.

And here is what his “grandma” wrote about him last week.

“I wanted to give you a quick update since our adopting Wizard (Now named Just Precious aka J.P.) in Dec 2013. Let me start by saying that officially, he is our daughter’s dog and therefore our “granddog.”  Goodness, he has been such a joy to our family and we expected that. What we didn’t expect was just how important he would become to our family.  Our “rescue dog” has become our rescuer in more ways that one!!  I shared a while ago about the difference he has made for our daughter and how his quirky, fun-loving personality pulled her out of her shell with gusto. Now I want to share what he did for me!  On my way out to pick up my husband from work I had a really bad coughing fit (due to recent asthma flare-ups) and I had to pull over right by Cascade High School at the athletic fields. I was really short of breath and of kind of blacking out and the next thing I know JP is licking my face like crazy and whining. The little darling backed out of his harness and climbed up to the front seat because he knew something wasn’t right. It made me alert enough to grab my inhaler and use it and it brought my breathing back under control.  He truly is Nana’s little Hero!!

Thank you again for everything you do and the way you keep these beautiful pets in everyone’s minds and hearts!!!”

 

 

Arlo

“Arlo adopted us on April 15, 2011.  We had lost our former dog Molly to old age in November 2010, and realized that we could no longer live without a dog.  WHS picked Arlo out of a line-up at county dog control in early January 2011.  He had an atrophied left rear leg, probably due to a very painful disease called Legg-Calve-Perthes, where the ball of the femur dies.  After having him neutered and fostered for a week, WHS decided he was such a nice dog that they would try to get him the surgery he needed to fix his leg. Dr Harter at the WHS Spay and Neuter clinic said she could do the surgery. After surgery Arlo was fostered again for a month to recover, and had just returned to the shelter when we met him.  We had come looking for an older dog, knowing they are the hardest to place, but Arlo completely won our hearts and home we went.

It turned out that Arlo’s early medical issues were going to set the pattern for his new life.  He has environmental allergies for which he’s on a very low dose of Prednisone and Benadryl.  Then came the blown out cruciate ligament in his right knee, which we fixed with TPLO surgery.  Six months after that, a troublesome anal sac became impacted and had to be surgically removed.  Finally, recently, he somehow injured himself and likely did damage to a couple of disks in his spine.  He was unable to move without great pain for several days, but has responded well to six weeks of quiet (or as quiet as he gets, which is not very) followed by two weeks of increasing activity.  

When people ask us what breed he is, we say he’s a Money Pit.

Through it all, he is the most good-natured pup I’ve ever known.  I think he’s just a happy guy—that characteristic that WHS first recognized in him.  We’re not sure we’ll be able to go back to the dog park, which he loves, but we’re doing our best to give him a happy, active life.  Arlo is a wonderful ambassador for his breed (we think he’s Staffordshire and Boxer), and we take him everywhere we can. He’s got several fans at the McMinnville Farmers’ Market.  Arlo’s responsible for a high percentage of the laughter and joy in our lives, and we’re totally dedicated to him.

Thanks to WHS for taking such good care of him.”

 

 

Linnea/Violet

Here was Linnea at WHS.

“Hi there, I’m going to send you some pictures of Violet (Linnea). She is already settling in and a loved part of the family! We got a big surprise at the vet today, she was supposedly 2 years old, but the vet said she’s only 1 year, or 13 months tops, wow she’s still got some growing from her current 66.5 lbs. Thankful for you all!”
And by the way, if you think that Violet’s brother, Murray, looks a little familiar, you’re right! Murray (Scooter) was adopted from WHS in 2013. Here he was when he was at the shelter.

 

 

Patience/Cassidy

Here was Patience at WHS, with Diane. Our own volunteer Marianne adopted her.

“I adopted Patience (previously Cassidy) from WHS on November 15, 2014. Even though it has only been 4-1/2 months, I can’t imagine not having her in my life. My other two dogs and my two cats love her, and she fit right in immediately. She is such a loving dog and so happy in spite of the fact that she has not always had a great life. She is a perfect breed ambassador! She is close to 11 years old, so I have started a “bucket list” for her – there are so many things I want her to experience. First up, the beach. Here she is with me and then gazing out at the ocean contemplating the meaning of life.  I love her so much and am so thankful to WHS for taking such good care of her before she could come home with me.”

What wonderful updates to close this post with! 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