Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

As usual, it was good to get back to the shelter after being gone last week. Many of the new arrivals were adopted while I was away, but a few of our longer-term Blog Dogs have been adopted, too. Here they are.

 

We were especially excited about Waffles, as she had been waiting for a family since June 28th. And Gabba, although she was not a long-termer, was an older gal at six, so we were thrilled for her, too. I was at the shelter when her new owner came to visit her on Sunday, which she did every day until she could take Gabba home.

 

I’m not a smiler, but I’m a terrific friend!

I’m going to start this post with a favorite new arrival of mine. Meet Cooper, an eight-year-old Hound mix, who is looking for a calm home. Cooper scored very well on his behavior assessment and is a quiet, sweet boy. He is house-trained and loves hot dog bits as well as other treats. He does fine in playgroup with young female dogs and small dogs. He has lived with kids, but is a bit shy, so needs respectful children. Cooper would love to walk around the neighborhood with you, then settle in for an evening of just being together. Here he is spending time with volunteer Andrew on Sunday. This week he’s a camp dog with the WHS Jr. Trainers. Hoping he’ll be adopted very soon after camp!

I spent some relaxing time with Cooper this afternoon and actually got him to smile! (Or maybe it was the heat.) He is such a gentle, sweet boy.

 

 

 

Laslo’s absolute favorite!

Volunteer Laslo has had many, many favorite dogs during the time he’s been a Sunday walker. However, I don’t think I’ve ever known him to love a dog more than he loves Daisy-Head Mayzie (you can call her Daisy). She was the first one he and his mother, Katie, took out after arriving at the shelter in the afternoon. Maybe it’s because Daisy has such a goofy personality, or maybe it’s because she has such a zest for life. Daisy is a two-year-old Pit Bull Terrier/Australian Cattle Dog mix. She has a ton of energy and little impulse control, so will need someone willing to spend time in training her using positive reinforcement. WHS classes would be perfect for this eager girl. She is very treat-motivated, so teaching her new skills will be rewarding both for her and her person. Daisy loves to play her kind of fetch. That would mean you throwing the ball, her running after it, leaving it on the ground, then running back to you. Daisy will need a home without cats and with older kids or adults, as she is such an exuberant girl. This sweetheart is a your typical active, excitable, playful young dog. With positive training, she’ll grow into a well-mannered, wonderful best friend.

Knowing how much Laslo loves Daisy, I wasn’t surprised when he and Katie showed up to take Daisy on an afternoon respite. I caught a few pictures as they left. Daisy was soooo excited and happy!

 

 

 

 

The “Surviving Puppyhood” class comes with my adoption! How about THAT!?

How cute is this bundle of energy? Ten-month-old Baker is a West Highland White Terrier/Poodle mix. He came to us through our partnership with ASPCA and everyone has fallen for this little guy, including Jolene. He is a typical pup, who will need guidance in what to chew and what not to, as well as house-training. But what a joyful spirit he will bring to his new family! Baker is a camp dog this week which he will no doubt thoroughly enjoy. I don’t think he’ll be at the shelter long after camp.

Here he is with Kylie. Yep, he is always smiling!

 

 

 

I may be small, but I have a BIG personality!

Every so often, we get a dog at the shelter who decides to supervise his own adoption search. Meet Wowie, a seven-year-old Miniature Pinscher/Chihuahua mix. Wowie is another ASPCA transfer. He got to attend a WHS outreach event and returned to the shelter with a glowing report. He was polite, friendly, and quite the little social butterfly. This week he is basking in the attention of Jr. Trainers while he is a camp dog. He’s hoping to be adopted very soon after camp is over on Thursday. Daniel got quite a kick out of him on Sunday.

 

 

 

Need a hiking buddy? I’m so ready!

Volunteer Francis likes all of the dogs he walks during his shifts, but I could tell on Sunday that he was especially excited about Pluto, a one-year-old German Shepherd mix. While they posed for a picture after their playtime, Francis told me what a wonderful dog Pluto would be for a young outdoor-loving person who wants an eager companion to share adventures. Pluto loves to race around the big yard and leap into the pool. (Can you tell he’s wet in the picture?) He knows several commands, but would love the challenge of more training and learning new skills. Because of his size (69 pounds) and youthful energy, he needs to go home with adults. We’re hoping just the right person will adopt him very soon.

Here he was today with Jolene. What a handsome boy!

 

 

 

I’m still here waiting for my perfect family fit!

I wrote about Cagney last post, hoping she’d soon be adopted again, but so far she hasn’t. Her family’s landlord decided no more dogs, so they sadly had to bring her back to us to find another home. Cagney walks perfectly on leash, takes treats gently, knows several commands and is such a happy girl! She’s hoping for a family with older kids, since she loves them. She’s a bit picky about her dog friends, and would rather just be an only dog. She’d like someone who will take her for walks and then let her snuggle with them in the evening. Oh, and a few treats every day would be great. She loves Laslo and enjoyed her time with him on Sunday. I’m hoping I can report her adoption next week!

 

 

 

I’m shy and quiet and I’m looking for a calm, loving home. Is it yours?

As you can see, She-Ra is a lap dog even if you are standing, as Gracie found out. This five-year-old Whippit/Chihuahua mix is house-trained and has lived with cats happily. Because She-Ra is timid and easily startled by sudden noises or movements, a home with older kids would be best. This is not a dog who will enjoy going on grand adventures. Rather, she will enjoy calm walks around the block and plenty of lap time. If you are a patient person who enjoys helping a sweet dog come out of her shell, She-Ra may be just the dog for you.

 

 

 

What?! You are looking for a dog to love? Pick ME!

When Dipper arrived at the shelter, he was so overwhelmed. But he was doing better on Sunday. Dipper is a two-year-old Boston Terrier/Yorkie mix. He has lived with cats, but not other dogs. And he hasn’t lived with children. He is a sweet little guy who will enjoy being a lap dog as long as he gets some exercise. Here he was with Laslo on Sunday. I have a feeling this cutie won’t be at the shelter for long!

 

 

 

Emelynn’s Pick of the Week!

Emelynn picked Wiley with no hesitation and as we went out to the big yard for pictures, we both agreed that we can’t figure out why this wonderful boy hasn’t been adopted yet. Wiley is a five-year-old Australian Cattle Dog/Boxer mix. He is house-trained as well as crate-trained. Wiley does need a home without small children and he cannot go home with cats. He’d love to be an only pet. So Wiley has some quirks, but he has won the love of everyone at the shelter. He walks well on leash, is highly treat-motivated, loves attention and is very gentle with people. He was so cooperative as he and Emelynn posed for pictures. Wiley loves to play fetch. You throw the ball, he races after it, then turns around and comes running back with or without the ball. He also likes the pool. Here are some pictures from our fun time with him today. Again, we just can’t believe he hasn’t been adopted yet.

Yay! He came back WITH the ball this time!

He loves attention!

We had so much fun, then it was time to go back to his kennel, which he did without complaint.

And finally, a personal note. Emelynn started walking shelter dogs with her mother in 2009 on my afternoon shift. I could tell from the beginning that Emelynn had a special way with our dogs. She loved them and they could feel it. Through the years, she has become an excellent dog handler and I have watched her grow from a shy young girl into a confident young woman. Emelynn graduated this year and is about to head to college and start a new chapter in her life. Today was her last dog-walking shift. She will be missed by all of us on her team. We wish you the very best, Emelynn! You have been such a caring friend to many, many shelter dogs and to me!

This was the very first picture I took of Emelynn. It was September 9, 2009.

 

Updates!

Scrappy and Gryffindor

If you were reading my blog in the summer of of 2014, you may remember Scrappy and Gryffindor. Here they were then at WHS.

Scrappy was adopted by a wonderful family in June. Then in August, the family returned and adopted Gryffin. Here is the latest update on these two wonderful characters.

“Scrappy and Gryffin are doing fabulous. We have had a very busy summer. We have been going for lots of walks and exploring new rivers. Gryffin is learning how to swim. We bought him a life vest and Scrappy has been working with Gryffin. This last week Kayla (my daughter) and I both got our life jackets on and joined the boys for a swim. Having us in the water helped Gryffin 1000%. He has a lot more confidence now. The boys are still a huge part of our family and are very much loved. We celebrated Scrappy’s one year adoption day on June 5th and on Aug 5th we will celebrate Gryffin’s one year as well.”

“But I don’t want to have a bath!”

 

Rosco!

Got these two latest shots of the boy! Sure wish he could relax!

 

 

In Memory of Whizzard

If you are a frequent reader of my blog posts, you will remember Whizzard, a sweet eleven-year-old boy who came to us through our partnership with ASPCA. Randy and I picked him up at the airport on March 1. It was love at first sight.

Here were his first WHS pictures with Caroline.

He even got into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day!

Then it was discovered that this gentle soul was in the beginning stages of renal failure. Whizzard needed a quiet and loving “hospice” home to spend his last weeks or months. One of WHS’ volunteers, Melita, stepped up and took Whizzard home.

He settled in happily with Melita’s other two dogs and the sparkle in his eye showed how contented he was in his forever home.

After a wonderful five-and-a-half months of play, comfort, and affection, Whizzard’s body gave out. He left surrounded by Melita’s love. She gave Whizzard a priceless gift by freely giving her heart to him, knowing that it would soon be broken.

“If you have a dog, you will most likely outlive it; to get a dog is to open yourself to profound joy and, prospectively, to equally profound sadness.”  ~Marjorie Garber

Thank you, Melita. Run free, Whizzard!

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