Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

Well, after getting 16 new California dogs through our partnership with ASPCA last week, most of them have been adopted already! There were TWENTY dog adoptions since my last post! Here are the Blog Dogs who are now with their new families.

Remember last week’s post that showed how affectionate Moose is? Well his new person bonded with him immediately, as you can see in the picture below. She was especially thrilled because she was his third “hold.” She couldn’t believe her luck when she got the call that the other two holds had expired and she was going to be able to adopt this special boy.

 

Playing with Marbles!

I’ve written about Marbles, a four-year-old Whippet mix, several times since her arrival at WHS on August 24th. She is such a wonderful girl, it’s hard to understand why she hasn’t yet been adopted by a forever family. This girl LOVES to play fetch and is looking for a family who will throw tennis balls for her. She needs an active lifestyle. She would enjoy WHS training classes since she is smart, eager, and treat-motivated. Marbles needs a home without cats. She has lived with children well, but her exuberance might be overwhelming to smaller kids. Marbles is one of Francis’ favorites, and I spent some time with them in the big yard so I could make a movie showing people what a terrific dog Marbles is!

 

 

 

I’m a puppy! Do you need a puppy??? Pick ME!

Not everyone has the patience and commitment to take on a puppy. Pups are a lot of work. They need house-training, what-to-chew-and-not-to-chew training, manners training, and lots of attention. BUT! If you ARE up for a pup, McGruff might just be your new best friend. McGruff is a nine-month-old Terrier mix who was found as a stray. He weighs 20 pounds and is a sweet-tempered, happy, excited youngster. He already knows some basic commands and is highly treat-motivated, so positive-based training will be fun. He’d love to attend some puppy classes at the shelter. He scored very well in his behavior assessment and seems to get along with other dogs, though he would need to meet any potential canine siblings. His new best friend is Opie! Here he was hanging out with volunteers Harmony and Linda on Sunday morning.

Later on in the afternoon, McGruff spent some time with Kylie and Kim.

 

 

 

Yep, I’m McGruff’s new best friend! And I’m still here waiting for my forever person!

Opie got some Harmony/Linda time, too, on Sunday. He had had a fun play date with McGruff recently and so they were happy to see each other as Linda gave them both treats.

I have written about Opie many times. If you haven’t yet watched his movie that we made, check it out on last week’s post. Opie came to WHS on June 28th. He was adopted once, but while Opie enjoys hanging out, he is no couch potato and the home wasn’t the right fit. Opie is an almost two-year-old Plothound mix. His adoption package includes a WHS training class called Check In and Chill Out, a great way for him and his new person to bond. If you’re an experienced dog owner and are looking for a fun and eager partner, Opie may be just whom you’ve been waiting for! Here he was posing with Harmony.

Chilling with Caroline.

And yes, I have taken many, many pictures of this boy.

 

 

 

Caroline’s Pick of the Week!

Sometimes Caroline and I meet a dog for the first time and are instantly smitten with their goofy personality. This happened on Sunday afternoon with Axel. He came out for his photo shoot and was so cooperative and friendly, I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him. Axel is a stray, so we don’t know anything about his past, but he is a Pit Bull Terrier mix and is about two years old. He sat when asked and took my hot dog bits very politely.

And then he did this…

He had me in stitches already. Posing with Laslo, they both practiced the Head Tilt!

Then he wanted to play a game.

Today Caroline spent some time with Axel. First, some posing for my camera.

Then we went into a yard. It turns out that Axel is a ball dog through and through. He LOVES playing fetch and didn’t even need treats to give up the ball for the next throw. What a good boy!

  

 

 

 

 

I may not be young anymore, but I still have a lot of love to give you.

I was so excited when I saw that Sally, an eleven-year-old Australian Shepherd mix, was on “hold” last week, and very disappointed when it expired and she was still at the shelter. This sweet girl has been an outdoor dog most of her life and now is looking for a calm retirement home where she can live inside with her people. She’s a little timid; loud noises startle her (fireworks are the worst) and make her nervous, so a home with adults or older kids would be good for her. She is fine when left alone (unless there are fireworks) and even though she has lived outdoors, Sally is house-trained. Everyone who has met this gentle older girl loves her, and the person who adopts her will have a wonderful best friend. I so hope she will be found by her perfect family very soon. Here she was with Diane on Sunday.

She pulled at my heartstrings when I walked passed her kennel later.

Today, Sally was my first dog to walk. She was excited to go outside and had a wagging tail and a spring in her step. Hard to believe she’s eleven! As we walked along the trail, she would check in with me every couple of minutes.

And then suddenly, she smiled.

We had a great time.

 

 

 

How much longer do I have to wear this thing?

Poor Bazinga was feeling sorry for herself on Sunday, having to wear a cone after being spayed. This sweetheart came to us from another shelter where she had been found as a stray. Bazinga is a Pit Bull Terrier mix and is about a year old. She has a lot of energy and would like to be in an active family with older kids who can handle her exuberant personality. She loves people and would like to be the only pet in the family. Here she was with Daniel Sunday afternoon.

I felt a sorry for her when I walked by her kennel later in the day. She can’t wait until the cone can come off.

News flash! Today she no longer was wearing the dreaded cone!

 

 

 

Cute? You want cute? Well stop right here!

When I first saw Charmin (yes, that’s really her name) I didn’t plan to put her on my blog post, as I knew she wouldn’t need any help getting adopted. But after she posed for these pictures, I couldn’t resist. Charmin is a five-month-old Chihuahua mix. And yes, she really is this adorable, as Daniel agreed.

 

 

 

No, I’m not a flower, I’m a dog!

Dahlia, a Chihuahua mix who was found as a stray, is a youngster about seven months old. She is a bundle of energy and will enjoy being a princess in her new home. She will need a family with the patience to guide her through her puppyhood successfully. She loves to cuddle when she’s not dancing around. Here she is with volunteer Tim. It was quite the challenge to get her to hold still for a nanosecond!

A little later I caught her putting her best paw forward to potential adopters.

Here she was on our walk today.

 

 

 

Enough with the high-energy dogs! Who wants a couch potato? That would be ME!

Not up for a bouncy puppy or an exuberant goofball? Well, meet Brutus, an eight-year-old Bull Dog mix, who likes nothing better than to lie on the couch, munching on a few treats, with his peeps. As you might be able to tell, Brutus has done a little too much lying and munching and needs to lose a few pounds. But if you want a gentle boy who loves children, gets along with other dogs (but not those pesky cats!), Brutus is your guy. I loved meeting this sweet boy and so did Daniel.

 

 

 

I’ve been here a long time waiting for you. Can you come soon?

DJ has been at WHS since August 22nd and is getting quite kennel-stressed from his long stay, so volunteers are taking him on adventures to get him away from the shelter for a while. I happened to be taking new-dog pictures when volunteer Joan and DJ drove up from an outing. Can you tell he had a grand time?

DJ is a five-year-old American Staffordshire mix. He had been with his family his whole life, but they had to move and couldn’t take him with them. He has a great history with children. DJ does need work on leash manners when he sees another dog; he can be quite a strong puller. He’s looking for a home with older kids and no other pets and one that would continue positive-reinforced training. Another one of his favorite volunteers is Daniel. He’s wearing a Thundershirt to help calm his stress.

 

 

 

I just got over my cold! I’m fine now. How about adopting me?

Jacob arrived on our ASCPA transport from California on September 3rd and very soon came down with a cold, so had to spend time in the ISO kennels. While dogs are still adoptable when they have colds, often times potential adopters don’t seek them out. Now that Jacob is well, he’s hoping to be adopted soon. He’s a seven-year-old Beagle mix and is a delightful little character. He’s affectionate, enjoys being in your lap, and is eager to please. He loved my hot dog bits and took them nicely. He walks well on leash and is an all-around easy boy. New volunteer Esme enjoyed her time with this gentle boy.

 

 

 

Updates!

Leila

Leila came to WHS from one of our sister shelters where she had been waiting for a family for a long time, but was never adopted. Within a week of arriving in Salem, Leila was adopted and got the jackpot of homes. Here she was at WHS.

Part of Leila’s adoption package was a series of training classes. Even though the couple who adopted her live in Eugene, the three of them drove up to Salem to attend the classes. Sunday was the last one and I asked if I could take a picture. Leila got a glowing report from trainer Chelsea, and as you can see, she’s a very lucky girl.

 

Fiona

I was worried about sweet Fiona when she arrived at the shelter. She was a ten-year-old Pug who had been an outdoor dog her whole life, so was not house-trained. Her tongue hangs out of the side her mouth. Who was going to adopt this senior girl? Here she was with Marianne at WHS.

Well, I needn’t have worried. One of volunteer Marianne’s friends fell in love at first sight and took Fiona home. Here’s what Marianne wrote about her new home. “Look at her with her three pals King, Cooper, and Daizy. King is blind which is why he is not looking at the camera. Doesn’t she look happy? After being an outdoor dog for 10 years, she was not house-trained. But after 2 days in her new home, she is already using the dog door to go out and go potty. I think her new siblings are helping her to learn!” What a wonderful happy ending!

 

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