This Week’s Featured Adoptable Dogs @ Willamette Humane Society by Martha Russell

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by adoptanoregondog in This Week's Featured WHS Dogs

Tags

adoptable dogs, adoption dogs, deserving dogs, dogs, fellow dog lovers, humane society, shelter dogs, WHS, willamette humane society

Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

While the staff and volunteers at Willamette Humane Society celebrate all dog adoptions, when a long-termer finally wins the heart of an adopter, it’s an over-the-moon kind of day. In the past week, there have been three cases! Our boys Murphy, Jonny, and Sherman who have been waiting for a home since early summer finally are enjoying being part of a family again. I’ll have a little more to say about these three a little later, but first, here are all of the Blog Dogs who were adopted this week.

Every one of this week’s Blog Dog adoptees had some special challenges, which make their adoptions all the more gratifying. BJ, at nine years old, can only see in bright light. Lilith, a young Border Collie, and Trooper, a Chihuahua, have handling and fear issues. Sherman needed someone who was Husky-savvy. Jonny needed people who would give him the exercise that he needs. And Murphy, well, Murphy just needed someone who would love him and see him as an individual, not a member of a maligned breed. These shelter dogs are not “broken.” They just needed the right person to find them. And that happened this week.

Those of you who follow my posts and so know Murphy, won’t be surprised that he wanted to announce his adoption himself.

Also, no surprise, he expected to drive himself home!

Here’s Lilith going home. As you can see, she’ll need the TLC her family will give her.

Jonny was so thrilled about his adoption, he had to run off some of his excitement.

And then he was tired…

Finally, there was this terrific adoption story. Last week you’ll remember that Sunday was adopted (on Sunday). What I couldn’t tell you at that time, was that the couple wanted to adopt Sherman, as well. The lady is a very experienced Husky person. But Sherman needed some dental work first, so on Thursday the couple, along with Sunday, came back to adopt him. We got an update a couple of days ago that all is going well and that Sunday has decided she will be the boss dog, and Sherman has agreed.

I’ve been quietly waiting for a long time, but no one has adopted me yet.

Bill is a three-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix who came to us through our partnership with ASPCA from California. We don’t know his history or how long he’s been in shelters, but this boy is really hoping to find a new family soon. He’s been waiting since July 17th and seems to be growing depressed.

Bill will never be a dog-park kind of dog; he prefers hanging out with humans. Since I hadn’t spent much time with him, Marianne and I decided to give him some quality attention on Sunday. Here are the pictures from our time together. He is such a nice boy! We decided first to take him into the “real room” (a room designed to make the dog feel like it’s in a home.)

It took some coaxing to get him to get on the couch. Maybe he wasn’t allowed on furniture at some point in his life?

But he quickly decided it was just great!

I’m not sure what this was about…

He enjoyed posing. (Yes, I have a treat in my hand.)

Then we went outside. Bill walks very nicely on leash and takes treats very politely.

Roxy’s A Star!

Our sweet Roxy got to have an evening to remember when WHS was invited to bring a dog and some kittens to an ice cream social put on by Spinnaker Pediatric Dentistry. Elaine and her dad brought Roxy who was perfect the entire evening. She loved greeting all of the kids and was so gentle. Roxy has been at WHS before. She was adopted from us in 2013, but found as a stray and brought back to us on July 7th. She is a five-year-old Bull Terrier mix. She walks well on leash, takes treats politely, is house-trained, and looking for a family with kids 10+. Here she was at the social.

And even though this is a dog blog, I want to show you a few of shots of the WHS kittens, York and Whiskers, who also entertained the kids at the social.

Looking for a dog with a great sense of humor?

One of the newbies that I took pictures of on Sunday was Laffy, and I must say, the name fits! Laffy is a one-year-old Border Collie mix who thinks everything is fun and funny. Tennis balls? What a hoot! She LOVES them. Going for walks? Super! Playing with other dogs? Great for a while, but when tired, she’s done. Laffy is a bit sensitive about handling around her head and collar. She will need someone with patience at first until she is comfortable with them. She will do fine with kids ten and older. And she’s house-trained to boot. This little girl is a real catch. Laslo fell for her on Sunday. Today I took her out in the afternoon. She had been spayed yesterday, so has to wear the dreaded “cone” and was very nervous about it. But with some cheese bits and patience, I convinced her to let me leash her up and we had a nice walk. She really is a sweetheart.

I’m still here…

After all the dogs had been walked and all the newbies’ pictures had been taken, some of Joshie’s fans (Marianne, Caroline, Caitlin and I) enjoyed some time together under a tree. If you are looking for a calm, extremely affectionate, low-key and gentle boy who will be happy with a short walk and then curling up with you for the evening, Joshie is your guy. He is an eight-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix and has been an outdoor dog his whole life. He deserves to spend his retirement years as an indoor/outdoor dog. He will need some help in house-training, a patient peep who can let him out often. Joshie is a gentle old soul who is loved by everyone at the shelter. He even fell asleep while we girls visited. I hope these pictures give you a good idea of Joshie’s loving personality. He’s been waiting for his perfect fit of a person since June.

I’m new and I’m shy and I need to heal.

I met little Lola, a Pomeranian mix on Sunday. She’s about ten years old. This sweet girl has some sad medical issues and is looking for someone who is not afraid to give her a loving home despite them. Lola was found as a stray, and it looks like she’s had a difficult life. Her eyes have cataracts allowing her only to see light and dark. She has lots of missing hair and thickened skin from previous ear infections, resulting in her being deaf. But even with these issues and who knows what others, this sweetheart is friendly and eager to bond. She took my treats gently, wanting to crawl into my lap as I took her picture. Marianne and I both were once again touched by a dog’s trust and desire for human affection. We’re hoping someone who can afford her medical care will see her and decide to give her a new life.

Caroline’s Pick of the Week!

Maxwell, a newbie, is a Miniature Pinscher who is ten years old. Caroline and I both were touched by this little guy’s lost look. His person was very sad that he had to give him up. Maxwell seems confused and unsure, but eagerly seeks out human contact. He was shy when I first went into his kennel, but given some time and cheese, he warmed up and was happy to go outside. Maxwell’s former owner says that he gets along with other dogs and cats and loves playing with older kids. Maxwell has used puppy pads in the past, so will need some help in becoming truly house-trained. Caroline and I are both hoping that Maxwell won’t have to be in the shelter long. He really needs a quiet retirement home.

Here are some other shelter dogs waiting for their forever homes…

All of the following dogs are waiting for you at Willamette Humane Society. If one of them touches your heart, please come and meet them soon. Shelter hours are Mon., Thurs., Fri, 12:00 – 7:00 pm and Sat./Sun. 12:00 – 6:00 pm.

Koda-Kid is a six-year-old Shepherd mix, here with Kylie.

Juicy is an eight-year-old Staffordshire Terrier mix, here with Daniel.

Suzie is a four-year-old Lhasa-Apso mix, here with Renee.

Zoey is a thirteen-year-old Australian Cattle Dog, here with Caitlin.

Daniel’s Pick of the Week: Rory, a one-year-old Shepherd mix.

Maggie is a fourteen-year-old Karelian Bear Dog, here with Caitlin.

Update!

Ledi!

Remember sweet Ledi, our BIG lap dog?

Well, I have no new pictures (hoping I’ll get some, though), but staff-member Nichole sent along this report:

“I spoke with Kellie, Ledi’s new mom and everything is working out fantastic! She says, ‘Ledi is such a love bug and brings her toys to us when we get home. She has a little dog attitude even though she is so big. She hogs the bed.’ She is losing weight by taking leisurely walks with Kellie’s 11-year-old son. Kellie mentioned that Ledi is the best dog they’ve ever had. She thanked us for taking such great care of her and making her the family member she is today.”

One final note. Fellow volunteer Laurel sent along this touching tribute about the joys and adventures of adopting a shelter dog: http://www.upworthy.com/what-its-like-to-adopt-a-dog-as-told-through-a-14-part-comic?g=3

On that note, 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

This Week’s Featured Adoptable Dogs @ Willamette Humane Society by Martha Russell

24 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by adoptanoregondog in This Week's Featured WHS Dogs

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

adoptable dogs, adoption dogs, deserving dogs, dogs, fellow dog lovers, humane society, Oregon adoptable dogs, shelter dogs, WHS, willamette humane society

Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I’m happy to be able to report on some terrific dog adoptions during the past week. Several of them happened while I was at the shelter on Sunday, so I was able to meet the new families, say good-bye to the dogs, and snap a picture. Here are all of the Blog Dogs who went home.

First of all, Tucker and Lily got to go home TOGETHER. Quincy had been adopted from us last May, but it was not the right fit, and he was returned. However, he was only at the shelter for one day before he was adopted again!

Here is Stubbs and his new peep about to head home.

I wasn’t sure who was more excited, Lil’ Scoob or his new person!

As you can see, Sunday was so happy she was adopted on a Sunday!

I almost got to go swimming, but then the water heater broke!

I was so excited on Friday because Linda, Marianne, and I had planned on taking Murphy swimming at Bailey’s Journey. If you’ve been reading my posts, you know Murphy well. He has been at WHS since July 7th, having been found as a stray. He is a two-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. He has been a rock star in playgroups, though being the rough-and-rowdy player that he is, he would need to meet any potential dog siblings to make sure their play styles match. Lately Murph has been getting increasingly stressed and depressed in the shelter environment. We can’t understand why this wonderful boy has not been adopted. Hoping an outing to go swimming would help Murphy’s stress, we loaded him into Linda’s car.

But when we arrived at Bailey’s Journey, we discovered that their heater had broken and they had to close for repairs. I think we humans were more disappointed than Murphy, who looked on the bright side.

Because Murphy has become my current favorite and because he’s getting depressed, I decided it was high time that he starred in his very own movie.

Caroline’s Pick of the Week!

This week Caroline’s pick is a newbie and one who is quickly becoming a shelter favorite. Meet Jenny, a five-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who came to us through a shelter partner. Jenny has a great home history. She is house-trained, crate-trained and an indoor dog. She has lived happily with teenagers and older children. She loves car rides and playing fetch. She knows basic commands and walks very politely on leash. Jenny’s only fault is that she can sometimes be reactive toward other dogs or strangers when out for a walk. She knows she needs to work on these areas and improve. But she will be so worth the effort of using positive training methods to help her overcome her fears. Here she is with Caroline last Wednesday afternoon when we met her.

On Sunday I wasn’t surprised when I found both Caroline and Marianne out in the big yard with this sweetheart.

I’m new here and I’m already a favorite of Catherine’s!

Rory is also a newbie, a one-year-old Shepherd/Retriever mix who was found as a stray. Our Behavior Program Manager Catherine has this to say about Rory: “Now and then, a dog comes in that just makes me catch my breath. A dog that is super bright, easy to train, and a little bit too much zest for the casual pet owner. I grew up with working dogs so I deeply appreciate a young dog with huge potential that needs a job. And then, when they are stunning to look at, well, my belly gets all a’flutter. Rory’s that dog. This dog is social to other dogs, great with men and women but a little too rambunctious for young children. He’s a trainer’s dream dog. He’s fantastic. I’m happy to help with an introduction!” So there you have it! A perfect dog for the right home. Here Rory is with Marianne today.

I’m waiting for my perfect fit of a home. Is it yours?

Every so often WHS receives a “project” dog. Summer is a two-year-old Shepherd mix who came to us from another shelter so that she could be worked with by our Behavior and Training Team to improve her handling skills. Summer LOVES to work on her training. She is smart, very cute, happy, and eager for yummy treats. Our training team has been working on her kennel behavior, which can be quite challenging, as she is too eager to get outside. Summer will need an adult home with savvy peeps who are committed to continuing the progress she is making toward become a wonderful companion. Her adoption package includes a pre-adoption session with our Behavior and Training Manager, Catherine. Also, there will be two more consultations with Catherine as Summer settles into her new home so that she and her family are set up for success. On Sunday I saw that Linda, one of our training-team members, had Summer outside for some “chill” time. Having just gotten spayed, Summer had to wear the dreaded cone, (which was a little worse for wear!) but she was doing very well and was happily settled.

Never excited about having me take her picture, Linda at first hid behind Summer’s cone. 🙂

I had brought some carrots for treats and asked Summer if she’d like to try one. Not not only did she eat one, but happily devoured four more.

After the carrot munching, this happened.

Luckily, she wasn’t really as disgusted as she seemed.

I’m new here, too, and I’m Daniel’s Pick of the Week!

This adorable two-year-old Border Collie/Lab mix is named Lilith. And since I’ve been talking about some “project” dogs this post, I might as well mention that Lilith has a few quirks of her own and so is also in training with our behavior team. She’ll need to be adopted by a family with older kids and needs to be the only pet in the home. She is very, very smart and will need a secure six-foot fence and people who remember to keep the gates locked. Lilith is house-trained and crate-trained. She loves to play with her peeps, though she may try to herd you! (She is a Border Collie, after all!) She can be shy and fearful of new experiences, loud noises, the vet, car rides, etc. She will need a family who will show her, through positive training only, that the world doesn’t have to be a scary place. And your reward for helping Lilith become a secure, well-mannered girl? She will be a loyal, devoted and affectionate best friend. Here she was with Daniel, one of the many volunteers who has fallen in love with this beautiful girl.

“We’re Still Waiting”

I have written about Yamhill, Roxy, Zoey, and Maggie a lot in my recent posts. But they continue to be overlooked by potential adopters. So I decided a movie was in order. So hoping this will help these long-termers find their perfect forever homes.

Update!

Buddy/Knuckles McGee

I was thrilled when I got this update in my email this week! Remember this wonderful and goofy character who finally succeeded in cramming THREE tennis balls in his mouth?

Here’s what his family wrote: “Update on Buddy (aka Knuckles McGee) he is so fun! We are really enjoying our new family member!! We love him so!”