Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

Willamette Humane Society’s number of dog adoptions didn’t slow down this week. There were fourteen happy dogs who are now in new loving homes! Of these, here are the Blog Dogs who were adopted.

I was at the shelter when sweet Melvin went home with his family so asked them to pose for a quick picture. I have no doubt that Melvin will be greatly loved.

I’ve been here a while getting better, now I’m ready to be adopted!

I am thrilled to introduce my readers to a very special boy. Sawyer is a ten-year-old, eighty-pound American Stafford Terrier mix who is a gentle giant looking for a retirement home and a family to love. Sawyer has not had a very happy life and has been an outdoor dog, but even so, he couldn’t be a sweeter, more loving boy. Sawyer’s dream is to be close to his new people so that he can lean against them, get petted, and just snooze by their side. And if you don’t mind slobbery kisses, he’ll be happy to oblige. Sawyer has never really learned to walk on leash, but is beginning to get the hang of it. He isn’t in need of long walks or adventures, he’d be happy just to sniff around the backyard and then curl up next to you. He has done well with most dogs in playgroup, though he is more of a mingler than player, since he’s not a youngster anymore. Sawyer has many fans at WHS and is greatly loved. This tender-hearted senior deserves a real family for the remainder of his life. Oh, and one more thing—when he first arrived at the shelter and Marianne gave him a bath, this big boy actually fell asleep and began snoring in the tub! All of Sawyer’s fans are hoping he’ll soon be basking in his forever family’s love. Marianne, Caroline and I spent some quality time with this favorite on Sunday.

Last week when Marianne and I were out in a yard with Sawyer, I took this video to show that even though he’s ten, this boy still has some get-up-and-go!

I’m not a big fan of the pool, but Joan said I did well!

Another one of my current favorites, Goblin, got to go swimming at Bailey’s Journey on Friday. Goblin is a stunning, very energetic but gentle two-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. He is highly treat-motivated and very smart, so teaching him new skills is easy, fun, and rewarding for both Goblin and the trainer. He already knows several commands and takes treats very politely. He does like to play rough and rowdy with his dog friends, so will need a new sibling with similar play style and endurance if he goes home with another dog. And because of his size and enthusiasm, he’ll need a family with older (13+) children. Here he was on Sunday with Gabi. He will be such a great companion. My goal is to get this handsome boy to smile!

Here’s what volunteer Joan had to say about his first swimming adventure: “I met Goblin for the first time today when I picked him up to take him swimming at Bailey’s Journey. He really did not want to go in the water but Lexie and Lori wouldn’t take no for an answer. So in he went, full of energy, flailing in the water for all he was worth. He seemed to enjoy it more once he got in and even found a tennis ball to play with. All in all, it was a successful trip for this adorable bundle of energy!!”

Today I was on a mission to get a smiling picture of Goblin…and look what I got!

I saw that volunteer Kim had Goblin out in a yard this afternoon, so went to take some pictures of him playing fetch. It turns out he’s only half of a ball player. He LOVES the challenge of chasing the ball when thrown.

But once he reaches it…

…he just walks back to the thrower without it. Go figure. Goblin is a terrific dog. Again today, he took my treats politely, sat when asked, and enjoyed his time with Kim. In playgroup today, he was too rough and rowdy for some of the dogs and while he didn’t do a great job of reading the “cool it” signals they gave him, he instantly backed off when asked to let them alone by the playgroup humans. Kim is one of his biggest fans.

Do you like to play fetch? I LOVE to play and we could play all day long if you adopt me!

Rose is a four-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who is the life of the party. If you’re looking for an enthusiastic gal to play ball with, look no further. Here she was on Sunday with Jenna.

Rose came to us from another shelter where she was not adopted. We are hoping her forever family will find her at WHS. She was adopted once after she first arrived at our shelter, but was returned because of landlord restrictions. Her family was very disappointed and reported that she is house-trained, played both gently and rowdily, and loved curling up and sleeping next to her person. They also reported that she is fearful of vacuum cleaners and thunder. Rose is dog-selective, plays rough and boisterous with some dogs, but at times is picky about her friends, so would need to meet any dog she’d be going home with. Because of her play style and energy, she will need a family with older kids (PG+13). Rose is smart, eager to learn and treat-motivated. She will make a wonderful companion for the right family.

I’m waiting for you in my foster home. But I come to WHS every weekend to visit.

Maxeen is an eleven-year-old Chocolate Lab mix. Her foster mom, Jolene, says that while Maxeen loves to go for walks and rides in the car, she also enjoys napping on her blanket, especially when it’s sunny out and she can find just the right spot by a window. She is eager to meet everybody and especially enjoys being petted and getting tummy rubs. Jolene reports that Maxeen had a few accidents in the house when she first arrived, but has been house-trained since then. Jolene brings Maxeen to WHS most weekends so that potential adopters can meet her. Here she was on Sunday with Gabi. We’re all hoping that someone will fall in love with this senior and adopt her very soon. If you would like to meet Maxeen, you can contact our foster coordinator at foster@whs4pets.org.

I’m a youngster with lots to learn. Will you teach me?

Chippy is a one-year-old Shepherd mix who can’t wait to be adopted by his perfect family. He was found as a stray in Texas and moved to Oregon to find his forever people. Being the adolescent that he is, he has a lot of energy and can’t wait to start learning all the skills he will need to become a well-behaved family member. Chippy already walks well on leash and knows how to sit when asked. He loves to play fetch. He does need work on learning to share, as he tends to guard balls from other dogs. He is dog-selective, enjoying playing with some, not caring for others. He also needs to work on impulse control in both jumping and being mouthy. But even though Chippy has some behaviors to improve, he is a joyful, eager young boy who is looking forward to having a family to call his own. Here he was on Sunday with Christine.

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.

This is Johnny, a six-year-old Chihuahua mix, here with Sandra.

This is Lucky, a six-year-old Jack Russell Terrier mix, here with Caroline.

This is Swissy, a one-year-old Black Mouth Cur Mix, here with Jonna.

Here are newbies Atlas and Laila, a fabulous five-year-old bonded Boxer pair, today with Sandra and Kim.

This is Shontae, a two-year-old Lab/Bull Terrier mix, here with Marianne.

This is Lilly, a two-year-old Australian Kelpie mix, here with Marianne.

Updates!

Ginger

Remember Ginger from her long stay at WHS? And remember her obsession with eating tennis balls, so much so that we had to make sure there were none in her kennel?

I got this wonderful update last week.

“I meant to email you an update on Ginger earlier than this, but unfortunately Ginger had surgery the first full weekend after we adopted her. She ran off one day, and it seems she got a hold of a tennis ball. Poor puppy wasn’t feeling too hot and had to get that ball out! She is recovering well, which we are really thankful for.
Over all, I think Ginger is settling pretty well. My husband runs A LOT with her, so we find that she’s not really participating in destructive behavior. She’s a smart dog, and so well trained. The next step is showing her the ‘gentle’ and ‘drop it’ commands. We are hopeful she’ll learn those in no time.
I’ve never had a dog before, but this has been such a wonderful experience. Nate and I love her so much. We are so happy we adopted her. Now I really understand the ‘who saved who’ bumper stickers! LOL.”

And here are some pictures. Ginger is a well-loved girl!

Mary/Melodee

Mary was a very shy and sweet Chihuahua who waited a long time for her forever home.

She wrote her own update!

“Hi WHS! I want you all to know that my new mom is amazing! I have a nice home and everyone loves me! I help my mom stay calm and I get to ride with Mom to all the places she goes! I get treated very well! I also have great toys and good healthy treats!”😊  

Here Melodee is in her Halloween costume.

On these happy updates, 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