Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I’m back after a few days off. Last week was a busy one with company from Wyoming, where I used to teach. My former fifth-grade student, and now a dear friend, Roxann, and her husband, Kyle, came for a visit. As dog lovers and followers of my blog posts, one of the main things they wanted to see was Willamette Humane Society, so rather than walk dogs last Wednesday, we spent time hanging out with them. Here they were with long-termer favorites, Zoey and Rusty. And no surprise, Roxann and Kyle were added to Zoey and Rusty’s fan clubs. More on these two dogs later.

 

There were some terrific dog adoptions during the last two weeks. Here are the Blog Dogs who are now with their forever families.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that in my last post I wrote that I was about to take Spencer back to the shelter to meet his adopting family. When we arrived at WHS I found out that his new moms were on their way to pick him up, so Spencer and I sat in the grass and waited so I could meet them, too. I was so glad that I got to take this going-home picture. (This is Spencer’s happy look!) I got a great update on our boy a few days ago which is at the end of this post.

I also was at the shelter on Sunday when Red went home. This was an especially happy adoption, since Red had arrived at the shelter with multiple medical issues which needed to be dealt with before he was available to go home. I had just taken new pictures of him that afternoon, and he seemed to be especially upbeat.

A little later I found out why. Not even a cone could bring him down!

 

 

Gilbert takes on TWO foster dogs!

I first need to give you a little history. Gilbert arrived at WHS in December of 2012, found as a stray. He quickly gained many fans at the shelter, but his size and lack of manners made him a foster candidate, so off to foster Jolene’s home he went where he joined her three other big dogs. He quickly fit into Jolene’s pack and his goofy personality made everyone fall in love with him. Then, to her amazement, Jolene discovered that whenever she brought home a new foster dog, Gilbert instantly took over, making the new arrival feel safe and at home. Gilbert was eventually adopted, but was returned when it wasn’t a good fit. What was Jolene to do? She found she missed the big, silly boy, and his compassion for other foster dogs. So Gilbert became a permanent member of the family.

Jolene sent me an update on the two WHS dogs Gilbert is currently fostering, Maxeen and Katie.

Katie is a seven-pound, twelve-year-old Rat Terrier mix who loves to go for walks and snuggle with her peep. She has gotten along well with her BIG foster siblings, especially Gilbert. She is crate-trained and house-trained, although sometimes she has an accident. Jolene reports she has blossomed in her home and will make someone a wonderful new best friend. Katie visited the shelter on Sunday and I snapped a couple of pictures of her.

Here is Katie with the OTHER Jolene.

Maxeen is an eleven-year-old Chocolate Lab mix. Jolene says that while Maxeen loves to go for walks and rides in the car, she also enjoys napping on her blanket in the sun. She is eager to meet everybody and especially enjoys being petted and given tummy rubs. Here she was at the shelter with Francis before she went to Gilbert’s house. Jolene reports that Maxeen had a few accidents in the house when she first arrived, but has been house-trained since then.

And here are Katie and Maxeen hanging out with Gilbert. Jolene says that Gilbert adores Maxeen. Can you tell?

Nothing like having BIG foster brothers and sister!

If you are interested in meeting either Katie or Maxeen, contact our Foster Coordinator at foster@whs4pets.org to set up an appointment.

 

 

 

Yes, I’m still here. No one knows why. I’m getting a little discouraged. Can you come take me home soon?

If you’ve been reading my recent posts, you know Rusty well. She is so loved by everyone at WHS, but even with getting a lot of attention and playtime, she is becoming depressed, having been waiting for a family of her own since June. Rusty is a six-year-old Staffordshire Terrier mix. Most of her life has been spent outdoors and she is so hoping for a new home where she can be inside with her peeps. This girl would be very easy to have around. She LOVES to play fetch and will play as long as you will throw the ball. She returns it to you and drops it in exchange for another ball thrown. She can also be a couch potato and loves to just lie next to her person. Rusty does need to be an only pet, but what a devoted friend she will be.

On Sunday afternoon, after I had taken all the new dog pictures, Marianne and I spent some quality time with Rusty. First we played fetch, then relaxed in the “Real Room,” which is an area being made into a replica of a living room to help dogs transition into homes.

When we went into The Real Room, Marianne told me that volunteer Caitlin came up with the idea that since Rusty loves it so much, she could have regular hours where staff and volunteers could come and get advice from a long-term shelter dog. So we did a trial run and it was a success! Marianne and Rusty had a great time. Here are a few shots from Rusty’s first session of “The Real Room ~ With Rusty!”

Each week I hope I can report that Rusty found a wonderful loving home. Maybe next week I can.

This afternoon after our walking shift, Marianne and I decided to take Rusty on a run to Dairy Queen to get a cheeseburger, then come back to enjoy it in The Real Room. Here is our DQ Outing in Rusty’s own words.

 

 

 

I  just got here and I’m ready to head out with a new family! And I’m Daniel’s Pick of the Week!

Logan is a newbie transferred to us from another shelter. He is a very handsome three-year-old Lab mix who is looking for an active home where he can go on adventures with his people. He is sixty-five pounds of fun. He is eager to learn new skills with positive training, and since he like treats and is a smart boy, he’ll learn quickly. Due to his size and exuberance, he should go home to a family with older children. He also seems to be a bit picky about his dog friends, so would need to meet any dog he would live with. He does know a few commands like “sit” which he will do in exchange for a treat. He walks fairly well on leash. With continued training he’ll become a wonderful family member. Daniel really liked this big, happy boy!

 

 

 

Looking for a dog with “character?” Choose ME!

I heard about Winston before I met him. “Wait until you see this sweet guy!” said Marianne, a lover of Basset Hounds. Yep, Winston is  a mix of Basset Hound and ???. He was originally found as a stray, taken to another shelter where he wasn’t adopted, and transferred to us in hopes of finding a new home. Winston is about four years old and fifty-six pounds. I don’t know him well, since he just arrived, but he liked my treats and agreed to pose for pictures. Being a Basset Hound, he follows his nose, which is probably what led him “astray” to begin with. He will need a secure back yard or only leash walks. He will do best in a family with children over ten years old.

 

 

 

Here are some of our 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.

 

Bella is a seven-year-old Lab mix, here with Daniel.

 

 

Juicy is still waiting for her perfect family fit. She’s been at the shelter since June. Here she is with two of her many fans, Linda and granddaughter, Harmony.

 

 

Luna is a six-year-old Beagle mix. Here she was with Marianne before she left to go to her foster home.

 

 

Zoey is another long-termer, who has been at the shelter since July. She is a thirteen-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix, here with Jenna.

 

 

Phoenix is a six-year-old American Cocker Spaniel mix, here with volunteer Marla. She will look so cute once she’s groomed!

 

 

Scooter is a four-year-old Lab mix who has a cold, so is spending some time in ISO at the moment. There is not a sweeter dog on the planet! Here he is with part of Marianne.

 

 

Update!

Spencer

I waited anxiously to hear how Spencer was adjusting to his forever home and a few days ago I was thrilled to get a wonderful report from Barbara.

“Spencer has been here a week. He is cautious and he still sleeps a lot, but his personality is unfolding as he becomes more comfortable here. He now jumps up and down when we return to the house after being away. We look forward to seeing more of his full character appear over the next month. Spencer has no idea that vegetables are edible. I usually feed Gretta a snack with a bit of meat and pieces of the cooked vegetables that I eat. Gretta gobbles them all down. Spencer carefully sorts out the meat and pushes the veggies around to see if more actual food might be hidden underneath. Spencer explored the back yard cautiously, as you would expect. The first time he would suddenly become uncertain about this open space and dash back to us, but now he has his favorite route to explore and is familiar with the whole place. I think he is happy here. Spencer does enjoy going for walks. He gets all waggy-tailed once the harness and leash are on and he figures out what’s going to happen. Spencer is definitely Mary’s dog. We’ve called him her shadow. She is enjoying the relationship. Sometimes I hear her carefully explaining to him what she’s doing and why. Spencer is a good addition to our lives. We really appreciate your taking care of him and helping him through the upheaval in his life.”

And on that very happy 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