Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

Happy New Year! Willamette Humane Society had some wonderful dog adoptions in the weeks before Christmas and we’re hoping for many more in the first days of 2018. In this post, I’m featuring three terrific dogs who have been waiting quite a while for their forever homes. We’re hoping that they will very soon be basking in the love of their new families.

If only the horses had liked me!

We were all so excited when Hunter was finally adopted last week. His new family adored him and reported he settled into their home beautifully. The problem was the family’s horses were insulted when Hunter tried to herd them. The horses took such a dislike to Hunter, that the family was worried he would get hurt. So they very sadly returned him to WHS. But they wrote a letter, hoping it will help Hunter find a new home, saying, “As a house dog, Hunter is excellent. He is house-trained, knows sit, stay, wait, and leave it. He rides in the car very well and knows the load up command. He settled in immediately, played well with our dog and was respectful and well-mannered with us. We agree he’s too young and rambunctious for a toddler, but children old enough to throw a ball or stick would be fine. Hunter really wants to please and is quite intelligent, we think he easily could be trained for an agility course. Hunter deserves a forever home and we hope this assesment of ours will help.”

Hunter is a two-year-old mixed breed boy who was found as a stray. He loves people and gets along with most other dogs. He has been waiting for his perfect family since early December, and is getting stressed in the shelter environment. To sooth himself, he has started to use soft toys as a pacifier, as you’ll see in his movie. Hunter will make some lucky people the perfect family dog. We’re hoping they find him soon!

 

 

 

 

I’m the whole package! Give me a minute and you’ll fall in love!

Marianne and I fell in love with Benjamin within minutes of meeting him. This big, goofy three-year-old puppy has a huge smile and energy to burn. He was found as a stray and transferred to WHS in late November. Benjamin LOVES people and entertaining them is his favorite thing to do. He’ll be fine with older kids, younger ones might be overwhelmed by Benjamin’s enthusiasm. This boy will be a wonderful new family member. Marianne and I spent some time with him last week in Mary’s Place and we all loved it.

 

 

 

 

 

I was adopted twice, but they weren’t the right fits, so I’m back.

Serena is a three-year-old mixed-breed girl. She came to us from a new shelter partner in New Mexico. She’s been adopted twice, but came back because neither was the right fit for her. The first time she was returned because she can be quite reactive to other dogs, but only while on leash. She plays beautifully in our shelter play groups and is considered a “helper dog” by the playgroup staff. The second time she was returned because she was too interested in chasing the cat. So we now know she needs a feline-free home. Serena is active, eager, smart and house-trained. She needs some work on taking treats gently and walking politely past other dogs. A home with older kids and a family who are experienced dog owners would be perfect. She will need exercise and some additional training, but she is so worth it! Serena is such a delightful, happy girl. Sometimes it just takes a little longer for a dog to find the perfect family. And if you wonder if a dog who has been returned twice can ever find the right home, be sure and read Lady’s update at the end of this post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have two wonderful updates to report this post.

Lady

Lady was so loved when she was at WHS, and when she was adopted the first and then the second time, we were over the moon. But both times she was returned, and we welcomed her back. Here she was with me after the first return.

 

Though disappointed that the adoptions didn’t work, neither Lady nor we gave up. And then it happened. On December 22, Lady was found by her perfect fit.

“Lady is perfect. From day one she fit into our routine. It took her a little bit to warm up, but she took to us quickly. She has chosen her favorite spot on our couch, and sleeps with one of us every night. She may be a little spoiled! Her laid- back attitude and playful nature reflect us and is a beautiful match. We love taking her for walks and taking her geocaching with us. She even sniffed one out for us, a training opportunity to be sure!

She is such a good girl, and we have had no problems with her. In fact, my fiancee was in a car accident recently and was very upset. Lady came up to her and started crying, grabbing for her hand and comforting her when I couldn’t be there. 

Lady made her way into our hearts from the first moment we saw her video on the humane society website, and she has continued to earn her place there. She has found her forever home, because we are never letting her go.

I want to say thank you to everyone who helped us at the Humane Society and every one who took care of her before we got to.”

 

 

 

Dixon

I met Dixon, a frightened stray, in February 2014. He quickly became one of my favorites and I wrote about him several times in my blog. I was thrilled when he was adopted the next month. Over the years, I’ve gotten several updates and was thrilled last week to get this one.

“Thought you might enjoy seeing pictures of Dixon and his buddy Nemesis. He loves to go out hiking and swimming still and is all about the ball. Not sure if you remember, but we adopted him in March of 2014. These pictures were taken Saturday on Henline Trail. Happy New Year! :)”

 

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