Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I’m back and I have some terrific dogs, two extra-happy adoptions, and a wonderful visit to tell you about!

If you are a regular reader of my posts, you will remember Hunter and Ozzie. Both of these dogs were long-termers with some challenges, and both were well-loved by volunteers and staff. So you can imagine the thrill when they were each adopted recently. Here was Hunter when he was about to go home a few weeks ago.

 

Ozzie, who had been at WHS since last September, finally found his perfect person just last Monday. I wish I could have been there for his send-off, which I hear was quite exciting.

 

We have so many wonderful dogs at the shelter right now and I’m going to tell you about some newbies and some who have been waiting for too long.

 

Do you like to joke around? So do I!

Joker has been waiting for his new family fit since January. He is a one-year-old goofy, energetic American Staffordshire Terrier mix, who is one of Marianne’s and my current favorite shelter dogs. He loves to play fetch, go for walks and hang out with his peeps in Mary’s Place. Since he was found as a stray, we don’t know anything about his puppy days, but just look at that face! Oh, and he LOVES cheese and playing with toys—lots of toys! While Joker can be a lively, rambunctious youngster, he can also settle for some quiet time with you on the couch. He is looking for a family with older (15+) teens or just adults. He likes most dogs, but would need to meet any he’d be living with. He is a great helper dog in our shelter play groups. Here are some pictures of his time with us in Mary’s Place on Sunday.

To show you Joker in action, we made him a movie. We’re hoping he won’t have to wait much longer for his perfect fit of a forever home. He really is a wonderful boy!

 

 

 

 

My name’s Charlie and I’m looking for a new family! How about yours?

If you are up for an active, happy, energy-filled boy, look no further than Charlie! This is a dog who has improved soooo much during his stay at the shelter. Charlie is a six-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. And he is definitely a “people dog.” He LOVES his fan club. He’s not so crazy about other dogs or cats, so will need to be an only pet. Did someone say tennis balls? Charlie has two favorite things to do: play fetch and hang out with his peeps in Mary’s Place. During active fetch games, he will return the ball and drop it at your feet while giving you a huge grin. He has been working on learning not to jump up on people and to walk politely on leash and is improving, though he will need to continue to practice using positive training. Oh, and did I mention that he is very treat-motivated, so that training is a very fun activity for him. Charlie is house- and crate-trained and is rated for children 13 and older due to his enthusiasm for everything. We had a great time with Charlie on Sunday. Here are some of the pictures and a movie with Caitlin and Marianne.

 

 

 

I’m Kolohe and I like to watch people eat. What do you like to do?

Kolohe is a hoot! He is a one-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. He’s looking for an experienced dog person who wants a powerhouse of a new best friend! Kolohe is an eager, bright, extremely active, playful young dog who will make a fantastic running or hiking partner. He gets along well with other equally exuberant dogs. He responds wonderfully when asked to sit, even when he’s excited. He needs to work on his leash-walking skills, but he has great eye contact and checks in with his walker often. What does Kolohe love to do? Play FETCH! He will bring a ball back, sit, and wait for it to be thrown again. His current favorite ball at the shelter is a half-deflated basketball which he stuffs into his mouth, then prances around the yard. Oh yes, another thing his former owner reported that he loves to do is—watch people eat. (I laughed out loud when I read that!) He takes treats gently and loved my cheese bits. Since he’s highly food-motivated, he’ll learn new skills quickly. Kolohe has a lot of potential if he continues to receive rewards-based training. He would love to attend some WHS training classes. If you are looking for an energetic, happy dog. Kalohe might just be a perfect fit! Here he is in Mary’s Place.

He has great checking-in eye contact.

He has HUGE ears!

 

 

 

 

Lincoln, a one-year-old mixed breed, has been waiting since August for his perfect family fit. Here he is with volunteer/trainer Linda, who has spent many hours working with him. He continues to wait patiently for his forever people to find him.

 

 

Gustav is a three-year-old Miniature Australian Shepherd mix who is probably completely deaf and has poor eyesight. But what a sweet dog he is! He’ll need a quiet home, but will be a wonderful companion. Here he is with Marianne.

 

 

 

Dakota is a five-year-old Staffordshire/Bull Terrier mix who could get a job as a stand-up comedienne. She had us in stitches in Mary’s Place. Here she is with Marianne.

 

 

Bandit is a one-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who LOVES his people friends. Here he is with two of them, Caroline and Marianne.

 

 

 

 

 

Nikita

Nikita arrived at the shelter in early January, but I didn’t get a chance to meet her. However, I got this terrific email. What a lucky little girl!

“Hi there!  I just wanted to give you an update about my sweet Nikita that I officially adopted on 1/25. She was dropped off with her puppies and her puppies went to foster. She was scared but very sweet. Well, she is now a bouncy happy baby. She’s kennel-trained and I take her on three walks a day. She’s a little shy so I am bringing her back for some socialization training, but I am happy to update she is coming out of her skin and she is a happy pup. She loves to snuggle and loves her treats (sometimes I give in a little too much, but look at her face). Thank you for letting me adopt her!  She completes my little family!”

 

 

Kane

If you are a LONG time reader of my posts, you may remember Kane. Here’s his story…

In October of 2014, a huge twelve-year-old teddy bear named Kane was surrendered to WHS. It was so sad because he had been in the same home his whole life and his family loved him, but their landlord said Kane had to go because of his breed. Everyone at the shelter fell in love with this big lug whose favorite thing to do was roll over on his back for tummy rubs. He was such a gentle dog. But who was going to adopt this very large, very old dog? Weeks went by and Kane’s many fans worried. Then in early December Gene came to look for a companion for his aging dog, Bonnie. He wanted to give another old dog, whatever time he had left, a loving home. It was a Sunday and I was at the shelter holding my breath, as I watched Gene, Bonnie and Kane meet. It was instant love, as you can see from these pictures. Gene had found his perfect dog and Kane had found Gene.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Gene brought Kane and Andy, another older dog he adopted after Bonnie died, to visit. Marianne and I had a wonderful time and I took lots of pictures. Kane is now over fifteen years old. He’s on pain meds for his arthritis, but he’s still the wonderful, gentle giant he was four years ago. And he still rolled over for a tummy rub. Gene said when he adopted Kane, he thought he might have a year at most, and has been so glad that he still has this happy boy. What a wonderful afternoon!

Last week I got a call from Gene. Kane’s health is declining more and the vet does not think he has a lot of time left. So there are no more walks, just lounging around the house with Gene giving him all the belly rubs he wants. What a wonderful bond these two have.

On that touching 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