Tags
adoptable dogs, adoption dogs, deserving dogs, dogs, fellow dog lovers, humane society, shelter dogs, WHS, willamette humane society
Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,
First, here is one of those wonderful adoption stories I love to tell you about.
I had a lot of new dogs to photograph when I arrived at WHS on Sunday. One of them was Lehua, a very sweet but extremely shy girl who had come all the way from our sister shelter in Hawaii. We felt so sorry for her, I think she thought my camera lens was a huge eye looking at her and standing next to Marianne made her feel safer.
But soon after Lehua’s photoshoot, we saw she was having a dog-to-dog meet in one of the yards. It went well, and we were thrilled to learn that Lehua was getting adopted. I happened to be walking through the lobby shortly after hearing the news and saw the adopter and his dog waiting to fill out the adoption paperwork. Lo and behold, it was Hattie (now Mattie)!
Here was Hattie last December when she was such a good sport posing with Jolene!
We were all so pleased that gentle Mattie now has a sister and will be able to help Lehua gain confidence. What a perfect adoption! I’ve been promised an update on the two girls, so stay tuned!
The name’s Boomer and FUN is my game!
Boomer is a five-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who absolutely LOVES people and entertaining them is his favorite thing to do. He has been waiting for his perfect family fit since June and is getting anxious to meet his new peeps. Boomer came to us from a rescue which had fostered him for several months. Before that he was in a sad situation where he had lived in a backyard on a chain and was very thin. Boomer is now a robust 75 pounds of enthusiasm. Boomer sees everything as fun waiting to happen. He loves older children and would be so happy to live with kids about thirteen and up. He knows several commands including sit, down, shake, and stay. He will need to be an only pet, but believe me, he is all you will need! His foster thought he may have some separation anxiety, so a family where someone was home most of the time would be good for Boomer. Boomer has had some challenges in his life and yet he’s one of the most joyful dogs we’ve ever met. We took him into Mary’s Place on Sunday and he loved being the center of attention.
Volunteer Jolene is one of Boomer’s favorite people and the feeling is mutual. She often takes him for coffee runs where he gets a treat from the vendor. Here are some shots from his latest coffee outing.
Here’s what Jolene wrote about their weekly adventures.
“Boomer is a sweet dog who loves going on outings, especially to Tripp Dog Coffee on Gaffin Road. Just give him a car to ride in and a dog cookie from Tripp Dog (especially the ones shaped like a car) and he’s so happy that his tail never stops wagging! Since he’s such a good boy in the car, he gets to go on frequent coffee outings, then it’s back to the shelter for some hanging-out time in a turnout and/or chasing a squeaky toy. Boomer is also smart—knows sit, down, shake and wait. And while he can be a bit of a puller on leash, he responds to stopping and calling him back to you. He’s just in a hurry to get where he’s going (especially if it’s to his favorite coffee stand)! Boomer is just a big love bug!”
No matter how much we write about this goofy dog, you’ve got to see him in action to appreciate his joyful attitude about life. Here is Boomer, The Movie!
If you’ll help me become braver, I promise to be worth the effort!
Emily is a one-year-old Hound mix who came as a transfer from our sister shelter in Hawaii. We don’t know her history, but this sweet, affectionate girl is pretty nervous in new situations and with new people. She is looking for a family with older, calm kids or just understanding adults—and a dog! She needs a social dog pal who likes to play and will show Emily that the world isn’t such a frightening place after all. That’s right, Emily needs a brave dog sibling who will help to give her the confidence she is lacking. Emily becomes a totally different dog when she feels secure. Here she is last Sunday with one of her shelter trainers, Linda.
Linda brought Henry, her own dog, who is quite brave, along to help Emily in overcoming her fear of entering buildings. We decided to make a movie showing how Emily is encouraged by having a dog pal and how she comes to life out in a play yard, showing her true personality.
We’re hoping the right family will see what a delightful dog Emily really is and know she belongs with them.
Okay, full disclosure…I need a little fine tuning. But oh, what a great dog I am!
Juliette is an energetic, happy-go-lucky ten-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. This is her second time at WHS. She was originally surrendered in 2016, having lived with her family for eight years. She was adopted but surrendered again in July. But don’t think that Juliette is moping around.
Juliette is “the treat bag is half full!” kind of gal. While she has some basic manners—she knows sit and down—she needs to learn to curb her enthusiasm and to take treats nicely. Because of her exuberance, she will need to go home with thirteen and older kids. She will also need to be the only pet in the family, and no dog parks for this girl. But while Juliette needs some positive behavior training, she is such a delightfully playful, social dog who loves people. We took her into Mary’s Place on Sunday and she was so happy.
Juliette is quite a talker!
Her favorite treat is cheese bits.
She is a good self-promoter!
When it was time to go back to her kennel, she did this. We had to laugh.
Juliette may need a little positive training, but she really will keep a new family entertained and happy!
Nali is a one-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix, here with Kaylee and Angie.
This cutie is Gracie, an eight-year-old Poodle mix. She is currently in a foster home. Here she was last week with Marianne.
Marley is still waiting for his new home. He is a one-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix, here with Christine. He was very happy when another volunteer brought him a stuffed Kong.
Oscar is still waiting for his forever home. He is a three-year-old Retriever mix, here with Marianne.
I have such a fun update for this week!
Smokey/Bao
Smokey came to WHS in July, 2017 because his family was moving. Here he was shortly after he arrived with Caroline.
Little did Smokey know that a wonderful new life of adventures awaited him. Here is the update.
“This is four-year old Bao, aka, Smokey. He is a Snoodle…part Schnauzer & part Poodle. We adopted him 1 year ago from WHS. Since he came to live with us he has been on many adventures. He loves to go on long rides in the truck & work in the garden, but most of all he loves the water & trike (motorcycle) rides. He has brought us so much love, joy & laughter. Everyone who meets him just adores him…& oh my, look at those lashes! We are currently looking for a playmate for him so the two of them can have many adventures together.”
On that very happy update, 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