Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I want to start this post with an adoption story of one very special dog. Jovi arrived at the shelter in late summer. This is what I wrote about her in my August 15th post:

Jovi

When I first met Jovi, it was actually her second time at WHS. She had been found as a stray in 2006, adopted, then surrendered in 2009. Jovi was adopted again shortly after I wrote about her. Now, nine years later, she is back. At twelve years old, she is an old lady with stiff joints and a gray muzzle, but she is still the loving, happy girl that she was in 2009. She will need some serious dental work before she can be adopted. We are hoping that her perfect retirement family will decide they want to adopt her, then foster her until she has her dental procedure, at which point the adoption will be finalized. Here she is with Marianne.

 

The day before Jovi was available for adoption, a couple had come to the shelter to see another dog. That dog proved to be too energized for them. They happened to mention that they wanted a calm dog, didn’t care about the age, to be a companion for them and their aging dog. I immediately thought about Jovi, but didn’t mention her to them, since she wasn’t adoptable yet. However, the next day when she did become available, I emailed the couple with pictures and Jovi’s story. I was thrilled when they instantly replied that they wanted to meet her. They met, the two old dogs liked each other, and they took Jovi home as a foster-to-adopt. Since then, they have waited eagerly for Jovi to have her dental surgery (12 teeth had to be extracted!) as well as a lump removed so that the adoption could be finalized. Jovi came through her surgery extremely well and yesterday she was officially adopted! Here are some pictures from the family of this extremely happily-ever-after story.

 

Edgar and Buddy

In additino to Jovi’s adoption, there was another special double adoption. Remember ten-year-old Edgar? We were thrilled when he was adopted several weeks ago and his new name is Peanut.

 

Then last week, the family returned and adopted seven-year-old Buddy, another shy little guy needing a big brother to help him be brave.

 

 

 

 

I’ve been here for a while and I’m pretty sure I’ll be the best dog you ever had if you give me a chance!

Marley is a one-year-old mixed breed young boy weighing in at 50 pounds of fun and energy who arrived at WHS in mid-August. From what we know of his first year of life, it sounds like he may have been passed around a lot which could be why he is shy and nervous when first meeting new people or visiting new places. In his early days at WHS, Marley was fearful and unsure of his surroundings. He was adopted once, but the new people were gone a lot and didn’t think it was fair to such a young and active dog to spend a lot of time in a crate, so returned him after only a week. Here he is with volunteer Christine.

 

As the days passed, we learned more about Marley. He knows he needs to work on his leash-walking skills because, in his youthful excitement, he pulls. He has done very well with some dogs in playgroups, but can be too exuberant for others. While it may take some time for him to warm up and trust a person, once he does, he is a delight. Volunteers Linda and Jolene have taken him under their wings and thoroughly enjoy spending time with him. Here is what Linda says about their outings.

“Jolene and I have taken Marley out a few times to the recycling center and for coffee/muffins. When we return, we spend time in one of the yards drinking coffee while Marley self-entertains with whatever toys are in the yard. Though a little reluctant to get in the car, he is doing better with each trip. Noticed that he likes to use his nose, so tried him with some truffle scent training. He enjoyed the game and even shows a little promise with it. Last week we visited Geer Park. Lots of new smells and other than asking for leash manners when we were moving, I just let him nose around. He did great. Marley is very affectionate, attentive and cooperative. He enjoys the attention. But remember we carry treats and watch/reward for good behavior :)”

On Sunday I arrived at the shelter while Linda had Marley out for some bonding time. It was then that we realized the boy has a sense of humor!

 

Later in the afternoon Caroline and I took Marley into Mary’s Place to see if he would relax. Relax he did, and surprised us again with how calm and affectionate he becomes once he gets to know you. He’s what we call a “leaner” and snuggled up immediately with Caroline on the couch.

Marley is quite the clown!

 

Marley will make a wonderful addition for a family with older kids. He just needs a little time to get to know you and then he’ll become your best-ever friend.

 

 

 

 

Yes, I’m still here. I like my friends at the shelter, but I’m ready for a family of my own.

Carly is a four-year-old Retriever mix whom I’ve written about several times. She is a favorite of many at the shelter and has been waiting for her “just right” family since May 3. She has been adopted twice, but neither was the right fit for this girl. Carly is wonderful with people and most dogs, though she seems to prefer calmer dogs who are not rough and rowdy. Because she can be picky at times, she will need to meet any potential dog siblings. Carly is house-trained and loves treats (especially cheese) and loves to learn new skills. She will need a feline-free home (cats are too much fun to chase) and a fenced yard, five feet or higher. Carly would not be a good apartment dog. She needs a family with older teenage kids, as she can be quite exuberant. Since she can become anxious if there is a lot of activity outside the house, a quiet, more rural area would be ideal for this sweet girl. She wants nothing more than to be around her peeps.

Carly’s movie that I made has been viewed over 400 times, but the perfect family fit for Carly has not found her yet. So on Sunday Caroline, Marianne and I decided to take her out to the big yard for some new pictures. She loved it and happily posed.

 

Yep, this is me sans hat! Hair is growing back slowly. Carly didn’t care that my hair is so short.

 

She’s a pool dog, too!

 

And there’s nothing like a good roll in the dirt!

 

Carly was one of three shelter dogs selected to visit Bentley’s Coffee on September 16th. During the afternoon the dogs were there, cups of coffee were sold for $1 per cup and all of that money was donated to WHS. All told, the team raised more than $1,700 for our shelter! Carly had a great time.

We know the right family is out there for our Carly. We just have to find them.

 

In case you’re new to my website, here is Carly’s movie once again.

 

 

 

 

I’m not as big as a lot of the dogs here, but I have a big heart for my peeps!

Meet Rocky, a big dog in a small body. Rocky is a four-year-old Miniature Pinscher/Chihuahua mix. He was surrendered because he was not getting along with the other dogs in the home, making it obvious he wants to be an only dog. He also doesn’t care for cats. Rocky is more of a people dog and is quite the lap dog. He will need to go to a home with older teenage kids, as he is somewhat shy and can be startled by loud noises. He also takes a little bit of time to feel comfortable with new people. The first time Marianne and I met him, he was nervous and worried, but did like Marianne’s treats.

 

On Sunday we took him into Mary’s Place and he relaxed some, but still had a worried expression.

We’re hoping this little guy won’t be at the shelter for very long, as it seems stressful to him. He’ll be a great little companion for someone who can give him some time, understanding, and love.

 

 

 

Besides Carly, Todd and Hoagie got to spend the afternoon at Bentley’s Coffee, too!

 

Todd is a three-year old Retriever mix. You can read about this wonderful boy in depth in last week’s post.

 

 

 

Hoagie has been waiting for his perfect fit of a person for a long time. He is a three-year-old Retriever mix and part of our Behavior and Training Team.

Here he is with one of his favorite shelter people, Francis.

 

 

 

Piglet is a two-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who is such a hoot. I wasn’t sure her name fit until I heard her snort! Here she is with Marianne.

 

 

 

Bandit is an eight-month-old German Shepherd mix, here with Christine.

 

 

 

Drake is a one-year-old mixed breed boy who has Marianne wrapped around his big paw! This is what she says about him: “Drake is very smart and while he is still somewhat puppy-like, he is amazingly calm for a dog his age. He will make a wonderful companion for just about anyone. Very affectionate and goofy!”

 

 

 

Duke/Quilo

Last week I got a surprise notice that there was a comment on my YouTube channel about the movie I’d made a year ago about Duke. The comment was from Duke’s adopter! He wrote: “I adopted this dog and he is the sweetest boy ever. His name is Quilo.” I immediately emailed and asked for an update. It came the next day.

Here was Duke at WHS during his movie filming.

 

And here is the terrific update!

“We adopted him on 11/1217, almost a year! He’s a very good boy!! Loves rolling in the grass, running at the dog park, and being a cuddler at home. Could not have asked for a better dog. Thank you for taking care of him for us! The first picture we took @ WHS. You can see the look on my girlfriend’s face saying ‘this is the one! Can we we have him please?'”

 

 

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

Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I’m back from our short visit to California and am happy to report that we DID see whales! We expected to see Humpbacks and we did. According to the whale watching boat guide, we saw around 25! An added bonus was happening upon five Orcas, as well. While we didn’t get to witness any breaches, we did see lunge feeding which was very exciting. Here are just a few pictures before we move on to talking about dogs.

 

 

 

 

I will be such a great family dog! My friends here can’t believe I haven’t been adopted yet!

Are you looking for a laid-back, friendly, cheese-loving guy with a great sense of humor? Todd may just be your new best friend. Todd is a three-year-old Lab/Shar-Pei mix who arrived on one of our transfers from Texas. He will make a terrific family dog.

 

Todd loves everybody. Just ask him! Because he’s a big boy, he should go home with older kids, but what a great pal he will be to them. He walks very well on leash, knows basic commands, takes treats nicely and is very polite.

We spent some quality time with this guy on Sunday and really enjoyed it. First we went out to the big yard to see if Todd liked to play fetch. The answer is YES!

We wanted to see if Todd would then settle down on the platform. Yep! Todd will be a great dog to take camping, the beach, or on any family adventure. Because he can be picky about his dog friends, he will need to meet any possible canine sibling he might have.

 

Later we went into Mary’s Place to relax. Todd seems to happily adapt to any environment he is in.

 

Another volunteer sent me these pictures from yesterday in Mary’s Place.

 

We’re hoping that this wonderful boy will soon be entertaining his forever family.

 

 

 

 

I may be a senior and newly blind, but I’m learning my way around fast!

Kiki is a twelve-year-old Rat Terrier mix who arrived at the shelter with severe glaucoma which looked quite painful. It was decided the best thing to do was to remove her eyes. She is recovering from the surgery very well and seems to be adapting to being blind. She will follow your voice (or the scent of cheese) and seems to trust that you will look out for her. She was nervous when we took her outside but felt safe in Marianne’s arms.

She seemed to feel more relaxed in Mary’s Place and was willing to explore. While she is shy, she warms up quickly and is a very people-friendly girl.

 

She likes being petted and doesn’t seem to be at all sensitive to being handled. She is house-trained and takes treats gently, even though she can’t see them.

Because Kiki is learning how to navigate while not being able to see, she would do best with older children in a patient, understanding family who will help her to adjust to her new world.

 

 

 

 

I’m Barry. I’m looking for an understanding family. 

Barry is a two-year-old Chihuahua mix who has been working with our Behavior Team to help him become less fearful. This little guy had become stressed in his previous home, but has improved a great deal since arriving at WHS.

Barry is waiting for just the right family with kids at least fifteen years old. He will need space, understanding, and patience. But Barry has a big heart and loves attention and play. He has done well with some other small dogs in playgroups and loves to go for walks. And once you have earned his trust, Barry is a snuggler. Volunteer Linda, who is on the Behavior Training Team, brought him into Mary’s Place for some new pictures on Sunday. He proved to be a delightful little poser who also loves cheese.

Barry is hoping his new family comes soon.

 

 

 

 

Marley is a one-year-old mixed breed dog who is nervous about getting into cars, so volunteer trainers Linda and Jolene were rewarding him on Sunday for bravely jumping in the back of one!

 

 

 

Terry is a three-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. He loved his time with us in Mary’s Place on Sunday with Megan.

 

 

 

Our sweet Fiona is back. We’re hoping her perfect match will find her soon. Here she is with Christine.

 

 

 

Honey Bear is a three-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix, here with Haylee.

 

 

 

Squidward is a three-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who our Behavior Team is working with. Here he is with our Behavior and Training Manager, Chelsea. Yep, he gets rewarded during training sessions with his favorite cheese spread!

 

 

 

 

We saw a couple of WHS alumni on Sunday, which is always a thrill. Kevin and his person were taking a training class and stopped for a quick pic.

 

 

 

Edgar (now Peanut) stopped in to visit with his soon-to-be new brother (announcement coming soon!)

 

 

 

Bo

Bo arrived at WHS in April of 2016, and I wrote this about him in my April 20th post:

“Bo was extremely shy and nervous when he first arrived, but what a difference a few days makes! Today he was much more outgoing and confident. He will need a family who will be patient and understanding, as he is sensitive about handling. He has been an outdoor dog for a while, but would like to be an indoor dog again. Bo is afraid of loud noises, so a calm and quiet home would be best for him.”

I was worried about who would adopt this sweet boy, hoping it would be someone who would help him gain confidence and trust. Bo was adopted three weeks later. Like so many of our adoptions, I assumed I would never hear any more about Bo’s new life.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, this appeared in the comment section of my blog:

“I don’t know if any one will see this but we are the ones who ended up adopting Bo at the end of April of 2016, from the Willamette Humane Society. He has worked out so well as a part of our family and we love him with all of our hearts!!!”

I was thrilled. I immediately wrote back and asked for an update with pictures. Here is the wonderful reply:

“We adopted Bo in April of 2016, one week after having to put down our 16-year-old dog, Hazel. I went with my friend to the Humane Society to look at a dog named Bo, who I had seen on Petfinder. I didn’t seriously expect much to come of it. Not only that, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to adopt another dog so soon after losing one. We were at the Humane Society playing with Bo outside, when all of a sudden he stopped his playing and crawled into my lap like he belonged there. That was it. I put a hold on him and the next day my husband and I went back and adopted him.

Bo came to us with some behavioral issues that are pretty much nonexistent now. It just took some patience. We don’t have kids in the house and it is just my husband and me, so Bo is like our child. He has the run of the house and he has a doggy door that gives him access to the backyard 24/7. While we are at work, Bo sleeps in our bed or on one of our couches. He also sleeps in our bed with us at night. He has an expensive dog bed that he uses on occasion to lie in and play with his collection of chew toys.

Several months ago, we had Bo’s DNA tested and found out that one of his parents was a pure-bred Treeing Walker Coonhound. On the other side was one grandparent who was half Labrador Retriever and half American Staffordshire Terrier. The other grandparent on that side was basically a Heinz 57 mutt. LOL. Bo does have some herding ancestry and sight hound ancestry but they can’t pin point specific breeds at that point. The only time he bays like a hound is when something really excites him, like the Fed Ex guy at the door with a box from CHEWY.

Bo also has some doggy friends that come over or that we go visit. He really loves other dogs, but female dogs tend to bully him or boss him around.

In the late afternoons, when I get home from work, Bo likes to go out with me in the yard when I feed our two chickens and two rabbits. He stands there and supervises. The rabbits are huge Flemish Giant mixes and Bo likes to sniff them through their hutches/cages. I think he thinks they are some type of small dogs. Bo also has a “brother” who is a grand Eclectus parrot. The parrot has an entire room in our house, along with an elderly dove. Bo doesn’t know what to make of the big green talking birdy. We also have two parakeets and a cockatiel. Bo doesn’t mess with them at all, but he does like to bark at the parrot and the parrot squawks back at him. Pretty much all of our animals are rescues.

We love our Bo!!!!!”

I didn’t have to worry about Bo’s future!

 

 

On that 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