Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

News Flash!

I’m thrilled to say I have another very special adoption story to tell you about in this post. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know Grace. She came to us from our sister shelter in Hawaii last October. Between our two shelters, Grace had been waiting for her forever family since last January—almost a year! Grace wasn’t beautiful, she barked a lot in her kennel because she was stressed, and she had skin allergies causing her to lose much of her coat. In short, she was a bit of a mess. And yet, she was the most affectionate couch potato we’d ever seen in Mary’s Place.

 

 

We decided the only way people would know Grace’s true personality would be if I made a movie. So I did. It was the movie that caught the heart of Michelle, a woman who had lost her elderly dog six months ago and had been waiting to find her perfect new match. Michelle contacted me asking about Grace, but by that time Grace had a possible infection and would not be available for adoption for two weeks. Michelle said she’d wait. The day after Grace was medically cleared, Michelle arrived at the shelter to meet her. And on Sunday Grace went home. I was thrilled that I was at the shelter to say goodbye and take some photos.

 

 

I wasn’t the only one who was over the moon about her adoption.

 

Sunday night I got this picture. It sure didn’t take her long to settle in!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who knew I love to chase bubbles?

Molly is a beautiful four-year-old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix who needs a quiet home with adults or older teenagers (17 and older).

 

Molly can be nervous in new situations and is frightened by loud noises or commotion (vacuum, thunder, etc.). She’ll also need a cat-free home. Molly is house-trained, knows several commands (sit, down, shake) and is as smart as a whip. Interested in training a dog in agility? Playing Frisbee? Dog Soccer? If so, Molly is a great fit for you. And treats? Besides cheese, her favorites are vegetables and oranges. Molly needs a person who will be understanding and patient to help her gain confidence and give her space when she asks to be left alone. Her adoption includes a class for her new family called Dog Smart and a class for both her person and Molly together, called Life Skills 1: Confidence Builders. Both classes will help build a strong bond between Molly and her family.

On Sunday we took Molly into Mary’s Place and did we ever have fun!

 

 

When Marianne got the bubbles out, I knew I had to make a movie. Here is Molly in action. We’re hoping she gets her Christmas wish of a forever home.

 

 

 

 

Need a goofy dog in your life? One that will keep you laughing? That would be ME!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I won’t have to write anything else about Harley.

 

 

But I will. Harley is a five-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who is an absolute hoot of a fun dog. Harley has never met a toy he doesn’t like, or a treat, for that matter. He is house-trained and has lived with cats. He was fine with “his” cats, but would bark at outdoor ones. His family loved him, but couldn’t take him with them when they moved. Because of his size and exuberance, Harley will do best with older children. He takes treats politely, knows basic commands, and walks pretty well on leash (he will start to pull, but when reminded, stops).

Here he was out in one of the big yards. Harley is a great fetch player.

 

 

Last Sunday we took him into Mary’s Place and we all had a great time.

 

 

He enjoyed posing for pictures with some of his shelter friends, Julie, Marianne, and Caroline.

 

Then it was time to PLAY!

 

 

We’re hoping this clown of a dog will soon be entertaining his forever family at home.

 

 

 

Looking for a dog who loves to snuggle with you? I would like to apply to be your new best friend!

Clay is a four-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. This is actually his second time at WHS; he first came as a California transfer dog in 2017. He was adopted but surrendered when his family couldn’t keep him anymore. He has obviously been loved, as his favorite thing to do is be with his person. Here he is with volunteer Gail, one of his many shelter fans.

 

Clay’s family reported that he would follow them around the house and want to sit close to them. He is house-trained and knows several commands including sit, down, come, and stay. He rides well in a car and is “gentle, friendly and playful.” He does need a cat-free home, as he thinks cats are for chasing. He’s afraid of the vacuum and baths. Clay loves kids and has lived with children ages thirteen and six. He can be uneasy and nervous in new situations and with strangers, so needs some understanding and patience in building his confidence. He’d love to attend some training classes at WHS. Clay is a very sweet boy who will make a wonderful family dog. We took him into Mary’s Place on Sunday, and while he enjoyed playing with some toys, what he liked to do most was hang out with us on the couch.

 

 

It was obviously Clay’s first encounter with bubbles and he was mystified by them.

We’re hoping Clay will soon be hanging out on with new family at home.

 

 

 

Get ready for two fantastic updates!

Carly

You’ll remember that I announced that Carly FINALLY found her forever home. Actually Carly, herself, announced her adoption in the Thanksgiving issue.

 

I got these updates on our girl this week:

The first report:

“If Carly stays the same as she has this first few hours we’ve had her, we’ve hit the jackpot! You guys trained her really well. I wasn’t sure how she would respond to us, but she actually listens. We walked a lot yesterday because Shannon had to finish up working before we headed home. We came across a cat at one point and she got a little excited, and I got a little worried, but I just said her name and turned her around and she followed! The drive home was amazing. She seems very adaptable, which is great, because I love to travel and now I’ll have a travel buddy. Shannon took her to work this morning and keeps sending me pictures of how well she’s doing.”

The report from yesterday:

“I just don’t know why it was so hard to adopt Carly out. I keep looking at her and thinking, “What a good little dog you are.” She’s just so cute I can’t stand it.😄

She adjusted to Maxwell (my daughter’s Yorkie) during Thanksgiving. We took them for walks together and they did light play. We kept them apart when we left the house. They were buddies by the time Maxwell left. I just wanted you to know she’s doing well so far and we feel very lucky to have her.”

 

 

 

 

Tank!

Tank arrived at WHS last April and was in such sad condition. Allergies had caused him to lose almost all of his coat and he was very thin. But what a loving, happy boy he was. Treatment was started immediately and here he was a few weeks later with Marianne, looking considerably better, but still a long way from healthy.

 

Who would adopt a dog who looked so pathetic, we wondered? We didn’t have to worry. In May, Tank’s forever family found him and didn’t blink an eye about his missing fur.

 

 

Last week I got this wonderful update, and look at him now!

“Tank is doing great! His overall health is so much better! His hair is filled in, and his weight has filled out. He makes us happy and we’re pretty sure we make him happy! He gets lots of snuggles, and loves cuddling up in the recliner. He has a big back yard to play in. Our vet has even asked us if we think Tank thinks he’s won the jackpot. He is getting more confident when meeting other dogs. We learned a lot together in the RescuedU class we took with WHS. One of our favorite parts of adopting Tank is seeing him with our nephews (5 and 8 years old) and having the opportunity to teach them dog body language and communication and caring for another creature. Tank gets to come to work with me and share his joy with people in my office each morning; he loves to meet new people.  When he’s really happy, his tail wags in a circle! All in all, he is a perfect fit in our lives and we think he is pretty happy, too. Thanks for all you do!”

 

 

 

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