Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I have wonderful news to start out this post. Last week, you’ll remember, I featured three bonded pairs, two of them very old, for whom we worried about finding forever homes.

Well, we needn’t have fretted! All three pairs are now happily enjoying the love and warmth of their forever families. Usually I put updates at the end of my posts, but this week, I’m making an exception. Here is a report from the family of Ralph and Spud (now Rosebud) the day after adoption:

“Greetings!

Yesterday, we adopted (elder pups) Ralph and Spud (now, well hopefully, Rosebud). While it seems a little soon to provide an update to your wonderful, helpful, caring staff, we wanted to let you know that both Ralph and Rosebud seem to be VERY happy here (as we so hoped they would be).

Ralph is so easygoing; he doesn’t have a problem with anything. He is finding his way around (with his very limited vision) and taking LOTS of long naps atop his new pillow.

Rosebud whined and was agitated on the drive home. Upon arrival, she nervously yet completely explored the surrounds. Shortly thereafter, after lots of encouragement, she settled down completely.

Both pups turned in early evening and slept until 9 AM this morning! And both are indeed house-trained; Ralph stumbled outside this morning upon waking and peed buckets! ;P

Both Ralph and Rosebud interact with our two elderly cats beautifully. As a matter of fact, Ralph—having being deemed “No Threat Whatsoever” by the more prickly of our 2 cats (a reformed feral)—is currently sleeping in very close proximity to him! Rosebud and our other cat were fast friends right out the gate. Dogs and cats; this was our main concern.

We are overjoyed at this successful addition to our household. It feels like these special 2 have been here forever; like this is where they were meant to be. We hope more people consider adopting senior pets.

Thank you to the entire WHS Team who helped us secure these 2 amazing, peace-loving pups. We appreciate the hard work you do and the lives, both animal and human, you change forever, one situation at a time.”

 

We are so thankful for people who adopt our seniors, and overjoyed when they adopt a PAIR of seniors!

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not the handsomest or the quietest dog in the shelter, but just wait until you meet me!

I’ve written about Joey in previous posts, but he is still waiting to be discovered by his forever family, so I decided to feature him again, along with some new information his previous shelter folks sent to me. Here he was with Megan last week.

 

 

Joey arrived at WHS from our sister shelter in Maui, Hawaii on November 29. He is a sixty-pound mixed breed (Border Collie/Lab mix?) boy about five years old. He was found as a stray in Maui and must have had a rough beginning to life, as he has some scars and some skin inflammation, which is improving. Joey is quite stressed in the kennel environment, so barks, causing potential adopters to walk past him. But, oh, what they are missing! Once he is away from the noisy kennels, Joey shows his true personality. Here is what a staff member at Maui wrote about him: “Joey was picked up here as a stray and was all beat up, really in bad shape. But look at him now!!!  I love this boy, he really is going to make a spectacular pet for someone. Joey is a delightful fella—he is fine around other dogs but he really digs his humans. Joey is a convenient size too—he’ll fit nicely in your front seat, next to you on the couch or alongside you when it’s lights out, no king-size bed required. He is a doll and deserves a new start in life. As you can see by his Beach Buddy reports he has made quite an impression!”

“Beach Buddies!” What a neat idea! Here is a picture they sent!

And here is what a couple of them wrote:

“Joey was a terrific companion. He was very sweet, engaging and attentive. He was fun to walk, has a great disposition and enjoys treats. I wish I lived closer, I would adopt him!”

“Joey loves to walk on the sidewalk, grass and sand. Although he loved the beach he was unsure of the waves. He is such a mild-mannered, gentle and very well-behaved boy. He loves his treats and will sit nicely for them.  Also he loves hot dogs and cheese. I think he would make an excellent family pet.”

Joey spent some time while in Maui in a foster home and his foster mom couldn’t say enough good things about him: “Joey is doing great!!! What a cool dog, great around other dogs, house-trained, very loving, a real sweetheart!!!  I would be happy to keep him as long as you like.  He is a pleasure to be around. He is a great dog, I wish I could keep him.” And the day before his flight to Oregon, she wrote: “What a wonderful dog.  I am going to miss him so much.”

Joey did not get adopted in Maui, and so staff decided his best chance of finding a new home was to send him to us. Since arriving, he has gone on several adventures. Volunteer Joan took him swimming and to an outreach event and became an instant fan. Here’s what she writes: “Joey had three outings last week. He took an hour-long walk at Minto Brown, he went swimming at Bailey’s Journey, and he went to an outreach event at South Salem Pet Supply. He really charmed all the people with whom he interacted. They bought him treats, gave him belly rubs, and lots of pats. He ate up all the attention. He was a bit reactive to a few dogs, but they tended to be the ones with long leashes and a bit wild. Otherwise, he did great. We are going swimming again this Friday. He is a very, very affectionate boy who will make an excellent member of someone’s family.”

 

On Sunday, we brought Joey back into Mary’s Place to hang out. We had a good time. He loves to just relax on the couch with his buds, Caroline and Megan.

Joey does well in our playgroups, though can become overwhelmed when there is lots of rowdy activity. He is a social boy with most dogs, but would need to meet any potential canine siblings. Because he can get pretty amped up when playing, Joey would do best with older children, say ten and above. Joey is simply a terrific family dog. We’re hoping he won’t have to wait too much longer to find his perfect family.

 

 

It’s always good to hear it in their own words, as Linda did.

 

 

 

 

I’m still here, too. They tell me that some dogs just take a bit longer to find their perfect home.

I first wrote about Clay in my December 5 post. We were so hoping he’d find his perfect fit of a family before Christmas, but he didn’t. As happens with many sensitive dogs, Clay is getting stressed from being in the busy, noisy kennel environment for over a month, and we’ve got our fingers crossed that this boy doesn’t have to wait much longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He got to spend time on Sunday with his best friend, Gail, who says Clay is her absolute favorite shelter dog.

This is what she wrote about him. “I love Clay because he is just a big lap dog. He only ever wants to love and to be loved in return. He’s such a big goofball when it comes to playing. If you give him a toy you can watch him bounce around with nothing but pure joy in his heart. He always loves meeting new people. He’s a super sweet boy and I hope he finds the perfect home.”

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 in December when his family couldn’t keep him anymore. He has obviously been loved, as his favorite thing to do is be with his person. 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. And in the spirit of full disclosure, 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. Here are a few more shots from Sunday,

 

Did I mention that Clay loves cheese?

He also loves to give kisses.

 

Clay is the perfect combination of rambunctious player and couch potato and to prove it, he wanted his own movie.

 

 

 

 

I’m back and looking for a very special forever home.

Sometimes we have a dog who must have a very specific kind of home. Molly is such a dog. Because of her special needs, she is available through our Training and Behavior Program. She was adopted once but quickly returned and she is now hoping for her ideal home. For the right family, Molly will be a wonderful family addition.

 

Molly is a beautiful four-year-old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix. She needs a quiet home with adults or teenagers 17 and older. Molly is 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? Molly will catch a Frisbee mid-air and return it to you. And treats? Besides cheese, her favorites are vegetables and oranges. Molly needs a family who will be understanding and patient to help her gain confidence and must be willing to 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. We took Molly into Mary’s Place on Sunday to play and she had a blast. She especially liked the “cell phone.”

 

We know the perfect home is out there for this sweet but nervous girl. We just have to find it.

Before her last adoption, I made this movie for her. So here it is, again.

 

 

 

 

I’m little and some people say I’m not cute, but I’ll be your best pal EVER!

Scamp is a twelve-year-old Shih Tzu mix who arrived at WHS at the end of November. He was in great need of grooming when he arrived, and our wonderful volunteer groomer, Ayla, did a terrific job on him, not only making him feel much better, but look much better, too! She even found a coat for him that matched hers!

 

Here’s what Ayla wrote about his bath/grooming session: “Scamp was absolutely great for every little thing I did. He even rested his head on my hand while I trimmed up his face. I’ve never had a dog perfect with this but he even let me trim a bit of hair blocking his ear. Bath-wise he was amazing, also. At first he wanted to keep his paws up but after gently setting them back in a few times, just sat politely while I petted him during his ten-minute soak. And he is a CUDDLER. He had a blast cuddling with my mother and me in Mary’s Place.”

Scamp needs to be the only pet in the home and he is uncomfortable around little children. He will need an adult home or one with kids about thirteen and older. He can be a bit sensitive to handling, so needs a patient family who will not push him. But oh, what a fun little character he is. Here are some pictures from Mary’s Place on Sunday with Megan and Marianne.

 

 

Scamp is an old soul with some missing hair and some age-related issues. But he still has love to give his new people. We’re hoping yet another lover of senior dogs will find our little Scamp and take him home.

 

 

 

 

Champ!

We were pretty excited on Sunday afternoon when Champ’s future family came to spend time with him a second time. Champ’s new human sister had not yet met him, and was on her way to the shelter when I had to leave. So I took this picture of him with his new human brother holding a picture of his sister.

 

 

I sent the family the picture and was thrilled when I got this message the next morning: