Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

It’s been a busy week at Willamette Humane Society with a total of thirteen dogs adopted. And that’s not all! Four of them were long-termers who had been waiting for their new families quite a while. They were Clay, Duke, Scamp, and Brinx. We were over the moon for these four!

 

 

Here they are with some of their volunteer fan club members.

Clay and Gail

 

 

We spent a lot of time with Duke on Sunday, thinking I would feature him again this post. Then he was adopted! Here he was with Ayla, Megan, and Marianne. I hope his new family likes to take pictures, because Duke loves to pose!

 

 

Here are Scamp and Ayla in their matching jackets.

 

 

Here is shy Brinx with his new family (and Linda to give him moral support).

 

 

 

 

 

This week I’m featuring three dogs who need special homes. They are not the right dogs for just anyone, but for the right people or families, they will be worth the extra time and effort a thousand times over!

 

They say I’m a “bull in a china shop,” whatever that means, but they adore me!

Sometimes we have a dog who needs a very special home because of a medical issue. Elliot is such a dog.

 

Elliot is an eight-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier mix who arrived at WHS in early December, found as a stray. Elliot was a mess when he was found, but what a happy, goofy, affectionate boy he is—he loves EVERYBODY! He has done well in our playgroups, likes to mingle and play a little with most other dogs. And his smile? This boy grins all the time and is such a spirit booster!

We think Elliot might have been an outdoor dog his entire life, since his inside manners need refining. Maybe “refining” is too kind of a word—let’s say they need work. But, oh, what a great family dog Elliot will become with some reward-based training! Toys? Elliot thinks everything is a toy, so he’ll need sturdy chew-toys rather than fluffy balls. He’ll be fine in a family with kids about ten and older. And walking? Elliot strolls rather than walks, and he’s not ruffled by barking dogs nearby. He is a dream on leash.

We took him into Mary’s place on Sunday and he had a great time exploring, playing, and snuggling with Marianne and Megan.

 

 

Elliot has tested positive for heartworm which he got at some point by being bitten by an infected mosquito. He will soon be starting treatment. WHS will provide the medication to his adoptive family. The challenge is that Elliot needs to be kept quiet and kenneled for about three months during the treatment. The fact that he loves people so much will help him because he will be happy just to be near his peeps. I’m so glad to volunteer at a shelter that doesn’t give up on a dog due to a treatable medical condition. Now all we need to do is find Elliot a family to help him stay calm while he recovers. He is so worth the effort it will take to make this special dog healthy again.

Fingers and paws crossed that a family will realize what a special boy Elliot is and take him home.

 

 

 

 

Do you really want TWO dogs, but can only afford to adopt ONE? Well, I’m your answer!

Susie is a sixty-four pound three-year-old mixed breed girl who is looking for a family who will be patient and understanding. She has been mostly an outdoor dog all her life and really wants to be an indoor/outdoor dog now.

 

 

She is absolutely beautiful. So maybe you are partial to black-headed dogs?

 

 

On the other hand, maybe you like lighter-headed ones?

Take your pick!

Susie will need a patient family with older children, about 13 and above. She needs time and hot dog bits (cheese also works) to learn to trust new people. She was very fearful when she first arrived at the shelter and did not like to be handled. She has improved and when we brought her into Mary’s Place, she really enjoyed the attention. Jolene is one of her fans.

 

 

Susie likes to hold hands with her friends.

 

And she has a goofy side.

 

 

Here she is holding hands again.

 

Susie needs a quiet home as she is nervous around strangers and frightened by loud noises—vacuums and storms, for example. She also needs more training in walking on leash (she can pull hard), but she is treat-motivated and very smart, so training will be fun for both her and her family. Plus, best of all, her adoption includes two WHS classes: “Dog Smart” (for her humans only) and “Confidence Builders” for her and her family. An Easy-Walk-3-in-1 harness, specially made for big girls like her, is also in the adoption package. Susie will need to meet any possible dog siblings and must go to a feline-free home. Susie is a bit of a project dog, but oh, she is so worth the extra time and effort. She will make some lucky person a wonderfully loyal companion.

 

 

 

 

I have a few issues, too, but I’m worth the extra effort, just like my friends!

Joe is a five-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who is just right for someone wanting a medium-sized new best friend. Joe has lived with both another dog and a cat (yes, a cat!) happily. He still will need to meet any potential canine siblings before going home.

 

Joe can be a bit handling-sensitive and needs a patient family to help build his courage and complete his house-training. He is a smart, treat-motivated and goofy clown who will keep his new family entertained. A huge bonus is that his adoption includes two WHS training classes: “Dog Smart” (for his humans) and “Check in and Chill Out” for both Joe and his family. Joe loves to go for walks and play with toys. Because he has some fears, Joe will do best in a home with just adults or one with teenagers, a family who will give him space when he needs it so that he doesn’t become overwhelmed. When he is relaxed, this boy is a hoot. We took him into Mary’s Place and he had a blast while keeping all of us laughing.

He loved cuddling with Caroline and Marianne while munching on a Nylabone.

 

He can be so silly!

 

 

We are hoping that Joe won’t have to wait much longer for his new peeps.

 

 

The Bloopers of the Week!

I’ve decided to add a new feature in my weekly posts. As my WHS volunteer helpers know, I take a ton of dog pictures every week, knowing I will discard most of them, keeping only the best ones. It’s always fun when I start processing the day’s photos, to see some of the failed shots I’ve taken. So I’ve decided to add just one of them to each post. However, I am already making an exception for this post and adding a series. This week’s entries were taken when we were spending time with Duke.

First, a couple of the poses I used:

 

However…only moments before, this was happening. Or as Marianne wrote: “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—shelter dog photo shoots don’t go as smoothly as the finished product makes them appear. This amazing dog named Duke was adopted on Sunday shortly after Martha took all these pictures. What a sweetheart and so much fun.”

 

I do take pride in the fact that I have done such a good job of training my fellow volunteers to keep smiling for the photo no matter what!

Can you find the dog in this photo? 

 

That’s if 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