Tags
adoptable dogs, adoption dogs, deserving dogs, dogs, fellow dog lovers, humane society, shelter dogs, WHS, willamette humane society
Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,
First of all, some great adoption news! Remember Johnny from last week’s post? He has something to tell you!
We were very hopeful on Sunday afternoon when a young couple came to look at our dogs. I happened to be walking past Johnny’s kennel when they were talking with him. They were pleased that he had stopped barking for a nanosecond (remember I mentioned last week that he had poor kennel presentation). I explained that Johnny was very different outside his kennel. They decided they wanted to meet him. They fell in love, but needed to do a dog meet with their dog, also a senior. They came back Monday, the dog meet went well; Johnny is now Jonny and he has a Spaniel sister named Hershey. So happy for this wonderful boy who had been waiting for his perfect family since June 14th.
And that’s not all! Ozo went home on Sunday! I was so happy I was there to take his going-home picture!
If you are looking for a non-velcro dog who won’t be constantly in your way, I’m your pick!
Pepper is a six-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix who is looking for an understanding and patient family.
Pepper came to us after her person died. The shelter is a stressful place for this sweet girl. She would love to live in a quiet home with a backyard where she could hang out. Pepper is not a clingy dog, but is happy to be with her peeps. She is very treat-motivated, cheese being one of her top five favorite treats. She walks well on leash and once relaxed, has a beautiful smile. Pepper would like a family where there was someone home most of the time, as she can be anxious when left alone. She is nervous around new people, especially younger children, so needs a family with teens or above. Marianne, Megan and I decided to take her out for some blanket time and she was very happy to just chill with us in the shade.
She seemed a little worried at first, but then settled down when we offered her some cheese bits.
She was quite concerned when I temporarily ran out of cheese.
Pepper is selective about her dog friends and although she has played some in our shelter playgroups, she isn’t that interested in romping. She lived with two other dogs in her previous home, but mostly ignored them. Pepper has some resource-guarding issues of both food and toys, another reason she should go to a home with teens or just adults. We found, however, that she is very willing to trade a toy for a cheese bit, and takes treats gently. She is house- and crate-trained, though she will bark when left in a crate, something her new family could work on with reward-based training. Because Pepper’s behavior needs a little fine tuning, her adoption includes a Dog Smart class and a thirty-minute private lesson with one of our trainers.
After some time outside, we took her into Mary’s Place.
Pepper loves stuffed animals. Sunday the green turtle was her favorite.
We decided that a movie would show Pepper’s gentle personality the best, so here you go!
Pepper is not the dog for everyone and will be a bit of a project. However, she will reward you with her love and loyalty. We’re hoping that just the right fit of a family will find Pepper soon.
I’m ready for a new beginning with an active family! Could it be yours?
Sometimes a new dog arrives at WHS who is just a hoot, full of joy, and ready to entertain his new family and keep everyone happy. Rufus is such a boy. He is a seven-year-old mixed-breed boy, though you’d never know it by his energy!
Rufus came to us from another shelter where he was not adopted. He is an active boy with a great sense of humor. He challenged Megan to a race. Rufus won.
After romping in the yard, it was bench time.
Rufus is treat-motivated which will be key in training him to not pull when going for a walk. He will need to be an only dog in a cat-free home. But his love of people and his optimistic outlook on life will be all his family needs in a new member. He is rated for children ten and older. Because of his enthusiasm for all things, Rufus’ adoption package includes both a free Dog Smart class and a thirty-minute private lesson from one of our trainers.
Rufus decided he’d like some time in Mary’s Place and we were happy to oblige him. Megan got out the bubbles and Rufus was entranced.
We were not surprised that Rufus thinks he’s a lap dog.
He settles nicely and isn’t shy about taking up the whole couch.
Rufus will be such a fun boy for some lucky family looking for their one and only.
I’m waiting for a just-right family. I promise to try my best to be a really good girl.
Mary is a seven-year-old Lab mix who came in our last transfer from Hawaii. The Maui shelter thinks her damaged left ear is the result of a wild bore attack while she was a stray. She arrived at the Maui shelter in bad shape, but with excellent vet care, recovered. She wasn’t adopted in Hawaii, so she decided to move to Oregon to see if she could find her perfect home.
Mary is affectionate and eager with plenty of energy, as we discovered when we spent time with her after she arrived in late June. I had planned to feature her in my next post, but she was soon adopted. Ayla fell for her right off the bat.
She quickly had a fan club including Jolene, Linda, Caroline, Marianne, Megan and, of course, Ayla.
We were thrilled when Mary was adopted, but she was returned when the family discovered she could not live with a cat. We don’t know what Mary’s life was like before she was found hurt in Maui, or how long she was a stray having to forage for herself. But whatever the reasons, Mary will need a special family who will help her with a few issues. She can be jumpy and a “door darter,” so her family will have to be alert and work with her with rewards-based training. She should not be around small dogs or cats. She does fine with other big dogs, and loves to romp with them, but would need to meet any dog she would be living with. Mary is rated for kids ten and older.
Mary is more stressed now that she is back at the shelter. We decided to try some blanket time and see if she would relax. She did.
We are hoping that Mary soon finds her right family fit, as the shelter is increasingly stressful for her.
There are two happy updates!
JD
Remember JD, our fourteen-year-old sweetheart, here with Marianne?
Here’s an update from his forever family:
“Hi, well it’s been almost two weeks and everyone has adjusted nicely! So glad we adopted JD.”
Yep, looks like he’s settled in!
Winston/Wilson
Winston had many fans at WHS! He is such a delightful boy.
I happened to be at the shelter when his future family came to meet him. I was so excited that they were interested in him.
I was thrilled when I got this update!
“I just wanted to let you know that we did end up adopting Winston whom our kids renamed Wilson. He is doing very well and is very loved. He sleeps on my daughter’s bed every night and they are very bonded. He loves everyone and everything. Thank you so much for your help!”
On those happy notes, that’s it for this week!
All of the dogs I have featured today, along with other terrific dogs waiting to be adopted, can be found at Willamette Humane Society. Here is the link to the adoptable-dog page:
https://whs4pets.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs-2/
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