Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I have never featured the same dog two posts in a row. However, this week I am writing about JD for a second time. You will find it hard to believe that this week’s pictures are of our same JD.

 

Need a lap buddy? Are you a traveling senior? Need an RV companion? I’d be perfect!

What a difference a few days make! JD had had thirteen teeth extracted a few days before I wrote about him last week and he was uneasy and quite timid.

 

Marianne spent time with him later in the week and couldn’t wait to tell me about the change in JD. She had him in Mary’s Place when I arrived Sunday morning and, oh my, it was as if he was a different dog! Look at him smile!

JD is a fourteen-year-old mixed breed boy, weighing only fifteen pounds. He arrived at WHS on June 9th. JD is shy when he first meets you. He has lived with the same person his whole life, so it takes him a little time to warm up to someone new. When JD arrived at the shelter, he had some medical issues, mostly related to his age. He has the usual old-age lumps and some hair loss, probably because of allergies. But JD has responded to our vet care beautifully and is ready to find his forever retirement home. JD will need to go to a home without cats; he’s too interested in chasing them. He also would do best with older children because of his age. He is house-trained and is mostly an indoor dog. We’re hoping this happy, energetic senior finds his new home very soon. 

On Sunday Marianne, Megan, Ayla and I decided to see if JD was a ball dog. At first he seemed very excited about the GFB (Giant Fluff Ball).

He couldn’t wait for Marianne to throw it.

 

He started to race after it.

Then left it in the dust as he ran to me.

 

Then we decided to try some agility. It helps that he LOVES cheese!

 

That was as far as he wanted to venture. Next we tried racing dog against human.

He loved it and won!

 

After taking a victory lap, he was ready for a posed photo.

 

 

Finally, it was time to go back to his kennel.

JD is feeling great and can’t wait to meet his new family. We all hope they come soon.

 

 

 

I’ve been here quite a while. I need a Husky-savvy family. Are you one?

Diesel is a stunning two-year-old Siberian Husky mix.

He arrived at WHS on May 23 as a stray. His person was found, but decided to surrender him. I haven’t featured him in my blog because I was sure he’d be adopted quickly. That was before I realized that Diesel needs a particular kind of home. First, he will need to be the only pet. He has not gotten along with other dogs at the shelter and he has a strong prey drive, so no cats or chickens, either. Diesel is as smart as a whip. He loves people, walks perfectly on leash, and knows Sit, Down, and Shake. He will need a lot of exercise and when he doesn’t get enough, he self-exercises by escaping his house/yard to go on adventures. (Did I mention he was found as a stray?) His former owner reported that he can even open windows! He loves car rides. While Diesel  enjoys petting, he is very sensitive to medical handling, especially his feet. Because of this, he should not go home with young children and is rated for teens about 15 and up. So Diesel needs a special family to be successful in his new home. But if you are that family, you will be getting such a loving, playful, smart boy. Francis was taking Diesel out for his afternoon walk when I happened to see them on Sunday. I asked them to pose, and Diesel was more than happy to.

 

Suddenly he rolled over, totally relaxed, and wanted pets.

He loved the attention.

And then THIS happened!

After his walk with Francis, we brought Diesel into Mary’s Place to see if he would settle and he did.

Our Foster Coordinator Caitlin stopped by and Diesel showed off his shake and excellent eye contact.

 

So far as his taste in reading is concerned, he likes books with pictures, and Dr. Seuss is his favorite author.

 

While Diesel is a high-energy dog, he also is happy to curl up with a GFB.

 

For the right family, Diesel will make a fun, affectionate, goofy addition. We’re hoping that family will find him soon.

 

 

 

I’m new here, but I’m getting to know my way around and I’m having fun with the volunteers!

We had so much fun when we met the happiest, most energetic, and delightful newbie on Sunday. His name is Sylus and he is a two-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix. At 63 pounds, he is a big boy, but he is pure joy, the treat-bag-is-half-full kind of dog.

 

 

We took him out to a yard to play and he was over the moon with excitement.

 

We were sure he would be a “ball dog.” Nope.

 

After some fun yard time, we all went into Mary’s Place to see what he would think of the GFB. He loved it!

Sylus was much loved by his former person who was heartbroken that he had to surrender him because of moving. He reported that Sylus gets along great with other dogs, is very playful, and would love to go home with a canine sibling. However, he was once attacked by a cat (yes, a CAT!) and now is afraid of them, so needs a feline-free home. Because of his size, he is rated for older children. Sylus also can be a bit fearful of new situations, so his family will need to be understanding and take new experiences slowly. He is also fearful of loud noises like thunder and fireworks. He’s mainly an indoor dog, and will alert when he needs to go out.

After some GFB play, it was time to settle, which he happily did.

 

Who knew he gives high fives?

 

We don’t think Sylus realizes how big he is and that he’s a little large to be a lap dog.

 

 

Just before we returned Sylus to his kennel, we asked him if he’d like to be part of a “Shelter Dog Happy 4th” post that I planned to do on Facebook. He was all for it.

 

Some family is going to be mighty lucky to adopt Sylus. He is a gem.

 

 

 

 

Is it because I bark in my kennel? I just don’t understand.

Siri continues to wait for her forever family. I have loved many, many shelter dogs over the years, but Siri is one of the special ones. She has wrapped her paw around my heart. I wish I could explain to her that barking in her kennel does not attract a new family. I just wish people could see the real Siri as we have. She is a perfect family dog.

I first wrote about Siri on May 8. We were so hoping she would be adopted quickly. But she wasn’t. Her only bad habit is that she barks in her kennel because she’s been waiting so long for her new family to find her. Once outside her kennel, she is relaxed, happy, and quiet. Siri is an eight-year-old Boxer mix who is hoping for a loving retirement home where she can relax and enjoy couch time with her peeps. She will need to be the only pet, as she doesn’t care for other dogs or cats. But she LOVES people! She had a good history in her former home. She adores children and is rated for kids about eight and older. She would be a wonderful “first dog” for a family with kids. She is calm with excellent manners, but likes to play.

Siri is house-trained and is mostly an indoor dog. She has a few old-age lumps and a graying face, but she is an active and happy girl. Siri knows the usual commands and will offer you her paw totally on her own—either paw.

 

On Sunday I needed a dog who would be calm and tolerant for the 4th of July Shelter Dog post I am planning. Siri was the perfect choice. There aren’t many dogs who will let me put silly things on them and just keep smiling and posing for my camera. She was SUCH a great sport! (And so were Marianne and Ayla!:))

 

 

Maybe dressing up will do the trick of finding a forever family! We hope so!

 

 

 

 

Zipping Around With Zabrina!

Once Terry was adopted last week, Marianne and Ayla needed a new shelter dog to go on adventures with. They chose Zabrina!

Zabrina is a three-year-old Bull Terrier mix. She was born in Hawaii and spent her first years in Maui. She was a favorite with the shelter folks there, but didn’t get adopted. She then moved to Oregon in 2017 in search of her forever family. She was adopted, but came back to WHS this April. Here she is with one of her fans, Ayla.

Zabrina only has three legs. She was found by Maui police officers lying on a road with a severe fracture of her back left leg. She was taken to the shelter and it was determined that the best action was to amputate the leg. But don’t think for a minute that she can’t run. This girl runs as fast as any four-legged dog!

Zabrina is rated for children about 13 and older. She is crate-trained, but needs a little help in house-training. She needs to be on a schedule. In her excitement about life, Zabrina can get jumpy and mouthy, so needs a patient family who will use rewards-based training to help her refine her manners. She is smart, LOVES people and attention, and with a little effort from her person, she’ll learn quickly. She is selective about her canine playmates, but plays well with her friends. 

Here is “Zipping Around With Zabrina” Part 1:

“Sweet Zabrina is very stressed at the shelter and needs more out-of-her-kennel time. I’ve never spent much quality time with her, so Ayla and I took her to Cascade Gateway Park for an outing. I chose that park because it’s close to the shelter and there is water there. Since she goes swimming in a pool every week to help with her leg I thought she might like to take a dip in the river. She rode wonderfully in the car; but unfortunately, she was very nervous at the park. The river made her uncomfortable, so we didn’t try it. We walked on the back paths, but there was a roadway where cars were going by and that scared her. Poor girl—cars are apparently a reminder of her injury that was caused by a car. Overall she was well-behaved, just nervous. We didn’t stay at the park very long, and we treated her to a Bentley’s Pup Shake afterwards and then spent time in Mary’s Place. She loved that part of the adventure! We are going to try a much quieter outing next time. Stay tuned!”

 

 

 

 

Playing with Pam and Fetty

I’ve written several posts about Pam and Fetty, two of our shy dogs. Pam is from Maui and Fetty from Alabama, and have become BFFs. They asked to share a double kennel, so they do and love it. In fact, because they are best friends, the shelter has decided to offer a special package if a family can adopt both of them together! They don’t have to be adopted together, but what fun it would be! To learn more about these two special dogs, see my post here.

 

Yesterday Pam and Fetty had an EXCELLENT adventure. They got to visit volunteer Linda’s house where they could explore, romp, and play together away from the shelter. Linda and Jolene sent me these pictures and video from their exciting morning.

 

 

 

We’re so hoping a family will see them together and decide to take them home.

On that note, that’s it for this week! Next week my husband is having hip replacement surgery, so I won’t have time to write my usual post. But I’m hoping to get a movie or two made of a couple of our long-termers.

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