Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

We know that dogs come in all shapes and sizes. This week I’m going to tell you about three who are very different in size, personality, and in their wishes for their homes-to-be. Maybe one of them will be your perfect fit of a family dog.

I’ve been here a while. I’m still waiting and hoping that I’ll soon be with my new family.

I first wrote about Lucky in my January 1st post. Because his kennel presentation is not stellar, he has been moved out of the public-viewing kennels, so potential adopters have to ask to see him. I’m hoping that featuring him in my blog will let people see him as the clown and affectionate boy that he is, and maybe a reader will realize they would be his perfect match.

 

Lucky is a one-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix youngster. He has not had the best start in life, and at WHS, we are working to help him realize that the world doesn’t have to be a scary place. We’re hoping the perfect person will fall in love with our boy and continue to make him feel safe while going on outdoor adventures.

Lucky is not the right dog for everyone, as he is full of youthful enthusiasm mixed with a need to be active. This very smart boy loves to learn new things and, as I found out the first time I met him, he also loves cheese. Being smart AND treat-motivated makes for a very fun dog to train. Lucky loves to romp with some dogs, but not all, and would need to meet any dog he would be living with. He would no doubt enjoy having a trusted dog sibling to help build his courage around new things. Lucky’s perfect happily-ever-after would be a quiet, adult home with a person who will give him the attention he craves, the time he needs to adjust to new surroundings, and the desire to help him overcome his fears. These fears include strangers (though he warms up quickly) and being left alone (he worries you won’t come back). He’ll need a little help in house-training and learning not to jump when he is excited to see you. While Lucky still needs to learn a few things, he will be such a loyal and devoted best friend. Marianne and I spent some quality time with this enthusiastic and silly boy in Mary’s Place on Sunday and we all had a blast.

 

Two of the first things we learned about Lucky the first time I wrote about him were his loves of rolling around on the couch and the GFB (Giant Fluff Ball). We decided that week that we would send him to his new home with a GFB of his own. Last Sunday was no exception. He so enjoys rolling around!

 

 

And when he can roll WITH his GFB, there isn’t anything better.

 

 

This was a new move for the week. We have no idea why he did this, but it made us laugh.

 

Lucky can settle down, too. He’s a “leaner” and loves to get rubs while he leans.

 

We think he would enjoy watching some Netflix, curled up with his GFB next to you on the couch.

 

Lucky has some specific needs in his new family. But if you fit the bill and have been waiting for a dog who will love spending time with you, Lucky just might be your new best friend.

 

 

 

I’m a bit opinionated, but I’ll be your best bud, you’ll see!

Meet Wilbur, a five-year-old Chihuahua mix with a big smile. This is his second time at WHS; he first came to us in December 2016 and was adopted from a foster home in January 2017. Now he’s back because his family couldn’t keep him any longer.

 

Wilbur has no idea that he is a little dog. He’s convinced he’s just as big as every other dog at the shelter and don’t try to tell him otherwise.

 

Wilbur is a delightful, social character with a few quirks that his new family will need to be aware of. First of all, Wilbur is somewhat shy at first meetings. He will need a little time to get to know his friends. He can also be a bit sensitive about being touched or picked up until he feels at ease. He’s very uncomfortable around small children and must not go to a home with young kids, but would do fine with older teens, about fifteen and up. Wilbur would do best in a calm home with relaxed people who will give him the time and space that he needs to feel safe. In playgroup he doesn’t seem to want to romp, but mingles. He is house-trained and enjoys lounging with his family and going for walks. In the spirit of full disclosure, Wilbur does NOT like cats and will need a feline-free home. But with the right family, Wilbur will be such a fun, affectionate little guy to have around.

We took him into Mary’s Place and even though he didn’t know us well yet, it didn’t take him long to  relax and enjoy being close to Marianne while posing for pictures.

 

 

His new family may have to reassure him occasionally.

 

Wilbur will be a wonderful companion for the right family. We’re hoping that family will find him soon.

 

 

 

 

All I need is time to feel safe.

Every now and then we meet a dog who instantly becomes a favorite. It’s usually because they are extremely shy and uneasy in their first days at the shelter. Such was the case on Sunday with Aywa, a ten-month-old Shiba Inu mix. Aywa was surrendered because her family was moving and couldn’t take her with them. I first met her when I walked through the kennels after arriving Sunday. She was very nervous and unsure. When Marianne brought her outside for pictures, I felt so sorry for her as she was very fearful of my camera. She hid behind Marianne, mouth tightly closed, tail tucked, looking worried.

 

 

Then Linda stopped to visit and we watched as Aywa slowly started to relax.

 

Marianne sat on the bench and let Aywa approach her, and approach, she did.

 

We decided to take her into Mary’s Place and see if after spending some time with us, she would feel safe enough to settle. It didn’t take long.

 

And then the worried look was gone, her tail came up, and her mouth relaxed.

 

 

She even accepted the camera lady.

 

Look at that tail now!

 

We loved seeing Aywa’s transformation from afraid to trusting. Her family reports she is active, loves to be on the go, enjoys car rides, is house-trained, and has lived with another dog happily. She is rated for kids five and older. She was loose in the house when the family was gone and was well-behaved with no barking. She enjoys playing fetch and going for walks. She walks very well on leash. Some family is going to be mighty lucky to adopt this beautiful, sweet youngster.

 

 

 

 

Rufus Respite Week #2 Report

If you read my blog post last week, you know that Rufus is spending some shelter de-stressing time at his friend, Chris’, house. He had a great first week and here is Chris’ report on the second week.

“Rufus is a joy to have around the house. All he wants is to give people love. He curls up right against you at night. He loves sniffing and frolicking in the yard, and is fascinated with looking at himself in the mirror. He doesn’t usually beg or bother me when I’m eating, but he LOVES peanut butter. Rufus has been really good with guests and usually doesn’t even come to the door when friends come over. After they’ve come in, he will come to greet them and ask for petting, but doesn’t jump on them. As you know, Rufus has had problems with reactivity toward dogs (and other things, people, cars, bikes, squirrels) when walking on the leash. I think we’ve made very good progress on that. He seems to be doing really well in the yard. He typically walks around sniffing or checks on a bone that he hid in the bushes the first day he was here. He sometimes runs around doing ‘zoomies.’ He really likes being in the yard and is well behaved out there. He does get very excited about animals (squirrels, cats) in the yard or on the fence. The other morning he started barking very loudly and excitedly jumping in the back corner of the yard, which I discovered was because there were two raccoons in the tree! I did have to go outside but it was fairly easy to get him to calm down and come inside.”

I wonder what he is thinking??

 

To read more about Rufus and see more pictures, check out my December 18th post here: Rufus

 

 

 

 

We have two very happy updates this week.

Ally Mora

Ally’s story is a very special one. She was found as a stray on February 8, 2019. She was a beautiful youngster and I loved taking pictures of her shortly after she arrived. 

 

She was pre-adopted by Britani who waited anxiously to take her home after she was spayed. However, Ally suddenly came down with Parvo, a highly contagious virus in puppies and young dogs. Without treatment, it is potentially deadly. WHS made the decision that Ally was too sick to be treated at our shelter and transferred her to Oregon Humane Society, which has a larger medical facility. I happened to be at WHS the day a volunteer was leaving to take Ally to Portland and we were all very sad, being pretty sure she was not going to survive. I never expected to see her again even if she did recover, since she would be adopted from OHS.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I happened to walk into the lobby of our retirement community’s main building. And there was Ally with Britani!

 

And now, the rest of the story…

“My fiancé, Austin, and I were both really wanting a dog and one day Austin said, “Let’s go to the shelter just to look at them.” I responded, “Nobody goes just to look.” We went to look at all the dogs and cats. It was loud in the kennels with some of the dogs barking. As I turned a corner, the first thing I saw were Ally’s eyes. She has one bright blue eye and one brown eye. She was the only dog that was not barking; she was just sitting there patiently waiting, tail wagging and the biggest smile on her face. I instantly fell in love with her. We were sad to find out that she already had a hold, but we put another one on anyway.  On the evening the first family was supposed to finalize everything, we went down to go see Ally and found out that the family never showed up. I cried when I found out. After a couple days, we found out that Ally had Parvo and we were so worried that she would not make it. Apparently she was REALLY bad and was really close to death. We were told that we should look into adopting another dog, but we refused and waited to see if she pulled through. After a long wait and a transfer to Portland, she finally was ready to go home! We brought her home and she has been the perfect pooch! It was no effort house-training her and teaching her new tricks! She knows how to say, “I love you,” as well as how to shake hands and roll over. She is SOOO incredibly smart. She has a very happy life here with us and loves to guard our guinea pig! We adopted Ally almost one year ago but it feels like she has been a part of our family for so much longer than that! I thank God every day that she made it through, I am so thankful that she is in our lives. Ally has been camping with us and on many hikes. She loves car rides and goes almost everywhere with us! Out of all the places she has been, I think her favorite was the beach.”

 

 

Lucky dog, lucky family!

 

 

Peppi and Max

Peppi was adopted first.

 

 

And Max was adopted a few months later.

 

In my September 11, 2019 post, I had this update:

“Well Max has been with us for just over 3 months and Peppi just under 9. What did we do without them? I have no idea. They make so many smiles in this house. If I can ever get a video of their monthly BarkBox opening I will send it. It’s hilarious!”

Last week I got this update:

“Sorry it took me so long but here’s a video of Peppi and Max. It’s BarkBox day!! It’s always the best day of the month around here!! Thanks for all you do!! We love these little fellas more then we ever thought we could. Gosh they sure fill any holes you might have in your heart and always make a tough day easier. Bless you and all the work you and all the volunteers and staff at WHS to you find these lovebugs homes! What a gift.❤️

 

 

 

With those happy updates, 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

 

Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I never get tired of seeing children reading to our shelter dogs and I hope you don’t, either. When I arrived at WHS on Sunday, the kids were setting up and picking out the first dogs they wanted to read to. Once they were settled, I snapped a few pictures.

 

 

I’m not sure who enjoys this time more, the kids or the dogs.

 

 

 

Need a couch buddy—someone you can watch “Dogumentaries” with? (Get it?!?)

Grady is a senior boy, about eight, and is an American Staffordshire Terrier mix. He was found as a stray and came to us from another shelter. He is a very calm, gentle dog. He was very serious when I first met him, looking at me with soulful eyes.

 

Although we don’t know anything about his past, Grady has won our hearts and we have learned several things about him. He is quite thin and needs to put on a few pounds. He has some older dog characteristics like a possible early cataract in one eye and a graying face. But if you are looking for an uncomplicated, easy-going boy who will be happy just to hang out with you, Grady may be your perfect fit. He walks very well on leash, takes treats gently and is very much a “people dog.” In playgroups he’s not been interested in romping, but mingles. He has corrected dogs who have been too forward with him. He would need to meet any dog he’d be living with, to make sure they respected his boundaries. Because of his age, he is rated for kids about thirteen and above.

After spending a little time with us, Grady started to relax and looked less worried.

 

Marianne is one of his biggest fans.

We decided to take him into Mary’s Place to see if he’d like to play with some toys. He didn’t, but we discovered he knows several commands like shake and down.

 

He is very affectionate and likes cheese.

 

When we hid some cheese bits in a food toy, he was determined to find every morsel.

 

Grady is going to be a wonderful family dog and we’re hoping a family who wants to give a sweet boy a relaxing retirement will scoop him up.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m new here and I’m ready for my new family! Hope you come soon!

The first thing you notice about Rocky is his eyes. They are blue and earnest. The second thing you notice is his smile. Rocky is a five-year-old mixed breed boy who is eager, happy and sometimes a clown.

 

 

Rocky was transferred to us from another shelter where he didn’t get adopted. He is hoping that he’ll find his forever home here. We don’t think that Rocky has had an easy life. He has some old, now-healed injuries. But whatever happened to our boy, he doesn’t hold a grudge and is a joy to be around. Rocky walks well on leash, knows some commands, and is treat-motivated. He has done well in playgroups, but should meet any dog he would live with. He seems to be sensitive in his back end, but tolerant of all other touching. He is rated for children about 13 and older. He seemed to enjoy posing for pictures with Ayla.

We took Rocky into Mary’s Place and little did we know it would bring out his goofy side.

 

I had to go take some pictures of another dog and saw this as I came back to Mary’s Place.

 

 

Rocky is a delightful character and for an active family, he will make a wonderful companion. He is eager to learn new things, would love to go on any adventures you’d like to take him on, and is happy just being with his peeps. We hope he’ll be adopted very soon.

 

 

 

I’m spending a little time away from the shelter with some friends, but I’m still available for adoption!

Rufus is one of our long-termers, having been at WHS since July. This wonderful boy has not found his perfect family fit yet, though I have written about him several times.

 

But while he waits for his new family, Rufus has gotten to go on adventures with volunteers and recently he was invited to spend a couple of weeks in a WHS volunteer’s home. He is loving his time away and sent me this report from his temporary foster host, Chris.

“Rufus is an extremely happy boy and incredibly affectionate. From the moment I first met him it was obvious that he loves people. He wants to greet everyone, but despite his enthusiasm he never jumps up and keeps ‘four on the floor’ when first meeting people. In the house he always wants to be with me and almost never leaves my side. He loves to give kisses and to cuddle. He loves curling up in a lap more than anything and prefers to sleep beside me. He took an instant liking to everyone in the family. Despite clearly wanting attention and love, he has had no problems being left alone in the house. The first time I left him alone he barked once—one little yip—when I left and then never again (I waited outside in the car to see if he would keep barking). He has not shown any interest in chewing on furniture or anything else and is most content when he’s curled up on the couch next to me. He likes toys but doesn’t go nuts for them; he would prefer to just sniff and explore the yard or else get petting and scratches from me.”

 

 

“Rufus is a lot of dog, and his enthusiastic love could get overwhelming for some people. He would really prefer to lick you all over. He has calmed down a bit in the time he has been with me, so I think that he might acclimate to a new home fairly quickly. He sometimes flinches when touched unexpectedly, especially on the head. He has never snapped or acted like he was in pain, but I suspect that he has been hit in the past.”

In the spirit of total disclosure, Chris is working on Rufus’ reactivity, something we have also seen at the shelter. “Dogs, cars, bicycles all cause him to bristle. He does also pull to some degree even when there is not another dog around, though I found it easy to correct this by simply taking a few steps backwards. I was also able to get him to reliably heel and walk beside me at my pace if I kept a treat in my hand and treated him regularly. Overall we really love Rufus; he is a very sweet dog.”

We will keep working with Rufus on his reactivity when he comes back to the shelter. Anyone who adopts him will need to continue to help him overcome this behavior, but he is so worth the effort.

To read more about Rufus and see more pictures, check out my December 18th post here: Rufus

 

 

 

I wrote about our senior bonded pair, Frankie and Churro last week. You can read all about them here: Frankie & Churro

We couldn’t resist taking them in Mary’s Place on Sunday just to have some laughs. And laugh we did. These two are such a hoot and will bring such joy to some lucky family.

 

 

 

 

Stella was adopted last week, but she kept us in stitches while she was at the shelter.

 

 

 

We have two wonderful updates this week!

Moose

Remember our sweet Moose whose tongue is too big for his mouth, so constantly hangs out a bit? He waited for his perfect family for so long, but the wait was worth it!

 

His family adores him and sent me this update. And who knew that Moose has a favorite musical?! We never thought to ask him.

“What to start with…. he is the best couch potato and loves watching Sound of Music with me. And when it’s time to wrestle or go on walks around a quiet neighborhood, he also is the best man to have around for that, too. He is not protective of his food or his toys, but he really hates cats and would love to chase them. I am looking for a canine friend for him to play around with. I know he probably misses having a companion that understands why smelling EVERY SINGLE BUSH HE PASSES BY is so important to him. The search will continue as the year goes on. 

He does protect his home very well. If there is any movement or noise outside the door, he growls and/or barks. And at first, he even barked at my boyfriend until he gave him many treats to gain his trust. Now they are good friends, but it is clear Moose and I have a closer bond. I go to the bathroom and he waits outside the door for me. I go to bed early and he comes and snuggles with me instead of staying with Evan on the couch watching him play games. That either means I am his person, or he really actually wants to be in the spacious, soft bed. He isn’t allowed on it unless we go to bed. Moose really is the family member I was looking for: easygoing, clumsy, cuddly, spastic, loving and most of all, handsome. He is quite a charming gentleman and I am very lucky to have him in my life. Thank you for your time and work with him.”

 

 

Elle

Elle won our hearts the moment we met her. She was gentle, knew stuff, and was an absolute sweetheart. We were sure she wouldn’t be at the shelter long and we were right. Once again, we are grateful for adopters who don’t care that she is eight years old.

 

 

I was so happy to get this update from her new family this week.

“We had such a hole in our hearts when we lost our yellow lab a year ago. Then I went to WHS and found Elle—a senior dog with a slight limp, but you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful soul. She goes on walks and hikes with us, made herself right at home with us and our family, and is still working on trying to win over our two cats. We couldn’t be more happy with her. She has, in just a few short days with us, filled that hole with all the love that she can. Thank you so much WHS.”

 

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