Tags
adoptable dogs, adoption dogs, deserving dogs, dogs, fellow dog lovers, humane society, shelter dogs, WHS
Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,
OOPS! As I was working on this post last night, I accidentally clicked on the Publish button. I quickly “unpublished” it, but not before my subscribers got the email that there was a new post! I’m sorry for the confusion. Am now publishing it again—correctly!
Happy National Dog Day! (Yes, it really is!)
“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.” ~Dean Koontz
Today is a very special one for a very special dog, Molly.
One year ago this afternoon, an eight-year-old senior with some medical issues who had never had the stability of a permanent family, found the jackpot of a forever home.
Last week I published an update about her, but since today is her special day, I asked her family to write a little about what she has meant to them.
“In the last year Molly has completed our little family. After we first saw Molly at the WHS shelter, I kept thinking about her and finally inquired about her. The description written by one of WHS’s volunteers made her sound like a perfect match for us, and she was!!! We scheduled a time to meet her and picked her up the next day. The folks at WHS were so helpful with the adoption process.
Molly immediately got comfy in our home, staking out her favorite spots on the couch, the bedroom, and the kitchen. She became a hard-working office dog and is loved by all her “coworkers!” Both human and doggie coworkers 🙂
Over the last year she has joined us on hikes, winery visits, and trips to the beach. She loves car rides, making new friends at the dog park, and tags along to dog-friendly restaurants and bars, too. During the recent heatwave, we’ve learned that ice cubes are her new favorite treat. She has been such a wonderful companion, and we are so lucky to have her! That’s my Gotcha Day story :)”
“Making friends at the dog park.”
“Always finding that sunny spot :)”
“Loving her car rides!”
”One toy is not enough!”
Molly will always be one of my all-time favorite shelter dogs and her adoption will always be one of my favorite shelter-dog happy endings.
There was one very special adoption last week—Izzy! She has been waiting since July 27 for her perfect family fit. Last week she finally found it and we are thrilled! Adoptions Specialist Sasha wrote, “They are tennis ball throwing pros. Izzy was instantly connected to them!”
Wanna play tug?? How about snuggling on the couch?? I excel at BOTH!
Romeo is quite the character. He can be energetic and excited playing tug or just enjoy hanging out with his peeps while he chews on his tire toy. He loves to frolic in water but also craves cuddling on the couch with his family.
Romeo is a ten-month-old, 85-pound American Staffordshire Terrier mix youngster. He was surrendered when his family realized small children made him nervous.
When Romeo arrived at WHS on August 13th, he was very uneasy and tense. With his tail tucked and showing some handling sensitivity, it was decided to give him some settle time before processing him. Later, when staff tried again, they reported that “he was loose, wiggly, and his tail was wagging. He solicited attention, and was socially- and treat-motivated.”
Now that Romeo has become more relaxed at the shelter, he’s ready to start looking for his forever home. He will need a home with older teens (15 and up) or just adults. He has shown some resource guarding of his toys, so his family will need to give him the space he needs. He also should not live with cats, as he has shown some prey drive. He seems to be dog selective, so will need to meet any dog he will be living with and he is not a dog who should go to dog parks.
Did I mention that this boy LOVES water hoses? Watch!
While Romeo is a bit shy at first meeting, he quickly warms up especially if there is cheese around. He is working with the training staff on improving basic manners like politely walking on leash. WHS Trainer Jessi says this about him, “Once he likes a person he is ALL OVER THEM—literally, so impulse control activities are going to be key with him as well as exercise. Mentally stimulating games are always good for young high-energy dogs like Romeo.”
Romeo’s former people said that he was very loving with his family, liking to snuggle on the couch with them. He knows a few basic commands. He does well in the car, though is a little nervous when he first gets in.
When Romeo was left alone in his house, he was fine, staying in the living room on a blanket or the couch and waiting for the family to come home. They often put “fish on a TV screen for him to watch” while they were gone.
Romeo is house-trained and would “stand by the sliding door or bang his body against the door” if he needed to get their attention.
This young dog will make a terrific new member for the right family. We’re hoping he won’t have to wait very long. If you think you might be Romeo’s new best friend, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on the link “Ask About Romeo” under his picture on the WHS adoptable dog page found here: https://whs4pets.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs-2/
I may still be a youngster, but I have big plans on growing up to be a terrific family dog!
Chunk has had some challenges in his young life. At ten months old, he already has lived in two different homes and is hoping to find a family that will give him the security of a forever one. Chunk is a spunky twelve-pound Chihuahua/Dachshund mix. His last family decided to surrender him because they didn’t have enough time to train him. They reported that he is very playful, loves to run, hopping like a rabbit in his excitement. He is a lap dog and likes to be picked up and held by people he feels comfortable with.
Chunk is fearful of new situations and strangers, especially men. He barks when nervous, but will stop once he feels safe. He will need a family with patience and understanding to help him with house-training as well as behavior when left alone. His last person did not leave him home alone, as he would whine, bark, and “tear up stuff.” As he is still a puppy, he just hasn’t yet learn basic house manners. He does, however, sleep well at night in a crate.
When Chunk arrived at WHS, he was very uneasy. He was treat-motivated in his kennel, but not once outside, being too afraid. He was somewhat handling-sensitive and especially didn’t like a hand reaching over his head.
However, the staff is working with him using confidence-building games and he is beginning to relax, adding some prancing to his steps while out walking in the big world!
Chunk has lived with children, but because of his timidity, he is rated for kids about ten and older. While he has never lived with other dogs, he did get along with another visiting Chihuahua. Chunk has lived with a cat, but he liked to chase it, so he’d do best in a feline-free home.
Because Chunk has some challenges, his adoption includes a free thirty-minute private lesson to make sure Chunk and his new family are set up for success.
So what kind of home does Chunk need? This shy youngster is looking for a family with the time and patience to teach him proper house manners using rewards-based training and confidence-building activities. When he feels safe, Chunk becomes very treat-motivated which will be the key for him to learn the skills he needs.
If you have a soft heart and time for a small dog who is looking for a special person to help him grow into the dog he wants to be, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on the link “Ask About Chunk” under his picture on the WHS adoptable dog page found here: https://whs4pets.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs-2/
I’m still waiting…will you be coming soon?
Riley has been at WHS since July 13th. I’ve featured him before, but here are some new pictures from Sunday along with a link to my original post about him. We all love this silly senior pool boy!
To read more about Riley, click on this link and then scroll down to his story.
We’re still here, too. We promise to be the best pair of dogs you’ll ever have!
Brothers can be best friends. Jack and Snoop, seven-year-old sibling Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mixes, have been together all their lives. They are extremely bonded and will need to be adopted together. That’s Jack on the left and Snoop on the right.
You can read all about these wonderful seniors by clicking on the link below.
Roxie/Molly
Roxie arrived at WHS as a spunky six-month-old puppy. This is what I wrote about her in my April 22 post.
“What is Roxie’s ideal home? She will need a family with adults or teens fifteen and older who will have the time, energy, and patience to guide her to become the wonderful best friend she can be. With play, positive training and love, Roxie will blossom. She can’t wait to meet her forever people.”
Happily Roxie was quickly adopted, her name became Molly, and we recently got the following wonderful update.
“Molly is doing wonderfully. She knows all of her commands and has learned so many new ones. She was very shy when we first brought her home, but she has really started to come out of her shell. She has done so well at the dog park, and has a best friend named Ommie. At the dog park, she’s content to snuggle with another person or roll in the grass. She’s not very interested in fetching her ball at the park, so she’ll wait until another puppy arrives and they’ll play.
She’s very gentle, and very laid back now that we’ve had her for some months. She is such a slow walker! She wants to stop and smell everything. She’s memorized where all the berry spots are around the neighborhood and looks forward to walks twice a day.
Molly has recently started swimming. An older, more experienced dog at the river taught her how to fetch a ball from the water, and now she’ll chase her ball at the river all day long.
I think she’ll be in puppy stages for a little while longer now. She still sleeps most of the day, and still has some of her puppy tendencies like trying to grab her collar or tail. Overall, Molly is a very sweet, smart, gentle, mellow dog. She’s content to sleep in her crate, the couch, or jump on the bed when we leave to run an errand. I think this adoption, and having a mellow house all to herself, was exactly what she needed.
I want to thank everyone at WHS for training and loving her! Without your help and love, she wouldn’t have had such a smooth transition.”
In Memory…
In my May 28, 2014 post, I wrote this:
“Adrian is a seven-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix and is about as sweet a girl as they come. In play group she romps on the mellow side with the small dogs. She walks great on leash, loves my hot dog bits and is eager to please. She’s been waiting for her new family since April 24. It will be a very lucky family that finally recognizes what a gem this little girl is! Here she is with volunteer Wendi.”
In my June 4, 2014 post I wrote this:
“There is an especially sweet story about Adrian’s adoption. A few months ago, BJ, our volunteer manager, asked me to be a mentor for a high-school senior girl who was working on a project about the misinformation concerning Pit Bull Terriers. I met with Jasmine several times and we talked about Pit Bulls, played with Pit Bulls, and took pictures of her with Pit Bull shelter dogs. And she fell in love with Adrian, adopted her, and named her Adrianna.”
And that brings us to this week. Jasmine had to let Adrianna go. I asked if she would write a little about Adrianna’s life for my blog and yesterday received this beautiful tribute to a very special dog.
“A final, loving goodbye…
Adrianna took her last breath on the morning of August 24th, 2020 surrounded by loved ones. She passed away peacefully at home. A vet came out to us so she could stay comfortable. Letting her go was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through. But, she is no longer in pain and I’m thankful she got to go in peace. She was diagnosed with Lymphoma in March and fought long and hard until it was her time.
I adopted Adrianna 6 years ago from Willamette Humane Society when I was a senior in high school. I volunteered on the weekends for my senior project and would give Adrianna lots of walks and spent a lot of time with her in her kennel. I instantly had a connection with her and we bonded really well. I wanted to give her a forever home. She spent the rest of her life going on lots of adventures with me.
She really enjoyed beach trips and lying in the sun. She also enjoyed spending time with other animals and my family. She loved cuddling up to me, lying on my lap and, of course, endless belly rubs. She was my best friend and always went everywhere with me. She slept on my bed with me every night. She comforted me when I was upset and always knew how to cheer me up with lots of kisses. She was the sweetest dog I’ve ever met. I’m so thankful she came into my life and I will forever cherish the memories I shared with her. I’m happy to have rescued her and given her the best years of her life. Life won’t be the same without you sweet girl.
I love you forever and always. Fly high.”
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
