Monthly Archives: March 2021

This Week’s Featured Adoptable Dogs @ Willamette Humane Society by Martha Russell

31 Wednesday Mar 2021

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This week was my first Sunday back at the shelter in a year due to the pandemic. It was great to see both the dogs and my Photo Peeps. I took lots of pictures and the dogs enjoyed posing for my cheese bits.

But first, I am thrilled to report we had NINE dog adoptions during the last week!

Salina

This sweet people-loving dog has been an outdoor dog in the past, now she can be a real member of her family.

Lola

This beautiful girl was smitten with her new family. She looks like she knows she’s going to her forever home!

Webster

Webster was a hospice adoption. As always, we are so grateful that there are people who are willing to take a dog into their home and heart, not knowing how long it will be before their heart is broken. In the meantime, Webster will have a wonderful life filled with love.

Casper

Our sweet goofy boy, Casper, was also adopted this week. Casper was surrendered because he didn’t want to be a “working” dog guarding the sheep and goats. He just wants to hang out with his peeps and be a family dog. Today he found his new family and he won’t be expected to work!

Spotty

Spotty, Jr. Trainer Cash’s latest foster (his mother is WHS Trainer Jessi), went to her forever home. Here is Cash telling Spotty goodbye.

And here is Spotty and her new person who is absolutely taken with her. Spotty’s new name is Izabelle, and her nickname is Izzy.

Clover

I had been looking forward to meeting Clover and what a character she is! Look at that face! She’s young and eager to learn all about being a good family dog. Happy new start, Clover!

Harry

Harry is a one-year-old youngster full of energy and love. We’re so glad he has found his forever home!

Buddy

Our little Buddy was another hospice adoption. He is a senior at twelve years old, and a mass removed from his leg turned out to be an aggressive form of cancer. Buddy feels fine for now. He is affectionate and eager for attention. We think he is mostly deaf, but he still can hear his squeaky toys and loves them. Again, we are so thankful for adopters who adopt our hospice dogs, giving them the best life possible no matter how long they may have with them.

Myla

I met Myla on Sunday and was instantly taken with her. What a nice girl! So glad she is now at home with her new family!

Sunday playgroups are always a fun and exciting time for our shelter dogs. They romp and race around the yard, but they also take time out to interact with the supervising humans. Here are a few of pictures from this week that WHS Trainer Jessi took.

Do you love Hounds? Yes? You may be my new person!

Are you experienced with the joys and challenges of having a Hound family member? If so, you need to meet Cisco, a four-year-old Coonhound who was surrendered when his person died and the family could not keep him.

Cisco has become a favorite at the shelter. When he arrived, the Intake staff wrote, “Cisco was social-seeking during assessment, leaning into evaluators. During dog-to-dog evaluation, both dogs were loose, wiggly, and play bowing.” Cisco has become a playgroup star, loving to romp with other dogs, both big and little.

Cisco is not a couch-potato kind of boy. He is active and will need plenty of exercise. Are you a hiker? Runner? He would love to go anywhere with you. And after an active adventure, he’ll be happy to lean against you in the evening and watch TV.

Cisco’s family had many good things to say about him. He has lived with both small and large dogs happily. He has even lived with cats successfully! If he goes home to cats, we recommend gradual introductions behind barriers and he will need to meet any dogs he will be living with.

Got treats? Cisco is very treat-motivated and will try just about anything for a bit of cheese, though he is not fussy about what the treat happens to be. The behavior staff has spent a lot of time with this eager learner and he relishes reward-based training. He already knows cues for “Sit,” “Stay,” “Shake,” “Go to your room,” and “Speak softly.” And get this—he is bilingual—he knows the cues both in English AND Spanish!

Cisco does have a couple of areas that need some work. As a Hound, he has a strong urge to follow his nose—whether or not you are at the other end of his leash. Staff and volunteers have been working on loose-leash walking skills with Cisco and he is showing improvement, but still has a ways to go. He also is medical-handling sensitive. In other words, he is extremely fearful of anything at the vet’s office. He will need to be sedated for such visits.

Because of Cisco’s size and enthusiasm—he will jump on people in the joy of meeting them—he is recommended for older children. His former family wrote that he will dash out of an open door, which is another reason for having older kids in the home.

Volunteer Linda is one of Cisco’s fans. Here they were last Sunday.

Cisco is house-trained—he will howl when he needs to go out—and did fine when left alone in the house. He would spend his time sleeping, playing with the other family dogs, and munching on his food. In the spirit of full disclosure, he has been known to check out the garbage if available. He loves pig ears and rope toys. When asked what five words would best describe Cisco, his former family wrote, “wiggly, excitable, clumsy, happy, and friendly.”

If you are a hound-savvy person and are wishing you had a best friend who would be delighted to go on any adventure with you, come and meet Cisco. Fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Cisco’s picture and then on the link Apply to Adopt found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/

Everyone at the shelter thinks I’m a very good dog! I hope you will think so, too, and come and adopt me!

Chester is a six-year-old mix-breed boy with a great smile who was found as a stray. He must have had someone who loved him, because he has excellent manners. Here’s what the Intake staff wrote about him on his first day: “Very well mannered; knows ‘Sit, Down, and Shake.’ Takes treats gently. Very loose and wiggly, even when being handled. Took vaccines very well.”

I had been looking forward to meeting Chester on Sunday. Here he is with volunteer Marianne.

We decided to take him into Mary’s Place and see if he was affectionate. He was. He was also very goofy.

Because Chester was found as a stray, we don’t know much about him. We do know he LOVES people. Here’s what one of the clinic staff members said about meeting him when he got neutered, “Chester is a happy guy, ready for affection. He was great in the clinic with all handling before and after surgery. He greets all people, holds his body close to you, enjoys head and rump petting. He loves to take treats while he is in his kennel.”

Chester does need some more practice in loose-leash walking, but is doing better every day. He has been in playgroup and he is dog-selective, meaning he likes some dogs and not others. He will need to meet any dogs he would be going home with. We don’t know about cats, but if he was going to live with a cat, we recommend gradual introductions behind barriers.

Here is Chester demonstrating “sit pretty” for WHS Trainer Nichole.

He also had a serious question for staff member Emily.

Chester has lots of energy and is looking for an active family. He will be such a good family buddy.

If you think Chester is your perfect family fit, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Chester’s picture and then on the link Apply to Adopt found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/

I may not be a youngster, and I may have some senior issues, but I’ll still be the best little buddy for the right person.

Meet Peter, a fifteen-year-old Maltese mix weighing in at seven pounds. Peter is looking for just the right retirement home. Because of his age and some medical conditions, he is a hospice adoption. We are sure there is the perfect person out there for this sweet senior.

Peter does not act like he’s fifteen. He still has lots of spirit and energy. He needs a quiet, calm retirement home, however, where he can relax. Peter’s former family reports that he knows several cues including “Sit, Stay, Lie Down, and Come.” He is crate-trained and slept in it at night and sometimes went into it on his own during the day to rest.

Peter has some senior medical conditions including dry eye, meaning his new family will need to be n about giving him eye drops for the rest of his life. He also seems to be deaf. In his last home he would “spin” when he needed to go out, but sometimes he just doesn’t quite make it outside, even though he tries really hard. Peter’s favorite toys are soft balls and he loves chewy treats. He is afraid of sudden noises. He rides in the car well.

Regarding shelter playgroups, staff writes, “Peter wanders in the yard with other dogs. He allows greets. He approaches handlers and allows petting and being picked up without any issues.”

Marianne is a huge fan of this little guy and had a great time with him in playgroup this morning. She writes, “Peter may be 15 but he has lots of energy and spunk. He loves treats and he’s very affectionate. He’s a perfect little dog who will make a wonderful companion. If I had room for another dog, I would bring him home in a heartbeat. He walks really well on leash and he gets along with everyone in the play yard, big and small. He’s very confident but not in a pushy way. He has a very endearing thing that he does. When in his kennel, he throws his head back and howls like he’s a wolf. It may be one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.”

If you have a special place in your heart for a senior hospice dog with a few health problems, but who still has happy days ahead and a lot of love to give, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Peter’s picture and then on the link Apply to Adopt found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/

We’re hoping that all three of these available dogs will find their perfect forever homes in the next week.

That’s it for this week.

As always, I want to thank my “photo team” who made this blog post possible: Staff members Jessi, Nichole, Sasha, and volunteers Marianne, Megan, and Linda.

Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, fill out the Adoption form at whs4pets.org, and wait to be contacted by the staff.

You can reach me at adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com

This Week’s Featured Adoptable Dogs @ Willamette Humane Society by Martha Russell

24 Wednesday Mar 2021

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Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

Spring has arrived in the Willamette Valley and with it, more puppy adoptions.

Here’s a picture of Fern, one of the litter of ten puppies I’ve written about in previous posts. This sweetheart was adopted by Ezair, one of the staff members at WHS. Fern comes to work with Ezair at the shelter and I got this picture last week. As you can see, Fern takes her job very seriously.

Also adopted were seven other puppies. They were adopted so quickly, I didn’t get any pictures, but their names were Praline, Pecan, Whiskey, Almond, Peanut, Cashew, and Acorn.

Leena

I’m thrilled to report that Leena, our 11-year-old sweetheart, whom I featured last week was adopted on Saturday! She went to a wonderful home with two other little dog siblings! So happy for her! She’ll have a wonderful rest of her life!

News Flash! We just got a message from her family that Leena is settling in very well, loving her dog siblings, and jumping up on her peeps’ laps!

I was pretty scared at the shelter, but now I’m doing just great at Cash’s house!

Spotty is a two-year-old Jack Russell Terrier mix who was surrendered when her family moved and couldn’t take her with them. Spotty had not had a lot of socialization outside of her home and was terrified in the shelter when she arrived. She trembled, body tense, and wouldn’t let anyone touch her.


Spotty was with the same family her whole two years, and has been an outdoor-only dog. She is really looking forward to being inside with her family. She has lived happily with other canines, but will need to meet any that she will be living with. She never tried to escape her yard. She slept in a crate and did fine. She was wiggly and playful, and at times hyper with her family. She has lived with children and loved them, but was shy around new people and would bark at strangers. Since Spotty spent most of her time in her yard, she is fearful of car rides and new environments. She is also easily startled by loud noises. Spotty’s family reports her favorite treats are meaty ones and cheese and her favorite toy was a rubber chicken. When asked to describe Spotty in three words, her family said, “playful, gentle, and shy.”

Soon after Spotty arrived at the shelter, WHS Trainer Jessi spent some time sitting with her in her kennel and Spotty began to warm up to her.

Jessi knew then that what Spotty needed most was to learn to be brave and who better to show her how than Jr. Trainer Cash (Jessi’s little boy). So last week Spotty left the shelter to be fostered by Jessi’s family. When she got in the car, Spotty seemed uncomfortable in a dog bed in the front, so Jessi used a crate and Spotty settled quietly for the ride. Once home, Spotty became a different dog! Jessi writes, “From the minute she got here she was comfortable and excited around the kids.”

Spotty has now been hanging out happily at Jessi’s for a week and we know so much more about her. “She sleeps in her crate overnight without making noise. She potties in the same place every time we take her out and hasn’t had an accident in the house. She gets along with our other dogs, mostly mingles with them but hasn’t really played. She walks well on leash with a harness. It takes her a little time, but she does warm up to strangers and has bonded with us quickly. She takes treats gently. Spotty gives very clear and direct signals when she needs space with other dogs and people. With people, she will give a low growl when uncomfortable and then when given space, she does not escalate. When a dog makes her uncomfortable, she will lift her lips and maybe growl or bark, but again, she never escalates when the other dog listens. Her ability to give feedback shows good communication skills. She LOVES children and would be wonderful with dog-savvy kids who will give her space when asked.”

On Monday afternoon, I went over to Cash’s house to meet Spotty and get some pictures. When I arrived, Spotty barked and kept her distance, but with patience and some hot dog bits and cheese, she slowly warmed up. Here are some pictures from our afternoon.


By the end of my visit, Spotty was warming up.

Cash has some things he wants a new family to know about Spotty.

“Spotty is my foster girl. She loves kids. She is shy and she is a good dog!”

Spotty is looking for a home with people who will be patient and understanding while she adjusts to a new family. If Spotty seems like the right dog for your family, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Spotty’s picture and then on the link Apply to Adopt found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/

We have THREE happy updates this week!

Jake

Jake arrived at WHS in March of 2019. He was a sweet senior at 14 and we worried who would adopt him. Here he was with volunteer Chauncey.

But on April 27, Jake found his perfect retirement home. Last week his family celebrated his 16th birthday with this update.

“We adopted this fella from the shelter almost two years ago at the age of 14. It was love at first sight! Today is his 16th birthday!!! Jake is a Bloodhound/Lab. I am in complete awe of this dog every single day. He is the most tenacious, independent dog I’ve ever met! He has a gentle, wise soul and quickly became the family guardian. He makes frequent rounds to patrol the house and yard and checks on his humans often. He’s incredibly quirky, weird, and very slobbery! He is stubborn and a bull in a china shop, but is always full of funny shenanigans. Jake, we love you very much! Happy Birthday, Big Handsome Boy!”

Maxamillion/Miko

Remember Maxamillion, the beautiful shepherd who waited so long for his perfect family fit? His person sent me this video. What a happy life he has, so worth his wait!

Clyde

Clyde was adopted (again) last week and the family sent WHS these happy at-home pictures. He has settled in well and is much loved.

A few weeks ago I got a comment in my blog from a regular reader. She wrote that in 2016 she had adopted a dog who had originally come from WHS. His name had been Buddy the Elf at the shelter. The name struck a chord in my memory and while I’ve met many dogs named Buddy, the Elf part was unique. I had no trouble finding the picture I had taken the first time I met him, a nine-year-old Lab mix with a sad face and a gentle, loving personality. I remember spending extra time with him that day. He had been an outdoor dog his entire life and he touched my heart.

Like all seniors who arrive at the shelter, I worried about him. However, it wasn’t long before he was adopted. I had high hopes that he would have happy retirement years inside with his people. But it turned out that Buddy was re-homed several times after he left WHS, and finally he was adopted by Tari. I wrote back to her and asked about their life together. And that’s where the rest of his story begins.

“Here are some thoughts on Buddy and his life with us (us being 3 dogs and 3 cats and their caretaker (me)). When I started putting into words how I feel about Buddy, I realized there are so many memories of him. He was just the happiest dog no matter what. Thank you so very much for highlighting Buddy. It truly means a lot to me.

August 8, 2016 was one of the best days of my life. Buddy came home with me to live out his days in peace. I first saw Buddy’s picture on Craig’s List. He was the saddest looking dog and needed someone to rescue him. I got to him as fast as I could to pick him up and bring him home.

What was striking was, in spite of what Buddy had been through, he was just a big luv bug. He clung to me like glue right away and let me know he wanted me for his person. When I got him home, he immediately got along with my other dogs (3 Irish Setters) and 3 kitties. We never had a bad moment, as everyone got along really well. It was as if he knew this was his forever home and these were his siblings. He was so appreciative of his new life and settled right in to the family routine.

Even as one of four dogs, Buddy never had to compete for love, attention or care. He truly enjoyed being part of a pack. He was overjoyed to play in his big backyard with his dog siblings, sleep on a cushy soft bed, eat unlimited dog treats (within reason of course) and take as many car rides as possible. He brought a tremendous amount of peace and joy to our lives. Everybody loved Buddy! He loved every dog, cat or person he met, and they loved him in return. I have no idea if small children were a part of his former life, but he sure knew how to be gentle and very careful around them. 

Eventually, as his hind end began to fail him, Buddy started acupuncture treatments. Those treatments proved to be a wonderful benefit for him, giving him pain relief and better mobility. Along with anti-inflammatory and pain medications, he did very well for over a year. As age and medical conditions began to catch up to him, he started slowing down and doing less. He still loved to take car rides though as it was one of his favorite pastimes. A sunny afternoon in the back yard was a favorite, as well. He would lie in the grass and sun himself just soaking up the serenity of a peaceful life. He began losing his hearing, so to communicate, we set up a series of hand signals he quickly learned. He was careful to watch me so he would not miss a signal.

February 28, 2020 was a very sad day for us as Buddy crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. He was 14. Rest in peace dear Buddy, knowing you were loved to the highest level possible on this earth and you are missed every day.”

What wonderful last years Buddy had. Thank you, Tari, for loving your special shelter dog.

That’s it for this week.

As always, I want to thank my “photo team” who made this blog post possible: Staff members Jessi, Nichole, Sasha, and volunteer Marianne.

Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, fill out the Adoption form at whs4pets.org, and wait to be contacted by the staff.

You can reach me at adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com