Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

It has been an incredibly busy week at Willamette Humane Society. There were SIXTEEN dog adoptions! Nine of them were from a litter of pups who arrived at WHS in November, a month old and all sick with ringworm. One of our amazing fosters agreed to take on the entire clan and did a spectacular job of nursing them to health—which was no walk in the park! After four months, they were in tip-top shape and ready to be adopted. They were only on the WHS website a day when the shelter received a flood of applications. All have now gone home except one who will be leaving very soon.

 

 

The nine already happily settling in with their new families are Trixie, Trent, Tamera, Trigger, Thomas, Toby, Tammy, Tatiana and Tim. Here they were just before they left their foster home. I have no idea who is who, but they sure are adorable!

 

 

 

 

A group of Chihuahua mixes were also surrendered to WHS recently and they, too, were quickly adopted. I have one happy going-home picture; here is Cannoli with her new peeps. Also adopted were Pie, Cake, and Ice Cream.

 

Cannoli

 

 

 

Bonnie

Our sweet Bonnie was adopted, too! She was a favorite of many at the shelter.

 

 

 

 

Bailey

We were so happy when this sweet girl who had won the hearts of so many at the shelter went to her new home. Lucky family!

 

 

 

 

Bentley

Bentley is an adorable Doxie mix. We are glad he didn’t have to stay in the shelter for long because he was quite stressed. He was adopted yesterday and is now settling with his new family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m waiting for an active family who like to play fetch and hide-and-seek games!

Leo is an energetic two-year-old Australian Shepherd mix with a beautiful smile and engaging personality. He was much loved by his family and they had many good things to tell us about him. He was surrendered because he was uncomfortable around the young child in the home.

Leo loves attention from adults and is relaxed and wiggly once he knows them. He will bark when first meeting strangers, but quickly warms up and seeks pets. His favorite treats are frozen Kongs, chicken broth, and “anything with peanut butter.” 

 

 

Playing fetch and “hide-and-seek” with his peeps were Leo’s favorite outdoor activities in his yard. His favorite toys are squeaky ones and balls. He loved going for walks and then snuggling with his people. While his family reports that he is “annoyed with baths,” he behaves himself during them. He greatly enjoys rewards-based training sessions and is a quick learner. He already knows the cues for sit, down, quiet, come, heel, and stay.

 

 

Leo has lived happily with another dog and they spent many hours wrestling and chasing each other. He is sometimes fearful of large dogs. He will need to meet any potential dog roommates before going home with them. Leo has also lived with a cat and was playful, but was good about giving the cat space, accepting that the feline was the boss. If Leo’s new family has a cat, we recommend gradual introductions behind barriers.

Leo is house-trained and goes to the door to alert that he needs to go out. He can be uneasy in new environments and we recommend gradual introductions with new people, places, and situations. He has done fine when left alone in the house. 

Being very nervous around small children, Leo tries to avoid contact, and his family made sure he had a safe place to retreat to when kids were visiting. Because of his uneasiness, he should not go to a home with young children.

Leo is a sensitive boy and being at the shelter is stressful for him. He was fearful of staff at first, but has settled in and walks very well on leash. WHS Trainer Jessi wrote this about Leo after today’s play group, “Leo is adjusting fairly well. He is still a little nervous, but much more comfortable with people and dogs than he was even a few days ago when I met him. He seems to be have a push/pull running type play style.”

Here he was today.

 

 

 

When asked what words best describe Leo, his former family said, “High energy, happy, smart, obedient and snuggly.”

 

 

If you are looking for an active and eager new best friend and have the patience to give him the time and support he needs in new settings, Leo may be the dog for you. Fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Leo’s picture and then on the link Apply to Adopt found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/

 

 

I may need a little time to get to know you, but once I do, I’ll be your best friend!

Some dogs need a little extra time to feel secure in a new environment and with new people. Pepper is this kind of dog. If you are a person with patience and the desire to win the devotion of a new best friend, you need to meet Pepper.

Pepper is a three-year-old Australian Kelpie mix, and this is her second time at WHS. The first time, she was transferred to us from another shelter in 2018.

Here she was then. Volunteer Julie was touched by Pepper’s shy nature.

 

 

Pepper was adopted quickly. Although her family loved her, they had to surrender her recently, having many good things to tell us about her. When asked to describe Pepper in five words, they wrote, “Shy, happy, content, loving, and quirky.”

Pepper needs time to warm up to new people and places. She is waiting for a family who is understanding and willing to give her the time and space she needs to feel at home. Her former family reported, “Pepper took some time to connect with us and to adjust to the life and noises of our home. After a few weeks, she decided we were her people and we saw a whole new and happy, funny girl who loved pets and praises. With patience and encouragement, she has done so well.”

Although Pepper has lived with another dog and gotten along well, she is not fond of most other dogs. With her former housemate, she enjoyed wrestling and playing chase. They would also snuggle when sleeping with each other. But she has not been comfortable with most other dogs she has encountered. She will need to meet any potential dog roommates before going home with them to see if they would be compatible.

 

 

Pepper has also lived with a cat and done fine. She is playful, but also willing to give the cat the space it needs. Her former family said Pepper and the cat even snuggled together on the bed. If Pepper goes home with a feline, we recommend gradual introductions behind barriers.

At home, Pepper was “super friendly and fairly calm.” She is skittish about being grabbed or picked up and sudden movements or loud noises startle her. She loves to go for car rides. She is not, however, fond of baths and lets you know by loudly whining. She loves to be brushed. 

Morning and evening walks are among Pepper’s favorite activities along with relaxing and lying outside in the sun. She is house-trained and will alert by going to the door. She does fine when left alone in the house. She is not picky about her treats and as far at toys go, she particularly enjoys plush, squeaky ones. Pepper enjoys rewards-based training and knows the cues for sit, come, down, heel, and stay. 

Pepper is fearful of strangers and nervous around children. She will bark and avoids interaction with people she does not know. Because of her uneasiness, she should not go home with young children. We recommend gradual introductions with new people, places, and situations. 

 

 

Because the shelter is a new environment, Pepper is feeling very stressed. We are hoping the right family will find her soon. If you are a person with the patience and understanding that Pepper needs to gradually feel safe and at home, you will be rewarded with a devoted best friend. Fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Pepper’s picture and then on the link Apply to Adopt found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/

 

 

 

 

This week there are two terrific update stories.

Lagatha/Mischa

Beautiful Lagatha arrived at WHS in early February. Everyone thought she was stunning and she was such a sweetheart, too. She soon had staff and volunteer wrapped around her paw.

 

 

She was adopted February 18th. Here is a touching update BJ Andersen, our Executive Director, received from her new family.

“Since January 2020, we had been in search of a rescue dog. It had been over three years since we lost our aged yellow lab we raised from a pup. With CV19 and the increased desire for pet companionship, there was constant competition when dogs became available. A great situation for the dogs, but a little disheartening for us. We kept checking online. In December, we reached #3 but the dog was taken right away. We did reach #1 in mid February, but our meet and greet was cancelled due to the ice storm. Finally on the 18th at 4:00, we met Lagatha, a five-year-old Malamute/Great Pyrenees mix—100 pounds of total sweetness! We visited and fell in love!

She is smart, well-mannered and beautiful! We have changed her name to Mischa (meaning ‘little bear’) which we think suits her. She is on a weight-reduction food plan and we are giving her plenty of exercise walking the grass fields, neighborhood, and romping in the backyard. 

Our story proves again the adage that ‘all good things come to those who wait.’ We give our profound thanks to you, your staff, and volunteers that make a difference in our world every day.”

 

 

 

 

Maxamillion/Miko

If you are a regular reader of my blog posts, you will remember Maxamillion who had waited since December for his perfect person. He was such a good boy, a favorite of everyone at the shelter and each week we hoped that THIS week he would find his person.

 

 

Finally on February 28th, Maxamillion’s wish came true.

 

 

Our sweet boy could not have found a better home. This week I got this terrific update.

“Everything is going well. He is a funny guy. He loves to be vacuumed and is determined to get the squirrel that keeps taunting him. 

He is a good boy. We are working on car etiquette and are making progress. He loves his yard and various blankets around the house. I changed his name to Miko. It means ‘chief of peace.’ He likes it!”

What a wonderful yard for Miko to have all to himself! The wait was worth it!

 

 

On that very happy note, 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 and Wendi.

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