Tags
adoptable dogs, adoption dogs, deserving dogs, dogs, fellow dog lovers, humane society, pit bull terrier, shelter dogs, WHS, willamette humane society
The past week has seen record-breaking brutally hot temperatures in the Northwest. Thankfully, WHS is air-conditioned and dedicated volunteers and staff have gotten the dogs out for quick potty breaks. Even with the 100+ temperatures, I have three happy adoptions to report.
Nora
Looking at this beautiful Great Pyrenees mix, you might assume she would be typical of her breed and enjoy hanging out with livestock on a farm. Nope. Nora has no interest in livestock or farms. She simply wants to be a house dog. She likes lying on the couch with her people. So happy she found her perfect fit last week. She will be a loyal and affectionate family member and a great couch potato.
Duke
We were thrilled when Duke got adopted. This comedian kept us laughing with his antics, but needed a family to call his own.
On Sunday, braving the heat, his new family came to take him home.
WHS Trainer Nichole just got this update about Duke: “The past few days have been great. Duke is such a sweetheart. He loves sleeping on the bed and cuddling with us.”
We’re always so happy to hear such news!
Josie
Little Josie was adopted on Tuesday. This was her second time at WHS and we’re hoping this will be her forever home!
Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, June 30, 2021. But things change fast and our goal is always to find wonderful homes for our dogs as quickly as possible. To see if today’s dogs are still available and to see other available dogs, visit https://whs4pets.org/dogs/ .
People here at the shelter say I’m a delightful, goofy guy. I am! I’ve been here awhile and sure hope I find a forever home soon.
Tyson arrived at WHS on June 2nd. His happy, affectionate personality immediately made him a volunteer favorite.
Tyson is a four-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. In his four years, he has had more homes than he’d care to count, but he has remained an optimist and is really hoping that his forever family is out there and will soon find him.
Tyson was surrendered by his last family because he and the other resident dog were not getting along. His family loved him, though, and just believed he would do better as a single pet. He adored the family’s 13-year-old son, and spent a great deal of time with him when he was not curled up next to the mother in the family while she worked from home. She had many good things to say about Tyson, and described him as “lovable, cuddly, affectionate, talkative, and wiggly with a thumping tail.”
At almost 80 pounds and full of enthusiasm for everything, Tyson will need a home with older, big-dog-savvy children who can give him lots of exercise, as he is quite the romper. He loves to race around a yard, chasing any toy thrown and will *sometimes* bring it back. He especially enjoys soccer balls, though he has been known to “pop” them in his exuberance. Megan and I decided to see if he’d like to play with a GFB (Giant Fluff Ball) out in one of the play yards a couple of weeks ago. He did. And he had a lot to say about it.
Tyson’s former family reports that he loves to go for car rides, and is “perfectly calm” during them. He is house-trained; when he needs to go out, he becomes “talkative” and when you say, “Outside?” he will start to dance. He is also crate-trained and is calm when in his crate, though when he’s let out, he is “very talkative and wiggly.” He is fine when left alone in the house, never destroying anything, just sleeps. He is fine with nail trims and “indifferent” about baths.
When company came to the house, Tyson was sure they were coming to visit him, and was thrilled. He can be jumpy and a bit mouthy when excited, behavior he is working to improve at the shelter through rewards-based training. Since he is extremely treat-motivated, he loves his training sessions. He know cues for “sit,” “down,” and “shake.”
We love spending time with this big, enthusiastic boy who is always upbeat and ready to play, and then relax with his friends.
Tyson has been passed around a lot in his young life and really wants to settle down for good. If you have no other pets and want a goofy, loyal and joyful dog to add to your family, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Tyson’s picture and then on the link Apply to Adopt found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/. He’ll be waiting patiently for you, but he hopes you will come soon.
Are you retired? So am I. Do you live a quiet lifestyle? Do you need a small companion who will love just being with you? I’m Petey!
There are many good reasons for adopting a senior dog. They are long past the the crazy puppy chewing/destructive stage, are already house-trained (have been for years) and their personalities are set — no surprises. They don’t need a ton of exercise and their favorite place to be is at your side or in your lap. Meet Petey.
Petey is a nine-year-old Terrier mix, weighing 18 pounds. His family surrendered him because he and the resident Border Collie were not getting along. He and the other small dog in the home did fine together.
I first met Petey soon after he arrived on June 15th. He was a little overwhelmed being at the shelter, but it didn’t take long before he was warming up to Megan, Marianne, and me.
Petey’s family loved him and had many good things to say about him. He is a very easy dog to have around, enjoying spending time with the family playing and sleeping. He has never lived with children or cats. He enjoys riding in a car and is good on a leash. He is house- and crate-trained, mostly sleeping when in his crate. He’s not a fan of having his nails trimmed, but accepts it. In his former home, he used a dog door to go out when he needed to. He loves playing with squeaky toys. When asked to describe his personality, his family said he is “sweet, funny, and curious.” He will bark at strangers at first. We decided to try some blanket time with Petey. While he preferred lying in the grass, he enjoyed hanging out with us.
When it was time to go back to his kennel, he decided he’d like to be carried. We stopped for a little more time in Mary’s Place which he loved.
Marianne spent some quality time with Petey on Tuesday and wrote, “I really love Petey. He was the first dog I took out today. He’s still a little bit shy but what a love bug, so affectionate. Such a nice boy.”
If you are retired, have a quiet lifestyle and are looking for someone who will be a devoted companion, look no further than Petey. He can’t wait to go home with you. To meet Petey, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Petey’s picture and then on the link Apply to Adopt found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.
I haven’t had the easiest of lives so far, but I will be your best dog EVER if you decide you can give me my forever home!
Marianne and I were instantly smitten when we met Winnnie, a seven-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix. Winnie was surrendered after her person died and no one in the family could adopt her. Their mother had taken Winnie in because she felt sorry for her when she saw her at the Polk County Fairgrounds.
The first thing you need to know about Winnie is that she is deaf. The second thing you need to know about Winnie is that she is a happy, loving girl who makes instant friends, as she did with us.
Winnie may be seven, but she is an active gal who loves to run and play. We took her out to a yard to see if she’d like to play fetch and she did—well, sort of. She loved to chase after a ball, but returning it, not so much. She’d run back to us without the ball.
Winnie is described by the family as “playful, outgoing, and loving.” She is house- and crate-trained and does fine in a car in a crate. While she loves to go for walks and play outside, she is not a high-energy dog, and happily relaxes with her friends, as we found out when we took her to Mary’s Place.
Winnie is not a farm dog, she does not care for sheep, goats, or cows. She is selective in her dog friends, and will need to meet any dog she will be living with. She has lived successfully with cats. She loves all humans and can’t wait to settle into her forever home.
Winnie is looking for a patient family who understands the challenges a deaf dog faces. If you think Winnie would be a match for you, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Winnie’s picture and then on the link Apply to Adopt found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.
Pip
I first wrote about Pip in February of 2015: “Pip is a two-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix who is looking for a home without children, since he is sensitive to being over-handled. He loves playgroup and has gotten along great with other shelter dogs. He is very treat-motivated, loved my hot dog bits and knows some commands. Pip is smart, enjoys his time with volunteers and wants to please. He is a good boy.”
I wrote about Pip many times, but he didn’t get adopted. In my March 11, 2015 post, I wrote: “Pip has become a favorite of many of us at the shelter. He LOVES romping with his friends in playgroups as well as hanging out with people. He is a very active, eager boy as well as a cuddler who loves to have his belly scratched. He’ll do very well in an active family.”
Pip had quite a sense of humor and kept us laughing. We all loved Pip.
Still, he didn’t get adopted. Finally, by the end of April, we started worrying that he was getting stressed after his almost three months at the shelter, so he went to a foster home. And that’s when Pip’s life changed forever. Here is the rest of his story written by his foster who had no idea that he would soon become Pip’s forever person.
“When Pip came to me and my family, he was our foster. At the time I was a ‘Pit Bull is vicious and shouldn’t be trusted’ believer. He changed that in me quickly and I became an advocate for all Pitties.
But at first, I told everyone that Pip was going to stay by me so I could make sure that everyone would be safe. Two weeks later, my wife called and informed me that a family was interested in Pip and that WHS had asked if I could take him for an introduction at the shelter. I thought I was happy to be rehoming him. But—I didn’t make it to the end of the street before I had the most severe anxiety attack I had ever had (I had been diagnosed with anxiety, PTSD and depression) because I was possibly losing him. I turned around and called my wife and said he wasn’t going anywhere. Her response was, ‘Happy Father’s Day!”
Pip passed away last week from complications of Cushings.
Pip was the best dog ever and no amount of words of expression could ever truly define how much he meant to me and my family. He helped me in ways that are hard to explain.
He will be greatly missed.
Here are a few pictures. Pip helped me study.
Cuddle time
When my wife and I got married, we had a comic con-themed wedding and Pip was Krypto, the Superdog.“
Pip was a good dog who, just by being himself, changed a doubter into a strong advocate for Pit Bull Terriers. For that we are very grateful. Pip will always be one of my favorite shelter dogs.
That’s it for this week.
Thanks to Adoption Specialist Sasha, and volunteers Megan and Marianne for their help with this post.
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. And please remember that sometimes dogs are adopted quickly, so might have already found a great home by the time you ask about them.
You can reach me at adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com
