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It’s been an exciting week for dog adoptions at WHS! There were SIX wonderful adoptions, some of whom needed especially understanding and patient families.

Pixie

This little sweetheart arrived at the shelter with several other Chihuahuas, coming from a difficult situation. She was extremely timid at first, but once you spent a little time with her, she would start to warm up.

And now she will learn that the world is not such a scary place and that her new family loves her.

Zero

I wrote about Zero last week and talked about how stressed he was at the shelter. But not anymore! This very active boy has a family to call his own.

Koosah

Koosah has been waiting since July 8th for her new family. On Sunday, this wonderful young couple spent a lot of time with her and she was smitten with them. I was so glad that I was there. Here is the story in pictures. I already got an update that Koosah’s settling-in is going great!

Cinderella

Cinderella is an adorable six-year-old, nine-pound Chihuahua mix who very closely bonded with her owner her whole life. Sadly, because of her person’s health, Cinderella had to be surrendered. Shelter life was not easy for this confused and frightened little girl. The Behavior and Training staff moved her to their office where it was quiet and she could feel safe in her crate. Her fearful trembling gradually subsided, and she started to realize she could trust her new friends. A couple of Sundays ago, WHS Trainer Nichole brought her out to meet us. We had a wonderful time getting acquainted with her. On Monday Cinderella went to her new home, a little nervous, but it won’t be long until she is tightly bonded with her new person.

Wiggles

I just met Wiggles on Sunday and we all knew she would be gone soon. She was adopted by a WHS volunteer. Here she was with Marianne on Sunday.

Baguette

Little Baguette was adopted on Tuesday. This sweetheart is fifteen years old. She has some health issues and was a hospice adoption. As always, we are touched when a person adopts a hospice dog, not knowing how long they will have it and knowing they will have their heart broken. Here she was with Megan a couple of weeks ago. We all fell in love with her.

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, August 4, 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/ .

I need a little time to get to know you, but give me a chance and we’ll be pals.

Goliath is a four-year-old Siberian Husky/Pomeranian mix and, weighing 37 pounds, he’s a perfect medium-sized friend. He has lived happily in the same home since he was a puppy. However, with the recent addition of a child into the family, it became clear that Goliath is not comfortable around children and will need to go to an adult-only home.

We don’t know a great deal about Goliath’s previous life, but since he’s been at the shelter we have learned a few things about his likes and dislikes. First of all, he LOVES cheese. He becomes very animated when offered a cheese bit but takes it gently. He will sit when asked. Last Sunday we took him out for some Blanket Time. At first he was a bit anxious, as it was a new situation, we were new people, and my camera made the strangest noise.

But we gave him space and time and once I got the cheese out, he started to relax.

And then this happened—we call it “the flop.”

Goliath is nervous in new situations and needs time to get to know people. He will need a patient and understanding person who will give him slow introductions and time to adjust to new situations, places, and people. Goliath is not a “velcro” kind of dog. While he enjoys the company of people he knows, and can be quite snuggly, he is also independent. His family will need to recognize his body language when he needs space. We do not know how Goliath is with other dogs or cats. He will need to meet any dog he would be living with.

Goliath is uneasy at the shelter and is hoping that his new family will come soon. He will be a wonderful best friend for someone with patience who will let Goliath settle into his new life in his own time.

If Goliath sounds like your next family member, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on his picture and then on the link Adopt Me found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.

I have opinions. I need a new home. I’m not fond of being at the shelter, but everyone here is nice. I need a person who loves the outdoors and we can have adventures together. Is that you?

Meet Buddy, a five-year-old Labrador Retriever mix who is looking for an active family, a yard to romp in, and adventures with his peeps. He is such a typical-looking Lab. What a great face.

Buddy was found as a stray, so we know very little about him. But we have noticed that yes, Buddy has opinions. One is that he does not care to go back to his kennel. He makes this very clear by simply sitting down outside the door. Since he weighs in at 68 pounds, it can be a bit of a challenge to convince him to go in, even with treats. We are hoping that Buddy will find his new peeps very soon so that he can leave the kennel behind.

We had a great time with Buddy on Sunday. He LOVES to play fetch, especially with plush stuff toys. He knows basic cues, like “sit.”

He decided he wanted to take the stuffed unicorn back to his kennel, if he HAD to go back to his kennel.

Buddy is an eager, happy, active dog who needs an equally active family with a fenced yard. He would love to go hiking, running, camping—you name it—and Buddy will be ready. He doesn’t like to talk about it, but he also could lose a little weight. Playing fetch in the yard along with other outdoor fun will trim him down nicely.

After the spirited game of fetch, he posed for his photoshoot. Remember what I said about his having opinions?

If you have the yard and energy to give Buddy the home that he needs, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on his picture and then on the link Adopt Me found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.

We come as a set. Two Chihuahuas to brighten your life!

Queenie and Cocoa were part of the group of Chihuahuas who came to WHS together. Queenie is two and Cocoa is three years old. When they arrived at the shelter, they were extremely fearful and huddled together at the far end of their kennel. Over time, they have become a bit braver, though new people, unfamiliar places, sudden movements, and loud noises frighten them. Cocoa has become the braver of the two, and Queenie follows her lead.

These two BFFs must go home together. They need each other for moral support. Cocoa will approach people more quickly than Queenie, but she will follow Cocoa’s lead and allow herself to be picked up by a trusted person like WHS Trainer Nichole.

Queenie and Cocoa have had very little socialization outside of their family. They have no experience with children or cats. And while they get along with other small dogs, they are fearful of bigger dogs. In short, this bonded pair will need a lot of time to adjust to a new home and family and will need very slow introductions to everything new. But oh, what fun they will be once they finally feel safe and loved.

We took them into Mary’s Place to see how they would do. While fearful at first, Cocoa gradually started looking for treats and Queenie followed.

Do you have the time, patience, and love to give these BFFs the safe home they need? Fearful dogs may try to escape and run if given the opportunity, and so a secure home is essential for them. If you have that home, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on his picture and then on the link Adopt Me found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.

I am often emailed, “Do you have any puppies?” Well, this week, we do. Puppies are not for the faint of heart. And these two GIANT puppies are no exception. On Sunday we took them into a visitation room to get some pictures. I took a LOT of pictures. And after I got home, I deleted a LOT of extremely blurry ones. But in case you are up to the challenge of a puppy, here they are in all their cuteness. And the GREAT news is that with both Potato and Polo’s adoptions, WHS offers the excellent Best Beginnings puppy class right at the shelter, complimentary with your adoption! 

Potato

Potato is a five-month-old Australian Cattle dog mix. He is a bundle of energy with lots of sharp puppy teeth. And at 33 pounds, he is a HUGE puppy! The good news is that he knows the cue for “sit.” Megan and Linda helped me as I attempted to capture his enthusiasm.

Since Potato is too young to walk the halls back to his kennel, Megan had to carry him. To say it was a challenge is an understatement!

Are you up for the challenge of raising a puppy? If so, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Potato’s picture and then on the link Adopt Me found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.

Polo

Polo is a three-month-old Rottweiler/American Pit Bull Terrier mix. At 36 pounds, he also is a HUGE puppy. While he wants to please, he is just too excited to sit still.

Are you up for the challenge of raising a puppy? If so, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Polo’s picture and then on the link Adopt Me found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.

Mahi/Girlie

If you are a long-term reader of my blog, you know Mahi/Girlie well. I wrote about her in many posts in 2017, hoping her perfect family would find this very special girl. She had been waiting since that January. She’d been adopted three times, but returned each time, none of the homes being the right one.

Here she was while she was waiting for her perfect fit of a home. Marianne was/is one of her biggest fans.

Then on July 3, 2017 Girlie was adopted for the last time. WHS friend, supporter, and former volunteer dog-walker, Beth, and her husband, Brian, along with their dog, Jackpot, adopted our girl! Since Girlie came to us as a transfer from Hawaii, she got a new Hawaiian name, Mahi. Soon after the adoption, Beth reported that Jackpot and Mahi were head-over-heels in love. A group of Mahi’s WHS fans decided we just had to visit her. (Photo: Marianne, Beth, Marla, Kate, with Jackpot and Mahi.)

This is my favorite picture of Jackpot and Mahi.

Over the years, Beth sent us pictures of the best friends both on adventures and hanging out at home.

We were very sad to learn last April 23rd that Beth, Brian, and Mahi had to let Jackpot go. Mahi took his loss very hard. As time goes on she is doing better, and last week I went over to the house to take some pictures of Mahi for an upcoming WHS publication. It was so good to see Mahi, though she is looking a little older and is a bit slower. I asked Beth to write an update and this is what she wrote:

“It’s been four years since we brought home this sweet little old lady baby. Mahi spends her days stacking pillows for a cushy perch to watch what’s happening in the house. She loves going for her neighborhood walks where she gets to see all of her friends. Her most favorite thing is going anywhere her family is going. We still fight over whose lap she gets to share. She is such a joy and we feel so fortunate to have found her!“

And here are a few of the pictures I took that day. She was as cooperative as ever. What a sweet girl she is.

Finally, she had had enough.

Mahi will always be one of my favorite shelter dogs.

On that happy note, that’s it for this week!

Thanks to WHS Trainer Nichole, and volunteers Megan, Marianne, and Linda 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