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Usually in the fall we have fewer adoptions with school in full swing and people starting to think about the upcoming holidays. But that didn’t hold true last week. The Adoption Specialists were very busy with SIX dog adoptions! Some of the adoptees had been waiting for a long time to go home.

Maxwell

Our sweet Maxwell, who had been waiting since September 8th for his new home, got it on Wednesday. This is his fourth family since 2019 and we’re hoping it will be his forever one.

Moco

I only met her once and was sure she wouldn’t be at the shelter long and she wasn’t. What a cute girl she is.

Leia

Our youngster Leia was adopted (again) on Thursday. We all love her and are so happy that she will have a family who loves her, too! We are thrilled that she will have a boy of her own. She will be such a great family addition.

Amari

Such a happy adoption it was when our senior eleven-year-old Amari went home on Friday. We’re so happy that she has a family who will love her in her retirement years. She is a gem.

Rufus

Drum roll…happy dance! Our clown Rufus FINALLY found his perfect family! He had been waiting since August 17. This boy is such a delightful character and we all love him. We could not understand why he hadn’t been adopted, but maybe he was just waiting for this new family! He’s the dog with the grin on his face! He’s going to love having siblings to romp with. Lucky family!

Ducky

Ducky was adopted on Sunday. This girl is ACTION! She will keep her new family active.

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, October 13, 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, click on the link to the currently available dogs here.

I admit it, I have a few quirks. But look at me! I am definitely worth your putting up with a few quirks!

Asher is a seven-year-old Lakeland Terrier. When you look up his breed on the American Kennel Club website, he is described as “A bold, zesty ‘big dog in a small package,’ named for the Lake District of his native England, was once a farmer’s dog bred to work in packs on sheep-stealing foxes.” (https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/lakeland-terrier/) Yep. that is Asher.

This is Asher’s second time at WHS. He was first adopted last February after the death of his owner. He is back again due to the health of his person.

Asher may be a senior, but he has a lot of energy. Marianne, Linda, and I found that out when WHS Trainer Nichole brought him out to a yard to play.

And look at him fly through the air!

Because Asher is a Terrier, he has a significant prey drive and will chase cats, squirrels, and even turkeys and deer if given the chance. Because of this, he will need a feline-free home. He can walk politely on leash, but when he sees what he thinks is potential prey, he will pull and bark. The Training Department at WHS is working with Asher on loose-leash walking, and this will need to be continued by his new family. Asher is very treat-motivated and health-conscious (he is partial to fruits and vegetables including apples, pears, watermelon—his favorite—bananas, carrots, cucumbers and broccoli stems.) He loves to learn new things and is very smart, so will be a quick learner and fun to teach with rewards-based training. Asher at times will resource-guard his food. Because of this, he is recommended for an adult home or one with older teens. He will also need to be the only pet.

Asher’s former owner has many good things to say about him. Asher is relaxed and well-behaved in the home. He is fine when left alone. He isn’t terribly fond of baths and will do a lot of “squirming,” but tolerates them. He is house-trained, but needs to go out quickly when he asks by whimpering. He knows several cues such as “sit,” “down,” and “paws up” when getting into a car. He is relaxed and enjoys car rides. Asher is not great at recall (coming when called) but the training staff has been working on that skill with him. While Asher can be a little timid at first meeting, he quickly warms up, as Marianne, Linda, and I found out. Oh, and we discovered that besides fruits and vegetables, he also loves cheese bits.

He does not hesitate to express his opinions.

He enjoys posing for pictures, too.

Asher is not the right dog for the casual dog owner. But for the right family, he will be a delightful companion who will keep his peeps both active and laughing.

If you think Asher would be a good fit for your lifestyle, 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/.

Yes, I’m back. I’m hoping for a new family very soon. I’ve been here a long time.

I first wrote about Meatball in my August 18th post. I was so happy when he was adopted in September. However, it was not the right fit of a home for this active boy, and he was returned. Since coming back to the shelter, Meatball has become increasingly stressed. I’m hoping by featuring him again this week his new person will discover him. He really needs people and bonds quickly.

Meatball is a 67-pound Pit Bull Terrier mix with a huge smile. Because he came as a stray, we don’t know any of his history. He is shy when first meeting new people, but soon warms up. He is active and eager to please. He enjoys hanging out with his volunteer friends outside. Here he is with Francis, Megan, and Marianne.

While Meatball is very stressed in his kennel, once outdoors he relaxes and loves to play fetch. He is good about bringing the ball or toy back and happy to trade it for a treat. Speaking of treats, this boy is extremely treat-motivated. He is not a bit picky about what kind of treat it is so will be a quick learner of new skills. We don’t know how he would be with children. In his former home, he was too interested in the cats, so will do best in a feline-free home. He has met a few other dogs and seems to be selective in his friends. He will need to meet any dog he will be going home with. His favorite place to be is with his people, and in his former home he followed them around the house. He would love a family where his humans worked from home so he could be with them.

This boy will keep his next family laughing. He will need a fenced yard to romp in and will be a great jogging or hiking partner, as he LOVES to run, especially when he can carry a toy or ball in his mouth.

Adoption Specialist Sasha is one of Meatball’s favorite people. He was so excited when she came out to say hi. She recently wrote, “Meatball is the biggest love and would be a great family dog.”

Several weeks ago, we decided to introduce Meatball to a GFB (Giant Fluff Ball). Here’s the story in pictures.

But—it didn’t take long…

Meatball is a hoot to watch playing fetch!

After a vigorous fetch game, Meatball loves to relax with his peeps.

But his clownish sense of humor is never far away.

We’re hoping that an active family will come to meet our boy and that he’ll get to go home soon. If you think you could be that family, 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/.

Do you need someone who will make you feel you are the reason the sun rises each morning? I can do that!

Look at this face. This is Raven and she can’t wait to meet you!

Raven is an Alaskan Malamute mix and is still a youngster at about seven months old. She was found as a stray, so we don’t know anything about her early life. But since she arrived at WHS, she has become a favorite of both staff and volunteers.

Raven was quite shy when she first came to the shelter, showing submissive behavior such as rolling on her back, lip licking, tucking her tail and avoiding eye contact. But after a few days, she began to gain some confidence. She is still uneasy in new situations and will need her adoptive family to continue helping her learn that the world doesn’t have to be a scary place.

Raven LOVES people! The American Kennel Club writes a Malamute’s “eyes have an affectionate sparkle, suggesting [they] enjoy snuggling with their humans when the workday is done.” (https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/alaskan-malamute/) That is certainly true of Raven! She is a leaner and enjoys being as close to her peeps as she can be, as Linda, Marianne, and I discovered on Sunday.

Raven, still a youngster, will need lots of exercise. We took her out to the big yard and she romped happily. She raced after thrown tennis balls, but doesn’t quite get the concept of returning them.

Raven’s new family will need to give her daily outlets for her energy, but after she has “worked,” she’s ready for more cuddling.

Then it was time for her photoshoot which she was very happy to pose for. She knows several cues including “sit” and “down.”

When Raven first arrived at WHS, she didn’t want to make eye contact. Not a problem now!

Raven will need a patient family, as she is not house-trained. We don’t know how she will be with cats or other dogs. She walks well on leash. She is treat-motivated, loving our hot dog and cheese bits. She is smart and will learn new skills quickly through rewards-based training.

If you are looking for a very affectionate “leaner” of a dog who will think you are the most wonderful person in the world, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on her picture and then on the link Adopt Me found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.

I’m new here and a little nervous. I really want a family to take me home. I’m a good boy. Are you looking for a dog like me?

We spent a lot of time with newbie Max on Sunday. He looked so sad and was quite shy when we first took him out for pictures. But he slowly warmed up the longer we spent with him.

Max is a four-year-old Dachshund/Chihuahua mix. He walks politely on leash and enjoys car rides. He has lived with four cats very happily. He loves socks. Yes, socks. He enjoys playing with socks, chewing on socks, and shredding socks. He does not like his nails trimmed, but he is well-behaved during baths. Max loves children. He does well when left alone in the house with no destruction. He will need some help with house-training, and will need to be let out on a regular schedule. Max is dog-selective, meaning he feels comfortable with some dogs, but not with others. He will need to meet any dog he will be living with.

We took Max out to a yard and he enjoyed exploring.

He was a bit nervous during his photoshoot; he tried his best, but he looked worried.

Then we took him into Mary’s Place and after a little while he started to relax more. At thirteen pounds, he is the perfect lap-dog size, which he demonstrated with Marianne by jumping up onto her lap, a nice surprise.

He had a question.

When asked what words best describe Max’s personality, his former owner said, “happy, peaceful, calm.” He certainly won our hearts.

If you’d like to give Max the home he deserves, 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/.

This week there are three updates wrapped into one! Last week I got a terrific email from a family who had adopted three dogs from us. One in 2013 and a bonded pair in 2014. Here is the story.

Bounce/Schultz, Peanut/Watson, Cosmo/Tuck

“Hi, Martha,

I wanted to give you an update about three dogs we adopted from the shelter a few years ago, in case anyone remembers and wondered whatever became of those sweet doggies!

In September 2013 we adopted Bounce, a skinny little poodle. We renamed him Schultz, and he was an amazing companion for the next 8 years.“

Here is a picture I took of Bounce at the shelter.

“Last fall he was diagnosed with melanoma in his mouth. He outlived everyone’s expectations and passed away just a few weeks ago, almost exactly 8 years since we adopted him. Here are a couple of pictures.”

“In March 2014, we were looking for a friend for Bounce/Schultz and ended up adopting Peanut & Cosmo, the unique bonded pair that had been abandoned in California by their previous owners. Peanut, a whippet mix, became Watson, and Cosmo (our best guess is lab-corgi mix) became Tuck. For a while I thought we’d bitten off more than we could chew, as these dogs were much more into mischief than Schultz. Over time, though, they became beloved members of our family.”

While I don’t remember much about Bounce, I certainly remember Peanut and Cosmo. I wrote about them several times. A bonded pair usually takes longer to find their new family. Here they were with volunteers Joan and Jolene.

They were such comedians, I made quite a few cartoons during their stay. Here are a few.

We were overjoyed when they finally got adopted!

“About a month before Schultz passed away, Watson died suddenly from an undetermined internal issue. Until then, he had been living out his old-doggy years quite happily, often doubling as a pillow on my couch. Tuck is still with us, napping away his days. 

Since the dogs joined our family, we have grown by three children. All the dogs have loved our kids and been very patient with them, sometimes gently helping them finish that sandwich in their hand, looking at us with sad eyes when the babies were crying, and one memorable moment when Schultz chewed out Tuck for looking at the newborn in her bassinet.”

“Anyway, we have been thankful for our dogs! Thanks for all you do to help these dogs find their homes!“

What a wonderful life for three shelter dogs!

That’s it for this week!

Thanks to staff member Sasha and volunteers Marianne, Megan, 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