Tags
adoptable dogs, adoption dogs, deserving dogs, dogs, fellow dog lovers, humane society, shelter dogs, WHS, willamette humane society
We were extremely lucky with the weather on Sunday. It was one of those lovely Oregon fall days with the sun out, the leaves at their height of color, and cool temperatures. It was perfect for spending time with shelter dogs outdoors, and we did. But first, I want to report on some terrific adoptions over the past week.
There were SEVEN adoptions during the past week, but two of them, Prince and Rookie, I didn’t get a chance to meet.
Honda
Honda was a newbie whom I had just met. Such a little sweetheart, though she was very shy.
Bear
Bear is absolutely adorable, though he, too, was very shy at first meeting. He loved to race around the yard.
We already got a little update on him. His new person wrote, “He’s doing awesome so far! He let me pick him up out of the car and carry him in. Snuggled right into me. Jojo is showing him the yard and all the cool spots in the house! He wasn’t nearly as afraid of my dad when I was holding him, either.” And they sent a picture. Sure looks like he’s settling in well!
Sky
Sky is an eight-month-old Chihuahua mix who arrived at WHS not fully vaccinated so she could not go outside or be with other dogs right away. But she got lots of love and attention from staff and volunteers who came to her kennel and cuddled with her. Once she had all her shots, she was quickly adopted on Sunday and I was so glad I was there to take her going-home pictures.
Vanilla
Vanilla is a tiny, eight-month-old Pekingese/Chihuahua mix puppy who is absolutely adorable. Here’s a picture WHS staff member Jean took of him recently as he tried his best to convince her to take him to her office. He didn’t stop with trying to get her to take him to her office, however. On Monday he convinced her to take him home! Never underestimate the determination of a shelter dog!
Here he is starting his brand-new life.
Cookie
Cookie, a two-year-old Boxer, went to her new home on Tuesday! She didn’t have to spend too long waiting for her new peeps, which made us very happy.
Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, November 3, 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 love people. I mean, I really love people. I can even tell if you are sad. If you are looking for a loyal best friend, I can be that!
Kira is a three-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier mix. She was surrendered by her family because she no longer got along with the resident cats. The family loved her very much, but felt she needs to be an only pet in the home. They wanted to be sure we knew that she is absolutely devoted to people. We discovered that quickly, and Marianne is one of her biggest fans.
One thing that Kira is a bit sensitive about is her weight. She knows she needs to lose some pounds, but doesn’t like to talk about it. She’s hoping her new family will help her slim down so she is more comfortable.
So what kinds of things does Kira like? She loves to visit Bentley’s Coffee because she’s gotten to know the staff and they give her lots of pets. She doesn’t mind going to the vet, though she can be a bit shy at first before warming up. She likes soft stuffed toys that she can carry around in her mouth. She likes her crate and will often go into it on her own during the day to nap. Speaking of naps, this girl’s two favorite activities are sleeping and snuggling with her peeps. We found that out when we took her into Mary’s Place.
Kira has some things she’s not fond of, too. She is not a fan of nail trims and tries to roll over to avoid them. She tolerates baths, but is not excited about them. She knows she needs to walk more, but would rather take short walks rather than longer ones. She has an old injury to her ACL in her left back leg, but with regular medication she does fine. Losing some pounds will help her in many ways and she may decide she enjoys going for longer walks after all.
When asked what five words best describe Kira, her former family said, “calm, lazy, silly, talkative, and very loyal/loving to her people.” She is house-trained and used a doggy door in her former home, but if it was closed, she would wait for someone to let her outside. She knows several cues including “sit, down, high five, leave it, and off.” Her family adds, “Kira is incredibly sweet to people and knows when you are sad. She wants to be with you always, and is a great cuddler.”
Kira is sad at the shelter. But when we took her outside, she thoroughly enjoyed her time with Marianne.
She hopped right up on the couch in Mary’s Place.
Kira can’t wait to find her new family to love. If you think that you could be that family, 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/. She’ll be waiting for you.
I’m not a youngster. I’m a bit shy. But if you get to know me, you’ll see I’m a good girl.
Rosie is a senior at nine years old. She is a Chihuahua mix and, at fifteen pounds a perfect lap dog, which she likes to be. Rosie was surrendered because her person is moving to a place that does not allow dogs. I first met her a couple of Sundays ago and she was very shy and nervous, having just arrived at the shelter the day before. She looked quite sad.
We spent time with her in Mary’s Place, letting her settle and get to know us.
What a difference a week makes! Here she was this Sunday, feeling spunky and happy.
Rosie’s person had lots of good things to tell us about her. Her favorite treat? Vienna sausages! When she was left alone in the house, she did fine, with no destruction or barking, though she might cry a little at first. Rosie loves squeaky toys, baths, playing fetch (her favorite toys are balls), and sleeping curled up in the sunshine. She his house-trained and will alert by putting her front legs on your knee when she needs to go out. Because her person worked long hours, she also had the option of potty pads. She likes car rides, enjoying watching out the window.
Rosie will bark at strangers at first, but is eager to meet them. She is calm at home, although loud and sudden noises will make her bark, too. She likes children, but if she is tired of playing she will walk away. “She likes to cuddle and be next to someone all the time,” says her former person. When asked what words best describe Rosie, she wrote, “sweet, loving, cuddly, anxious around noise.”
When she was outside with us on Sunday she showed her “cuddly side” with Megan.
While Rosie isn’t a youngster, she still has plenty of spunk. Her person added this at the end of the profile page: “She is a good, loving dog. She needs someone who has time for her.”
If Rosie sounds like the perfect fit for your family, 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 know I take quite a while to warm up to new people. However, if you give me some time and space, I’ll be the best dog you’ve ever had!
Loki is a six-year-old Boxer/Australian Cattle Dog mix. He originally came from a shelter in California as a puppy, and has lived with the same family for six years. Sadly, they had to give him up due to housing issues. They are hoping Loki will get a wonderful new home where he will again be loved.
Loki is very shy and it takes him a while to warm up to new people, but once he does, he is a delightful, active boy. He will need a new family who will be understanding of his “stranger danger” fears and give him the space and encouragement he needs to gain confidence in a new home. He is not used to having a lot of visitors, so a calm environment will be best for him. Apartment life is not going to work for Loki. He barks at strangers and soon-to-be friends and needs time to settle.
Loki’s former family had many good things to say about him. He walks very well on leash, he doesn’t mind nail trims, and enjoys baths. He knows several cues such as “come, stay, sit, down, shake, and back up.” He is house-trained and whines at the door when he needs to go out. He is a little nervous during car rides, and may whine a little. He did fine when left alone, and spent most of his time in the house with his family. Loki’s favorite thing to do in the world is play fetch, which I found out when WHS trainer Nichole brought him out to meet me. After a couple of tennis ball throws, he suddenly discovered a large red ball in the yard.
It took him a few tries…
But finally…success!
He LOVED the big red ball and had a great time carrying it around the yard.
Loki hopes he’ll have a yard in his new home where he can run laps, romp, and play fetch. He still has lots of energy, even though he is six. Loki’s former family describes him as “energetic, wiggly, loving…and a bit stubborn.” His new family will have to help him understand that strangers don’t have to be scary and that he doesn’t have to bark at them. He’s a smart boy, and through rewards-based training (I began to win him over with cheese) he will become less anxious. He does need a feline-free home. He has lived happily with another dog in his former home, but will need to meet any dogs he would be living with. Loki is somewhat handling-sensitive, especially around his ears. He can show some resource-guarding behavior around food or toys, so giving him space when he asks for it is important.
WHS Trainer Nichole is one of his favorite people and he loves it when she takes him out for some fetch.
Given time and patience, Loki will become a wonderful family member. If you have the patience, space, and time for a timid, but loving boy, 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/.
Mr. Wiggles
Mr. Wiggles (a very appropriate name for this goofy dog) is a big boy at 76 pounds. He is a two-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who LOVES people. This is Mr. Wiggles’ second time at WHS. Here he was in March 2020, with Marianne.
Mr. Wiggles is back now and looking for a big-dog savvy family who have the time, energy, and patience to help him with some positive, rewards-based training.
Mr. Wiggles’ family loved him and described him this way: “He loves people, likes to be petted, is a sweet teddy bear, good dog.” Mr. Wiggles will need to be the only pet in the home. He is hoping for a family with a fenced yard where he can romp, and someone who will work with him on learning impulse control. Here he was when a plane flew overhead. We wondered if he’d never seen a plane before.
He liked spending time with Marianne again.
To find out more about Mr. Wiggles, read about him by clicking on his picture found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/. If you are then interested in adopting him, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on his picture and then on the link Adopt Me found on that page.
We have THREE happy updates to report.
Bailey
Remember long-termer Bailey? An irrepressible youngster, he was surrendered in June and was adopted twice but returned because he was so active.
But in September, his perfect person found him and took him home. We were so excited and relieved that he’d finally found the home he needed. Adoption Specialist Sasha just got this great update:
“Things are going great with Bailey. Here are a couple of pics when I took him to the river. He enjoyed it for such a long time. His high energy is great, and he works best/listens best after he has run for bit. He is doing great, and is a wonderful joy to have.”
Raven
Raven was such a goofy character at WHS. We all loved her and here she was with Linda.
We were so excited when she went home with this young couple. We had our fingers crossed about Raven meeting the two resident cats!
Adoption Specialist Sasha received an update a few days ago.
“Raven and the cats have been doing really well for a week. I slept with all of them free-roaming the last two nights. I’m waiting for the day they cuddle together. They took turns with me. They are all still cautious with each other but definitely getting along well. The cat food and litter boxes have been more of a challenge than the actual cats. Raven was the right fit for sure!”
So funny that the cats have taken up residence on top of Raven’s crate!
Kiley
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will remember Kiley, our sweet senior. At 14, she was surrendered on October 10, 2020 because her family was moving. It was her third stay at the shelter, through no fault of her own, having first arrived in 2018. The two other times she was adopted, a family member was allergic to her. She had been an outdoor dog only, and she was so hoping for a forever retirement home where she could spend time inside with a family.
Then on October 31, 2020, she found that family. This is what I wrote about her adoption: “Our sweet Kiley was adopted on Saturday. She finally has her forever retirement home. She was adopted by one of my readers, a WHS dog walker, who wrote on Saturday evening, ‘She’s amazing and we love her so much!’ We are so grateful for people who give our seniors the final home they deserve.”
On October 31st, Kiley’s family wrote this update. Now fifteen, Kiley has a wonderful life.
“Happy Gotcha Day, Kiley! This sweet girl has really come a long way in a year! When she first came to us, she was afraid of everything, wouldn’t go into bedrooms, and didn’t ask for attention. She really didn’t know how to DOG. Now she seeks attention, follows us into our bedrooms, will catch a ball if lightly tossed to her. She still has accidents in the house, but she tries really hard to get outside in time. She is part of the pack and enjoys being around the other dogs. It’s amazing what a year of love and patience can do for a dog! We love you, Kiley, and are so blessed that you are part of our pack!”
On those happy updates, that’s it for this week.
Thanks to staff members Sasha and Jean, and volunteers Marianne, Megan, and Linda for their help with this post.
All of the dogs I have featured today, along with other terrific dogs waiting to be adopted, can be found at Willamette Humane Society.
Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, try to make arrangements to get to the Willamette Humane Society soon. Some dogs are adopted more quickly than you might think.
You can reach me at adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com