Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

We had some terrific adoptions during the past week. Five former shelter dogs are now happily settling in their new homes with their new families.

Nala

Another one of our “giant” pups went home last week. She had me hooked the first time she cocked her head when I used my “squeaker.” Megan was also smitten with her.

Stella

Our very bouncy Stella, who was returned when she was too active for her people, was adopted four days later by one of our WHS volunteers!

Zoe

We were overjoyed when extremely shy Zoe was adopted. She walked right up to her new person as if she just knew he was the one for her. Volunteer Linda has spent a lot of time working with Zoe to build her confidence and it sure paid off!

It was wonderful to see Zoe learn to trust Linda and then gradually other people.

Brody

Brody, a youngster at nine-months-old, has a lot to learn. Luckily, his new person has had experience with active pups before, so he’ll be just fine!

Bing

On Tuesday, our very shy Bing was adopted! Here’s what WHS Trainer Nichole wrote: “Bing was adopted today! He went home with an older female dog, a woman and her son.” So happy for our timid boy!

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, January 26, 2022. 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 featured dogs are still available and to see other available dogs, click on the link to the currently available dogs here.

I’m a little laid up at the moment, so I need a family who will continue taking care of me as I recover from surgery on my back leg. But while I heal, I will win your hearts!

Pegas is a very special case. She arrived at WHS on December 20th, a Catahoula Leopard/Retriever mix who is five years old. Marianne, Megan, and I met her soon after her arrival and fell in love with this affectionate, bouncy girl. We had a wonderful time with her out in the large play yard.

Pegas LOVED to play fetch. Her only problem was that she needed to lose some weight. At 74 pounds, she was a bit away from her fitness goal of 65 pounds. No problem, we thought. All she needs is exercise and fewer treats. That worked fine, as Pegas absolutely loved to race around the yard chasing tennis balls. However, exercise came to an abrupt halt when while playing, she suddenly tore her left cranial cruciate ligament in her hind leg. That meant surgery and inserting a plate in her knee to stabilize her leg. Pegas came through the surgery just fine and, as of yesterday, the vet checked her and reported that she is “eating well and is very excited for walk time. Went on short morning walk, she is continuing to toe-touch repaired leg. She is doing well.” Pegas will continue to need a lot of crate rest while her leg continues to heal. And that’s where an adopter comes in. The shelter is offering Pegas as a “foster-to-adopt” dog. That means that she can go home with her new family, and as they continue her care and crate rest, WHS will provide ongoing medical care as it relates to this surgery until she is fully healed in 8-10 more weeks. Right now, she is in a kennel in our Infirmary, but she would be so much happier in her new home where she can get love and attention as she recovers.

With all that being said, I want to show you what Pegas will be like once she is back to her old self (minus those extra pounds). Here we were several Sundays ago before the accident. She had a blast.

It was a very cold day, but Pegas didn’t mind.

Pegas was surrendered because she had too much energy for the family who had a member recovering from major surgery. They had many good things to say about her. First, she is very social. She gets along with other dogs (however, in her enthusiasm, she can run over small dogs), and loves cats! She also has a good history with children (though again, small children could be knocked over in excitement). She is house-trained and lets you know when she needs to go out by going to the door and “spinning.” She knows several cues such as “sit,” “come,” “stop,” and will settle when told to “go lie down.” She loves to be touched anywhere, and is fine during nail trims and baths. She is afraid of fireworks, thunderstorms, and the groomer. She is also very fearful of fire, and avoided the fireplace in her last home. She loved being outside in her backyard and could entertain herself playing ball. But she was always eager to come inside to spend time with her peeps. Her former family described her as “loving, smart, and playful.”

If your family is looking for a happy, goofy dog with a great sense of humor, think about fostering-to-adopt Pegas. You’ll have to be able to give her the care she needs so that her leg fully recovers, but that will give you a wonderful bonding time. Once she is active again, she will keep you laughing and feeling loved. If you are interested in her, 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 a youngster with lots of pep and I love to learn new stuff! You can adopt me and teach me how to be the best family dog EVER!

Lucy is a seven-month-old Border Collie/American Blue Heeler mix. You know what that means, right? This pup is ready for action! Lucy is a mix of two working-dog breeds. Such dogs are very intelligent and  thrive when they are busy and doing a job. What kind of job? Playing fetch, working food puzzles, taking training classes, learning new skills such as agility, and going for walks or jogs with her people. While Lucy wants to be active during the day, she settles and is an affectionate cuddler in the evening.

Lucy was much loved by her family, but was surrendered because she chased the cats and was uncomfortable when around small children. So Lucy is looking for a feline-free home with older kids or just adults.

Lucy is shy when meeting new people and seemed nervous around my camera at first, but tried to be cooperative for her outdoor photoshoot with Linda.

 

But it didn’t take long before Lucy realized we were all going to be friends and she started to relax once we went into Mary’s Place. That’s when we found out about her sense of humor and that she thinks she’s a great joke teller. (Spoiler—she isn’t!)

Lucy’s family told us lots about her. She knows several cues, including “sit,” “down,” “shake,” and “stay”—and she was happy to show us.

Lucy has lived happily with small dogs, but can be intimidated by bigger ones. She’s a little scared when it’s time for nail trims or baths, but is cooperative about them. She sleeps in a crate at night and does very well. She is almost house-trained and alerts by going to the door and whining, however she still has accidents once in a while. Lucy has gotten car sick, but is getting better. Loud noises such as vacuums, fireworks, and smashing milk jugs frighten her. And though she is not proud of it, she has been known to dig in the back yard when left too long.

Lucy has skills she is working on. At only seven months, she still has the puppy jumping-on-people behavior which she is starting to realize is not the way to make friends. She also needs practice walking on leash without pulling. The good news is that Lucy is not picky about what treats she enjoys (she found my cheese especially delicious). As a result, rewards-based training along with she being very smart, will make training both rewarding and fun. 

When asked what words best describe Lucy, her former people said, “happy, playful, excitable, sweet, and loving.”

We had a great time with Lucy on Sunday. Once she felt relaxed with us, she was an absolute delight. 

We’re betting it won’t take long. If you think Lucy would be a great fit for your lifestyle, 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 haven’t had much world experience, but I’m learning fast. If you are patient so I can learn what’s expected of me, I’ll be your forever best friend!

Swiper is a Siberian Husky/Keeshond mix youngster, only nine-months old. She was surrendered because the owner had too many dogs. Swiper is a beautiful shy girl who is gradually gaining confidence at the shelter. She has not had much experience with the outside world and will need a family who will help her realize that she doesn’t have to be fearful of sudden movements, noises, or new places. Because she has lived only outdoors, her new family will have to be patient while she learns to live inside a home and becomes house-trained. But oh, will patience pay off. This sweet girl is so worth the effort to teach her how to live in a family.

I first met Swiper a couple of Sundays ago, soon after she arrived. She was afraid of my camera and nervous around me. She stayed by the fence as I tried to get a few pictures.

What a difference a little time makes! On Sunday we took her out in a yard and I could hardly believe she was the same shy dog I had met earlier. She was happy, didn’t mind my camera, took treats (she likes cheese) and thoroughly enjoyed her time with us romping and playing.

She even came over for some pets and conversation.

She seemed to gain confidence the longer we played.

Later we took Swiper into Mary’s Place. She was not comfortable. Since she’s been an outdoor dog her whole young life, it’ll take some time and patience for her to feel secure inside a home. However, she has been spending time in the Behavior and Training office and they reported, “Swiper has been in BT office and done well—quiet, no interaction with items, warming up to pets and scratches.”

Swiper hopes to find her new family soon. She is an eager learner, her former owner described her as “smart and inquisitive,” and we agree. Swiper will be such a joy to have.

Hot off the presses…I just received this notice…

Ollie

I usually don’t feature puppies, they get adopted so easily and quickly. However, on Sunday Marianne, Megan, and I spent some fun time with little Ollie. I can’t help myself—I have to show you this cutie. He is a four-month-old Alaskan Malamute/Shepherd mix. He’s too young to be outside with other dogs, so we spent time with him in his kennel area. He was amazingly calm for a pup. We all had a great time.

If you are up for the joys and challenges of a puppy, 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 have FOUR happy updates this week!

Cypress and Leena

This is such a sweet story. In March of 2015, Cypress arrived at WHS. I wrote this about her in my March 11, 2015 post: “Cypress is a two-year-old Rat Terrier/Chihuahua mix. She is quite uneasy at the shelter, but did seem to do okay in playgroup on Sunday. She enjoys being in your lap more than anything else. She has been mostly an outdoor dog and is looking forward to being an INDOOR dog in her new home. She will need an understanding family to help her learn about house-training.” Cypress had not had an easy life and we were hoping that she would find a patient family who would teach her to be an indoor dog.

Here are a couple of pictures I took of her at the shelter.

We were so happy when she was adopted by a couple who were not worried about working on house-training.

Fast forward to March of 2021. Leena, an eleven-year-old Miniature Pinscher, arrived at WHS for the third time. This is what I wrote about her in my March 17, 2021 post: “Leena is looking for a special home. She has not had an easy life, having had several different homes and little socialization. Because of being passed around among different families, Leena is fearful and can be handling-sensitive until she gets to know a person. But once she does, she is a snuggly, affectionate lap dog. Leena is really hoping that at long last she will find her forever home where she can relax and know that she will be safe and cared for the rest of her life.”

Here she was in Mary’s place.

And here with Marianne.

We worried about who would adopt this little senior and give her the life she longed for. You probably suspected where this story is headed. Yes, on March 30, Cypress’ family came and took Leena home.

Last week I got this wonderful update about these two very lucky little dogs.

“Cypress we adopted in 2015 and Leena last year, both from WHS. We have a dual leash when we walk them. We tried to walk them separate but they would get tangled up with their leashes. Cypress was extremely skitish at first, but we took her to socialize with other dogs and that helped a lot. When I would walk her and something startled her I would stand there until she felt more comfortable. Leena has confidence now and isn’t worried about anything. They either want their warm beds or our laps. Thank you for allowing us to take these amazing dogs. They are our kids.”

Gunner James

If you are a regular reader of my posts, you’ll remember our hilarious Gunner James. He was one of Marianne’s all-time favorites, as she has a special place in her heart for Basset Hounds. Here are some pictures during Gunner’s stay at WHS last December. Megan quickly became another one of Gunner’s fans.

Gunner James was adopted on December 27 by an experienced Basset Hound family. We were worried when Gunner developed some health issues soon after he was adopted, but I’m happy to report that he is much better now. Last week the family sent this fun update: “Hi! Wanted everyone to know Gunner is being spoiled and went to the beach yesterday! He loved it. Health wise he isn’t 100% but doing better :). We love him SO much and so glad to have him in our family!”

Holiday/Gravy

Remember Holiday? I had planned on featuring him in my first January post, but he was adopted on January 2! I was happy I was at the shelter so I could take his going-home picture.

I had hoped I’d get an update, and last week I did: “I just wanted to give you an update on Gravy, (Holiday’s new name)! He’s quickly adjusting to his new life and home, he loves his new big back yard, trips to Dutch Bros, and rope toys, but he hates baths! He and our cat are slowly getting to know each other and will hopefully soon be best of friends. He gives great cuddles and has been sweet to new people. We’re working on some new commands like ‘lie down’ and ‘stay’ but he’s already a champ at ‘sit’ and ‘shake.‘”

With those happy updates, that’s it for this week!

My thanks to volunteers Marianne, Megan, and Linda for making this post possible.

All of the dogs I have featured today, along with other terrific dogs waiting to be adopted, can be found at Willamette Humane Society. Here is the link to the adoptable-dog page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/

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