What a great week for adoptions it has been! There are six dogs who are happily settling in with their new families as I write this post.

Dude

This little guy was absolutely delightful and had many shelter fans.

Hennesy

Our big puppy Hennesy was adopted. She is such a good girl and very smart. Lucky family. She will keep them happy and busy! Marianne fell for her, too!

Maple

The moment we met Maple, we knew this tiny dog would not be long at the shelter, and she wasn’t. Such a cutie!

Osiris

Remember this gentle giant from my last post? He was having a hard time at the shelter and we are thrilled that he is now with his new peeps. And that’s not all! I have already gotten a wonderful update that will appear at the end of this post.

Maggie

Maggie (now Sadie) was adopted on Saturday. This sweet girl arrived so shy and scared that she went almost immediately to a wonderful foster home of one of our former volunteers. And—you guessed it—she was adopted today by her foster. We are so thrilled for this happy outcome. Sadie is going to have a wonderful rest of her life!

Here she was at the shelter; we felt very sorry for her, she was so timid and scared.

And here she is at home. She still has a way to go, but has gotten much braver since being in her foster, now forever, home.

Popis

Popis was adopted by the family who found her as a stray. She was very happy to see them and go home! I was glad I was there for pictures when they headed home.

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, March 2, 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 timid, but boy do I warm up when given some time!

Nova is a four-year-old Lab mix who was surrendered when her person couldn’t keep her any longer. When she first arrived at the shelter, she was very uneasy and shy. I took pictures of her at that time and felt bad that she seemed so worried.

She felt comforted by Linda and Marianne’s understanding.

But what a difference a week makes! This Sunday Nova was relaxed and all smiles when we took her into Mary’s Place for some fun.

Nova’s former family had many good things to tell us about her. They said she is “loving, playful, enjoys walks, car rides, loves balls and fetch, doesn’t bark a lot.” She is “initially timid” meeting new people but warms up. Nova has a good history with other dogs, but does not care for cats and will chase them if given the chance. She does well with older children. She is fearful of “small spaces, fireworks and other loud noises.” She is “a sweet girl, a high jumper, very trainable, and listens and responds to commands well.” She is house-trained. Her favorite toys are balls and her favorite treats are cheese and hot dog bits. Nova will need a secure yard, as she has been known to leap over a four-foot fence.

During her time at the shelter, Nova has has been dog-selective, meaning she enjoys the company of some but not all dogs. Her special friend at the moment is Sheldon and they love to play chase with each other. She will need to meet any dog she will be going home with to make sure their play styles are compatible.

Nova thoroughly enjoyed her time with us in Mary’s place. She takes treats politely; here she is with a cheese bit and me.

Linda is one of her many fans. She really liked being on the couch and leaning on us.

Marianne tried some toys.

And then it was cuddle time. She wanted to let everyone know she liked them!

If you are an active family looking for a dog to be your new happy companion, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Nova’s picture and then on the link Adopt Me found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.

I realize I’m not the dog for everyone, but if you are the right family, you will never have a more devoted friend!

I have written about Beya before in my December 15th post. This is her second time at WHS and it has been a long stay—three months. She and her many shelter friends are hoping that she won’t have to wait too much longer for her perfect family fit.

The first time, Beya arrived with a litter of puppies which were quickly adopted when they were old enough. At that time, Beya went back with her human family. However, her people moved and couldn’t take her with them, so she was returned to us to find a new home. She is a beautiful three-year-old German Shepherd mix.

Beya lived happily with her family, but did not see many other people, so she is quite nervous in new situations and first meetings. But once she gets comfortable with you, she is affectionate and eager for attention. Here she is with WHS Trainer Nichole.

When she trusts you, she becomes a “leaner” with all 83 pounds!

Beya loves to play in the yard and she is a favorite of staff member Rachael. I happened to see them outside playing as I was about to leave on Sunday and snapped some pictures.

Beya lived with another dog in her previous home and got along well. Because of her limited socialization, she should not go home with young children. Beya is hoping for a dog-savvy, cat-free family where her new peeps will be patient and understanding. She needs to build her confidence and realize that the outside world doesn’t have to be scary. She has come a long way since arriving at WHS and does not seem stressed at the shelter. She enjoys her friends here who love her. She has improved a lot in her loose-leash walking skills. One of the Behavior and Training team members wrote, “Beya can sit and wait at doors and sit and wait after passing through doors. She can walk on a loose leash and do turns, including inside turns. She is doing well on collar touches and leave it.” On another day a Behavior and Training staff member wrote, “Beya has been a joy to walk lately. She has been mostly mellow, hasn’t pulled much. She is getting better about harnessing and has shown no kennel reluctance when going in. She has grown more attentive to her handler. And she can be silly, rolling and inviting belly rubs with a friendly open-mouth ‘smile.'”

While Beya was very leery of my camera a few weeks ago, on Sunday she didn’t hesitate at all to sit for me.

Want to see this girl in action? Here she is with one of her favorite toys, the big blue ball.

Beya has been waiting a long time for her forever home. She’s hoping that this week will be her last one at the shelter. If you think Beya is the dog 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’m not a youngster, but I still have a spring in my step and love in my heart for my retirement family. Will you come soon and take me home?

Sheldon is a nine-year-old Lab mix and is such a wonderful senior. He’s not a “smiler,” but expresses his love through his actions, as he did with Marianne, Megan, and Linda last Sunday.

Sheldon’s former family reports that he enjoys attention and petting, and will cuddle with his people and other pets. He has lived with two kittens and played and snuggled with them. He also lived with another dog very happily. He does well with children, too. He is excited to meet new people; he may bark to alert their arrival, then wiggles. In his former home he loved to hang out on the couch and had his own beanbag chair.

We decided to see how he liked romping in a yard, not knowing how active he would be at nine years old. We were amazed!

Sheldon is house-trained and walks very nicely using a front-clipped harness. He will bark some at squirrels. His former owner writes, “The squirrel that lives in our tree would throw nuts at him. Sheldon would bark. It was like watching an old married couple.” While Sheldon loves a bath and warm towel afterward, he is not a fan of nail trims and is a tad overdramatic—”he acts like he’s dying.” Sheldon is crate-trained and previously slept in one at night. He loves to ride in the car and sits in the back seat, “but wants to drive.” His favorite toys are fabric squeaky ones.

After our romp outside, we took Sheldon into Mary’s Place to relax. He loved it. But no, he didn’t smile.

Sheldon is going to make some lucky family the best dog ever. He has some of the usual older-dog issues, but oh, what joy he will bring. If Sheldon is the right dog for you, 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 two especially happy updates to report!

Diesel

Remember our handsome boy, Diesel?

I was so happy to get this update about him with his new family. No question about his settling in!

“Just wanted to send a quick update and say that Diesel is doing great in his new home! He is so well-behaved and is learning new things every day. His favorite toy is Mr. Shark and he loves cuddling with every new visitor that comes over to meet him. Here are a few photos!”

 

Osiris

As promised at the start of this post, here is our gentle giant’s wonderful update.

“We are so happy to have this big hunk join our pack. He is such a lover, sleepy-bones, sniffer and explorer. Everything he has been exposed to he wags at (and snuffs at, if it’s no longer of interest). He insists on always occupying the same room as one of us, even if not snuggling. Every treat is accepted with grace. He is such a great pup and we are so fortunate. Martha, I did want to note that he has a fenced acre to explore here (lots of trees and bushes and grass). I haven’t yet had the chance to take pictures because of the nasty weather. Just wanted to relay that this big boy has his selection of environment to roam. Looking forward to your blog. Here’s been the story of the last 48 hours…“

 

At the shelter we had no idea that Osiris practiced yoga with his downward dog pose!

Can you find the cat in the picture below?

What a perfect home for our huge boy in his retirement years!

On those happy updates, that’s it for this week.

My thanks to volunteers Marianne, Megan, Linda, Adoption Specialist Sasha, and staff member Rachael 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