Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

What a terrific week it has been for adoptions at WHS! There are TEN dogs who are happily settling into their new homes as I write. Also in this post, I’m going to feature five dogs who are still waiting for new families. First, the adoptions!

Lola

This sweetheart went home with another volunteer. Such a good little dog who always looks like she’s smiling.

Muddy

We were happy when this little ten-year-old went home. We are always thankful for adopters who give our seniors loving retirements.

Bentley

Speaking of seniors, Bentley, a twelve-year-old hospice adoption, who is such a gentle old soul, was adopted. He was stressed at the shelter, and we are so happy he is now in his home with two other seniors. We are grateful for adopters who take our hospice dogs, accepting the fact that they do not know how long they will have them to love.

Bungee

What a happy, bouncy girl she is. She will keep her new family active!

Jarreth

We were so excited when our gentle boy, Jarreth, was adopted. He and his new person look like great pals already!

Mya

Mya instantly fell in love with her new person and they both are so happy!

Onyx and Luxe

Yes! This pair went home together! The adopters are very experienced Doberman people and have lots of land for the two to romp in. Lucky dogs, lucky people.

JayJay

JayJay, our big youngster was adopted on Tuesday. This is his second adoption. Fingers crossed this is his forever home.

Meliodas/Duke

I saved the most touching adoption story for last. Meliodas had been at the shelter since January 22nd, waiting for his perfect fit of a person. That person found him on Thursday. Here is what Adoption Specialist Sasha wrote about their first meeting:

“Meliodas, now Duke, has the most wonderful adoption story. Jim is a 91-year-old Korean/Vietnam war veteran. We had taken Duke into the Education Hall to get some staff attention. Adoption Supervisor Steffanie walked by the room with Jim. Duke stuck his face in the window looking at Jim. Jim instantly said, “That’s the one.” He went in the room and Meliodas was all over him. He licked his face and Jim said he wanted him. At one point, Duke was lying behind Jim when Jim coughed. Meliodas jumped up and ran to him, jumping up on him, smelling his face and licking him. Jim understands Meliodas’ leg issues, as he, too, has a titanium knee. It’s almost like it was meant to be. This is the best day.”

Here Duke is about to go home. With him is Jim’s son who lives with him. Duke has never been fond of car rides, but he knew it was worth it to go to his forever home. What a wonderful adoption story it is!

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, April 6, 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.

Yes, you have read about me before. Yes, I’m still waiting for my family fit. Maybe you’re it?

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may be surprised that Jack is still at the shelter. He has been waiting for his just-right family since January but they haven’t found him yet. I have featured him several times, but still he waits. The good news is that he seems to think the shelter is his current home. He has many volunteers and staff who enjoy spending time with him and working on his fears. We had great fun with him on Sunday. Here he is in Mary’s Place posing for me while hoping for a bit of cheese.

Jack is a mixed-breed, one-year-old with a beautiful brindle coat. He was surrendered because he was not getting along with the other resident dog. Jack loves hanging out with his friends at the shelter. He is a hoot and very well-behaved. Jack is waiting for a person experienced with positive dog training who will continue to help him overcome some anxiety about a few things. The Behavior & Training staff and volunteers have been working with Jack. We don’t know what in his young life made him fearful. When he first arrived at WHS, he was alarmed when he saw his reflection in glass doors, for example. But with positive reinforcement, he has made dramatic improvement. Jack needs a family willing to give him extra support when he is feeling nervous. Jack loves people, but will need to be the only dog in the family. He also needs a cat-free home. He would do better in a family with older children. He will need a secure yard in which to romp.

Yes, Jack has some challenges to overcome, but he is so worth the effort to help him. And the fact that he is very smart makes it such fun to work on training with him. On Sunday we took him to the big yard to let him run and run he did. He was such a good, well-behaved boy. Here he was in action.

Jack is very affectionate and loves to snuggle with his buds.

After Jack’s play session, we walked back to Mary’s Place, stopping along the way for a picture with spring daffodils.

He loves the Giant Fluff Ball.

Jack knows he’s not the right dog for everyone, but for a person willing to help him overcome some fears, he’ll be such a loyal and devoted companion. We’re hoping someone will see Jack’s potential very soon. To see more pictures of Jack, look at his feature in the post here.

If you think Jack could be the perfect 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/.

We’re a bonded pair, which is great if you want two super dogs! We’ll wait for you together here!

Tesla and Flash are Siberian Husky mixes. Tesla is three years old, Flash is five. They were surrendered by their owner because of having to move to a place that didn’t allow big dogs. They were adopted once, but it was not the right fit, and they were returned to us. They are hoping for a home where they have room to run together. They are so much fun!

Tesla has blue eyes and Flash has brown. The first time I met them, Tesla was quite shy, while Flash was outgoing and very friendly. But when we spent quality time with them last Sunday, Tesla had become much more confident. We decided to take them out to a yard so they could run. And run they did!

Their first person told us many helpful things about them. They have been outdoor/indoor dogs, and did love to spend time outside in their yard. They have never lived with children, but are very friendly. “They just want to be petted. Really friendly with humans.” They have not lived with cats. In the house they were calm. Tesla is afraid of running water out of a hose and fireworks. Flash is quite nervous when going to the vet. Tesla is better on leash than Flash, but he calms down after initial pulling some. They will bark at other dogs passing by the house. Flash is crate-trained and Tesla is in the process. Flash is house-trained, but Tesla still has some accidents inside. Both enjoy riding in the car, the owner used leashes that attached to the seatbelts. Their favorite toy? Anything “plushy.” Spoiler Alert—nothing “plushy” lasts very long. Their favorite treat is cheese which they take very politely. Tesla wants to have Flash in her sight. Flash has shown some signs of resource guarding, so will need a family who will give him space when he needs it. Tesla can be nervous in new situations and a bit handling-sensitive until she feels secure.

We had so much fun with them out in the yard.

Later, we took them into Mary’s Place. Adoption Specialist Sasha adores the duo and she brought her daughter with her to spend some time with us. It’s obvious Tesla and Flash love Sasha and her daughter, too!

They liked the GFB (Giant Fluff Ball).

Tesla and Flash are hoping that their new family will soon come and take them home. We are, too. If you think you are that family, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on their pictures and then on the links Adopt Me found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.

I know I’m not a youngster and I’m pretty small. But if you adopt me, you will be my world.

Diamond is a ten-year-old, nine-pound Chihuahua who was surrendered along with his brother, Muddy, when his person moved and couldn’t take them with her. Although they were good friends, they were not bonded and Muddy was adopted last week. Now it’s Diamond’s turn.

Diamond’s person had him since he was a puppy and had many good things to say about him. She describes him as “happy, easy-going, active but calm, too.” He has lived both with other dogs and cats and done well. While he likes to play with other dogs, when he is left alone, he sleeps. He loves to be with his person. When his person was home, his favorite place to be was on her lap. He doesn’t mind nail trims or baths. He is house-trained and when he needed to go out, he touched her with his paws. He did fine riding in a car and was buckled in. He has done well with older children, but is a bit nervous around toddlers. His favorite activity is going for walks at Minto Brown Park. Diamond does have some allergies and needs to be on a prescription diet.

We spent some time with Diamond on Sunday and he was such a good little sport.

We decided to take him out to a yard.

We stopped to take a picture with some flowers on the way.

Then we found out that Diamond was going to get to go on a respite with volunteer Sheronne! I asked if they would pose for a few pictures before they left.

Diamond is an absolutely delightful little character who will be a wonderful companion for someone wanting a devoted lap dog. We’re hoping that his new person finds him soon. If that’s 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/.

I’m not young anymore, but I still like a game of fetch—as long as you aren’t in a hurry.

I featured Bond a couple of weeks ago, but he is still waiting at the shelter for his retirement home. Bond is a nine-year-old Rottweiler/German Shepherd mix. He has been described as an elder gentleman. He was surrendered when his owner could no longer take care of him.

Bond’s former person had many good things to say about this big boy (92 pounds!). At home he was relaxed, but did like to go for walks. He loves treats and rope toys. He will bark when first seeing a stranger, but then settles and “is happy to see them.” His best friend was a neighbor dog, quite a bit smaller than Bond. “They went on walks together. They gave each other kisses and he shared his rope toys with her.” When he was left alone free in the house, he slept. He loves to go in the car. He is house-trained and “gives the look” when he needs to go outside.

One thing Bond does not like is cats, so he will need a feline-free home. He also can be quite handling-sensitive. He does not like hands over his head or over-petting. He needs a family who will respect his space and let him make the move for affection. His handling sensitivity is most obvious at the vet. Bond also has some allergies that his family will need to stay on top of.

Last week Marianne discovered that he loved to play with toys, so on Sunday we took him to the big yard to see him in action. He loved it.

You can’t fully appreciate Bond’s game of fetch without actually seeing it. He no longer has the speed of a youngster, but rather he enjoys a slow-motion kind of game.

To see more pictures of Bond, check out his other feature here.

If you think Bond will fit well in your 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/.

That’s it for this week!

My thanks to my photo team, Marianne, Megan, and Linda, and to Adoption Supervisor Steffanie, and Adoption Specialist Sasha and her daughter for the going-home pictures of the adoptees and for spending time with Flash, Tesla and us.

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