Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

This week I’ll be featuring three terrific dogs waiting for their new families to find them. But first, I’m excited to report that we had three fantastic adoptions in the past week!

MaGoo

Remember MaGoo, the gentle giant Great Dane from last week’s post? This sweetheart was adopted by one of our own shelter volunteers, Wayne! He took MaGoo home for a respite and that evening he adopted him! We are over the moon that MaGoo is out of the kennel and into his forever home. Wayne is absolutely thrilled with what a polite, loving dog MaGoo is. And Wayne knows what he’s talking about—he raised two Great Dane puppies in the past. Wayne has promised to keep me in the loop about their adventures so I can pass them on to you. Lucky Wayne, Lucky MaGoo. Oh, and his new name is Buddy!

And here is the first home picture of Buddy along with Wayne’s niece, a former WHS volunteer.

Wayne writes, “One of the things I like about being a volunteer at WHS is the teamwork. It’s been said it takes a village to raise a child. The same holds true for the animals here at WHS. From intake to adoption the animals are cared for by well-trained staff and volunteers. In addition, we benefit from the support of members of the community. Recently I adopted “Buddy the Adventure Dog” (formerly known as MaGoo) from WHS. Buddy and I’d like to thank all who cared for him while he patiently waited for me to discover him.”

Moose

Moose has been waiting for his perfect fit of a home for a long time. I first wrote about him in my April 20th post. On Saturday, he went with his new person! So happy for both of them!

I was happily surprised when on Saturday evening I got an email from Moose’s new family. It said, “Moose has found his forever home!  He is so loved already.” The message included these wonderful pictures of Moose settling into his new home.

Kauhlua

I just met Kauhlua on Sunday. This girl has spunk! We played fetch with her for quite a while and she never tired! She’s great about chasing the ball and rolling it to you when she returns it.

Kauhlua went home on Monday with shelter volunteer Lori! (Yes, the same Lori who is a professional photographer and who has taken some outstanding pictures of our dogs that have appeared in my posts.) Kauhlua and Lori’s other dog, Leia, hit it off at first meet. Such a lucky dog! Here is the first family photo that Lori sent on Monday evening. She wrote, “Kauhlua has not slowed down yet today!! She is throwing her ball for herself while I am working on sending you the photo!”

 Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, June 22, 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.

Hi, there! I’m looking for an active family who likes to play fetch as much as I do! Could that be your family?

Max is a three-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier/Shar-Pei mix who has an adorable face that will make you smile.

Max was surrendered because the other dog in the home has serious health issues, and Max has not gotten the attention he needs. His family reported that he is “sweet, but can be stubborn, very content and docile when he is getting attention.” He has gotten along very well with other dogs but is afraid of cats. He has a very good history with children “but is not spatially aware” and can accidentally knock little ones over. He is “very patient with family children and their rowdiness.” He is not a fan of car rides. He is easily startled by loud noises and a bit shy at first meeting strangers, needing slow introductions. His favorite thing to do is play fetch and he loves big tennis balls and chew toys. Max is crate-trained and slept in one at night. Max does need some additional help in house-training. And in the spirit of full disclosure, he is a bit of an escape artist and has gotten out of his yard, so a secure fence will be important. But for a family who can give Max the attention he loves and the patience to help him with house-training, Max will be a wonderful family addition.

We took him into Mary’s Place and he had us in stitches with his enthusiasm and zest for life. He enjoyed posing for my camera, first with Megan, then with Marianne.

Max is not picky about his treats, though his favorites are chicken breast and steak.

He also likes plushy toys.

Then Max got really goofy, making us all laugh.

Max is a delightful dog who will keep his family entertained and active.

If you’d like to find out more about Max and see if he might be a good fit for your 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/.

I’ve been here before. I’m hoping that THIS time I’ll find my forever home!

I first met Smoke, a Siberian Husky mix, in August of 2019. He had been found as a stray and was transferred to WHS from another shelter. At that time his name was Speedy. Here he was then, a youngster.

Volunteer Nancy loved him.

Speedy was adopted the day after he was available, and his name became Smoke. But now, three years later, his family no longer has a yard for Smoke to romp in and they decided he would be happier with a family who did. Here he is now, still handsome and happy.

Smoke is not a dog for the faint of heart and he would do best with a Husky-savvy person. He is not the kind of dog who will be content to lie around the house waiting for his person to come home. His former family describes him as “playful, attentive to commands, not much for snuggling but likes to be close to his human.” He is fine with new people and has gotten along well with other dogs. He has no history with cats or children. He does not like to be left alone, so a home where someone is there most of the time would be perfect for Smoke. He is not fond of being in a kennel and is quite an escape artist when left alone, so a secure yard and watchful eyes will be important. Smoke is good in the car, preferring to ride in the back seat where he can stretch out. His favorite toys are tennis balls. Marianne bought a new pool for the shelter dogs on Monday and reported that Smoke loves it!

We brought Smoke into Mary’s Place to see how he’d do. He soaked up the attention while sprawling on the couch.

And then he had an announcement to make.

Smoke is very puppy-like in play, and he is also a good listener and can settle nicely. He wants to show you.

If you think you might be the perfect match for Smoke and want to learn more about him, 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 may not be young anymore, but my friends here say I still have lots of energy and love to give!

Do you have a soft spot in your heart for senior dogs? If so, Cowboy would like to meet you. He is a twelve-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix. I met him for the first time on Sunday and was instantly smitten.

Cowboy was an instant favorite of both staff and volunteers. Here’s what a member of the Intake staff wrote about his first meeting: “He is a good boy. He came out of his kennel willingly to greet me and go outside. He wasn’t very interested in peanut butter but loves duck treats. Seems to have trouble eating the tougher treats. Cowboy was easy to hold for medical procedures. He may be hard of hearing, but didn’t seem reactive to other dogs we passed. Very easy-going dog.”

Cowboy has been an outdoor dog for several years and is very excited about being indoors more. He was surrendered because his person was moving and couldn’t take him. Cowboy is “playful, curious, likes to chase balls” according to his former owner. He likes other dogs, but will chase cats. He has done very well with children. He is crate-trained and is fine riding in a car. He does seem to be losing some hearing. Since he’s been outside for several years, he may need a little brush-up on house-training.

Upon meeting Cowboy, we were very surprised to learn he is twelve, as he certainly doesn’t act like it. He is eager and very happy to get our attention, cheerfully posing for my camera with Megan.

Later we took him into Mary’s Place where he promptly jumped up on the couch.

If you have room in your heart and home for a senior no-drama kind of guy, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on Cowboy’s picture and then on the link Adopt Me found on this page: https://whs4pets.org/dogs/.

After all the new dog pictures were taken and we’d spent time with the ones I am featuring this week, we wanted to spend a little while with a couple of favorites who are still waiting for their new families.

Carbon

You will remember Carbon from last week’s post. He is such a wonderful dog and because large black dogs are often passed by in shelters, he continues to wait for someone to recognize what a gem he is. We took him into Mary’s Place. Here are some shots from our relaxed time together. He is so cooperative about posing!

First we played.

Then it was time to relax. I really wondered what he was thinking about.

After a while, he laid his head on my arm.

Finally he fell asleep with his head against Linda.

We hated to wake him up to go back to his kennel. But, as always, he was cooperative. Ever the optimist, he had a last thing to tell Linda.

To read all about sweet Carbon, check out last week’s post here and my May 25th post here. If you’d like to meet him, 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/.

Raider

Raider also continues to wait for his new family. Marianne had him in Mary’s Place when I arrived on Sunday. He’s such a delightful, gentle boy who loves being with his peeps more than anything else.

When I was heading home on Sunday afternoon, I stopped by his kennel. He looked sad.

To read all about Raider and see if he’s your family’s perfect fit, click on my last week’s post here. If you’d like to meet him, 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/.

Ace/Frankie

Remember Ace?

Here is what I wrote about him: “When Ace arrived at the shelter in January, he looked pretty rough. But we could tell that underneath all that hair was an adorable little dog. The day I took his incoming photos, it was quite windy.”

We were so happy when in February he was adopted by a couple who saw his true self and fell in love with him. Here they were about to head home.

Last week I got this terrific update!

“We adopted Frankie on February 6th, 2022, so we are just at the four-month mark. He is doing very well! He is such a happy boy.  He has a small basket of toys, 3 or 4 very favorite ones. He loves to play, tossing the stuffed ones, a lamb and a hedgehog, high in the air. He will take a large treat outside to the yard and use his nose to try to cover it with grass. For later, I guess! Throw pillows are a particular target. He pushes them off the couch or the bed or disappears underneath them. His training on walks has mainly consisted of encouraging him to not bark at people and other dogs. He is doing so much better now. He does well in large groups of people in a neutral setting but is still very vocal when anyone comes to the door. He and his “cousin,” Mia, are besties and often have sleepovers when my son and his wife or we are out of town. But he is a great travel companion and will race to the garage door if we mention ‘ride.’ Frankie is very sensitive but he is also smart and has a wonderful sense of humor. We think he is next to perfect.”

Can you find the dog in the throw pillows?

I’m guessing Frankie isn’t excited about his new raincoat.

Frankie got a jackpot of a home! We’re so happy for him.

If you are a long-time reader of my blog, you will remember two all-time favorites, Gunner and Thor. Gunner was adopted into a wonderful family in October of 2014, with two dog siblings. By 2019, Gunner’s buddies had died and his people came back to the shelter to adopt another friend to keep Gunner company. This time it was Thor, another volunteer favorite. I happened to be at the shelter when they brought Gunner to meet Thor. It was best friends at first sight. That’s Gunner on the right, Thor on the left.

Thor had arrived at WHS on September 19, 2019. This is what I wrote about him at that time, “Thor is a delightful six-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix with some paralysis on the right side of his face. We have no idea what caused it, but it doesn’t bother him at all. However, it makes his right eye look smaller than his left and he has a little trouble holding onto a treat on the right side of his mouth. That also doesn’t bother him a bit as long as he gets the treat! Marianne says his face matches his goofy personality.”

Gunner and Thor had an absolutely wonderful life together and were so loved by their family. Last summer I got the sad news that Gunner had died. I wrote a memorial about him in my July 14, 2021 post.

Last week I got the sad news that Thor has died. Here is what his family wrote:

“It’s with a very heavy heart that I have to write to you again. We had to let Thor go early this morning. It was unexpected. Leading up to Thursday there were no signs that anything was wrong. But soon after, a system upset caused us to rush him to emergency, and he stayed for three nights. Their diagnosis was an ulcer. He got better and we brought him home Sunday night. He wasn’t quite his normal self, but by Monday morning he was close. He went on a walk, barked at some squirrels in the back yard and let us love on him. Very early this morning things changed. He went out back and collapsed. We rushed him again to emergency. His poor body was shutting down and he was very uncomfortable. So we made the decision to let him go. It was a year ago tomorrow that we lost Gunner. We believe that he got better just enough to come home and spend one last day with us. We didn’t have him long, but oh what a hole he has left. With his lopsided smile to all his little lumps. He was one gentle giant. He loved us and we are grateful for him letting us love him. We had hoped to love him a little longer than we got to. There was no one that met Thor that didn’t fall in love with him. We are at a loss here at home. We’ve never been without a dog for 20 years. It seems strange. Thank you to WHS for giving us two spectacular dogs!” 

What a great life Gunner and Thor had together with their forever family. I will close this post the same way I ended Gunner’s memorial.

One of my favorite quotes at times like this was written by Tracy Crandall, WHS Board President several years ago, and I have never forgotten it. Tracy said, “I think the reason we are so deeply affected by the absence of a beloved pet is because our lives were so profoundly touched by their presence.”

That’s it for this week.

As always, my thanks to volunteers Marianne, Megan, Linda, and Lori (for her family portrait), Wayne (for his Buddy picture) and Behavior and Training Instructor, Nichole.

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