Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I had assumed that dog adoptions would slow down in December, as people would be busy with holiday preparations. But I was happily wrong. In the past week there have been THIRTEEN dogs who are getting to celebrate with their new families.

Helga

Our youngster Helga was stressed at the shelter so we were especially happy when she went home where she could relax.

Odin

We knew little Odin would be gone quickly and he was! What a cutie!

Carl

Carl will be such a great family dog! He was a volunteer favorite, as you can see. He will love his new kids. Thank you, Adoption Specialist Sasha, for his going-home picture.

Hank

Hank was a favorite of many and all Hound. Such a fun boy.

Cooper

I was glad I was there to take Cooper’s going-home picture with his new family. He’s going to have a great time with his girls. He looks serious, but he really is a hoot.

Circe

This girl was adopted so quickly, I only got to meet her once. What a beauty!

Tony

I was planning on featuring Tony in this week’s post, but am so happy he’s now in his new home. He is a terrific dog, lucky family!

Bella

Our senior girl, Bella, was adopted! As always, we are so pleased when one of our older dogs gets a retirement home.

Sterling

Sterling, a small dog with a big personality, was adopted. We had fun with him on Sunday. Happily, he did not have to wait for his new family very long.

Lucy

Lucy is a very sweet girl. Linda had fun with her on Sunday.

Charlotte

Megan and I fell in love with this girl on Sunday. She was very uneasy at the shelter, so we’re thrilled she didn’t have to stay long. Marianne sent me a great going-home picture.

Gabby

This beautiful girl was a newbie, too. I didn’t get to spend much time with her, but she was so cooperative for her pictures.

Rufus

We are over the moon about Rufus’ adoption today! He was found as a stray and has been waiting since mid-November for a new family. Very few people showed any interested in him. Last week we featured him in my post, a family read about him, and today they came and adopted him! Lucky family!

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, December 14, 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 know I’ve been featured before, but my new family hasn’t found me yet. Maybe THIS will be my going-home week!

Luke was surrendered to the shelter on November 10th. I first wrote about him in my November 23rd post. But still he waits for his new family. He is hoping that if I write another feature about him, his new family will read it and come and take him home. He was very anxious to pose for some new pictures for this post and thought a holiday blanket might catch potential adopters’ eyes.

Are you wishing for a goofy, happy, six-year-old Lab mix? Luke might be your perfect fit! He lived in his former home since he was eight weeks old. Recently, he had not been getting along with the other resident dog, so though his people loved him, they decided he would be happier in a different home.

Luke’s former family had lots of good things to tell his new peeps. “Luke is very sweet and loves to cuddle. He is a typical Lab, meaning he has no sense of personal space. He LOVES hiking, walks, swimming, camping, the beach, toys, sticks and is VERY food-driven. He needs a very active family who has time for him with exercise and adventures. Luke is affectionate and playful and thinks he is a lap dog. He is friendly with visitors and is a ‘talker.’ He knows the cues for sit, down, speak and shake. He loves sticks, the orange balls that float, and any food or treat.”

Luke is house-trained and only got out of his yard once “through a hole in the fence and ran across the street to say hello to the neighbors.” He has lived with cats (4) and children happily. “He LOVES kids. He is just not always mindful of his size.”

On Sunday we brought him into the Ed Hall and he loved being with us, and whenever he saw my camera, he wanted more pictures to help him get adopted. He wanted to show what an affectionate dog he is, and asked Kate to help him.

In the spirit of full disclosure, Luke loves going for walks so much that at the beginning of an outing, he pulls. He is working on the skill of polite leash-walking and promises that when he gets his new family, he will try his best to be calm. His other issue is his weight. He doesn’t like to discuss it, but the word “obese” was used by the vet during his check-in, at 83 pounds. However, with exercise and fewer treats, he has already slimmed down to 77 pounds since being at OHS-Salem, a fact that he’s very proud of.

Luke was quite excited when he learned we were going to have dogs paint more holiday ornaments for the shelter tree and windows. (Dog painting: peanut butter or cheese spread on the outside of a plastic bag covering the ornament with spots of wet paint inside of the bag.)

Luke was absolutely thrilled at the result.

Luke has been waiting a long time for his new family. He is so anxious to meet potential adopters, that he gets carried away and barks in greeting when people walk by his kennel. We have tried to explain to him that his kennel presentation needs work, but he is just so excited that he forgets. Please look past his kennel enthusiasm and ask to meet this good boy. You won’t be sorry.

If you would like a happy-go-lucky, enthusiastic new member of your family, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on his picture and then on the link Adopt Me found here  oregonhumane.org/adopt/salem-shelter-adopt-dogs/

I know I’m not the right fit for every family, but if you like to play fetch…

Are you an active family who is looking for a dog who will eagerly keep up with your adventures? If you are, Maggie would like you to stop in and meet her.

Maggie is a Lab mix and we guess she’s about three years old. She was found as a stray at the beginning of December. Since we know nothing about her past, we can only tell you what we have learned about her since her arrival. Maggie’s passion is tennis balls. To say she is a “ball dog” is an understatement. While she likes treats such as cheese and hot dog bits, they do not hold a candle to a tennis ball in a thrower’s hand. She will sit and wait for the ball to be thrown, dash after it, return it and toss it back to you for another throw. We have yet to tire this girl out!

Once the tennis balls were put away, Maggie was ready to pose with Megan and then paint.

Maggie is a dog in need of a job. So if you have been wishing you had someone to gather all those tennis balls around your house, you’ve come to the right kennel! Just fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on her picture and then on the link Adopt Me found here  oregonhumane.org/adopt/salem-shelter-adopt-dogs/

I know. It’s hard to believe I’m still here. Look at my face!

I featured Chance in my November 23rd post. I was sure he would be gone in a heartbeat. But he’s still waiting in his kennel and asked me to feature him again.

Chance is a happy two-year-old Chow Chow/Newfoundland mix who is looking for an active family with whom he can go on adventures.

Chance’s family surrendered him because he was too energetic for their lifestyle. His former family described him as “affectionate, playful, friendly, independent and very active.” His favorite activity was to run and play with “his toy elk.” When his family was away, he was left free in the house and did fine. However, if they were gone too many hours, Chance would have accidents. Chance has not learned to play well with other dogs, according to his former people, and would prefer to be the only pet in the house. He has lived with several children and done well with them. When Chance was assessed upon his arrival at the shelter, the trainer wrote, “Chance seems to be a friendly dog with lots of energy and curiosity about the world around him.”

We brought Chance into the Ed Hall for some fun and he loved it. He especially liked the Jolly Ball.

Then it was time for a little training with Linda and then posing with Kate.

Last week Kate took Chance on an adventure. Here is her report.

“Today Chance and I went to the park for a quick romp and he had a blast! He was such a gentleman in the car and LOVED sticking his head out the window. Another fun fact about this sweet boy is that he LOVES water. He had a blast swimming in the creek and was even able to convince me to let him wade in the lake. But by far his favorite activity was watching all the ducks and geese by the lake. We also played a quick game of fetch and he was very polite and dropped the toy for me so he could chase it again. We had such a fun time and I love this dog and his personality so much!”

For the right family who will help Chance be the great dog he wants to be, he will be a delightful new member. If you are interested in meeting him to see if he fits well with your lifestyle, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on his picture and then on the link Adopt Me found here  oregonhumane.org/adopt/salem-shelter-adopt-dogs/

We’re hoping that these three dogs will be with their new families before the holiday season is over.

As always, thanks to my photo team volunteers Marianne, Megan, Linda, and Kate, and Adoption Specialist Sasha.

All of the dogs I have featured today, along with other terrific dogs waiting to be adopted, can be found at Oregon Humane Society Salem Campus. Here is the link to the adoptable-dog page: oregonhumane.org/adopt/salem-shelter-adopt-dogs/

Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, try to make arrangements to get to the shelter soon. Some dogs are adopted more quickly than you might think.

You can reach me at  adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com