Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

For the first time in a month, it wasn’t raining on Sunday! That meant we could take pictures of new dogs outside and play in a yard with Junior, one of this week’s feature dogs.

When I arrived at the shelter in the morning, volunteer Heidi was training volunteer Melissa to be a dog walker. That evening I received the following note from Melissa that made me laugh out loud. “I want to thank everyone for the friendly welcome this morning at my training. My main take-away from today’s tutorial is in dog vernacular, ‘I come with cheese’ is the same as ‘I come in peace.'”

Happily, we also had EIGHT dogs adopted since my last post.

Penny

As soon as we saw her, we knew she’d be gone in an instant. She warmed up to Kate quickly.

Soula

Shy little Soula was adopted and we are so glad she is in a home; the shelter was very stressful for her. She decided Linda was her favorite person until her family found her.

Finn

Our good boy, Finn, was adopted. What a lucky family; he’ll be such a great new addition. He knows so many cues, including “high five.”

Tucker

We were over the moon about the adoption of Tucker! This non-smiling sweetheart had been waiting since December 15th for a new family. They came to the shelter only to drop off some pet food—and went home with Tucker to join their pack. There will even be an update at the end of this post.

Baloo

We knew puppy Baloo would not be long at the shelter. Such a happy, energetic youngster with one ear up and one ear down.

Oakley

Oakley will keep his family active and laughing.

Button

Little senior (10 years old) Button was adopted almost instantly when he became available. Luckily, I had already taken pictures of him a little earlier with volunteer Linda. So happy he didn’t have to stay in the shelter for long.

Hugo

Our wonderful Hugo went home with a girl all his own. He was instantly drawn to her when she and her mother came to meet him. He was gentle and sweet and showed off what Linda had taught him.

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, January 25, 2023. 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.

My peeps here tell me I’m a volunteer favorite, yet my new family hasn’t come to adopt me yet. Just wanted to let you know I’ll be waiting for you in my kennel!

I was so sure that Junior, a one-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix, would be adopted quickly, I didn’t think I needed to feature him. However, he arrived at the shelter on January 5th, and still he waits. So on Sunday my photo team spent some quality time with him so we could showcase what a delightful youngster he is.

Junior was found as a stray, but we can tell he was well-loved because he is one of the most affectionate dogs we’ve ever met. He relished our time out in a play yard.

It is obvious that Junior has never met a stranger. He loves everyone he encounters and has done well with greeting other dogs at the shelter. The intake staff wrote, “Very happy dog, tail wagging, jumping around the room, coming up for love and pets, very tolerable for medical handling.” Volunteers have written many good things about this active, playful boy, too. “Junior is SO sweet. He pulled a little, but not too bad.” “Noticed other dogs while out, but no barking or pulling.” “Loves playing fetch and will bring ball back to you. Super sweet dog!”

We decided to play some fetch and he was excited!

After our vigorous playtime, we came into the Ed Hall for some “active” cuddling.

Can you watch this without laughing?

For an active family looking for a joyful, exuberant, adoring new member, you need to come and meet Junior. He will love you to the moon and back as well as keep you laughing. Just 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’ve been waiting here for a long time. I sure hope my new family will come soon.

Brody arrived at the shelter in late November. He was found as a stray on the property of a good Samaritan who took him in. She wrote, “I held onto him for three weeks because he was such a good boy, but ultimately I couldn’t care for him as I already have three dogs.” Brody got along very well with her dogs.

I met Brody, a two-year-old German Shepherd mix, for the first time when Kate brought him into the Ed Hall for his photo shoot. He was so uneasy and shy, he stayed next to Kate while he peeked out at me.

Brody soon regained his confidence.  Two weeks later, Kate again brought him into the Ed Hall and it was like he was a different dog—happy and affectionate. As time has gone on, however, and no one has come and adopted Brody, he has become increasingly stressed in the shelter environment. He can get overly excited in his kennel when he knows he’s going to go out. One volunteer wrote, “Brody is more jumpy and mouthy than he has been in the past few weeks. Nice dog, but be prepared.” Brody is hoping for a person with German Shepherd experience who understands a dog’s body language. He needs to go to a home where there is a fenced yard and he is given the time to decompress and relax in a calm setting.

We first featured Brody in my December 21st post. He asked to be featured again, hoping that THIS time his new family will see it. Brody is smart, treat-motivated, and already knows basic cues.

We brought him into the Ed Hall on Sunday and he really enjoyed hanging out with us and posing for new pictures.

Brody and we are hoping so much that his perfect family will come soon and take this good boy home.

If you are that person, 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/

Do you like cheese? I love cheese, dog biscuits not so much.

Duke is a four-year-old German Shepherd mix (yes, another Shepherd) who was found as a stray and brought to the shelter on December 16th. Like Brody, Duke is not for the first-time dog owner. He is looking for an experienced family who can read and understand dog body language. He can be shy at first meeting, but once he feels comfortable with you, he is anxious to play. He LOVED the GFB (Giant Fluff Ball).

Duke has not learned to walk on leash politely. He does pretty well when there are no distractions, but when he sees another dog, he pulls toward it. At 68 pounds, he is a strong puller. The good news is that he is very treat-motivated (high-value treats, that is) and very smart. So positive-based training will be rewarding for both his new person and Duke.

Duke likes being around people and was happy to pose for a picture with Marianne.

He had a few things to say.

Always thinking of his future, Duke had an idea for a potential adopter.

As you saw in earlier pictures, Duke LOVES the GFB. Here he is in action with it.

Duke will be a wonderful companion for the right person. If you think that could be you, Duke would love to meet you. 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/

Hobz

If you read my posts regularly, you will remember Hobz, a sweet but obese dog who arrived at the shelter in November of 2021. He quickly won all of our hearts and we hoped he’d get a wonderful home.

In early December 2021 that family came. Marianne helped get Hobz into the car due to his size.

Last week Hobz and his person stopped by the shelter to say hi to Marianne. She wasn’t there at that time, but staff took a picture for her. We are so happy that he’s doing well and is well-loved. And he’s lost some weight!

Tucker

Tucker’s family has already sent a wonderful update which we were thrilled to receive.

“I know we just brought Tucker home Friday, but thought it would be nice to update you about this sweet boy. Tucker is doing FANTASTIC! He has his own slow-feeder bowl and name tag now. He’s experienced his 1st Pup Shake from Bentley’s. He’s gone to two different pet stores and even a dog park, and he was SO well behaved in all three places. He’s currently working on not mouthing items, leash walking, and learning boundaries from his brothers and sisters. Tucker is an amazing boy and we can’t wait to see him continue to pull out of his shell and grow into the best dog he can be. We are definitely blessed to have him join our family.”

His new mom adds, “I work from home and this chair is right next to my computer desk. He loves to sit next to me with his siblings.”

On that wonderful note, that’s it for this week!

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

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