Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I’m going to start this post with a some great news.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will remember Maggie, our sweet, tennis-ball-obsessed girl who was accepted into the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) in California.

We recently got this wonderful update from SDF.

“We’re very excited that Maggie arrived safely at our training center campus in Santa Paula, CA. Such a fun girl, she came out of the crate ready to play ball! She also seemed to love all of the extra attention she was getting from our team on site, as they all dropped what they were doing to welcome her to our National Training Center.

Over the next 3-4 weeks, our staff will let Maggie settle into her new digs and get used to the new environment. Maggie will enjoy daily exercise, trips to our “doggy day spa” for baths and nail trims, and will get to know her new friends here at SDF (both canine and human). 

Once our training staff feels that Maggie is properly acclimated and has a chance to adjust to her new surroundings, Maggie will go through our formal performance evaluation with our trainers to determine if she will be a good fit for our nine-to-twelve-month search and rescue training program. This evaluation includes tests similar to those you sent us video of, along with additional assessments on one of our rubble piles. 

If Maggie meets the criteria for our program, she will immediately begin training daily with our canine care staff and trainers. Within that 3-4 week timeframe, she will also undergo a full medical evaluation to ensure there are no medical issues that would put Maggie at potential risk in a search and rescue career. This would include x-rays for hips, elbows, and spine. 

If Maggie decides at any point during evaluation or training that disaster search is not for her, we will find an alternative career placement for Maggie or a loving home through our Lifetime Care Program. 

Of course, I will let you know the results of the performance and medical screenings. Thank you for all of your help in getting Maggie to this point—we are excited to work with her!”

We are so happy for Maggie. What an exciting new life for a former shelter dog!

We had some wonderful adoptions in the last week.

Duke

We were so happy that Duke found a new home. He was such a gentleman and a volunteer favorite. Thanks for the going-home picture, staff member Mackenzie.

King

We didn’t get to know this newbie well, but we could tell he’ll be a great family dog.

Rayna

Rayna was another newbie who was adopted soon after she arrived. She was shy, but a very nice girl. Thanks for the going-home picture, Marianne.

Beya

Drum roll! Happy Dance! Our long-termer and multiple-times-adopted sweet Beya was adopted once again today! She loved her new family and hopped right in the car to go home. We are so hoping THIS will be Beya’s perfect fit! Staff member Mackenzie sent me these wonderful pictures of Beya’s most excellent day!

Meringue

Our sweet Meringue went to her new home on Sunday. Riley sent me this great going-home picture! Oh! And that is her happy face!

Snow

This was one cute adoption! Puppy Snow went home with his new family. He will keep them active! It was a real challenge to try to get him to stay still for a nanosecond for a picture.

Bean

Bean was adopted today! Such a good boy. Very lucky family.

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, February 22, 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 friends here at the shelter say I’ve come a long, long way since I got here and was very scared. Now I’m ready for a family of my own.

Suzanne is a one-year-old Lab mix, who along with another dog was found as a stray.

We don’t know why Suzanne was so afraid when she arrived. Perhaps she was not well socialized as a puppy. Whatever it was left her extremely fearful of any person she does not know. We call this “stranger danger” but what a difference patience and love has made in the weeks Suzanne has been at the shelter. She still has some fear at first meetings, but the number of human friends she has is growing every day. One staff trainer recently wrote, “Suzanne has come a long way. She is active, playful and engaging, not fearful and defensive as she was with everyone to start. She now has many friends. Her stranger danger is improving, too.” Another staff member wrote, “Suzanne saw multiple new people today while on her noon and evening walks, she noticed them and focused for several moments, then easily turned and kept walking by my side. No barking at all, and she completely forgot there were new people around once we continued our walk.” Each new milestone is celebrated by staff and volunteers. “Another big step for Suzanne. She went through the front lobby door and took tossed treats from a volunteer who was a complete stranger.”

Suzanne is not a dog for a first-time dog owner. Even with her improvement, her person will need to be able to read dog body language and know what to do when Suzanne is afraid.

Because of her fears, she has been a staff-only project. But gradually she is meeting volunteers. I first met Suzanne a week ago to get some pictures. She was not only afraid of me, but also of my camera. But within minutes, she was running around the yard, though she kept some distance between us and looked worried when I held up the camera.

What a difference a week makes! Since we wanted to feature her in this post, we asked Skylar, one of the shelter trainers, to bring her to the big yard with us. We had a wonderful time! Look at her now.

One of the fun things about Suzanne is that she can easily entertain herself if she has some toys. She loves to lope carrying a ball in her mouth, as you’ll see in her movie.

Suzanne is not picky about the kind of ball she has. She will sit and wait for it to be thrown.

Skylar encouraged her to get up on the platform with a bit of cheese.

Once up, she had a visit with Linda.

When it was time to go back to her kennel, she wanted to say something to potential adopters.

Suzanne is waiting for a specific kind of home. She will be most comfortable in a calm, quiet one with low-traffic and with a dog-experienced family. She has lived with other dogs happily. If Suzanne sounds like your perfect fit, 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 am looking for my perfect fit of a family. Do you like a dog with energy? If so, you and I will make a great team!

Margo is a medium-sized three-year-old Lab/Australian Shepherd mix. She is very treat-motivated and knows several cues, among them sit and down, which I found out immediately upon meeting her. She will be so much fun to train with reward-based instruction.

Margo was first surrendered because she had too much energy. The family didn’t have the time to spend with her, so she was crated too much. They want her to have a home where she gets the attention and love that she craves and deserves. She was adopted once, but it was not the right fit, and now she is back at the shelter hoping her perfect family will find her. She has seemed very sad in her kennel since she has been back. She sits quietly on her bed and it’s easy for potential adopters to pass her by and hardly notice her.

But on Sunday I told her we were going to feature her again and brought her into Mary’s Place. She sprang to life and was so happy to be with us and getting attention.

Margo’s former family had a lot of things to tell us about her: “She is very sweet but not very socialized and gets excited when she meets new friends. She has playfully nipped at people and other dogs. She loves belly rubs and cuddles. Loves to sleep at the foot of the bed. She has lots of energy.” When asked how they would describe Margo, her family wrote, “She’s affectionate, playful and very active. She loves basketballs and playing chase.” Margo is house-trained and was crated when her people were gone. She would like to meet any dog she will be living with, but in the past has gotten along with most other dogs. She should not go to a home with a cat as she chases them. Older children would be best for Margo. Her former family wrote, “She is extremely playful but because she is big and uses her mouth to play, it can be a lot for small children. Older kids or teens would be fine.” She walks well on leash most of the time, but does pull when she wants to meet a person or another dog.

She had a lot to say during our time in Mary’s Place.

Margo can settle nicely and relax after playing.

Margo is not shy about sharing her opinions and she can be a bit of a drama queen, especially when it’s time to put on her leash and go back to her kennel…

To see more pictures and a movie of Margo in action, see my first feature about her here.

If you are looking for an active, affectionate, and bright new family member, come and meet Margo. 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/




Are you timid and startled by loud noise? Do you have a quiet home? Do you have a patient and understanding heart? Maybe you could adopt me?

Rose is an eight-month-old American Pit Bull Terrier mix. She came to us from another shelter, so we have no idea what her young life has been like. We do know that she has not been well socialized. She is fearful of any noise or sudden movement and is uneasy around new people. She has a constant worried look. I first met her a week ago when I took her picture.

She was shy with Linda, but seemed to sense that she was a friend, though her tail stayed tucked and her ears pinned back.

On Sunday we decided to take her into Mary’s Place and see if she would relax a little. It took time, but gradually she did begin to settle some. She stayed close to Linda, but did start to take treats.

Rose has a beautiful brindle coat. She is house-trained and was very good during her initial vet exam. The vet tech wrote, “Rose was cooperative for her exam. She is affectionate towards people. She is too fearful to walk on a leash, but can be coaxed to walk if another dog is walking in front of her. Potty trained, she waited until she was outside.” Since that time, Rose has gotten better about walking on leash.

Gradually during our time in Mary’s Place, Rose’s tail became less tucked. Linda became her “comfort person.”

Her tail relaxed and her ears perked up.

After a while…

Then we were surprised and thrilled when she jumped up on the couch and settled in.

Rose is waiting for a quiet, low-traffic home with a family who will be patient with her and give her time and space. She will get braver with your help and be your very best fried. We’re hoping that family will come soon. If you think you are that family, 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/.

Mary’s Place Makeover!

We are so happy to be back in Mary’s Place for spending time with dogs in a room that feels more like a home. It recently got new paint and Marianne got to work and made new curtains, ordered a new rug and shelves, hung new shelter dog photos, and painted some of the furniture. I wanted to show you how great it looks now thanks to the painters and Marianne! And notice the painting left of the window. That’s what our dogs painted last week!

Oswaldo/Bingo

Remember our extremely affectionate Oswaldo who got adopted very quickly after his arrival at the shelter?

Last week I got this wonderful update about this happy dog.

“I wanted to give an update on our sweet Oswaldo. We did give him a new name—It’s Bingo! 🙂

He has brought a new energy to our house, and also lots of hugs and kisses! Bingo likes to go to the pet stores and to the dog park. He even came to work with me today! He was very well behaved. Everyone said he is such a sweet boy!

At home, he has been getting along well with our older dog (also an Australian Shepherd). Even though they each have their own food and water bowls, they seem to like to share a meal together. He is working hard at learning commands, he seems to think they all end in ‘hugs’ after.  Thanks for loving on this sweet boy until we finally found him!“

On that very happy note, that’s it for this week.

I won’t be writing a post next week, but will post again on March 8.

As always, thanks to my photo team volunteers Marianne and Linda and staff members Skylar, Riley and Mackenzie.

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

Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

This week we are featuring three very different dogs, each with her own special appeal. But first, here are the adoptions during the past week.

There were two puppies I didn’t get a chance to meet before they were adopted. They were Jasmine and Copper.

Panini

On the Sunday before last, I happened to see a young couple sitting in front of Panini’s kennel talking with her. I mentioned what a sweet girl she was and that I had just taken pictures of her. They said they had been coming to spend time with her each day since her arrival, waiting for her to become available. The day after she was spayed, the young couple took her home. Such a happy new life for a wonderful dog. Oh, and her new name is Kyllo! There will be an update at the end of this post.

Freya

Our very shy Freya was a newbie and was so uneasy in the shelter. We are overjoyed that she is now in her new home.

Maya

We could not believe that Maya wasn’t scooped up right away, she is such an affectionate dog. But I’m thrilled to report that she was adopted last week by a staff member who couldn’t resist her charm.

Pinto

This young, seven-month-old pup won our hearts instantly, especially Linda’s. He was also a newbie who didn’t stay long at the shelter.

Rusty

I didn’t get a chance to meet Rusty, either, but I got this going-home picture from staff member Riley.

Reba

Reba was a sweet girl who happily was not at the shelter for very long. We had fun with her the Sunday we met her.

Oswaldo

Oswaldo, a one-year-old Australian Shepherd mix, who had been found as a stray and recently transferred to us from another shelter, found his new home on Monday. Marianne and I met him for the first time Sunday and had so much fun taking pictures of him. He is one of the most affectionate, people dogs we’ve ever met. Such a good boy! Thanks to staff member Riley for his going-home picture.

Elsa

This newbie, a seven-month-old pup, was adopted today! She was very shy and nervous on Sunday. We’re glad she’s in her new home tonight. She will keep her new family active!

Noodle

Puppy Noodle (five months) was adopted today, too! He has some challenges, as he is deaf. He was adopted once, but it wasn’t the right fit. We’re hoping this time will be!

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, February 15, 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.

Do you like Shepherds? Do you have experience with us? I love people and could be your very best friend!

I was sure that beautiful Shasta would be adopted soon after she arrived at the shelter on January 14th, so I have not featured her. However, she is still waiting for her perfect family fit, so I’m starting this post telling you about this special girl.

Shasta is a one-year-old Shepherd mix who was found as a stray. Someone loved her, as she has been well taken care of. She also LOVES people. When I stopped at her kennel on Sunday to tell her we were going to spend time with her and feature her, she leaned against the kennel door for me to pet her.

We had spent some time with her a few of weeks ago in Mary’s Place. That’s when we realized what a “people dog” she is—she thoroughly enjoyed every minute with us.

She isn’t always calm—she can be quite goofy.

Shasta is not a dog for the casual dog owner. As much as she loves people, she does not care for other dogs. She will need to be the only pet in the home and she’ll need a securely fenced yard. At 96 pounds, she can pull hard when on a walk if she sees another dog. Otherwise, she walks very well on leash.

Since she has been at the shelter, Shasta has made many human friends. When the Intake staff met her, they wrote, “Sweet girl. Solicited pets and gave a tail wag to everyone. Very big dog but a gentle giant. Wanted to be petted the entire time, tail wagging. Loved being brushed. Good for medical handling. Very treat motivated. Preferred peanut butter and cream cheese! Quiet in the kennel and laid down. Easily went in and stayed as I exited.”

Volunteers have written nice things about Shasta, too. She seems to be improving some in her dog reactivity. Kate wrote, “Walked beautifully on leash! Saw the neighbor’s small dog who barked at her and she didn’t react. Just looked at the dog and was easy to redirect. VERY treat-motivated! VERY SWEET girl!”

On Sunday we took Shasta outside (it wasn’t raining this week!) and she had fun romping in the yard.

Then it was time for more attention from Megan. Shasta seems to love to pose for pictures.

Notice the head tilt of both the canine AND the human!

On our way back to her kennel, we stopped for a moment for a few bench shots. Did I mention that Shasta likes to pose?

Shasta is a lovely girl whose favorite place to be is with her people. If you could be that person, 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/

Do you like to vacuum but don’t have dog hair to keep you busy? I’m the answer! Come meet me!

Whiskey is another people dog and very affectionate. She likes nothing more than hanging out with her human friends.

Whiskey is a six-year-old Alaskan Malamute mix and, at 85 pounds, she’s a big girl and a favorite of Marianne’s.

Whiskey was found as a stray and came to the shelter in early January. She was adopted twice, but returned when she showed resource-guarding of food, beds, and toys from the other dogs in the families. So we now know that Whiskey must go to a home as the only dog. Happily, this does not mean that she cannot interact with other dogs outside of her home. She enjoys playing rough and tumble with dogs with a similar play style in neutral territory. She walks past other dogs with no issues.

Her two former families had many good things to say about this girl. “She is a great dog with amazing human social interactions. She is very cuddly. Overall, she was lovely and has great potential, but will need dedicated time, resources, and effort to give her a good chance as the only pet in the home.” The other family wrote, “Whiskey is the sweetest girl and genuinely loves her people. She loves cuddles and always wants attention. She has a lot of love to give and would make the perfect dog for the right person.”

According to her former families, Whiskey knows many cues, including “sit, leave it, wait, stay, down, come, and shake paw.” Both families said she does well with children. “She is very playful and gentle, but can be overwhelming due to her size and strength.” “She is friendly towards all people and loves kids.”

Whiskey does pull when on walks and she is very strong. She will need consistent reward-based training to help her learn to walk politely. She has a lot of energy and will also need a family who can let her romp. We took her out to play fetch in a yard on Sunday and had a wonderful time. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, while she enthusiastically runs AFTER the ball, but returning it, not so much. And she’s more of a loper than a sprinter, as you’ll see.

After her lopes, Whiskey settled in for some affection with Marianne and Megan.

This brings us back to the vacuum. On a previous Sunday, we spent time in the Ed Hall with Whiskey and someone suggested brushing her. It turned out she LOVES to be brushed.

If you have a fenced yard and no other pets, and have fallen in love with our sweet Whiskey, 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 I was featured last week, but why am I still here? Maybe THIS week will be the one where I go home.

Last week we featured Meringue, hoping that her new family would see it and come and adopt this sweetheart. But that didn’t happen. Since she has become a favorite of ours, we wanted to spend more time with her on Sunday and decided we’d just feature her again with new pictures.

Meringue is a three-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix. She loves people, cheese, and stuffed toys. The GFB (Giant Fluff Ball) was a hit on Sunday. She wanted to pose with it for pictures.

And then she wanted a video.

Like so many of our dogs lately, Meringue was found as a stray. She has won the hearts of many volunteers at the shelter even though she doesn’t smile. She lets her tail speak for her—it is constantly in motion. She is not proud of her kennel presentation. She hopes potential adopters won’t judge her too badly because she barks in excitement to meet new people. She loves to play fetch outside and one volunteer wrote, “Very sweet girl! Played fetch well (used 2 balls to trade!). Can be jumpy but fairly easy to redirect with toys.”

After romping in Mary’s Place, it was time to settle. Linda worked with her on “leave it.”

She wasn’t above using the pleading puppy eyes, hoping for some cheese bits.

Meringue is not shy about showing how she feels about people.

We weren’t quite sure what this was about, but we laughed.

Asking her to smile did not compute.

Posing for pictures is very exhausting.

After a short nap, Meringue was concerned she might miss her new people, so she decided to go back to her kennel.

But on the way, we stopped for a couple of last pictures.

And a thank you.

To read more about Meringue and to see more pictures and another video of her, click here.

If you think Meringue is your new best friend, 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/

We are thrilled to be back in Mary’s Place with fresh paint and Marianne’s new curtains. The next project will be putting up new pictures. Our last task on Sunday was painting a large canvass created by our shelter dogs to be hung in Mary’s Place. All three of the featured dogs agreed to help and they did a great job. I’ll show the completed masterpiece in next week’s post. (The painting process is putting globs of paint on the canvass, covering it with plastic, spreading peanut butter and spray-cheese on top of the plastic, and letting the dogs lick.)

Shasta

Meringue

Whiskey

Panini/Kyllo

I don’t usually get an update the first day after the dog has gone to a new home, but I did get a very happy one about Panini.

Here it is.

“She is doing so well thus far! She’s already taken a long nap, has played with toys, and has even eaten a bit! She needed the beauty rest!  She is about to go shopping now for a new bed, toys, and accessories! If you want to follow along on her adventures and have an Instagram, you can find us at @wagsnfloof “

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

Thanks to my photo team volunteers Marianne, Megan, Linda, and Kate, and staff member Riley.

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