Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

We had quite a few new dogs to take pictures of Sunday, but in this post I’m going to feature three who have been waiting quite a while for their new families. But first, here are the happy adoptions during the past week. One new dog who was adopted before I met her was Layla.

Junior

Puppy Junior went home with his new person. He will certainly keep them active and laughing! We had so much fun with him while he was at the shelter. Such a good boy!

Filo

Filo, a newbie, was adopted (again). We hope this time will be the right fit.

Margo

We are so happy for this sweet, active girl. She will be a fun new family member.

Cupcake

I didn’t get a chance to meet Cupcake; she arrived and was adopted so quickly. Thanks to staff member Celeste who sent me her going-away picture. Such a cute pup!

Kyra

Newbie Kyra, a very sweet girl who loves belly rubs, was adopted on Monday.

Patrone

He was so stressed at the shelter and we are glad he’s now in a quiet home.

Ollie

I just met this boy on Sunday and was smitten. What a great family dog he will be.

Carly

We are so happy for our senior (10 years old) Carly! I had planned to feature her in this post, but she was adopted yesterday. She will give her new family many laughs and much love.

Panini

Last Sunday afternoon I happened to see a young couple sitting in front of Panini’s kennel talking with her. I mentioned what a sweet girl she is 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. Yesterday she was spayed, so today the young couple came and took her home. Such a happy new life for a wonderful dog. Oh, and her new name is Kyllo!

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, February 8, 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.



It’s been a long winter and you are looking for a motivator to get you moving again—am I right? Well, it’s your lucky day—you have found me!


If you wish you had a hiking/jogging/walking partner who then would like to cuddle after a day’s adventure, you need to meet our Lexi, a two-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix.

Lexi was surrendered because her family couldn’t take care of her anymore though they loved her and had many good things to say about her. She became an instant favorite at the shelter beginning with her intake exam. “Lexi was a happy, wiggly dog for her vet exam today. She said hello to each person in the exam room with a jump up or rub-against greeting. She was cooperative for her exam and started acting playful. She enjoyed belly, chest and rump rubs. She is confident and eager to please.”

Her former family wrote that “Lexi is very loving and energetic. She loves to play and gets excited very easily when meeting new people and pets. She tends to jump when introduced to someone new. She has a really big heart, and she’s a licker!” They added, “She likes rubber toys and tennis balls.” She walks well on leash, though “often can’t decide which side of the person to walk on so will go in circles.” Lexi is house-trained and doesn’t have accidents when left alone, but might chew on something left around within her reach. Lexi has a good history with other dogs who have her activity level, but will need a cat-free home. She also has been good with children.

We were thrilled to have Mary’s Place back on Sunday, spruced up with fresh paint. Lexi approved of the new look and immediately chose her favorite toy which was a stuffed hedgehog.

Lexi also enjoys playing fetch as you’ll see in her movie. Notice that she is so polite when she returns the hedgehog and lets Megan and Linda take it from her.

As cute and affectionate as Lexi is, she has not been adopted yet. Maybe you have heard of Black Dog Syndrome (BDS). It “is a phenomenon in pet adoption in which black dogs are ignored in favor of light-colored ones. Observed by shelters and rescue groups across the world, BDS is an issue negatively affecting the adoption rates of black pets. The reason behind the phenomenon is unclear.” One theory is that black dogs do not photograph well. So when shelters post pictures on their websites, lighter-colored dogs are more appealing. (The Spruce Pets)

Last week Kate took Lexie on a Dog’s Day Out adventure, dressing her in a bright pink sweater. Here is her report.

“Yesterday Lexi and I went on an adventure to Minto Brown Park and explored all the trails. She did wonderfully in the car and even fell asleep at one point. She smelled all the smells and saw lots of birds and squirrels. Lexi even met a few friends who complimented her sweater and gave her some scritches. As much as she loves to explore, she spent half of the time right by my side taking in the sights. She is such a sweet girl and did so amazingly on our adventure!“

If you are looking for an active, energetic, yet also cuddly new best friend, come and meet Lexi. 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’ve been here quite a while. Do you have experience with Shepherds? I know I’m not the right dog for everyone, but for the right person, I’ll be a devoted friend.

Helga is a one-year-old German Shepherd mix. Since she was found as a stray, we don’t know her history, but she has not gotten the training that most dogs have by the time they are a year old. So Helga will need a person who has the skills, time, and patience to help her become the dog she really wants to be. She has been waiting for just such a person since early November. She was adopted once, and though the person loved her, she was not the right fit.

Perhaps Helga was an outside-only dog in her young life because she is not yet house-trained. However, her first adopter reported that she had been doing better each day. She is smart and knows cues such as sit, touch, and down. She is treat-motivated, cheese being one of her favorites. With some time and patience, Helga will grow into a delightful companion. She loves being with people, is affectionate, and thoroughly enjoyed her time with us in Mary’s Place, happily cuddling up with Linda.

Here she was a few weeks ago with Marianne and Megan. She is such a cooperative poser!

When she’s not posing for my pictures, she actively entertains herself, as you’ll see in her movie.

Helga walks well on leash until she sees another dog which makes her very anxious. Then she barks and pulls—hard. She will need to be the only pet in the family. She would thrive in a quiet home out in the country. When she becomes overly excited, Helga will jump up on her handler, a behavior she is working on improving at the shelter.

While Helga is not the dog for a first-time owner, she has great potential with reward-based training.

After some active play, it was time to relax on the couch.

If you are a “Shepherd person” with a heart for dogs who, despite having a few issues, deserve to have a family who loves them, 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 may not smile a lot (or ever) but just watch my tail! I’m an exuberant girl just waiting to meet you!

Meet Meringue, a spunky three-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier mix. She is a happy girl who enjoys the company of people and cheese.

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 and hopes potential adopters won’t judge her too badly because she barks in excitement to meet new people.

Meringue can be very affectionate, as we found out when she first arrived at the shelter and Marianne brought her out for pictures.

On Sunday we brought Meringue into Mary’s Place and while she didn’t smile, watch her tail.

Meringue is not only working on her kennel presentation, but also her jumping. When she’s happy and excited, she forgets her manners and will jump up on people. She loves to play fetch outside and one volunteer wrote, “Very sweet girl! Played fetch well (use 2 balls to trade!). Can be jumpy but fairly easy to redirect with toys.”

In Mary’s Place, Meringue had so much fun, but also would stop for some couch time. And that was when the following happened. While Linda was busy talking, Meringue saw an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

Meringue enjoyed her time with us on the couch and settled nicely.

She may not be a smiler, but she is a quick learner and eager to please. If you would like to meet Meringue, 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/.

That’s it for this week!

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

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