Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

It was another busy week at the shelter despite the heat wave that Salem is currently experiencing. There were a total of twelve happy dog adoptions.

More of the the puppies that came to us from California due to the recent flooding found their new homes before I got a chance to meet them. They were Rodeo, Miko, and staff member Amanda sent this going-home picture of Little Bear.

Little Bear

Atreyu

This boy was an absolute delight. Such an affectionate and happy dog!

Knox

We were sure this handsome boy wouldn’t be around long, and we were right!

Clover

Clover was a shy boy who was uneasy at the shelter when I met him. Glad he didn’t have to wait long to be adopted.

Roger

This was another very affectionate boy. I was happy I was at the shelter to take his going-home picture. He even smiled for me!

Marley

Happy dance! Our sweet Marley was adopted (again) also on Sunday while I was there. Hoping this will be her perfect family fit! She’s going to have to learn to live with cats. Before she left, we told her we knew she can do it!

Anya

What an adorable puppy Anya is, so cooperative for pictures! And those EARS! Lucky family.

Bruce

Speaking of puppies, Bruce was adopted on Monday. This chunk is such a character. He will keep his family laughing and active!

Bentley

This boy was a new arrival and he seemed sad. I’m so glad he’s now with his new family.

Stormi

Stormi has been waiting for her new family since April 22nd. It looks like it was worth the wait! Thank you, staff member Amanda, for sending me this going-home picture.

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, May 17, 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.

“The shelter is open for walk-through viewing and meet-and-greets 10 AM – 7 PM seven days per week. Meet-and-greets are done on a first-come/first-served basis. The shelter address is 4246 Turner Rd. SE, Salem.

When you come to the shelter and see a pet you are interested in meeting, please take note of the pet’s name and visit the front desk in the lobby. Our Customer Care team will be happy to assist you with the next steps.”

I’m still a pup and I’ll need your help to grow up into the great family dog we both want me to be! I’m game if you are!

Bologna is a four-month-old American Pit Bull Terrier mix puppy who was found as a stray. I don’t often write about puppies because they are usually adopted so quickly. However, Bologna has been at our shelter since May 5th and hasn’t found his new family yet. He’s become a favorite of volunteer Kate’s, and so we decided we’d feature him this week. As you can see, Kate and Bologna have become great friends. She says this about him: “He loves to run in the yard and chase tennis balls, but hasn’t quite figured out how to bring the ball back so you can throw it again. He’s gotten much more confident on leash. He’s a super affectionate dog and very treat-motivated! He’s not very picky about treats and wants whatever you have.”

As always with strays, we don’t know what has happened in his young life. He had few skills when he arrived, but he’s a quick learner and has improved dramatically. He has learned to walk on leash politely and has realized that jumping up on people does not win you friends. He has learned to sit when asked and is working on the cue, “wait.”

Volunteer Marianne reports, “He’s a sweetheart. He’s almost perfect on leash. Sits like a champ, takes treats gently. He checks in often. I really like him.”

Bologna loves being with people. He is a rough and rowdy player with other dogs. He will need to meet any that he would be living with to make sure their play styles are compatible.

Two of the things that Kate loves about him are his eagerness to learn new things and that he is a good listener.

We spent some time in Mary’s Place and Bologna’s puppy excitement was on display.

But he also was able to settle and get serious.

Linda spent some time with him on the cue, “wait.” Did I mention he’s a quick learner?

Linda was very proud of Bologna’s progress.

Sometimes, after concentrating hard on new skills, it’s time to just relax with your friends.

And maybe pose for a picture.

Bologna has an excellent start on becoming a terrific family dog. He is eager to show potential adopters what he’s learned. We’re hoping his new family will come to the shelter soon to meet him.

Do you wish you had a dog who didn’t need to be glued to you every minute? If you are looking for a more independent new best friend, you’ve found him!

Odysseus is a stunning Siberian Husky mix with beautiful blue eyes. He is a big boy at 84 pounds, and we think he’s about three years old.

Odysseus won many friends when he arrived at the shelter as a stray. He had been good in the car, although he needed to work on his leash manners. Intake staff wrote, “Solicited attention, loose body, soft eyes and tail wags, pacing slightly. Handling-sensitive but allowed us to process him with light restraint. Sniffed and did his own thing. Really liked cream cheese, treat-motivated.”

I first wrote about Odysseus in my May 3rd post. I was sure he would be quickly adopted, but I was wrong. He wanted me to feature him again, hoping that a potential new family would see it. He had some ideas on how to look appealing.

We decided to take him out to the big yard. Marianne said he loved to romp and jump in the pool. So out we went. But to Marianne’s disappointment, some days are just not pool days…

So Marianne sent me this video as proof! It was taken last week.

Something you need to know about Odysseus is that he has a history of wanderlust—the enjoyment of roaming about, or wandering. So, he will need a high-fenced yard where he can enjoy the seasons, but not head out on his own when the spirit moves him.

Several dog walkers have commented on Odysseus’ behavior. One wrote, “Calms down pretty well and not pully on walks.” Another reported, “Sweet boy. He was interested in the geese, but was easily redirected.” Marianne texted me on Tuesday after spending time with him, “Odysseus is just the sweetest dog. He sees me now and barks a little because he knows I’ll take him out to a yard. I just love him.”

After his romp in the yard on Sunday, we all laughed at this when it was getting time to go back inside.

And then suddenly he remembered.

Just before leaving the yard, Odysseus happily posed with Marianne.

Later on in the afternoon, I happened to walk past Odysseus’ kennel and found this. He was tuckered out by our playtime, but didn’t want to miss any potential adopters as they walked by.

If you have a home with a yard and tall fence and are looking for a dog who would love to go on adventures with you, will happily hang out near you in the evening, but won’t crowd your space, come and meet our sweet boy, Odysseus.

I’m a calm boy (with occasional periods of zoomies) who is looking for a calm home where my family will love me and I can feel safe.

When I first met Hudson, I was so sure he’d be scooped up quickly that I didn’t consider featuring him in my blog. However, he is so quiet and unassuming in his kennel that people walk by, scarcely glancing at him. Hudson arrived at our shelter from another one on May 4th. He is a Boxer/Retriever mix and is still a youngster at about a year old. As with all strays, we don’t know his history, but he has won many friends.

Hudson’s former shelter told us he is “outgoing, craves human attention, and is dog-social” and we have found that to be true for us, too. During his intake, staff wrote, “loose and wiggly, allowed handling and exam, walks well on leash, listens well. He is dog-social, wants to play. He is treat-motivated.”

Volunteers have fallen in love with him. Some written comments have been: “Great on leash, polite, no issues”; “Sweet and calm at first. Got the zoomies after pooping but once we played fetch in the play areas, he calmed down again. Looked at other dogs and wanted to play with others but got his attention back with treats”;”Easy walker, will pull towards what he wants to smell but corrects easily when called. Knows sit and shake.”

He was very eager to please when Linda brought him out for his initial photo shoot.

Hudson is very anxious to find his new family.

We spent time with Hudson on Sunday and quickly discovered what a wonderful family dog he will be. He is affectionate, takes treats gently, and walks perfectly on leash.


We took him to a yard to see if he wanted to play fetch, but it was getting pretty warm and he decided a slow walk after a ball was just fine.

Hanging out in the shade with Megan was better than running after the ball.

He wanted to pose with some of his new friends.

Then we went into Mary’s Place where it was cool. He enjoyed just hanging out with us.

Some lucky family is going to stop at Hudson’s kennel, spend a little time, and discover how lucky they will be to adopt him. We hope that family comes soon!

Lula

It was hard for us to decide which dogs to feature this week. We had four that we were smitten with. So we chose the three who had been waiting for their new families the longest. However, after spending time with Lula, we couldn’t not mention her.

Lula is a three-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier mix, another stray from another shelter. She has become an instant favorite since her arrival on May 11th. One walker wrote, “Not a leash puller; loves treats; a bit of a slower walker, but was very well-behaved even when she saw another dog.” We spent some quality time with Lula both outside and in Mary’s Place. Here are some pictures. What a great girl she is!

Kate was smitten with her, as the rest of us were.

Could she BE any more comfortable??

Lula is a sweetheart and deserves a wonderful forever home. Maybe it’s yours! Come to the shelter and meet this gem of a dog soon.

This is the story of a very special dog. If you are a LONG time reader of my blog, you will remember the following story from eleven years ago.

It all began on a spring day in 2012 when volunteer Krystal received an urgent call from Willamette Humane Society where she was a dog walker and foster volunteer. Krystal had fostered many dogs, puppies and adults. But this was a very special request. Would Krystal foster a mother Pit Bull Terrier and her THIRTEEN newly born puppies arriving from California? Any friend of Krystal’s knew she would say yes.

Krystal quickly set up a wonderful place for 14 dogs in her garage, complete with a large pen to keep the puppies contained. There were many, many puppy pads, blankets, and a huge dog bed, too. Krystal called me and asked if I could take care of the pups and mother over a weekend when her family had to be away. I was excited to help out, knowing I would take my camera. Within a few days, the thirteen wiggly, squirming, hungry balls of fur and one exhausted but dedicated mother named Coco arrived and the adventure began.

To say that Coco was a tired but devoted mother would be an understatement. Like all puppies, they were racing around their pen and piling on each other one minute, and then suddenly, they would collapse for a nap. And the laundry, the laundry.

When it was meal time, they had to be fed in two shifts. And while the first shift nursed hungrily, the others whined their impatience.

Once everyone was full for the moment, it was nap time and Coco had a chance to rest.

Krystal watched over everyone while she did load after load of laundry. But she also took time to cuddle with the little bundles of energy.

I visited frequently, always with my camera. And as the puppies grew, they got to be carried down the steps into the back yard. Another volunteer, Beth, came over to meet the family one day while I was there. She told Coco what a wonderful mother she was.

Finally the pups were big enough to go down the deck stairs on their own. But it took a while to get brave enough!

All thirteen puppies thrived under Coco and Krystal’s care and soon were adopted into their own forever homes. Coco now had had her last litter and was ready to be adopted, too. Once again, Krystal stepped in and found a jackpot of a home for this very special dog. It was almost an instant bond between Coco and her new people, Jean and Dick. Coco became Dick’s constant companion and they became best of friends.

Fast forward to September 15, 2014. Invitations had been sent out to fourteen homes to attend a Coco & Puppies Reunion at the shelter. When I arrived Monday evening, excitement was in the air. Who would be able to come? Five of the “puppies” were able to bring their families to the reunion. To everyone’s delight, everybody got along beautifully. Did they remember each other? Who knows? But they had a romping good time and the families thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each other and comparing notes. 

Krystal was reunited with Coco.

The group posed for a family picture. Dick held up a book I had made when the puppies were babies.

Last week I got the news that Coco had passed away peacefully at home. She had become a very old dog, but she had such a wonderful life from the moment she and her pups had stepped into Krystal’s life. She will always be remembered by those of us who loved and admired her. No dog could have been a better mother to her puppies or best friend to her people.

I made several movies of the puppies after they arrived at Krystal’s house. If you’d like to see the pups in action, this one is my favorite.

Personal Note: I am having out-of-state company next week, so will not be writing a blog post. My next post will be on May 31st.

That’s it for this week!

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

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 at this link.

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