Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

With the summer beginning and school winding down, many families decide it’s a good time to add a new friend to their lives in the form of four legs and a lolling tongue. That seems to have been the case during the last week with the large number of adoptions, which we are thrilled about! Here they are:

Iris

We knew she would be scooped up quickly. What a delightful dog!

Brooklyn

This gal is one of the cutest pups EVER! She is such an eager youngster.

Pretzel

He had been waiting quite a while for his new family to find him. Thanks for the going-home picture, Marianne!

Simon

Drum roll! Happy dance! Simon had been waiting so long for his new person. We are thrilled that he finally is in a loving home! Thanks to staff member Mackenzie for the going-home picture.

Bonnie

Newbie Bonnie went home with her new peeps. I only met her once, but what a sweetheart!

Pumba

Pumba is such a wonderful boy! So happy he’s now with his new family.

Chloe

Such a sweet girl and another favorite! She went home with a dog friend and two kids whom she adores! Thanks to staff member Mackenzie for the going-home picture.

Ghost

Ghost was adopted by one of our dog-walking volunteers! He’s going to have a wonderful new life!

Marley

Another drum roll and happy dance….our favorite pup, Marley, was once again adopted and went home with an OHS-Salem alumnus who will take Marley under her paw. We think THIS home will be the one! Thanks for the going-home picture, Mackenzie!

Hershey

Our sweet Hershey seemed a bit sad when I took his pictures, so we’re thrilled that he now is in his new home!

Sullivan

Our big boy, Sullivan, is such a nice, affectionate dog. Hope his new family has a great vacuum—yes, he sheds!

Ellie

Ellie is a blind sweetheart who has no idea there is a problem. She’s such a happy trooper! Lucky family!

Shadow

My photo team spent a long time with Shadow on Sunday, planning to feature him this week. We were all smitten with this amazing boy. Then toward the end of the day, his new family found him and took him home. Thanks for the going-home picture, Amanda.

Mona

Shy Mona, who had come out of her shell in the time she’d been at the shelter now has a new family of her own. She will be such a good family dog.

Red

We spent a lot of time with him on Sunday so we could feature Red this week. Monday he found his people! I don’t think we’ve ever had a happier, more affectionate, more laid-back dog. He went home to two human sisters and will enjoy so many cuddles! Thank you for the going-home picture, Kate!

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, June 7, 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 youngster, but I’ve been waiting for my new family for a long time. Will you read about me and see if I’m a good fit for yours?

Champ is a little over a year old and a mixed breed. As so many dogs are, he was found as a stray and arrived at the shelter on April 22nd. In the beginning days of his stay with us, Champ was jumpy and had no leash skills. However, with staff and volunteers working with him, he has come a long way in learning the manners a dog must have in a family. He has become a volunteer and staff favorite. Here he was on Sunday with us in Mary’s Place.

Because Champ was a stray we don’t know about his past, but during his intake, staff wrote, “Nice guy, friendly and outgoing.” In the exam room he was “loose and wiggly. He likes to smell everything, is happy and playful.” In his kennel, because of the stress of the shelter environment, Champ can “be vocal when other dogs around are barking, but quiets eventually.” He is a “rough and rowdy player” with other dogs and will need to meet any canines he will be living with to see if their play styles are compatible. 

Champ can be picky about his treats, though he does like my cheese bits. Dog walkers report, “Such a good boy! Not interested in treats but likes praise and pats.”

He has done so well with learning polite leash manners. A staff member recently wrote, “Outside there was some mild pulling but he redirected every time I asked him to; he also did great at checking in when I’d ask him to.” Marianne reported that on his Monday evening walk he was “100% perfect.”

Champ sometimes “demand barks” in his kennel, meaning he wants visitors to stop so he can meet them. We’re trying to get him to understand that potential adopters will pass by a barking dog, not realizing Champ simply wants to meet them.

On Sunday we took Champ out to a yard to play. We quickly discovered, while he liked to be outside rather than race around, he preferred to just hang out with us.

He decided a serious look might tug on a potential adopter’s heart strings.

After being outside for a while, we went into Mary’s Place and then Champ decided it was time to play.

One of Champ’s biggest fans is staff member Kyra.

Last week Kyra took Champ on an adventure. I asked her to write about it.

“Over Champ’s stay here at OHS, he and I have had some wonderful adventures! The first time I took Champ off campus was to Turner Elementary School. At first he was extremely nervous in the car, but after a quick stop at Dutch Bros, he was quick to to perk up. He even started learning a new cue, “load up,” every time we would go for a ride. At Turner Elementary, we walked around the track and I think that was the first time I’d ever had him walk loose on his leash. I was pretty impressed. We made this into a bit of a routine at other places, too, including Turner Lake and Porter Boone Park! Champ isn’t a huge fan of playing in the water, but he was more than willing to flop down on the creek beds and enjoy the scenery. Champ is definitely one of my favorite friends here, more than just the cuteness factor (even though he’s adorable), he has an extremely bright personality that’s always made me smile even on my hard days. Whenever I need a hug, I get offered a paw (literally, it’s his new favorite thing) from my best friend, Champ.” 

Champ is such a good boy! If he sounds like the perfect fit for your lifestyle, come to the shelter and spend some time with this delightful guy. He’ll be waiting for you.

Howdy! My name is Howdy and I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. Maybe you’d like to meet me and take me home?

Howdy is a one-year-old American Pitbull Terrier mix. He came to us from another shelter, so we didn’t know much about him when he arrived on May 23rd. I was sure he’d be adopted right away, as he is so cute, but that hasn’t happened, and he asked me to feature him this week. What a handsome boy he is and such a good picture poser!

Howdy loves being with people. Since he’s still a youngster, he is continuing to work on his manners so that he’ll be a wonderful family dog. Since he is very treat-motivated and eager, he’ll be great fun to teach with positive reward-based training. He is working on not jumping in his enthusiasm for life and walking without pulling on leash. During his stay at the shelter, he’s made many new friends among the dog walkers. Here are some of their recent comments: “Sweet boy, not much pulling. He planted a wet kiss on my chin when I bent down to pick up poop.” ” He was excited. Loved to play fetch.” ” Walked nicely, checked in often.” He loves cheese as well as other treats, and is easily redirected when he starts to get too energized. He knows the cue for “sit” and listens well to handlers. Here he was when I first met him for his initial pictures. Linda became an instant fan.

Howdy will need to meet any dog he will be living with to make sure their play styles are compatible. He loves plush toys and will carry them around with him.

Howdy wanted to show off how he’s learning new skills.

Howdy also enjoyed spending time in Mary’s Place with us, playing with Lambchop.

And then he was ready to relax.

Kate spent time with Howdy on Monday afternoon and wrote this report: “I spent a bit of time with Howdy during the regular dog-walking shift and he was a blast! He walks pretty well on leash and responds well to cues. He knows sit and down, and I’m sure that he would love to learn more things! Howdy loves three things: toys, people, and treats. When I took him to Mary’s Place, he immediately grabbed a toy and began playing. He’d squeak the toy and then throw it into the air to try and catch it. After a few rounds of that, he jumped right up on the couch and into my lap. He stayed there the rest of the time, squeaking his toy and asking for pets. Howdy is an all around sweetheart who loves people (and squeaky toys) that will hang out with him and give him plenty of attention and love.”

Howdy is an energetic young dog looking for an active family who will continue his training and love him. If that family is yours, come to the shelter and meet Howdy.

My name is Cowboy and I’m looking for a special home that will fit my needs. Could it be yours?

Cowboy is a hoot. On Sunday, he was so interested in the cheese I was holding, he didn’t even notice the hat!

Once again, this handsome boy was found as a stray, then transferred from another shelter to ours on May 19th. Cowboy is about three years old and is a Lab mix. As we’ve gotten to know Cowboy, we realized he is not for a first-time dog person. Cowboy LOVES people. He is affectionate, eager to please, treat-motivated, and playful. His favorite kind of toy is a squeaker. Notes about him from staff include, “he is very snuggly, slight mouthiness if surprised or excited.” “Enjoyed rolling in the grass and smelling flowers.” “Very playful, loves treats, enjoys playing with toys, solicits attention. He will demand bark and jump for toys, can become jumpy/mouthy when excited.” We found all this to be true when we brought him into Mary’s Place on Sunday. He quickly jumped up on the couch for some pets from Megan.

Linda worked some with Cowboy on manners.

Cowboy also enjoys listening to stories.

Sometimes he gets into a reflective mood.

As sweet as Cowboy can be with people, when excited he can be a bit jumpy and mouthy. He cannot go home where there are small animals, cats, or livestock, and he will need to be the only dog in the family. He will need an experienced family who understands and can read canine body language.

If you think you can give Cowboy the home he needs and you want a new best friend who will love you to the moon and back, come and meet Cowboy at the shelter.

Our sweet Lula got to have an adventure today with Marianne and Linda! I featured her in my last post here, but she is still waiting for her new family. She had a fun outing, here is Marianne’s report.

“Lula rode fairly well in the car although she did move around a bit. Probably a little bit anxious and excited. When we got to the store, she seemed very excited but overwhelmed by everything. It’s a big store with lots of stuff going on and she wanted to take it all in. She just seemed like she wanted to keep going to see the next thing. She met several people, employees and customers, and did well. She also passed another dog who is also shopping and had no reaction whatsoever. The longer we were there, the more relaxed she got. When it was time to leave, she hopped right back in the car and started to doze on the floor. It was a fun time, and I would not hesitate to take her on another adventure.”

Dante/Teddy

I first featured Dante in my August 24, 2022 post. We were all smitten with this big boy, though we knew he was not the right dog for everyone. He needed a canine-savvy family. But oh, what an affectionate boy he was!

Dante had a favorite toy at the shelter, a little green squeaker, which went everywhere with him.

Then one day a young couple came to see him, fell in love, and took Dante and his green squeaker home.

Last week I got this wonderful update.

“Dante has been the perfect piece to our puzzle. We found out his original name was Teddy a few days after adopting him. Teddy loves cuddles with his mom and dad and chasing squirrels in the park. He’s the perfect cuddle bug and he loves all his human family, constantly soaking up all the love he can get. He always has the biggest smile on his face and greets us with jumps of love and joy every time we come home. He’s so well-behaved and is seriously the perfect dog for us. We’re so lucky to have found him and know we were meant to find him! We love you Ted!!”

What a terrific update to end this post!

That’s it for this week!

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