Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

SPECIAL NOTE: Due to a technical glitch for which I do not have a fix, some photos on some devices may seem stretched. I apologize, and hope to have things back to normal next week.

This week we are featuring two rather large dogs and a Quick Look at another. They have all been waiting for their new homes for a long time. It seems the newly arrived dogs get adopted first, while our long-termers are passed by. Small dogs generally get adopted more quickly than larger ones. There are many reasons why. But for a family with a fenced yard, a bigger dog can bring so much joy.

First, here are the adoptions since last Wednesday. And I’m very happy to report that several of our big dogs found their new homes.

There was one puppy, Azalea, who was adopted before I got to meet her. Here are the rest:

Bruce

Bruce is a two-month-old puppy. He and his siblings were quite the challenge for our photo team on Sunday! Fun fact: a two-month-old puppy cannot sit still for a nanosecond!

Marley

He is such a good boy who will be a wonderful family addition! We loved him at the shelter!

Elliott

Elliott is another super dog whom we all loved. Thanks for the going-home picture, staff member Amanda! She said he hopped right in the car to go home.

Juno

He’s still a youngster at one year old. He will keep his new family active!

Tiny Dancer

Tiny Dancer is a sweet twelve-year-old girl. We are so happy that she is out of the shelter and in her new retirement home. As always, we are thankful for adopters who take home a senior.

Melvin

This gentle senior won everyone’s heart at the shelter. What a lucky family!

Pickles

This little dog is absolutely adorable.

We got word yesterday afternoon that he jumped a 4-foot fence and is lost in Jefferson. Here is the post on Jefferson Oregon Lost and Found Pets: “Lost dog. Just picked him up from the shelter. Jumped 4ft fence and ran. Headed south towards Adams Ln when last seen. His name is Pickles.

He is microchipped. He’s not aggressive, but very stressed.” https://www.facebook.com/groups/1834804820128695

If seen, let them know at the above address.

We are heartbroken Pickles is lost and hope he is found very soon.

Sherlock

Another family will experience the joys and challenges of a puppy!

Rex

I just met Rex briefly on Sunday for pictures, but I was smitten. He is a sweetheart!

Alfred

Two more cute puppies were adopted today! First was Alfred.

Nancy Drew

Nancy Drew was also adopted today!

Please Note: The dogs I feature in this section are available for adoption as of today, July 12, 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 am waiting for just the right home—one with a securely fenced yard from which I can’t escape. Got one of those? If so, come and meet me, I could be your very best friend!

Some dogs can’t seem to catch a break in finding the right home. Goose first arrived at the shelter as a surrender in May of 2022. Since then he has been adopted several times, but has always come back to us. Although Goose loves to be around his people, he also enjoys going on adventures. He is very smart and has figured out how to escape his enclosures and how to dash out of doors, so supervision and a secure yard are musts for this energetic two-year-old Catahoula Leopard Dog mix.

Goose is smart, affectionate, and loves to please his peeps. Catahoula Leopard Dogs are very active and happiest when there is a big area in which to run. They need exercise every day. They are very intelligent and are quick learners. They think they are lap dogs and greatly enjoy times with their families. They may take some time to warm up to new people. Goose has a strong prey drive, so must have a feline-free home and one without small animals or livestock. Goose has usually gotten along with other dogs, but would need to meet any he would be going home with. He has a good history with older children. One of his former families wrote, “Goose is energetic, happy, and awkward. He doesn’t realize how big he is. Wants to be on your lap. A really sweet goof-off.”

Since Goose has been back at the shelter this time, volunteers have had many nice things to tell about him. “NO leash pulling—gentle walk the whole way. VERY pleasant walk.” “Perfect on leash. Solicits attention.” “Way different dog since last time he was here in a super good way. No pulling, heels, shy at first. Treat motivated. Will come for scratches.”

None of this praise surprised our photo team, as we have long been fans of this goofy boy. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him on Sunday. He seemed happy to be back in Mary’s Place and was his usual energetic self with lots to tell us.

Goose knows that there are a few things he still needs to work on in his new home.

I mentioned that Goose is energetic. He LOVES stuffed toys and will entertain himself playing with them.

Goose also enjoys dips in the pool. Here’s a video volunteer Lori sent me from last week. He made up his own tennis ball game.

Goose isn’t the right dog for every home, but we are all hoping that his perfect family will find him soon. He is such a delightful, happy boy. He’s waiting for you!

Are you looking for an active, joyful, eager new family member? If you are, you need to come to the shelter and spend some time with me! Do you like to pay fetch? I do!

Found as a stray and transferred to us from another shelter, Chicken seems to be the perfect dog. I hadn’t planned on featuring her because I was so sure she’d be adopted on the spot. But that hasn’t happened, so let me tell you about this wonderful one-year-old Retriever mix.

The first time we met her for pictures on June 25th, she was a bit shy, but it didn’t take long for her to decide Marianne was going to be a good friend.

On Sunday we took her out to a yard and found that she loves to play fetch and her favorite toy is a stuffy. We also noticed that besides running, she also prances, as in the picture below.

We had so much fun and she kept us laughing.

Before we went inside, Chicken wanted to pose for a group shot.

The dog-walking volunteers can’t say enough good things about this sweetheart. “Very relaxed, easy to walk. Understands sit and come. Started to learn stay very quickly—smart!” “Enjoyed the walk from start to finish. Nice dog!” “Very sweet. Liked chasing bugs.” “Chicken found a stick during our walk and lay down to play with it.” “She loves taking her time and enjoying her walk; adores pets and treats; easiest walker!”

We enjoyed her just as much in Mary’s Place. Chicken had her future on her mind.

Chicken is such an amazing dog and we assured her that she would be adopted very soon. We hope we’re right! If you think she would be the perfect fit for your family, come to the shelter and see what a delight she is in person.

On Saturday, Champ got some special attention. He was the Featured Shelter Dog of the Day. Marianne and Kate spent a couple of hours with him out in a yard so potential adopters could see what a good boy he is. While no one adopted him, several people stopped to say hi—and Champ got to enjoy hanging out in a yard with some of his favorites. He looked so handsome in his Adopt Me kerchief! You can read all about Champ in my June 7th blog post here.

That’s it for this week!

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