This Week’s Featured Adoptable Dogs @ Willamette Humane Society by Martha Russell

Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

It was another beautiful June afternoon at the shelter last Sunday. I had some new dogs to meet and photograph as well as some old friends to feature again, hoping their perfect human match will see it this week and come take them home.

I will love you to the moon and back.

I was anxious to meet Sunday on Sunday. (No, that’s not a typo!) Sunday is a very special senior dog looking for a hospice retirement home. She is a twelve-year-old Border Collie/American Blue Heeler mix and may be the most loving, gentle dog EVER. She has three tumors (two of them we know are cancerous) and is scheduled for surgery to remove them before she is adopted. While surgery is usually very successful with this kind of cancer, it often recurs and would require surgical removal. Therefore, since there will most likely be ongoing medical issues, we consider it a hospice adoption although it should (hopefully) not affect her quality of life or life span. Sunday has lived with other dogs and cats (quite a while ago, however). She would need to meet any potential dog siblings. She has been in WHS playgroups, but seemed to be the most comfortable when left alone by the other dogs. I first met Sunday when she was out on her afternoon walk with Patty.

Later, Jenna, Marianne, and I took Sunday into Mary’s Place where her loving personality touched us all.

I’m here for the third time. I hope that THIS time I’ll be adopted forever!

Casey is a WHS alumnus who is back, hoping that his next home will be his forever one. I first wrote about Casey in December of 2014 when he arrived at the shelter as a stray. He was adopted and loved until family circumstances changed and he came back to us last May. He was quickly adopted again, but once more the new family’s life changed and they sadly had to bring him back to WHS. Casey is now nine years old. He is still the very happy boy he was in 2014. His last family reported that he had no accidents in the house and would sit at the door when he needed to go outside. “He is a big cuddle. Loves to crawl into bed and cuddle. Sweetest dog. Loves everyone he meets. Super laid back and calm.” Casey does have some anxiety when left alone and can be picky about his dog friends, but when he lived with a dog whom he loved, there was no problem with the anxiety. So the ideal home for Casey would be one where he had a dog best friend and older kids. Here he was on his walk on Sunday with Gail.

Then Jenna and I took him into Mary’s Place for some quiet time.

Are you wishing you had a young, active, extremely smart dog to whom you are dying to  teach manners with positive training? I’m your girl!

Lucy is a ten-month-old English Shepherd mix who can’t wait to learn new things. And she has a lot to learn. Luckily, she is as sharp as a tack and treat-motivated to boot. For someone with time during the summer to work with this beautiful youngster using positive training methods, Lucy will be worth every second. Lucy is extremely active and is learning that jumping on people and trying to herd other dogs is not the way to make friends. But she listens well during instructions. Here is what one of our trainers had to say about her after working with her: “Great eye contact and sitting for treats. Amazingly bright and responsive dog. She did bark at the sound of other dogs barking, but it was easy to redirect her by asking and rewarding for incompatible behavior. A sensitive, intelligent dog that picks up on information rapidly, responding rapidly. Interactive and social, but if her handlers don’t give her a job, she will make up her own entertainment. Active, positive-reward-training adopter that can take the time to give this dog a job is highly recommended.” We’re hoping the right person will realize what a wonderful companion Lucy will become and adopt her. Volunteer trainer Linda was spending time with Lucy on Sunday. Lucy LOVED my cheese and did everything I asked her to for cheese bits.

I saw some of my favorite long-termers being walked Sunday afternoon.

Here is Roxie with one of her many fans, Gail. Roxie is an eleven-year-old Rottweiler mix who is just about perfect. For more info, look at last week’s blog post.

Biscay is such a loved dog at WHS. Here he is with three of his groupies, Kaylee, Frank, and Jenna. Biscay has been waiting for a new home for such a long time. Read more about him in my previous posts. (Just type his name into the search box at the top of the page.)

Garth is a two-year-old Anatolian Shepherd mix, here with Gracie and Jessica.

Who would have ever guessed that Garth is a John Denver fan AND that he can sing?

Meet Barley, a two-year-old Chihuahua mix, here with Francis.

Neptune is a one-year-old old deaf American Staffordshire Terrier mix who is on the Behavior Training Team. He’s been waiting a long time for just the right person to adopt him. I’ll be featuring him next week, unless his special person finds him before then.

Summer is still at the shelter and though she has two holds (interested people), we still love taking her into Mary’s Place for some fun time. This was Sunday with Marianne, one of her best friends.

No one ever said she didn’t like to be the center of attention.

That’s it for this week!

Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, try to make arrangements to get to the Willamette Humane Society soon. Some dogs are adopted more quickly than you might think.

You can reach me at adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com