Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Singin’ in the Rain

Snow may finally be on the way today, but it was raining during my last visit with the dogs at Orphans of the Storm®. Rain or shine, though, these pooches are happy to go for a walk and get some love and attention.

Flossy the one-year-old Great Dane mix is a very sweet girl. She’s going to be a big girl, too, once she gains a little more weight and finishes growing. She’s currently sharing her kennel with Bandit and would happily walk next to him while we were out and about, so she could do well in a home with a doggy friend.

Flossy inspecting the camera

Flossy is the type of dog who will stop in her tracks if you start petting her. She’s so happy to get attention that she won’t start walking again until you stop petting her. Everyone who saw her at the shelter kept saying how cute she is. If you’re looking for a big, sweet puppy, come in soon to meet Flossy!

Flossy was a little chilly in the rain

Dagda (who has the name ‘Bage’ outside his kennel, if you go looking for him at the shelter) the four-year-old Chocolate Labrador Retriever mix has all of the best Lab qualities. He loves everybody and wags his rudder-like tail all the time. Although his kennelmate (who has already been adopted–hurray!) was a little reluctant to go out in the rain, Dagda was leading the way and loved to explore.

Dagda’s handsome profile

Dagda loves to cuddle and give doggy kisses. If your face gets within licking range, you can be sure that Dagda will kiss you. He will happily receive a nice scratch behind the ears or under his chin in return. He also knows some basic commands already. As soon as a treat appears, Dagda sits. What is a dog like him doing at a shelter? You can change that by welcoming this wonderful companion into your home.

Dagda, an exemplary Chocolate Lab

Honey Lamb the two-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix doesn’t understand why she’s still at the shelter, either. She has been waiting patiently for a family to call her own for over a year now. Honey Lamb is sure to bond quickly and make a loyal pet for whoever shows her some love. She’s a strong girl, and she pulls a little on the leash when you first take her out, but she settles down nicely.

Honey Lamb posing for the camera

Honey Lamb would probably prefer a more active home, after being in a kennel for so long. She loves to run, sniff, and investigate, but will always come back to you for a nice back rub or scratch on the top of her head. If you’re interested in an athletic dog, please consider a long-timer like Honey Lamb.

Honey Lamb enjoying our walk

Bear the two-year-old Yellow Labrador Retriever mix could really use some extra love right now. He’s a little nervous and doesn’t quite know who to trust yet. Luckily, he warms up very quickly. He started our walk with his tail between his legs and his head down close to the ground. As soon as I gave him a few gentle pats on the back, though, he sat right on my feet (yes, on my feet), looked up at me with those sweet eyes, and kissed my nose.

Bear’s sweet face

Bear is an extremely gentle dog, so he would appreciate living with a gentle person who will be patient with him as he comes out of his shell. He walks very well on a leash and would enjoy bonding with his new person during nice walks. Each time I started to pet him, he sat down as close to me as he possibly could. By the end of our walk, his tail was starting to wag. Come in soon to meet Bear!

Bear looking for love

Tessa the two-year-old Shepherd/Collie mix, who is currently Bear’s kennelmate, was also a little nervous when we first started our walk. She’s a sweet, playful girl at heart, though, who eventually gave me lots of doggy hugs and doggy kisses. She loves attention, and it’s impossible to deny her when she has her front paws up on your legs and is smiling at you with her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.

Tessa’s alert face

Tessa is a very pretty girl, with her cute brown spots. When she’s extra happy or excited, her ears perk up. As a Shepherd/Collie mix, she will be great at learning any new tricks you want to teach her. Mostly, though, she’ll just be grateful to have a warm lap to snuggle in. This sweetheart is waiting for the perfect family to come take her home.

Tessa prancing in the rain

Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Want a Home for the Holidays

It was a great week for many dogs at Orphans of the Storm®! I of course have to say an extra-big YIPPEE!!! for Rocco, who was adopted after waiting several years for his perfect family to find him. We’re all so happy for you, Rocco!

Although the dogs profiled this week are fairly new to the shelter, they’re all eager to find their new forever homes in time for the holidays, too!

Yeager the two-year-old Labrador Retriever mix is an energetic, enthusiastic boy. He happily greets anyone who stops by his kennel and was extra excited to come outside for a walk with me. Because he was so energetic, it was a little hard to get a good picture of him. But I can tell you that he is a cute little guy.

Yeager ready to go for his walk

Yeager would probably prefer to be in a more active home where he can go on nice walks and have some playtime. He currently jumps up when he’s especially excited, but as part Lab he should be easy to train and happy to please. Yeager is hoping somebody comes to the shelter  and spreads holiday cheer his way!

Yeager enjoying the outdoors

Molly the three-year-old Boxer/Shepherd mix is such a sweetheart. (Molly the Pit Bull Terrier mix and Mollie the Lab mix are also sweethearts!) She likes people and dogs alike and would make a great companion dog. She seems like she would bond very quickly to her new family (she’s already attached to Reebok, her current kennelmate) and make for a loyal friend.

Pretty Molly (with just a little slobber)

Molly loves attention and will look up at you with those big brown eyes with a silent “thank you” while you scratch her neck and ears. She’s also happy when she’s on the move and would appreciate nice walks around the neighborhood. She does well on a leash, so it will be a great time for both of you. Come in soon to meet Molly!

Molly coming over to get some attention

Barney the one-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound mix is so cute and so happy that you can’t help but stop and say hello to him as you walk through the shelter. He absolutely loves people and his tail wags almost constantly. He’s kind of like a mini version of Rocco (also slightly smaller than Eever), but is still a strong boy.

Here comes Barney!

Since Barney is still fairly young, he could probably use a little training to make him a better leash-walking buddy. He is very eager to please, though, so training shouldn’t be a problem. His breed is an active one, so he would enjoy activity and then be happy to snuggle with you. This cutie is hard to resist–find out if he’s the pooch for you!

Barney being a hound dog

Brooklyn the one-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix is another happy pooch waiting for his new happy home. He’s all white, except for the tip of his tail, which is brown. He wriggles with excitement, but calms down pretty quickly and didn’t pull too terribly much on the leash when we were walking.

Brooklyn being poised

Brooklyn was very curious about everything that was going on around us. He watched the other dogs go by and sometimes attempted to play with them from a distance. He liked saying hello to different people–‘shy’ is not part of Brooklyn’s vocabulary. If you’re interested in an outgoing, enthusiastic dog, come in soon to meet Brooklyn!

Brooklyn watching other dogs walk by

Ginger the two-year-old Boxer mix is such a good girl. Her original owner was an older gentleman who didn’t feel he could properly care for her anymore, but Ginger is very well-mannered and knows her basic commands. She’s well socialized and friendly with dogs of all sizes–she wanted to play with Lincoln and also had a fun time with Tornado (see below).

Ginger the sweetie pie

Ginger is great at walking on a leash and stayed close to me. If we stopped walking, she would sit down to wait until we started moving again. She loves being pet and would be happy to curl up on the couch next to you for some cuddle time. Ginger is sweet, cute, and well-behaved–what more could you want from your new dog?

Ginger the good walking buddy

Tornado the Pit Bull Terrier mix is just a few months old. It is literally impossible to not squeal in puppy-adorableness-joy when you see him. I rarely write about puppies as young as him, because they’re likely to go home quickly, but I will take this opportunity to remind readers that although Tornado is a cute little puppy who can easily be carried around in your arms right now, he is going to grow up to be a big, strong boy. Please do your research and understand what the full-sized, adult version of your puppy-of-choice is going to be like before you adopt. We want every puppy’s home (and every dog’s home) to be their forever home.

Tornado was too wiggly to get a not-blurry picture

That being said… PUPPY! Tornado has a precious puppy face with a little pink nose. He licks any fingers or faces that get close enough to his mouth and wants to play with everybody. He kept pouncing on and pawing at Ginger, who responded appropriately and pawed and pounced right back. Tornado tried to climb into my lap on several occasions and lick my face. He’s at the perfect age to benefit from good training and good socialization with both people and dogs. If you’re looking for a tiny puppy who will become a big dog, come say hi to Tornado soon!

Tornado’s precious pink nose

Don’t forget that Orphans of the Storm® has extended holiday hours this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday–they’re open until 8pm all three nights, which means three extra hours for you to stop by and meet your new furry friend!

Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Get in the Holiday Spirit

On this visit to Orphans of the Storm®, volunteers were there to help decorate the grounds for the holiday season. Lights were strung on the trees, ornaments were hung along the walkway to the front office, and cheer was in the air! The festive spirit was contagious, and all the dogs I spent time with were happy to be out and about, watching the decorating.

(I apologize in advance for my pictures not being the best this week. Rest assured that they are all more precious in person. These pooches were extra wiggly and did not want to smile for the camera!)

Mollie the Labrador Retriever/Pit Bull Terrier puppy is less than a year old, and she is absolutely adorable. She’s currently Andy‘s kennelmate, and all she wanted to do was play with him. She would pounce on him, playfully put one of her paws on his head, and chase after him. Andy was very good-natured about it. Mollie is just being a cute puppy.

Mollie sniffing along the ground

Mollie loves getting attention from people, too. Whenever I started to scratch her back, she would lean all her weight against me and wiggle with happiness. Right before we started to walk back to her kennel, she rolled over onto her back and wagged her tail while I gave her a belly rub. She looks especially cute when she abruptly sits down (I told her “Good sit!” each time she did that–maybe it will stick for her future training!). If you’re looking to add a lovable puppy to your home, come meet Mollie!

Mollie leading the way on our walk

Petunia is a beautiful four-year-old Siberian Husky mix. A lot of Huskies (like Akiva) are silver, and some (like Forest) are black, but Petunia is a unique brown color. To add to her look, she has striking blue eyes that everyone immediately falls in love with. When I took her for a walk, all of the decorating volunteers stopped what they were doing and showered her with attention because she’s just too pretty to ignore.

Petunia ready to run

Petunia would do best in an active home, perhaps with a family who has experience with Huskies or other working breeds. Petunia loves to run, run, run, as she was bred to do, and doesn’t want to be bored. Petunia would love to be your running partner, and would be sure to keep you motivated. Stop by the shelter to meet Petunia–you can’t miss her!

Petunia is one dog who did sit and smile for me!

Black Jack the four-year-old Black Labrador Retriever mix is a sweet guy. He’s much smaller than the average Lab, but has the same happy-go-lucky personality and energy as any other Lab out there. He was so excited to go for a walk that he slipped right past Craig (but I caught him–good teamwork!).

Black Jack exploring (and moving quickly)

I took Black Jack (and his kennelmate Jane, below) to one of the runs, and Black Jack was romping and sniffing everywhere. He’s also a playful guy, and tried to get Jane to play with him a couple times. He’d go into a playbow, pop back up, run a few feet away, and then turn around as if to ask, “Why aren’t you coming with?” This happy dog is looking for a happy home. Is it with you?

Black Jack loves to investigate everything

Jane the two-year-old Black Labrador Retriever (not to be confused with Jane the Hound) is Black Jack’s current kennelmate, and she is a real sweetheart. All she wants is a family to give her love and attention. She was a little calmer than Black Jack, but was still excited to explore the run when we first got there.

Jane coming over for a pat

After she finished exploring, Jane came and stood by me so I could pet her. The first couple times I tried to get a picture of her, she stuck her nose right in front of the camera–that would’ve been a little too much of a close-up! As I walked around the run, she would follow. She chose to stay by me rather than play with Black Jack, so you know that she will be a loyal pet.

Jane wondering what that Black Jack is up to

Max the three-year-old Shepherd mix is one of the more handsome dogs at the shelter, in my opinion. He has soft, floppy ears and always looks like he has a doggy grin on his face. One of the volunteers asked me to profile Max especially, because she thinks he’s such a great dog. He sure is!

Max wondering what’s hiding under the hay

Max was pretty good at walking on the leash, but was ready to investigate as soon as we got to the run. With all that fluffy fur, he will be a great dog to cuddle with. Since he’s a Shepherd mix, he’s a smart dog and will be happy to learn any new tricks you might want to teach him. Max is waiting for you at the shelter, tail wagging!

Max was also willing to pose for the camera

On this visit to Orphans of the Storm®, I also got to spend time with a few dogs I’ve previously written about. One of those dogs is extra-special: Peggy! Peggy is a four-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix and one of the dogs who benefited from The Tyler Fund. Peggy went off to training at Tops Kennels and graduated as a star student. The hope was that she would get adopted straight from Tops without having to return to the shelter, but unfortunately, here she is. She is a strong girl, but she is very willing to please and will only need a quick refresher to remind her of all the good manners and tricks she learned during her training. (She sat very nicely for me.) Peggy is also a giant lovebug. Every time I stop by her kennel, she licks my hands and then presses her side against the door so I can give her a nice scratch. Who doesn’t want a lovable, fully-trained dog to call their own? Peggy is hoping that Santa will bring her a family!

This photo of Peggy is so nice because it was taken by Orphans’ actual photographer.

I also said hello to Quiz the Terrier and Hershey the Chihuahua, who were out for some exercise with another volunteer. These two are some of my favorites. They are so sweet! I can’t even begin to understand why they’re still at the shelter. Smaller dogs are wonderful dogs, and these two are especially wonderful!