Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Brave the Cold

Another snowy day at Orphans of the Storm®, and another great group of dogs who are all eager to find their new forever homes!

Ella the two-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound mix is quite the good-looking hound dog. This sweet girl is prepared to follow her nose wherever it may lead her–especially if it leads her into the arms of her new loving family!

Pretty Ella

Ella was a little shy when I first took her out, but once she feels comfortable with you, she is a cuddler. She first jumped up to say hello to another volunteer that she knew already, and eventually felt like she knew me well enough to give me a doggy hug, too. Ella would enjoy getting those floppy ears scratched on a regular basis. If you’re looking for a hound dog, look no further!

Ella following her hound nose

Keini the nine-year-old Labrador Retriever and Shepherd mix doesn’t really pay attention to his age. The only sign that he’s an older dog is the little bit of gray around his nose. Keini is still an active pooch who loves to run and play. He’s friendly with everybody and his poofy tail is always wagging.

Handsome Keini coming to say hello

Keini hopes that you can look past his age–and his black fur. Superstition says that black cats are bad luck. Well, I say that black dogs are good luck! It will be a very lucky family who welcomes Keini into their home. He still has lots of love to give, and will make a wonderful companion with his easy-going personality. Come in soon to meet Keini!

Keini enjoying the snow

Murray the four-year-old Labrador Retriever mix was a little apprehensive about this walking-in-the-snow business. He preferred to stay on the cleared-off sidewalk when I took him out. I got the impression that he’s not the biggest fan of cold weather, so perhaps he would appreciate a nice doggy sweater and booties for when he goes on walks in the winter.

Murray being a little timid

Murray was a sweet dog, even though he seemed a little nervous. He was happy to let me pet his back and scratch the top of his head for him. His ears are super cute and perk up–or out, really–when he sees or hears something interesting. Murray is looking for someone to snuggle with this winter. Is it you?

Murray needs some lovin’!

Tilly the four-year-old Labrador Retriever mix was much more adventurous than her kennelmate, Murray. She went bounding through the snow no matter how deep it was, and wanted to sniff all of the interesting smells she could find. Although she was eager to get out and stretch her legs, she still walked well on the leash.

Tilly keeping an eye on the action

Tilly is the kind of dog who likes to say hello to everyone, whether it be a person or a dog. If there’s a good smell nearby, though, she sometimes can get distracted and try to follow it. But that’s what a doggy nose is for! This Tilly shouldn’t be confused with the other Tillie (who is also still looking for a home!), but you can’t go wrong with either.

Tilly happy to be out and about

Koyota the two-year-old German Shepherd mix is a very pretty girl. Some even say she looks like a wolf (but she’s a little small for that). Koyota is an energetic dog who is looking for an energetic family that will take her on nice walks, play with her, and then give her plenty of love. Koyota can pull on the leash when you first take her out, but once she runs off her energy she’s a much better walking companion.

Koyota loves the snow

Koyota gets pretty excited when other dogs are around. She currently has a kennelmate, though, so she gets along with other dogs–it’s just that she wants to play! When there aren’t other dogs nearby, Koyota happily stands next to you and enjoys getting her fluffy fur pet. A dog as pretty as Koyota won’t be around for long, so come in soon and say hello!

Koyota accidentally knocked my camera into the snow, so please excuse the blurriness!

Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Will Keep You Warm

Even though it was barely above freezing when I last visited Orphans of the Storm®, there were plenty of people there looking to add a new furry friend to their family! Furry friends are great to have year-round, but it’s especially nice in the wintertime when they are plenty eager to snuggle with you! Meet some new candidates:

Bailey the four-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever mix is all about snuggling. More specifically, she loves to give doggy kisses. She will happily sit next to you and cover you in kisses forever. When your face is out of her reach, Bailey is ready to be a great walking buddy and do some sniffing and exploring.

Bailey investigating the toy

Although Bailey is a Lab mix, she almost looks like a fox with that face of hers. She can be a little nervous when she’s inside her kennel and people come to say hello, but when she’s out on the leash she’s much better. She’s currently Frankie‘s kennelmate, so she could go to a home with or without another dog. Is Bailey the pooch for you?

Bailey and her fox face

Fudgie the two-year-old black Labrador Retriever mix would be great at cuddling, too–especially if you know his favorite spot to be scratched. Fudgie loves getting his hips scratched, and will wriggle around and press his whole body against you while you do so. He’s a pretty muscular guy, so he can be strong, but once he runs off his initial burst of energy he’s a better walking buddy.

Fudgie wondering why I’m a slowpoke

Fudgie has an expressive (and adorable) face. His ears will perk up and stick out when he’s interested in something, and he has such a sweet expression all the time. Fudgie is ready to find a friend who will fall in love with him and take him home, and Fudgie promises to love you in return!

Fudgie’s adorable face

Cricket the two-year-old Hound mix is so cute. I’m sad that my pictures really don’t do him justice. But he was hard to get a good picture of because this guy is always on the move! Scent hounds like Cricket are bred to go on long hunting expeditions through the woods and fields, and Cricket would be excellent at that (or just walking and running through woods and fields, if hunting isn’t your thing).

Cricket always on the move

Cricket is friendly with people and dogs alike and would love to have a playmate, or several playmates, to call his own. After Cricket gets to romp and play, he will be happy to relax with you at home and be a great companion. A cute boy with looks like his won’t stay at the shelter for long, so come in soon to meet Cricket!

These pictures do not do Cricket’s cuteness justice

I had walked a few other dogs, but they’ve all been adopted since then! Yippee for them, and the rest of the dogs who have been adopted recently (and there are a lot)!

Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Lookin’ for Love

Looking for the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s day? How about visiting Orphans of the Storm® to find your newest dog friend who will love you furever and ever? There are lovable dogs of all shapes, ages, and sizes waiting for the perfect family to discover them and take them home!

Sage the one-year-old Labrador Retriever/Border Collie mix is full of energy! Being a younger dog, and a mix of two very active breeds, you can’t expect anything less. He was so happy to go romping through the snow, and kept wanting to play with his kennelmate (see below). Sage will most likely be very easy to train and an eager learner.

Sage romping in the snow

Sage would definitely do best in an active home with a walking or running buddy, and plenty of toys to keep him stimulated. He’s a big sweetie, though, so once you tucker him out with all of his activity, he will be more than happy to snuggle up to you. Is Sage the pooch for you?

Sage ice skating

Piper the two-year-old Hound mix is currently Sage’s kennelmate, and she is super cute. She seemed to be much calmer than Sage, and was more interested in walking and sniffing through the snow, rather than racing through it. That’s to be expected from a Hound dog with a Hound nose!

Piper was a little camera shy

Piper enjoys getting attention from people and will happily sit or stand at your side while you scratch her ears and back. She too would appreciate a walking buddy who will take her out to explore all of the fun scents in the neighborhood. This Piper shouldn’t be confused with the other Piper, the male Shepherd mix, but they would both make wonderful pets!

Piper exploring the smells under the tree

Uba the three-year-old Shepherd mix has one of the cutest faces currently at the shelter. Her face is a little darker than the rest of her, and her ears perk up when she’s excited. She’s a very manageable size, much smaller than the average Shepherd, and is a very happy girl.

Uba’s adorable face

Uba is ready to share the love with her new family. When I knelt down to her level, she sat right next to me and started covering my nose in doggy kisses. She’s playful, lovable, and can’t wait to find a family to call her own. Come in soon to meet Uba!

Uba with her perky ears

Mervin the two-year-old Bluetick Coonhound mix is such a handsome guy. Although he’s a big boy, he is very gentle and walks well on the leash. He can get distracted by a good scent, but that’s what he was bred to do! You would expect Mervin to have a big howl, but he was patiently quiet inside his kennel even when the dogs around him were barking.

Mervin with just a tiny bit of doggy slobber

You can easily get Mervin off the scent trail by scratching his chin. He will happily stand next to you while you do so, and look at you lovingly with those sweet Hound eyes. His floppy ears would probably appreciate getting scratched every once in a while, too. Mervin is a gentle soul waiting for an affectionate family to come find him.

Mervin putting that coonhound nose to use

Chopper the two-year-old Catahoula mix is a lot of fun. He also enjoyed bounding through the snow, and liked to climb up to the top of the snow piles to see what all was going on. He is a handsome, happy dog whose tail is always wagging and whose tongue is always hanging out the side of his mouth in a doggy grin.

Chopper’s doggy grin

Chopper would make a great Valentine. He loves to give doggy hugs and doggy kisses, and will gladly receive hugs and kisses in return. With his energy level, he would enjoy long walks on the beach–or anywhere! Chopper is ready to give all of his heart to his new family. Is there space in your heart and your home for Chopper?

Chopper ready to run and play

Coco the ten-year-old Chocolate Labrador Retriever mix is just a sweetheart. She is so gentle and so friendly. She is smaller than the average Lab, but has more than enough wonderful personality to make up for her size. Coco is extremely easy to walk on a leash and enjoys all of the attention she can get.

Sweet Coco in the snow

Coco is sure to bond quickly to whoever is lucky enough to bring her home. When we were finished with our walk, I passed her over to the Orphans of the Storm® photographer for her photoshoot. It appeared that Coco had already bonded with me, because her head kept following me wherever I walked. I ended up having to stand behind the photographer so she could get a good picture of Coco! Please don’t pass this sweet dog over just because of her age. She has so much more love to give.

Coco being photogenic

Kiedis the one-and-a-half-year-old Doberman Pinscher mix is an absolutely stunning dog. He’s a brown Doberman (rather than the usual black) with an attentive, inquisitive face. Kiedis came from a family with children, who unfortunately had to move and couldn’t take their handsome dog with them. Because we know he came from a family, though, he’s definitely housebroken and does well with kids.

Handsome Kiedis, photographed by the official Orphans of the Storm® photographer

Kiedis, being a Doberman, is quite strong. When you first take him out, he might be the one walking you because he’s eager to stretch his legs. After he gets some exercise, though, he walks much better on the leash. He takes treats extremely gently from your hands and knows some basic commands like “Sit.” A dog like Kiedis will not be at the shelter for very long, so come in soon to meet him!

I also took Molly the Pit Bull Terrier mix out for a quick walk, and let her run around the yard for a bit. She had such a great time in the snow, rolling over onto her back with her legs kicking in the air. Even though Molly doesn’t like other dogs, she absolutely loves people and would make a wonderful friend in a one-dog-only home!

Kennelmates Bandit and Lilly also got the chance to stretch their legs and play in the run. Orphans of the Storm® now has an agility bridge in one of the runs, and Bandit mastered it right away. He was so proud of himself when he got to the top! Lilly was a little skeptical of the bridge, but she was happy to sit and watch Bandit while I sat next to her and scratched her ears. Two more loving dogs ready for their new home!

Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Make Great Companions

Two of the dogs I walked at Orphans of the Storm® this week were adopted before I got the chance to write about them! (One, in fact, was adopted while I was still at the shelter visiting with other dogs.) Congratulations to them, and hopefully the other dogs in this post will find their new families soon!

Rock the one-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix still seems to be in his silly puppy stage. This guy is so much fun. When you stop by his kennel, he sticks his little paw out and pats your arm to say hello. He will probably be excellent at giving high-fives or handshakes, if you decide to teach him those tricks. And he will be eager to learn!

Rock ready to walk

Rock would like an active, playful family that can keep up with him. He loves to run and explore, although he didn’t seem too interested in playing fetch when I tried (but maybe because the ball was getting lost in the snow). He can be a little jumpy when he’s excited, but he just wants to share his excitement with you! If you’re looking for  a younger dog, come in soon to meet Rock.

Rock always on the move

Ranger the two-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound mix is a really sweet dog. He seemed to be a little nervous when we first put the leash on, but he warmed up quickly and was eager to put that Hound nose to use and sniff all of the interesting smells hiding under the snow. He was, at the time, sharing a kennel with another dog (the one that got adopted the same day!), so he could go into a home with or without other dogs.

Ranger’s sweet face

Ranger walked well on a leash and would be an excellent walking companion. He has those sweet Hound eyes that just make you want to cuddle with him. He didn’t bark at all, even inside the kennel when all of the dogs around him were barking. This shy boy will become a loyal friend quickly, once he’s given the affection he deserves. Is Ranger the pooch for you?

Ranger posing so perfectly

I also got the chance to enjoy the snow with some old friends:

• Roxie the Australian Cattle Dog mix loved running around in the snow, and would especially love to have her own yard and family to enjoy.
• Piper the Shepherd mix was also eager for the chance to stretch his legs, and is wondering when it will be his turn to find a furever home.
• My favorite Chewy the Black Lab mix, who I can’t write about enough, is looking for a good home in which to spend his golden years.

There are so many great pooches to choose from. Find your new friend for life at Orphans of the Storm®!