Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Would Be Thankful to Go Home with You

There are lots of young dogs at Orphans of the Storm® now who are ready to join a family this holiday season, and look forward to enjoying many more holidays for years to come. They (and the rest of the dogs and cats at the shelter) would be so thankful for you to come in and give them a chance to show you what you’ve been missing!

Boomer the two-year-old Border Collie mix is a real cutie. He’s smaller than your usual Border Collie but has plenty of energy to make up for his size. Boomer was eager to lead the way around the woodland preserve. He walks at a pretty quick pace, but doesn’t pull much. He also likes to stop and sniff.

Boomer’s cute nosie

Boomer is an affectionate guy too. Whenever I knelt down to his level, he would come scampering over, put his front paws in my lap, and give me a few doggy kisses. As long as you’re petting him, Boomer is happy to stay still right by your side. Stop in soon to see if Boomer is the pooch for you!

Boomer leading the way on our walk

Jasmine the one-year-old Beagle mix will immediately grab your attention because she has such striking markings on her face. She also does the cutest head-tilt, like she’s saying, “Who, me?” Jasmine is larger than your usual Beagle mix, but she’ll still try to convince you that she’s a lapdog.

Jasmine has a cute wrinkly forehead

Jasmine is still young, so she can be easily distracted, like any puppy. She wants to sniff everything and go in every direction and see what everyone else is up to. But when we were just walking one-on-one around the woodland preserve, she was happy to take a break every once in a while to get a good scratch on her back. Be sure to say hello to Jasmine on your next visit to the shelter!

Jasmine’s smoky eye look is on point!

Bristol the one-year-old Shepherd/Husky mix jumps up and down in excitement when he’s inside his kennel, but don’t let that deter you. After his initial burst of excitement, Bristol settles down nicely and can be a great walking companion. He just doesn’t like being cooped up a lot (understandably), so he would prefer to be an active home.

Bristol knows he’s handsome

Bristol and I first went to the off-leash run, where he had a good time sniffing and exploring. He would come back to me every once in a while for a pat on the back or scratch under the chin. Then we took a walk around the woodland preserve, where Bristol did a good job of staying by my side or just a couple steps ahead of me. He’s a handsome and smart boy who is eager to find a family to call his own. Stop in soon to meet Bristol!

Bristol enjoying an ear scratch

Rosie the one-year-old Mountain Cur mix is a real bundle of energy. Rosie’s motto seems to be, “Why walk when you can run?” If I had better endurance, we would have ran the entire way around the woodland preserve. (Instead, we only ran about a third.) I saw Rosie out with two potential adopters later in the afternoon, and she was running them all the way around the trail too.

Rosie has a cute face

Rosie was a little calmer when we were inside the off-leash run. She did a few sprints along the fence, but otherwise she moved at a slower pace. She also joined me on the bench a few times and gave me some doggy kisses. She seemed to be okay around other dogs, though her exuberance might be too much for some. If you’re up for a pup with lots of pep, come in soon to meet Rosie!

Rosie up on the bench

Joui the one-year-old Rat Terrier mix is a snuggly little guy. The moment I knelt down next to him, he hopped right into my lap and gave me doggy kisses. He didn’t even notice that there were two big dogs right next to us! Joui was also fine with being picked up and held, though he would prefer to use his own four legs to get around.

Joui has adorably oversized ears

Joui is also adventurous. He followed his nose under the bench and crawled all the way through. He also dug around in the wood chips a bit to try to unearth whatever scent he had been following. When I gave Joui a treat, he didn’t eat it right away–instead, he carried it in his mouth and walked so proudly, with his head and his tail up high. Joui was previously sharing his kennel with another small dog, so he could go to a home with or without another dog. Come in soon to see if Joui is the one for you!

Joui is always happy to accept a pat on the back

Lucy the one-year-old Labrador Retriever/Mountain Cur mix looks like she hasn’t necessarily gotten the best start in life, but she’s ready to begin a new chapter in a loving home with a loving family. Lucy can sometimes be a velcro dog and was either walking between my legs or so close to one side that we were touching. At other times, she’s happy to lead the way! She can even take a few steps just on her hind legs.

Lucy says, “What’s going on over there?”

Lucy just wants people to like her. She’d occasionally stop and look up at me like, “Am I doing a good job?” And of course she was! Whenever I knelt down next to her, she’d put her nose right up to mine, give me a few sniffs, and then kiss my nose. Lucy particularly enjoys a good scratch on the neck. She can get a little excited around other dogs, but for the most part walked nicely on the leash. Make sure you say hi to Lucy!

Lucy likes chasing tennis balls

I also saw Aleck, Bella, Diamond, Festus, John Boy, Lucy, the other Lucy, Pike, Scotty, Weezie, and Zoey.

Orphans of the Storm® Celebrates Adopt a Senior Month

Orphans of the Storm® knows that senior dogs are great dogs, and that’s why we’re promoting Adopt a Senior Month all November long! If you adopt a dog who is eight years or older, the adoption fee will be waived (additional veterinary fees still apply). There are lots of lovable seniors eager to meet you! Here are the seniors I’ve previously written about:

• Bella – 11-year-old Boxer
• Cody – 10-year-old Labrador Retriever
• Diamond – 8-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Lucy – 9-year-old Box
• Lucy – 14-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Puggie – 12-year-old Chihuahua
• Scotty – 10-year-old Labrador Retriever/Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Snuffles – 9-year-old Australian Cattle Dog
• Weezie – 10-year-old Chow Chow

And here are a couple new dogs (one senior, one not) who would also be happy to make your acquaintance!

Festus the eight-year-old Labrador Retriever mix is a mellow guy who never seems to be in much of a hurry. He was happy to come out of his kennel, but took his time sniffing along the walkway. Festus even spent several minutes sniffing around the same five-square-foot area of grass until I encouraged him to keep moving along so we could spend some time in the off-leash run.

Festus putting his nose to work

Festus may not be the most handsome dog at the shelter (his fur is pretty sparse by his hind legs and tail), but he has the sweetest face. When I was petting him, he stared right into my eyes with the most loving expression and it was just so clear that he has a gentle soul. Festus isn’t overly active and we didn’t make it all the way around the woodland trail, but that makes him easy to walk and a great companion for just hanging around the house. If you’re looking for an older, quieter dog, come in soon to meet Festus!

Festus being curious

Hank the five-year-old Catahoula mix is an energetic boy. He jumped up in excitement when he realized it was his turn to come out, and quickly led the way once his leash was on. We went straight to the woodland trail, where Hank had a fun time following his nose through the falling leaves. Hank mostly walks at a faster pace, but doesn’t pull too much.

Hank has a great smile

Hank is great at cuddling. When I knelt down to his level, Hank bounded right over to me, put his front paws in my lap, and gave me lots of doggy kisses. He kept his paws in my lap while I pet him and eventually got so comfortable that he leaned his whole body against me. Hank is a happy boy whose tail is always wagging. Stop in soon to say hello to Hank!

Hank says, “Whatcha got there?”

I also saw Blush, Courage (who is so affectionate–she climbed right into my lap and gave me lots of kisses), Ginger, Honey Lamb, and Pike.

Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Will Win Your Vote

Tired of election talk? Then let’s switch to puppy talk! The dogs at Orphans of the Storm® are all ready to show you why they would make the best new pup to bring home.

Sammy the two-year-old Labrador Retriever mix is super friendly and affectionate. She had her tail wagging like crazy and rolled over for a belly rub before I even opened the gate to her kennel. Once she was out on the leash, she gave me a big doggy hug and then led the way to the off-leash run. Sammy will happily give doggy kisses to whoever is in her vicinity, and isn’t shy about climbing into your lap to do so.

Sammy enjoying a scratch on her hips

Sammy is also playful. She wasn’t too interested in the tennis ball, but when she found a rope toy she was thrilled! We played a little bit of tug-of-war, but Sammy also had a good time just carrying the toy around and shaking it back and forth occasionally. Sammy was enthusiastic about going around the woodland trail. She could use a bit of leash training to learn not to pull as much, but for the most part she did well. Come in soon to see if Sammy is the pooch for you!

Sammy enjoying her toy

Todd the one-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound mix is the perfect combination of couch potato and outdoor adventurer. When we were in the off-leash run, Todd was calm and mellow. He joined me on the bench and sat in my lap (as best he could, given his size) for a while. He also gave me a few doggy kisses while we were sitting there.

Todd showing off his droopy ears

Todd then went into full Hound mode when we walked around the woodland trail. We went at a fast walk/slow jog pace set by Todd. He would stop to sniff every once in a while, but was more interested in covering a lot of ground in a short period of time. We jogged past another dog and person, who Todd barely even looked at because he was just following the trail. If you appreciate both activity and relaxation, come in soon to meet Todd!

Todd looking regal

Bonnie and Tiny the two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier mixes are super precious. I was basically incoherent when I took them out because they are too cute for words. The pictures I took don’t make their size very clear, but they’re roughly the size of my Beagle/Basset Hound mix and therefore can fit in your lap with ease. Bonnie and Tiny are like permanent puppies.

Bonnie is so small and wrinkly

Bonnie and Tiny were found together as strays and would preferably like to find their new forever home together. They’re very attached and get along well with each other. At one point, Bonnie was chewing on a toy. Tiny came over, took the toy, and carried it to another part of the run. A few minutes later, Bonnie went over to Tiny and took the toy back. They were even chewing on it simultaneously at one point. There were no disagreements.

Tiny has the cutest ears

Bonnie (the blue-gray one) was the first to come over to me. When I knelt down on the ground, she came trotting over and put her cute little front paws on my legs. After getting the sniff of approval, I was the recipient of some doggy kisses. Bonnie was always eager to come back to me for more attention.

Bonnie with her toy

Tiny (the tan-white one) was a little more stand-offish at first, but when I sat down on the ground she eventually made her way over to my lap and gave me some doggy kisses herself. Tiny seemed like the more independent and adventurous one, because she always led the way when it came to sniffing and exploring around. If you’re looking for two bundles of fun and cuteness to add to your family, come in soon to meet Bonnie and Tiny!

Tiny in my lap

Maggie the seven-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix loves being with people and also gets along with kids. Maggie is one of those dogs who will stay by your side for as long as you’re petting her. She’s also happy to give doggy kisses in return. Maggie was pretty calm while we were in the off-leash run and enjoyed following her nose around.

Maggie says, “Hi there!”

Maggie absolutely loves going for walks. You might be surprised, considering she has short legs and is a little on the chunky side, but she moves at a quick clip! Maggie likes walking so much that she was all set to go for a second lap around the trail. Maggie isn’t a fan of cats, but she gets along with other dogs and attends play group almost every day. Come in soon to say hello to Maggie!

Maggie enjoying the falling leaves

I also saw Bella, Blush, Clarinet, Grunge and Oscar, and Jayda.