December, 2007
We first saw Thor in July when SRO sent him here to see our vet for neutering. Melissa found him when Malamute Rescue called (not, as I first understood, the shelter). He was placed in a home in Corvallis with a couple looking for a companion. Things initially went very well until they unexpectedly asked us to take Thor back. He was fearful when he was placed, but it escalated until he bit someone. He got along here after he came back, for 
the most part, although he had one fight with one of our dogs. We seriously considered whether the liability would be too much to place him, but a woman who lives on Vancouver Island said she would take him and work with him. Kathy drove to Canada and delivered him, and his adopter signed a contract agreeing she knew about his biting (it had a “hold harmless” clause to protect Rescue).
At first Thor was shy and a bit fearful, and over the course of a couple days things went well. Then one day he reacted violently to her other dog and an expensive vet visit was the result. She realized he would never be dependable, and as fearful as he was he was not a happy dog. After consultation with us the decision was made to euthanize Thor, and she gave him one last good day with lots of chicken livers and love before he left.
Dakota was the first dog we placed after we took over rescue in 2002. He lived with a family in Lacey for five years, and they brought him to the rescue picnic each July. Last month we had a call that they were moving and would be leaving Dakota behind. After we got over the surprise and shock, we said we would take him, as we would say for any dog who has been in our rescue program. He arrived here the day before Thanksgiving, a few days before his 11th birthday. He is not a purebred; his original paperwork shows him to be 3/4 Samoyed and 1/4 Alaskan Husky. Dakota is surprisingly active and fit and enjoys running with the other dogs.
Cody had dental surgery a few weeks ago and he is now ready for his new home. We were concerned about the growth in his mouth, since he had a tumorous testicle removed soon after he arrived. Fortunately the new growth turned out to be nothing to worry about. Cody is an outgoing, extremely friendly boy who came to us from the Shelton shelter. He had been in Shelton only two weeks after being given away by someone in the Fort Lewis area; more than that we couldn’t learn. He is a senior dog, probably 10-12 years old, a little deaf and doesn’t see well. He is enthusiastic about life, loves everybody, and can out-jump most of the other dogs when dinner is imminent. His barking is also enthusiastic, sometimes incessant, and he has pronounced separation anxiety. He was visited by a prospective family on the 10th and they decided the barking would be too much for their close neighbors. On the positive side they are now interested in Dakota and will let us know soon.
We removed Katie from Petfinder while we try to get a handle on her allergies and skin problems. We tried an herbal remedy which did nothing, and she has now completed a full course of Prednisone. She is beginning to scratch again and we will need to see what else can be tried. We recently had news of all three of her puppies, now eight months old. All have been spayed or neutered and are doing well. Sadie, with Sue Yim, was at the Dog Walk a month ago. Cubby and Sparkle are with the Barths in the Portland area enjoying their family.
Our Holiday Fundraiser, featuring two designs by Holley Irvine, is doing very well. The first printing for orders received by December 10 was shipped on the 13th. There will be one more printing for any more orders placed by January 2. We appreciate the people who buy our sweatshirts year after year, because funds we take in this time of year are what enable us to help dogs all year around. You can see the designs at http://www.nwsams.com/fundraiser.htm.
And last but not least, we reached an important goal this month with the official filing of our IRS application to become a 501(c)(3) federal non-profit organization. We have no idea how long it will be before we hear back from Uncle Sam, but the ball is finally in his court.