September 2023 Rescue Report
It’s been another busy month, beginning with Mia’s adoption August 19. She came from the Humane Society of Skagit County, where she was living with four puppies about six months old. The people who found her tried calling the owner, but with no response, so they went to the shelter. The shelter tried again, and the owner came and reclaimed the two male pups, leaving Mia and two female pups there. The puppies were adopted quickly, leaving only Mia, and they transferred her to us. They thought she was about two years old, but beyond that we know almost nothing. She preferred to be with people, but got along with dogs and cats, and loved to go on walks. We found the right home, and Mia lives now with Angela and Nathaniel in Hillsboro, where she is the center of attention and happy as can be.
Balto has been waiting for a home with people who are prepared to have a jumper. We were told he could jump a six foot fence, but during the time since he came, he didn’t tried to jump over a fence once, and never even tested a baby gate in the house. We have to assume he needed more attention, and he is definitely a people oriented dog. Even when there wasn’t food involved, he stayed at the feet of one or the other of us, wanting attention. He loves to be scratched, and he even enjoys grooming. We contacted his breeder, but did not get an answer.
We said many times that if Balto was our last foster we’d be going out on top. We had a call a week and a half ago from Jen and Rick, past adopters who have come to us for Sammies in the past. It’s been a year since they lost Jinju, and they wanted to talk about dogs. We told them about his history of jumping, and they weren’t concerned. On September 10 they came to meet him, bringing along their dog Logan. Balto immediately went to them, and that’s what we always look for. He thought they were great people, and after a couple hours with him, Balto hopped in their car to begin his new life in Troutdale.
Quinn came from Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho, one of two Samoyeds who needed new homes. The female was placed by the owner. Darlene picked up Quinn and met Melissa in Hermiston, and she drove him home to foster with her. He is an exceptionally nice boy with one problem. He absolutely doesn’t like other boy dogs, and Melissa has to keep him separate from her male, Boomer. He is great with females, but he wants to be alpha male. In a home with no other dogs, or with just a female, he would be a perfect addition to a family. He came to Melissa looking like a dog who liked to roll in dirt, so Quinn went to a groomer and is clean and handsome again. He will soon be neutered and then he can move to his forever home.
In July we heard of a “young Samoyed” in the Index area. Kathleen corresponded with Jessie, the woman who found him, and was told he had a chip. The owner was contacted but didn’t answer after multiple attempts, so Jessie took care of him. His name is Chalkie. At the end of August, she wrote that she isn’t able to keep him because her landlord said no, and he is actually 12 years old. She sent photos that show a senior dog with serious skin problems. We haven’t taken him into rescue yet; for now we’re talking about where he would go.
For a while, at the beginning of the pandemic, we heard from a lot of people trying to find a Samoyed. Things have changed. We have lots of people who want us to help, and apps aren’t arriving as fast. I heard elsewhere that groups aren’t getting applications as fast as before, so apparently rescue work has shifted again. As long as we can find homes, we will be okay, but it points out our need for good foster homes. If you have room for an extra dog for a few weeks at a time, we would love to hear from you. It’s one of the most rewarding things you can ever do.
