Who’s that handsome dog looking at you? Why, it’s Darwin, a 18 month old Lab/Pit mix who loves to amble about and have fun! He gets quite excited in his kennel but once he’s outside, he calms down nicely and walks beautifully. I suspect that once he has a home and knows the routine, he’ll be just fine with daily walks/runs, though he will probably be very happy to see you home or awake!

He’s very eager to please– he’s very food motivated and already knows ’sit.’He would love to learn more in obedience classes.

Darwin is also very goofy– he can express his joy in exuberant ways, and sometimes he just likes to be funny. Like settling in for a 5 second nap in the sun (hey, 5 seconds are pretty slow for a dog…)

Or making faces:

Darwin loves toys, and has fun playing by himself in the exercise pen. It’s fun watching him with squeaky toys, especially as he tries to figure out what makes them work.

Hrm? What makes this noise?

If I shake it really fast, maybe it’ll fall out?

Ok, got it in my mouth! Now I have to find a place to hide it…

To meet Darwin, visit him in Kennel 17. For more information, contact doginfo@apsofdurham.org

Allow me to introduce you to Gwendolyn, a 8-9 month Lab/hound mix. She’s very shy and cautious, but tries very hard to be social and courageous. She loves her walks and shows her joy by bounding and sniffing. With time and patience, she’ll be a pro at walking on leash (she appears not have been walked on a leash before).

She likes to be petted, and she absolutely adores other dogs. She would be best as a second dog in a household where an older, kinder (and wiser!) dog can teach her the good things in life and play with her. She would also enjoy the dog park and attending obedience classes so she can learn what is expected of her. She’s also very food motivated (she loves hot dogs) and is very attentive.

Come meet Gwendolyn in Kennel 37. For more info, contact doginfo@apsofdurham.org

If, by any chance, you see this little bundle of black fur moving about, you should ready yourself for a rather amusing sight: a very happy puppy dog (she’s not quite a year old yet– around 6-7 months) running about, not hard, but just dancing around in the grass, her pink tongue out, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, her tail wagging furiously.

That would be Camilla, a rather delightful puppy who is very affectionate (a volunteer has mentioned that if you get down to her level, she offers several kiss-attacks, and I should add that she also offers lap-attacks (as in, settling in your lap for all of five seconds, then running in grass, then settling back into your lap and giving you a quick kiss– only to repeat the whole thing all over again.)). She already knows ’sit’ and would be a star pupil in training classes, and would be excellent with children (reason why she’s a GOLD STAR dog).

Given her affection for people and dog and great self-control, Camilla would be a wonderful addition to a family. I don’t think there was a single minute on our entire walk when I wasn’t smiling or laughing– she revels in your joy and will do your best to cheer you up!

Come meet Camilla in Kennel 42. For more information, contact doginfo@apsofdurham.org

“I’m looking forward to my forever home!”

Aren’t these beautiful eyes some of the nicest you’ve seen? Meet Sierra, a fun hound mix under a year old!

She comes out of her kennel with oodles of energy, but quiets down nicely when you pet her and talk to her. We had a wonderful walk where she sniffed everything, came back eagerly into my arms for one of those chin scratches she loves, and sat very nicely for treats. She’s going to be a treat to take to obedience classes– heck, she’s just going to be a treat to have around.

Also, she seems to have a permanent puppy-like expression… all the more to bend to her will and give her treats…I mean, to please you. She gets along with other dogs, loves to play with her toys, and will be an all-around great dog.

Sierra isn’t just all business, though. She can have quite a variety of goofy expressions:

Is this camera a treat?

You missed a spot and I have to scratch it NOW.

Am I going to be sainted?

If you’re looking for a dog that will make you smile and laugh and have fun, come visit Sierra in Kennel 18. For more information, contact doginfo@apsofdurham.org

Meet Lacey, an almost-adult black lab mix (she’s around a year old). She’s extremely well-behaved, as in she walks beautifully on a leash, knows ’sit’ and would love to learn more with help of treats!

She has the typical Lab energy, and would do best in a fenced backyard (she loves to play fetch) or frequent trips to the dog park (she likes other dogs). She’d also make a terrific jogging partner and would be a great companion for hiking or walking adventures.

The other thing about Lacey is how beautiful she is in the sunlight– her black, glossy fur show off several highlights. There’s something about her beauty and her willingness that makes you smile.

Come visit Lacey in Kennel 43. She’s looking forward to meeting you and showing you (she already knows her way around!). For more information, contact doginfo@apsofdurham.org

This is going to be one of the rare posts about a cat who’s more like a dog that she deserves a mention in the blog. And that’s a rare photo of Mariah, because she is usually snoozing away in your arms or getting a bellyrub.

She purrs very loudly when picked up, and has no fear of strangers (which is remarkable, because she’s a stray), and warms up very easily to all sorts of people who visit the volunteer’s office. She never seems to mind that they may smell like wet dogs or food, she just loves them all.

She is also extremely relaxed– she loves to be picked up and held belly-up, and have her belly rubbed. It’s like her personal spa! Here are some pictures of her enjoying her bellyrub:

If you’re interested in meeting sweet Mariah, ask for her at the front desk- she’s currently residing at the volunteer’s office. for more information, please contact catinfo@apsofdurham.org

Stella is one of our longer residents- she first came here as a cruelty case in April, held at the shelter until the charges were resolved, then made available for adoption in July. She’s really come a long way from being a thin, scrawny, scared, nervous, pitiful creature to a playful, confident, even sassy, poised dog. She’s even at her optimal weight and has a clean bill of health (she finished her second round of heartworms! Yay!). It’s a real pleasure to watch her blossom and learn all her new habits (more below).

She already knows ’sit’ and is very attentive (unless you are not paying attention to her! in which case it’s only fair that she turns to other things…). She’s also very good with other dogs– she’d probably adore going to the dog park or being a second (or third!) dog. Like most dogs, she would benefit from (and probably enjoy!) obedience training.

Stella is also very affectionate, and likes to go to you for chin scratches or to be near you. Her tail doesn’t stop wagging.

Only one thing- Stella is very quiet in her kennel and looks rather docile, even sad, but it’s all misleading, because when you take her out, her true personality really shows, especially when she plays. She’s got the cutest play style I’ve ever seen in a dog– I’m guessing she didn’t get to have a proper puppyhood and is determined to make sure that she spends every minute enjoying her toys! She take the toy in her mouth (stuffed toys are her favorite– one of these days I should get a stopwatch and time how long it takes for her to get the squeakers out of the toy…I’m sure she’s trying to break a record– probably her own– these days!) and rolls on her back, paws in air. You can sense that she is so very happy, and that everyone should join her and be equally happy (or in my case, laughing and grinning). Her joy is that infectious, and you sense that Stella is so overjoyed, that she simply has to express what she is feeling right now and there.

And when she’s done with her toys, she looks at you for a treat, because she is now the conquering heroine of squeaker toys.

Finally, some pictures of her happy play-roll-dance:

Isn’t Stella so endearing when she’s doing these happy rolls? It reminds me to not to take life too seriously and to play and have fun as much as possible, because you never know what will happen next. In short, when life hands you what seems to be an unlimited supply of toys, you do a happy dance and play, of course.

Stella has been waiting so patiently for her forever home…are you that special family for her? If so, come see her at Kennel 31, and be sure to request to see her in exercise pen and have some toys ready! She’ll make you smile and laugh and love her, I’m sure.

The other day I got to work with a litter of collie mix puppies. They’re wonderfully soft, furry, and insanely cute. I’m also happy to report that all of them seem to be very food motivated, and were working their way into a proto-sit (kind of like babbling before actually talking in babies).

And of course I had to share the gratuitous puppy photos:

Scott (male of the litter of 3 in Kennel 35):

Skylar (white and tan female):

Wynter (black and white female):

They’re all about 2 months, I think, and two more of their litter is in Kennel 25. These three are in Kennel 35, usually curled up in a heap, so ask to see them individually. For more information, please contact doginfo@apsofdurham.org

Hello there! Nolan would like your attention! This is the look of a 3-4 months old hound/pit puppy who would like to play, get treats, or just have you attention!

He’s mastering ’sit’ rather nicely, and he would love to go to puppy training school so he can learn how to maximize his treat-obtaining skills. In other words, he’s very food motivated and attentive.

He also likes toys and gets along with other dogs- he’d love to have an older canine sibling to show him the ropes.

Nolan here is listening for his potential forever home…can you give him one? If so, come see him in Kennel 11. For more information about Nolan, contact doginfo@apsofdurham.org

No, that’s not a minature boxer…that’s Chica, a very pretty Chihuahua mix, around 2 yrs of age. She’s very sweet, in that she absolutely ADORES people and will curl up in whatever lap/arm/snuggle-spot is available. She’s very easy to walk, knows sit, and is extremely low-key.

I think she’d be fine as a permanent lapdog. She stayed on my lap as if she’d always been there and as if that was where she finally belonged, and it was a good vantage point to watch the leaves fall and the other dogs being walked in the distance.

Chica also seems to be easily trainable, and would love to go to training classes, but mostly, she’d love a warm lap. She gets stressed around other dogs, so she’d have to be an only dog. That’s okay, because I’m not sure she would tolerate another dog hogging her favorite lap!

Come visit this very lovely lady in Kennel 1. For more information about Chica contact doginfo@apsofdurham.org.