Abigail

Abigail is a tri-colored, eight-year-old toy Australian Shepherd who found a second chance at a happy home this past fall. She was surrendered to the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) when her owner of eight years could no longer care for her due to his own medical issues. He was unable to take Abigail on her beloved walks where she could chase squirrels, and so he brought her to OHS in the hopes she would find a new family that could provide the care she was used to.  

When she arrived at the shelter, Abigail was standoffish with the new people she met. She also was nervous around other dogs and could be a bit barky when on guard. She was a perfect candidate for a calm, quiet home and so she was made available with her adoption fee waived to seniors, thanks to a grant from Grey Muzzle.      

Ten days after arriving at OHS, a senior woman came to the shelter with the hope of finding a companion dog. Desiree had lost her dog Sophie, a 13-year-old cocker spaniel, due to kidney disease in August. Desiree missed having a dog in her life, and had been looking for one for weeks when she learned about Abigail. She came into the shelter on Senior Tuesday specifically to meet Abigail. Decked out head to toe in purple, Desiree waited for our staff to bring Abigail to the meeting room, and when Abigail arrived, she was sporting a purple bandana. Desiree took it as a sign that they were meant to be together.      

Dog savvy and patient, Desiree knew exactly how to interact with the nervous Abigail. Meeting Abigail brought tears to Desiree’s eyes, but also had her laughing at the silly girl. Before the meeting was over, Abigail had snuggled up close to Desiree and that’s when Desiree knew Abigail was the dog for her.      

Thanks to you for bringing together seniors like Desiree and senior dogs like Abigail and creating happy homes. Let's make more happy.