Im(paw)sible to say no; SPR seeks experienced dog owner

KELLOGG — "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

The words of famed American photographer Rodger Caras ring true, and we know just the guy to help make someone’s life complete.

Volunteers with the Shoshone Pet Rescue are looking for an experienced dog owner to adopt Darrin, believed to be a German Shepherd/Husky Mix, with a lot of energy and a lot of love to give.

“We all love him,” said Kim Johnson, Shoshone Pet Rescue (SPR) volunteer.

Darrin has been at the rescue since January, waiting for his fur-ever home.

“He’s smart, and he definitely has a mind of his own,” Johnson said. “That bit of husky can cause some stubbornness, but he’s very receptive to training.”

SPR Volunteer Braden Thomas reached out to the Shoshone News-Press after spending time walking Darrin and trying to assist in getting him adopted since January. He explained that many promotions had been done to help get him adopted, including him being the Dave Smith Dog of the Month and stickers with QR codes to his profile on drinks at Brewed Awakening, but have still struggled to find that perfect fit.

“He has been at the rescue for going on a year, which is the longest-term resident I have experienced by quite a margin,” Thomas said. “He is a very sweet young dog that would make a wonderful pet for someone.”

Thomas went on to describe Darrin’s personality as, “big! He gets really excited to see people and is really sweet, smart, playful and loving.”

Darrin loves going on walks, and Thomas describes him as a true gentleman on a leash, “He never pulls and generally walks politely to the side of you.”

Although Darrin has a lot of love and positive attributes, some of his personality traits can be difficult for inexperienced dog owners to handle.

“There is no doubt he will need an owner with patience to work with him. He has a tendency to get a little wound up, and it can be very difficult to get him to calm down. However, with some training and lots of exercise, I believe this trait would quickly vanish,” Thomas said.

Johnson explained that the longer a dog is in a kennel situation, the harder it can be to give them the enrichment they need, and Darrin loves to chew.

“We can’t put anything in his kennel that he will tear apart. We are looking for an experienced, patient dog owner with the time and energy to spend with him.”

Overall, Darrin is friendly, but Johnson explained that anxiety in dogs could sometimes show up in strange circumstances.

“You are going to be your dog’s advocate, and they have to know you will advocate for them when they are scared. You need to know your dog. We have taken Darrin to parades, taken him into coffee shops and he is perfectly fine. However, sometimes we take him on walks by the Bunker Hill mine and he didn’t seem to like a couple guys up there. That’s usually some form of anxiety. And that’s one of the biggest things almost all our dogs have.”

If you, or someone you know is the perfect dog owner for Darrin, call the Shoshone Pet Rescue at 208-512-3401 or visit shoshone-pet-rescue.org for an adoption application and more information.