Adopted: Chema

Willa’s New Beginning: From Backyard Breeder to Beloved Companion

📍 Oregon | 🎂 1.7 years old | ⚖️ 75 lbs

Meet Willa (formerly Chema) — a 1 year, 7 month old Bernese Mountain Dog mix who is learning, slowly but surely, that love is safe and being a dog can actually be pretty great.

Willa came to us after being surrendered by a suspected backyard breeder in October. At just 75 lbs, she arrived shy, under-socialized, and unsure of what the world expected of her. But with time, patience, and a loving foster home, Willa is blossoming into the gentle, loyal soul she was always meant to be.

She loves gentle pets and belly rubs — and if you stop too soon, she’ll kindly tap your arm with a paw to let you know she’s not done yet. She’s fully potty trained, learning to enjoy her walks, and sleeps happily in a crate, on the floor, or — her favorite — in bed with her person.

Willa shares her space well with her two foster brothers and would do just fine with a similarly-sized, calm dog companion. But she’d also thrive as the one and only in a quiet home with humans who respect her pace and are willing to let her grow in her own time.

Willa is not the dog that will rush to greet you — but she’s the one who will learn to trust you deeply, to lay beside you quietly, and to remind you every day what love looks like when it’s earned and cherished.

She’s ready for a new chapter — one filled with peace, patience, and people who truly see her.