Bend resident Deanna Coker felt ready for another dog after her Australian shepherd mix, Lita, died three years ago from cancer.

Coker checked listings in the area last year, and eventually heard about a litter of Australian shepherd puppies at Three Rivers Humane Society in Madras.

She picked the runt of the litter at the shelter, and decided not to change his name: Valor.

“I chose to keep the name because my boyfriend’s father was a 22-year military veteran,” Coker said.

Coker’s 17-year-old daughter, Chyna, joked Valor should have been named Chewie because all he wanted to do was chew on things when they brought him home from the shelter.

“All I know is he is fluffy and chews on things,” Chyna said.

Contrary to Coker, most residents opt to give their furry companions more traditional names, according to dog license records in Deschutes County.

The most popular name in the county is Lucy, followed by Bella, Sadie, Buddy and Max. A few less popular but charming names are Indiana Bones, Dutchess Von Wigglebottoms and Luna Von Ruff.

Labradors and Labrador mixes are the most popular breeds in the county, ahead of golden retrievers, Chihuahuas and border collies.

Stephanie Michelle, community events coordinator at Bend Pet Express, said breeds tend to match the lifestyle of Central Oregon residents. Those who enjoy the rural lifestyle on the outskirts of the county usually want working dogs and herding breeds, she said. And more people in the cities are living in smaller homes and picking smaller breeds, such as schnauzers and terriers.

Many residents choose high-energy breeds such as Labradors to keep up with their outdoor adventures, Michelle said.

“We are an active city. We find people gravitate toward breeds that can participate in their activities,” Michelle said.

In Bend, known for its beer, locals find creative ale-inspired dog names. The county records show 29 dogs named Porter, 23 Barleys and one Stout.

“We get the general names, but Bend being a beer town, we get a lot of beer-centric names,” Michelle said.

A total of 16,141 dogs are licensed in Deschutes County. The actual number of dogs in the county is likely closer to 40,000, according to calculations from the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Lynne Ouchida, community outreach manager at the Humane Society of Central Oregon in Bend, said licensing dogs is important to public health, besides being required by state law and county code.

In order to license a dog, an owner must provide proof of a current rabies vaccination. Dog license forms are available at the Deschutes County Finance Department in downtown Bend, veterinary offices and the Redmond and Bend animal shelters.

The annual fee in Deschutes County is $30 for unaltered dogs and $16 for spayed or neutered dogs. The fine for owning or keeping an unlicensed dog is $275.

“Dog licenses are something that comes under human health and not animal laws,” Ouchida said. “It’s really a way to control rabies in the community.”

Having a dog licensed is also a benefit if it ever runs away, Ouchida said. Licensed dogs are given a steel tag with an identification number and the phone numbers for the Bend and Redmond animal shelters.

“I say that a dog license is an awesome secondary form of ID,” Ouchida said. “The first form should be an ID tag with current phone numbers.”

The popular breeds found on the county’s list of licensed dogs often match what Ouchida sees each day at the shelter.

“Breeds come and go in popularity, but I would say the standards in Central Oregon are Lab mixes, herding dogs and smaller breeds,” Ouchida said.

Ouchida enjoys seeing the variety of names listed in the dog license records. The list shows some owners name their dogs after a favorite coffee such as Latte, Coco Latte and Mocha Latte. Others named their dogs after pop culture figures, including Ricky Martin, Super Mario and Bilbo Baggins.

“Names are really important emotionally to people,” Ouchida said. “We name them here because we are not going to call them a number.”

At the Madras animal shelter last year, Deanna Coker immediately noticed Valor sitting in the back of the pen waiting to get attention.

“He was the quiet little fluffy runt in the back,” Coker said. “He was just so cute.”

Coker, who works and studies at Central Oregon Community College, said she feels fulfilled again owning an Australian shepherd.

Valor, now 1 year old, is definitely part of the family, Coker said.

“They have lots of energy, but they are a family dog. That is what we were looking for was a family dog,” she said. “We like to enjoy the outdoors when we can, so we wanted a dog that will go out and keep up with us whether we are out mountain biking, walking or fishing.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7820,

kspurr@bendbulletin.com

Top dogs

Among the 16,141 dogs licensed in Deschutes County, 178 are named Lucy, making it the top name. The following are the most popular dog names and breeds in the county:

Top 10 names

1. Lucy — 178

2. Bella — 156

3. Sadie — 150

4. Buddy — 148

5. Max — 133

6. Charlie — 127

7. Maggie — 125

8. Daisy — 120

9. Bailey — 114

10. Molly — 113

Top 10 breeds

1. Labrador — 1,656

2. Labrador mix — 1,228

3. Golden retriever — 577

4. Chihuahua — 415

5. Border collie mix — 411

6. Border collie — 378

7. Chihuahua mix — 353

8. Australian shepherd — 348

9. German shepherd — 327

10. Terrier mix — 268

Source: Deschutes County