Most shelters advertise abandoned dogs they try to rehome as sweet-natured and easy to handle in a bid to attract more prospective owners. But this charity did something completely different by admitting that 26-pound Ralphie will drive you nuts. As a result, the bratty rescue dog has found itself the subject of viral fame.
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‘Terror in a somewhat-small package’
Earlier this year, the New York-based nonprofit Niagara County SPCA shared the story of a French bulldog Ralphie who is looking for a forever home. But instead of praising the pooch’s sweet nature, they stated the brutal truth: they didn’t have ‘too many nice things to say’ about the dog.
According to the shelter, though Ralphie looks like an ‘adorable, highly sought after’ pet, he is in fact a ‘terror in a somewhat-small package’.
They warned:
What could go wrong with a 26-pound dog, right? We’re sure you’re thinking: ‘My ankles will be just fine.’ We’d caution: proceed at your own risk.
We've become pros at writing animal adoption posts. With the adorableness we encounter daily, we have tons of material....
Posted by Niagara SPCA on Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Read more:
⋙ This unwanted dog went through 14 failed adoptions, leaving shelter's staff in tears
⋙ An abandoned dog ended up becoming a Guinness World Record holder
Ralphie was abandoned twice due to his bad character
Ralphie’s past seemed to have no boundaries which resulted in him believing he was ‘the boss’ and him getting dumped.
After two weeks in his second home, the pup was surrendered to the shelter because he ‘annoyed’ the family’s older dog which the shelter believes actually meant that Ralphie was ‘a fire-breathing demon’ capable of eating the pooch.
‘No takesy backsies’
Described as a ‘whole jerk, not even half’, Ralphie believes that ‘everything belongs to him’. If you dare test his ability to possess the things and show a moment of weakness, you have to ‘prepare to be exploited’.
The shelter believes that this challenging pet’s ideal owner will have to lead him ‘calmly and sternly’ and put up with ‘zero crap’.
It also informed anyone interested in adopting Ralphie that it would not make exceptions and joked that there would be ‘no takesy backsies’.
People found the post hilarious
The post has since gone viral on Facebook, where it has been liked more than 3,000 times and where hundreds of people have shared their amused reactions to the candid ad.
Some offered supportive words to Ralphie, with one person assuring that the dog was not bad, just ‘misunderstood’.
Oh, Ralphie.Edit: Ralphie is not being teased in this video. This is a snapshot of behavior that was captured to help us figure out how best to help Ralphie. We are getting him out daily for exercise and training and working on his guarding behavior in his kennel. There is also no evidence that suggests he guards because he was abused or neglected. Some have asked for evidence of Ralphie's bad boy ways so, without further adieu... This is Ralphie. In this video, a staff member is trying to go in his kennel to retrieve a toy he has gutted. He's not just jumping here. He's trying to bite their fingers as they unlatch the kennel. Their hesitation (due to fear for their fingers) is a signal to him that he's controlling this situation. He guarded his kennel in his last home and does so in the Shelter as well. He does have a bite history of some sort. We don't know the circunstances because his first owner won't return our phone calls. Other, more... fearless staff members go right in and body block him and just leash him and are pretty successful. He will also let some just walk right in and leash him. Getting the leash off is sometimes a different story, but it depends on the person. This is just the beginning of his shenanigans. He is so severely leash reactive- we can't get him within 20' of another dog. He was in an office at the Shelter and a staff member tried to step around him while he was lying on a bed and he lunged to grab her leg. He is not awful with everyone nor is he completely unhandleable. He picks a person and that person can do just about anything to him including pick him up which we're told by way of a surrender profile, is a no-no. While we've used humor to help make his behaviors more palatable for public consumption, his behaviors are no joke. His only saving grace is he is small and has some obedience training. He really needs a no nonsense owner. Otherwise, there may be no hope for him. That's why we're being super picky about his adopter. If you've called and have children or other dogs, you will not be considered for adoption. If you tell us this in a message, we will not return your phone call. We would hope that no one would be dishonest about their household circumstances just to adopt him- that will not end well for you and it will be an incredible disservice to Ralphie. Children and other pets are not only potential targets for him, but also provide less one-on-one time for his training and that's why we have drawn a hard line there. He 100% is a full jerk, but we believe he has potential to be a good boy- if only a percentage of the time.😏
Posted by Niagara SPCA on Tuesday, January 24, 2023
The shelter commented:
His only saving grace is he is small and has some obedience training. He really needs a no-nonsense owner.
He 100 per cent is a full jerk, but we believe he has the potential to be a good boy - if only a percentage of the time.
A spokesperson for the Niagara County SPCA confirmed that Ralphie is still available to adopt, but that the shelter has received a lot of inquiries about the dog as a result of his viral fame.
Read more:
⋙ A cheeky dog chewed through the front door, and the internet is in stitches (VIDEO)
⋙ An abandoned dog with a heartbreaking note was found wandering the streets
Sources used:
- Independent: 'Animal shelter’s brutally honest ad for ‘fire-breathing demon’ dog goes viral: ‘No takesy backsies’'
