He’s baaaaaaack!
A “demon” dog was finally adopted from a Niagara Falls animal shelter — only to be returned less than two weeks later.
Ralphie, the frisky Frenchie that has been called a “fire-breathing demon” and a total “jerk,” was reportedly too much for his temporary owners.
The Niagara SPCA said on Facebook this week that “while the adopter had the right household dynamic, Ralphie proved to be more than she could handle.”
Instead of re-homing him immediately, the shelter is enrolling the “terror” bulldog in a six-week, $6,000 training course Monday in an attempt to rectify his behavioral problems. The SPCA is raising money to pay for the training in the hopes it will help lure a potential adopter who is willing to risk it all — even their ankles.
The shelter is seeking someone locally who is able to work with the trainer and welcome Ralphie home immediately after the course. Dog ownership “resumes” should be sent to dragonadoption@niagaraspca.org.
The agency warned wannabe owners not to apply if they are “believers that all Ralphie needs is love. He will totally exploit that.”
“Those who think our restrictions of no other animals or no kids do not apply to them,” the post continued. “Just no. Ralphie has a bite history. You should not want that for your child- 2 legged or 4 (but possibly 3).”
Some Facebook users were outraged the shelter would promote a pup with a “bite history,” but rest assured, the SPCA said its workers have had no problems managing the poorly behaved pooch.
Ralphie has “a popular public interest story because [he’s a] ‘cutesie fun bad boy,’” the shelter wrote in a Facebook comment. “It’s what will help raise the money for training.”
“Trust that we’ve been forthcoming with anyone that has been interested in Ralphie,” the employee added. “We’ve said plenty of times, we’ve used humor, but his behavior is no joke.”
Social media users said they were “sad” to hear about Ralphie’s struggle to find a forever home, and some pet lovers even shared snaps of their own troublesome pooches they say were once just like Ralphie.
Read Related Also: Prince and Princess of Wales are joined by Prince George and Princess Charlotte in Windsor
While the shelter applauded his last owners for making the right choice to return Ralphie, the workers couldn’t help but be disappointed it wasn’t the right fit — again.
The original adoption listing on Facebook last month called the 26-pound pup a “terror in a somewhat small package,” claiming that his previous owners had hidden his unfavorable traits.
“We’re sure you’re thinking: my ankles will be just fine,” the snarky snippet read. “We’d caution — proceed at your own risk.”
“Our best guess is that Ralphie’s cute face got him whatever he wanted and boundaries are something he heard people talk about, but they didn’t apply to him,” the post continued.
“The ideal home for Ralphie is the Mother of Dragons, or an adult home free of other animals, with an owner who will lead him calmly and sternly — putting up with zero crap.”
The Niagara SPCA, meanwhile, appears to be overflowing with pups in need.
The shelter’s executive director, Amy Lewis, told the Niagara Gazette last year that intake had soared — calling it a “crisis” situation.
“Our intake of dogs is up, and we have no kennels to accommodate them,” she said at the time. “It’s happening everywhere. It’s not just in this region and just at the Niagara SPCA.”
Just a few weeks ago, the SPCA took to Facebook to reiterate it’s “all filled up on dogs.”
“Last year in January, we took in 43 dogs. This year, we took in 73 dogs — up nearly 70%,” the post emphasized.
“PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, this is not the time to surrender your dogs,” the shelter begged. “Please hold onto them if you can. We do not have space for them right now. If you’re planning to adopt, adopt local. We have nice dogs, small dogs, puppy dogs, black dogs, brown dogs. We also have an AT-AT Walker look alike dog named Remy who could give Ralphie a run for his money. We have all the dogs.”
