Every dog deserves a home, but not all dogs can be placed in every home.
Don’t get us wrong – we know that fostering and adopting is the best way to get a pet. So many cats and dogs in the shelter need a loving home. If only every family could adopt one, they could give a pet the life they deserve with all the love and care they need.
However, shelters are always careful in screening and matching a pet and a family.
Animal shelters would see to it that a future home is the best family possible for a cat or dog and that their needs would be met, not only the basic ones but even their emotional and behavioral ones. If they don’t match them properly, it will result in a higher return and rehome rates. This can cause a lot of stress not only to the humans involved but to the animals themselves.
So, when they had Ralphie, they knew they shouldn’t sugarcoat his listing.
This 1-year-old, 26-pound French Bulldog looks cute, but don’t get fooled by that adorable face. As it turns out, that was how he was treated in his past home, where he could get away with anything with his sweet face.
His old family treated him like he was the boss. Doing so made Ralphie an aggressive, incredibly playful dog that could tear apart any toy, furniture, or even your finger (yikes!). The Niagara SPCA knew that he needed a particular family so he could adjust well and even correct his behavior.
But what caught people’s attention was how the shelter advertised Ralphie.
In their Facebook post, they didn’t mince words and called him “a whole jerk – not even half” and a “fire-breathing demon.” While some were offended by this, Niagara SPCA Executive Director Amy Lewis said they called him that because he is.
Amy said adding humor to the situation could catch more attention and sympathy.
She didn’t want to hide the truth about Ralphie’s disposition but didn’t want to scare people. So, she found his quirks (like she usually does with their posts) and wrote a creative advertisement about Ralphie.
They also posted the ideal home for Ralphie.
“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. On the bright side, Ralphie’s previous trainer will provide his new adopters with the training tools they believe he needs to be successful in a home.”
The post garnered more than 3,000 likes and over 1,000 shares.
Many people shared their sentiments on having a dog the same as Ralphie’s temperament. Some also wished him good luck, while others – those who wanted to adopt him but couldn’t – donated for his adoption fee.
The shelter gave an update on Ralphie, who now started training. However, the search for his forever home continues.
Visit Niagara SPCA’s Facebook Page if you’re interested in adopting Ralphie or want more updates on him.
