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A French bulldog who finally found a home when her brutally honest adoption post went viral has been returned to the shelter after less than two weeks.
‘Fire-breathing demon’ Ralphie was adopted from the Niagara SPCA in Niagara County, New York, earlier this month, but his relocation was short-lived.
The shelter revealed that “while the adopter had the right family dynamic, Ralphie proved to be more than he could handle.”
But rather than give up hope on the dog’s problem, the organization is now enrolling him in a six-week behavior course that costs $6,000.
‘Fire-breathing demon’ Ralphie was adopted from the Niagara SPCA in Niagara County, New York, earlier this month, but his relocation was short-lived
The shelter revealed that “while the adopter had the right family dynamic, Ralphie proved to be more than he could handle.”
Posting an update on Ralphie’s situation on its Facebook page Tuesday, the Niagara SPCA revealed that he had been returned to the shelter, but praised the adopter for making the right decision.
He quipped, “There were some bad decisions made by both of them, but they parted ways amicably… Now he understands that Ralphie IS that handsome bad boy everyone’s mom warns them about.”
But the update also promised that the organization hadn’t given up on him, adding: “While it is unfortunate that he is back to square one, we are committed to helping him.”
Ralphie is now enrolled in a “six-week intensive” program with a trainer from Grand Island-based YourEveryDayK9.
And dozens of social media users were quick to comment on the latest update.
One wrote: ‘I’m so sad to hear this. Last time I saw a post, I thought the adopter was very pleased.
Another added: ‘I was really hoping the latest adopter would work! Good luck Ralphie! Or should I be saying Good luck with Ralphie. Thanks for not giving up on him.
And a third said, ‘Sweet, sweet Ralphie. So sad it didn’t work but so happy you don’t give up on it.
Ralphie is now enrolled in a “six-week intensive” program with a trainer from Grand Island-based YourEveryDayK9.
And dozens of social media users were quick to comment on the latest update on Ralphie’s status.
Ralphie rose to fame last month after becoming the subject of a viral Facebook post announcing his adoption status.
Niagara SPCA described it as a “fire-breathing dragon” that isn’t exactly “man’s best friend.”
‘Ralphie is a terror in a rather small package. What could go wrong with a 26 pound dog, right? We’re sure you’re thinking: my ankles will be fine. We warn you: proceed at your own risk,” the nonprofit animal agency wrote.
According to the post, Ralphie is best suited for a home with the ‘Mother of Dragons’ or any adult home with no other animals.
The post caught the attention of thousands of Facebook users who stopped dead in their tracks when the agency said it couldn’t “sweeten” the animal’s behavior.
“Actually, we don’t have a lot of nice things to say, so we’re going to come out with them,” the Niagara SPCA post read.
He stated that one can look at the pup and think it looks sweet and innocent, but that is simply not true.
“At first glance, he is a highly sought after adorable young dog. People should be knocking on our doors for him. We promise you that will not be the case,” he would say.
The nonprofit organization said Ralphie seems to think limits and rules don’t apply to him and that his “pretty little face got him everything he wanted” in his first home.
The Niagara SPCA said its relationship with the first owner “was based on the premise that Ralphie was the boss.”
Ralphie was brought aboard and trained, but was eventually relocated.
But rather than give up hope on the dog’s problem, the Niagara SPCA is now enrolling him in a six-week behavior course that costs $6,000.
Niagara SPCA described it as a “fire-breathing dragon” that isn’t exactly “man’s best friend.”
In his second placement, the French bulldog was brought to the shelter because he did not get along with the other dog in the family home.
“Two weeks in this new home and it was turned over to us because it was ‘disturbing our senior dog,'” the nonprofit organization wrote in the post.
“What they really meant was: Ralphie is a fire-breathing demon and he’ll eat our dog, but hey, he’s only 26 pounds,” she continued.
Where other animal agencies may have called it quits, the Niagara SPCA went on and doubled down on its not-so-positive description.
“Lots of people hid Ralphie’s less-than-desirable traits, but we’re going to tell you all about it. He is a complete jerk, not even half. Everything belongs to him,’ he wrote.
‘If you dare to test his ability to possess THE things, anger will ensue. If you show a moment of weakness, prepare to be exploited. Sounds like fun, huh? the agency continued.
“The ideal home for Ralphie is the Mother of Dragons, or an adult home free of other animals, with an owner who guides him calmly and sternly, tolerating zero litter,” he wrote.
The original post received more than 3,700 likes and thousands of shares.
The animal shelter will be looking to rehom Ralphie after his training course.