Animal shelter’s brutally honest ad for ‘fire-breathing demon’ dog goes viral: ‘No takesy backsies’

‘Ralphie, you’re not bad, just misunderstood,’ one fan writes

A 26-pound rescue dog has found himself the subject of viral fame after an animal shelter posted a brutally honest ad about him in the hopes of helping him find his forever home.

Earlier this month, the New York-based nonprofit Niagara County SPCA shared a Facebook post about an adoptable French bulldog named Ralphie. In the candid post, the animal shelter shared the desirable traits of the dog, as well as his less desirable characteristics, while admitting that it doesn’t have “too many nice things to say” about Ralphie.

“We’ve become pros at writing animal adoption posts. With the adorableness we encounter daily, we have tons of material. Sometimes we can sugarcoat the less-than-desirable traits like - prefers to be an only child. This one stumps us though. We don’t actually have too many nice things to say so we’re just going to come out with it,” the ad began.

The shelter then introduced Ralphie, who, it noted, looks like an “adorable, highly sought after young dog” at first glance, and who seems like the type of rescue that would have people “banging down doors”. But, according to the Niagara SPCA, that is not the case with Ralphie, who it described as a “terror in a somewhat-small package”.

“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,” the shelter continued.

The nonprofit then shared a bit about Ralphie’s past, which the shelter noted appeared to include a lack of boundaries. According to the Niagara SPCA, Ralphie was rehomed by his first owners after their relationship was “built on the premise that Ralphie was the boss”.

After two weeks in his second home, the dog was surrendered to the shelter because he “annoyed” the family’s older dog. However, according to the shelter, what his second owners had “actually meant” was “Ralphie is a fire-breathing demon and will eat our dog”.

The shelter then proceeded to candidly share some of Ralphie’s less-than-desirable traits, while noting that he is a “whole jerk, not even half”.

“Everything belongs to him. If you dare test his ability to possess THE things, wrath will ensue. If you show a moment of weakness, prepare to be exploited. Sounds fun, huh?” the rescue continued.

As for the “ideal home” for such a dog, the shelter said it would be an adult home free of other animals, and with an owner who will lead Ralphie “calmly and sternly” and put up with “zero crap”.

The shelter concluded the post, which also included a photo of Ralphie staring up at the camera, by informing anyone interested in adopting Ralphie that it would not make exceptions, before joking: “No takesy backsies (kidding, obviously).”

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.

“This is one funny post! And thanks for your take-no-prisoners honestly. Good luck, Ralphie, you cute little brat, you,” one person commented.

Another said: “This is a brilliant write up! Thank you for being so brutally honest! It sounds like Ralphie deserves that. Lol He is ADORABLE! I am happy to say we have two dogs so the cute little ‘demon’ would not do well here. I hope he finds a loving, yet stern, home.”

Others offered supportive words to Ralphie, with one person assuring the dog that he’s not bad, just “misunderstood”. “Ralphie, you’re not bad, just misunderstood. The perfect home is waiting for you!” they wrote.

In a follow-up post, the shelter shared a video showing a “snapshot” of Ralphie’s behaviour, with the dog seen jumping to bite the hand of one of the shelter’s employees. “Some have asked for evidence of Ralphie’s bad boy ways so, without further adieu…” the shelter wrote.

The shelter also shared additional details about the dog’s temperament, and stressed the importance of finding him a home that can handle, and help, his behaviour. “While we’ve used humor to help make his behaviours more palatable for public consumption, his behaviours are no joke. His only saving grace is he is small and has some obedience training. He really needs a no nonsense owner,” the organisation explained.

After reiterating that Ralphie would be best in a home without children or other pets, the shelter said: “He 100 per cent is a full jerk, but we believe he has potential to be a good boy - if only a per centage of the time.”

The post prompted renewed support for Ralphie, with one person writing: “Awe, Ralphie is a pretty cute jerk! I hope he finds the right owner so he can be the goodest of the good boys!”

Others praised the shelter for being honest about the type of home and care Ralphie requires. “Thank you for taking the time to express and show the reality of trying to adopt ‘jerk’ dogs. Hoping Ralphie finds his dedicated person soon that can help him succeed!” someone else wrote.

In a statement to The Independent, 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.

“We have had a lot of inquiries since his newfound fame so we’re hopeful we will find his forever home soon,” the shelter said.