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Ralphie the 'demon' French bulldog has been adopted again — hopefully for good

Ralphie the "fire-breathing demon dog" has been adopted again, and hopefully this time for good, after a series of unsuccessful attempts, his former shelter said Friday.

Among more than 700 email inquiries, a man named Jason who trains dogs for the Department of Energy in Tennessee, will be Ralphie the Frenchie's new caretaker, the Niagara SPCA in New York said.

Jason also owns another Frenchie, a Dachshund and a German shepherd. The latter two had biting problems before living with Jason, according to the SPCA. The shelter previously said a household with other pets would not be a good fit for Ralphie, but he was sent to a six-week training program and that has helped him overcome "his reactivity around other dogs," the shelter said.

The Niagara SPCA said it believes Jason will provide Ralphie with structure and a proper outlet.

Ralphie was sent back to the shelter three times before being adopted by Jason. The first time, his owners took him to boarding and training classes, but the shelter said Ralphie insisted on being the boss of everyone. The second time, his new owners said he had a tendency to annoy their older dog and he was rehomed two weeks later. The third time, in February, a woman adopted Ralphie, but only kept him for two weeks when she realized he was more than she could handle, according to an SPCA post.

"We wish our tiny, reformed terror all the best and we look forward to hearing about all of his adventures," the Niagara SPCA said.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Ayana Archie
[Copyright 2024 NPR]

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The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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