A dog returned to a rescue shelter 14 times has finally broken his unlucky streak. Ronald wasn’t a long-time resident at the SPCA of Wake County but he was probably their most frequent.
The shelter explained that the reason for Ronald’s repeat returns were because of pup’s large size and high energy, which just didn’t fit well with his previous adopters.
But the SPCA of Wake County didn’t give up trying to find him the perfect home. Instead, they took to social media to ask for help.
“Help us break Ronald’s unlucky streak!” their Facebook post from early January read. “14 adoptions have fallen through for this lovely guy — mostly due to being too big/strong.”
SPCA of Wake County
“It’s true, he’s a big boy! But for his large frame, he only weighs 63 lbs. Ronald knows his commands, takes treats super gently, and is 100% sweet. He truly is a very good boy,” they continued.
The shelter admitted he might have been too much for his earlier families. “Now and then, if he gets excited, he might stand up and put his front paws on you or become a little mouthy. But he is a big puppy, after all! As long as you have reasonably sturdy footing, you’ll have no problem with Ronald. Plus, he loves treats and practicing his tricks, so he’ll be a great student for any training.”
Their plea went viral and came to the attention of Kierstin Davis, whose family lives 90 minutes away. She knew that Ronald’s rambunctious, sweet nature would be a good fit for her family but she didn’t think she would be the only applicant after noting the viral post had been shared tens of thousands of times. She applied anyway.
A few weeks later Davis received a call from the shelter – it turned out she was first on the list! She drove out immediately to pick Ronald up and bring him home to meet her 7-year-old and 4-year-old sons, and Australian Shepherd rescue pup. The kids screamed with excitement when they saw him and Ronald fit in immediately.
The family shared how much they love Ronald with ABC News:
“Everything’s been really good at the house,” Davis told the Washington Post of her newest family member. “He really just fits in perfectly.” The test run has turned into a permanent home for Ronald.
SPCA of Wake County
SPCA of Wake County was equally excited and celebrated the successful adoption by sharing photos of Ronald with his new family.
SPCA of Wake County
“Ronald’s unlucky streak has officially ended!!!” they declared. “Look how happy he looks His new family says he is doing so great with the kids, and they are just obsessed with him.”
“Thank you all so very much for sharing Ronald’s story,” the SPCA continued. “We were overwhelmed by your words of encouragement and generous offers to help him. In the first day, the wide reach of your shares helped Ronald reach almost a million people.”
“Just like that, literally overnight, his whole world changed,” they added. “It never ceases to amaze us the power that you all have to change a life with the power of your keyboard!”
SPCA of Wake County
The SPCA of Wake County also encourages people to come to their shelter to find a dog who could be the perfect fit for their families. They wrote, “From young to old, big to not-so-big, playful to couch potato, you can see them all at: spcawake.org/dogs
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