Ralphie’s Story

Ralphie was born in a puppy mill and sold at a pet store in Nashville as a purebred Jack Russell Terrier. As it turned out, not only was he not even a little bit Jack Russell Terrier, but he also had congenital deformities in both back legs. Because of these things, he found himself on his way to a high kill animal shelter. Thankfully a rescue stepped in and two volunteers from Pilots N Paws flew him from Tennessee to Michigan where a loving foster family was waiting for him. They took the most amazing care of him to help get him ready for his forever home. That included having his back legs examined by a specialist to see if they could be corrected. His vet determined that the very best outcome for Ralphie was to leave his legs the way they were without surgery. Ralphie will always look and walk differently from other dogs, but that just makes him special!

I was looking for a dog for my sister, who lives on the other side of the state, when I saw Ralphie’s profile on Petfinder.

I knew he was special and immediately sent him to my sister. When she ended up adopting a senior dog instead, I didn’t waste any time in submitting an application for Ralphie. He came home with me less than a week later. He was definitely meant to be my dog!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when going out and about with a dog who is differently able. Ralphie’s special legs have actually been the most amazing conversation starter about puppy mills! He and I have made it our mission to spread the word about the evils of puppy mills and why pet adoption is the way to go!

- Ralphie’s loving dog mom

Check out Ralphie’s Instagram!