When a puppy was born with severe leg deformities in a puppy mill, his cruel breeders were disappointed he may not fetch a high price.
They decided to lie about his condition, and try to sell him as a “purebread”, saying nothing about his special needs.
They didn’t believe that this pup was perfect enough to find a forever home as his authentic self.
However, there was a woman out there who knew this puppy’s true value.
Keep reading to find out what happened next!
Starting on the Wrong Paw
The puppy, who’s name was Ralphie, was born with hind leg deformities that made him unable to walk on all four legs like the other dogs.
The puppy mill selfishly worried this may mean they don’t make as much money off of him.
So, they sold him to a family without saying anything about his special needs.
The family, unprepared to provide for a puppy with mobility issues, unfortunately surrendered him to a high kill shelter.
This poor boy had been through so much, and he was only a few months old.
However, help was on the way!
In the Nick of Time
Through some stroke of luck, a kind hearted soul found out about Ralphie and decided to take action on his behalf.
His rescuer knew his fate at this shelter could be grim, so they made it a point to get him before he could set foot in that building.
Before Ralphie knew it, he was in foster care with a loving family who would make sure his needs were met.
Ralphie’s rescue journey wasn’t quite over yet, but at least he was safe!
Third Times the Charm
Around the same time Ralphie was put into foster care, a woman named Erica Blackbourn was looking for a new dog for her sister.
She sent Ralphie’s profile to her sister, but she ended up adopting a different dog.
However, Ralphie had left his mark on Erica.
“When I knew she wasn’t going to get him, I knew I needed to get him,” Erica shared.
She immediately filled out the adoption form, hoping that she would get approved.
Home at Last
Erica’s application was approved and she welcomed Ralphie into her home with open arms!
She could tell that Ralphie immediately trusted her and knew he had finally found his forever home.
“First night I brought him home, I put him on the bed with me,” Erica said. “He immediately crawled under the covers and that’s where he’s slept ever since!”
Ralphie was so happy that his rescue journey had met it’s happy conclusion.
From now on, it was nothing but the good life!
Always on the Go
Since then, every day for Ralphie has been better than the last.
While Ralphie is Erica’s first special needs dog, she found taking care of his needs to come to her quite naturally.
Ralphie does get around a bit different from other dogs, but he never lets that stop him from living his best life.
“He can run, he can play, and he gets up on the couch all by himself” Erica said. “He doesn’t let it stop him at all.”
Ralphie has endless energy, but he also loves to relax.
Spreading the Word
Ralphie and Erica have gotten closer and closer since he entered her family.
“Ralphie is definitely a Mama’s boy,” Erica shared.
He loves to join her for all of her errands, whether it’s to an event or to the farmer’s market.
Erica and Ralphie have also started spreading the word about puppy mills so more people are aware of how bad they are.
With their efforts, other puppies are less likely to experience the hardships Ralphie had to go through.
He is a little shy with other humans, but he loves other dogs.
“He loves big dogs especially, because he was in foster with big dogs,” Erica said.
Erica makes sure he gets all the playtime and snuggles he deserves.
Erica is so thankful for the person who rescued Ralphie from the shelter, and is so happy that he is part of her family now!
Click here to follow Ralphie on Instagram!