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Prancer, the Chihuahua that hates everyone, has been adopted

Two-year-old pooch was described as a ‘neurotic, man hating, animal hating, children hating dog’ that looks like a ‘gremlin’

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Wednesday 28 April 2021 21:49 BST
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Viral 'demon dog' gets new home
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Prancer, the Chihuahua who went viral after his adoption ad compared him to a “Chucky doll in a dog’s body,” has been adopted.

The small dog first gained nationwide recognition earlier this month, when the brutally honest ad for the “demonic Chihuahua” was shared by his foster parent Tyfanee Fortuna on Facebook.

In the post, which has been shared more than 73,000 times, Fortuna described Prancer as a “13lb rage machine” and “neurotic, man hating, animal hating, and children hating”.

While most people found the description of the tiny animal’s tough disposition amusing,Ariel Davis, 36, from New Haven, Connecticut, who has since adopted the puppy, told Today that she related to the dog’s story.

“I had a dog that I adopted probably about seven years ago and I raised him from a puppy and he was a Chihuahua/Jack Russel Terrier mix,” she told the outlet. “He had a lot of the same qualities as Prancer, he was a little neurotic and he barked a lot and he didn’t work well with other people and other animals. I spent a lot of time working with him and understanding his personality and learning about myself through him.”

After rehoming her dogs two years ago while she sought help for addiction, Davis said that she is ready and “stable enough to now have dogs again”.

Before reaching out to Second Chance Pet Adoption League, Davis, who has been clean for nearly three years, said that she spoke with people in her community, her sponsor, and her therapist, and that they all agreed that she should look into having a dog. 

Upon reading Prancer’s ad, Davis said that she “connected to it” and decided to reach out to the animal adoption organisation.

“I read the article, I connected to it, and I was like you know what, why not? I’ll just send them an email. What’s the worst that could happen?” she told Today.

According to Davis, after she received an email back, she shared her personal story with the organisation, and explained why she connected with Prancer.

“Reading about Prancer brought back intense memories of the dog I still love so much,” she wrote in the email to the adoption center, according to the outlet. “They were very similar in demeanor and looking into Prancer’s eyes in those pictures I saw the little sh*t Doodle I love so much (I say this lovingly!)”

In the email, Davis also explained that she did not want to replace her beloved dog, but rather was looking for a companion who she could take care of and offer a loving home.

Davis, who works in the women’s rehab that she attended, also acknowledged that she seemed like a perfect match, since she is a single gay woman who doesn’t have any men in her life, nor other animals.

“It just felt like a perfect match… and the rest is history,” she said.

Since adopting the puppy, Davis said that they have been getting along well, and that Prancer, while neurotic, has been really great on walks so far.

She also said that the addition to her life has been life-changing, telling the outlet: “We’re one week into the adoption and he’s really changed my life, too. We’re both adjusting” and that Prancer also had a positive experience joining her at work, where he was treated like the celebrity he is.

In addition to helping Prancer find a forever home, the viral post has also had a positive impact on the animal adoption center, which told Today that 10 other dogs have also been adopted since, and that more meetings with the organisation’s “little quirkier dogs” are scheduled for this week.

And for those who want to keep up with Prancer’s new life, Davis told Today that she has set up an Instagram account for her new companion called Prancer The Chihuahua.

As of Tuesday, the account has already amassed more than 40,000 followers.

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