Meet Ralphie, This Week’s Adoptable Running Dog

Up this week: Ralphie, a small, speedy pup who looks a whole lot like Santa Claus thanks, in large part, to his long white beard. Unlike Santa, he doesn’t call the North Pole — or anywhere, actually — home, so he’s looking for one. Below, learn more about him and how you can take him home for the holidays.

Name: Ralphie

Age: 2 to 4 years

Breed: Shih Tzu mix

Weight: 16 pounds

Background: Ralphie was found as a stray. He had clearly been on his own for a while, and he had to be shaved because his fur was so matted. His fur is growing back nicely, but he needs a sweater on colder days.

Ralphie and a new donkey friend.

Running style: Ralphie may not look like a runner, but he’s quite speedy — and social! He slows down to greet just about anyone he meets on the street.

Why Ralphie is awesome: Ralphie is a charmer who would be happy to curl up with your other dogs, cats, or older kids. He even likes sheep and donkeys! This Ralphie may not want a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas (Catch that A Christmas Story reference, did ya?), but he sure could use a home.

You can find out more about Ralphie (and other adoptable animals) here. If you are interested in adopting him, you can email PAWS at dogs@phillypaws.org, call them at 215-298-9680, ext. 16 or fill out an application here. And for more awww-worthy photos, check out our previous adoptable running dogs here.

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We work with The Monster Milers each and every week to profile local running dogs waiting to be adopted. The Monster Milers are a group of runners who help shelter dogs burn off  energy and get much-needed exercise by taking them on runs around the city, and they also just launched their first-of-it’s-kind Adopt a Running Buddy foster program. If you’re not in the market for a pup right now, but would still love to help out homeless dogs, you can always become a Monster Miler volunteer or foster parent. Find out more about how to get started with those processes here. 

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