The status of Little Ritchie was

last posted on 04/16/25 by

Worthy Dog Rescue

Male Dog, Chihuahua

Chihuahua / Pug (Short Coat)

Description:

Meet Little Ritchie! This charming pup was rescued as a stray by two Good Samaritans who found him lingering near a Food Lion close to one of our vet partners. They brought him to the clinic to be scanned for a microchip, and that’s when one of the kindhearted vet techs, Jacob, stepped in to help. Jacob took Little Ritchie home, contacted the local shelter, and posted him on social media in hopes that someone would come forward—but no one ever did. Little Ritchie spent his stray hold safe and loved in Jacob’s care. When it became clear no one was coming for him, Jacob reached out to Worthy Dog to help find him the forever home he deserves. Now in his foster home, Little Ritchie is living with three senior dogs and multiple cats. He had an easy introduction to the pack and was respectful, though he initially kept to himself. After a couple of weeks to settle in, he started to follow the other dogs around the yard, chase the occasional squirrel, and bark at those ever-suspicious neighbors. He’s done well with most of the cats, though he needed a little more time and guidance to adjust. He may give chase here and there, but he’s easily redirected and improving each day. Little Ritchie is a mellow, sweet-natured boy who could thrive either as a solo pup or with a canine companion. He hasn’t shown much interest in toys or play yet, but he’s also living with older dogs who aren’t exactly inspiring any zoomies. With a more playful pup around, we might see a different side of him emerge. His favorite things? Being close to his people, soaking up the sunshine in the backyard, hopping into the car for a ride, and curling up in his foster mom’s lap under a blanket like a little burrito. That’s his definition of a perfect day. Little Ritchie is crate trained and has never had an accident in his crate. He also understands going potty outside and has started going to the door when he needs to go out. When he was first settling in, he did mark inside the home. His foster mom has used a belly band to help manage that, but is starting to give him more trust and freedom, and seeing improvement. It's a process. We checked in with his foster mom for a quick update. “Overall, Little Ritchie is a perfect mellow little guy who is just a really sweet companion pup. Aside from the belly band early on (which really wasn’t a big deal), he’s an easy-going little guy. I think he would love an older family who was home more and possibly another doggie pal. I think he would really be a good companion dog to go out and take places, as long as the environment wasn't too chaotic. He’s the ultimate lap snuggler. We love him so much and are so grateful he’s safe with the rescue and no longer out there on his own.” Little Ritchie is a loving companion who’s ready to share life’s simple pleasures with someone special. Could that be you? Apply today! BREED ESTIMATE: Chihuahua/Pug Mix - Chug GENDER: Male APPROXIMATE WEIGHT: 10 lbs APPROXIMATE AGE: ~ 4 years old COAT TYPE: Short/medium coat (Pug fur with curly tail) ADOPTION FEE: $425 OTHER INFO: utd on shots/neutered/microchipped LOCATION: Rock Hill, SC - Coming to N. VA on 4/26! FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADOPT: Please go to https://adopt.worthydog.org and complete the application. You can also help save dogs like this one by becoming a foster, providing a rescue dog with a temporary home and giving them the love and care they need until they are permanently adopted. Every person who fosters is directly responsible for saving the life of a dog, because we can only save as many dogs as we have foster families available to welcome them into their homes. If you think you might be interested in becoming a foster and want to learn more, please go to https://foster.worthydog.org and fill out an application. Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue that primarily adopts to families in the DC Metro area.