‘Demonic’ Chihuahua finds home after 6-month search. ‘Finding a needle in a haystack’

Finding an owner for Prancer the Chihuahua seemed nearly impossible.

The 2-year-old dog doesn’t like men or children. Cats and other dogs are also not welcome in Prancer’s presence.

For six months, Prancer created a “hellscape” in foster mom Tyfanee Fortuna’s home. That finally came to an end when he was adopted last week.

Second Chance Pet Adoption League in New Jersey said finding a home for the dog described as a “little devil” felt nearly impossible. Once Prancer went viral for being a terror, that process got even harder. The place was bombarded with inquiries about Prancer from across the country — and the world.

“We worked round the clock for days sifting through emails and applications, but finding someone who met Prancer’s particular list of qualifications was like finding a needle in a haystack,” the adoption league said Monday on Facebook. “But he knew exactly how he wanted to live, and we were committed to finding him the best possible match without other dogs, cats, men, or children to stress him.”

Last week, Ariel Davis came from Connecticut to meet Prancer. She has no other pets and there are no men or children living in her home. She wanted to give the particular pup the life he wanted.

“Ariel showed up with a platter of his favorite foods to make a great first impression on him, and was respectful of his space and giving him time to warm up and trust,” the adoption center said. “She listened to our decompression advice and training tips to help him be the best little devil he can be.”

Davis told TODAY that she previously owned a dog that was a lot like Prancer, and when she saw the adoption ad, she knew she might be a good fit.

“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 TODAY. “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.”

Davis said she has been getting along great with Prancer, who has been happy and relaxed in his new home. That’s definitely an improvement from his last home, where Prancer was “a 13-pound rage machine.”

“So Farewell New Jersey Devil,” the adoption center said. “You are Connecticut’s problem now.”

This story was originally published April 26, 2021 at 2:40 PM with the headline "‘Demonic’ Chihuahua finds home after 6-month search. ‘Finding a needle in a haystack’."