When Arnold arrived at the Michigan Animal Rescue League after being found as a stray, staff members were instantly charmed by his goofy personality and curious nature.
“He’s goofy, affectionate, curious and bold,” said Tommy Sanfilippo, content coordinator at the shelter. “You can’t help but smile when you’re around him.”
Though Arnold deals with a few challenges related to poor breeding, they haven’t slowed him down one bit. He’s been full of opinions since day one — especially when it came to a particular plastic doggy door.
After being moved to a new kennel with an indoor-outdoor setup, Arnold encountered the transparent flap that separated him from the yard. While most dogs figure it out quickly, Arnold was deeply suspicious.
“We tried everything — treats, encouragement, even having a staff member crawl through it,” Sanfilippo said. “But Arnold wasn’t having it. He looked at that door like it owed him money.”
By the next day, Arnold had had enough. In a hilariously dramatic moment, he launched what looked like a full-on standoff with the doggy door. The shelter captured it all on video — and once it hit social media, Arnold became a viral sensation.
The videos sparked an outpouring of love and laughter, and adoption applications for Arnold flooded in — more than 120 in total.
“Obviously, he can only go to one home,” Sanfilippo said, “but it’s been amazing to see so much attention for our shelter and the hope that it brings interest to other adoptable animals, too.”
Arnold is now on his way to a loving forever home, where new adventures — and probably a few new household nemeses — await.
