“[He’s a] little werewolf potato” 😅
The staff at SPCA of Wake County (SPCAWC) are no strangers to unique-looking dogs. They see pups of all shapes, sizes, and personalities every day. But when Banjo arrived in early October, everyone stopped in their tracks. He looked unlike any dog they’d ever seen before.
“He bears an uncanny resemblance to a badly taxidermied meerkat,” Samantha Ranlet, SPCAWC’s communications manager, told The Dodo. “We love him to bits for it. But it’s true. He does.”
Banjo was a short and stout terrier mix, rescued from a high-volume shelter where he hadn’t been receiving enough attention. He was old, timid, and understandably wary of humans. But the staff at SPCAWC quickly fell in love with him.
“If there’s one thing that gets [us] right in the feels every time, it’s a nervous dog or a senior dog,” Ranlet said. “So naturally, everyone on our team began the mission of spoiling him rotten and winning his trust.”
For days, the team showered Banjo with attention, treats, and patience, gently helping him understand he was finally in a safe place. Slowly but surely, Banjo began to relax, showing the quirky, endearing personality that would capture everyone’s hearts.
“Somewhere along the line, someone taught Banjo to ‘sit pretty,’ and he took that very seriously,” Ranlet explained. “So, he just saunters around, popping into ‘sit pretty’ without being asked, just because.”
No one was quite sure why Banjo performed the trick so enthusiastically on his own. Perhaps it was his way of connecting with humans, or maybe he simply loved showing off. Either way, the sight of him sitting upright, looking eager and excited, never failed to make the staff smile.
“He gets this crazy eager look in his eye when he does it, like in his opinion, he’s just earned a thousand of his favorite treats, and he cannot wait to see what his reward is for his unsolicited trick,” Ranlet said.
Banjo’s “sit pretty” stance became a signature move. Whether during feeding, playtime, or a walk through the shelter, the team could always count on seeing him in this adorable, slightly awkward pose. His antics brought laughter and joy to everyone around him.
“This little werewolf potato becomes an unintentionally hilarious ball of walking sunshine that makes you laugh without even trying,” SPCAWC wrote on Facebook. “Banjo may not be polished, but that’s what makes him perfect.”
Eventually, Banjo found a loving forever home through the shelter. Now, he’s thriving with a devoted family and a furry friend to play with at home. Though he misses his friends at the SPCAWC, his life is filled with love, treats, and plenty of opportunities to show off his favorite trick.
“We are so excited for him and this fresh start!” Ranlet said. Banjo, the plump little meerkat masterpiece, finally has the life he deserves—a life full of happiness, comfort, and endless admiration for his uniquely charming self.