Ronnie the puppy who can only eat on two legs is looking for a home

For most dogs feeding time is over in just a matter of minutes. But spare a thought for puppy Ronnie who’s dinner times are a whole new ball game. It can take the seven-month-old Labrador Rottweiler-cross 20 minutes to be spoon-fed his lunch because he has an incurable condition that makes it impossible for him to swallow.



Ronnie eats standing on his hind legs so allow gravity can take food and water – which is made into a jelly so he can digest it – into his stomach. Staff at Leeds Dogs Trust rehoming centre have helped to make life easier for Ronnie after they designed and built him a special feeding station. Manager Amanda Sands said: “We’ve fed Ronnie standing up since he came to the centre with his littermates aged seven weeks but now that he is bigger we can’t support and feed him at the same time.

“We designed the feeding station so he can support himself while we spoon-feed him. He happily gets in by himself. We’re going to decorate it so it will look nice in his home when he hopefully gets one.” Ronnie was diagnosed with megaoesophagus, an incurable condition, at a young age.


YouTube link.

Without the feeding station he would not be able to stay on his hind legs. If he were left to eat and drink from a bowl on the floor he would be sick and could eventually starve. Amanda added: “Ronnie is healthy in every other way but the condition is incurable so he will have to use the station forever. We’re looking for a very special owner who can give him the extra care, time and attention he needs. He is a happy young dog and will require socialisation, training and lots of exercise.”