Food-loving shelter dog is a ‘lunch bandit.’ She needs a home with plenty of snacks
A shelter dog is a huge fan of food — and she needs a home with plenty of snacks.
“Meet House Hippo — The Myth, The Legend, The Lunch Bandit,” a North Carolina animal shelter wrote March 20 on Facebook. “For years, whispers of the elusive House Hippo have echoed through the land — a mysterious creature said to roam in search of snacks and snuggles.”
It turns out, House Hippo is real. The 2-year-old dog is up for adoption at the Watauga Humane Society after she was found wandering as a stray near a skate park.
“This snack-loving superstar made her grand entrance after being found jaywalking near Skateworld — which, let’s be honest, only adds to her legend,” the shelter wrote. “When approached, she did what any self-respecting House Hippo would do: charmed her rescuer and helped herself to half his sandwich on the way to the adoption center.”
House Hippo is described as a 62-pound mixed-breed pup. While her love for eating is evident, she also can’t get enough of snuggling.
“We named her House Hippo because, well, one look at her and you’ll understand — she’s got the cuddly charm of a miniature hippo who clearly belongs curled up on someone’s couch,” Danielle Deschamps, communications coordinator, told McClatchy News in an email. “She’s incredibly loving and has perfected the art of lap-diving.”
As of March 25, the shelter’s website said House Hippo was waiting for a new owner. Details about the facility’s adoption process can be found at wataugahumane.org.
“She’s sweet, ridiculously strong, and 100% dedicated to being the center of attention,” the shelter wrote. “Her breed? Science may never know. But one thing is certain: House Hippo is ready for a forever home that appreciates her snack-sharing, people-loving, mythological magnificence.”
The humane society is in the mountain town of Boone, a roughly 85-mile drive west from Winston-Salem.
This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Food-loving shelter dog is a ‘lunch bandit.’ She needs a home with plenty of snacks."
