A couple went to the SPCA to adopt a puppy. They filled out the paperwork and were ready to take it home. Then a front desk worker threw a wrench into their plans.

Appreciated Treasures (@rygotwt), a watch-review TikTok account that’s run by a Houston, Texas man named Rygo, posted a video explaining how a trip to the Houston SPCA resulted in him and his fiancée deciding to adopt a puppy.

Then, in the middle of the adoption process, a worker let them know that the dog actually wasn’t available.

A disappointing trip to the Houston SPCA

Rygo and his partner visited the Houston SPCA. They went to a location that Rygo said had a variety of puppies available. The couple saw a few that they liked. Later, after visiting the birds, cats and big dogs, they returned to visit two puppies.

Rygo and his partner started playing with a puppy named Reba.

“ She’s super cute. All she’s doing is cuddling. She comes to us, she rubs herself on our arms and, like, our clothes… We’re petting her. She’s licking us. She’s super sweet, right?” Rygo said.

The couple realized that they wanted to adopt Reba. So they began the process.

An adoption attempt gone wrong

An employee, who Rygo said was named Travis, came up to the couple and asked them how they were doing. Rygo and his fiancée said they were interested in adoption. Rygo added later in his video that Travis made it seem like the dog was available. They discussed how she ended up in the shelter and how long she was there before officially starting the process.

After chatting a little bit more about the puppy, Rygo said that Travis left to start the application. Travis purportedly told them the process would take 20 to 30 minutes.

They saw employees take the puppy to the front where they keep adopted animals. Later, the couple went to the front desk and let a woman working there know that they found a pet they wanted to adopt.

Then Rygo gave the woman Reba’s application materials. He said the mood immediately shifted.

“ So we hand her the document, and she… stopped talking to us. Like, we noticed there was … She switched the attitude completely,” Rygo said, adding, “ She wasn’t talking to us, and she was kinda… rude. She’s, like, typing, and she’s, like, filling some paperwork on a, like, little notebook that they had.”

At first, Rygo thought that it was just a part of the application process. But a few minutes passed, and no one said anything. Then a man came into the room to explain there had been a misunderstanding.

Rygo did not reply to inquires sent via TikTok direct message and comment.

What went wrong with the puppy adoption?

Rygo said that another worker at the SPCA explained that they couldn’t adopt Reba.

“ This dog wasn’t supposed to be in the system. She was fostering. She was… being fostered by a family, so they’re actually gonna take her ’cause she’s gonna be adopted by them,” Rygo recalled.

Rygo and his fiancée started asking questions and perhaps plead their case for adoption. Staff didn’t budge, he said. Then his fiancée started crying and went outside.

Rygo followed to comfort her. He later walked back into the building to ask whether anything could be done about the situation. Rygo explained to the man that Travis had discussed the puppy at length with them and told them the dog was ready for adoption.

Rygo said the Houston SPCA employee apologized again. But said unfortunately, there was nothing they could do.

Rygo then asked whether a family was actually coming to pick Reba up. Then someone raised their hand behind him and said they were there for the puppy. According to Rygo, they further explained that the dog had been sick during Memorial Day weekend, which postponed the official adoption process.

“ I’m not happy at all with my experience at the SPCA Houston. I’m not happy at all with the service they offered us, with how these people managed the situation,” Rygo said. “I’m not happy at all.”

Houston SPCA did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Viewers recommend Houston shelters

Some viewers who watched Rygo’s video said the situation was frustrating.

One person said, “That all sounds super sketchy on their part. This frustrated me and I wasn’t even there. I hope you find your dream puppy soon at a shelter with a much better experience. So sorry this happened to y’all.”

Other commenters, however, told Rygo and his fiancée not to let the incident deter them. They said the couple should consider adopting when they’re ready. Many people cited Houston’s high euthanasia rate as a reason to adopt rather than shop for a dog.

MSN reports that BARC, Houston’s city shelter, euthanized more than 4,000 adoptable pets in 2025 following policy changes that year.

Some viewers recommended visiting BARC or Harris County Pets. Others simply sent words of encouragement.

“Houston has such a high kill rate & it makes me so grateful you guys decided to adopt & so sad this didn’t work out for you guys. Wishing you guys healing & the best of luck!” one commenter said.