Latest news with #Igor
IOL News
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Meet Igor: the shelter dog dubbed ‘cursed Victorian child' on the brink of adoption
Igor, a shelter dog in Savannah, Georgia, went viral on social media after a local rescue described him as a 'cursed Victorian child. Image: Renegade Paws Rescue/The Washington Post When animal shelters present their dogs for adoption, they generally boost their best traits: sweet, gentle, playful, good with kids. Then came Igor. 'Ever wanted to adopt a sentient middle finger wrapped in a cloud of fur?' reads a Facebook post from Renegade Paws Rescue in Savannah, Georgia. 'Meet Igor. We have reason to believe he's a cursed Victorian child masquerading as a 10lb stuffed animal.' He wasn't born, the post claims - he simply appeared. 'This dog does not want to go to the dog park or to brunch. He wants your ex-boyfriend's head on a platter,' it reads. 'And that mean girl in high school who said you were ugly? He's putting her soul through a meat grinder.' Igor flashing a look Image: Renegade Paws Rescue/The Washington Post The shelter tried to train him, the post says, but Igor made the trainer cry. 'Igor wants you,' the post continues. 'He'll plan evil schemes with a dog sibling or two. But he doesn't want too many friends and he might need an exorcism if you bring that nice golden retriever from down the street over for a playdate.' Simply put, 'Igor is not a good boy,' the post reads. 'Igor is an experience.' Yet, apparently, many potential adopters are eager to experience all that Igor has to offer. Shortly after the rescue shared Igor's adoption post on Facebook on July 7, it went viral with thousands of likes, comments and shares. Dozens of adoption requests poured in. 'I'm pretty sure I just found my soulmate,' one person commented on Facebook. 'I see no red flags here,' wrote another. 'Nobody expected it to get that big,' said Jennifer Taylor, founder and director of Renegade Paws Rescue. 'It just blew up.' Igor is believed to be about 5 years old. Image: Kerry Farinha/The Washington Post The post was written by the rescue's team of social media volunteers, who often lead with humor in describing their adoptable dogs. 'We have to see a lot of sadness every single day,' Taylor said. 'Sometimes, we just need a laugh.' Plus, she said, the strategy has proved effective. 'We make posts like that all the time to make people laugh and draw attention to the dogs that need it,' Taylor said. Igor's fame quickly spread beyond social media, landing him a feature on Savannah's WSAV News 3 and an appearance on NBC's 'Today' show - which involved a trip to New York City. Igor was mostly behaved during his travels, Taylor said, aside from a minor mishap at the airport, when he growled at a Transportation Security Administration agent. Igor giving side-eye. Image: Kerry Farinha He gave 'side-eye and all the sass,' Taylor said. Although the Facebook post may have taken some liberties, Taylor said that it accurately captures Igor's true essence. 'He is a grouchy old man,' Taylor said. 'He doesn't want anybody on his lawn. He wants to do what he wants to do, and he doesn't want you to tell him what to do.' Igor arrived at the rescue May 13 from a rural county in Georgia. He and five other dogs were removed from a 'hoarding situation,' Taylor said, noting that Igor is probably a Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix and is about 5 years old. 'They were all pretty scared when they came in,' Taylor said. But Igor had no fear. In fact, he was the one who scared people. 'If he doesn't know you, he doesn't want you to touch him,' Taylor said. 'He is a sassy boy.' A few days after Igor arrived at the rescue - which operates its own shelter - Kerry Farinha signed up to be his foster. Right away, Farinha saw his fiery streak and devilish nature. 'I knew from the beginning he had a lot of personality,' Farinha said. 'He gives major side-eye, major attitude and lots of growling, lots of barking.' Igor with Farinha's dogs, Gary and Jenny Image: Kerry Farinha/The Washington Post 'He'll make it known if he's not happy,' Farinha said. While Igor warmed up to Farinha, 'he did not like my husband. He still does not like my husband,' she said. 'Any new stranger that comes into our life, he is not a big fan.' Farinha said the adoption post is 'pretty accurate.' Still, she described Igor as a complex character. While he isn't shy about throwing shade, he's also generous with affection - but only if he likes you. 'When he's with the right person, he's a little sweetheart,' Farinha said. 'He'll kiss me, he'll snuggle with me. He follows me everywhere.' Igor also has a silly side: He often buries himself under blankets and jumps out, seemingly trying to spook people. He enjoys rolling around in the grass on his back. 'He looks like a little gremlin,' said Farinha, who has two other dogs, Gary and Jenny. 'He is very funny.' Farinha contemplated adopting Igor but decided he wasn't the right long-term fit given his deep disdain for her husband. She believes Igor would be best suited to a single owner with one or two other dogs. Or, as the shelter put it, 'his adoption requirements include at least one human who finds small, emotionally stunted men 'intriguing.'' Thankfully, Farinha said, there is no shortage of people who want Igor, or at least want to meet him. Comments continue to pour in on the Facebook post: 'I've never wanted a handsome little man more.' 'I would sell my soul to Igor.' 'Brb, driving across the country to meet this legend.' When he finally is adopted, letting him go is 'going to break my heart,' Farinha said. Renegade Paws Rescue encourages fosters to help choose the adopters of the dogs they take in, as they usually come to know the pups well. Farinha has narrowed down the long list of applications to four and hopes that Igor will settle into his new home in the coming weeks. 'He deserves the best home,' Farinha said. 'I know the person who ends up with him will be in love with him as well.'
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Rescue dog Igor goes viral after brutally honest adoption post calls him a ‘sentient middle finger'
Igor, the impish dog, with 'devilish traits' was amusingly advertised as the 'sentient middle finger' through the adoption home's Facebook page. With the vigour of a "tiny Godzilla," a 10-pound social danger made his national television debut on the TODAY show dated July 14. On the Morning Boost segment of the show, which was hosted by Jenna Bush Hager and featured Al Roker, Craig Melvin, and Savannah Guthrie, Igor, a rescue dog from the Renegade Paws Rescue in Savannah, Georgia, made an appearance on Monday, July 14, to demonstrate his status as "America's most rancid villain." The joke was a reaction to Igor's bad boy behaviour, which went viral because of Renegade Paws Rescue's funny and brutally honest social media adoption to the rescue's July 7 Facebook post, he is a "sentient middle finger wrapped in a cloud of fur,' stating, "We have reason to believe he's a cursed Victorian child masquerading as a 10lb stuffed animal.""He appeared; he wasn't born. Nobody can recall when or how. He appears at corners and in entrances," the post goes on. The essay also lists Igor's various dislikes, like going to the dog park or breakfast, and his loves, such "your ex-boyfriend's head on a platter," along with his training attempts."He made the trainer cry," according to his of animal lovers took notice of Renegade Paws Rescue's candid evaluation of Igor's personality, and they shared the message more than 35,000 times. Igor came to TODAY as a result of his achievements online. Igor was able to behave himself during his TV debut, beguiling the studio like "a Girl Scout on her way to Sunday mass," but his true self showed as soon as he hit the streets of New York City, according to a follow-up social media post from Renegade Paws Rescue."Unless bribed with a bacon-egg-and-cheese," the fanciful, irrational message says, "Igor refused to enter the tube." "After he got on the train, he humped the pole and then crop-dusted the car till he brought a youngster to tears. He rallied the rats to support him when the officials escorted him away while he was screaming. After recounting Igor's experiences at the Statue of Liberty, the humorous remembrance makes fun of how Igor's handlers, including the director and three foster coordinators, "barely made it out" of Brooklyn alive and "may never be the same" after chasing the dog throughout the adoptive parents have expressed a great deal of interest in Igor despite his silly antics, thanks to his Facebook posts and appearance on foster mum and the applications team are currently sorting through the hundreds of applications from deranged witches and hot girls 'who can change him'," said the rescue. "Until then, please send holy water and pray that he doesn't maim the TSA agent on his flight back to Savannah." Jennifer Taylor, the director of Renegade Paws Rescue, told PEOPLE that they are happy that the dog's mischievous behaviour may bring joy to people."We have a huge overpopulation crisis [of dogs] in Georgia, and we'll take any chance we can to get to talk with people about adoption, fostering, spay/neuter, and volunteering," Taylor stated."Even though Igor would never acknowledge it, he is still alive due of a kind volunteer who volunteered to take care of him and donations from others. In his diabolical heart, he feels who finds "small, emotionally stunted men intriguing" and is willing to live in Igor's home, not the other way around, is the kind of follower that Igor requires. He's open to dog siblings if they have the same wild streak as him, but if he meets a golden retriever that is too happy, he could need to be exorcized."The boy Igor is not good. The rescue crew said, "Igor is an experience."
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
There's something about Gary
Since his 2002 novel The Russian Debutante's Handbook, Shteyngart has established himself as one of America's foremost satirists, often aiming his whip-smart literary barbs at characters not entirely unlike himself. (He showed off this skill to great effect in his sole book-length work of non-fiction, the 2014 memoir Little Failure.) The Russian-born American novelist is nimble, quick to respond to current events in his fiction — his 2010 novel Super Sad True Love Story was set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis, his 2018 novel Lake Success is set in the days before the first Donald Trump administration and his last novel, 2021's Our Country Friends, chronicled an eccentric group from in and around New York who retreat to a rural home to ride out the pandemic. This time around, Shteyngart has set a potential coming-of-age novel in a near-future (but eerily familiar) dystopian America as it descends into totalitarianism. In Vera, or Faith, precocious 10-year-old Vera Bradford-Shmulkin takes centre stage as she struggles with keeping her family together while working to uncover the truth about her Korean-born birth mother. Brigitte Lacombe photo Gary Shteyngart's fiction often respond to current events — his last novel, 2021's Our Country Friends, followed friends who retreated to a rural home to wait out the pandemic. Vera (the Russian word for faith) lives in New York with her Russian-born Jewish father Igor, an editor at a literary magazine (and Shteyngartian stand-in), his WASPy lefty wife Anne (Anne Mom, to Vera) and Vera's raffish younger half-brother Dylan. Vera's birth mother, who she calls Mom Mom, hasn't been in the picture for as long as Vera can remember. Wise beyond her years, Vera longs to become a woman in STEM when she gets older. She keeps a diary of unknown words and phrases she hears uttered at home by her father and stepmother. (More on this in a bit.) A nervous and awkward child, Vera's an outcast at school; her best friend is an AI-driven automated chess board named Kaspie (after Garry Kasparov) that lives in a drawer in her bedroom. At school, Vera is chosen to debate a classmate over a proposed Five-Three constitutional amendment that would give those who 'landed on the shores of our continent before or during the Revolutionary War' but didn't arrive in chains (read: white Americans) a vote worth five-thirds of everyone else's votes. The teacher assigns Vera and Yumi, the daughter of a Japanese diplomat, the pro Five-Three argument, which spurs a burgeoning friendship Vera has been so desperately craving. Between debate prep sessions, Yumi helps Vera search for clues about her birth mother online. Meanwhile, Igor (called Daddy throughout) grapples with the on-again, off-again potential sale of the magazine to a Rhodesian billionaire, sending him spiraling into a world of booze, doom-scrolling in his underwear and pot smoking. Anne Mom hosts a salon for other well-off anti-Five-Three women at which Igor is to speak, but he's a no-show, sending the family dynamic further south. When Vera covertly follows her father to a secret meeting she thinks has something to do with Mom Mom's health and wherabouts, she discovers something far more sinister that will have significant consequences to the Bradford-Shmulkin household. Yumi and Vera do eventually uncover some information about Mom Mom, and after having spent most of our time in and around the family apartment and school, Shteyngart sends the reader on a road trip with Vera across state lines — where patrol guards make women take a blood test going in and out of the state to prove they've not had an abortion — before a wildly action-packed twist of a final act. The book is written in the third person, following Vera quite closely. Each chapter is titled 'She Had to…' followed by her task in the chapter ('She Had to Tell Anne Mom the Truth,' 'She Had to Figure Out if Daddy Was a Traitor,' etc.). Vera's observations of her family and classmates as well as her own ruminations on kissing, espionage, the looming Five-Three debate and more are a delight to read, with an innocence that wavers but doesn't break as her volatile situation at home and the foreboding state of the nation grow more ominous. Vera, or Faith Shteyngart's wry humour and literary chops are in fine form here. In describing a room in the apartment, he writes 'There was a total of seven enormous bookcases lining the living room, all attesting to Daddy's presence amid the intellectual 'caste'… Daddy liked his books in alphabetical order, but before big events Anne Mom paid Vera ten dollars to reorganize the books in such a way that authors 'of color' and women were 'front and center' at eye level.' Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. The tone throughout is a touch softer and the humour less barbed relative to Shteyngart's other novels — a sensible choice given we're following a somewhat naive child rather than than author's typically grumpy middle-aged literary type. Influence-wise there's a tip of the hat to Vladimir Nabokov here; the title alludes to 1969's Ada, or Ardor, where the reader meets a girl of a similar age to Vera (which is also the first name of Nabokov's wife). In recent interviews, Shteyngart has also referenced re-watching Kramer vs. Kramer, and wanting to do something similar but from a child's perspective along the lines of Henry James' 1897 volume What Maisie Knew. Regarding Vera's diary of unknown words and phrases: Every time a 'grown-up' term appears in the text, it's marked out by quotation marks. And while the odd such mark here and there wouldn't be an issue, it's not uncommon to find upwards of a half-dozen per page, which took this reader briefly out of the narrative flow on more than one occasion. (As an example: Go back and note the three terms in quotation marks in the previously quoted passage in this review. In one sentence.) This minor quibble aside, Vera, or Faith's endearing 10-year-old hero manages to wins over the reader with her curiosity, her sensitivity and her smarts, with Shteyngart offering a glimmer of hope for humanity in ever-darkening times through his young protagonist. Free Press books editor Ben Sigurdson relates a bit too much to the grumpy, middle-aged literary type. Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. It's part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Shelter dog called ‘cursed Victorian child' is on cusp of being adopted
When animal shelters present their dogs for adoption, they generally boost their best traits: sweet, gentle, playful, good with kids. Then came Igor. 'Ever wanted to adopt a sentient middle finger wrapped in a cloud of fur?' reads a Facebook post from Renegade Paws Rescue in Savannah, Georgia. 'Meet Igor. We have reason to believe he's a cursed Victorian child masquerading as a 10lb stuffed animal.' He wasn't born, the post claims — he simply appeared. 'This dog does not want to go to the dog park or to brunch. He wants your ex-boyfriend's head on a platter,' it reads. 'And that mean girl in high school who said you were ugly? He's putting her soul through a meat grinder.' The shelter tried to train him, the post says, but Igor made the trainer cry. 'Igor wants you,' the post continues. 'He'll plan evil schemes with a dog sibling or two. But he doesn't want too many friends and he might need an exorcism if you bring that nice golden retriever from down the street over for a playdate.' Simply put, 'Igor is not a good boy,' the post reads. 'Igor is an experience.' Yet, apparently, many potential adopters are eager to experience all that Igor has to offer. Shortly after the rescue shared Igor's adoption post on Facebook on July 7, it went viral with thousands of likes, comments and shares. Dozens of adoption requests poured in. 'I'm pretty sure I just found my soulmate,' one person commented on Facebook. 'I see no red flags here,' wrote another. 'Nobody expected it to get that big,' said Jennifer Taylor, founder and director of Renegade Paws Rescue. 'It just blew up.' The post was written by the rescue's team of social media volunteers, who often lead with humor in describing their adoptable dogs. 'We have to see a lot of sadness every single day,' Taylor said. 'Sometimes, we just need a laugh.' Plus, she said, the strategy has proved effective. 'We make posts like that all the time to make people laugh and draw attention to the dogs that need it,' Taylor said. Igor's fame quickly spread beyond social media, landing him a feature on Savannah's WSAV News 3 and an appearance on NBC's 'Today' show — which involved a trip to New York City. Igor was mostly behaved during his travels, Taylor said, aside from a minor mishap at the airport, when he growled at a Transportation Security Administration agent. He gave 'side-eye and all the sass,' Taylor said. Although the Facebook post may have taken some liberties, Taylor said that it accurately captures Igor's true essence. 'He is a grouchy old man,' Taylor said. 'He doesn't want anybody on his lawn. He wants to do what he wants to do, and he doesn't want you to tell him what to do.' Igor arrived at the rescue May 13 from a rural county in Georgia. He and five other dogs were removed from a 'hoarding situation,' Taylor said, noting that Igor is probably a Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix and is about 5 years old. 'They were all pretty scared when they came in,' Taylor said. But Igor had no fear. In fact, he was the one who scared people. 'If he doesn't know you, he doesn't want you to touch him,' Taylor said. 'He is a sassy boy.' A few days after Igor arrived at the rescue — which operates its own shelter — Kerry Farinha signed up to be his foster. Right away, Farinha saw his fiery streak and devilish nature. 'I knew from the beginning he had a lot of personality,' Farinha said. 'He gives major side-eye, major attitude and lots of growling, lots of barking.' 'He'll make it known if he's not happy,' Farinha said. While Igor warmed up to Farinha, 'he did not like my husband. He still does not like my husband,' she said. 'Any new stranger that comes into our life, he is not a big fan.' Farinha said the adoption post is 'pretty accurate.' Still, she described Igor as a complex character. While he isn't shy about throwing shade, he's also generous with affection — but only if he likes you. 'When he's with the right person, he's a little sweetheart,' Farinha said. 'He'll kiss me, he'll snuggle with me. He follows me everywhere.' Igor also has a silly side: He often buries himself under blankets and jumps out, seemingly trying to spook people. He enjoys rolling around in the grass on his back. 'He looks like a little gremlin,' said Farinha, who has two other dogs, Gary and Jenny. 'He is very funny.' Farinha contemplated adopting Igor but decided he wasn't the right long-term fit given his deep disdain for her husband. She believes Igor would be best suited to a single owner with one or two other dogs. Or, as the shelter put it, 'his adoption requirements include at least one human who finds small, emotionally stunted men 'intriguing.'' Thankfully, Farinha said, there is no shortage of people who want Igor, or at least want to meet him. Comments continue to pour in on the Facebook post: 'I've never wanted a handsome little man more.' 'I would sell my soul to Igor.' 'Brb, driving across the country to meet this legend.' When he finally is adopted, letting him go is 'going to break my heart,' Farinha said. Renegade Paws Rescue encourages fosters to help choose the adopters of the dogs they take in, as they usually come to know the pups well. Farinha has narrowed down the long list of applications to four and hopes that Igor will settle into his new home in the coming weeks. 'He deserves the best home,' Farinha said. 'I know the person who ends up with him will be in love with him as well.'
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ukrainian national wanted in Rs 142 crore Torres Jewellers' investment fraud to be extradited
Mumbai: Lurchenko Igor, a Ukrainian national wanted in the Rs 142 crore Torres Jewellers' investment fraud, was located in Ukraine. Interpol recently informed the Mumbai police about his location, and the city police will now initiate extradition procedures to bring Igor back to India. Igor was among several foreign nationals mentioned as wanted accused in the charge sheet. On March 17, the city economic offences wing (EOW), probing the alleged investment fraud, filed a 27,147-page charge sheet. An officer earlier said they suspect that Rs 80-90 crore was sent abroad by the accused. The EOW, through the CBI Interpol, issued blue corner notices against the wanted accused. "We got information from Interpol that Igor's location was traced in Ukraine, and now we are in the process of initiating the process to extradite him to India," said the officer. The police will translate the charge sheet into Ukrainian and send it to Interpol for further action. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The Shivaji Park police on January 6 registered an FIR in the alleged investment fraud case. Office bearers of Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, which ran Torres Jewellery, were named as accused. As investors learnt about the shutting down of the offices of the Torres Jewellery store, there was panic, and thousands of investors, mostly from the middle class, approached the police. The company was run by local employees while the foreigners conspired to cheat people. Most of the foreign accused, including Igor, fled the country in the last week of December, stating they were going to their native places and would return after celebrating Christmas. The police issued blue corner notices against Ukrainians Igor, Oleksandr Zapichenko, Oleksandra Brunkivska, Oleksandr Borovyk, Oleksandra Tredokhib, Artem Oliferchuk, Victoriia Kovalenko, and a Turkish national, Mustafa Karakoc. So far, 14,157 investors, who lost Rs 142.58 crore in the investment fraud, have come to police and submitted their complaints. ...... MSID:: 122387801 413 |
