Here’s How to Find Your New Best Friend
One of the worst-kept secrets about pugs is that they’re one of arguably the most beloved dog breeds. Thanks to their charismatic personality, clownish nature and distinct features, pugs will probably melt any dog lover’s heart. If you’re one such dog lover, you’re perhaps thinking about getting a pug since you can’t resist the sweet, squishy face of a pug. While you can be able to spend over $1,000 to buy a pug as your new companion, you’re thinking of other options. Well, you’re thinking of adopting or rescuing a pug from a shelter home. After all, adopting a pug is an affordable way of getting this expensive pure dog breed. But is adopting a pug as straightforward as it may seem? We bet not.
Adopting a pug is a process that needs your time and patience. You’ll have to show a huge commitment to the pug and prove that you’re capable of giving him hope, love, and a home for life. By adopting a pug, you’ll be saving his life and you should be fully prepared to help him forget his sad past. When you adopt a pug, you’ll have to give him extra love, care, and attention and help them erase anxiety issues that are likely to occur when he’s brought to a new home.
The process of adopting a pug is obviously not as easy as buying a new puppy. There’s so much that goes into adopting a pug than most people think. So before even contemplating adopting a pug, let’s look at how to adopt a pug and how to be prepared for the process.
You’ll have to be Very Patient
You’ve probably made up your mind that you want a pug right away. Well, that’s what always happens when you’re in love with a pug; you do not want to wait and want the happy times to start immediately.
Keep in mind that finding the right rescue pug will always take time, which of course requires you to be very patient. We aren’t saying that you should forget about adopting a pug altogether. All we’re saying is that you should do your homework and enlarge your eyesight or canvas as wide as possible.
By being patient, you’ll not only find a great pet for your family but you’ll also save a life. It’s always advisable that you take around three to four months locating a suitable shelter and a purebred pug to adopt.
Find a Legally Registered Rescue or Shelter in Your Area
(Pug-Specific Rescue would be Better)
Shelters and rescues are always doing a great job sheltering abandoned dogs. They’ll be more than happy to connect a rescued pug to a dog-loving family. To make it easier for you, most shelters have websites and social media platforms where you can engage them and find the right information.
You can Google for pug shelters near your area on platforms such as petfinder.com and adopt-a-pet.com. Feel free to call them for more information and recommendations. The most important thing is to let them know that you’re willing to adopt a pug. Generally, shelters can be of great help and won’t stop until you get a loving pug.
When choosing a shelter, remember to go for a shelter that offers discount privileges such as vaccination, spaying and even discounts on certified veterinary clinics.
Solicit Recommendation from a Friend, a Colleague or Family Member
Another good source of information when you want to adopt a pug is your family members, colleague or friends. Keep in touch with someone who has adopted a pug in the past. They’ll tell you the best way to go during your adoption process.
Do Your Research
It’s imperative to let any shelter you speak to know exactly why you want to adopt a pug. This can only be possible if you’ve done your research. You should understand that a pug isn’t an easy dog breed. So you have to completely make up your mind if it’s the dog breed that you want.
That being said, you should have a lot of knowledge about pugs. Our site is a great place to start, but you can also solicit advice from other pug owners. Doing sufficient research will undoubtedly endear you to rescuers and will increase your chances of finding your perfect pug match!
Understand the Level of Commitment Required
Honestly, raising a pug is not an easy task. It’s a huge responsibility that requires a high level of commitment. There are a lot of risks and expenses involved in raising a pug. That’s because he’s prone to various illnesses and issues such as obesity.
The shelters will obviously be looking for your level of commitment in dealing with such issues. They’ll want to know whether you’re ready to sacrifice certain things to take care of the rescue pug.
That’s basically why they’ll organize a sit-down with you and do some background checks on you and your family. All these are done to ensure that the pug is in a safe and loving environment. Generally, rescue pugs do have microchips to allow the rescues to monitor them and be sure that they’re okay and happy.
Show Proof that You’re Ready to Adopt a Pug
As we’ve noted above, shelters will want you to show proof that you can surely take care of the pug. As you already know, many rescue pugs have undergone a lot of bad things and that’s something that the shelters wouldn’t want a repeat of.
To avoid such negative situations, the shelter will have an assessor check your environment to see whether it’s favorable for a pug. They’ll look for things such as play area, cot, legroom for exercise, the availability of fresh air and many more things needed for a healthy pug. It’s, therefore, important that you put all these things in place as they’ll play a key role in determining whether or not you go home with a pug.
Show that you can Commit Your Time and Effort
Taking care of a pug requires a lot of time. The shelter will obviously expect you to show that you can commit your time and effort in taking care of the pug.
Does your schedule allow you to take care of the pug on a regular basis? Can you sacrifice your precious time to take care of the pug? Do you travel a lot? If so, who will actively take care of the pug? These are some of the questions that the assessors will be asking. You should be able to answer them appropriately as they’ll be a major determinant on your adoption success or failure.
How Can You Enhance Getting Your Match?
While some people may advise you to be specific about the type of pug you want to adopt in terms of color, gender, age and so on, we don’t think it’s a good idea. Two pugs can never be the same in terms of personality. You should not limit your chances of getting your perfect pug match by giving the shelter specific conditions. Instead, let the shelter find you a pug that can best fit your family, living condition and environment.
Pugs are very popular and unlike other dog breeds, you won’t find much of them in shelters. In fact, most of them are never promoted on the internet since the shelters do prefer matching them to adopters with great track records; people that the shelters have dealt with in the past.
For this reason, do not be over choosy. Get to know the rescuers and let them know that you’re very much interested in adopting a pug. They’ll give you a realistic time frame, and will be on the lookout should they come across a pug that would be great for you and your family.
Sign Up to a Foster in Advance (Consider Volunteering)
Rescuers are well aware that they’ll receive a lot of applications for popular dog breeds such as the pug. To make you stand out in the crowd, create a rapport with a pug rescue near you by signing up in advance and letting them know that you’re very much willing to adopt a pug.
You can also volunteer once in a while to the shelter and do your best to prove that you’re more than capable of taking good care of a pug. By doing this, you’ll be endearing yourself to the shelter and will increase your chances of getting your dream pug. Better still, volunteering at the shelter will give a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of working with rescue pugs. You never know; you might fall in love with a pug in there and you’ll definitely want to take him home with you!
Ensure that the Legalities are Right
Once you’ve done a personal interview and your application is approved, ensure that everything is in order by signing a contract between you and the shelter. This contract will clearly state all your legal obligations, as well as the terms and conditions that the shelter expects you to observe.
For instance, the contract will most likely require you to allow shelter representatives to make surprise visits to your home to check the well-being of the pug. During such visits, they’ll check vaccination schedules and the overall health of the pug. The shelter will also insert a clause stating the due process should you or any other party violate terms of the agreement.
On your part, make sure that the pug is registered in your city and you’re the legal owner. Here are some things to keep in mind in terms of pug adoption.
So How Much does it Cost You to Adopt a Pug?
Pugs are undoubtedly a popular dog breed. Many dog lovers would really love to own them. Unfortunately, they’re not a cheap dog breed. For this reason, adopting a pug is cheaper than buying a new puppy pug from a breeder. With around $300, you can cover the expenses and cost of the adoption process.
You may also want to read ‘ Are Pugs Expensive? The Real Cost of Buying and Owning a Pug’
How much does it Cost to Buy a Pug?
Differently, buying a pug from reputable breeders can be quite expensive. Depending on the elite level of the pug’s bloodline and your area, it will cost you anywhere between $500 and $5000 to buy a pug.
Pug Rescue/Adoption in NYC
There are a lot of pugs that are waiting for you to adopt them in New York City, but only if you know where to look for. The best place to start is adopt-a-pet.com. However, you should keep in mind that adoption laws in New York are somewhat stricter.
For instance, New York laws provide that shelters are not allowed to release a pug unless it has been spayed or neutered. There are various laws that you should be aware of and here is the best place to start http://users.hancock.net/lennyesq/Animallaw.pdf.
Pug Rescue/Adoption in California
There are a lot of great shelters to start if you want to adopt a pug in California. They include Bubba’s Hug A Pug Rescue Inc., Pug Nation Rescue of Los Angeles, Wonder Dog Rescue and many more. Just like in New York, California has laws regarding the adoption of dogs.
The most noticeable one is that all pet stores in California are allowed to only sell rescue animals. As such, it can be quite difficult to find a rescue pug in California if you don’t follow the above steps and create a rapport with shelter organizations.
Pug Rescue/Adoption in Florida
Some of the shelters to look out for your pug match in Florida include Pug Rescue of Florida, Central Florida Pug Rescue, and Compassionate Pug Rescue. Like in New York, you’ll be allowed to adopt a pug after it has been spayed or neutered. Be sure to check Florida laws regarding pet adoption and this website https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2013/823.15 is a good place to start.
Adopting Senior Pugs
Whether you’re planning to adopt a puppy pug or a senior pug, keep in mind that the process and guidelines are more the same. However, senior pugs have perhaps undergone a lot of stress and will require a lot of care and love so as to reduce anxiety and bad experiences from the past.
Conclusion
Although it’s so worthy of you to adopt a pug, you should know that it’s not a straightforward process. You’ll be required to show your commitment and ability to give the pug unconditional love that he certainly deserves. The shelters will require you to show that you’re capable of providing a safe and secure environment for the pug and to shower him with love for the rest of his life.
Generally, the adoption process is largely focused on legal requirements. But beyond that, make sure you’re ready to shower the pug with unconditional love and devote a considerable amount of your time to him.
Go out there, adopt a pug and save a life!
