Amanda will be joining us on the blog to give us some insight on the pugs that are sick or waiting on a foster at the vet.

So, in her own words, meet Amanda.

Fat pugs, little pugs, mange-covered pugs (…Fritz especially), geriatric pugs- I love ‘em all. My name is Amanda and I am one of five nurses at Sugar Land Pet Hospital. I am currently still in school and usually work in the afternoons. It has been a pleasure thus far working with Pug Hearts Rescue delivering good medicine and new found love to all of the pugs that come into our office. When we get a new pug it always takes a couple of days for us to gauge what type of personality they are (you know pugs have major personality) and see what kind of potty training skills we might have to reinforce. All in all, I’m here to let you know a little bit about some of the pugs we currently have at the office.

And from Amanda...a glimps of 2 of the pugs in the vet right now.

Beautiful Bodacious Bohdie. Also known as Buddha, she has the most unique sitting habits which usually cause her to look like a big Buddha statue. She is the new love of our lives at the clinic and pretty much is spoiled rotten by everyone at the office. Bodhie has had some problems with some of her bloodwork and that’s why she has been at our office for a bit. Bohdie is on her own special food and comes with a few medications. Other than that, she is great at letting you know exactly when she needs to go out, when she wants a piece of pug loaf or just when she wants a hugJ Also, loves playing with others. She really is a diamond in the rough.

This is what being spoiled at the vet looks like.

 
Charlie! Or as I like to say, “CHARWIIIEZ”. We just recently got Charlie in a couple of days ago, he is a real cutie. He definitely has got the itchies. We have skin scraped him when he came in to check on any kind of mange but came up negative. But that’s not uncommon- we still have an inkling that he may have some mange issues. He really is a sweetheart and pretty quiet- not your typical high-strung, loud mouth pug J Charlie will be staying with us until Friday, before we vaccinate and figure out our medical plan for him.

Charlie is begging for attention.

Cindy

There has been a lot of talking going on here at PugHearts regarding the need to let everyone know what is happening behind the scenes (good and sad). We are taking in a lot of needy pugs and updates fell by the wayside. Not good. We are going to do better at this, we promise.

So, first, we have asked a few extra people to start adding informaiton to this blog. These new additions will be Ashley and Amanda. They both work at Sugarland Pet Hospital and are a core part of PugHearts' success. They will be letting you know what is happening in the vet and some basic information about the new pugs coming in. They do get to see the new babies first, often before I even get to meet them. We are excited to be able to give you a glimps into what happens in the vet's office and a quick peek at the pugs that are new to PugHearts. These ladies laugh, cry and worry over the pugs with us. They (and many others) are as much a part of PugHearts as I am.

So, in her own words....Ashley. (Amanda will introduce herself soon.)

Hello!

My name is Ashley. I am a receptionist here at Sugarland Pet Hospital and I have been here at the clinic for about 2 years. If you call in the afternoon; you will hear bubbly me on the other end. But caller beware I might just gab your ear right off. Working for Sugarland Pet Hospital has changed my outlook on so many things other than pet care. It has taught me to be an advocate and voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, that a kind word and a soft touch goes a long way.  I have never worked with a rescue agency before; but Pug Hearts is special to me. The love and care that is put in to these dogs is breathtaking.  Working the front desk I get to see the pugs FIRST! It’s awesome.  I get to see the pug smile first hand. Never met a pug that didn’t have the smile from ear to ear, even in the worst conditions they always seem to smile.  From foster to forever home we get to be a part of their journey to a new and better life.  Love is a four legged word, and I get to see that every day. I can honestly say I would not change it for the world.

Keep an eye on the blog. More to come soon.

See you all at Blanco's on September 25th.

Cindy

I sat down tonight and thought about what I wanted everyone to know about this last week.

This week has been a roller coaster ride. I started the week feeling really down and frustrated. This is not an uncommon feeling in rescue, but one that we often do not like to talk about. I was thinking about the fact that we had 96 pugs in foster care. We had a $22,000+ vet bill and several pugs boarding at the vet waiting for a place to learn to be a pet again. I spent a fair amount of time sitting in the floor with the pugs in my house. I needed something to make me believe again, in rescue and in myself.

Wow...did I ever get that. On Tuesday, I received a call from a local vet's office. A puppy mill owner was closing out and I was told he had 12-15 pus that needed to come into rescue. This was NOT good news considering the number of pugs already in our care. I was not sure we could even make this happen. PugHearts prides itself on the ability and willingness to take any pug, at any age, in any condition. I did not think we could do that in this situation. I started with an email to the board and then to our list of supporters. I called San Antonio pug rescue and Pug Rescue Austin. The response was overwhelming.

You are all incredible. The response was immediate and beyond anything I could have dreamed. Offers to foster have been coming in, transportation help and support for what we do have poured in. The monetary donations have allowed us to pay down our vet bills.

The puppy mill did surrender thier pugs and tell us that they are no longer breeding pugs. Sadly, he stated he is moving on to Bulldogs. I will fight this as hard as I can. No breed should have to deal with the life of a breeder's commodity. They should be warm, loved, in a house and part of a family. I will do all I can to fight him on this point.

Update on the pugs surrendered:

There were 11 pugs totoal. 9 females and 2 males.

San Antonio pug rescue took in 9 of the puppy mill pugs. They had 17 pugs in their care prior and has the space to care for that many. They are getting the pugs in their care into their vet tomorrow. We are very greatful for their assistance and know that the pugs are in good hands. Pug Rescue Austin is working to find foster homes for a few of the ones that San Antonio took.

PugHearts took in 2 pugs; a male and a female. The male is a 4 year old that has spent his life in a kennel helping to produce puppies. We have named him Deisel. The female is 5 years old. Her feet are spread from standing on wire crates without towels, paper or solid foundation. She has multiple cysts between her toes. The sadest part is that she is showing signs of either a neurological or psychological issue. She makes odd movements with her head and circles, almost continuously, in her crate. We named her Diamond.

PugHearts will do all than we can for both of these babies. They will get all of the medical care they need and we will find fosters that will allow them to learn to be pets and give and accept love.

We thank you all for your support. We are successful because of each and every one of you that support PugHearts in the work that we do.

I am honored to be allowed to be a part of this group.

Cindy

I have sat down to write this entry several times now. February 14th was our 3 year mark. That's right, PugHearts is 3 years old. It does not seem possible that we have been doing this for 3 years already.

I can still plainly remember the day that Richard and I met, so that I could see Alfie. It was a beautiful January day. Alfie looked so happy and loved. I wanted that for all of the pugs that wander looking for love and care. I starting thinking and asking questions. My husband would tell you that is a dangerous time. PugHearts was born on that day. We officially started on Valentine's Day 2007 (What a better start date for PugHearts, right?) and off we went.

On the date of our birthday, we have rescued a total of 516 pugs (with a few imposters in the mix).

We currently have 96 pugs in our care looking for new homes. That is the hard part. The numbers keep going up and the medical issues of those we are helping are getting more severe and costly. One of the things we are most proud of is that we will take any pug, regardless of their condition. I do not want to change that, but there are times it is hard. The money has to come to pay the bills, the adoption have to happen to allow space for the next needy pug. This is where the public and our wonderful volunteer group becomes so critical. There is always a need for transports from shelters to the vet, foster homes so that the pugs can heal, learn and become ready for their new lives, people to promote us and talk to their friends and families about rescue and why it is so important and above all else...there is a need for people to adopt and love our fosters for the rest of their lives. This is the ultimate goal.

    Lexi is a senior that is looking for someone to love her and play with her for her golden years. Lexi came to us with a ruptured kidney that had to be removed. She acts like a young dog now.

   Allie is blind and needs someone to help show her the way. She is a lover and a cuddler that will totally trust you once you form that bond with her.

   Addison came to us VERY pregnant and delivered within the week. She is a sweet girl that craves love and attention from her people. She is being a good Mom, but will be very happy when it is time to be a pet.

   Yoda is a diabetic that takes 4 units of insulin twice a day. He is a great guy and takes his medicine well.

   Eric is a young male that came to us skinny and full of parasites. He is learning to be a good boy and is preparing to make a family very happy.

Why do I show you these pugs? Because I want you to understand that we rescue all ages and all sorts of medical needs. We have youngsters, seniors and everything in the middle. If you are looking for a great match for you and your family...we probably have it.

So please...spread the word, donate your time and/or money, foster a pug in need, or provide a forever home to a pug that is looking.

We are successful only when we work as a team. You are a part of that team.

PugHearts and our fosters need you.

Thank you.

Hello all pug-lovers! We hope that everyone is having a great start to the New Year.
 
One topic we would like to discuss is....PUPPIES!! Yes - irresistible, adorable, snuggly little puppies. However, as cute as they are, we all know they take a certain level of work and dedication. Since a higher number of puppies tend to be purchased around the holiday season, we would like to take this time to remind everyone of the many needs of a new puppy.
 
First of all, there are many immunizations a new puppy will need. Don't forget to get them into your vet so they can get their shots and be protected from the various diseases out there. Also, please please please get your puppy spayed or neutered! This is usually done when they are about 6 months old. We also highly recommend getting your puppy microchipped. Even the most responsible dog owners can't always avoid accidents such as your puppy slipping out of his/her collar during a walk. With a microchip, his/her chances of getting returned home are much higher.
 
Second, a puppy is going to take a lot of time and patience. In the beginning, there are going to be a lot of behavioral hurdles such as chewing, housebreaking, and general puppy energy. We encourage everyone to stay patient and focused on providing your puppy the necessary training and discipline. There are a lot of great training programs out there, but it is also possible to do it at home. Just make sure to do your research!
 
And last, and this goes with out saying, love your puppy! At times you may get frustrated, but enjoy their youthfulness while it lasts. Before you know it, you will have a well-behaved companion who will dedicate their entire life to making you happy.

First off, from everyone at PugHearts, we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! 

Now, as it is the holiday season and we are fast approaching Christmas week with lots of traveling involved, unfortunately, our four-legged puggy friends seem to be abandoned at an even higher rate than normal. And here we are, to take these babies in and provide them a home when they are no longer wanted (through no fault of their own).

However, we can not continue our intake without the help of all our wonderful volunteers. And right now, we need you more than ever. There are many different ways to help. We REALLY need fosters and we REALLY need funds. As always, the medical bills continue to accumulate. As we bring in new pugs, not only do we have the medical bills, we have boarding bills that will continue until they can be placed in foster homes. As you can see, both foster homes and monetary donations are the key to our continued success. The last thing we ever want to do is to have to discontinue intake, but we are not far from this if we do not get some extra help this holiday season.

Even if you can not become a permanent foster home, please consider this for the holiday season. What better way to spread the holiday cheer than to provide a warm, loving home for one of our babies. If you would like to help, please use the contact form provided on our website.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hello everyone!

I wanted to take a minute to talk about our Pugs at Blanco's fundraiser this past Sunday. We are happy to report that it was a great success! We raised a significant amount of funds which will put Pughearts much closer to paying off the vet bills. This means that we can continue to accept, treat, and place the needy pugs in the Houston area. Thank you so much to everyone who attended and graciously donated to our cause.

We had a great cooking team in place who worked around the clock to cook 100 briskets starting Friday evening until the event started on Sunday. A big thank you goes out to the cooks as well as the Holy Cow Cookers cooking team who let us borrow their competition-sized smoker for the weekend. We would also like to send an extra special thanks to our party sponsors JR and Yvonne Parks with Caliber Controls.  This would not have been possible without them.

Part of what made the event so successful was our silent auction. With over 70 different items to bid on, we definitely owe a big thank you to the Sales/Auction Committee Chair, DD, for all of her hard work to get everything in place.

We also owe a huge thank you to our two Event Committee Chairs, Sarah and Brent. Working tirelessly to get every detail in place, the event went on without a hitch and we could not have done it without you guys.

Since this fundraiser was so successful, we are already working on booking Blanco’s for next fall. We are also working on ideas for a Spring fundraiser. Stay tuned! Any ideas and suggestions are welcome, just use the contact form at the top of this page.

Again, a huge thanks to everyone who attended!!!

-Chrissie

Our fundraiser is coming up on Sunday. We are excited and hope to see all of you there.

I wanted to take a minute to introduce one of our newer fosters. She came to us in pretty bad shape. We gave her a fancy name to grow into.

Introducing Tallulah Belle

Tallulah was found in the middle of the road and taken to the local shelter. She was thin, scared and very itchy. Tallulah does not see very well.

She is now safe and sound at our vet. She currently has sarcoptic mange and is in isolation for now.

Tallulah is about 10. She will go to foster, when she is ready, and will be spoiled and treated as she deserves.

This is the reason we are here. The reason our vet bills are as high as they are. We DO NOT turn these types away. We want to make sure they are safe and well cared for. Tallulah will most likely live out her life with us as a permanent foster. The seniors are not adopted as often as the younger, often prettier, pugs. They do not want much. They just want to be loved and to love in return.

Please consider adopting a senior pug and making their final time as perfect as their lives should have been. If you are not ready to adopt, please consider donating.

See you all on Sunday.

UPDATE (09/28/09):   Lexi is going home to her foster home today. Her white cell count is down and she is feeling great.

 I wanted to take a minute and introduce you all to Lexi. Lexi is a 10 year old female that came to us last week.

Lexi was obviously not feeling well. We were told that she had been having accidents in the house. We had Dr Hendrix do an exam and we found that Lexi had bladder stones. These stones are caused by a high pH in the urine that crystallizes byproducts of the food. Lexi had a large stone. While Lexi was under anesthesia, Dr Hendrix decided to do the spay also. That is a really good thing. The decision saved Lexi's life.

Lexi had a VERY infected kidney. The kidney had become so infected that it was adhered to the abdominal wall and the uterus. Dr Hendrix spent a lot of time and showed his skills. He managed to remove the kidney and complete the spay. We were not sure if Lexi would make it through the night.

This photo is of Lexi a few hours after surgery. You can imagine that she was very sore.

I am happy to report that Lexi was standing in her crate and wagging her tail when the staff come in the next morning.

We are all very hopeful that she will do well.

Today Lexi has a very elevate white blood cell count. This is not unexpected, as the kidney was so infected.

She is on antibiotics and recieveing excellent care at Sugarland Pet Hospital. She is a real lover and a happy girl.

We are all rooting for her complete recovery.

Cindy 

Hello pug enthusiasts!

My name is Chrissie and I am going to be a new blogger on this site. Since I'm new to this, ideas and suggestions are very much encouraged! Just use the contact form provided on this blog.

I'd like to start off by giving a little bit of my background in the pug world. It all started about 12 years ago. I'd been begging my parents for, oh, 5 years to get a dog. Long story short, we came home with a pug from the SPCA who we named Holly, since we adopted her in December. We had no background with the breed and weren't sure what we had gotten ourselves into with all the snorting! But we all quickly fell in love with her. This is her in one of her favorite lazy-pug positions.

Holly

Fast forward ten years and I found myself dogless again. And I knew the only breed for me was pug pug pug. I'm a working woman without the time (or patience) for a puppy, so I knew I wanted to adopt an adult dog. A quick internet search brought me to Pughearts and my application was probably submitted within the hour :) And this led me to Lou and Andy. Two very sweet gentlemen that I fell in love with immediately. They are the best cuddlers and I just knew how appreciative they were to be in their Forever Home. Aren't they the cutest??

Lou (left) and Andy

For my birthday this past year, my husband and I decided to give fostering a try. This is when we brought home our first foster, Rex! One crazy little dude who I can't imagine anyone wanting to give up! Young, healthy, and full of love. He came to our home on a Thursday, my parents came to visit the next day, and by Sunday they wanted to adopt him. That really had been my plan all along, but don't tell them :)

Rex (now my puggy sibling)

The same day my parents took Rex home, we brought in our next foster, Flip. This guy came into Pughearts having been hit by a car (thus his name, he he) but was completely healed by the time he came into our lives. I wasn't sure about him at first. He didn't have the typical pug quality of being completely attached to humans, seeming to care more about food and getting into mischief. Unfortunately, a couple weeks later, our poor Lou Lou passed away. A very hard loss. Within the next week, the decision was made to adopt Flip as he and Andy were already bonding and he had already made a smooth transition into our home. It didn't take long for Flip to show his affectionate side and he is now attached to my hip at all times. He makes the funniest noises when he plays and loves to give you an arm or leg bath as you watch TV, if you let him.

Our Flip-Flop

After giving myself a couple months to grieve over losing Lou, we decided to take in a new foster. Next up was Cooper! Mr. Super-Duper-Cooper-Trooper. He didn't last long. We took him to the Reliant Dog Show the week we brought him in, and someone fell in love with him right there. He went to his new home a couple days later. I hear he is doing wonderful and is very loved!

Cooper at the Reliant Dog Show

After that came Samantha! What a sweet girl with a cute little under bite! We are still fostering her and she is currently going through heartworm treatment. Here she is!

Samantha

I think it goes without saying that I am completely in love with and devoted to this breed. I am also very happy to have become involved with such a great organization. Pughearts is run by truly devoted pug lovers and Dr. Hendrix, who works with all the rescues, is absolutely wonderful!

Going forward with this blog, I would love to post other adoption and foster stories, so please contact me if you have any, using the contact form provided on this blog.

Also, our next big fundraiser is happening on Sunday, November 8th at Blanco's. There will be a live band, barbeque, raffles, a silent auction, and of course PUGS!!!! Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the event.

Until next time,
Chrissie