Adopting a Rescue Pug (or other Breed)
As soon as we receive rescue Pugs they are shampooed, conditioned, receive flea treatments, are wormed and desexed.
We then spend as much time as each one needs in rehabilitation. We introduce them to grass, steps, living inside, beds, toys and being picked up.
Many need to learn not to be frightened of a kiss or a hug, and how to relax and not go rigid with fear when they are picked up.
Many of these rescues have been purchased from pet shops and left outside by themselves in a tiny courtyard, or they have lived in large sheds and used for breeding.
It is a true indication how resilient this amazing breed is, when after just a few short weeks of running in the huge Mornington Lodge gardens and paddocks, swimming in the dam, sleeping in a warm bed of our foster carers Australia wide and having unlimited toys, attention and hugs – these pugs blend in with our own team and you couldn’t tell the difference between the rescued pugs and the spoilt-rotten-all-their-lives pugs :))
Please do not ask to adopt one of our pugs if you are away all day except if you have another dog to provide company …. these rescues need people and company around them for most of the day. They have been locked in sheds, tied up on farms, left in backyards, caged on verandahs or locked on apartment balconies up until now … we owe it to them to start their new lives living the way pugs were meant to live .. as companion dogs surrounded by people for most of the day.
Thank you for your understanding.
All Pugs are desexed prior to rehoming.
Please note that we always do home checks before releasing any Pugs for adoption,
and there is an adoption form to fill in below.
We rescue neglected, abused and unwanted pugs. Generally their veterinary costs are very high, as most have untreated eye issues, chronic ear infections, or skin issues. Many require dental work, or soft palate surgery.
We also rescue mature pugs advertised online that have NOT been desexed. Most of these pugs are at a high risk of being purchased by puppy farmers or backyard breeding operations. Advertised for sale from between $300 to $800 – they are still one third the price of a puppy, and unfortunately are at an age where they are ready to be bred from. Tragically this makes them a target for puppy farmers, and they face a life of breeding in a shed.
As a non profit rescue organisation, staffed by volunteers, Pugs SOS faces high vet bills for many rescues, as well as desexing and microchipping. This generally costs us anywhere between $350 to $2,000 per pug – therefore to continue operating, our adoption fees are between $950 to $1,200. Please note that in most cases the adoption fee still does not cover our costs. The shortfall is made up by donations and committee members.
We then pay for all vetwork, which includes:
- desexing
- microchipping
- vaccinations
- ear cytology and treatment
- all dental work (teeth scaled and any rotten teeth removed)
- eye testing
- any skin infections treated
This generally costs between $350 to $400 but sometimes vet bills exceed $2,000.
