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Why Adopt A Rescue?

WHY ADOPT?
*Adapted with permission from Almost Home Dachshund Rescue (almosthomerescue.org)

My parents always advised me never to buy a used car, because I would just be buying “somebody else’s problems.” Unfortunately, that’s how some people view rescue dogs-as dogs that weren’t wanted because they had problems and didn’t make good pets.
In the vast majority of cases, that’s just not true! Most dogs who come into rescue were not given up because they were “bad dogs” or had behavioral problems. Unfortunately, many people buy dogs without thinking about the time, effort, and expense involved in keeping a dog. These dogs end up in shelters, or along the side of the road, or, if they’re lucky, in rescue. In fact, the most common reasons a dog ends up with a rescue organization include the following:

• The owners don’t have time for the dog.
• The owners find that they can’t afford either basic vet care or the expense involved in treating an illness or injury.
• The owner dies or goes into a nursing home.
• The owners divorce and neither party can keep the dog. (You would be amazed at how many dogs we get as a result of divorces!)
• A young couple has a child and no longer has time for the dog, or the dog no longer fits into their “lifestyle.”
• The owner is moving to an apartment building that doesn’t allow dogs.

We also get pugs from kill shelters, where they have ended up because they were lost, and from puppy mills, where uncaring owners have used the dogs as breeding machines and don’t need them any more. Some dogs who have been prisoners of puppy mills turn out to be the most loving and affectionate dogs we see; it’s as if they know they have left their miserable pasts behind forever.

This is not to say that all of our rescue dogs come to you with perfect manners and are perfectly socialized and housebroken. Dogs who have been neglected and abandoned need training and gentle discipline to become good canine citizens. But so do the puppies people buy! And a rescue dog usually needs much less training than a pup. Pugs that come through SNPR always spend time in a foster home before they are placed in an adoptive home. During that time, they are evaluated (in terms of their personalities-how well they deal with other dogs, with children, and so on) and trained (housebroken, socialized) if necessary.

Another myth is that rescue dogs are, by definition, inferior to dogs bought from a breeder or pet store. Dogs who are rescued came originally from show breeders, pet stores, and hobby breeders-they run the gamut when it comes to origin. They are a cross-section of the dog population, and, as such, are no more or less likely to have genetic problems than any other dog.

Reasons to Choose a Rescue Dog

Those of us who volunteer in rescue all have at least one rescue dog, and we know what terrific pets they can be! Here are some reasons to consider a rescue dog, rather than buying a puppy, if you are ready to add a dog to your family.

You’re not starting from scratch. When you buy a puppy, you’re essentially bringing an infant into your home…a completely untrained, unsocialized little critter who thinks the crate you bought for him is a jail (and who cries to get out…at 3 AM!), the newspaper you put down for him to squat on is a wonderful toy to be shredded, your new shoes are much tastier than rawhide, and your best carpet is an excellent substitute for grass when nature calls! Because rescue dogs spend time in foster homes before they are adopted, they come to you with at least some social skills and some degree of housebreaking!
Training is easier. Whatever additional training needs to be done with a rescue dog will be much easier than training a puppy. It’s like the difference between training a one-year-old child and an eight-year-old. Dogs who have been around for a while just “get it” faster than puppies-especially housebreaking!

The bond is strong. Dogs who have not gotten off to the best possible start in life-who have been neglected or even abused-tend to be very loyal and affectionate. Remember that dogs are pack animals, and they take their treatment by the “pack”-their owners and families-very much to heart. A dog that has been neglected or abandoned once is usually eager to become part of a loving pack, where she feels safe and secure, and is likely to act accordingly. We find that rescue dogs are generally eager to please their new owners. Rescues often want to be in your lap at all times and will follow you from room to room, just to be near you.

Fewer vet fees. Rescue dogs have had physical examinations, have been spayed or neutered, and are up to date on shots. When you buy a puppy, you pay for the dog AND for puppy shots, spaying or neutering, and any other basic medical expenses.

What you see is what you get. When you buy a puppy, you can never really be sure what type of dog you’re going to get. All puppies are cute and playful, but their adult personalities aren’t visible until they’re about two years old. So you don’t know whether you’re getting a dog who wants to play all the time (ALL the time!) or a couch potato. When you rescue a dog, you know what the dog’s personality is like and whether it fits with what you want in a dog companion. You also know, in advance, about any problem areas the new owner will have to address.

It teaches your children good values. Face it-we live in an extremely materialistic society, in which TV teaches kids that everything can be bought, that they should get their parents to buy them everything, and that anything worth having costs a lot of money. Adopting a rescue dog for your family presents a wonderful opportunity to teach your children basic values of compassion and caring, and also about the value of second chances.

Why Aren’t Rescue Dogs Free?

We are asked this question frequently. Some people think that, since they are willing to take a homeless dog off our hands, we should give them the dog without an adoption fee.
Well, that would be nice, and in a perfect world, it would be possible. But vet care for our rescue dogs costs money, which our members must recover, at least in part, in order to go on rescuing. Each dog AT MINIMUM must have a physical examination, receive any required vaccinations (for rabies, parvo virus, etc.), and be spayed or neutered. Oftentimes they need much more than that, often requiring expensive bladder stone surgery or other medical care.
Please keep this fact in mind: The adoption fee for a rescue dog is usually somewhere between $100 and $300. The going rate for a puppy at a pet store--a puppy that, in all likelihood, came from a puppy mill--is anywhere from $500 to $1500. And you still have to pay for vaccinations and spaying or neutering on top of that. Rescue dogs are a bargain! Plus you are helping to be part of a solution to the overpopulation problem in our city, and gain a wonderful companion as well.

Meet Buttercup

Buttercup has been with us for awhile and is ready and waiting for her forever home. She had been bleeding for a year prior to her release to rescue, and was needed emergency bladder stone surgery.

Bladder stones are an extremely painful condition. Often, a pet who has been previously housetrained will start having accidents in the house. Your pet may stay "down" in the squatting position longer than usual, as these stones pass like tiny pieces of glass. You may notice many, many tiny spots of urine in the house, or dark colored spots as this urine contains blood. Please, if you have a pet who is bleeding, or is having frequent urination, please take them to the vet immediately. .

Buttercup is learning to relax and enjoy her foster brothers and sisters. She loves to play. However, she does have a tendency to be a little pushy, so she'd probably do best with another laid back dog.

Read more about her on our website www.rescuepugs.com

Pugs looking for homes...

Please repost, or spread to people in the Las Vegas area who may be looking for a pug. We have many wonderful pugs in, of all ages!

Max and Casey:
These wonderful boys are looking for a home where they can stay together. They are both sweet and happy go lucky. Casey is the black, Max is the fawn.



Kobe:
Kobe is a big boy who has a lot of puppy energy! We believe he is about 1 1/2 to 2 years old, and is sweet. He would do great with another high energy dog.


These are just a few of our pugs. To see all adoptable pugs, please visit: www.rescuepugs.com.

Mini Muffin

Mini Muffin is 5 years old and had a litter of puppies sometime in the past. She came into rescue on 6/7 and was breathing badly. She went to the vet today with her counter-part Harley Boo Bear for a check-up and shots. The vet suspected she had a very bad elongated soft palette and wanted to keep her to check her out more thoroughly. Our vet called to say, yes her soft palette was in need of surgery.

The vet performed the surgery, which removes excess skin in her throat – she had so much extra skin, he had to go in again and remove more, as the first removal wasn’t enough. For the next few days she will be boarded in the surgical side of the vet’s office, so they can monitor her condition 24 hours a day. If she can make it thru the next few days, she should be out of the woods and can come to a sedate foster home for about a 2 week recovery period. After healing from her surgery and losing a few pounds, she will be breathing like she has never taken a breath before.

She is a happy little girl and we suspect she will be a ray of sunshine in her new home. She also likes hanging out on the couch and sleeping on the people bed. She got along well with her overwhelming foster brothers and sisters. Can’t you see adding this sweet little girl to your family and showering her with love and attention?

Her surgery and boarding will likely be upwards of $1,000 and while the rescue does not have the money to pay for the surgery, we couldn’t let her go on the way she was. Could you find it in your heart to donate towards her surgery, so SNPR can continue to help all the pugs that find their way into rescue. I know we are all feeling the pinch of the economy and we don’t want to ever turn away a pug in need or not get him/her the medical attention they need. Please donate today! SNPR and all future rescues thank you for your continued support.

You can make a donation towards Mini's vet costs by visiting www.rescuepugs.com.

A few of our new pugs

Meet some of our newest Pugs.

Casey and Max are a bonded pair of brothers. Both are adorable, sweet, and very good boys!





Chloe is a 6 month old female-all puppy energy!


For information on these pugs, and the many more that our in our rescue, please visit: www.rescuepugs.com

Foster Homes Needed!

SOUTHERN NEVADA PUG RESCUE NEEDS FOSTER HOMES!

Have you ever thought about fostering? Wonder what’s involved?
It’s pretty simple. Are you a loving, responsible pet owner? Think you
could handle one more pug to cuddle? If the answer is yes, then fostering
is for you! The number of pugs we rescue goes up every year, and we need
more foster homes to keep up with those numbers.

Foster homes are the backbone of any rescue group. The more foster homes
we have, the more Pugs we can take in. Our goal is to never turn a Pug away because we don’t have room, but that goal depends on the Las Vegas community helping us by fostering. Pug rescue is not possible without our wonderful foster homes. Please, if you have considered fostering, now is the time.

If you have adopted from us in the past, you are already approved to foster, just email SNPR at: saira@rescuepugs.com, and we can put you on our foster list. If you have not adopted from us yet, please visit www.rescuepugs.com, and click on “Adoption Application” to fill out a foster application (specify foster home in the space provided), and someone will call you to set up a house check. All current pets must be fixed.You can also contact us if you have any questions about fostering, just email saira@rescuepugs.com

Fostering is not for the faint of heart. It takes a tremendous amount of courage and love to let a Pug move on to their forever home when the time comes. Some you will push out the door, while others may be tough to let go, but in the end it is ALL worth it! These little Pugs are cute but they may not be perfect. They sometimes come with a little extra baggage and may need extra time, patience, and love. All veterinary bills will be paid by SNPR. You just provide the lap to snuggle in, and a warm, cozy place for the Pug to rest. One of the best rewards is seeing that scared little Pug who came into your home leave happy, healthy, and confident-ready to start a new life in their forever home.

Remember, if you have adopted from us, someone loved your Pug enough
to foster him or her-can you do the same for another little one who needs
you now?

Pug Scrub Video!

Pug Scrub-III

Pug Scrub-Part II

Pug Scrub!

SNPR Pug, George

SNPR Pug, Zeus




Thank you to the Soggy Dog for having us!