Pugs U Gotta Save (P.U.G.S.) Adoption Application

Please read carefully before completing the application.  We are primarily a Virginia based rescue and do not currently have the capability to adopt to locations distant from Virginia.  We would be glad to help you find a potential rescue organization in your area.  Please check our website's outside links page for more information about rescues servicing your state/area. If after doing so and unable to find a local resource please email us to obtain help.

Adopting a pug, particularly a rescue pug, is not for everyone. Please review the information below to see if a rescue pug is truly the right decision for you. Remember, this is a commitment for the life of the pug.

Having a pug is like having a toddler for 10-15 years. Pugs are clingy, stubborn, demanding and obstinate. Pugs were meant to be family companions, but for some, their neediness is overwhelming.  

Rescue pugs are imperfect. If you are looking for a pug that will never soil your carpet, chew your favorite pair of shoes, chase your cat or growl at your child when they take a toy from it, then a rescue pug is probably not for you. Remember that many of our rescue pugs have some issue, whether health or behavioral, that has caused them to be surrendered to rescue. Some of these issues are simply a result of neglect, abandonment or lack of training. While we will always disclose any information we have about specific health or behavioral problems a pug may have that may impact your ability to care for that dog, we do ask that you enter into this process with the understanding that owning a rescued pug is a wonderful and sometimes challenging experience.

Adopting a rescue pug requires a commitment from you – a commitment to work with your adopted pug to help them learn to trust you and to blend into your family. They can not do this overnight, and they can not do this by themselves. By the time they are adopted, rescued pugs will have been transitioned into at least two new environments, often in a short period of time, so it is important that their adoption be forever. It takes a minimum of 6-8 weeks for most pugs to acclimate to their new home. If you are outright not willing to work with the pug (and perhaps your resident pets) to address any issues that develop during and after this period, please do not complete the application. While we will always take a pug back into care if an adoption should fail, please be aware that we will expect you to do everything in your power to address the problem first. We will provide to you the support and resources to be successful, but your commitment is crucial to that success.

We work very hard to ensure the right pug is placed in the right home.  If you are interested in a pug you have seen on PetFinder or on our website, we will do our best to take your preferences into consideration.  However, our first commitment and concern will always be to the pugs in our care.  Not every pug is a match for every home, so please understand that if we feel a pug is not suited to your particular situation, you may not be considered to adopt that particular pug.

Once a match is made, it is ultimately your responsibility to travel to pick up your pug.  We may or may not be able to arrange for transport assistance, depending on our available resources. 

If you are very specific about the type of pug you are willing to adopt, please be prepared to wait. For example, if you want only a black female pug that is not over 15 lbs. and is housetrained, you may have to wait many months. We have no control over the variety or characteristics of the pugs we have available. While we try to accommodate preferences when possible, the more flexible you are, the quicker we can work together to make a suitable match for your home.

If you are not ready to take a pug into your home within the next thirty days or if everyone in your home is not 100% in support of your decision to adopt, please wait to complete the application until everyone is ready. While it often takes longer to make an appropriate match, sometimes the process moves very quickly. As we have no paid staff, every member of our team has many other obligations (work, family) so we try to be as efficient as possible. We ask for your cooperation. If at any point you are no longer able to adopt a pug, please let us know so we can make the best use of our volunteer hours. Remember that each dog takes literally countless hours to assess, address his/her medical and behavioral needs, and screen for the perfect home. Similarly, each application takes a minimum of 4-5 hours to fully process. We take our responsibility seriously and hope that you appreciate our need to wisely use our resources.

Once you submit your application, you will receive an automatic e-mail acknowledgement at the e-mail address provided.  Not everyone who completes an application will be contacted to continue the adoption approval process. Our application is designed to give us basic information by which to determine your eligibility to adopt a pug. It is your responsibility to complete the application honestly, accurately, and completely so that we have as much information as possible. We will contact applicants who, based on the information provided, we feel are the best candidates for adoption.  Be aware that the information provided on the application will be verified during the approval process. 

When we contact you, please reply within 2 days. If we contact you and we do not get a reply, the processing of your application may be significantly delayed or discontinued. Please provide us with contact information where we can reliably reach you by email and phone.  If at any point you are no longer able to adopt a pug or would like to wait to have your application processed, please let us know so we can make the best use of our volunteer hours.  Inform your personal references that you have listed them on your application and ask them to be responsive when we contact them. If we cannot reach one of your references, this will significantly delay the process.