Ohio Pug Rescue, Inc.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

How does the adoption process work?

The adoption process begins by sending an application form to adopt a Pug. Only fully completed forms will be considered and all applicants must be at least 18 years of age. When your application is received, you will be contacted by an OPR Volunteer to discuss your application and answer any questions you may have. Once you have completed the telephone interview, the information then goes to the Adoption Committee to match you with a Pug based on your request and situation. When that match is determined, you will be contacted by an Adoption Coordinator to tell you about the Pug. We follow up with an email providing detailed information and pictures of that Pug. If you are in agreement with the match, we set up a home visit. See Why is the home visit necessary?

How long does it take?

As we are all Volunteers, please be patient! We try our best to get to your application as soon as we possibly can. Once your phone interview has taken place, the matching process begins. Length of time for adoption all depends on what you are asking for. Although we get Pugs of all ages in rescue, we never know what type of Pug is coming in and when. However, we may have exactly what you are looking for when you apply. If so, expect to hear from us right away! If not, we will contact you as soon as the right Pug comes in

Monkey (2004)

Where can I visit the Pug?

OPR does not have a facility; all rescue Pugs are fostered in private homes by OPR volunteers.

How much is the adoption fee?

The adoption fee is based on the age of the Pug and is the only major source of funding for this rescue. It is what keeps us going because it is used to pay for veterinary care and shelter fees. Without this fee we would not be able to continue our work. It is based on the average cost of providing you with a Pug that is thoroughly examined by a veterinarian, neutered or spayed, current on shots, heartworm negative, and microchipped for identification.

What kind of references should I provide?

Any personal references you feel comfortable providing but preferably someone who knows you well and has seen you interact with your current or previous pets or their pets. All references must be at least 21 years of age. No application is considered complete unless it contains both a veterinary reference as well as personal references. We do follow up on these and you should alert your personal references that they will receive a phone call from us.

Sherman (2005)

Must my yard be fenced?

Having a fenced yard is always preferable and sometimes required depending on the Pug. We mostly look for responsible homes committed to safely providing for the needs of their adopted Pug for its lifetime. An acceptable means of restraint for safely keeping the dog in your yard will be necessary.

What if we can't keep our adopted Pug?

Only applicants who are committed to providing a lifetime of love and responsible care for their Pug will be considered for adoption. If you are already wondering what to do if you relocate, get married, have children, or cannot afford expensive health problems, then please do not consider adopting any pet. However, we realize that sometimes circumstances are unavoidable. In these cases you are required to return your Pug to this rescue so that it can be carefully re-homed.

Bojangles (2005)

Why is the home visit necessary?

Home visits are a standard practice of all reputable rescue organizations. They are required to provide a first-hand look at the potential home and to verify basic information provided on the application. The visit takes place with the Pug in order to make sure any other pets in the home get along with the Pug, which is the most imporant aspect. For this reason, applications are accepted from Ohio residents only. If you live outside of Ohio, please contact your local Pug rescue. You can view a list of national Pug rescues at www.Pugrescue.com. We do not ship Pugs - there are no exceptions.

Is obedience training necessary? What about crating?

No dogs are "instant pets" and they all require some work. Obedience training is a wonderful way to help a new dog adjust and will reinforce already learned commands or provide learning them for the first time. It will help the Pug accept that you are in charge and ease the building of a bond with you. All dogs do best when provided with positive reinforcement and gentle methods of training. We highly recommend that you carefully choose a trainer.

Da Vinci (2011)

Top 10 Reasons To Adopt A Rescue:

10. In a Word - Housebroken
With most family members gone during the work week for 8 hours or more, housetraining a puppy and its small bladder can take awhile. Puppies need a consistent schedule with frequent opportunities to eliminate where you want them to. They can't wait for the boss to finish his meeting or the kids to come home from after school activities. An older Pug can "hold it" much more reliably for longer time periods, and usually the rescue has him housebroken before he is adopted.

9. Intact Underwear
With a "chewy" puppy, you can count on at least 10 mismatched pairs of socks and a variety of unmentionables rendered to the "rag bag" before he cuts every tooth. Also, you can expect holes in your carpet (along with the urine stains), pages missing from books, stuffing exposed from couches, and at least one dead remote control. No matter how well you watch them, it will happen - this is a puppy's job! An older dog can usually have the run of the house without destroying it.

8. A Good Night's Sleep
Forget the alarm clocks and hot water bottles, a puppy can be very demanding at 2am and 4am and 6am. He misses his littermates, and that stuffed animal will not make a puppy pile with him. If you have children, you've been there and done that. How about a little peace and quiet? How about an older rescue Pug?

7. Finish the Newspaper
With a puppy running amok in your house, do you think you will be able to relax when you get home from work? Do you think your kids will really feed him, clean up the messes, take him for a walk in the pouring rain every hour to get him housetrained? With an adult dog, it will only be the kids running amok, because your Pug will be sitting calmly next to you, while your workday stress flows away and your blood pressure lowers as you pet him.

6. Easier Vet Trips
Those puppies need their series of puppy shots and fecals, then their rabies shot, then a trip to be altered, maybe an emergency trip or two if they've chewed something dangerous. Those puppy visits can add up (on top of what you paid for the dog). Your donation to the rescue when adopting an older pup should get you a dog with all shots current, already altered, heartworm negative and on preventative at the minimum.
Ellie Mae (2009)

5. What You See Is What You Get
How big will that puppy be? What kind of temperament will he have? Will he be easily trained? Will his personality be what you were hoping for? How active will he be? When adopting an older dog from a rescue, all of those questions are easily answered. You can pick large or small; active or couch potato; goofy or brilliant; sweet or sassy. The rescue and its foster homes can guide you to pick the right match. (Our rescue is full of puppies who became the wrong match as they got older!)

4. Unscarred Children (and Adults)
When the puppy isn't teething on your possessions, he will be teething on your children and yourself. Our rescue routinely gets called from panicked parents who are sure their Pug is biting the children. Since biting implies hostile intent and would be a consideration whether we accept their give-up, we ask questions and usually find out the dog is being nippy. Parents are often too emotional to see the difference; but a growing puppy is going to put everything from food to clothes to hands in their mouths, and as they get older and bigger it definitely hurts (and will get worse, if they aren't being corrected properly.) Most older Pugs have "been there, done that, moved on."

3. Matchmaker Make Me a Match
Puppy love is often no more than an attachment to a look or a color. It is not much of a basis on which to make a decision that will hopefully last 15+ years. While that puppy may have been the cutest of the litter; he may grow up to be superactive (when what you wanted was a couch buddy); she may be a couch princess (when what you wanted was a tireless hiking companion); he may want to spend every waking moment in the water (while you're a landlubber); or she may want to be an only child (while you are intending to have kids or more animals). Pet mis-matches are one of the top reasons rescues get give-up phone calls. Good rescues do extensive evaluating of both their Pugs and their applicants to be sure that both Pug and family will be happy with each other until death due them part.

2. Instant Companion
With an older Pug, you automatically have a buddy that can go everywhere and do everything with you NOW. There's no waiting for a puppy to grow up (and then hope he will like to do what you enjoy.) You will have been able to select the most compatible dog: one that travels well; one that loves to play with your friends' dogs; one with excellent house manners that you can take to your parents' new home with the new carpet and the new couch. You can come home after a long day's work and spend your time on a relaxing walk, ride or swim with your new best friend (rather than cleaning up after a small puppy.)

1. Bond, Puggy Bond
Pugs who have been uprooted from their happy homes or have not had the best start in life are more likely to bond very completely and deeply with their new people. Those who have lost their families through death, divorce or lifestyle change go through a terrible mourning process. But, once attached to a new loving family, they seem to want to please as much as possible to make sure they are never homeless again. Those Pugs that are just learning about the good life and good people seem to bond even deeper. They know what life on the streets, life on the end of a chain, or worse is all about, and they revel and blossom in a nurturing, loving environment. Most rescues make exceptionally affectionate and attentive pets and extremely loyal companions.

OPR does not adopt outside of the state of Ohio, no exceptions. If you live outside Ohio and wish to adopt a Pug, please refer to your local Pug rescue.