Perhaps you have decided to open your home and open your heart to an abandoned Pug. Pugs make great companions and have even temperaments. Adult Pugs from a Pug rescue centre will often be fully trained and already up to date on shots and vet care. You could try to find a Pug at your local all-pet animal shelter, but the workers and volunteers there are very overworked. Also, because of the rapid turnover, they do not get to know much about the animals they have for adoption.



One of the advantages of a Pug rescue centre is that the volunteers and foster Pug parents take the time to get to know the dogs in their care as individuals. They can better help you get the Pug that best fits your temperament and lifestyle.

And never fall for a "pay ahead" scam, where you can get a free Pug puppy after you send the transportation fees to this overseas untraceable bank. Often, dog rescue groups will charge a non-refundable fee for filling out an application form, but it is a small charge or less than thirty dollars.

A legitimate Pug rescue group will not offer to ship their dogs and almost never have puppies available. They often will not allow potential adopters to be more than a few hours' drive from the foster home. A legitimate Pug rescue group will base their adoption process a lot like the process for adopting a human child. This is to not only discourage impulse adopting, but to make sure the Pug doesn't get abandoned again.

You can find links to good Pug rescue centres from Petfinder.com or PugRescue.com. Both of these sites contain two of the most comprehensive lists of Pug breed rescues in America and Canada. Because dog rescues are made up of volunteers, there is no parent organization that governs them or makes them have to put up a website at all.

Remember ever to lay any money down for a Pug that you've never met. This way you can avoid scams and other potential heartbreaks. You will be expected to provide your own transportation both to and from the Pug rescue centre. You should also be able to visit the Pug rescue centre or foster home where you can not only see your potential Pug, but also see under what circumstances he or she is living in.

A good Pug rescue centre will never let money sway them. They will have the last word over who gets what dog. They will also make you sign a contract, so read it carefully ? you don't want to get into a mess like Ellen Degeneres did in 2007 when she unknowingly violated a contract with a dog rescue shelter.

Don't rush them, and realize that you have to work around their schedules (not the other way around). The adoption process can often take months. In this way, you are reassured of getting a dog that will want to be part of your family.