3Pugs have big personalities inside small bodies. They are funny, loyal, sweet dogs. Sadly, even nice dogs end up needing to find new homes. Washington animal shelters have homeless Pugs that need rescue. In fact, five to seven million animals will die in shelters this year. Twenty-five percent of the animals in shelters are purebred. Starting a Pug rescue will help save more lives.
- Volunteer for a Washington based Pug Rescue such as Seattle Pug Rescue or Pacific Pug Rescue. Seattle Pug Rescue maintains foster homes throughout the state. Try to perform as many duties as possible. Foster dogs, process adoption applications, attend and arrange adoption events and try your hand at fund-raising. Learn the ins and outs of running a rescue through hands-on experience.Meet with professionals for advice. Your rescue group will need a veterinarian to care for incoming dogs. Ask for a discounted price list, because medical costs will constitute most of the adoption fee. Talk with a lawyer about non-profit corporate structure, liability and contract issues. An accountant can help with tax information and tax forms.Contact your city and county offices. Most rescue groups house animals in private homes. Some Washington cities restrict the number of dogs in a home. Find out the rules for your area before you start taking dogs home. Is there a limit to the number of dogs that you can have at home? Is there special insurance or other requirements that the city or county requires? If so, comply with the requirements before you open the rescue.Join an online shelter portal, such as Petfinder.com (see Resources). These services provide a free web page for rescue groups to display the photos and description of adoptable pets. These services provide a lot of hits and adopters.Prepare and deliver an informational package for area animal shelter managers. Describe what services your rescue will offer. Provide a veterinary reference. Animal shelters are very busy and many decide which dogs live and die based on space. If you get a call that there is a pug in a shelter that needs a rescue, respond quickly and you will save more lives than just the pug.
