In April’s newsletter you may have read the article about Laura & her pug Ethel and how her pug story began 40 years ago. Well following on from that, as Laura is my daughter, here is my story of how I discovered Pug Welfare and my pug journey.
Having bought from a breeder, our first pug Honey in 1984, during a chance meeting while out on a dog walk with Honey a fellow pug owner told me about PDWRA and the annual Pug Days at Crowhurst. We sadly lost Honey in 1994 and after her loss we decided to go down the rescue route as PDWRA seemed such a great organisation to adopt through. Over the past 30 + years I have had the pleasure of adopting :- Hanky Panky, Millie, Lily, Mabel and finally, our precious Black Betty, who has been with us for the past 10 years.
I found the process of adopting through PDWRA quite straight forward and it became easier for us as time went by, after each adoption we didn’t have to wait too long to receive a call from Pug Welfare with our next adoptee. Over the years, all our girls were taken to almost every Welfare Day at Crowhurst from 1987 until 2016, when sadly they became no more. They were a great day out, games for the pugs, raffles and various different stalls, plus the much loved auction to raise money for pug welfare. Another not to be missed PDWRA occasion were the Pug Tea Parties that were held once or twice a year during the summer months, the pugs and the humans who always had a great time!!
The pugs I have adopted have always enjoyed a holiday away with us, over the years they have been to Yorkshire, Norfolk, down to Devon and to the Witterings in West Sussex, and nearer to us on the Kent coast. I must say, although the girls have always enjoyed a change of scenery, running on the sand – definitely not in the water! or enjoying a new walk and smells in the Countryside, they always loved getting home, back into their comfort zone! This goes especially for Betty, she’s a real home pug and loves her daily routine.
We adopted Betty in 2015, she was a little over 5 years old and my most vivid memory of her is arriving at 2pm on the 26thMarch. Judi and Andrew pulled onto the drive and out jumped the prettiest, bright eyed little black pug, who promptly breezed into our lives as much to say “well I’m here”! She had a quick look around, made sure she had no opposition and everything met with her standards and approval, checked out the garden, christened the grass and decided she’d stay!!!
Betty has been a joy to have in our lives, as an elderly lady now she has become even more feisty and stubborn, aging ladies do have that privilege. Her sight is not so good now and Betty has arthritis in her back, but she copes well with her eye drops and her regular injections at the vets and she still retains the loveable character she has always been blessed with. Due to Betty’s advanced years, she has just celebrated her 15th Birthday, her favourite pastimes now are eating, sniffing lampposts, barking at anything and sleeping, in any particular order!!
Obviously over the past 40 years there have been ups and downs with looking after a pug, the sheer overwhelming sadness when one of the girls have passed away, but such happiness when a new little pug arrives, full of enthusiasm to start a new life in their forever home.
If I was ever asked “would I pursue the adoption route again after over 30 years?”, I would answer a resounding yes in a heartbeat. Young, middle years or an oldie, each pug brings their own character and rewards you with love and the trust they give you, is such a beautiful thing.
I feel so grateful to have shared such a large part of Betty’s life, and parts of all the other girls who have gone before, and also my 35 years of being part of such a wonderful pug charity. Plus, the added assurance that you are always able to contact PDWRA if you need any medical advice or support, the members are always there to help and advise.
Hopefully PDWRA will continue their brilliant work rehoming our lovely breed for another 50+ years.
