by PDWRA | 13 Aug, 2026 | Fundraising
In the midst of one of the hottest heatwaves of the year 🌞, a little pug was found wandering the streets of Shrewsbury. He was in a terrible state, covered in painful, infected wounds and suffering from heatstroke, he was clearly in desperate need of veterinary care.
Thankfully, a local veterinary practice took him in, provided the urgent treatment he needed and launched an appeal to try to find his owner. But nobody came forward.
Hillbrae Stray Kennels then took him into their care, keeping him safe and comfortable in one of their air-conditioned kennels while he received the ongoing veterinary attention he desperately needed.
Over the following days, he needed daily veterinary visits. His deep, infected skin wounds required clipping, bathing and treatment, while one of his eyes had a severe ulcer. Vets were initially unsure whether his eye could be saved, but an intensive regime of daily eye drops was started in the hope of preserving it.
Then one of our Voluntary Area Coordinators saw the appeal and contacted Hillbrae to let them know that we would take him into our care. He needed to remain with them for his seven-day legal stray period, but as soon as that was complete, one of our wonderful volunteers made the journey to collect him. 🚘
And that was when we met Sunny ☀️
This little pug had been through so much and was clearly in considerable pain, yet somehow his beautiful personality still shone through. He was affectionate, enthusiastic, happy and full of that unmistakable pug character. Despite everything he had endured, Sunny was still a little ball of light. 💫
Sunny went into foster care with one of our trustees and immediately settled in alongside her other pugs. Since arriving in rescue, he has continued to make progress. His skin has started to heal, and after an enormous amount of care, his eye has also begun to improve. It is a testament to the care he has received and to Sunny’s own resilience.
But his recovery isn’t over yet…
We now need to raise the funds required for the surgeries and treatment that will give Sunny the comfortable life he so desperately deserves. Sunny requires BOAS surgery to improve his breathing and reduce the risk of the serious health problems associated with compromised airways.
His teeth are also in a very poor condition. Many are rotten and causing discomfort, meaning he needs dental treatment to get his mouth healthy and pain free. He will also need to be neutered. 🩺
The cost of all of this is significant, particularly after the veterinary treatment Sunny has already required. As a small rescue charity, these bills can be daunting. But when we look at Sunny, we don’t see a list of veterinary procedures or a frightening invoice.
We see a little dog who survived being abandoned in extreme heat, who endured painful infected wounds, heatstroke and a severe eye ulcer, and who somehow remained the happy, loving little pug he is today. We see a dog who deserves a chance.
We can’t change what happened to Sunny before he came into our care, but we can change what happens next. We want his future to be filled with comfortable beds, long and happy walks, pug snuggles and, most importantly, a life free from pain and unnecessary discomfort.
Please help us give Sunny the happy ending he deserves…
If you are able to make a donation towards his veterinary treatment, no matter how small, you will be helping us get Sunny through the final stage of his recovery and towards the healthy, comfortable life he should have had all along.
Every donation really does make a difference.
If you aren’t able to donate, please consider sharing Sunny’s story. Sharing costs nothing and could help us reach someone who is able to contribute towards his care.
He’s already transformed from a little pug found suffering on the streets in the middle of a heatwave, to the happy little Sunny we know today. Now we just need to help him complete his journey.
Thank you, as always, for supporting the PDWRA and helping us continue to say yes to the pugs who need us most. 🙏
If you would like to donate towards Sunny’s ongoing treatment, please click below…
Please donate to help Sunny here
by PDWRA | 12 Aug, 2026 | Rescue Stories
Just after Easter this year, I was sitting on my own, my husband being out cycling, listening to – silence. No snuffling, no snoring, and no warm cuddly shape curled up next to me, as our pug Doug had left our life a few weeks earlier. I had been given the website and Facebook page for the PDWRA, so casually opened it up and saw a picture of an elderly Pug and an elderly French Bulldog, a pair bonded for eight years, and there is no explanation for what happened next. Without hesitating but somehow knowing it was what I had to do, I found myself filling in the application form. Within two weeks we had been approved, had our home visit and Misty the Bulldog and Tootsie the Pug (their real names) were ours. Arrangements were soon made to move them from Blackpool to Cornwall.
The evening we brought them home, they walked in, found their water bowl, had a meal and made their way to the settee. They were so much at home, it seemed as if they knew they truly belonged. That night, we said goodnight and heard nothing from them till the next morning. And that is how the domestic side of life with them continues – two delightful ladies, very much part of the family.
Their new walks have been up farm tracks from our garden (which is safely fenced in), past interesting smells of foxes and badgers, next to fields where they have made friends with horses, rubbing noses across the gate. Or they have seen the wilder side of Cornwall, along the cliffs and through the woods. For more contained exercise, we book a field which has agility apparatus for the dogs. Misty loves it and flies up and over ladders and the see-saw; Tootsie prefers a sedate walk through the tunnel. We are often joined by the two young poodles and all four scallywags enjoy the adventures, especially meeting and greeting other dogs.
Tootsie had wobbly back legs when she arrived, but a little loss of weight, ramps for getting on settees and being off her lead on all the walks (not on public roads of course) have strengthened her legs and she now jumps and runs freely. Misty used to pull on her lead and bark at other dogs, so I kept her attached for a week until she was with the poodles on a walk. Keeping my fingers crossed, I let her go – and no problems at all. They are both very obedient and come back when called, so I am happy for her to meet and greet dogs which she loves. Of course they are on their leads on the roads, and they both respond to the instruction “car! in” very quickly; no pavements in our countryside environment.
Both dogs have found our menagerie of interest. The ducks and dogs are free range together in the garden; Misty has learned that duck food can be very indigestible. The tortoises are exciting only because of their meals of lettuce and cucumber, which Tootsie particularly enjoys. The Guinea pig fascinates Misty, who knows that “Guinea pig time” means she stays in the lounge while the Guinea pig is taken out or brought in from her run in the garden. The cat, a real diva, pretends the dogs will chase her, and is disgusted that neither dog has done so yet! She lives in hopes.
Both Tootsie and Misty have delighted our friends and neighbours and are welcomed into other houses to meet their dogs. Everyone says we have two amazing, beautiful dogs who have settled into our lives as if we had all been together for years. As I write this the house is no longer silent; from beside me, I can hear synchronised snoring. And we will soon all be cuddled up on the settee having had a long walk and two hours in the garden working together.
We feel totally blessed and I fully believe it was intended that I saw that page on the Internet that day.
If you have any thoughts of adopting a pug or two, don’t hesitate. Your life will be made so much fuller with one of those lovely scamps in your house.
Elizabeth
by PDWRA | 12 Aug, 2026 | Rescue Stories
We first heard about the PDWRA through the Aberdeen City and Shire Pug Facebook Group. We originally joined the group after spotting a post about them in the Evening Express (one of the local newspapers) and went along to a meetup with our first pug, Millie. The group held a fundraiser for the PDWRA, which was our very first introduction to the incredible work the charity does.
Since Millie had come to us as a rehome from a family friend, we knew we wanted to adopt rather than buy a puppy when the time came. After we lost Millie, the house felt far too quiet and we realised just how much we missed having a pug around! We wanted to offer a loving home to dogs who, through a change of circumstances and no fault of their own, could no longer stay in their previous homes. Knowing that bonded pairs can sometimes be harder to rehome, we decided we had the space and heart to wait for a pair who needed to stay together.
In January 2025, we got the news we’d been waiting for. The moment we met Frankie and Winnie, it was genuinely love at first sight!
They are absolutely crazy in the best possible way, they are so full of life, completely adorable, and such deeply loving little dogs. They also love each other so much, they are inseparable! And one will get jealous if the other gets the slightest bit more attention than the other! The adoption process itself was surprisingly straightforward once we found our match, making the whole experience smooth and reassuring.
If you’re thinking about fostering or adopting, our biggest piece of advice is simply to give your new furry friends plenty of time to settle in. You don’t always know what a pug has been through before coming into your care, so they might take a little longer to come out of their shell. In our case, Winnie took a bit longer than Frankie to build that trust with us. But with patience, they are both now completely calm, relaxed, and happy around everyone. Seeing that trust grow is the most rewarding part of the journey.
Life since adopting Frankie and Winnie has been wonderfully hectic in the best way possible. Going from an empty, quiet house to welcoming two little bonkers pugs means we now have double the trouble and we wouldn’t trade it for the world!
Thank you PDWRA,
Scott & Sam
by PDWRA | 12 Aug, 2026 | Rescue Stories
Day 1 – Our first impressions of Enzo were a mixture teddy bear and male lion. He was all head, ruff and shoulders with a narrow body small hips and of course a very curly tail. He was pleased to meet us and our own pug Bella. She gave him the once over, and having checked him out, a prod turned into a lick. A little nudge became a game and before long they were doing zoomies round the garden.
First thoughts – He is such a little dear, finding a home for him will be no problem. Sort out his neutering, get his vaccinations up to date. No problem, he’ll soon find his forever home. How wrong could I be!
We went for a walk, perfect. He even made Bella behave well on the lead. As I’m going along behind them, I notice his back left leg has a strange action, going round in a circle rather than straight forward. Made mental note must ask vet to check.
Back home, food and then garden. More play and I see he is on three legs. Games had to stop and he was on the lead.
Day 2 – The following day the vet investigated his leg and said his kneecap was moving side to side not staying in place. There are grades of instability, his was a 3 or 4 and required surgery. The vet sent a report to Dee who was able to get agreement for the charity to fund his operation. The following week we met Jamie the vet at the animal hospital. He confirmed the diagnosis, went through the options and explained what was to happen. As well as the knee surgery, Jamie agreed to carry out Enzo’s castration at the same time. Poor little dog, he was going to need lots of TLC after this lot.
We collected him at midday. He was a bit bewildered but was already using the leg which apparently is a good sign. We were given an A4 page of discharge instructions. Buster collar for 10 days or until the wounds have healed. Painkiller for 14 days. Rest and confine, ideally in crate or failing that small room with no furniture. No jumping or climbing, 4-5 short toilet breaks on a lead. After 2 weeks 10-minute lead walks, after 4 weeks 20-minute lead walks.
We also had post-surgery re-habilitation exercises. Gentle massage – much enjoyed because the harness came off for a while. Cold compressing to help reduce swelling and relieve pain. He was not sure about this cold ice wrap, quizzical look? For the most part just lay back and closed his eyes.
The night after surgery, the crate was interesting. I do have one photo of him sitting in his crate – I think he was probably still under the influence of the anaesthetic at the time. Later that night he would not settle in the crate – I think the buster collar was the final insult. He became very distressed. Back on the lead, I spent the night in the chair with him in a bed beside me. In the next days we did some crate training. The Lickimat was useful, kept him occupied and happy to be in the crate. With more time we could probably have got him used to the crate, but we didn’t have time, we had to deal with the immediate situation.
Room with no furniture, kitchen was the answer. We took it in turns. Ross would sit with them and read the newspaper, I would settle down to do my sewing and thus we camped in the kitchen. At least here he could be off the lead although he still wore his harness – something to grab if necessary.
Night times were a problem. I made myself a bed on the settee and slept there for 3 or 4 days. Ross and I were both getting tired and needed a better night’s rest. So, we all slept on the bed, Enzo in the middle wearing his harness. Lead attached with our arm through the handle, so we’d know if he moved. We got quite expert at leaving poo bags and keys strategically placed so we could make speedy exit into the garden “one armed” with Enzo under the other arm.
The 6 weeks stretched before us, but we broke it down into chunks. First target 10 day wound check. All fine, no longer needed Buster collar – hooray.
Day 14 – Start ten-minute walks. Enzo gets very excited before a walk and becomes very noisy – I’m sure the neighbours wondered what on earth was going on. These first walks were very slow walks, making sure he’s putting his weight evenly on both back legs.
We tackled the next two weeks a day at a time. It’s amazing how creative you can be working one handed with a dog on the lead in the other hand. Some tasks were impossible so were abandoned. (Catch up on the housework later.)
Day 28 – Extend to twenty-minute walks – more to explore. The weather didn’t help us here with temperatures of 30+ during the day. Quite enjoyed our 5am walks, good excuse to curl up on the settee in the afternoon for a nap.
For the last week of Enzo’s convalescence (week 6), we were on holiday. Dee arranged for Sharon to look after Enzo for 6 days. She did a wonderful job looking after him as well as her own pugs. He came back to us full of fun and vigour ready to go back to the vet for his re-check.
We are now on day 42, 6 weeks exactly from his operation. We took Enzo back to Jamie for his post operation check. X-rays showed that all was in place and had healed well. All that’s left is to get Enzo to use the leg so that the muscles can develop.
Back home, Enzo is off the lead, we are in the garden. He looks bewildered, not sure what to do. No harness, no lead, can he really just go where he wants? Well yes and no, I have got a long training lead on him just to prevent an attack of the zoomies with Bella.
We have exercises – sit,stand,sit,stand,sit,stand,sit. He’s become quite adept at doing this, we just have to make sure his back left leg is kept tucked under when he sits.
Holding him in standing position rocking him forward and back to flex his muscles.
Up and down the stairs with one hand on his collar to make sure he’s using all four legs and not the easier (more familiar) three-legged option.
Thirty-minute walks, weather dependent.
Sort out vaccinations and he’s ready for his for ever home. He is quite a character and will bring much joy and laughter to some lucky pug home. He will need to carry on with exercises to build up his strength.
We wish him all the best,
Hilary, Ross & Bella
by PDWRA | 12 Aug, 2026 | Rescue Stories
We lost our two Cavalier spaniels in 2015 and were absolutely devastated, so much so that we said we would never have another dog. In 2020, just before lockdown, our daughter and family welcomed their pug puppy into their home. Once we met her, we were smitten and realised we really needed another dog in our lives. As it was lockdown, all adoption sites were paused, but we had already decided that a pug was for us. As soon as adoptions reopened, we registered and were accepted. We didn’t want a puppy but thought one about 5 would be best. Very quickly, we had a call to say that there was a dog available, but he was nearly 8. It only took a few minutes for us to reach the decision to say yes!
Bobby came into our lives in June 2022, a few days before his 8th birthday. He had had a troubled past and when he arrived, he was very quiet. That changed once he realised he was staying. He loved walks and went everywhere with us. We soon discovered that he hated vets and would try to bite them, very embarrassing!
In the last 18 months, he has become much less mobile, though he is not in pain and very happy. Walks are very slow and short and he can’t jump onto our laps any more. He makes it very plain when he wants to come up as he stares at us and cries until he gets his own way. We intend to give him the best, most comfortable life in his senior years. He has brought so much joy, fun and fulfilment into our lives and we can’t thank PDWRA enough for giving us this opportunity. The adoption process was simple and we are so glad that we said yes to an older dog.
Beth xxx
