by Yasmin | 29 Oct, 2024 | Blog, News, Pug Health
It’s that time of year again when we can anticipate, and prepare for fireworks during the winter months, likely to begin at Halloween, for Diwali, traditionally Bonfire night right through to the New Year celebrations!
As many as a third of all dogs will become stressed or react towards them.
It may also be the first time some of you will be experiencing how this affects a new pug in your home.
In advance, you may consider:
- Desensitising your pets to noise: Playing fireworks noises quietly using sound CDs, while rewarding calm behaviour, can help them become accustomed to the noise. Play them in the run up to firework season, to help them see they need not be afraid.
- Anxiety relief products: Anxiety relieving products containing pheromones are an effective way to help your pet stay calm, also comforting jackets are like a big hug! There are so many products around so do research them.
When nights for fireworks are expected:
- Walk your dogs before it’s dark.
- Watch out for spent fireworks on the ground or under blown & scattered autumn leaves.
- Feed your dogs before fireworks are expected to begin, as they may be too stressed to eat later on.
- Make sure your house or garden is escape-proof, as they can bolt or go missing. (Check their microchip registration is up-to-date!)
- Keep windows and curtains closed, the lights on and turn the TV on to play music to help drown out the noise.
- Create a safe, cosy place for your dog to settle before it gets dark. Dogs enjoy cosy dens.
- Keep them entertained to take their mind off the noise.
- Comfort and reassure them.
- Do not leave them alone at home or elsewhere.
- For Halloween, take precautions to make trick/treaters aware that you are not participating, so that the doorbell isn’t rung throughout the evening. We all know how our dogs react to that!
Classic FM’s Pet Classics | Classic FM is back this year, to help calm pets and their owners during the bright lights and loud bangs outside during fireworks season
Special sessions on Classic FM, will be playing soothing classical music for all pets and animals who might feel anxious, stressed or scared, providing an audio sanctuary for the nation’s animals .
Charlotte Hawkins will host the first programme on Saturday 2 November and Dan Walker on Tuesday 5 November, in his first appearance on the programme designed to help relax your furry friends on Bonfire Night.
Both shows will be broadcast between 5pm to 9pm to coincide with the busiest evenings for firework displays. Record them, to use for those other similar nights.
Further Advice & tips can be found at:
by Yasmin | 17 Oct, 2024 | Blog, News, Rescue Stories
*** GREAT NEWS UPDATE! Bunty & Bobby will be moving to their Forever Home soon! ***
****
Bunty and Bobby are a 6-year-old bonded couple, in need of their forever home. They have always lived together, and would need to stay together.
Bunty is a black female pug, and Bobby a long haired blonde male Chihuahua.
Both are sociable with people and other dogs and have previously lived with children and a cat.
Bunty & Bobby are affectionate and enjoy their cuddles. Bobby especially thoroughly enjoys being groomed.
They enjoy their daily walks though can show some on-lead reactivity in the form of barking at other dogs whilst out on them. They will also bark to alert of someone at the door, or other suspect indoor environmental sounds.
Support will be given to any potential adopter to help improve these behaviours if it’s needed.
Bunty has been on a weight loss journey that her foster carers have begun, which will need to be continued to her target weight range, and more defined waistline! Other than this, both dogs are in good health.
Bunty and Bobby are ideally looking for a home with children of 8 years+, due to Bobby’s delicate, tiny size, and can live either as an only couple, or with other kind and friendly small dogs or cats.
If you feel you can offer the perfect home for this adorable pair, please reference Bunty 24198 & Bobby 24199 on your adoption application form.
Please apply at: https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/adopting-a-pug/
If you are already registered to adopt with us, please contact your local PDWRA Area Coordinator directly.
by Yasmin | 15 Oct, 2024 | Blog, News, Volunteering, Events
It’s real! – The 15th October every year is dedicated to celebrate the Pug, originally conceived in the USA in 2012, was created to help pugs in need by encouraging people to take them out of shelters and into loving homes.
This is exactly what PDWRA does, throughout the UK.
So, on this day of celebrating this most wonderful and adorable breed, apart from spoiling them in your usual way, you can help us do what we do, in a variety of ways. Please see the website links, below in case you can offer to help in any of these:
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/adopting-a-pug/
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/fostering-a-pug/
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/volunteering-for-pdwra/
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/donating-to-pug-dog-welfare/
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/friends-of-welfare/
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/fundraising-events/
We rely solely on the help of volunteers and kind donations from people like you.
Thank You!
Proudly posted on our Facebook. page on National Pug Day! :
by Yasmin | 14 Oct, 2024 | Blog, News, Rescue Stories
Our Volunteer Area Coordinators (VACs) are at the forefront of the Charity’s operations, they are responsible for the rescuing and rehoming of pugs in need, in their specific area of the country. VAC Lisa looks after the East of England.
Q. What made you want to become a volunteer?
I’d long admired the incredible work of PDWRA & the dedication of the volunteers. I was really keen to get involved in some way but never took the leap, thinking I was too inexperienced & didn’t have enough knowledge. Fate took matters into its own hands however when I adopted my beautiful second pug, Lily, back in 2018. Clare, the VAC for East Anglia at the time, was there when I collected Lily and for some reason she asked me if I’d consider coordinating home-checks for the region & I jumped at the chance to join the team.
From there I was given the opportunity to lead one county, then two and with other VAC’s moving on to do different things I’ve now been the sole VAC for East Anglia, (covering 6 counties) for the past 3 years.
Yes, some days can be a real challenge ( a triple surrender, double surrender and single surrender all on the same day was particularly memorable) but the rewards far outweigh the negatives and I honestly wouldn’t change what I do for the world. I see it as such a privilege to volunteer for PDWRA.
Q. Do you own dogs yourself?
Yes, I currently have 3 pugs, having become addicted to the breed in 2010.
Bailee is an 11-year old PDWRA dog. We adopted him at a year old, having previously been locked in a shed & half starved. He came to us with barely any fur, having been covered in mange & demodex when surrendered. I say “he” but officially Bailee’s an hermaphrodite which means he has both male & female reproductive organs. A rarity in a pug I believe, but on the plus side, he can be entered into both male & female classes at dog shows, something which I’m embarrassed to admit I have actually done! 🤣
Lily is my second PDWRA pug, a now 12-year old ex breeding machine who we adopted at the age of 6.
Tank completes the trio & is my miracle baby! Never expected to make it to old bones, he’s now reached the grand old age of 12! He still has good quality of life despite a catalogue of complaints including blindness, epilepsy, syringomyelia, patella luxation & carcinoma of the liver. Seeing all of those conditions listed like that makes me wonder why I ever doubted myself or my experience!
Q. Do you have any inspirational/ heart-warming stories?
Where do I start? It’s so hard to pick just one out of so many pugs and families I’ve been fortunate enough to help over the past 6 years.
Although, having said that, a beautiful dog called Maverick who came to us 3 years ago, desperately in need of BOAS surgery (the worst case I’ve ever seen), will always have a special place in my heart.
Maverick
Just one look at the pictures and videos I still receive from his lovely family brings a smile to my face and puts everything back into perspective when I’m having a bad day.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to draw attention to & say a huge thank you to my amazing team of volunteer home-checkers/ fosterers & transporters. They’re always ready to jump into action at a moment’s notice to help a pug in need & will travel miles, sometimes at very short notice and with little information about a case, to collect a pug from a surrenderer, or deliver them to their new forever home.
They really are an inspiration & make my role so much easier. We’ve fostered a real community spirit & I really couldn’t do what I do without them.
Lisa
If you would like to volunteer to home-check or transport, please see: https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/volunteering-for-pdwra/
or to foster: https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/fostering-a-pug/
or if you would like to become a VAC, or consider other specific charity roles available, please see: https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/volunteer-opportunities-at-pdwra/
by Yasmin | 13 Oct, 2024 | Blog, News, Rescue Stories
Cody’s story, by Yvonne.
We first heard about PDWRA whilst on holiday in York! We happened to be walking through the centre and came across a lady with a beautiful little pug. We stopped to speak to her and learnt that her pug had come from PDWRA!
At the time, we already had Tia (our little fawn pug) who was only just over a year old and we’d often thought that it would be lovely to have another pug. We’d had two dogs in the past, one of which was a rescue, so we thought it would be lovely to give a rescue pug a loving home.
Our minds made-up, we proceeded to contact PDWRA. The decision to go with PDWRA was an easy one for us. We liked the way they carefully planned everything from start to finish. From our initial conversation with PDWRA’s Cara, through to the home assessment and, ultimately, our conversation with other volunteers managing pug, Cody, to tell us about him, we were interested to learn more, so travelled with Tia, to meet him.
Cody is on the larger-size for a pug whereas Tia is small. I remember wondering if Cody and Tia would “hit it off” so to speak, or whether Tia would feel intimidated by him. Well, our concerns were soon allayed – Cody is the most resilient, friendly and laid-back pug we’ve ever come across!
After the initial introduction to his new home and fur sister, Cody and Tia were soon playing together. Despite his size (and weight) it wasn’t long before the two of them were chasing one another around the house, in and out of the garden and generally having fun. We were amazed to see that it was often Tia who instigated the play and, despite her small size, appeared to have the “upper paw”, with Cody often rolling onto his back for Tia to play with him. We live close to a beach and next to open countryside, so they have plenty of opportunities to go to different places and run wild.
Cody has good recall which really helps when both dogs are off the lead as wherever Cody goes, Tia follows! Cody is great out on a walk and is friendly to other dogs and humans – greeting them with a waggy tail. He’s made lots of doggie friends around where we live. He and Tia come along to the garden centres, pubs and cafes with us, and enjoy the fuss they receive by other dog-lovers – particularly those with treats!
Our friends have a pug called Daisy (who is Tia’s sister) and a pug-cross called Minnie. We were slightly nervous of introducing Cody to their two girlies. However, we couldn’t have been more delighted to see the two girls greet Cody with much excitement and little squeaks. The 4 of them really get along and love running around playing together. It’s really funny to see Cody trotting around our friend’s house with his “girlie” followers trotting along in a line behind him!
Cody is an independent soul, and it took him a little while to come up for cuddles. However, the more we made a fuss of him, the more he realised that having cuddles with his new humans is actually quite nice. Now, whenever he sees an opportunity to spring up beside us on the sofa or onto our laps, he is there. He is a “mummy’s boy” in particular, spending most evenings snuggled up to Mom.
We consider ourselves to be extremely lucky and privileged to have adopted Cody. He has fitted straight into our family and our lives. He is a gentle boy who just wants to have fun and be loved. We have noticed a change in Tia too – for the better. She has become more confident around him and other dogs and even waits for him on our walks if he happens to fall behind due to a distraction such as an interesting “sniff”.
Our advice to anyone thinking of adopting or fostering a pug, is to give it time and don’t be afraid to reach out to others in the PDWRA group. Every pug is different, and their needs are varied.
We read a lot of stories on the PDWRA’s website about the condition and state of some of the poor pugs that are handed in. Cody came from a home where he could no longer be looked after. However, many pugs have had to deal with other issues in their past. If there is one thing we would say is a huge advantage with this charity is that you are not alone. There are others there to give you friendly advice and guidance. Chances are if you are experiencing some difficulties with your new adoptee or new foster, others have experienced the same and are only too pleased to be able to help.
I feel our little family is complete with Cody. He has made such a difference to our lives and that of Tia’s. He is loved to bits, and we couldn’t think of life without him.
Yvonne and Rob.
If you could provide a forever home by adopting a pug in need, please apply at:
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/adopting-a-pug/
If you would like to help a pug along its journey by fostering, please apply at:
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/fostering-a-pug/
