Story written by Vicki.
Doris
It’s so hard to believe that Doris has been with us for 11 years now, I’m not quite sure where the time has gone! On reflection, so much has happened in that time – house moves, marriages, the arrival of two human brothers, a global pandemic and the sad loss of her furry pug brother Oscar to name but a few of the events. Doris has been there to support us through.
We originally applied to PDWRA to offer a home to a puglet in need but mainly as a companion for Oscar who we sadly lost in 2021. We simply searched for pug rescues on the internet and PDWRA was the first result. The application process was very straightforward – completing an online form about our home, our set up, personal circumstances and reasons why we felt we would make suitable adoptive pug parents. We are lucky that Rory (my husband) can work from home and so there is someone at home 99% of the time.
Rory and I had purchased Oscar as a puppy, our first “baby” but this didn’t sit right with me. I suppose looking back, I felt a sense of guilt. Growing up in a family of animal lovers, we never had purchased a creature before – but had cared for many waifs, strays and rescues that had fallen our way, so I felt the urge to rescue as well. I felt we could offer a secure and loving home for a pug in need. Being a community nurse and having researched heavily into pugs prior to purchasing Oscar, I also felt that I could cope with and offer a pug with additional health concerns and had added this to the online application. We waited for a while until a puglet was matched to our little family of 3, but by then, we had become a family of 4 having also rescued a Patterdale terrier/Dachshund called Millie.
I received the call from PDWRA whilst out on shift to suggest that there was a match for us and were we free for a home-check with a view to having an addition to our family. Our conversation over dinner that evening was interesting. “How was your day? Can you pass the garlic bread? Oh, we are having a home-check at the weekend by the PDWRA!”. Suddenly the prospect of having 3 dogs instead of 2 became a bit daunting – I mean it wouldn’t be that much more work – surely?! I was very much mistaken!
We passed the home-check and Doris soon arrived courtesy of a lovely lady, Janet, as her chauffeur. She was a tiny little girl, not quite a year old and looked very moth-eaten. I fell in love with her instantly. We had been informed that she had a skin condition called Demodectic mange which would need intensive treatment and close monitoring with a vet. The treatment regime was definitely intense. “Sorry, no you can’t pop round tonight, I’m busy washing my dog” became a regular reason to avoid social contact!! Multiple baths per week with medicated shampoo, topical medications and good high quality nutrition became the strict regime. In the end, and following a labour of love, it was a medication licensed for sheep that finally got rid of the little mites that had been irritating her little body.
Doris had clearly been very much loved as she arrived with a little letter, a bed with blankets, and 2 large bags of toys and goodies. She also came to us with a Polish passport – this language barrier soon became an excuse for her behaviour as the weeks went on!
Her cheeky side flourished as she got better and more confident and she would get away with all sorts of mischief – “she doesn’t understand” as the excuse. Internet searches of translations of phrases from English to Polish became the norm in a bid to get though to her! I’m certain that Oscar and Millie would roll their eyes when she got away with things they wouldn’t. I’ll add at this point that Doris still does as she pleases (within reason) most of the time! She is definitely a character! Doris has previously enjoyed meetups organised by PDWRA and our local facebook pug group over the years – although for health reasons, she now has retired from these.
Since Doris has joined our family, she has witnessed a lot! Rory and I got married in 2014 and have welcomed 2 sons, Leo and Tristan who are now aged 8 and 4. Doris has thoroughly enjoyed the baby years and very quickly learnt that babies and toddlers = food.
Whilst out on walks with the pram, she has often taken the opportunity to hitch a lift in the basket beneath when walking had become too much!
Pugs are great with children, and even to this day, she will seek out a child to curl up with and listen to Disney films on the settee with a blankie! We moved house in 2017, did lots of internal renovations and tidied up the garden. It has been a project! Doris has been fortunate to have access to a large garden to roam – although in the recent year, this has also proved challenging at times.
Sadly, Doris was diagnosed with anterior lens luxation in her eyes after many recurrent eye ulcerations that had proved difficult to try and overcome. In 2022, Doris had an eye enucleation of her right eye. We have been under the care of the ophthalmology department in Debenham, Suffolk for both Oscar and Doris for many years as eye problems and pugs often go hand in hand.
Doris & Oscar
Sadly, following the loss of her right eye, her left eye began to follow the same path and we had to make the very difficult decision to have the left eye removed in March 2024. We really had to think hard about the removal of her left eye – although the left eye was providing limited vision as it was – would she manage being totally blind? Would we cope? What would we need to do to make things easier for Doris? What does caring for a blind pug involve? Our decision was also being forced by the fact that the right eye had ruptured and Doris had attended for surgery as an emergency case and had not coped very well with the anaesthetic. She ended up with haemorrhagic gastroenteritis and was really quite poorly to the point we thought we might lose her.
Doris boxing Oscar!
We decided to jump before we were pushed this time and although I wasn’t sure how any of us would manage – we all have, and Doris is doing really well! I reached out for further advice from the very supportive PDWRA Facebook group for adoptive parents – and the advice came flooding in. Luckily we had many of the steps in place prior to the enucleation of the first eye – steps from the back door to make it less of a drop, bells on Millie’s collar so Doris can hear where Millie is and follow the noises, no furniture movement and ensuring the clutter is picked up. Doris is able to navigate the house really well.
Doris & Millie
Garden manoeuvres are generally OK but she often gets lost at the bottom of the garden and we have to retrieve her or have been known to send Tristan down to gently clap so she can follow the sound and come back to the house. On the odd occasion that the humans are away from home for a few days, “Nanny and grandad” move in to look after Doris and Millie in their own environment. Doris would not manage to be relocated due to being blind – it just wouldn’t be fair on her.
She doesn’t appear to enjoy being out on walks unless she is in her chariot! I think it is disorientating for her and she is very hesitant with putting one foot in front of the other but is happy to go out safely in her own pushchair. She enjoys trips to the beach as this usually results in ice-cream – one of her favourites! If we pick her up, we have to be sure to place her back in her bed “to reset her” to ensure she is able to get her bearings again!
Teatime often makes me laugh as she does shout at me to hurry up with her tea but has her back to me and is actually shouting at the wall instead! She seems happy and is coping well – and as long as this continues – so will we!
Doris is such a dear little girl and we feel we have been so privileged to have cared for her on behalf of the PDWRA over the last 11 years. I would offer another pug a home in a heartbeat – but looking at our current situation sensibly due to Millie’s age and Doris’s blindness feel that we need to devote our time to our “little old ladies”.
My advice to anyone considering adopting is to do your homework. Pugs are great companions with massive personalities but they can be complicated (and expensive) little creatures. The rewards massively outweigh the hard work, and I honestly can’t see us not having pugs sharing our home.
Vicki & Rory.
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/
