Do you ever have puppies available?
Most of the dogs we take in are breeder releases or have been surrendered by owners who were no longer able to care for them. The average age of dog in the rescue is 8 years old. We rarely receive puppies. If you are certain you would like to adopt a puppy and are willing to wait up to a year to adopt, please submit an application and after being screened and approved, you can be added to our puppy waiting list.
We know puppies are a popular choice, but we encourage you to consider other ages of pugs. An adult pug can still be playful and senior pugs have their own lovable charm.
Why isn’t the adoption application available?
Our Adoption Coordinator is currently pre-screening all potential adopters to ensure they are a realistic fit for the pug they are interested in before they fill out our full, extensive adoption application. If you see a pug you think is the right match for you, please contact our Adoption Coordinator.
The website says there are no pugs available for adoption, but I keep seeing social media posts about pugs that have recently been adopted. Why weren’t those pugs ever posted as available?
Pug Partners receives many more applications from potential adopters than we have pugs. Because of this, we keep a waiting list of adopters who have been screened and approved. When we receive a new pug into the rescue, our Adoption Coordinator works to match the pug with someone on the waiting list first. This means that many of the pugs we adopt don’t ever make to the website or Facebook because they have found their forever home with a pre-approved adopter who was waiting for their perfect pug.
Do you adopt to families outside of Nebraska?
Pug Partners of Nebraska is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with a network of volunteers across Nebraska and Iowa. We will work with families located in Nebraska and in immediately surrounding states (Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, Colorado, Missouri, and Minnesota). If you live outside of this area, please check our list of pug rescues to find a rescue close to where you live.
Pug Partners does not allow pugs to be shipped as cargo. For approved out-of-state adoptions requiring airfare, the pug must fit in an airline-approved carrier able to fit under the seat. Out-of-state adopters must arrange for transport. In some cases, there may be volunteers available to assist.
How much do you charge to adopt? Why is it so expensive?
The adoption fees range from $150-$500 and are determined by the age and health of the pug. The vast majority of expenses for the rescue are for veterinary care. In 2017 we averaged over $400 per pug for veterinary care. This is significantly more than we receive in the adoption fees, so the cost to adopt is not negotiable.
Please realize that adopting a pug (or any dog) is not a small financial commitment. Pugs are prone to many health problems which can be expensive to treat. If you are unwilling or unable to pay an adoption charge now, you should consider whether you are prepared for how much it costs to own a pug. Below is a list of average annual expenses for owning a dog in the U.S.
Sample Costs of Owning a Dog (source: Rover 2018)
Annual vet wellness exam & vaccinations: $250
Annual teeth cleaning: $200-500
Grooming: $30-100 per visit
Pet sitting/boarding: $30-50 per night
Training classes: $240-600
Food: $40-60 per month
Flea & Tick Preventative: $5-40 per month
Heartworm Preventative: $5-20 per month
Apartment pet fee: $20-50 per month (plus an average $200-600 initial deposit)
Annual Licensing: $10
Emergency vet bills: $500-1,000+
Other common expenses include
- Vet visits for minor illnesses & injuries
- Pet insurance
- Treats and toys
- Waste bags, potty pads, belly bands and diapers
- Bedding, blankets
- Household cleaners for pet messes
- Grooming supplies (shampoo, nail trimmer, face wipes, ear cleaner)
- Harnesses, collars, id tags and leashes
- Prescription medications
- Supplements and over-the-counter medicines
- Dog walker/Doggie daycare
- Replacement/repair of furniture, shoes, clothing, household decor, carpeting, and landscaping that the dog may damage or destroy
I submitted an application a few days ago. Why haven’t I heard anything yet?
Pug Partners of Nebraska is run entirely run by volunteers. Please allow 10 days after you submit an application for a volunteer to contact you. If it has been beyond this timeframe, please send us an email from our contact us page to ensure we received your application.
I submitted an application, but I am no longer interested in adopting a pug.
Please send us an email from our contact us page, and we’ll remove you from our list.
Do you guarantee the health of the pugs?
Unfortunately, due to the nature of rescue, we do not always know the full background of the pugs we take in, so we cannot guarantee the health of the pugs. All pugs taken into our care have been checked by a veterinarian and we will disclose any health problems that we are aware of.
Are home visits required for all adoptions?
Yes. We will only adopt to families and individuals that allow us to perform a home visit.
Do you have a location where I can meet the pugs?
All of our pugs live in foster homes in Nebraska and Iowa. While this means we do not have a central location where you can visit them, it does allow the pugs to get used to living with a family in a home, and it allows us to have a better understanding of each pug’s needs and personality.
If you are interested in meeting some of the pugs we have available for adoption, we encourage you to check out their online profiles and come see us at our upcoming Meet & Greets.
Why is your adoption application so long?
Many pets are returned to shelters and rescues because they do not fit into the adopting families’ lifestyles or because the family is unable to meet the dog’s needs. As you can imagine, this is stressful on both the family and the dog.
Our goal is to match our available pugs with the best applicant possible so the pug can have a truly “forever” home. In order to do this, we need information about our applicants so we can match the pug’s needs with the lifestyle and desires of the adopting family.
Remember, you are not purchasing a product, you are adding a new member to your family.