Thank you for expressing interest in adoption through Pug Rescue of Austin! To submit your application please click on the adoption application button below.
Q: What are the adoption fees?
A: Adoption Fees
6 months and under $350
7 mos to 4 years old $300
5 to 9 years old $250
10 to 11 years old $200
12 and older $100
Q: What do the adoption fees cover?
A: Each adopted pug is up to date on distemper/parvo, bordetella, and rabies vaccinations. PRA pays for the pug to be neutered and treated for heartworms (if necessary). Each PRA pug is on monthly heartworm and flea medication throughout his or her time in foster care. If immediate and/or life threatening medical conditions arise during foster care, PRA pays for those surgeries. Less life threatening surgeries, such as dental cleanings, become the responsibility of the adopter.
Q: I have filled out my application online, what’s next?
A: You will be contacted by our Adoption Coordinator via email and assigned an application screener within 72 hours.
Q: How long does the adoption process usually take?
A: We are an all-volunteer organization so depending on how many applications we have at the time, processing time can range from 1-3 weeks.
Q: Why are there so many steps in the adoption process?
A: Most of the pugs we rescue have been in abusive, neglectful situations. We are searching to find them forever homes. Our adoption process is very thorough to ensure the applicant and pug are the right fit for each other.
Q: I want to adopt a pug as a gift for someone else, is this possible?
A: This is only possible if the person is aware of your intent and involved in the adoption process. We don’t do surprise adoptions. Everyone that will be caring for the pug must be involved in the adoption process to ensure a proper match is made.
Q: I am approved to adopt, what happens next?
A: If you are approved to adopt a pug, your application is forwarded to our Rescue Coordinator. He/She will then work with you to match you with a pug. You can meet several dogs at adoption days or meet & greets. Once you know the pug you want, we can arrange a trial visit. The pug comes to stay with you for a week to ten days and should you choose to adopt, we will email you the contract and payment instructions.
Q: I do not live in Austin, can I still adopt?
A: PRA prefers to adopt out our pugs locally so that we can stay in touch and see them at future events and meetups. Because we do home visits on every adopter, we cannot adopt to people from out of state. Occasionally, we can adopt outside of Austin in the central Texas area depending on the location and if we have a home visit volunteer in your area.
Q: Why does PRA require a criminal background check?
A: We do a thorough background check to ensure that our dogs are placed in safe, stable forever homes. Most often, our pugs have been abandoned, abused and neglected. It is our responsibility to do all we can to find the best possible homes where they can live the remainder of their lives receiving the love that they deserve. The information is confidential and will not be shared with any individuals or organizations outside of Pug Rescue of Austin
Q: Why must I be 21 years old to adopt through PRA?
A: Becoming a pet owner involves an ongoing commitment (in some cases over 15 years or more) to provide quality nutrition, health care and a great deal of love and patience. It has been our experience that before the age of 21, most people are not equipped to make such a commitment primarily because they are not financially stable. This is an important point to consider, because if a person is not financially stable, the entire health and well-being of the pet will be at risk.
Q: Why is there a Pug Rescue? Who wouldn't want a pug?
A: There are as many different reasons as there are dogs needing homes. Each dog is an individual, and they have their own personalities. If the time is taken to do research and to train the dog properly, a pug can be a wonderful companion.
Here are some of the top reasons that dogs end up in rescue:
o Owners moving/ too much trouble to take the dog too
o Owners are having a baby, and don't have time for the dog
o Owners bought the dog for the kids, now the kids have lost interest
o The owners are getting divorced
o The owner is getting married
o The owner married/and or had children and the new spouse/ and or kids are allergic to the dog
o The owner bought a new puppy, and it didn't get along with the old dog
o The dog sheds too much
o It keeps getting pregnant
o It isn't housebroken
o The dog doesn't listen when I tell it to do something
o The dog barks too much
o The dog plays too rough with my kids
o The dog bites strangers
o Most of these situations are preventable. Researching the breed before adoption is crucial so that there will be no surprises later. Also, good training could have remedied some of the unwanted behaviors.
Q: Why does Pug Rescue of Austin feel so strong about having pets spayed/neutered?
A: Spaying and neutering reduces the population of unwanted and homeless animals in the world. Some 70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day in the U.S. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. As a result, roughly 15,000 pets are euthanized each DAY simply because they are homeless. Most of them would be wonderful companions. Most don't deserve to be abandoned in a shelter. Many animals that enter shelters die there because no one wants them. Only one animal in 10 born in the U.S. gets a good home that lasts a lifetime. Simply put, the widespread failure to spay or neuter dogs results in homelessness, misery, cruelty, and death.
