Pug Rescue San Diego County
We’re dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming pugs in need across Southern California. Every adoption, foster, and donation helps us give these loving dogs the second chance they deserve.
Who We Are
We Love Your Pet, Just as You Do!
Pug Rescue of San Diego County (PRSDC) is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to rescuing unwanted, neglected, abandoned, and relinquished Pugs and placing them into a new permanent home where they may live out their lives in a loving and caring environment. We are an approved 501(c)(3) charity.
Our organization has been in existence since 1991 and is recognized as one of the most respected, organized, and active groups in Southern California. Each year we rescue many Pugs, and the number is increasing. This work requires the time, effort, and love of dozens of volunteers to serve in many capacities.
You want to adopt a PUG?
What to Know Before Adopting a Pug
Adopting from Pug Rescue of San Diego County is a thoughtful process designed to protect the well-being of every pug in our care. Here’s what to expect:
Our pugs live in foster homes, not a shelter. This allows them to stay comfortable and calm while waiting to be adopted.
The first step is completing an adoption application.
A volunteer will contact you to schedule a home visit, also called a house check.
After the visit, your name will be added to our waiting list.
You may be matched with a pug sooner if you are open to different ages, colors, or genders.
Most of our rescues are adults or seniors. Puppies are very rare, so the wait for one can be long.
Adoption fees range from $50 to $800 based on the pug’s age and health.
If you rent or live in a community with an HOA, you will need to provide proof that pets are allowed.
Good things take time. Giving a rescued pug a forever home is always worth it.
Download Adoption Information (PDF) to read more about the process.
How You Can Help?
If you would like to make a recurring donation (monthly, quarterly, etc), please please specify that in the comments section. Include your name, schedule, and contact information and we will contact you with reminders.
Pug Rescue of San Diego County is a 501(c)(3) Charity # 33 - 0680896
We are also seeking donations of: wire fencing (the kind we use at parties) called X-pens. Also kennels for transport and foster care.
Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I come down to see the dogs you have for adoption?
All of our pugs live in foster homes, scattered throughout San Diego, southern Riverside, and southern Orange Counties. So it is not possible to just check in and visit the pugs.
If you are interested in adopting, you are first asked to complete an application, which will ask for very specific questions about the type of pug you are looking for. Then, you are matched carefully against the pugs that we have in foster care and if there is a possible match, arrangements will be made to meet with that foster pug, either at the foster’s home, your home, or a neutral location.
Many foster parents do bring their foster pugs to our events, so if you would like to meet a sampling of the pugs we have for adoption, join us at our fundraisers!
Can I have a puppy for my son's birthday/for Christmas/etc.?
Puppies are rarely relinquished. Usually, the dogs we get are at least one year old, but most are much older. In addition, many have medical issues, whether temporary, acute, or chronic. That said, we sometimes do get healthy puppies and while the wait list is long, it is a possibility.
In addition, we cannot predict when we will get the exact pug you want and thus cannot guarantee that you will get a pug by any specific date or to meet any specific occasion. Your best bet is to fill out an Adoption Application and get on a waiting list as soon as possible.
I found a Pug on the street, can I bring him/her to you?
We cannot legally take pugs that people find running loose. This may seem strange as a rescue group, but like it or not, dogs are considered people’s property. It is against the law to take someone’s dog without their permission and a roaming dog is someone’s property. The only organizations authorized to take a dog are the Humane Society or Animal Control Office.
If you find a pug, take it to your nearest shelter. The shelter will put the pug on hold for at least 72 hours to give the owners a chance to claim the pug. If left unclaimed, they will make the pug available for adoption. If the pug is not adopted within an established time period, we have an arrangement with most shelters to call us and we will then pick up the pug. If you want to confirm which shelters we have arrangements with or if you wish to advise us of a pug that you just took to a shelter, please call our hotline 619.685.3580.
Can I take a pug for a weekend to see if I want to adopt it?
Our pugs in foster care may have come from abusive homes or shelters and many have issues with trust, stability, and abandonment. Some have been bounced around between several homes for any number of reasons. Many of our pugs have medical conditions that require regular treatments. While we want to ensure that a pug and a potential adopter are a good match and understand the reasoning behind the request, we always act in the pug’s best interest first and foremost and are therefore cautious about people taking pugs home to “test them out”.
This would only be considered once a person/family has gone through the entire adoption process and is very prepared and otherwise eager to adopt the pug. Each situation is considered on a case-by-case basis and the decision is always made by our VP of Adoptions.
In all adoptions, the adopter must sign a contract stating that if an adoption does not work out FOR ANY REASON and AT ANY TIME, the pug MUST be returned to PRSDC.
Can you recommend a breeder?
We cannot refer you to any specific breeder. We realize that some people do wish to buy a pug from a breeder and we simply hope that you do your homework before selecting one that is honest, reputable, and breeds for the right reason – for the love of the breed. There are multiple sources, from the internet to bookstores, that can help you to ask the right questions and can teach you what you should look for.
Can I adopt my foster?
We all know how easy pugs are to fall in love with and it has certainly happened on more than one occasion (including with all of the board members!) that a foster parent has adopted his or her foster pug. While we hate to lose our foster parents and hope that one who adopts will still have the space and desire to continue to foster, finding our pugs forever homes is what we are all about, and if that forever loving home is in a foster’s home, then that is just fine with us!
Fosters will still need to complete an Adoption Application and pay adoption fees if they wish to adopt their pug.
Where do our pugs come from?
Our pugs come from either a private home or a shelter.
We can only accept pugs from their legal owners, so when someone calls us unable or unwilling to care for their pug for any reason, we are able to take it. Sometimes, we’ll get a call that an owner passed away and no one in the family can keep it. In these cases, we can accept the pug from the beneficiary or next of kin, as this would be the new legal owner. We cannot take a pug from a good Samaritan who calls us to report that their neighbor is neglecting their pet. We cannot take strays off the street. See “I found a Pug on the street, can I bring him/her to you?”
We have made contacts with various shelters in Southern California so if they get a pug, they’ll often call us. Sometimes the shelter won’t call us, but we hear about the pug from a friend of Pug Rescue who happened to see it on the shelter’s website. In these cases, we will call the shelter and make arrangements to get the pug whenever possible.
Are pugs expensive?
Adopting a pug may cost up to $800 with Pug Rescue, depending on the pug’s age, health, and temperament. This may be just the beginning. While some pugs live healthy, long lives costing little more than maintenance and quality food, some may be just the opposite.
A percentage of the pugs who come to us are relinquished because the owners were not able to afford the pug’s medical issues. Pugs, similar to many specialty breeds of dog, have issues that they are “known for” and they need to be watched and cared for appropriately. Preventative maintenance, including feeding a high quality food, check-ups, and routine dental care, is critical – but can be costly.
We love our pugs and we want everyone to want and love a pug, but more importantly, we do NOT want people to adopt a pug who aren’t able/willing to care for them as they need to be cared for.
Wish to Donate and Adopt ?
It is the goal and intent of Pug Rescue to adopt every dog received into a new, permanent home as soon as possible.
