As I mentioned last week, I am going to be highlighting pug rescues across the country for the next couple of weeks...if not longer. These non-profit organizations are true labors of love and we can get one lil puggie adopted due to this blog, I will be the happiest camper in the world.

First up, I would like to introduce you to PugHearts - Houston Pug Rescue.

Pug Hearts has successfully rescued 600 dogs since 2/2007 and currently have 97 available.

Let's take a look at some of these cutie pies in need of good homes.

ABIGAIL

Abigail is a fawn female. We estimate she is around 3 years old. This poor little girl was found wandering the streets, following a homeless man for companionship. This sweet girl hasn't been cared for by anyone for quite some time. Sadly, she has tested positive for heartworms. She will begin treatment soon. She has been spayed and we've brought her current on her vaccinations. From Abby's Foster: Abby is very intelligent. She has picked up on her name very quickly and understands many commands, including sitting, lay down and cookie (doggie snack). She is the happiest pug we have seen and loves to play and run. She loves stuff animals and will play fetch. She would do best with a family with children that can play with her. She also loves to sit on laps and give kisses. She is mostly housebroken but does have occasional accidents. She is an alpha dog that can be aggressive to other dogs when they show signs of aggression. Abby has spent her time on the streets and now wants that cozy home and a permanent family that will pamper her.

Billy is a fawn male. He is 3 years old. He comes to us from a local kill shelter. He's a little guy, only 15 lbs, very cute and lovey. He is heartworm positive and will begin treatment shortly.

Bronx is a black male. He is just 3 years old. He was an owner surrender to a local animal control facility when they found out he was heartworm positive. He was literally moments away from being euthanized when a volunteer from another rescue organization intervened and saved him. They then contacted us to see if we wanted him and of course we never turn any pug away, regardless of their health issues. This sweet little guy will begin heartworm treatment shortly.

FRANKI
Franki is a fawn female. She is 7 years old and is an owner surrender. She is heartworm negative. She has been spayed, microchipped and is current on her vaccinations. She is blind but is in good health overall.From Franki's foster: She is blind, but does not realize this is not normal. Franki seems to "see" with her ears and feet. She does not run into things and is a very active girl. She loves to cuddle and be with her people, at home and out on the town. Franki has some skin allergies and will need to be kept flea free and on quality food. We are told she has a history of seizures, but we have seen to signs of this being an active problem. Franki is a special needs pug. However, she needs more love and cuddling than she does intensive medical care.

Haus is a fawn male. He is 8 years old. He is an owner surrender. He is in excellent health. He is heartworm negative. He has been neutered, microchipped and is current on his vaccinations.

JANE

Jane is a wonderful fawn female. She comes to us from a local shelter where her owner surrendered her due to her age. We think there's nothing wrong with an "experienced" pug, so we snapped her up and promised her a new (better) home. She is heartworm negative and is current on her vaccinations. But most importantly, she is a lively little girl with personality plus! From Jane's foster: Jane is one of the most beautiful senior girls I know. She is 10-12 years old. She was taken by her "family" to a local shelter to be put down. There is NOTHING wrong with her...except she is a little bossy to the young pugs.Jane is great. I call her Mama Bug, because she likes to keep the young ones in line. She will run after them barking if she thinks they are being too noisy or playing too rough. She really works to keep Jasper in line He is her special project. I love her. I have many fosters that come through my home, but Jane holds a special place in my heart. She is such a darling, squishy girl and she needs a great family that will spoil her rotten for the remainder of her life.

Josie is a 6 year old fawn female. She comes to us from a local animal shelter and it is believed that this poor little girl was a puppy mill survivor. She how now been spayed, microchipped and brought up to date on her vaccinations. Thankfully she is heartworm negative. She does have degenerative hip disease, which means her hips are weak. She would be ideally suited to a home with no stairs or with a family that doesn't mind carrying her up and down. She's a sweet girl who is learning to love attention and deserves to find out what it's like to be somebody's cherished pet.

LUNALuna is a black female. She comes to us from an animal control facility. She is 4 years old. She is severe heartworm positive and will begin treatment shortly. She also has a luxating patella and a bad left hip. We believe she had been used for breeding previously. She has now been spayed and is current on her vaccinations.From Luna's foster: Luna is one beautiful little Puggie girl!!! She is very small and has the sweetest face. She was really quite shy when she first arrived, but over the course of a few weeks has made so much progress it's amazing. She is right in the mist of everyone else now seeking to get her share of the attention. She is quite excited when she first gets on my lap but after a little petting and calming down she loves to just be held. She is very happy to give as many Puggie kisses as you want. She gets on extremely well with other dogs (including my daughter's Great Dane) and, typical of a Pug, loves everyone that comes to visit. She also has very good house manners. While some Pugs with Luna's history of breeding find the adjustment to being in a home quite challenging she seems to be quite satisfied with a nice soft bed, regular meals and a lap to cuddle on. She will give some lucky family years of entertainment and love.

Meera is a fawn female who we estimate to be 5 years old. She is heart-worm positive and will begin treatment soon. She has been spayed, microchipped and brought current on her vaccinations.From Meera's foster: We believe Meera came from a puppy mill. It was obvious that she had never been inside a home or even eaten out of a food bowl before. She was neglected and was extremely underweight. As a result of the abuse she was very fearful of people. But it only took a matter of days before she realized what she had been missing. A warm lap, people to love on her and a comfortable bed to sleep was all it took to transform her into a grateful and sweet little lady. She had to learn everything about living inside of a home and how to share it with people, children and other dogs. Meera is now housebroken and crate trained. She doesn't fear people but still flinches if you move too fast towards her. She is a very sweet lap dog and is curious about what is going on in the house. She follows us around in hopes that she gets a touch or even a smile. She gets along great with all of the dogs that she has met. She does still get excited when it is feeding time. She has learned that she will only get food when she responds correctly to the command sit and must wait patiently for her food bowl. She loves to chew on rawhides and has learned to play with toys. Meera loves to cuddle with both people and her furry friends. She is usually laid back; she is not the alpha type but does stand her ground when challenged. She is a wonderful little soul with all the appreciation and love that I have seen in puppy mill dogs. Meera would make a wonderful dog for any type of family because I have seen how easily she can adapt to new situations.

Mitch is a fawn male. He is 2 years old. He came to us when a local puppymill was shut down. He had been suffering from hookworms and a left eye injury. The worms have been cleared but the eye could not be saved. Thankfully he isn't suffering from anymore pain though and is adjusting well to one eye. Thankfully he is heartworm negative and is good overall health now. He has been neutered, microchipped and is current on his vaccinations.

Phil is a sweet fawn male. He came to us from a local shelter, so not much is known about him. We estimate he is between 8 to 10 years old. He has been brought current on his vaccinations, microchipped and neutered. He does have 'dry eye' that is so common in pugs. Due to this he has suffered some vision loss. He is on medicated drops and will need those daily for the rest of his life. Otherwise he is in very good health with no further issues.UPDATE from Phil's foster Mom: Dr. Phil - True to his namesake DR Phil is a handsome gent who aspires to have his own talk show. He is a loyal fellow who would gladly guard hearth and home with his mighty little bark and his keen wit. In between his rehearsing he likes nothing more than a soft toy, a kind word and a soft lap to snuggle. He actually may just have the perfect puggie tail with just the right little twist. He has it all- personality, charm, loyalty and an analytical side should you need a kind soul to talk to - making him a lot of personality in a compact package.He is not fond of cats ( he knows what they are thinking) but might consider them on a bun with horse radish- just kidding - he barks and they saunter away.

Samantha is a fawn female. She is about 6 years old. She has been spayed, microchipped and is now current on her vaccinations. She is in excellent health.From her foster: Samantha is a sweetie! She acts like she's about 2 - she loves to play with toys and other dogs. She gets on very well with our crew. She would probably do best in a house with other dogs. She is learning what a cat is and not to chase it! She appears good with kids.She knows basic commands like Sit, as well as how to play fetch. She even knows how to swim! She is completely housebroken and knows how to use a doggie door. She loves attention and will follow you from room to room. She'll sleep at our feet when we're watching TV but at bedtime she likes to sleep in the big bed with us. She doesn't snore too badly, but when she's awake she does snort quite a lot. Her tongue just barely sticks out almost all the time. She's a very sweet, loving girl who would make a great family pet.

These are just a few of the lovable and in need pugs that are current adoptable through PugHearts. Please take a look at the site and learn more about adoption, the pug breed, and see if your home and/or heart could be a fit for one of these puggies.

Happy Pug Friday!

p.s. If you know of, or are involve with, a Pug Rescue and would like it to be featured on an upcoming Pug Friday, please send information to leavingandloving@gmail.com

Thank you for all the emails I received last Friday, I greatly appreciate it and look forward to calling attention to these great organizations and the pugs that they help.