Pugs' best friends come to the rescue

It was the middle of the night when Mercy Rich saw the one-eyed black pug hobbling up the step to her bed. With a bum knee, a splotchy skin condition, a missing eye and 13 missing teeth, Isaac isn't the cutest dog by any means, but he sure has a lot of love to share.

"When I saw him climbing up with his bad leg, I told my husband, 'That's it. He earned it. He's sleeping with us,' " said Rich, a full-time pug mom who lives in Bellevue.

Rich is one of about 10 foster moms the Seattle Pug Rescue calls on when the organization comes across a homeless pug. So far this year, the group has helped 30 dogs that were abandoned, stray or given up. And most were deemed "unadoptable" by shelters because of health issues and age.

The downturn in the economy is probably the cause of a growing number of abandoned pets, most likely because people can no longer afford expensive veterinary visits, said the head of the Seattle Pug Rescue, Donna Gay.

Pugs are one of about 125 breeds aided by the Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue, which was founded in 1987. Run by volunteers and dependent on donations, the organization attempts to help purebred dogs by paying the medical expenses of homeless dogs and finding them families. About 2,500 dogs are assisted each year.

"It's not that we don't like mixed breeds, it's just that we fill a particular niche," said the organization's president, Kirsten Seward.

About 25 percent of the dogs that come through shelters are purebreds, said Seward. By getting those dogs out of the shelters, it offers more room for other dogs. And it also gives potential dog-owners a place to look for a certain type of dog, she said.

To raise money for the pug division, the Seattle Pug Rescue is holding a Pug Gala on Saturday, complete with a costume contest, pug races, a talent show (one pug is expected to play the guitar) and a parade. More than 1,000 people and 500 pugs attended last year and about $5,000 was raised, said Gay.

"I liken it to the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show,' " said Gay. "Even some of the owners dress up."

Pugs have special needs

Many owners give up their dogs because they didn't realize how much time and attention animals need, said Gay.

"People's situations change where their pugs were once their children but then they have children and can't devote the time that's needed by their pugs. Or they're going through a divorce and can't concentrate on the dog," she said.

One woman called the pug rescue because her dog was staining her white carpets with blood, said Gay. The pug rescue later learned the dog had a bladder stone the size of a robin's egg, partly due to untreated infections.

Pugs, with their wrinkled faces and exposed eyes, need their creases and eye debris cleaned about once a week.

"They're not the kind of dog you can throw in the back yard and leave all day," said Rich's husband, Jay Rich, a workstation assembler at Safeco. "They need a little attention. They're lap dogs."

Snug as a pug in a rug

The pug rescue learned of Isaac on April 22, when a shelter called to say the stray dog would most likely never be adopted. Isaac's left eye was so damaged the veterinarian took the eye out and sewed the lid shut. The vet believes the dog is between 8 and 9 years old but isn't sure because his teeth were in such bad shape. And he's missing some patches of hair because of an untreated skin condition.

"It's so sad to see a pug in that condition," said Mercy Rich. "When you are a pug person, you have a bond with all pugs."

While the Richs' two other pugs jump and frolic, Isaac likes to simply doze in a lap.

"Of all the pugs we've had, he probably has the biggest heart," said Mercy Rich. "He loves to please and to be near people."

The couple are planning to dress one-eyed Isaac as a pirate for the costume contest at the Pug Gala, while their 1-year-old pug, Snorta, will be a hula girl. They're still searching for a costume for their 4-year-old pug, Jasper.

Upon learning they would be fostering Isaac, they bought a dog bed because they were unsure if he would want his own space. But since Isaac climbed up in their bed, he now has a permanent spot atop their covers at their feet. Snorta sleeps at the head of their bed, and Jasper sleeps in the middle, under the covers.

"Don't let the bed pugs bite," Mercy Rich says each night.

Gina Kim: 206-464-2761 or gkim@seattletimes.com