Frequently Asked Questions
What is the process for adoption?
Our process begins with a potential adopter filling out our adoption application and returning it to us (please visit our How to Adopt page). All applicants must agree to a background check which usually takes 3-5 business days. After the background check is approved we can schedule a home inspection. After a successful home inspection, we will decide which applicant we believe would be the most appropriate and safest home for the Pug. We do not adopt on a first-come-first-serve basis. We will notify the applicant of their approval and schedule their day to pick up. The adoption fee must be paid at the time of the adoption. The Adoption Contract must be signed at pick up. Please see our Terms and Conditions.
How much is the adoption fee?
Our adoption fees vary. It is typically $200, but adjusts according to how long a dog has been in the rescue.
What does the adoption fee include?
All of our dogs are sent home spay/neutered (or with scheduled sterilization appointments for puppies), microchipped, de-wormed, and with age-appropriate vaccinations.
What does the adoption fee go toward?
We often rescue sick, injured, disabled, or elderly dogs. Our rescue is solely funded by adoption fees and donations. All fees and donations go towards vet visits, vaccinations, medications, and anything else the dogs may need while they are with our rescue (such as dental work, surgeries, blood work, etc.).
I have a Pug that I can't keep. Can EPPR help?
We will do our best to help! We are committed to rescuing all pugs in need in the West Texas/New Mexico area regardless of their health and/or age.
Pugs that are rescued by EPPR stay with us until they are adopted; however, Pugs that require severe medical attention may be transported to our affiliates at the Pug Rescue of Austin. Pugs are kept in a loving foster home until placement, thus avoiding the stress of life in an animal shelter. Our foster families go through a rigorous screening process before they are entrusted with a rescued pug and the majority of them have extensive experience with Pugs.
You will not have to worry about time “running out” for your pet. EPPR will not euthanize your surrendered pet because of space or financial considerations. Our strict euthanasia policy provides that pets will not be euthanized unless (1) they are suffering from a severe medical condition for which there is no reasonable likelihood of recovery and (2) they are in severe pain or have no remaining quality of life. Euthanasia decisions are made solely by EPPR’s board of directors after reviewing the facts and circumstances of a particular case.
During a rescued Pug’s stay with EPPR, it will live as a pet in a foster home. It will receive any veterinary care that it needs. All Pugs are spayed/neutered before leaving our organization. If healthy, rescued Pugs are vaccinated, dewormed, tested for heartworms, and treated if necessary. All life threatening illnesses and behavioral issues are also addressed.
To avoid as much trauma as possible during the transition from your home to rescue, we request that you send along any items that the Pug is accustomed to, such as a bed, blanket, toys, a crate, etc. as well as their harness, collar and/or leash. These items will stay with the Pug and go with him/her to his/her forever family. In addition, please send along any medications that the Pug is currently taking. If you have any medical records we ask that you give those to us as well as they will be crucial in future veterinary care.
Pugs rescued by EPPR are not adopted out on a “first come-first served” basis, and we do not do same-day adoptions. We want to set our rescued Pugs up for success in their new home and every effort is made to make a perfect match. Prospective adopters go through a rigorous screening process, background check, and home visit. We make a lifetime commitment to the Pugs we rescue. Our adoption contract requires that adoptive families make a lifetime commitment to the Pugs we rescue. Our adoption contract requires that adoptive families return rescued Pugs to us if they are no longer able to care for them.
Once you relinquish a Pug to EPPR, we are legally bound to refrain from disclosing any information to you about the Pug’s adoptive family or whereabouts.
Our availability for intake is limited by the availability of our foster homes. If we don’t have a foster home available, we cannot intake.
Is the El Paso Pug Rescue 501(c)3 Tax Exempt?
Yes, we are! All donations to the El Paso Pug Rescue are tax deductible. See our 501(c)3 letter here.
Do you have a shelter where I can go see the Pugs?
No. We are a foster-based rescue, which means that while they wait for their forever families, all of our Pugs live with really great people who volunteer to give their time and open their homes to Pugs in need. Our fosters undergo the same screening (background checks, home inspections, etc.). If you'd like to meet a specific Pug, please go to the "Contact" tab at the top of the page, send us a message including the name of the Pug you'd like to meet, and we will arrange a meet-and-greet!
Could I Foster for EPPR?
We would love more fosters! If you would like to foster homeless Pugs, please download our FOSTER APPLICATION, fill it out, scan it, and send it to info@elpasopugrescue.org with a message saying that you'd like to foster.
Please keep in mind that fostering can be a difficult and emotional experience, so talk with everyone in your home first, and make sure that this is task you would all like to take on. Our foster application process is a lot like our adoption process since we will also require a background check and a home inspection. A foster home is the first place a new rescued dog will go, meaning that they might not have been able to get to our veterinary clinic first. Fosters must be able to take their foster dogs to their veterinary appointments, but we will communicate availability when scheduling appointments.
What are you looking for in the home inspection?
We're not looking for anything specific. The home inspection is just to verify that our Pugs will go to safe and caring homes. We will check your yard and fences to make sure that dogs will be safe when they go outside. Some of our fosters have apartments, and that is OK too, as long as fosters have a plan for walking the dogs on a regular schedule.
Who will see my background check?
Background checks will be kept confidential and shared ONLY with our board of directors. We will never discuss your private information with anyone outside of our board.
Could I work for the El Paso Pug Rescue?
Everyone here at the El Paso Pug Rescue is a volunteer, meaning that no one is paid. We are always happy to accept volunteers.
Could I volunteer for the El Paso Pug Rescue?
Absolutely! We always need extra help. Volunteers can help by driving the dogs in foster care to their veterinary appointments or by picking up necessities and taking them to foster homes. We also sometimes need help for our events. Volunteering at events usually involves sitting at a booth and offering information, along with keeping an eye out for dog messes. Fostering a dog issues 20 volunteer hours per week. We also offer community service hours and letters for any volunteer.