Every senior pug deserves a soft place to land

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For the purposes of our program, senior pugs are considered to be 10 years and older. 

Like all pugs in our care, we provide the medical care that pugs need to live a healthy and happy life. All pugs receive an intake vet exam including Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella vaccines, heartworm test & heartworm prevention meds, bloodwork, urinalysis, and fecal test. Our senior pugs also receive a full senior bloodwork panel (CBC, Chemistry, T4). (For seniors, DHPP and Bordetella vaccines are optional). We discuss findings of the hands-on exam with our veterinarians and make plans for any additional treatments/surgeries for things such as spay/neuter, dental, masses, ear/eye/skin infections, and more. We spare no expense for our pugs; we will complete all medical care that is needed for their immediate comfort and long term wellbeing. 

Once a senior pug has completed all needed medical care and they are healthy enough to transition to a “forever home”, we will post them on our website as available for adoption. Their bio will include information about their activity level, personality, behaviors, and health. We will share any requirements for their forever home as well as information about any ongoing health needs. If eligible for a waived adoption fee, the words “Adoption Fee Waived” or “$0 Adoption Fee” will be noted at the top of their bio.

Florida has the second highest population of adults aged 65 and older in the U.S., and over the years, we've seen that many of the senior pugs entering our rescue come from senior owners. Sadly, these owners are often on fixed incomes and unable to provide the medical care their pugs need. In many cases, we’re contacted by family members after an owner has passed away, become ill or entered long-term care, asking us to take their beloved pug. We are always ready to step in—providing immediate medical attention and placing these pugs with loving foster families.

The average age of our Forever Care Foster pugs is currently 13.3 years, with our oldest senior being 18. We offer each of them comprehensive, preventative, and specialty care; including prescription diets, supplements, and ongoing veterinary oversight to ensure a high quality of life. We often say our senior pugs discover the "Fountain of Youth" in our care—many who were expected to live only a few months thrive for years in a loving foster home.

Currently, more than half of our Forever Care foster volunteer are aged 70 and older. We believe senior pugs and senior humans are a beautiful match. Many of our senior pugs come from living with a senior human and are used to being with someone throughout the day. They adjust well to foster homes with older adults who can provide that same calm, consistent environment. 

We also hear from many seniors who want to adopt a pug but are concerned about the cost of ongoing veterinary care. That’s where fostering becomes a wonderful option: PRFG covers all medical expenses, while the foster provides daily love, care, and companionship. It's a win-win—for the pug and for the person who gets to share their golden years with a grateful, snuggly friend.

Many of our senior citizen applicants express interest in adopting only young, healthy pugs—mainly due to concerns about potential medical costs. Through the Senior Pug Pals program, we hope to shift this perspective by encouraging seniors to consider adopting senior pugs instead.

To support these adoptions:

- We will waive adoption fees for approved senior pugs, allowing adopters to put those funds toward their new companion’s ongoing care.

- Each adopted senior pug will come with comprehensive pre-adoption veterinary care, including vaccines, spay/neuter, dental cleaning (if needed), and one year of heartworm prevention medication.

- We will remain transparent about the pug’s personality, behaviors, and medical needs so adopters are well-prepared.

- Our team will check in quarterly to provide support and ensure the pug continues to receive the care they need.

- As with all adoptions, we will reinforce our “return-to-rescue policy*—if the adopter can no longer care for their pug, they must return the dog to PRFG.

By reducing financial barriers and offering ongoing support, we hope to create more loving senior-to-senior matches—because senior pugs still have so much love to give.

If a pug has a significant medical condition that we believe will seriously impact the rest of their life, we will classify them as a Forever Care Foster pug. These are pugs that require ongoing time, vet care, and finances to address so they will live out their lives in loving foster homes with full support from PRFG. 

We welcome you to visit the Foster page of our website to learn more about our rescue and becoming a Forever Care foster parent. We do not have a shelter facility; we operate solely through a network of volunteer foster families. Our rescue provides medical care, support and resources and our foster families provide support, love and care. In the case of Forever Care fostering, the pug would stay with their foster family for the remainder of their life.