Our winter auction is underway, and we’re so excited to be raising money for our featured rescue, Green Mountain Pug Rescue. In the past two years they have rescued more than 175 pugs and pug mixes. Wow! I loved learning more about GMPR’s great work.
Check out my interview with Helen Bryan, GMPR President and Adoption Coordinator. She told me one of the things she loves the most is getting to work with a network of true everyday heroes. I couldn’t agree more!
An Interview with GMPR
What makes your rescue unique?
We take in pugs and mixes from all sources including puppy mills, Craigslist postings, and owner surrenders, in whatever condition they may be. We then provide ALL medical care that we are aware of before we adopt them to a family. The average cost for medical care in 2015 was $700 per dog, and we spent over $70,000 on medical care alone. We do not cycle dogs in and move them out as fast as possible. We provide a loving, stable foster home until they are truly ready to move on to a family, both medically and emotionally.
What’s one of your greatest success stories?
We rescued a young female with a liver shunt from a backyard breeder. We invested approximately $8,000 in her care, and she is now living a normal life with a wonderful family.
What is the biggest challenge your rescue faces?
Fundraising is always an issue, but so is getting the pugs into rescue. Social media has provided other ways for people to get rid of their dogs through Craigslist and Facebook, which are not a safe route for adoption. We—along with other pug rescues—are seeing less surrenders due to folks selling their unwanted pets.
What is one thing you want people to know about animal rescue?
Animal rescue should be a safe place for neglected, unwanted, and emotionally damaged dogs to find a haven and a future. We take the unloved and displaced due to uncontrolled events in peoples lives and give them a second chance.
I love that I can give a dog a chance to thrive in a new environment. This “job” lets me embody that there is hope in the future, that there are people who care unconditionally and are willing to sacrifice for the love of animals. It has introduced me to so many wonderful, caring, and committed people—a network of true everyday heroes.
How can people help your rescue or the rescue community overall?
They can considered becoming a foster family so more dogs can be rescued. People should be alert to dogs in need and educate families that are in turmoil that there is a safe place for their pet. And there is always the opportunity to donate to rescues so we can continue to do our work.
Join the Pug Squad Auction for GMPR
Help us support Green Mountain Pug Rescue by joining our Facebook auction. It’s easy and fun to participate, and there are lots of fabulous items donated by some of our favorite makers, including the Crafty Hong Sisters, Tuesday’s Ties, Pugnacious Gifts, Arf Scarf, Blind But Not, and Pugpossessed.
