Pugapalooza 2017 was one for the books! And when I say record-setting (see above), I mean RECORD-SETTING. The main event on Saturday at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, NJ was packed with pugs and their people. The final count: 410 pugs—more than any yappy hour or event at the Wonder Bar to date!

We are so grateful to Pugapalooza organizer and volunteer extraordinaire, Connie Breech; our gracious hosts, the Wonder Bar, Dark City Brewing Company, The Empress Hotel, and The Asbury; our fabulous raffle donors and vendors; and our hardworking volunteers for their support and generosity. We are already looking forward to next year!

Pugapalooza Gives Back

Most importantly, Pugapalooza weekend helped us raise more than $10,000, which we are putting toward our financial assistance program for pug rescues nationwide.

Since the event, we’ve already been able to help one rescue, SNARR Animal Rescue Northeast, by paying for $1,000 worth of medical expenses for their recent senior pug intake, Frankie. Frankie was the victim of a house fire and severely neglected, so his medical issues are numerous. Because of Pugapalooza, we were able to relieve some of SNARR’s financial burden so they could focus on the more important thing, Frankie’s care.

Now we are actively looking for more rescues to help! If you know of a pug rescue, big or small, that could use a financial boost, send them our application or send an email to our Outreach Coordinator at jodi@pugsquad.org.