Seven pug puppies made the journey from dumpsters to delightful dwellings this year.
On December 17th, 2024, Helen Woodward Animal Center went into emergency mode when a woman brought eight tiny puppies in through the front doors. She had been handed a bag by an unhoused individual who had found them when looking through a dumpster. Not sure what to do for the litter, she went straight to a veterinarian who showed her how to bottle feed the puppies, but the around-the-clock requirements for so many fragile babies seemed like more than she could handle. Within 30 minutes of arriving, Helen Woodward Animal Center’s foster department had bottle-feeding foster families ready to pick the puppies up, along with a string of Center veterinary visits lined-up for the many weeks ahead.
The Seven pug puppies — before we knew they were pugs — the day they came to Helen Woodward Animal Center.
“On the first day we saw them, we had no idea what breed they were,” said Helen Woodward Animal Center Adoption Services Director Kendall Schulz. “We labeled them ‘terrier blends’ but they were so tiny and new, we knew that they could be just about anything. When any litter that young arrives seeking care, we know how fragile they are and our primary concern simply becomes doing everything we can to save their lives.”
The first few weeks were touch-and-go and, unfortunately, one puppy was too weakened by its tragic start and passed away. As the rest of the litter grew with love and constant care, however, the Center staff named them the Rainbow Puppies (ROYGBIV – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet) to signify the lucky circumstances that brought them to the Center. Center staff also began to notice something striking. As the puppies began to open their eyes and stretch their legs, they looked less and less like terriers. Each tiny face was distinctly that of a Pug.
“Once we realized they were purebred pugs,” Schulz said, “we immediately suspected they were thrown away by an irresponsible backyard breeder.”
But who could possibly throw away — quite literally — a bundle of precious new lives?
“When puppies become a business to unlicensed breeders, there is very little value placed on their lives,” said Schulz. “When they are viewed as a product instead of a living being, their survival can often come down to costs and profits.”
Under the Center’s care, the seven survivors grew into hearty, playful pups. Some became quite goofy; others quite gregarious; and even others rather shy.
The pugs made their debut public appearance at the Center’s Puppy Bowl Watch Party in early February. Potential adopters could meet the remarkable litter face to face, and some fell in love immediately, vowing to return whenever they became available.
Almost two weeks after that first debut, the Center’s adoptions staff felt the pug pups were grown up enough to make them available for adoption. The Center’s social media team announced to the public they would be made available for adoption Friday, February 21st.
That morning, the adoptions staff at Helen Woodward Animal Center were met with quite a welcome. Several families, camped out in front of the Adoptions building, greeted the animal care staff as they walked into work. The reason for their vigil? The hope to be among the lucky few to take home one of seven Pug puppies home.
One woman, Nona Haller, had driven down from Los Angeles to claim her spot in the front of the line at 5:30 am. As the morning progressed, more families showed up with fold out chairs and blankets. To thank the dedicated, hopeful adopters, Helen Woodward Animal Center employees brought the group coffee and pastries to warm their spirits in the crisp morning air. By the time the Center opened, a line of pug-parent-hopefuls were stretched out the door.
By the end of the day, every single Pug puppy found their forever family.
“It was so worth it,” Haller said while Violet, the only female in the litter, wiggled her tail in her arms. “I’m so excited to take this sweet baby home!”
