Well, that's actually a bit of a debate around here. Not the happy part - we KNOW he's happy right now. But Richard seems to think Samson is getting a bit chubby. I just keep remembering how his ribs were sticking out when we first got him and I think he looks soooo good now!

As much as the little fella loves to eat, I've HAD to cut back on the amount I'm feeding him or else he really would be a porker in no time. He's still taking pills daily and I put those in cheese. I just can't take the cheese away from him - he loves it so much it just wouldn't be fair.

Meanwhile, he is getting so much stronger and his stamina is improving. We took him to Dr Hendrix on Saturday for a check-up. I'm thrilled to say his chest x-ray showed major improvement. His lungs aren't clear and may never be due to his heart problem and swallowing difficulty, but they are so much better than before. I was also very happy to see that he was quite perky during the visit and remained so the rest of the day. Before when we would take him he would come back absolutely worn out and sleep the rest of the day. But Saturday he was running around like a loon just like all the other furkids!

In fact, we really have to watch the guy. He's figured out how to get outside using the doggie door by himself. And he loves to go outside!

He just loves to be outside in the sunshine. He's perfectly content just to go outside and hang out in the yard or on the patio.

We worry about him because he still wobbles a bit when walking. He still has that crab-like walk and sometimes he ends up stumbling around in a circle before he makes it to his intended target. So we have to keep an eye on the little guy. Usually though, he only goes out when the other kids are out there too.

Because of the balance/gait issue, he has a very commanding stance:

He has to spread out his legs to maintain balance. Even doing this isn't always enough so sometimes he has to lean up against something:

But he gets around like a champ and seems to be a really happy guy. As his energy level has increased he has really taken an interest in toys. It's a bit much for him to chase a ball or tug on anything, but he really loves having a soft toy to chew on.

All in all I'd say he has settled in nicely and is doing very well. We're absolutely thrilled with his progress. I hope he's as happy as he seems!

We love you Samson!!

Posted by Robbi at 06:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today is a very difficult day for us. Our beloved Alfie passed away one year ago today.

It actually happened in the evening, so one year ago today we had no idea it was the last day we would have our sweet angel. It was actually a very good day. Ironically, we had a vet visit that afternoon. Alfie had put on weight and his coat was back to feeling like a plush toy's fur. Though he was still quite ill, he was alert and happy. We settled in that evening in front of the telly and Alfie fell asleep and quietly slipped away. His poor little heart just gave out.

It still hurts so badly I cannot describe. Right now I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face thinking of how my beautiful boy was stolen from me. We loved him so much and cannot imagine our how our lives would have been without him having been a part of it. He was perfect and we were so blessed to have had him with us for the short time he was.

He taught us so much and changed our lives so significantly. If not for Alfie we would not be involved with rescue. We are part of PugHearts because of him. Richard & I cannot look at a senior the same way now. And we cannot look at the sickest of our rescues without thinking of him and his brave fight. Because of him, Richard & I volunteered to take Lilly, knowing what the ultimate outcome would be but wanting to give her every chance. Because of him, we took in Samson. We knew he was gravely ill but we also knew we could give him the medical care he would get in a vet hospital plus the TLC and warmth he could only get in a home. We knew we could handle the sleepless nights and give the intensive medical care he needed. Alfie taught us that. He taught us to never give up on as long as the spark is still in that dog's eyes. Alfie never lost that spark - his body let him down but his spirit remained intact.

But I choose to remember Alfie's good days. We had a lot of those and for that I am thankful. The photo above is one of those days. It was Christmas. We had a house full of family and pugs. Denny, Charlie & Alfie were happy. Alfie was happiest lying next to someone on the sofa with a rawhide in his mouth. For Christmas he received this braided rawhide in his stocking. He was the happiest pug alive that day. And I am thankful that this is one of the memories I have of him.

I am so sorry that we didn't have more time with you Alfie. But thank you for sharing yourself with us for the time you did. We love you so much and look forward to seeing you again someday. We will look for you at the Bridge.

Posted by Robbi at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We have some shocking and deeply saddening news to share. Our beloved Winston has passed away. He died quite suddenly Monday morning.

We had thought that we would be posting happy news about Winston this week. You see, he was adopted out to a wonderful woman on Sunday. We had begun to think we would never find anyone worthy of him until she submitted her application. After several conversations, Richard met her Saturday when he took Winston to the Pug Meetup at the local dog park. It was love at first sight for her and Richard agreed that it was an excellent match. While we were very excited for him, we were also very sad for us. We had grown so attached to the little guy and really thought of him as part of our family. But we knew this was a perfect home for him and were ready to let him go on to this new chapter in his life. We drove him to his new home Sunday and said our goodbyes. We cried on the way home but kept affirming that this was for the best. It was very strange going about our routine Sunday night. I kept looking for him and felt an empty feeling when we didn’t have our routine bedtime cuddle and belly-rubbing session. The same emptiness was there Monday morning when there was an extra dinner dish on the counter.

At work Monday morning we received an email from Winston’s new Mum stating that he had a very good night sleeping in her bed with her and her other 2 dogs. She confirmed that he had received his bedtime belly rubbings as prescribed. She mentioned how all of her friends and family had met him and fallen in love with him. I responded to her to let her know how much we appreciated the update and how glad we were that they had found each other. Shortly thereafter I received an urgent message to call her. When I did she started talking nonsense about how he was gone. I didn’t understand. She said he had been home with her son and her son said Winston looked a bit tired and he had placed him on the rug in the living room so he would be more comfortable for a nap. When she had called for an update he went to check on him and found him unresponsive. He was gone.

I called Richard immediately and had to break the news to him over the phone. He left work immediately to pick Winston up and head to our Vet’s office for answers.

As we believed he was in excellent health, we had an autopsy done which revealed he had died of heartworm's. We did not know he had heartworm's. When he was taken into rescue a routine heartworm test was negative. However, we now know that a dog can test heartworm negative and yet still be positive. The test does not indicate immature heartworm's, just adults. And further it detects female heartworm's. So 6 months ago Winston had immature heartworm's and so his test was negative. As he did not have a large infestation, he displayed none of the signature signs.

So now we know how it happened. We know it was nobody’s fault – well, except for the people that owned Winston before turning him into PugHearts. By keeping him outside and not giving him heartworm preventative they sealed his fate. But it doesn’t make it any easier knowing that we did not do anything wrong. It still hurts terribly.

We have made arrangements for Winston to be cremated and returned home with us. Though he had technically been adopted out, he really does belong with us. His adoptive Mum has been very understanding of that. Given his previous life, we feel confident in saying that the time he had with us was the best time of his life. He knew what it was like to be part of a family and he knew he was loved. He was happy here and so we will have him come home to us. He will take his place beside Alfie and Lilly and will watch over us.

Run free sweet Winston – we love you more than you will ever know. It has been our honor to know you and have you as part of our family.

Mummy, Daddy, Denny, Charlie, Phoebe, Jacob, Samson & Munchkin

Posted by Richard at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

As promised (better late than never) here are some shots of our puggies enjoying their Christmas. 

It was J.J.'s first Christmas with us, so we wanted to make it memorable. Since his eyesight isn't too good, I helped him open his present:

Winston is of course part of our family while he is here with us, so he helped us celebrate as well. I get the feeling he's never had a real Christmas before and it was really nice to know we made the day special for him too!

We had been so caught up in it being JJ's first Christmas that we had forgotten until about a week or so before that it was also Phoebe's first Christmas with us. It feels like she's been with us forever, but she only came to live with us last February! She had no difficulty opening her presents by herself:

This was Charlie's 3rd Christmas, so he is an old pro at opening gifts:

Denny required just a bit of assistance:

Everybody seemed to have a great time. The rawhide treats were a real hit:

But Phebes was, of course, far more interested in all the toys! Thankfully the boys are good at sharing:

Then everybody shared in some treats to cap off the celebration:

After all the bits of paper were cleaned up and the treats were safely tucked away for another time, poor Denny looked at us as if to say "Is it all over already?"

Don't worry baby, Christmas comes every year & will be here again before you know it!

Posted by Robbi at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So why not see if PugHearts can help you knock an item of Santa's list!

PugHearts of Houston, the rescue for which I am the webmaster, is holding a Raffle for a COACH handbag.    Go on over and take a look...  you never know... it could be you!

www.PugHearts.com

Posted by Richard at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our foster pug Winston had a meet & greet this past Sunday at the Pearland Dog Park off of Hwy 288. It was our first trip there and we were suitable impressed with the facilities. They have some "just for fun" agility training equipment out for everyone to use and I have a feeling that Phebes would just love that. We'll have to make a point to take her there now that the weather is starting to cool.

Anyway, we had decided to take Denny along for moral support. Last weekend when I took Winston to the Houston Pug Meet-up at the Danny Jackson Dog Park, he was rather shy. I'm not sure if it was the sheer number of dogs there or the fact that he didn't know anyone, but regardless he seemed more comfortable hanging out with the fence than the other pugs. Since this is most definitely not how he acts at home I was worried about him being so timid at his meeting. We decided to take Denny so he'd be with a friend and it would also give Denny a chance to run around like a loon. So we dressed them in their finest harnesses and set off for Pearland.

So we arrived and met the person we were there to see who has a young female pug that needs a companion. I'm not quite sure what happened, but we could tell it wasn't going to work out. Poor Winston started acting all shy again. Denny was a bit more lively, but Winston just kept getting sniffed by big dogs and running off towards the fence. After about half an hour he started to loosen up, but by then we knew it was too little too late. Though we had accurately described how lively he is when playing with Phebes & Charlie, it wasn't enough to convince this person that he wasn't the shy, timid guy he was acting like at the park. So we said our goodbyes knowing Winston would not be leaving us just yet. Which makes me wonder....was that Winston's plan all along?

He DOES seem to be settling in...

Posted by Robbi at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is Winston.  He is our current foster Pug from PugHearts, the rescue we help to run.

Winston is going to have a meet and greet at the weekend, and I am dreading it actually going well - because I will have to give the little guy up!    He is like a older and smaller version of Denny. Cute guy!

This was taken a couple of days ago when he had been sleeping at my feet.  He had only just woken up!  He looks so sleepy!

Here he is about half an hour later sunning himself by the pool.  I love the way he sits.  It's all about comfort!

Richard

Posted by Richard at 07:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We here at Denny Towers are very excited and pleased to announce the addition of Jacob to our little family!  This fella has had quite a journey to get here, and though we don’t know his full story we are sure that this is going to be the best time of his life!

Jacob has come to us through the PugHearts of Houston and Homeward Bound of OK joint adoption program. As many of you know, PugHearts of Houston (specifically Cindy and Carolyn) recently made a trip up to Oklahoma to pick up some puggies from the Homeward Bound Rescue which had been inundated. One foster Mom actually had 21 fosters in her house!!  So, PugHearts offered to go pick some up for adoption in the Houston area. We are happy to report that upon arrival with 9 HWB rescues (and 2 more pugs picked up along the route), half of the HWB rescues had forever homes waiting – Jacob included.

We actually saw Jacob on the Petfinder adoption site several months ago. I’m not sure what it is about him, but his photo spoke to us. I wanted him, but as he was in a rescue in OK and we were in TX (already involved with a rescue) it didn’t seem feasible. So I would occasionally look at his photo and think “if you were closer little guy, you’d be ours!” but we never pursued it. Then a couple of weeks ago we heard about HWB’s deluge of rescues. All of us at PugHearts agreed that it would be great if we could do something to help and Cindy offered to make the trek. Our next move was to try and figure out which dogs we would be picking up. I honestly hadn’t even put 2 + 2 together at the time and did not realize Jacob was with them until I looked at their website to try and figure out which dogs would be making the trip. Then I saw him. It seemed like fate when I saw his beautiful face staring at me from their webpage.

I thought I had done a pretty decent job of keeping my obsession for Jacob a secret, but apparently I was wrong. Both Cindy and Richard commented that this was our chance to bring Jacob home to Seabrook.  It took very little convincing on their parts and soon we were planning for Jacob’s arrival. Richard was actually the first to see him, as he picked him up from the vet’s office upon the puggie-bus’ arrival back in Houston. As he brought him into the house, I lost my breath for a moment. He is so beautiful!! And that sweet grey face tells us that he has lived quite a life. He came in, met the crew and then set about discovering his new home. He settled in quickly and that first night he had even made friends with Charlie. 

He is so wonderful and we are so delighted to have him with us. Poor little guy rarely gets a break when I am around him as I cannot keep my hands off of him! I just can’t keep from cuddling him and kissing his sweet face. Last night he made us so happy, as he discovered his first toy with us! He had been watching Phoebe play and finally at one point he just walked over and picked up the ball when it landed near him. He then walked around and found a comfy spot to lay down with it.

It was so precious that Richard had to grab the camera and record the moment. Times like this make me so happy that Richard is so handy with a camera. These are memories that we truly want to preserve forever. Thank you Jacob for bringing such joy into our lives. We promise we will do everything we can to give you the life that you deserve!

Posted by Richard at 09:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Richard & I are coming to terms with the loss of Lilly. We have gone over in our minds every aspect of her care and condition over the past few days. Of course we will always have a bit of guilt about things we might have done differently, but we do know that those things would not have made any difference. Lilly passed on because she was ready.

We knew we would never cure her cancer. It was far too late for that by the time she came to us. The person that had her before us will have to live with that fact, and though I do not believe in a vengeful God I do believe in karma. We do not need to do anything more as that person will have to answer for what they have done to a higher power than us.

When Lilly did come to us, we had a small sliver of hope that there was something we could do. The tests and oncology consultation laid out the facts: we could never cure her but we might be able to buy her some time. Even with more time we knew that eventually a difficult decision would have to be made about easing her suffering. We started her on the chemotherapy thinking we might be able to arrest the cancer and buy her more time at her present condition. We were greedy – we wanted her to be with us for a while. However, it was ultimately Lilly’s decision. We know she did not suffer as she showed no signs of pain. But it was clear in the last few days that she was not happy. She refused to eat. At first we thought that it was just nausea from the medications and we could get past this. But as the days progressed she became weaker. There was still a bit of spark in her but we could see it fading. She was most content being held and stroked. She seemed genuinely happy lying against one of us – or even the other dogs. She seemed at peace.

While we desperately wanted to “fix” her and were trying to think of ways to do that, she made up her mind that she did not want to go down that path. She was ready to go. She quietly slipped away from us Friday night. By the time we realized she was leaving and started to take her to an emergency vet, it was too late and she was gone. She died quietly in my arms as we were driving. She knew. I know she knew. She knew what we were going to do and she did not want it. She wanted to go on her own terms in her own time. And she did just that. Later that night Cindy & James came over to say goodbye and we talked about Lilly. We agreed that Lilly probably knew best. Had we seen her through this crisis, we would only be delaying the inevitable. And given the state of her cancer, her end would probably be one that nobody would wish for. Lilly, in her infinite wisdom, knew better than any of us. She knew she would rather go out while she was free from tubes and machines and large amounts of drugs. So she made the decision now, so that it would not have to be made for her later. She went quietly, peacefully, surrounded by those that truly loved her.

We have made arrangements for Lilly to be cremated and returned to us. We have chosen an urn which will go on the mantle beside Alfie. She will be home where she belongs.

Robbi

Posted by Richard at 06:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At 9:35pm last night our sweet Lilly passed away while we were rushing her to the emergency vet due to a rapid decrease in temperature. Lilly passed quickly in Robbi's arms.

Lilly,

Sweet little Lilly-pug. We love you so much and miss you so badly. You had become a part of our lives and a part of our family. We will miss you snuggling up beside us on the sofa and in bed. And we’ll miss seeing you snuggling up against Denny in his donut bed or having Charlie come over to lay his head on your leg when you weren’t feeling well. Phoebe seems lost as well, waiting for you to play catch with.

You were such a joy. You gave the sweetest, lady-like puggie kisses. I loved it when we would talk sweet to you and you would roll over on your back to show us you were ready for a belly rubbing. I loved it when you would lie down at my feet in front of the stove while I was making dinner. And I loved the excited look you would get when we would tell you it was okay to come up on the sofa with us. We tried to give you the love and attention that you should have had all your life. The look on your face when we would tell you that you were beautiful and that we loved you showed us that you understood that and trusted us.

We are so grateful for the time we had with you. You touched our hearts. I am thankful that you were able to cross over to the Bridge on your own terms. Though we would have loved more time with you, we know you are in a better place and are free from suffering. Alfie will take you where you need to go now.

We will always love you sweet Lilly.

Love,
Mummy & Daddy

Posted by Richard at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It has been a rather emotional couple of weeks here at Denny Towers. (Yes, we are still looking for a new name – any suggestions would be appreciated!) A couple of weeks ago we picked up a foster for PugHearts named Boudreaux. He’s the cutest little guy & he quickly stole our hearts. He’s about the same size as Charlie and close in age, so the two of them hit it off immediately. And of course Phebes is always happy to have someone else to play with.

While Denny didn’t seem thrilled with the idea of another youngster running around, he was actually pretty tolerant of all the youthful exuberance. Regardless of how they felt, Richard & I quickly fell for him. He just seemed so starved for affection that we couldn’t help ourselves. Given his age, temperament and unabashed cuteness, we KNEW he wouldn’t be a foster for long. Sure enough, last weekend we took him to meet a family who seemed perfect for him. They had another female pug about his age and within minutes the two of them were romping around exploring together. The family was fantastic and Richard & I had to admit that it was the perfect home for him.

As we said our goodbyes to Boudreaux and left the house I asked Richard “Am I going to cry every time we adopt out a foster?” At least there were tears of joy too, as we know he has found his perfect forever home. Congratulations, Boudreaux, you made it!!

On Monday Cindy asked me if we were ready for another foster. I said “Well, we have an open spot.” She said she was going to have us take Lilly. We had been told that Lilly had some sort of masses “all over her body.” Cindy sent us photos – we were a bit shocked to say the least. I have never seen anything like this.

I picked her up on Tuesday after work. The first thing I noted was how beautiful she is. She has a gorgeous black mask and these piercing eyes.

The second thing I noted was how lively she is. This girl is a bundle of energy! She was running and twirling on the lead as I took her to my car. Of course she wasn’t content to sit in the back seat and ended up as my co-pilot. I kept stroking her telling her how beautiful she was and she would just melt down into the seat staring at me. It was if she hadn’t been told that in a very long time, if ever. I was most impressed with how she acted towards our guys when we arrived home.

She came through the door and paused to let everyone get a good sniff. Then she held her head high and proceeded to make her inspection of our house. She checked everyone else out and determined that we met with her approval. She then jumped up on the sofa ready for her belly rubbins! She was not intimidated at all by any of us. She earned the immediate respect of all of our guys and she was accepted on the spot. There have been no issues with jealousy or dominance between any of them. It is as though she belongs here.

We knew that she was going to have some health challenges. She came with prescriptions for antibiotics and steroids. We were told the results of the biopsies would be back in a few days. The first night with us, she barely slept. She was so excited to be on the bed with everyone she couldn’t stay still. When she finally did sleep, it was on my pillow draped over my head. The following night she seemed to settle in a bit better and slept fairly well.

Unfortunately she got a bit sick during a bad thunderstorm, but we put that down to nervousness. On Friday she had started coughing and had another episode of being sick to her stomach. I called Cindy to ask if a chest x-ray had been done on her. Her symptoms kind of reminded us of Alfie’s early symptoms with Congestive Heart Failure and we wanted to know if that had been checked. I was not prepared for the news I was about to hear. No, the chest x-ray had not been done but the results of the biopsy had come back. It was mast cell carcinoma. Cancer. I was in shock. I had to hang up quickly and then proceeded to cry, holding Lilly who had been sitting next to me on the sofa.

Richard joined us and I told him the news. After letting the news sink in he said “Well we’re not going to give up on her. We do not give up on Pugs.” I agreed and we talked about what needed to be done next. As the immediate problem seemed to be with coughing, we made plans to have her chest x-rayed on Saturday. The Vet had said he wouldn’t be there to read the films, but he would leave us a prescription for an antihistamine since she could be suffering from an upper respiratory infection as she is on heavy doses of steroids. He said he would read the x-ray on Monday.

We drove her to Sugarland on Saturday morning and had her x-ray done as well as some blood work. Dr. Hendrix left word that he will call the pathologist on Monday to discuss her results. We will then get her an appointment at the oncologist’s office as soon as we can. We have no idea of the extent of the fight we have ahead of us. Poor little Lilly doesn’t even seem to realize that she’s sick. Right now we are just savoring the time we have with her while she feels so good.

As I type this she is sleeping at my feet under my desk. In a way, I’m glad she doesn’t understand what is happening. I surely don’t know how I would explain it to her anyway.

Robbi

Posted by Richard at 04:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

It's been ages since we've posted - so much has happened. We are still active fosters for PugHearts of Houston. Just a couple of days ago, our sweet foster Maggie went to her forever home. While we are very excited for her, this has made it feel a bit sad around here. Maggie joined us in early April, shortly after we lost Alfie. I'm sure many of you have seen her on our webcam curling up next to one of our furkids.

Maggie came from an abusive home and was shaking in fear the first night we brought her home. Over time she began to relax and show trust in us. We tried to show her what the life of a pug is supposed to be like and she opened up to us. We are proud to say she blossomed into a loving, playful pug with a slightly mischievous side. Though we were tempted to keep her for ourselves, we had an applicant that was a perfect match for her.

We took her few nights ago for the face-to-face greeting and we are pleased to say it was indeed a perfect match! Both Maggie and her new mommy knew it was meant to be. While she happily romped around her new surroundings, we quietly left. Our work was done. Maggie is home.

Meanwhile, we have our babies to cuddle. Sometimes I forget that Phoebe hasn't been with us that long. She blends so seamlessly with the boys. And while she's still the playful, cheeky girl that we fell in love with, she also has started to show her softer side. She cuddles up next to us at night and gives kisses when she deems us worthy. She's also learned to appreciate a good belly rubbin! She and Charlie are best of mates, stealing toys from each and taunting the other one as they tear through the house.

I still sometimes stare at Charlie - not understanding how he can stay so cute and puppy-like despite the fact that he is nearly 2 years old. Richard talks about what he will look like when he is old and grey - something that I cannot envision. Denny looks more distinguished every day. He is getting a bit more grey on his chin, but if you look at him while he naps with his head tucked down he still looks like a young boy too. He celebrates his 5th birthday today, a fact that I find hard to believe.

Where does the time go?

Robbi

Posted by Richard at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My face is red with tear burns, my heart is pounding and I am feeling like it was only yesterday the little guy was in my arms.  

Today I spend my time going through thousands of photographs and trying to find suitable music to create a tribute to the Pug that started it all.   I never thought it would be so hard to do – but each and everytime I do this I realise it is an uphill challenge.

He was worth it.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1575745332018794841

Feel free to pass on the link to anyone, any forum, any blog.   Let’s get the word out about Alfie and the legacy this little guy left behind.

Richard & Robbi

Posted by Richard at 06:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This morning I felt that I could finally sit down and put my thoughts of Alfie into words. At this time, the thought that he is gone from my arms hurts beyond belief.  His portrait hangs on the wall and I look up at him and find myself thinking that I can almost hear his bark. He had the most unique bark and he liked to tell you when he wanted your attention.

Alfie came into my home as a foster. The moment I saw him at the shelter, I knew he was special. Not because he was beautiful (he was skinny, filthy and smelled awful), but he had a peace about him that made you want to be near him. I carried him outside and put him on the seat of my truck. He was so happy to be free that it took me several minutes to calm him down so that I could drive. He got a bath as soon as we got to the house. I wrapped him in a large towel and there he fell asleep in my arms. I must confess that this is where he spent most of his time for the next three months. The day that he was neutered and had his teeth cleaned, I made my husband stay on the cell phone so that I could hear him snoring softly until he arrived back into my arms. I sat up, holding him, all night so that I would know that he was OK.

I got the call that he had a forever home waiting for him. I told the adoption coordinator NO. She told me they were perfect. I told her they better be or I was not leaving him. I met Richard and Robbi on the day that Alfie joined their home. October 6th, 2006. Robbi was waiting at the curb for us when we arrived. They were perfect. I knew that Alfie was home and placed him in his mother’s arms. We stayed as long as I could hold myself together and then left. I cried for the next 5 days. No one in my home could say his name or ask how he was doing. I knew that Alfie was where he was meant to be, but that did not make it feel any better. I watched the webcam every day and read the blog so often that my husband started to worry. It took 3 months before I felt I could see him and not be overwhelmed with sadness. So I called. Robbi was great and spent about 45 minutes catching me up on how he was doing. Richard agreed to meet me at a local park and bring Alfie. I was so glad to see him and he looked so beautiful and content.  His feet never touched the ground; I could not put him down.

It was during this meeting that I asked Richard what it took to run a website. We discussed that I wanted to start my own pug rescue in Houston and he agreed to help. This was the true beginning of Pug Hearts. Alfie was the link that brought so many of us together around this purpose. He was sent to us for a specific purpose and he accomplished this with grace and love. I cannot begin to tell people what he means to me even now. He will be with me every time that I think of Pug Hearts, go on a rescue run or finalize an adoption. He is in my thoughts always and will have a special place in my heart for eternity.

The PugHearts rescue team (those that go out to get the pugs) are now “Alfie’s angels” and the alerts that come to the board members regarding pugs in danger/pug to surrender now come as “Alfie alerts”. This is a small way to keep him with us and remind all involved that he is with us still.

Alfie was with us for less than one year, but he will never leave our hearts. I love you baby. You are the true founder of Pug Hearts and I will never forget you.

Cindy www.PugHearts.com

Posted by Richard at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It’s been a week today since we lost our dear Alfie.   It’s been a week of uncontrollable tears, good memories coupled with laughter, bad memories coupled with grief but above all a week of trying to deal with a space on the sofa or under my desk that no longer is filled by Alfie.

We truly appreciate all the heart felt comments both here on the site and from friends and family in the form of calls, letters and cards.  It really has gone a long way in assisting us with the healing process. 

We knew that today would be a hard day to deal with, and both myself and Robbi have both dealt with it in different ways.  I headed out into Houston to tout for business, and Robbi spent her usual day in the office, but ultimately we both failed miserably at keeping our minds off the subject of Alfie.  It seems we both had the same sad realization today – it would have been 6 months to the day that we actually took Alfie into Denny and Charlie towers as a rescue Pug.

This evening we tried hard to hold back the tears, but it was not to be – we sat on the sofa when Robbi returned from work only to reminisce about our sweet boy who no longer is around to demand our attention with his bark.   We have a photo of him on the fireplace, overlooking the living room, where we can see him and talk to him.  The photo was taken the day after he arrived which was on the 6th October 2006 – precisely six months from today.

Tonight is going to be a night of emotions and memories that will hopefully help us heal. 

God bless you Alfie, we know you are with us.

Richard

Posted by Richard at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Its been a while since I updated Denny and Charlie and Alfies site, but I do have an excuse this time.  www.PugHearts.com is that excuse.  Nuff said!

Anyway, this evening I will be getting on a British Airways flight to the United Kingdom!  Yes, I am heading back to my birth home for 10 days for a little business and a bit of pleasure.   I will be back on the 9^th of March and Robbi of course will be staying here in Texas with the Boys and Pheobe (more later on Pheobe).   Its going to be hard leaving them behind as we have not been out of each others site for over a year now… funny how you take people and pets for granted!

Anyway, while I am away the PugNic 2007 will be in full swing and I do hope many of you get the chance to make your way over there.  We need all the help we can get right now!  If you cannot attend, then please try and make a donation to the cause – we are 503(c) registered so you know that ALL your donation goes to the rescue.

Make a point in the future to make sure that any rescues you do donate to are in fact NON-PROFIT and 503(c) registered charities.  You will be amazed at how many actually take out a percentage for what they call “running costs”.   If in doubt, email them and ask them how the funds you donate are used.   PugHearts is different… everything we have so far has been donated by the team.  The website, the hosting, the domain name registrations, the business cards, all stationary, the software…. in fact the only thing we spend money on is the DOGS!  We even got a donation from Shell for fuel cards to enable us to make those long trips!

We are THE HOUSTON PUG RESCUE, so if you live in Houston then please go to www.PugHearts.com and show your support with a donation or even an offer to help!  It all counts.

Anyway, I need to make sure that I have packed all that I need and get myself something to eat.

Wish me luck!

Richard

Posted by Richard at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Sorry I have not updated sooner, I have been working on the PugHearts of Houston Pug Rescue website and trying to promote my business over the past week – its a hard slog but we are getting there.

So now I am asking for your support, be in in the form of promotion, assistance or donations.  We need you help to make this new rescue a success!

We have banners available, our latest one is a “be my valentine…” starring George, and we intend to have many more available in the very near future.

You can help us by placing this banner in your Pug Forums signatures, or by placing it on your website with a link to www.PugHearts.com.

Here is the BBCode to place this in your signatures, just copy an paste the text on the line below!

Forums that accept the above code include PugStories, PugVillage and many others that run vBulletin, PHPBB etc

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO VISIT AND GIVE YOUR SUPPORT!

www.PugHearts.com

Posted by Richard at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

People!

Pugs need our help.   Small Pugs, Short Pugs, Tall Pugs, Well Pugs, Not So Well Pugs, Fawn Pugs, Black Pugs, Old Pugs, Young Pugs and just plain old cute and cuddly Pugs!

Please pass on details about a new Houston Pug Rescue that is being formed.  It will be run by Pug Rescue People who have years of experience.  Things are going to be done a little bit different with this group and for the better!  There is a meeting this weekend to discuss EVERYTHING, so PLEASE if you can attend, offer help, donations, spread the word or just plain and simple say “Yeah! Go for it!” then PLEASE send your details!

More information is available here!

Denny, Charlie and Alfie have asked me to donate my time and space on our server to host and maintain the website for PugHearts – which I have gladly done!  So drop by www.PugHearts.com, or www.PugHearts.org or www.PugHeartsHouston.com and maybe even www.PugHeartsHouston.org (Update: this one was not pointed correctly… I have fixed that!) on a regular basis!  Everything is under construction at the moment, but we will launching the site in the next few weeks!

SPREAD THE WORD!

Posted by Richard at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A couple of days ago I took Alfie for a little drive over to the Challenger Memorial Park. 

This was a special trip for Alfie. Special because it was to meet up with Cindy of DFW Pug Rescue, the person who brought Alfie home from the pound and reared him back to health before we took over as his forever home.

Alfie (in his Mischief Maker T-Shirt) & Cindy

It was a little emotional for Cindy, as she obviously had (has) a special bond with Alfie (formally known as Charlie Brown).  They sat for a while soaking up the winter sun and Alfie seemed so content to be cuddled and kissed.

We are taking Alfie, along with Denny and Charlie, over to Cindy’s place in a couple of weeks to say hi to the rest of the gang and take some photos.   Of course I will be posting the final shots here!

Richard

Posted by Richard at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You know when they say that owners of dogs end up looking like their animals?

Well, I think that also is true when you spend a little too much time with Alfie.

Alfie and Mum – Made for each other!

Posted by Richard at 09:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The boys had a trip down to Galveston Beach yesterday to meet with the Kara and Alan of “FlatNosePups” (Kritter and Rascal) and what a great time they had.   I decided to opt for the video camera this time, so at the moment I do not have any photos to show you, but I am currently working on a little video of the event and I hope to have it uploaded this evening!

There are some shots of the boys now online at Kara’s site – http://www.flatnosedpups.blogspot.com/ so please take a trip over and say Hi!

Check back this evening, hopefully I will have kept my promise! ;-)

Richard

Posted by Richard at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

“Grumble”

Alfie, today, looking 100% healthy and loved!

Full Size Image can be viewed Just Alfie on Clafton.com

Posted by Richard at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Well, if there were any doubters out there (or here) that Alfie was not going to settle in with Denny and Charlie – I think this shot will probably change their minds.

As I work in my home office I have three snoring Pugs settling down on a nice big cushion.  Of course Denny needs that extra bit of comfort in the shape of a do-nut bed!

I think we can safely say that Alfie is well and truly a part of the family.

Richard

Posted by Richard at 01:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

By now most of you have already seen our newest addition to the family, little Alfie. I thought we should explain a bit more about how he came to be a member of our family.

I wanted to start by letting everyone know how much thought went into the decision to adopt a rescue pug. Richard & I have been talking about doing this for about a year and a half. We had decided before we left England that we would definitely be adopting once we were settled in Texas. We had spent countless hours looking at all the rescue website when we were still in England and it broke our hearts to read the stories of all these beautiful little puggies.

Since arriving in Texas, every time we have gone to Petco or Petsmart and seen the doggies up for adoption, Richard has whispered "If there's a pug in here we're going home with it." So about 2 weeks ago I was looking at the DFW website and I saw a beautiful senior pug whose face showed such character that I felt compelled to do something. It must have been fate because at that moment Richard called upstairs and asked what I was doing. I told him I was looking at rescue pugs and I saw someone I wanted him to look at. We both looked at his profile and had the same feeling - that he needed us. We talked about it and decided not to do anything rash - we'd sleep on it and talk about it the next day. We discussed it more the following day and weighed all the pros and cons. I kept checking the site, selfishly hoping that he'd still be there waiting for us. Finally, we agreed that we'd fallen in love with him and had to submit our application.

Thankfully, everything fell into place. Both Richard and myself had several conversations with Cindy and Amy at DFW Houston about making sure this was a good fit for all of us. They let us know a little bit more about Alfie's story. Though we will never know the full extent of what all he has been through, it was clear that this little fella has had a rough time of it.

Handsome Boy!

When Alfie was found wandering the streets with the pads of his feet raw. His teeth were rotten and clogged with bits of fur from his chewing on his feet. He was emaciated. His eyes were cloudy and his vision poor. He had a large hernia. Thanks to the wonderful people at DFW, he has had his bad teeth pulled (8 of them) and his good ones cleaned up. He was neutered, but due to his large hernia it doesn't look like it at a glance. The doctor says it would be too painful and invasive to fix the hernia, so he'll just look like he's still an eligible bachelor to the ladies' eyes. He's been receiving drops for his eyes and I'm happy to report they are mostly clear. He does have some vision loss, but it's amazing how good his sight is when it involves treats!

It was also suspected that Alfie was near totally deaf, but he's not as deaf as he had led us all to believe. As our friend Kim describes it, he seems to have some "selective hearing" going on.  Yesterday we noticed him barking after a neighbor's dog started barking, plus he's chimed in on Denny barking at the TV a couple of times. Of course he doesn't respond to his name, but as he's only had it for 2 days that isn't surprising.

Snuggles.  Just snuggles.

What is surprising (at least to me) is how I can honestly say I love the little guy. I wasn't sure how strongly I would feel for him or how long it would take to happen, and honestly I'm not sure when it did happen. All I know is that the little guy's happiness is incredibly important to me, and I'm so thrilled to see him acting genuinely content. To feel him lying up against me on the couch, softly snoring, is one of the greatest feelings I've ever known. I want him to know that he is safe and will never know what it's like to be unloved again. He is home, and we love him!

Robbi

Posted by Richard at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Alfie is going just great.  Today we had a really lazy day in the house, just watching TV and reading the Sunday paper.  Alfie joined in with a snuggle on the sofa with Robbi.

Cuddles, just cuddles.  Thats all Alfie wants right now.

Still unsure about the camera, but he is getting used to me pointing the big lense at him.

Watching TV and keeping a check on the Sunday adverts in the paper.

Richard

Posted by Richard at 05:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We would like to introduce a new member of the family to you all… Alfie.

Alfie arrived yesterday evening from DFW Pug Rescue – he is now in his forever home with us in Seabrook.

Alfie (his original rescue name was Charlie Brown) was found in Pasadena some weeks ago, and he has been cared for and brought back to health by Houston DFW.  He has made wonderful progress so far and we aim to our new boy a happy and healthy Pug who will be a key part of our family.

So, please – say Hi to Alfie by leaving a comment for him.

More photos to come, and we will tell you more about him and his journey too.

Richard, Robbi, Denny, Charlie and Alfie.

Posted by Richard at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

As I sit here at my desk writing this, Denny & Charlie are curled up at my feet snoring away. Nobody could deny that they are well cared for puggies. They are happy, healthy and I believe they know that they are loved. They certainly seem to be content with their lot in life. Knowing this gives me a warm feeling inside. The same feeling I have when I wake up each morning to find them sprawled about the bed. Or when they come to give me kisses after they have devoured the breakfast I've cooked for them. We love them dearly and take pleasure in knowing that they have a good life.

Yesterday I saw a thread on www.Pugstories.com about SEPRA needing help. They are a fabulous organization and we knew that we had to do something to help out these people who have done so much to make sure other little puggies find out what it means to be loved and cared for. We made a donation and posted their plight on this website to help spread the word.

Today a friend of mine wrote to me and showed me a link to the Alabama Pug Rescue site. She mentioned Summer's story and told me I needed to read it. I hesitated - not because I didn't want to read it, but because I knew I would end up crying. I knew I would cry because Summer's story is very upsetting. I also knew I would cry because I would feel helpless and frustrated. But I clicked the link and read the story anyway. I did cry. I did feel upset. And mad. And frustrated.

As most of you know I am American. I came to the UK to be with Richard. I love England for many reasons, but I am very proud to be American. I am looking forward to coming home next month and settling permanently. I find it most upsetting, however, that in this land of plenty so many beautiful puggies are treated like so much garbage. The incredible need for rescues breaks my heart and angers me. Especially when I see that rescues in the UK are few and far between because there is little need for them.

Richard and I have donated to rescues in the US in the past, and will continue to do so. Unfortunately, there are so many rescues that need our help and so many heartbreaking stories that one could feel overwhelmed. For each one story that I read at a particular rescue there are hundreds more at other rescues scattered throughout the country. It's hard to know where to start when wanting to help - especially when nobody I know has unlimited funds. That is why Richard has decided to go ahead with the rescue calendar. That way, when a person buys a calendar (or several) their money goes to help several rescues. A person can feel better knowing they have contributed to several rescues and not had to choose one over another. I remember when I was a child asking my mother which one of us she loved the most. She always responded that she loved each one of us equally - she didn't have a favourite. By creating a rescue calendar that helps all rescues that have submitted their names for assistance, we are in effect loving each one equally. It's a small step towards making sure no pug goes unloved.

Robbi

Posted by Robbi at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We made a donation to SEPRA yesterday, they need all the help they can get. But Robbi was sent an email this morning... pointing us in the direction of the Alabama Pug Rescue organisation... Summer's story caught my eye... it pains me that we cannot help every single rescue out when we read these things. I would be a poor and broken man if I dipped into my pocket each and every time I saw these stories. It makes me want to get the Rescue Calendar up and running more and more....

Here is the story, taken from the Alabama Pug Rescue Site - please visit them - please try and help!

Summer was one of two Pugs abandoned to the outside world when the child came, and the dogs no longer were important. They became "toss aways" left to fend for themselves, yet possessions not to be relinquished to a better life. The owners would deny the neglect, and they would convince themselves this was "responsible."

In the past few weeks, several people began to notice the dogs' deteriorating health, and began to inquire about, and become concerned for their condition. The turning point occurred when one of the Pugs appeared to be lying near the street in the front yard of the house where they were living. As the dog was approached the reality was horrid; this Pug was dead. The family was confronted, and stated they "cared for their dogs" and that she probably died due to her "asthma." No big deal to her, "it's just a dog." A plea was made to convince the owner to let the other Pug go with her, as it was apparent she was in need of immediate medical care. The owner refused. The authorities had been contacted. The definition of "cared for" takes on a whole new meaning when people don't want to get involved.

The details leading up to Summer's rescue are lengthy, heart wrenching and beyond one's comprehension that this type of cruelty exists on a day-to-day basis. We will tell you that the owner did give her up. She gave her up by saying "she ran away" when what she really meant was that she took her to an industrial yard and "dumped" her. She then became "a stray" so there was no connection to her, and she would deny it was her dog. We will be forever thankful to some very special guardian angels who had made Summer their mission, began a city wide search, and with the help of some very special Good Samaritans, she was found, and was immediately transported to rescue.

Her condition is guarded as every organ in her body is failing due to malnutrition. She literally had so many fleas that documentation of "thousands" was made. She is critically anemic and is so weak that standing is hard for her. She has so many problems, and so many needs, but we believe this suffering can be reversed, and we are doing all we can to bring her back to a world she can trust. She will never get her sight back and most likely both eyes will need to be removed as soon as we can get her strong enough to face the first of several needed surgeries. However one of the things we have learned in rescue is that dogs do not need their eyes to see, they do not need their ears to hear; what they need are arms to hold them, and a commitment to their life, for "the life of the dog." She has that from us. Forever.

Please consider making a donation and help us continue to help those whose lives we hold as precious as the "days of Summer." As with Parker, we are only asking for a $1.00 donation per person who visits this website or reads this story. We know how to make it count, and we will. There is never a donation "too small" and every dollar leads to the next.

A very special thank you to Melissa and her Mom, and all of those who recognized that time was running out for Summer. You are the reason she now sleeps on clean bedding in air conditioning, free of fleas, with continuous nourishment, and every attempt is being made to save her life. She would never have made it to us without all of you caring enough to reach out to her, to get involved, and to recognize the need for rescue.

As far as the "persons" who let this happen to this dog? Life goes full circle.
You will never, ever walk away from this.

The original story can be viewed here: Summers Story

Posted by Richard at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You may recall that a couple of weeks ago I wrote about an idea I had to generate funds for Pug Dog Rescue. Well unfortunately the response was dire to say the least, in fact - out of 50 rescues I contacted only 3 replied. Those that did reply were very enthusiastic about the idea. Now whether this lack of response is due to disinterest or being bogged down with rescues I have no idea, but I really did need a few more people to "sign up" for this to make it a viable project to dedicate my time to. Needless to say, the project in the previously described form is cancelled I am afraid.

But, the Calendar to help rescues is going to be created as the... Rescued Friends of Denny and Charlie Calendar 2007 ...It's going to be a similar layout to the original idea, but submissions will be taken directly from individuals who have given forever homes to rescues.

Any funds generated by the calendar will be equally split and issued to all rescues nominated by submissions. I know this could be small rescues and large rescues - so the logistics of this still need to be worked out.

The bottom line is this, I want to do this - and I need your help. Please pass on the word - post a link to this on any forums, news groups and mailing lists you are a member of. Mail your friends and colleagues. We can make a difference you know… a couple of minutes at your keyboard can make a massive difference.

Just remember, the first time I did this I managed to raise over $900 - not bad for something that was not massively advertised. We can do this bigger and better this time with your help!

Please email me at richard [at] dennyandcharlie [dot] com if you want to help, or require any more information.

I will be producing a link banner in the near future to put on your websites; this will hopefully spread the word.

I have faith in you all; don't let me or those needy Pugs down!

Richard

Posted by Richard at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Robbi found a thread on PugStories today.... it just goes to show that all is not well in the world of Pugs!

Sepra is in desperate need of donations. I'm posting the plea Brenda's made on the Sepra website so you all will understand how dire it is. I know all rescues are in tight spots right now but I felt compelled to do this since Sepra has always been the "go to" rescue for other rescues when they need help or have pugs with medical issues that they can't handle themselves. Sepra is also not limited to just taking in pugs from the southeast and has taken in pugs from as far away as Utah. Mike's own Puggy Sue came to him through Brenda and Sepra.

The complete thread is here... SEPRA Needs Help

Please head on over to SEPRA's donation page and give a little if you can, every penny helps and it will give you a great feeling to know you are making a difference to the life and happiness of the little furkids.

Go on.... feel good about yourself!

Richard

Posted by Richard at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday I was looking through all the artwork files and came across the original artwork for the 2005 Calendar I produced which was promoted by the PugVillage. It got me thinking...

This year I want to produce another calendar in the same vain, but this time I want to produce something that can aid each and everyone of the Pug Rescues around the world. The Forever Home Pugvillage 2006 Calendar went a little way to doing this, but I think we can do a 2007 version on a bigger and better scale in turn providing more benefits along the way. The downfall with the 2006 calendar was that most of the promotion was only done through the Pugvillage Forums which although it has a reasonable sized membership is still a fairly small platform for advertising.

What I would like to do, if rescues are willing to participate, is to produce a new Pugs in Forever Homes Calendar that can be customized for each and every rescue. The main content of the calendar would be the same for each and every rescue, but the front cover would be customised for each individual rescue organisation. This would enable a "branded" style to be produced.

Content would once again be images of Pugs that have now been placed in the Forever Homes along with their name, the rescue organisation involved and a date. We could easily achieve 24 images per page - which allows for a reasonable amount of photos from each and every organisation that gets involved.

My time is, as always, given freely. No costs whatsoever will be incurred by anybody taking part in this project.

Comments would be appreciated on this. My move to the USA will mean I have some spare time on my hands when I arrive - and this would allow me to get my teeth into something worthwhile.

Other parts of the project could include the setting up and branding of CafePress stores for individual organisations who lack the knowhow. We need to generate revenue desperately for these people, they do a wondeful and worthwhile job.

You can contact me at richard [at] dennyandcharlie [dot] com for more information.

Pass the word around.... the more organisations we get involved, the more that will benefit.

Richard

Posted by Richard at 10:23 AM