FAQs
Adopting
At this time, due to our volunteer resources, we are only able to adopt in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware and New York. Special circumstances will be considered case by case.
The first step is completing an adoption application. Once submitted, your personal and vet references will be checked. You will then be contacted by an APR volunteer. There will be a brief phone interview to discuss your household situation and what ages and kinds of dogs you’re interested in adopting. Then, a brief home visit will be arranged with a local volunteer. Once your application is approved, you will be placed on our approved adopter waiting list. Your application will remain active for two years.
APR charges adoption fees on a sliding scale to help cover our intake and medical costs. Some dogs in our care require surgery and have medical bills in the thousands. Even young dogs sometimes need to be spayed or neutered. All pugs adopted are vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and microchipped.
Adopting a pug isn’t just welcoming a dog into your life—it’s gaining a loyal, snuggly, and utterly charming best friend. Adoption fees are based on the dog’s age, health, and in some cases, medical costs incurred during their time with us. Fees can range from $150 to $700 based on age and health (a huge savings from the typical $3,000 breeder fee). Here’s how adoption fees vary by age, reflecting the unique needs and care provided to each pug:
Puppies (Under 1 Year): $500–$800
Puppies are bundles of joy, brimming with energy and endless curiosity. Their fees reflect the costs of early veterinary care, including vaccinations, spaying/neutering, and microchipping. Adopting a puppy means a lifetime of memories from their very first steps to their forever cuddles.
Young Adults (1–4 Years): $300–$650
Young adult pugs offer the perfect balance of playful energy and growing maturity. Many are already spayed/neutered and vaccinated, making them an easier transition into your home. They’re still young enough to learn new tricks and old enough to be your steady companion.
Adults (5–8 Years): $250–$500
Adult pugs are seasoned snuggle pros. They’re past the puppy stage but still have so much love to give. Reduced fees encourage adopters to consider these charming dogs, who often come with the bonus of being house-trained and well-mannered.
Seniors (9+ Years): $100–$300
Senior pugs are true gems, looking for a warm, loving home to enjoy their golden years. They’re calm, wise, and endlessly grateful. To help these sweet souls find their forever families, senior adoption fees are often lower. Though they may require ongoing medical care, their love and gratitude are boundless.
Special Considerations for Adoption Fees
Health Conditions: Pugs with specific medical needs may have reduced fees to help them find homes that can provide the care they deserve.
Special Needs: Pugs with disabilities or chronic conditions might have waived or significantly reduced fees, as their ultimate goal is finding a family that will cherish them unconditionally.
Adoption fees can be paid with cash, Venmo, Paypal (with 2% transaction fee), Cashapp, money order, or bank/cashier’s check. No personal checks are allowed.
No matter the age, every pug deserves a home filled with love, belly rubs, and cozy naps. Could your perfect pug companion be waiting for you? 🐾 Start your adoption journey today!
A home visit is an in-person (virtual if circumstances require) interview. Our trained volunteers will visit you to confirm all of the details on your application, including other pets in the home, safety, and fencing. Our goal is to ensure that our pugs are adopted to safe and loving forever homes.
An APR volunteer will contact you to let you know whether you have been approved to adopt a pug. Please be patient – we are all volunteers, you will be contacted.
Yes, APR will support our adoptive families. We encourage you to stay in touch with our adoption coordinators during the transition period and beyond. We love to stay connected with our pugs. And count on a volunteer to keep in touch with you!
Yes, you will be able to meet your prospective adoptive pug prior to committing. We will arrange with the foster to do a meet and greet.
Many pugs in our foster homes are house trained but we will let you know if your pug is not or is having issues. Sometimes leaving home, transitioning to a foster home, and then moving to the adoptive home is stressful and will cause dogs to regress in their training. Fosters will work with the pug on house training and communicate any recurring issues and the rescue will provide resources to help you re-establish training. We understand that housetraining is an issue for many so we work very hard to make sure your pug receives training during his foster time and you are equipped to help him during his transition to his forever home.
We do not release pugs to adopters without a full health screening, vaccinations, and microchip. However, health issues can occur at any time; especially in seniors, so we encourage you to ask questions. You will receive all medical records at the time of adoption.
The APR Adoption contract states you must return the pug into our care should you no longer be able to provide them a good home. Once an APR pug, always an APR pug. If you have any questions, please contact us here.
Appalachian Pug Rescue is an all-volunteer organization. We try to process your applications quickly, but sometimes, especially around holidays, we run behind. Also if a pug has any medical concerns, the process takes longer to evaluate their needs and find the best placement. If you have not heard back about your application, please contact us here.
Surrendering
We understand that circumstances can be such that families are unable to care for their dogs. We are committed to helping those pugs find new forever homes. The first step is completing our surrender/intake form. Once submitted, a volunteer will contact you to discuss your options.
At times, we may have a waiting period until a foster home does open. If it is an emergency, we will work with you to find a place for the dog to go.
Donations are always welcome, but we understand that sometimes financial circumstances are involved in a surrender. If you can donate, it does help us with our medical costs. If you cannot, we understand.
Yes, but we do ask that you be truthful so we can place the dog in the best foster home and get any needed treatment ASAP.
Yes, we provide any medical care that the pug may need. In some instances, a pug may be deemed to be best cared for in a hospice foster home, as palliative care is the best option. We work with our veterinary partners to make the best determination for the pug.
Fostering
The first step is completing our foster application. A volunteer will be in touch to complete your reference and home checks. You will then meet with the director to discuss the foster process and responsibilities. Once approved, you will be contacted when incoming pugs in your area are a good match.
In most cases this is allowed. It will be considered on a case by case basis.
You will be expected to keep the animal safe and secure, return it to APR when requested to do so, and not promise the animal to anyone, or imply that you have the authority to approve a potential adoption. APR retains ownership of all animals placed in foster care and will make all decisions regarding the adoption and placement of the animals fostered.
Unless otherwise arranged, the foster parent is responsible for providing all food, bedding, and toys for the animal while it is in their care at home. The foster parent is responsible for transporting the animals to and from veterinary appointments, surgery, behavior evaluations, vaccinations, etc., unless other arrangements are made in advance. The foster parent may also be responsible for transporting the animal to and from adoption events, and to off-site training classes, at the rescue’s discretion. The foster parent is also responsible for updating the rescue at least weekly on the animal’s condition and veterinary needs (if any).
A Foster Manual will be provided.
Fosters can have input into the adoption process as long as it is impartial.
Absolutely, the APR team and board, as well as other fosters will be there to help. You can contact us at any time! Your foster manual will detail the particulars.
Volunteering
We accept volunteers of all ages, but we do ask that volunteers be 25 or older to transport or foster. Younger volunteers are welcome to share their time and talents to help pugs.
There are lots of ways to help! We need people with marketing talent, computer skills, organization skills – you name it! You can make calls to check references or do home visits. You can transport pugs to and from foster homes or to vet appointments. We need many talents – it takes a village to save pugs. Click here to complete our volunteer form.
