Pug life: A South African woman has rescued more than 2,500 of the lovable 'clowns of the dog world'

[January 30, 2025]  By ALFONSO NQUNJANA

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Lots of hair shedding, tons of fun and a constant invasion of your personal space.

That's what you're going to get with a pug, according to Cheryl Gaw, who has seen more than a few of the squashed-nosed pups in her time.

Gaw has rescued more than 2,500 pugs in South Africa over the years after she and her husband sold their house, lived in a trailer home for a while and generally reset their lives to help as many dogs in need as they could.

They eventually established their Pug Rescue South Africa in Johannesburg in 2010 because of an overflowing number of dogs in their house. It was "never part of the plan" when they looked ahead to their retirement, said Gaw, who is 63. “Of course, the pugs won,” she added.

The center is currently home to nearly 200 pugs, the latest batch who have hit hard times and need a helping paw. Some of them were abandoned, some sick, and many were given up by owners who couldn't look after them anymore.

Gaw's pug life started in 2008 when her husband, Malcolm, gave her one as a gift. At a pug club, someone asked if they'd be interested in providing a foster home for “a couple” of pugs. In the first year, the Gaws provided a temporary home to 60 pugs and had 19 in their home at one point — too much fur for one small house.

“They are known as the clowns of the dog world, and they can make you laugh,” said Gaw, giving her own breed guide. “Always in your space. They’re just an amazing, lovable breed. And you always have hair on you.”

Cheryl Gaw plays with some of the 2,500 pugs she has rescued in South Africa at her home in Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alfonso Nqunjana)

The rescue center's staff do their best to keep order. The routine is: 5.15 a.m., the dogs wake up and come out of the cottages where they sleep in groups according to their “age and personality,” said Gaw. Then there's breakfast, medication for those that need it, bathtime, playtime, grooming time, midday snacks, afternoon rest, more playtime, evening meal, more medication, and all pugs back in their rooms between 6-7 p.m.

Fights occasionally break out. The veterinary bill for the center is nearly $40,000 a year, and it's a constant process of rescue, rehabilitation, and then trying to rehome them, with more pugs arriving all the time.

“The operation doesn’t stop,” said Gaw.

There is a reason why so many pugs need a new home. Their short muzzles, a mark of the breed, give rise to breathing problems and other health issues like eye and ear infections, she said. A pug’s vet costs are not to be sniffed at and Gaw warns prospective owners to do their homework and get a good pet insurance policy: “You’re going to need it.”

Many of the pugs have come to the Gaws because their owners can’t afford those vet bills. Be prepared for their problems, she said, and also the hair, which she can't stress enough.

“They shed an enormous amount of hair," she said. ”You can brush them all day long, they still shed."

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