Meet Phoenix, one of Pug Rescue's newest additions. Phoenix has a heart wrenching story, but we're hoping to help him find his very own Happily Ever After. Perhaps Phoenix might just be your new best friend - here is his story, as told by Phoenix himself...

My name is Phoenix. It used to be Otis, but that name has bad memories for me, so now I have a new name and a new life. My new name means to rise from the ashes and be re-born and that's where I am - rising from the ashes.

I am blind, but that's okay because I see with my heart. I have a very big and forgiving heart. I am just two years old, but in those two years I've had a lot of pain and neglect so now I just want to be a loved Pug in a home that will give me security, stability and love.

Here is my story, you'd better grab a tissue:

I had an owner once, but he didn't care for me. He kept me out in the yard, all by myself. He didn't cuddle me or love me. When I was about a year old, I got lost or ran away. Bad things happened to me and I ended up at the shelter in Riverside. My eyes were both punctured, and I was in extreme pain. They wrote in my notes how I huddled in the back of the cage in fear and agony. I could not see from my injured eyes and they hurt me SO BAD.

My owner came and got me, and promised to take me to the vet... but he never did. He just shoved me back in the yard and left me in pain. Slowly my wounds healed, but my eyesight was lost forever.

Recently I escaped again and returned to the same shelter I went to before. This time my owner didn't come for me. He said he didn't want me anymore, but I'm glad, because he didn't love me. Now I have a new life and a new chance. A very kind lady came and got me out, and I much prefer her gentle touch to being in the yard by myself. I am already making lots of new friends and learning how to be a house dog. The beds they have here are great!

They tell me I am a beautiful boy, a light apricot fawn with very soft fur. I am busy and active and set about learning the floor plan in my foster home right away. The other dogs are nice, but I'm not too interested in them yet. I get very happy when I find a person, I spin in happy circles and really love a scratch or pet. I will sit on your lap for a moment, but soon I'm off to explore some more.

People may not have been nice to me before, but I still love everyone I meet, my heart is as big as they come. Because I was never in the house, I am not housetrained so my new people will need to help me learn good house manners. I make funny little gruff noises, but don't really bark. They are afraid I was de-barked at some point. I'm sure when the vet sees me they will tell all of you what has happened to me and what I've lived through in my short two years.

I'm so excited to start my new life... can anyone find a way to love the boy who sees with his heart?

With well over 100 Pugs taken in already this year, Pug Rescue fosters have been hard at work cuddling, snuggling, and kissing some really awesome foster Pugs. Even with all the wonderful foster families, there are more Pugs coming in almost daily, and we NEED more foster parents! What does a foster parent do? Well, you provide a temporary home for one of our little Pugs, you love them, feed them, bathe them, and help them pick out the best forever family they could ever hope for. And sometimes, you "flunk" fostering, and end up with a wonderful new Pug of your own! Either way, it's a win-win situation. Not to worry, lots of us are foster parent flunkies, and we couldn't be happier!

Foster parents are the heartbeat of our organization, we can't rescue Pugs unless they have someplace to rest their paws, maybe recover from surgery, play with new friends, and hang out at while we search for their forever family. Fostering can be a short or long term commitment, sometimes you may only have a Pug for a few days, sometimes a few weeks or months.

If you can find room in your home and heart to foster a special little dog who has been abandoned, join us! Become a foster parent! You'll be glad you did and we'll be thrilled to have you.

Find out more, fill out a Foster Application, or contact our Adoptions and Medical Administrator, Suzi Schutzman.