The End of an Era is Nigh...

This morning I received a very important email from a woman who volunteers with PROS, a pug rescue organization. As some of you may recall, a while back I posted about how neglected our two pugs had been since the birth of M and Z. Well, that post got me to thinking. And then eventually it got K to thinking. Which prompted us to start having a conversation about the situation. Until eventually, after a lot of stalling and hemming and hawing, it dawned on us that Lucie and Edgar were leading a pretty shitty life (at least as far as a pure bred pug is concerned) and deserved a whole lot better.

So back to the important email.

This Saturday, while M and I are heading off to see yet another Disney on Ice show (note to self: see if there is any way to smuggle alcohol in and don't forget 1) jacket, 2) earplugs), K and Z will be packing Lucie and Edgar and all their various accoutrements into our Honda CRV and making the 30 minute trek up to Fremont where they will meet with a volunteer from PROS. Said volunteer will exchange paperwork with K, help him load Lu and Ed into her car, and drive off with them into the sunset. Actually, she'll be driving up to Sacramento where our guys will be placed in a foster home, given a careful evaluation by a breed-specific veterinarian, showered with love and any medical care/social skills refresher courses they may need, and eventually released into the permanent care of a brand new (and much improved) family.

My feelings are, as you might imagine, rather mixed. The pugs have been with us for almost six years. They were our kids before we had M and Z. But of those six years, they spent the last three or so getting minimal attention from us. And then when K and I lost our jobs last year and began cutting back on our expenses, we realized we just couldn't afford to provide for Lu and Ed the way they deserved and needed. Pugs are a wonderful breed but not without a bevvy of problems which include dry eyes, skin allergies, hip dysplasia, incontenence, and more. And then there's the whole shedding thing. Followed, of course, by the fact that they should be indoor-only dogs because they cannot tolerate extreme temperatures. Aside from all that, it also doesn't help that both our kids run screaming whenever the dogs are allowed indoors (which, obviously, isn't often).

So while I feel sad to see them go and guilty that it had to come to this....I confess to feeling not a little relieved that they are going to go to a new family who LOVES pugs. Because let's face it....you don't adopt two six-year old pugs unless you are a die-hard pug fanatic.

Anyway, I dedicate this post to Lu and Ed, who will almost certainly not spare a second thought to our family once they get settled in their foster home. Nor should they. You guys deserved better!! May you live out the remainder of your lives being spoiled rotten and overindulged. And may your new family a) find Lucie's obsessive, nervous air licking habit cute and b) Edgar's desire to pee on area rugs, laundry piles, throw pillows, pretty much anything on the floor, par for the course.

Here's to you, my little wrinkly friends!