Pug Love

My son loves pugs.  He and his wife recently adopted one from Austin Pug Rescue in Austin, TX where they live.  They named him Samwise (my son loves Lord of the Rings too!) -- but they call him Sam for short.

Sam (photo by Ashley Lowrie)

Sam is 5 years old and a loveable little guy.  Most of the dogs at this rescue center are adult pugs and pug mixes.  Occasionally they have puppies to adopt (they actually do have some at the moment), but most of the rescue dogs are adults. Some of the dogs there have been abused, and others were simply abandoned.  The desire of this agency is to find loving families to adopt these dogs.  This group also tries to find foster families for dogs waiting to be adopted.

A couple months after Sam became “family",  they decided to try their hand at fostering too.  When they found out a temporary foster family was needed for a couple of weeks, Gene came to visit. 

Meet Gene (photo by Daniel Lowrie)

Gene was not your typical looking Pug.  He had a slight irregularity that made him different than most Pugs.  He had a LONG tongue .  It was so long that he couldn’t put all the way in his mouth.  It just kind of hung there ---- on the side of his face ---- in an endearing kind of way!  It’s a genetic thing.  He was born that way and people stare, giggle, and perhaps sometimes even wonder what’s wrong with the little guy.  When I first saw a picture of him, my initial response was “Oh, bless his little heart”.  (For those of you who do not live in the south, the phrase “bless your (his/her) heart” usually involves an unpleasant situation that you’re trying to soften. It’s a way of empathizing while being thankful that it's them and not you!)

That got me thinking.  When I look at myself, I want to think I look like Sam (in the human sort of way).  You know, "normal", cute, fun, loveable, someone people look and at and think, "she's got it all together."  In reality though, I often feel like Gene looks -- a little "different", pathetic, and needy.  It's genetic!  We humans were all born looking this way.  We ARE pathetic (we are born with a sin nature).  We ARE needy.  We NEED love and acceptance. 

I am thankful that when God looks at me and sees "Gene",  He loves me anyway!  I didn't have to get my act together and look or act a certain way before God adopted me. He decided to do that long before I was even born! Though my tongue still hangs out the side of my mouth regularly, He shows me mercy and meets my needs anyway.  He calls me His daughter and loves me just the same. Though I still feel like I look like Gene most of the time, He loves me in spite of that -- and maybe even BECAUSE of that!  And I am grateful!

For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world,

to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted

through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will,

to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:4-6

After spending three weeks with Gene, my son had to give him back to his foster family.  It was hard for him to say good-bye.  He came to love that "odd" little guy and hopes that one day he will find a family that will adopt him and love him forever.  I do too!

Sam and Gene (photo by Daniel Lowrie)

P.S. I just checked the website and he is still available on pg. 2 under the adopt tab/available pugs if you want to give him a loving home!