Adopting a Pug in Nottingham: rescues, costs and health

The live figure under the short answer counts Pugs and Pug crosses at the rescues we list in and around Nottingham, up to about 25 miles out. On 27 October 2026 it included an elderly Pug cross at Jerry Green Dog Rescue. Our Nottingham small dogs page shows other small breeds near the city.

The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association (PDWRA), a registered charity, takes applications from people over 21 living in England or Wales, outside parts of the South West. Three rules rule many people out: no full-time work away from home, no un-neutered dog already in the household (unless you agree to have it done), and insurance for the Pug, with PDWRA at present covering any pre-existing conditions. Applicants who pass a home visit join a waiting list, and a chosen adopter usually has to collect at very short notice. Payment goes by BACS bank transfer immediately before the adoption, and 5 weeks of free insurance is included.

Pug Life Rescue , also a registered charity, rehomes Pugs across the UK. Its Pugs can't be left on their own for more than three hours on a regular basis, and you begin with its adoption form.

The National Pug Protection Trust is a registered charity founded in 2020. It accepts applicants over 21 living in the UK or the Channel Islands, but not households with children under 5 or people away from home for more than 5 hours a day. Accepted applicants go on its list of potential adopters; when a dog fits, it arranges a virtual home check and then a virtual meet and greet with the foster carer.

None of the three charities' dogs appear on LocalPetFinder, so watch their own sites.

PDWRA links the rise in surrendered Pugs to the cost of living, higher vet bills included, on top of the life changes that always lead to dogs being given up. It now has more Pugs aged 7 and over, more bonded pairs and more with behavioural or special needs, and asks adopters to be open to all three.

The National Pug Protection Trust's recommended donation for a Pug of 3 to 5 is £400, level with the floor of Blue Cross's £400 to £3,000 puppy prices, and older dogs come cheaper: down to £100 at PDWRA and the trust and £200 at Pug Life Rescue. Money is only part of it, though: PDWRA describes taking on a rescue Pug as a huge emotional and financial commitment, with many needing special care.

A bought puppy must be microchipped by law by 8 weeks old, so that cost is already covered, but neutering, boosters and insurance aren't. With a flat-faced breed the bigger bills can come later, which is why PDSA suggests budgeting or insuring for illness and injury.

The Pug is in Category 3 of The Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch, and the points its show judges must watch for include breathing difficulty, pinched nostrils, protruding eyes and skin fold dermatitis. The University of Cambridge BOAS group counts it among the flat-faced breeds whose shape can block the airway, though not every dog is affected. PDSA names these among the conditions to ask about:

• Breathing. BOAS, brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, comes from the short nose. Warning signs on PDSA's BOAS page include snoring, heavy panting at rest, disturbed sleep and difficulty in warm weather.
• Eyes and eyelids. Shallow eye sockets leave the eyes exposed to dry eye, infections, ulcers and injury, and eyelids can roll in or out.
• Brain and spine. Pug dog encephalitis (PDE) is a worsening brain disease that brings seizures, blindness and trouble walking, and hemivertebrae are malformed bones in the spine.

Size of home is not the issue: a flat is enough on The Royal Kennel Club's profile, and PDSA suggests up to an hour of exercise a day, split into shorter walks with play. Company is the bigger question. PDSA would rather a Pug wasn't left at all, and never for more than four hours; Pug Life Rescue's limit is three, the National Pug Protection Trust won't take people out for more than 5 hours a day, and PDWRA rules out full-time work outside the home.

Hot days need planning. Heat stroke is a higher risk for the breed, Dogs Trust warns, and long hikes may be beyond it, so keep summer outings to the cool of the morning and evening.

"Pug for sale" is searched far more than "Pug rescue" around Nottingham, but a rescue Pug isn't bought. You apply, the rescue or charity matches a dog to you, and you give its fee or donation; every Pug on our Nottingham Pug page is waiting for an adopter. PDWRA hopes applicants will consider older Pugs and pairs as readily as young ones.

Buying instead? PDSA advises choosing a Pug with a longer nose and fewer skin folds, and checking the puppy has had the relevant screening tests, and The Royal Kennel Club won't register merle Pugs. Its Find a puppy service lists litters, and an advert that looks like a scam should be passed to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud).