Pug Rescue of Korea

06/05/2026

💙ADOPTED❤️ Aug 20, 2025 – Franny was an owner surrender who we rescued in March 2025. Her owner gave birth to a baby, and they believe they could no longer care for Franny.

Our rescuer, Kim, fostered her while in Korea: “Every morning at 6am, she stares my face only with 2 inches distance. 6:30 am wakes me up with kissing. You can feel her breathing from 6 am. No more morning wake-up call needed if you live with Franny. I feel like she does not know how to play with toys and humans.”

We got her elongated soft palate surgery and removed a mass from her spleen.

In late July 2025, she flew with a flight volunteer (thank you!) to LA, where (thanks Holly!) fostered her until August, when the Alt Family adopted her! Incidentally, their adult daughter, Elizabeth, had just adopted Bert (fka Muppet) from us!

From her dad, Leo:

“Franny is a great little dog. She is very affectionate. Loves to sit on my lap or with my wife. In the months we have had her, she has not had one accident in the house. A real bonus.

At first, she ate like a savage. I could hardly get the bowl down, and she was reaching for it out of my hand. After 2 months, she realized that her next meal was not in jeopardy so she would eat as much as she wanted and when she wanted.

I always had big dogs before, like Goldens, but she is a joy. Franny is also easy for my wife to walk since she does not pull. My wife has disability with her right arm so this is a real plus. My wife also loves Franny. They are like glue all day. I love this little dog, especially since I am also getting older.”

Congratulations to the Alts! 💕

Pictured: Leo wrapped up in a blanket featuring Franny that his kids had made for him for Christmas. She's clearly a Chicago Bears fan now!

06/04/2026

Who’s ready for some snorting and stretching? 🙋🏽‍♀️ We’re getting excited about our Pug Yoga event, which is about 3 weeks away!

This class will be led by a certified instructor, but don’t be intimidated (or expect serious yoga, for that matter)!

Pugs will be roaming around you, under you, and on top of you! The Type A pugs will demonstrate the right way to downward dog, while the Type B pugs will lie down right underneath your downward dog for a snooze.

It’ll be a morning of entertainment, laughs, and cuddly pugs!

100% of proceeds help Pug Rescue of Korea cover vet bills of our rescued pugs.

We offer 2 ticket levels, one of which includes this exclusive “Pug Flow” yoga block, designed by the talented (who actually founded Pug Rescue of Korea in the US!).

📆 Saturday, June 27, 2026
🕙10am – 11am
📍Sports Basement, 2100 North Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach CA

➡️ BUY TICKETS:
https://pug-rescue-korea.betterworld.org/events/pug-flow

🙏🏻 A big snorty thanks to , YogaSix, Renee Pulve, and for donating their space, time, and talent to help the pugs!
Pictured: Some pugs whose vet bills we’re raising money for! Homer, Rumi, Gigil, Roux, Domino, Monk, Iris, Meadow, & Dumpling.

06/04/2026

💙ADOPTED❤️ Dec 8, 2025 – Imagine you’ve been living with your dad all your life. Then, one day, he tells you he’s going on a trip, and in the meantime, you’re gonna stay with his coworker. But then he never comes back. 😔

That’s what happened to Mateo (fka Grits), now 5yo. 😞

Mateo’s original owner was a Chinese factory laborer working in Korea. When he went back to China for a visit, he left Mateo with a coworker. Both men worked very long hours in the factory, which affected their care of Grits – he was very thin. When his owner didn’t return to Korea, the coworker posted Mateo on a website, and that’s how we got him.

Rescued in Apr 2025, Mateo was malnourished, infected with heartworm and Giardia, and suffered from breathing problems. We brought him back to good health, including BOAS surgery and a staphylectomy, and in Dec, he was ready to leave Korea for the US to meet his forever family, the Correias (they adopted Gio, fka Stitch, whom we rescued and whom we gave to Pug Rescue of New England to find his forever home!).

From his mom, Tracey:

“Initially, we weren’t looking for a fourth pug, but after coming across Mateo’s listing on the page for Pug Rescue of Korea, we simply couldn’t resist. Mateo’s sweet, soul-filled eyes immediately caught our attention, and after reading his bio, we knew he would be perfect for both our family and our grumble.

“The only obstacle was getting Mateo from California (where he landed from Korea) to Massachusetts. PRK coordinated a short foster stay for him in California, and a few days later, my husband flew out to pick him up. When he FaceTimed me from the airport right after meeting Mateo, he could barely speak because Mateo was showering his face and neck with endless kisses. It was as if Mateo instantly knew he had found his new family. He was an angel on the plane and slept through most of the red-eye flight home.

“Mateo is truly the sweetest, gentlest soul. He has the most beautiful eyes and uses them to stare right into yours. Every night, he sleeps in bed under the covers, cuddled close to my 13-year-old son, whom he has clearly claimed as his person. He follows him everywhere around the house. Mateo has seamlessly become part of our grumble and gets along wonderfully with our other dogs.

“He also has such a “voice” and is incredibly vocal with his little purrs and noises — it’s absolutely adorable. Mateo LOVES going on walks, and when he walks, he’s all business: straight ahead with barely any stopping to sniff.

“Mateo is such a smart boy. He has quickly learned our routines and the ways of our grumble. He does so many adorable things, like tucking his paws underneath himself when he lays down. He also stands up on his hind legs while we prepare his dinner on the counter, as if he’s supervising everything. Mateo even knows commands in Korean. His favorite is giving paw — or double paws! He also responds to ‘come,’ ‘sit,’ and ‘lay down’ in Korean.

“Our home and family truly feel complete with Mateo in them. We are so grateful to Pug Rescue of Korea for saving him, and we are honored to give another Korean pug a loving home.”

Thank you to for temp fostering him in the Bay Area. Thank you to Kristin Barnes for fostering Mateo in Korea! And, last but not least, thanks to Oatmeal’s parents for helping bring him to the US! 💕

P.S. Thanks to Pug Rescue of New England for introducing us to this lovely family 🥰

06/02/2026

🥠 PANDA EXPRESS FUNDRAISER TO HELP PUGS!

On Thursday, June 18, 2026, Panda Express locations nationwide are hosting a virtual fundraiser where 28% of sales will benefit Pug Rescue of Korea!

Here’s how:

🥡 Simply place your order online for pickup or delivery at www.pandaexpress.com or through the Panda Express app

🥡 Apply the fundraiser code 9015748 in the Fundraiser Code box during online checkout.

Our last 2 Panda Express fundraisers raised an avg of $390 each. Let’s try to beat that! 💪

Save the date! June 18 💖🐾

06/01/2026

Thoughts on a brindle grumble??

🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

Meet the Pie Grumble, which Pumpkin Pie (fka Josephine) 호박님 , officially joined on March 8! Moonpie 호박님 and Chocopie have welcomed their new sister with open arms and we just love seeing photos of this very unique and attractive family 🖤🤎🤍

Thank you to for temp fostering Pumpkin Pie until her new family could pick her up!

(More on her adoption later!)

05/29/2026

🎊 GOTCHA DAY🎊 Today Toro (now named Taro) went home to Chicago with his forever mom!

Diana traveled to LA to pick up her new family member. Don’t they look so cute together 💖

Thank you to for being a loving landing spot for him the past 2 months! Thanks to for temporarily fostering him and delivering him to Diana at LAX! We hope Morey didn’t teach him to eat worms 🪱 hahaha.

05/28/2026

💙ADOPTED❤️Nov 12, 2025 – Now 5yo Bert and his Pomeranian sister, Gigil (she’s still avail for adoption!), were surrendered to us in April 2025. Bert flew from Korea to LA in late July with a flight volunteer (thank you 💙).

Our friends have always promoted our pugs to their network in Wisconsin, and finally someone bit! We knew Miranda & Jeff were perfect – they have a pug named Nug (we love a rhyme), and heck, they run the Milwaukee pug meetup group !

Let’s hear from them:

“For several months, we were thinking about adding a second Pug to our family, and when we saw the photo of Bert, it was love at first sight! Our friends had recently shared their wonderful experiences of adopting from Pug Rescue of Korea, so we jumped at the opportunity to bring Bert home to Wisconsin! We were absolutely obsessed with Bert’s little tongue and teefs in the photos and have come to learn he’s a very expressive guy, often making us laugh w/his silly faces & noises.

Bert is both easygoing & enthusiastic. He’s a very curious pug and overall, such a happy boy. He loves adventures outside, greeting everyone, falling asleep in our arms or laps, being Dad’s shadow, and especially mealtime. Bert Bert has definitely brought more fun into our lives with his playful energy, and he’s adjusted so well with the help of his new older brother Nug. Bert will often follow whatever his brother is doing, and it’s the sweetest thing. They have fun together, and Bert has learned more patience for all the videos/pics Mom takes for their Pug-stagram .

We love him so very much and can’t imagine life without him! We are so grateful to our friends who shared about the Rescue and welcomed Bert to WI with so much love, all the PRK team who took in this sweet boy and got him safely to the USA, and Bert’s foster parents in LA who gave him all the love and care until we picked him up. He’s always full of joy and our hearts are full knowing we’re giving him the greatest life.”

Thank you to the Wai and Wang families for fostering Bert in LA until he could find his forever home!

Congrats to Bert & his family! 💖

05/26/2026

More about Calzone, who we rescued and was adopted through Pug Rescue of New England

Calzone is home and what a home it is. We are all so happy to report that this very special boy who made it here all the way from Korea has landed in his best possible family. He joins PRoNE alumni Gizmo (center) and Molly, who is already quite smitten with him (who can blame her?) Calzones new parents are seasoned pug people with many years of experience loving and caring for many pugs. We know that he will have everything he could possibly need and at the top of that list is love. Thank you to every person who helped this boy get to where he is today. It truly does take a village. In this case, an international village!

05/26/2026

🪷Join us for a morning of movement surrounded by pugs! Led by a certified instructor, this class is all about having fun while supporting a life-saving mission.

100% of proceeds help Pug Rescue of Korea fly rescued pugs from South Korea to the US.

🙏🏻 Special thanks to for donating the venue space and YogaSix for donating the instruction! Thank you to Pugnacious Pins for designing our graphic with the very flexible pug!

🎟️ Choose Your Ticket Tier
Space is strictly limited to 40 mats total. Choose from:

1. Standard Savasana Admission — $40
Includes entry to the 1-hour yoga class led by a YogaSix instructor, plenty of pug socialization, and a commemorative event sticker.

2. The "Pug Flow" Bundle (VIP Keepsake) — $75
Only 20 spots available! Get the ultimate event souvenir. This premium tier includes your class entry, the event sticker, and an exclusive custom yoga block featuring our limited-edition "Pug Flow" event graphic.

🐕 Important "Pug-ulations" (Rules)
To ensure safety and respect for our host's space, so we can get invited back, please note:

- Limit 1 Pug Per Attendee: Due to space constraints, we must limit registration to one pug companion per human ticket.
- Belly Bands or Diapers are REQUIRED: All attending dogs must wear a belly band or diaper at all times while inside the venue. No exceptions!

What to Bring: Please bring your own yoga mat, a water bottle, and a belly band/diaper.

BUY YOUR TICKET: https://pug-rescue-korea.betterworld.org/events/pug-flow

05/26/2026

✈️ Are you flying from Korea to the US this year 🇰🇷 ➡️ 🇺🇸? We need FLIGHT VOLUNTEERS to fly with our smallest dogs, who can fit in-cabin (under the seatback in front of you).

Transporting our pugs to the US has become very challenging, so, to a certain extent, we are relying on volunteers to bring our dogs in-cabin.

Specifically, Meadow, the pug, and Gigil, the Pomeranian, are looking for flight volunteers!

By flying with our rescue pug, you would help alleviate pressure for us to find foster families in Korea, freeing up foster family availability, including in our rescuer’s home. It also helps get these dogs to their forever families sooner.

You ask, “What do I need to do?”

Just message us with your flight info: dates, arrival city, and airline. And, then we’ll go from there.

We will make the flying process easy for you!

💙 We pay for the pet ticket.
❤️ Our shipper meets you at the check-in counter at the airport with the dog ready to go in their carrier and with extra supplies to keep them comfortable.
💙 On the US side, a volunteer/fosterer/adopter will meet you at baggage claim to pick up the pug.
❤️ Everyone wins!! 🥳

Please DM or email us and we can chat more. [email protected]

Pictured: Meadow and Gigil