There is an email titled “screen cleaner” that is being forwarded faster than a speeding bullet.  It features a pug dog licking a computer screen from the inside.  The popularity of this email confirms the popularity of this breed, which is one reason that the Southeast Pug Rescue & Adoption, Inc. (SEPRA) is holding a shopping fundraiser on Saturday, March 1, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., at the Precious Pets boutique, located at 9 South Peachtree St., in Historic Norcross.

Fundraising takes place three ways.  First, because SEPRA volunteers work in the store helping to sell product and greet customers, Precious Pets gives SEPRA 20% of the total sales before taxes for the day worked.  In addition, shoppers can buy items provided by SEPRA with the organization’s name and logo on them, such as PugFest t-shirts, mouse pads, static clings and bumper stickers, with all proceeds from those sales going to SEPRA.  Lastly, people can drop dollar bills and loose change into SEPRA’s donation jar.

In addition to raising money for the care of rescued pugs and pug mixes alike, the fundraiser gives shoppers a chance to learn about the breed and the pugs’ personalities and traits.  SEPRA will have a few foster pugs on site for learning (but NOT adoption, because SEPRA requires applications and rigorous home checks first), and people can learn how to become foster or adoptive parents and how to volunteer for other fundraisers.

Brenda Megel, president of SEPRA, says this fundraiser is so crucial to the organization because, “We recently took in Odie, a pug puppy that had been in an accident and broke his back.  We have spent about $9,000 on surgery at a veterinary specialist for this little guy, and now are hopeful that he will walk again.  Donations to SEPRA at this time will help defray the cost of Odie’s surgery, as well as help support all of the other pugs we have in rescue.”

Currently SEPRA has 38 pugs in foster care, two pugs in hospice foster care (SEPRA pays all hospice vet bills for the life of the pug), one pug still pending with owner and four pugs in boarding, equaling a total of 45 pugs.  Odie, and other SEPRA pugs, accept virtual fosters.  Secure donations to Odie and SEPRA can be made online at www.rescuepug.com.

For more information on this fundraiser, call 770-887-9741, or email randi@rescuepug.com.  To learn more about the store and other events held by Precious Pets, call 770-416-7387, or visit www.preciouspetsga.com.

SEPRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that rescues, fosters and adopts out pugs and pug mixes.  The organization is a fully licensed shelter by the Department of Agriculture; however, SEPRA does work solely out of private foster homes.  The organization is run exclusively by volunteers, and, therefore, every dollar donated to or raised by SEPRA goes directly to rescues and administrative fees.  SEPRA hosts a website that features adoption, foster, volunteer and donation information and applications, new news, pug health warnings, pug photos and a marketplace.  For more information, visit www.rescuepug.com, or call 770-887-9741.