Jennifer Mauceri, President, Southern Nevada Pug Rescue A pug’s best friend The depth of Jennifer Mauceri’s empathy is demonstrated with her full-time job at Nathan Adelson Hospice and volunteer work for the Southern Nevada Pug Rescue. At Nathan Adelson, Mauceri is the volunteer program manager managing 365 volunteers who, according to Mauceri, “are the most kind, unselfish and compassionate pe

Jennifer Mauceri, President, Southern Nevada Pug Rescue

A pug’s best friend

The depth of Jennifer Mauceri’s empathy is demonstrated with her full-time job at Nathan Adelson Hospice and volunteer work for the Southern Nevada Pug Rescue.

At Nathan Adelson, Mauceri is the volunteer program manager managing 365 volunteers who, according to Mauceri, “are the most kind, unselfish and compassionate people you could ever meet.”

As for rescuing pugs, it was her desire to give the gift of pets that led Mauceri to a pug rescue.

Mauceri explained, “I could help bring lots of love to a lot of families if I bred Banzai and Daisy (my pugs). So I got online to find out how to go about doing so and thankfully in some Google search “KC’s Pug Rescue” came up. Pug rescue? I had never heard of such a thing. I clicked on KC’s Pug Rescue page, read every single word on every single page and cried. I immediately called the vet and made both of my pugs’ appointments to be spayed and neutered the very next day. I then emailed KC’s (Pug) Rescue to find out how to get involved.”

A few months after her involvement, the founders of Pug Rescue announced they were leaving Las Vegas. Mauceri opened her home to a meeting of about 30 people (including the founders) and it was decided to continue the organization with the new name of Southern Nevada Pug Rescue.

“I think we all thought we would do some business paperwork, spend a couple hours a month saving some pugs, and that would be it,” she said. “We had no idea what we were in for!”

Since then, Mauceri has become the president of Southern Nevada Pug Rescue and volunteers with four other women who have all contributed to saving more than 525 pugs in six years.

Mauceri has advice for anyone considering adopting a pet: Think from a pet’s perspective. What would living in your home or apartment for a day be like for the pet? What will the pet do while you are away? How long are you away? What if the pet becomes disabled or medical expenses come up? Are you planning to start or add to your family? What if you have to move? Are you able to make a lifetime commitment?

As for adopting a pug, Mauceri explained, “Pugs are especially stubborn, strong-willed little creatures who don’t know that they are dogs. They are very people-oriented animals and need human companionship as often as possible. They are very smart but, because they are stubborn, can appear otherwise.” Mauceri also admits, “I jokingly tell people that pugs are a sickness and there is no cure. In fact, one of my favorite bumper stickers says, ‘My pug had me at woof.’”

Born in Colorado, Mauceri and her mother moved to Las Vegas when she was 5 years old and calls Las Vegas home. As for the person who most inspired her, Mauceri said, “My grandmother Ruth has always been, and will always be my inspiration. My hero really. She quietly has led our family by example and is the reason I am who I am today. She is the strongest woman I know and I love her with all of my heart. I could never repay her for the gift of courage she has given me.

As for her life today, Mauceri is grateful. “Nathan Adelson Hospice and Southern Nevada Pug Rescue help me find purpose in every single day and for that I am very blessed.” Spoken like a true Fearless Female.

Rewards of Fostering

 Piano Keys Mugzee, Sputters, Wrinkles, Taz & DexLast Saturday…  me, my hubby, Wrinkles, Sputters, Mugzee, Taz and Dex attended Pug-O-Rama 2010!  It was so awesome!  I know I say that word a lot!  But do you realize what I am feeling and how I am saying “AWESOME”!!!  Do yah?

Anyway I decided one morning when Taz wouldn’t stop giving me kisses, that Southern Nevada Pug Rescue needed a kissing booth this year!

So I made one!

It looked really good in my empty dinning room!

And it looked really good outside, after about the 3rd move.  We had to keep moving it because the wind kept blowing it over!  Ugggghhh!

Anyway… The reason I’m telling you this is because I thought I was supposed to give a speech… about fostering and how gratifying it is to me!  But as the day went on, the wind kept us ALL busy,  booths were blowing away and awnings were flying… it just didn’t happen!  So I’m going to tell you now!

About a year ago I learned about and organization named Southern Nevada Pug Rescue, it was by accident, or was it???

I went to one of my favorite places The Soggy Dog!  On their counter was a calendar with pugs, it was October already, the year was just about over, and the gal at the counter told me they were $1 donation that would go to Southern Nevada Pug Rescue.  The pictures were taken by a fantastic animal photographer, her name, Arica Dorff of Petographique!

As I flipped through the calendar I started to cry, almost uncontrollably!  I was overwhelmed by the fact that all of these people were working together, so hard to save pugs!  It was amazing!  I had never even heard of this before (what am I an ostrich with my head buried in the sand)?  They not only help pugs, but all kinds of animals in need of rescue and adoption! 

So I bought a bunch of calendars and started checking the website of SNPR.  So many nights my hubby would come home to find me crying my eyes out while I was reading the stories of how so many pugs were just thrown away, over used by a breeder, abandoned or abused!

It broke my heart!  I began to realize how heroic these people were that were out saving these pugs.  So for a long time I thought… and thought… and thought… about becoming a foster! 

My husband and I were just afraid that we would not be able to let them go?” Then one night he came home and there I was at the computer crying my eyes out.  In the last two weeks they had taken in 20 pugs!!!  And then it hit me… with out foster parents they could NOT survive! 

Fostering is a lot of fun!  I am not going to tell you that it is easy, as a matter of fact, sometimes it is down right hard when they get adopted.  So here is what I do…  I tell myself that they are cousins, coming for a visit, and like all company that comes for a visit they will have to leave, they will have to go home…  TO THEIR FOREVER HOME! 

I can not even begin to describe the feeling that you have when you see them with their new family!  It is sooooo AMAZING!  YOU!  Yes, YOU are their stepping stone into a new WONDERFUL LIFE, something they may have never known! You know that for once in their lives they are going to have a happy healthy home!  No more sitting on death row at the shelter, no more living outside in a cage, no more being kicked or abused!  Just LOVED like they love you!  Your heart feels so full.  We helped them! 

We have fostered 5 pugs so far, one of which is a foster failure!  LOL!  Meet our new boy Dex, he is 5!  He was saved from the shelter in the nick of time by Southern Nevada Pug Rescue.  The shelter said he was unadoptable, that he was geriatric!  Every time I look at his face I think about how they were just about to end his life.  Dex fit so perfect with our family, we could not let him go and adopted him right away.

I will be picking up my 6th foster on Tuesday, his name is Lucky!  Lucky is an understatement!  This little boy, who is about 5 was dumped at the shelter, with a growth on one of his toes about the size of a LIME!!!  Now I don’t know about you, but something the size of a lime on my toe would be huge, let alone on the toe of a pug!  We can’t wait to get Lucky here and be the stepping stone to his new forever home!

He is a lucky boy!  And I am so lucky to be fostering Lucky so that he can find his Forever Home.  What a Lover!

Update on Monday, February 14, 2011 by Diana Leonard

Well you may already know but Young and I foster failed on both Dex and Lucky!  We loved them so much we just could not let them go ;-)

Southern Nevada Pug Rescue

 Our mission is to rescue neglected, homeless, unwanted, sick or injured Pugs, rehabilitate them and place them in loving, permanent homes in the Southern Nevada area.