National Pug Day: Koukla

Happy National Pug Day!  Today’s featured photographer is a big fan of Pugs!  Joline Richard owns and operates Two Pugs Studio, so it is no surprise that her first submission to  Daily Dog Tag is an adorable Pug.  

From Joline:  “Donna and Nick are very involved in the Pug Rescue of New England (PRoNE) as am I. They help out at all the fundraisers, have opened their home and hearts to dogs through fostering and Donna volunteers through PRoNE as the adoption manager and oversees all the incoming applications for available pugs and tries to find the best homes for all the pugs that come into the rescue. They are the best people and I have been honored to work closely with them for years and was even more honored when they asked me to take photos of their beloved Koukla just last month.

 I met Donna and Nick two years ago when I started volunteering my time for PRoNE and have photographed their adorable spitfire of a pug Koukla twice before when doing the fundraiser events at the Pug Meetups and the Pug Social. Donna and Nick adopted Koukla through PRoNE; she is what pug rescuers call an adoption fail as both Donna and Nick fell in love with her when they were fostering her and adopted her right away!

She is a great little pug and is fun and welcoming to all the pugs that come to stay at her house until they find their forever home.They reached out to me because they wanted photos of Koukla in a more natural and relaxed environment since she can be easily distracted and needed more one on one attention. We picked the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain for its quiet and beautiful surroundings and its diversity. Koukla did a great job despite getting distracted by another couple and a passing squirrel but was such a cutie and paid attention well.

It was a very hot day so that tongue definitely came out a lot. Overall it was a great afternoon with a great family.”

From Donna:  “Koukla came into PRoNE as Chloe at 7 months of age, and Nick and I became her fosters. Her previous owner was 19 and could not handle her energy.  Nick and I started fostering in March 2012, we had lost our pug in November 2011 and didn’t know what we wanted to do in regards to inviting another pet into our home as it was so hard on us losing our Koko. So fostering we did, and we had about 7 fosters before “Koukla” came into PRoNE. The next day we review her medical records and saw that she was born on the same day that we had to put our Koko down. So we knew she was meant to be with us. We talked to the managers at PRoNE to see if we could adopt her. Once the adoption was cleared we change her name to Koukla in Greek, that means “little doll.” Koukla has brought so much to our lives, we just love her to death, and she is such a character.

She still has the energy as she did that first day she was in our home. As Nick and I continue to foster, Koukla soon became the ambassador of the fosters. She has gotten along with every foster we have had and enjoys playing with each one as each foster has different mobility and personality.  She has learned to adjust to each of their needs. PRoNE is a very well run organization and now that has become our passion. The people that we have met through PRoNE are just amazing (like Joline), and I am glad to call them our friends. PRoNE has many guidelines and procedures we have to follow as volunteers and for those who apply for adoption.

Though some think it is over the top, we feel this is what is needed to find that forever home for the surrender pug that came into rescue so that they will have the best pug life ever.”

You can see more Pugs and other great dogs by following Two Pugs Studio on Facebook.  If you are interested in adopting a Pug of your own, check out these adoptable Pugs.

About Two Pugs Studio:  Based in Boston, MA, Joline Richard specializes in environmental pet photography and wedding photography.  She volunteers photographing for Pug Rescue of New England, and has two Pugs of her own.