This is a testament to the dangers of overfeeding your pet. There are many stories of neglect, abuse and abandonment. For Sunny and Rosie, their previous owner's real fault was loving the two sisters through food. Chubby pugs might seem adorable to some, but at over thirty pounds each (when normal weight is under twenty for a female Pug), the extra weight was literally killing them, one mouthful at a time. Fortunately, Pug Nation stepped in, put the girls on a strict diet, and soon found them a loving, healthy forever home.
Sunny and Rosie are purebred, fawn colored Pugs. Their previous owner had taken care of the pugs, but when work took her out of state and away from her dogs, she entrusted the sisters in the care of her mother. Days turned into weeks, which turned into months as time passed. When their original owner returned home for a visit, she was surprised and then horrified at what had happened.
Her mother had been overfeeding Sunny and Rosie, and her pugs had ballooned in size. It is unclear whether she was giving them treats, handouts from the dinner table, or just too much food.
Sunny and Rosie's weight swelled to over thirty pounds each and their health was in decline.
The owner had to return to her job out of state. She knew she could not leave Sunny and Rosie with her mother, so she did the most responsible thing she could. She relinquished them to Pug Nation, a rescue based in Los Angeles, California.
Pug Nation knew they had a long haul ahead of them. At four years old, the bonded sisters are considered young, in their prime and should be agile and lively. But upon first intake Sunny and Rosie struggled to walk. The excess weight was literally weighing them down. When they would walk, it would be in short bursts and then they would need to sit or lay down. Even standing took a toll on their legs. But that wasn't all...
Rosie had bladder stones from the kind of food she had been fed. She underwent surgery to have them removed, but what she really needed was a change in diet to keep their health issues under control. The sisters were put on a strict, portion-controlled diet to reduce the risk of bladder stones and promote weight loss, and ... It worked!
One year later, Sunny and Rosie have rebounded. From over thirty pounds each, the girls are now at a healthy twenty pounds each. Look at Rosie's dramatic before and after!
Pug Nation also found the girls a loving home with Teri who maintains their diet, exercises them daily, and knows that food isn't love. Her new "Buddha bears" have changed her life providing the kind of "unconditional love" that only a dog can give.
Today Sunny and Rosie have a spring in their step and they are able to walk, run, and play. These are two girls that just want to have fun.
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