Part gathering, part rescue, Pug Sunday in Chico got its start in 2001 when local pug lover Sandi Castellano, who'd heard about the famed Pug Sunday in Alta Plaza in San Francisco, got together with another pug owner in the area and decided to see if there was any interest in a similar gathering. The first event drew 14 pugs and their owners; the second, a month later, brought in 45 pugs and 75 humans—many of whom admitted they didn't actually have a dog, they were just there to check out the pugs.
Pug Sunday in Chico incorporated as a 501(c)3 organization a few months later, and in between the monthly fun of the First Sunday gatherings has been pitching in to rescue pugs in need—23 last year. Sandi, who's taken in four rescue pugs of her own, says they're always looking for more foster homes, as it's the foster homes who make it possible to take in pugs who land in shelters or whose owners can no longer care for them.
Currently in foster care and looking for a home is 5-year-old Hank, who's very sweet–unless you're a chicken. His penchant for poultry got him in trouble in his previous home, so he should live indoors, in a henhouse-free zone. He loves people, is great with kids and dogs, and he'll be at this weekend's Pug Sunday if you'd like to come meet him.
