Day 17
Hmmm … if someone asked me if I knew how to oil wrinkles I’d tell them, “Sure … I oil my own nightly. I’m a pro at this!”
Seriously, if putting WD-40 on them would make them less apparent, I’d do so.
But what if that person was not talking about my OWN wrinkles … but those of a pug? Or to put it precisely … nose wrinkles … on 90 pugs?
This past weekend I volunteered at a “Pug Tune-up” for the CO Pug Rescue group. For a $10 donation a human brought their pugster in for a nice spa treatment where the puggy got ears cleaned, nails trimmed, wrinkles washed and oiled, a light massage, nose balmed, a good de-shedding brushing, and a treat! What a deal! And, when waiting his/her turn for the spa treatment the darling had the opportunity to cavort and play with 89 other puglets!
Early on I made the “mistake” of kneeling down to pet an old pug tottering by. Instantly pugs were all over me … licking, climbing, fawning over me for attention! It was like that commercial from awhile back when all the puppies climbed over the giggling child – except, at that moment, I was the giggling child! It was HEAVEN! Word to the unaware: if you don’t want pugs climbing all over you – don’t bend down when they’re nearby! They’re very social and affectionate!
I have never seen so many pugs, in one place, at one time. It was Pug Paradise!
So, there I was for 3 hours on Sunday – the official Ear Cleaner and Wrinkle Oiler. (Try saying that 3 times fast!) I don’t know if all 90 got spa treatments or how many pugs actually came to my table … but there were many and most were typically puggy in their cuteness … big eyes bulging, pug-mugs gleaming with snot. Lovely!
Most didn’t mind the ear cleaning (a crumbled treat under the chin was the key to success) and wiping out and oiling the nose wrinkles was fairly easy and the dab of balm on the nose and the light body massage before they went off to play was most welcome. I was thanked, more than once, by PDPA (public displays of puggy affection) … slurpy kisses all over my face! A little slobber never hurt anyone!
The youngest pug was a mere 4 months old – a darling baby that I wanted to pug-nap so badly! Who would have noticed me smuggling her out in my sweater!? The oldest was 15. He was a big beauty of a guy and lovely in all his stuffed animal perfection. And then there were all the other pugs … big, roly-poly, chunk-meisters (desperately needing a diet), the ones that were just BIG BONED (always my favorite personal excuse) and larger in build and size, the ones that were petite and on the thin side (it’s odd to see a thin pug – recent rescues?) and the rest were just normal-sized goofball-let’s-go-play pugs. And (phew) I didn’t adopt anyone or bring home a foster!
When I arrived home, my critters thought I smelled fantastic as I was given a very excited full body sniff-down by everyone … pugs, lab and cats! But when I said, “Let’s oil some wrinkles!”- everyone disappeared to the far corners of the Earth (or house). I should say that more often – I sat down and had the whole couch to myself!