Fiyero’s Adoption Story
Fiyero cuddling with his brother
💙ADOPTED❤️ April 4, 2024 — We rescued now 8yo Fiyero in Nov 2024. Relinquished to us by his owner, who had cancer, she originally adopted him from the shelter in May 2021. He was found on the streets of a rural village in a southern Korea. She was devastated to give him up but knew it was best for him given her own health. She had 2 other elderly pugs whom she kept bc of their age.
Fiyero’s eyes & skin were not good. White pugs tend to have more allergies & sensitive skin. Fiyero needed a home that could be attentive to his needs. We repaired his luxating patella & off he went to LA!
Let’s hear from his mom & dad:
“I first discovered Fiyero through a Pug Rescue of Korea IG post on Dec 24, 2024—which now feels a bit serendipitous. I didn’t know it at the time, but he turned out to be our Christmas miracle. On a whim, I commented, “Would love to know when he’s ready for adoption. Vader might want a buddy.”
We adopted Vader in Apr 2021 from PRK— and honestly, with 2 young kids, we never considered adding another dog to the mix. But I couldn’t resist Fiyero’s little face and the story of his original adoption and why his mom needed him to find a new family. Something in me just said, “This dog belongs with us.”
About 2 months later, Melody reached out to me to say that Fiyero was ready to travel to the States and asked whether we still wanted to adopt him. Suddenly, I got cold feet. I’m not sure I ever mentioned Fiyero to my husband, and I worried we might be adding more chaos to our lives. Instead, we offered to foster Fiyero with an adoption trial period. In hindsight, it was a ridiculous plan, because less than 24 hours after we picked him up from Asiana Airlines Cargo on 3/6/25, I knew we could never let him go. We all warmed up to him quickly—Ok, Vader took a little time, but we think he enjoys having a brother.
Fiyero requires some extra care & attention. Mostly blind, doctors think he may have a little vision in one eye, but his propensity to bump into things & lack of eye contact tell us otherwise. But he’s learned to navigate our home, and we think he needed a household w/another dog leading the way. His skin & allergy issues have improved, but he often wakes us at night, licking his paws (according to the internet, blind dogs lick more often to self-soothe). Fiyero rarely barks and is a very calm and sweet dog. It’s been incredibly special to see our boys’ bond with and care for him.
We decided not to change Fiyero’s name, because it felt like, with his lack of vision and all the change, it would be cruel for him to lose something that was a constant in his life for the last few years. But it is kind of funny to have a Vader and a Fiyero in a home where no one is a huge Star Wars ⭐ or Wicked fans 🧙🏻♀️. Sometimes they go by “Vades” and “Fi-Fi”.
It’s true we may have added slightly more chaos to our days, but that’s been offset by the tremendous love and affection Fiyero brought to our home. We are so grateful to PRK for bringing him to us and we’re committed to giving him the best life possible.”
Thank you for opening up your home and hearts to “Fi-Fi!” We are comforted knowing what great hands he’s in. 💖☺️🐾