A PUGTASTIC tea party for cute and cuddly canines went down a treat at the weekend.
Members of Facebook group Pug Community Swindon met at Triple Two Coffee in the Brunel Centre to show off their prize pooches.
Mongrel mochas, doggy Darjeelings and canine cappuccinos were the orders of the day as the adorable pups enjoyed a spot of Sunday afternoon socialising.
The event was organised by Lynne Kellow, who runs the Facebook group and is the secretary of pug charity the Pug Dog Welfare and Rescue Association.
Lynne said: “We are a group of pug owners who meet every now and then for walks around Lydiard and Shaw Forest.
“We held a Christmas party last year and we’re always looking to do fun things like this to bring people together.”
The group offers members advice and support about the pug breed and Sunday’s social was the very first coffee shop meet up.
Speaking about her love of pugs, Lynne said: “They are a very lovable and affectionate breed. They are a companion dog which means they like to be around people, and they are quite comical.
“Wherever you go with a pug, people will stop you and ask about it. But the dogs love the attention and people making a fuss over them.”
Group member Steph Smith has a three-year-old pug named Polly, and Steph had taken the time to make some croquet doggy accessories and little crochet pugs to help raise funds for the charity.
“Events like this are fantastic ways of making money for charity and of raising awareness about pugs,” she said.
“They are a lovely friendly dog but can be expensive to keep, and we are here to offer help and advice to people who are perhaps thinking of getting a pug.”
Acknowledging some of the controversial issues surrounding pug ownership, Lynne said: “They do have health issues, but as long as people are sensible and buy from reputable breeders there shouldn’t be any problems.
“Their numbers have exploded in the last 18 years because people are breeding them for money, which has caused a lot of issues”