In loving memory of Lillie, Maxine, Henry and Maggie

“Pugs are like potato chips — you can’t have just one,” BJ Hansen says when explaining why she and her husband, Steve, adore the fun-loving little dogs. The couple always had an affinity for pugs but didn’t share their lives with them until Steve surprised BJ with one on their wedding anniversary about 15 years ago.

The first pug’s name was Lillie. Then came Maxine, Henry, Maggie and Frankie, bringing the Hansens’ pug pack to five. The dogs spent a lot of time being chauffeured around the country in the family’s motor home. Once, at a rest stop in Canada, four of them climbed up to sit in a row on the wide dashboard of the motor home, drawing a crowd of admiring tourists.

Today, Frankie (originally found wandering on a highway by a good Samaritan) is 13. He shares the Hansens’ hearts and home with another rescued pug named Millie and a herding dog named Zari, who was adopted from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary during one of the Hansens’ many volunteer trips there.

Pugs are more than companions and copilots to the Hansens. They are also teachers. The Hansens believe that pugs can teach us humans many things about life and unconditional love. Their main message? Be like a pug: Cherish life, be joyful. Live in the moment and have a good time.

Just a few years ago, cats and dogs were killed in staggering numbers in this country simply because shelters didn’t have the community support or the resources to save their lives. As of 2023, that number is 415,000 per year, but there’s still work to do to ensure a bright future for every dog and cat in America.

Best Friends operates the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals and is saving the lives of homeless pets across the country by working with shelters and passionate people like you. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill in 2025. Together, we will Save Them All.