“What’s the deal with the pug?”
I grew up in a strict Indian household that didn’t allow pets, so I waited until college to get a dog on my own. I specifically wanted a pug. I was always fascinated with their pushed-in faces growing up. I first came across a talking alien pug dog in Will Smith’s movie, Men in Black (1997), and I was instantly hooked.
A baby pug entered the world on July 1st, 2008, and I named him, “Babu.” Babu is a term of endearment in Hindi, and it’s a name a father would call his son. More specifically, it’s a name my own father called me as a child.
Babu as a puppy.
Since coming into my life, Babu has given me a lot of joy. He also gave me the structure I never had. I had to make sure he was properly fed, cleaned, and had enough attention at all times. I was living in the United States alone and away from any family, so he was 100% my own responsibility. Babu always followed me around, and he even slept on the same bed with me! Sometimes he was so loud because his squished-in face made him snore at night, and I had to tickle his dense little body to shush him up. Nothing ever worked though, and I dealt with this until it didn’t bother me anymore. He grew from 2 lbs to a whopping 25 lbs.
Do you realize how crazy it is to see a creature grow from the palm of your hand to a giant loaf of bread within months? The more time I spent with Babu, the more life benefits opened up to me. Having a pug, specifically, made it considerably easier to break the ice and talk to girls. Whaaat! Girls in general just dig pugs, so fellas, live that Pug Life if you want a girlfriend! #Facts
J. Ashar with Babu the pug.
At the time, I had been in school studying to become a geologist at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and I was in the United States on a student visa. Graduating would complicate my visa status. Once I had completed my college degree, my visa would expire in 3-months unless I found a company to sponsor me and allow me to work. The issue was, if I didn’t find a willing company, I would be deported from the country! I had a very limited amount of time to secure my stay in the United States.
Finding a job during this time was incredibly difficult. I felt like 99% of the jobs I had applied to didn’t want to deal with the paperwork of hiring a person with immigration issues. I received rejection letter after rejection letter. After two-months in and the pressure of deportation only one-month away, one opportunity opened up. It was a job to become a geologist. The job was on a drilling rig located in the Arctic Circle, the northern-most part of Alaska where the polar bears live in -98 °F (-72 °C) temperatures.
Babu looking in the fridge for food. #Typical
The job would require me to live in complete isolation for 30+ days at a time working 12-15 hour shifts daily without any weekends or breaks exploring for oil and gas. Since this was the only job that was willing to extend my stay in the United States, and there were no other opportunities, I felt intense pressure to make a decision. How was I supposed to take care of my dog if this was the only job I could find? I was getting desperate, and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to better my life by staying in the United States, but my options were very limited.
I had to weigh the pros and cons of the opportunity. I was in denial, but the answer was painfully clear. I needed to take the Geologist job to extend my visa, but this would mean finding Babu a new loving home. As much as it hurt to think about, time was running out, and I had to make moves. I frantically searched around Colorado, wrote ads on Craigslist, sent emails to pug dog forums, and even reached out to the Colorado Pug Rescue. I shared my story to anybody that was willing to listen. I was lost, but I received an outpouring of support from the community. I must have read through 100s of emails and messages from incredible human beings offering to help take care of my baby boy. One particular email caught my attention:
Justin,
I am a crazy pug lover. I have 4 pugs. I have rescued two of them. I am interested in helping you out. My husband works in the oil/natural gas field, so I understand your work schedule. Let me know if you still need help.
Jenny
After reading Jenny’s email, I felt like I had found a potential home for Babu. She had a husband with a similar work schedule, so she could completely relate to my predicament. I emailed her back instantly. She explained to me that she had 2 acres of space in the mountains, 5 cats, 2 goats, and 4 kids. The 4 pugs that she mentioned in her email had a wireless fence system so they can explore the mountains, but not go too far. They also had ‘doggy doors’ that let them go in-and-out of the house as they pleased. Jenny also mentioned that all of the pugs even slept in the same bed as her at night just like Babu did with me. We spoke on the phone right afterward and set up a meeting the very next day. She had already won me over.
J. Ashar with Babu, the Spider-Pug.
I drove with Babu to Jenny’s house. When we arrived, I was in complete awe. There was literally pug stuff everywhere. Even when I pulled up to her house, there was a pug sign directing me onto her driveway. Jenny was waiting for me with her entire family including the pugs themselves; Violet, Lola, Kauboi, and Pakkun. Babu seemed to instantly take a liking to Lola. Jenny then gave us the grand tour of her home including her bedroom where the pugs slept with her at night. She also showed us her yard where the pugs spent their days exploring and stealing onions from their garden. I couldn’t even dream of a better home than this, and I knew it was a perfect fit for Babu.
Later that night, Jenny’s family sent another email:
Justin,
We had a great time with you today. I think your baby will fit in and be happy here. Even though it won’t be home, it can be a safe, happy place for him to go. Have a great weekend!
The Norris Clan
Over the next few weeks, I prepared to send Babu to his new home. I bought multiple bags of food, bones, and toys. His favorite was always the tennis ball on a rope; he used to love chewing on this while sitting on my lap. I gathered up all of his medical documents and chip information. It was time to say goodbye. I drove him to his new home, and I knew things would never be the same again. I gave him a last hug, and I dropped him off. By the next day, I took my first flight to the Arctic to drill an exploration well for the oil and gas industry.
It was hard to be away from civilization in the roughest and coldest conditions known to mankind. I had to wear two Arctic jackets and a ginormous pair of boots that made me feel like I was an astronaut ready to walk on the Moon. They were meant to prevent me from freezing to death. This was all new to me, but I did recognize one familiar thing; there were roads in the Arctic. They were made of pure ice and meant to transport drilling rig equipment to different locations across the Arctic tundra.
As a geologist, the oil companies would give me a truck to drive myself across the ice roads on occasion. I was told to keep the keys in the ignition and have the trucks running at all times, 24-hours a day. This was to prevent the batteries from freezing up and dying. Somehow, the oil companies would fill the trucks up with gasoline as the engines were still running! I had never seen or heard of anything like this before.
Jenny would send me photos of Babu with the grumble.
The internet connection was very weak, but Jenny would send me pictures of Babu fitting in over the following months. The pictures took time to download, but they always made me happy when I received them. Jenny had taught me that a group of pugs was known as a “grumble.” As Babu was a new addition, there was a competition to win alpha male status. Fortunately, the grumble knew Babu’s new girlfriend, Queen Lola, was the true leader of the group, and Babu bowed to Her Royal Highness.
Babu on the pug boat with the grumble.
During the wintertime, the Arctic receives 24-hours of darkness because of the Earth’s tilt. After many months of having worked in this environment, the doctor said I had developed a severe vitamin D deficiency due to not seeing the Sun. I was prescribed a sunlamp, and I had to sit in front of it for 15-minutes a day to receive adequate Vitamin D. I did this for a few months until summertime, where the opposite effect happens; the Arctic receives 24-hours of sunlight! The Sun literally moves horizontally… all day, everyday, for months. To this put into perspective, I had to tape black garbage bags over my windows to prevent light from shining into my eyes when I slept. Hearing a snoring pug was nothing compared to this.
I encountered nightmarish scenarios. At one point, the temperature dropped so low, all operations had to seize. No supply trucks were allowed to drive to our camp with food or water, and I found this out in the worst possible way. I had placed all of my clothes in a washing machine with soap, and when I went to turn it on, it didn’t even start. I was told the water was turned off so we could survive the conditions. How was I supposed to live without using water?! For over a week, I brushed my teeth using bottled water, I couldn’t shower, and I had to wear dirty and soapy clothing while waiting for the freeze to back off.
I knew I needed a change from this life. Jenny had sent me a picture of Babu registered as a therapy animal. She told me they were volunteering to go to schools, hospitals, and nursing homes to spread love across the world. It blew my mind that Jenny was doing this with Babu. It made me feel very proud that my little pug was making people… happy.
I was getting desperate to escape the field conditions and move into a regular office job with normal hours back in civilization. I pushed and I pushed because I knew I didn’t want to live this lifestyle anymore. I was really afraid for my future. Would I be able to fit back into society if I was away for too long? I encountered a lot of resistance due to my visa status, and the companies I worked for abused the fact I was on a visa to make me stay in the field.
One year turned into two years, and two years turned into three. I frantically searched for new jobs and opportunities with no luck. The stress kept climbing, and I found myself getting progressively more upset. My sanity was fading, and I had a constant fear I would be fired and deported from the country if I pushed too hard. I would catch myself in deep thought uncontrollably cursing out loud due to the stress of feeling trapped. F*CK!
As I was losing hope, something clicked. Through the grind, my efforts had somehow paid off, and a new position finally opened up. I was given an opportunity to move to Houston, Texas as a geoscientist. It would be an office job with normal working hours (9 to 5), and I would be given a temporary visa to stay in the United States. This was a dream come true and something I would consider one of my greatest accomplishments.
I had thought about my old life with Babu. After grinding for 3-years without a break, could it ever go back to normal? A normal job would’ve worked me for 40-hours a week. Instead, I had worked over 84-hours a week with no weekends or breaks for multiple weeks at a time in complete isolation. Was I crazy at this point?
After moving to Houston, I contemplated reconnecting with Babu and bringing him “home.” It had been 3-years since I took care of him, and I felt ashamed for having abandoned my dog. I knew he was extremely happy living with Jenny and her family, and I knew I couldn’t offer him the same lifestyle he grew accustomed to in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. He was now a “wild mountain pug” with Queen Lola and the rest of the grumble. He had a new family. He had a new home. Who was I to take him away yet again?
I couldn’t do it.
Over the years, I continued visiting Babu when I flew back to Colorado. Although a lot more grey in the face, it always felt like old times when we connected. He had gotten a lot slower over the years, but he continued to volunteer and spread his magic to anyone that came his way. Jenny was a teacher, and she loved bringing Babu to her classes. In the summer of 2017, I went to Jenny’s school to surprise them. Babu was standing on a student’s desk when I arrived. I had always gotten worried he wouldn’t recognize me, but as soon as I came close, he knew.
By 2018, Jenny’s family had grown up, and her children were now adults themselves. The grumble family also became quite old. Lola had terrible arthritis and now walked with a limp. Kauboi developed lung cancer and coughed throughout the day. Babu turned 10, and he slowly became deaf and couldn’t see as well as he used to.
I really missed him.
During this time period, my long 15-year battle with visa issues finally came to an end, and I obtained a green card. This eliminated any uncertainties and made me a permanent resident in the United States. This was the first time I felt secure about my living situation without the fear of deportation. I was still working as a geoscientist in Houston, and I was happy. Yet, I also had a giant void in my life.
Was it time to bring Babu back? I contemplated this for months, but I didn’t know how to approach Jenny about the topic. Babu had lived with Jenny and her family for 7-years at this point, and it gave me anxiety to even think about asking for his return. I knew I had to do it, or I would regret it for the rest of my life. On November 25th, 2018, I called Jenny. We chitchatted for a while and caught up about life and pugs. Then, I laid it on her, “How would you feel if Babu came back to live with me?”
Jenny’s voice instantly lit up, and she mentioned that she spoke to her family about the same thing 3 days prior. She stated how the grumble was now old with health issues, and it would be better for Babu to leave the mountains of Colorado and join me in the city of Houston to live out his remaining years. She even said her husband flew to Houston twice a month for business and could actually bring Babu on the airplane with him as early as 7-days. I was stunned. Was I officially going to reunite with my pug dog, Babu?
During those 7-days of waiting, I knew my lifestyle was going to change completely. I had to prepare for Babu’s arrival and this meant everything from buying dog food, dog bowls, grooming tools, treats, and other necessities. Luckily, in 2018, I had Amazon Prime, and I was able to get most of the necessary items delivered to my home in a few days. I didn’t want to tell anybody about the news in case I jinxed it. I also knew Jenny was scrambling around in Colorado going to the veterinarian and getting Babu clearance to be able to fly on an airplane. By Sunday, Jenny informed me that Babu had made it to the airport, and everything was good to go. They were told to give Babu some Benadryl to make him sleepy and handle the 2-hour flight with ease.
I drove to the airport, and I waited near the baggage carousel for Jenny’s husband, Mark, to arrive with Babu. Anxiously waiting, I spotted Mark instantly coming down the escalator with a black see-through dog carrier bag. As he got close, I gave Mark a big hug. Mark unzipped the dog carrier, and Babu jumped out. He was discombobulated, but he recognized me and start brushing his body against mine. It felt like a dream.
Over the weeks, it took time for Babu to adjust to his new home. He was terrified to go down my hardwood stairs because they were too slippery. He didn’t have a problem going up them, but going down them, he would run away in fear! I had to carry him down 2 flights of stairs like a chunky baby every time he wanted to go outside for a walk. I didn’t mind. At nights, he continued to snore like he used to. I still tickled him to make him stop, but of course, that never worked.
I get asked all the time, “What’s the deal with the pug? Do you even have a pug?” I do have a pug. Although we had been separated for 7-years, we officially reunited. I connect with him everyday, and he continues to spread love and happiness throughout the world. This is Pug Life. Now you know.
Founder of Pug Life Records®, J. Ashar with Babu the pug.
Pug Life Agency™