Ripsnortin’ time with pugs

Kaboodoll and Tux E. Doodle were two hot dogs Saturday.

Both canines were dressed as wieners at the seventh annual

Pugtoberfest, held Saturday at TeWinkle Park. Kaboodoll, a beige pug,

was dressed in a hot dog costume with a yellow “mustard” squiggle

running along its back. Tux E. Doodle, a black pug, was decked out as

the ketchup variety.

Their owner, Keiko Faeta of Laguna Beach, kept the frankfurter

theme alive in her own outfit by wearing a green and white T-shirt

emblazoned with the phrase “relish pugs.”

Faeta has owned the pugs for five years, she said.

“I think every day, every hour they do something to make me

laugh,” Faeta said. “Their antics are just precious.”

Faeta’s pugs were not the only dogs in costume at TeWinkle. One

pug was dressed as a bee, another came in a tutu.

Pugtoberfest was organized by Pugs ‘n’ Pals, an organization that

rescues pugs from shelters and also takes care of the dogs when their

owners are no longer able to, Pugs ‘n’ Pals president Tina Seri said.

About 50 pugs that were available for adoption were at TeWinkle on

Saturday, but she said it’s not easy to adopt a pug from her group.

To adopt a Pugs ‘n’ Pals dog, a prospective owner is required to

turn in a written application, go through an interview and submit to

home inspection intended to make sure the dog will live in a safe

environment, Seri said.

The group continues to check on the animals after they move to

their new homes.

Pugs ‘n’ Pals takes in between 80 and 90 dogs each year, Seri

said. Pugtoberfest is always held at the beginning of October and is

a fundraiser for the group’s activities. Seri said last year’s

Pugtoberfest garnered between $12,000 and $13,000, and she hoped to

exceed that number Saturday.

A sizable number of pug owners came to Costa Mesa for

Pugtoberfest, which was scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shortly

after noon, about 400 people had already come to the event.

“You can see people from everywhere,” Seri said. “San Diego, Santa

Barbara, the Valley.”

The Butler family and their three pugs came to Costa Mesa from

Riverside. Chris Butler said his wife, Esther, has always raised

pugs, and the family came to the event with dogs named Duke, DeDe and

Max. Max is Duke and DeDe’s puppy.

The three dogs follow the Butlers on trips, and at home, the pugs

are always looking for attention, Chris Butler said.

“When you’re sitting on the couch, they all want to sleep on you.

They’re lap dogs,” he said.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be

reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at

o7andrew.edwards@latimes.comf7.