The sound of thrilled giggles filled the classroom as Sharon Latek passed out letters to each of her first-grade students at Wescott Elementary School in Northbrook, Illinois. The children’s faces lit up as she placed a carefully addressed envelope on each desk. It was finally “Pug Mail” delivery day.

Thirty years earlier, Sharon’s husband had given her a pug pup as a wedding gift, and she has been a devoted pug mom ever since. Over the years, her family raised five pugs, and she saw firsthand the enthusiasm and joy the roly-poly pups brought to people of all ages. 

A few years ago, Sharon began bringing her rambunctious, curly-tailed pugs, Stewie and Boba, to her classroom, and the students couldn’t get enough. She was amazed at how the pups held the attention of all 20 of her 6- and 7-year-old students. That’s when Sharon started to wonder how she could channel that same enthusiasm into learning…and an idea struck.

As part of state standards and district curriculum, Sharon is required to teach a “Writer’s Workshop,” where her first graders learn how to format letters, build writing skills and hone their handwriting. The students often struggled with the assignment, but Sharon wondered, What if I started a pen pal program where the kids write letters to pugs and get letters back? It could also enhance their reading and geography skills!

Eager to get started, Sharon turned to a pug-lovers Facebook group, putting out a call for 20 “pug pen pals” for her students. To her surprise, the response was -overwhelming—dozens of pug owners wanted to sign up. “This could be the start of something amazing,” Sharon told a fellow teacher, hope swelling in her chest. “I could pair dogs with students beyond my class and help build confidence for kids everywhere.” 

In that moment, the Pug Penpal Project (@pugpenpalproject) was born. 

Pug power

At the start of the next school year, Sharon assigned each student their very own Pug Pal, and they wrote their first letters. When all the students had received a letter back, Sharon handed out the Pug Mail as the kids bounced with excitement. Tears welled in Sharon’s eyes as she took in the joy filling her classroom. The pugs’ letters reassure them that this is a safe space where we can grow together, she realized.

As Sharon’s students continued writing letters to their Pug Penpals throughout the year, she saw a boost in their skills, focus and self-worth. The program also thrived—before long, Sharon was connecting teachers across the country with hundreds of registered pug owners.

Smiles & wags

For the past couple of years, Sharon has been touched by the unexpected ways the program has inspired others. She’ll never forget when one family offered: If there’s a special needs child who would enjoy letters from a special needs pug, then Puggy—
a 3-year-old pug, who is blind and has hydrocephalus—would be perfect for them. 

Puggy was quickly matched with a classroom that included students with special needs and helped each child see that their differences make them extraordinary.

Sharon also received a message from a mom asking for a Pug Penpal for her daughter, who was heartbroken by the loss of their family pug. She used to read to the pug, and since the dog passed, she has stopped reading, the mother wrote. Sharon immediately sent letters from Stewie and Boba and soon received happy, enthusiastic responses.

To date, there have been more than 350 pugs registered with the Pug Penpal Project in almost every state, as well as in Canada, France, Sweden, Scotland, the U.K. and Australia. And every time Sharon watches her students write their letters, she is still filled with childlike wonder.   

 “Even a small idea can turn into something that changes the world—one smile at a time,” Sharon beams. “What started as a project to pique my students’ interest has become an opportunity for spreading love. My parents taught me that people won’t remember the material things you gather in your lifetime, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”