Boogity Boogity Boo!

We have received several great photos of Frenchie fosters and grads in their Hallowe'en costumes. Here is our foster Bugsy in his beautiful pumpkin-colored collar for greeting guests at home and also in his more formal Piggie costume for going door to door.






Milo is Arf Vader!



And here is the elegant Ginger Rogers taking a walk on the wild side in her tiger suit. Ginger is a very popular Frenchie, famous for her regal trick of waving to her subjects for French fries and treats.






Behold! The One-Eyed Jack! Joey One Eye when he's at home, he appears here in a handmade costume featuring a fabulous fabric of scarlet red with gold cords and tassels and a handsome plume in his velvet cap.







And here is FBRN grad Abby, who has recently overcome a prolonged and mysterious illness which simply baffled every doctor in town. She's finally beginning to come back to her pre-illness perkiness.

We think this girl is just the last word in adorable. Please drop by the front page of FBRN and put a dollar in her trick or treat sack today!



This last photo came to us from an FBRN supporter. It's taken in the dark, and you may not be able to see it clearly, but it's a Frenchie face carved in a pumpkin!
To all our goblins and ghoulies: be safe as you go trick or treating tonight! Wear your reflective shoes and collar reflectors, and carry some extra baggies to pick up after yourselves.

If you are staying home to be the hander-outer, be sure your Frenchie has ID and a lead on, just in case your couch potato suddenly turns into a door-dashing escape artist! Better yet, keep your Frenchie behind a baby gate or crated where they can see and hear the action, but they can't run out the door.

When the children get home, be sure to put their bags of swag high out of reach, so that little Frenchie greedyguts can't get at them!

Happy Hallowe'en! from
The Frog Princess

Rusty

This gorgeous hunk of animal magnetism is Rusty. He's living in California right now, waiting for his family to apply for him and take him home. We got a nice note on his progress recently from his foster mom. Though he's adjusting and learning about life in his foster family's house, we think as long as he keeps that fabulous grin on his face, he could be the devil himself and he'd still have a place in our home. We are suckers for a wide Frenchie grin

Rusty's foster mom also fostered the infamous Mike and Jake! Mike and Jake! who are now very happily ensconced in their New Orleans home. Here's her note:

"Rusty's coming along and is learning to sit (with treats of course!). That's probably the extent of his manners.

We're also working on not jumping up on people--that's not going quite as well as the sitting! He's really strong and can almost knock me over if he runs into me at a gallop--again, no manners!

He's very eager to please so I think he'll be fine with more training. It will just take some time. He's a sweet boy...though more than a bundle of energy. He plays a little too rough for my Bostons, so play time with them has to be limited.

He's extremely vocal! I'd never heard "frenchie noises"...Mike & Jake never did the whiny cry. Of course, they were always together...which must be why!


He's a good little guard dog too...seems to pay attention and bark when he thinks there's a problem. He doesn't bark unless there's someone there or he hears something. My guys would show a thief "all the goods" for a treat! Rusty seems to be much more protective...it's nice.

Rusty seems to make everyone love him where ever he goes (except the vet...LOL)."

We are convinced that if the vet only knew him better and longer he'd love Rusty, too. Lord knows we love him, and we've never met the boy! Oh, dear. All these darling Frenchies come in and out of our life so quickly these days. We feel a loss of equilibrium, a certain out of touch sensation; in fact, we feel a wee bit pixilated!

"Crazy for trying,
And Crazy for crying,
and I'm Crazy for loving you..."

The Frog Princess

Gratuitous Smeagol!

Just because we love him.

The Frog Princess

Piper Gets Warmed Up

Some of our readers will already have had a taste of the winter weather that lurks in the cold heart of the year. Piper, our first and only Alaskan Frenchie rescue to date, has already had a taste of snow. Here she is, presenting her tush to the heater for a quick warming up.







These poor little Frenchies need all the help they can get keeping their hinder regions warm! Without tails back there, it's a rude wind that blows across the back door. Brr!









Here are some photos of Piper taken in the warmer days of summer, enjoying some treats with the gang and showing off. She claims to have some jackrabbit blood in her history. We think she might be putting on airs.














Probably nothing more exotic in her ancestry than hop-toad.

Maybe some Alaskan wood frog.

Possibly salmon.



MMmmm salmon, dreams
The Frog Princess

Lucy Lou

Meet Lucy Lou. She was surrendered following an unsuccessful rehabilitation from spinal surgery.




She's a great example, in many ways, of how animals can learn to adapt to physical problems. Lucy Lou's back legs have become atrophied and sort of fused together, and she uses them as a kind of single leg or pegleg to balance on and push off from.






The vet says that at this point Lucy Lou does not need a cart. She may require one in the future, but right now she hops along and gets by just fine. Nonetheless, a specialist has offered to look into her case and will let us know if anything can be done to improve her mobility and paralysis.




Lucy Lou is suffering from an open sore on her hip and some urine burns on her thighs. We are looking into some way to keep her clean and have found several possibilities, including a pair of rompers with suspenders, and modified newborn onesies with snaps along the bottom. Anyone with a good idea for a way to keep this hipless wonder dry and clean is encouraged to let us know.



Lucy Lou is very, very thin at the back, as you can plainly see. However, her front half is quite well-developed and muscular. She's not undernourished, but her muscles are very atrophied. If you'd like to help with the costs of fostering Lucy Lou, just click on her PayPal button and tell us your donation is for Lucy Lou.

We think Lucy Lou would like mighty cute in a little pair of pink rompers!

The Frog Princess

Pancake's Parting

This morning we received word that one of the NC10 has been placed with his new family. We wanted to share the photos of the first meeting and his foster mom's description of the hand off. Our foster families volunteer to have their hearts broken over and over again in the best interests of the dogs they come to love. Our hats are off to Pancake's foster family for their courage and selflessness in finding a wonderful home for this darling boy.



"Yesterday was a sad and happy time for me and my son (Ryan). As we drove to meet Pancake's new mom we reflected on some of the funnier things that Cakes would do to entertain us on a daily basis. We drove about hour or so to meet her and laughed and cried most of the way, all the while Cakes was in the back looking out the window and napping along the way.




We arrived at the meeting spot to find his Mom sitting in her car waiting for us to arrive. The smile on her face was absolutely priceless and I wanted to stop the car and make her stay exactly like she was so I could take a picture, but she ran up to the car to see her new baby’s face--which was in the window looking back at her with the same joyful expression.



We talked and did the formalities and then it was time to say goodbye. As we said our goodbyes I knew that Cakes was going to be one happy boy and I was so lucky to have found his new mom.



Ryan gave a big hug and kiss to Cakes, told him he loves him and not to forget us. His new mom was in tears. I lifted Cakes into the car and he gave me a little kiss as if to say goodbye. I hugged his mom, and I got into my car. My son looked at me and said, “Don't worry mom this is a happy time for Cakes” as the tears streamed down his face. We hugged for a moment and cried for a final time and headed home.

I am so happy that Cakes is finally in his forever home."




Pancake is off to enjoy his his new life and family. Ryan and his mom probably won't have long to wait before another needy little French bulldog shows up and asks for their care and comfort. Not everyone is cut out for fostering, but if you'd like to help in another way, you can check out our page on the FBRN website.

Sweet life, Pancake! calls
The Frog Princess

Louis on the Mend

Here's the adorable Louis, recovering from his neuter surgery.
He's having some nice tea and watching Animal Planet on the television.
















From time to time he goes outside to check out the weather and the beautiful foliage in New England.









And then he comes back inside to see if there are any good reruns of Underdog or Lassie on.
His foster mom says he's become quite the little snuggle bunny, and he is learning all kinds of commands so he'll be ready for his new family. He's a little cranky around the other dogs when they try to move in on his toys or his dish, but his foster family is working hard to stamp that out.

What an adorable little scamp he is, sighs
The Frog Princess

Beau Gets a Baby!

You may remember Beau, a Frenchie who came to FBRN with serious health problems. He suffered from not only a case of heartworms, but also Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever!

The generous gifts and donations of FBRN supporters and the tender care of his foster mom made Beau's successful treatment possible. He was adopted by a wonderful young family in southern California and he became brother to ten year-old rescue puggie, Fred.

Well, what a difference a year makes! Here is darling Beau with his adorable new baby brother. At five and a half months old, this child is already capturing hearts wherever he goes. And Beau is keeping a close eye on his creeping and crawling and rolling over-ing and various activities. We suspect Beau will be particularly interested in the zweiback that will come with the teething.

Good boy, Beau! exclaims
The Frog Princess

Arianna

Arianna was a special girl. In her younger days, she was a champion. One of her admirers, an FBRN volunteer, asked to be permitted to adopt her when her show and breeding days were over.



But Arianna's breeder wanted a life for Arianna where she would be an only dog and she placed her with a family who had no other pets.

Years later, when FBRN's founder drove from Massachusetts to Maine to pick up Arianna from a shelter, she was shocked to find that this was a show dog, a champion, and a dog with a very nice pedigree from a reputable breeder. When we sought to return Arianna to her breeder, we learned that she had passed away.

The people who dumped Ari at the shelter doubtless saved her life when they gave her age as 7, rather than the 11 we knew her to be.



At eleven years old, to be ignominiously dumped at a shelter! When Arianna's photo was posted to the available page and her story was told, the volunteer who had loved her from afar could not believe her eyes. She immediately put in an application and was selected to provide Arianna a home for her twilight years.


Little did we imagine that Arianna would survive to enjoy her 15th birthday. She lived out her days in the nation's breadbasket, Kansas, and enjoyed the company of courtiers and jesters, children and admirers.



She especially loved her nephew Walker, and Walker took great care in teaching his baby sister, Veronica, how to play gently with the aging Arianna.



To the end of her days, Arianna loved her stuffed toys and was seldom without at least one in easy reach.










She shared her life and her beauty with her family and her Frenchie pals, and she certainly enjoyed adventure and travel! From top dog to shelter dog to rescue dog to regnant Queen, Arianna lived her life fully and joyfully.






We know she is sporting a tiara and boa at the Rainbow Bridge and delightedly accepting the tributes of all the little doggies.








She was always a good girl, and she was always a kind girl.


Arianna, rest in peace.

The Frog Princess

Tuffy's Top Ten List

Here is a note forwarded to The Frog Princess from Tuffy's new parents. Tuffy was adopted earlier this year and moved to Missouri where she lives with her mom and dad, and another Frenchie named mr. chips! Her mom says:

"She is without a doubt one of the sweetest dogs we've ever had the pleasure of knowing and caring for. I don't know what mr. chips! would do without her. Not only do they spar with the frequency of two young pups coming up through the ranks, but when they've had enough they lapse into a round of cleaning each other."

This is from Tuffy's dad: the top 10 things you have to know about Tuffy:



Tuffy makes the same noises when she's happy as when she's sad.

It only looks like tuffy is trapped between the legs of the end table. Rest assured, tuffy knows exactly what she's doing.

Tuffy is apparently running for office, as she must stop to inspect everyone on walks; this makes a trip around the block last an hour.

In times of apparent danger, such as an unexpected loud noise, tuffy does not rush to the scene but prefers to yodel from afar to inform the other dogs of her availability.

Tuffy's favorite things are breakfast and napping and she's trying to figure out a way to do both at the same time. So far, no luck.

Tuffy's taekwondo partner is mr. chips! and after a brisk workout she enjoys having her ears cleaned.

Tuffy enjoys "project runway" and hopes laura wins.

Tuffy constantly guards against overwork; if she thinks you're concentrating too hard on the computer, or with a book in your lap or standing in front of the stove, she heroically throws herself between you and the source of potential eye strain or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Tuffy's gas leaks are just her way of reminding you that her housetraining is not quite complete and that you might want to take her outside, i.e. tuffy's explosions are for you, not for her.

Tuffy is very very sorry about the rug."

It sounds to us like Tuffy is a girl of charm and accomplishment, not unlike a certain
Frog Princess

Louis Wears His Team

Oh, the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley, so they do, indeed. Look at this funny mug. Does he look familiar? This is FBRN outpost grad, Shorty. He's adorable and very photogenic. FBRN volunteers have been known to swoon upon the mere mention of his name: Shortstack. Whoohoohoo. Shivers.

And yet this adorable Shorty has revealed himself to be a half-pint martinet! Poor Louis was a foster in Shorty's home for a week or two when it became apparent that although Shorty had accustomed himself to life with last year's foster, Ollie, he was not going to have any Louis in his home. This was a terrible disappointment, as Louis had already been introduced to family members and had already donned the local colors of the Philadelphia neighborhood in which his foster family lives.

Louis' foster mom admits that she is not really an Eagles fan, but says that if one were to appear in her real team's shirt, the locals would be prone to violence and salty language the likes of which young Louis oughtn't to be subjected. So he did like the Romans do, and wore what the Romans wear.

Louis' foster family gave Shorty and Louis as much time as they could to settle their differences, then came to the sad conclusion that Shorty was just not going to play nice with Louis, who had some issues of his own concerning how to treat one's elders and betters.
With the help of FBRN's foster coordinator, the family decided to rehome Louis to another foster family where he could learn some manners with someone who is home all day and able to supervise interactions in a household that can be easily sectioned off with gates and closed doors.

Louis is now living in New England, and it's a pretty sure bet that the Patriots fans in his new neighborhood are not going to take kindly to his Eagles shirt! What is a foster to do? Clearly, someone must send poor Louis a new outfit to match his new location. Are you the one? If so, you can go to Louis' page and send a donation through PayPal or send an outfit to the PO Box on the Contact Us page.
These little reshufflings happen from time to time in rescue. Though we like to minimize the moving around our fosters undergo, sometimes moving is the best answer to a difficult situation. Though we try to match dogs to foster homes, sometimes our best efforts gang a wee bit agley. So it was in this case.

As Allen Sherman put it so succinctly long ago, "You went the wrong way, Ol' King Louis!" However, we are happy to report that young King Louis is, though still a sucker for the shiny fabric of the sports team, not nearly the pill his ancestor was!

To you King Louie we say fooey.
You disappointed all of France.
But then what else could we expect
From a king in silk stockings
And pink satin pants.

As a member of a royal family, we can only shake our head at some of the antics of our royal ancestors. We hope to never give our subjects cause to introduce us to the the vicious and insatiable Mary Anne.

The Frog Princess

Spare a Moment?

Jessie, a 2003 FBRN grad, was diagnosed with Lymphoma in August.

Since her adoption, Jessie has been an associate lay pastor, ministering to the needs of her congregation beside her mom, an ordained cleric and confirmed Frenchie fan.

Several weeks ago, Jessie passed away. She left behind a Jessie-sized space that will always remain unfilled, and her owner and the congregation are deeply saddened.

Spare a moment today to think of Jessie's people, and to send them a warm and healing thought.
The Frog Princess

Fortunately, Unfortunately

Here's a dog with a long tale. Unfortunately, she got lost, and Grunt came to us a foundling in Texas. We were prepared to vet her and place her when her owners couldn't be located.But fortunately, Grunt had a microchip, which we discovered while she was in our care.
Unfortunately, the microchip had never been registered to an owner. Fortunately, the chip had been purchased in a lot and we knew who the buyer was! Unfortunately, the buyer was a breeder who had placed the dog with a family which had rehomed the dog with another family and lost track of them. Fortunately, Grunt's breeder was delighted to take her back again!
See what a little good fortune (and a good deal of perseverance on the part of a foster mom!) can do for a girl? Sweet Grunchella is back among her family, and we are so happy to have played a part in getting her home again.
If you buy a microchip, please, please! record your name with the company. This story had a happy ending, but we know of others that did not.
Fortunately yours,
The Frog Princess