Blue Moon

Tonight is a blue moon in North America, and we put out a call for photos to go with the wonderfully apt lyrics to the song by Rodgers and Hart, "Blue Moon."

Trixie, Bumble, Smeagol, Lisa, Maurice and Oliver wanted to ask you to consider how long it's been since you dropped a little something in FBRN's hat. If it's been since the last blue moon, maybe you could drop one of our fosters a note and a nickel or two?






Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own



















Blue Moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for


And then they suddenly appeared before me
The only ones my heart would ever hold

I heard somebody whisper, "Please adore me!
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold!













Blue Moon, now I'm no longer alone



Without a dream in my heart





Without a love of my own."






Please help us help our fosters find a love of their own. Drop by the FBRN website and sponsor one of our foster dogs.


Then, maybe you can take a little walk under that beautiful full moon with someone you care for, suggests

The Frog Princess

Maddy Smiles!

This is our gorgeous Maddy, enjoying the sunshine and setting the tone for a whole extra day of weekend.




We hope you can spend time with family and friends and that you can spare a few moments to remember our service men and women and their sacrifices.



Maddy is on our available page, waiting for a wonderful family to wake up and realize they need her to be whole and happy!





If you think you might have a Maddy-sized opening in your life, check out her bio and maybe make an application for her.






Meanwhile, she's having a great time waiting for the burgers and franks to be ready, and chasing her foster siblings around the yard.



Better hurry up with the barbecue, folks! Maddy's starting to nibble on her fellow Frenchies!




We hope your Memorial Day includes some homemade potato salad and a little something from the grill, says

The Frog Princess

Lainey Learns the Lead

Three year-old Lainey came to us when a prolapsed uterus ended her career as a breeder. She had surgery at six months for a prolapsed rectum, poor baby, and the second surgery appears to have compromised her ability to fully evacuate her bowels. While she is housebroken, she requires a little clean up with a baby wipe after each BM. We discovered during her veterinary visit that her intestines are completely overwhelmed with parasites of virtually every description! Here's what her foster mom wrote following her exam:
"She is positive for round worms, hook worms, coccidia, and giardia. I don't know how some of these dogs survive with so many parasites. Then to add to her troubles, to have had a prolapsed rectum and a prolapsed uterus. And through all this, she gives kisses and loves her toys and wiggles when you talk to her. She just amazes me." The parasites are the bad news. The good news is that when the parasites are gone, the potty problems may diminish significantly. We'll hope so.

Lainey has had never had a collar on, but she allowed us to put one on her, complete with tags. However, when a lead was clipped to the ring on her collar, she struck a pose and balked. She simply froze in place and refused to budge! Had she learned some tricks from her horsie pals about digging in your heels?



Her foster mom has had a few dozen fosters over the years and knew how to address the private game of Red Light! Lainey was playing. She tied a very lightweight bit of twine to the collar, and Lainey is getting used to it. In a little while, she'll exchange the twine for a length of clothesline, then, when Lainey is accustomed to the clothesline, she'll try a bit of rope or a lead. Soon, Lainey will be prancing down the avenues and byways of her town with ears up and bright eyes, proudly showing off her pretty accessories!

Here is Lainey with her friends Paisley and Dakota. She spends time outdoors with them in their exercise pen. She loves to follow them around and to sample what they eat and when they run around the pen, she runs with them! She just might be thinking she is a miniature horse, too!



Lainey is new on our foster page this week. If you'd like to sponsor her while we look around for a loving family for her, you can click on her photo here and let us know your donation is for our pretty Lainie.

Lainey is a beautiful name! It reminds us of Gone with the Wind. "As gawd is mah witness, ah'll nevah eat kibble agin!" swears
The Frog Princess

Trixie Goes to School

Trixie made a visit to her foster mom's school this week. She's available for adoption to a special family who will accommodate her disability. If you think you might be interested in her, you can read her biography, here.










She was a big hit with the children, who learned about dogs with disabilities and got to spend time learning about how Trixie lives.








Trixie got to dress up for the occasion in her new sunsuit. She looks very fresh in it, and the only thing cuter than Trixie in the classroom that day was the children offering kisses and gentle pats to a very patient and delighted Trixie who enjoyed every second of her time in the spotlight.








Her foster mom wrote a note to tell us about the day. We asked for permission to post the children's photos here and were delighted when parents let us use them.






There's nobody like a dog to tell your secrets to!



Here's the note we got from Trixie's foster mom:










Miss Trixie came to school with me today and my kids absolutely adored her. I doubt that she's ever been petted, kissed and hugged so much in one day!














I took her to visit our class of physically disabled kids in her wheels and the kids in wheelchairs got quite a kick out of seeing a dog with a wheelchair.














She's one tired girl tonight after all the excitement. Good thing she didn't have any homework! :)"

It is our opinion that every principal's office should have a well-trained, happy therapy dog in it. It would go a long way toward making schools welcoming, warm places, and the principal's office less scary. Just a thought, from
The Frog Princess

Freeman Smiles

Freeman is doing so well, we wanted to share the news with you! He is speeding around in his cart, his fever has resolved, and he is putting on weight and muscle.He's emerged from his worrisome condition and is thriving in his foster home. It's just amazing what two weeks of consistent care, good food, Frenchie friends and great veterinary care will do for a frog. Even one whose little froglegs aren't working the way they once did!
Freeman's foster mom wanted everyone to see how bright eyed Sweet Free is today. If you'd like to sponsor him as he continues to recover and thrive, you can do that by clicking on his photo, here. He'll send you a wide, happy grin to say thanks!

He's a very appealing young Frenchie, opines
The Frog Princess

Molly Gets Better

Darling Molly in Oregon is going to be available next week.

She has been in foster care for some time as her foster mom and her vet worked on her upper respiratory infection and other health problems. She still has drops everyday for an eye with glaucoma, but otherwise she is healthy and sleek and very affectionate towards her people.



Now that Molly's all better, she has been spayed and is now recovered.


At a year old, Molly doesn't know much about how to play nicely with other dogs or even how to play with toys, though she has had plenty of opportunity to learn with the friendly dogs in her foster home.

Her foster mom tells us Molly would be a great dog for a dry climate: she's only housetrained if there is no precipitation!




If it rains or snows while she's supposed to be taking care of business, she just stands there in the doorway wearing her little jacket and shivering and throwing reproachful looks over her shoulder at her foster mom. Hey! Turn off the weather, lady!




Molly should probably be an only dog. She wasn't well socialized with other dogs, so she is suspicious of them and will bark and lunge at dogs while out for walks. It's a shame, too, because such a gorgeous young thing should be having fun playing with other dogs, tumbling and wrasslin' and tugging and running.

But as much as she is not a fan of other dogs, she simply loves people. She's a typical Frenchie in that regard, and she can't get enough attention, kisses and caresses. She'll be happiest in a home where she'll be allowed to sleep in the people bed at night! If she sounds like a good match for you and your family, keep an eye out for Molly's available bio. It will be up on the website next week.

In the meanwhile, you stick to your guns, Molly! No Frenchie should have to endure drizzly drizzle or icy ice! proclaims
The Frog Princess

FBRN and cats

This photo of Reba with her kitty friend reminded us that we were thinking of discussing our cat policy here a week or so ago.
Recently, we received a frustrated email from someone who wanted to apply for one of our foster dogs. She wanted a chance to adopt the Frenchie in question even though she had a cat and the biography said, "No cats." Upon reading the entire bio, the prospective applicant learned that the foster had not lived with cats, and had no history of abusing or chasing cats, and yet we had barred homes with cats without any evidence that our foster would hurt one! Why? she asked. That's silly! she said.



This is what we told her, and we thought it would be a good idea to explain our reasoning here, too. Bulldog breeds have a wide variety of temperaments and personalities. However, as a group, bulldogs have a strong prey drive, a tenacious and determined approach to getting what they want, and the anatomical means to do terrific damage if they become engaged in a fight or battle.

Many of you may have seen the photo of the Bull Terrier who had a run-in with a porcupine?This Bull Terrier, who lived to fight another day, was obviously deterred neither by pain nor by the formidable natural defenses of a far more well-equipped foe than the most feral felis domesticus.

Those of us who have known and loved bulldogs, be they English, French, Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Bullmastiff or others, have all heard of perfectly sweet, well-behaved bullies who seemed to be very easy going dogs, but who one day caught and dispatched a neighborhood kitty or even, horrifyingly, a kitty in their own home. A few years ago, to our shock, one of our fosters killed a kitty in her foster home.

We are not implying that other breeds don't also chase and kill cats. Some terriers, for example, have a reputation of being cat killers. We are also not saying that dog-savvy kitties can't successfully co-exist with frogdogs. Here's a photo of a Japanese Frenchie who was recently tapped to be a surrogate mom to a tiger cub!


Even given that only a small number of Frenchies may present a danger to cats, we developed the policy of not placing a dog in a home with kitties without affirmative evidence that the dog can cohabit peaceably with a cat. We will not risk the life of our adopters' cats on the chance that an untested dog will be ok with kitties.

But why not allow the kitty and the dog to meet and see if they get along?
you may ask. Why not introduce the dog to a kitty in the foster home and see what happens?

Here's our thinking on those questions: if the dog and cat get along in a one-time meeting it is no guarantee that the two will get along later. Moreover, the dog will doubtless be on a lead and in strange surroundings and may not give a reliable response. A true reading of the dog's ability to get along might come only after weeks of living together. And if they don't get along? Will the Frenchie be returned or will the kitty be rehomed or, heaven forfend, will the kitty be maimed or killed?


In the second instance, what kind of person would offer their cat as a test kitty for FBRN to use? How could we countenance any such experiment? Who would pay the vet bills in the event we could find a "disposable" kitty and could bring ourselves to make the experiment and then the experiment failed?

Ironically, given the uncertainties of housing a bull breed and a small, fast-moving animal together, many of our volunteers have both Frenchies and a cat or two.

We like cats. We like frogs. Because we like them, we will not endanger the life of a kitty on the chance that an untested dog will like them, too. We simply don't want to risk it.


We know this is a disappointment to many applicants. However, we do get Frenchies who like cats and get along well with them. Ethel, in the photo above, for instance, is clearly at home with cats. Reba is available for adoption to a home with a cat and so is Bobo, a newly available Frenchie on the website who also likes kitties. They aren't common, but cat-friendly Frenchies aren't rare, either.

Keep an eye on the website, and look for the occasional frog like Reba who is willing to lie down with a tiny lion. Then write a fabulous application and submit it! You may win the kitty-safe frog of your dreams, and you, your cat and your Frenchie can live happily ever after together.

We like kitties! On toast points, with chopped egg and onion! jokes
The Frog Princess

Denali by the Sea

Denali went to the coast with her new family recently. She enjoyed the spray and surf and was able to experience all the joys of sand between her toes and sunblock on her nose!
Denali also enjoyed the deep sleep that comes with salt air and a pleasant walk and a pleasant talk along the briny beach.






No doubt she's dreaming of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and Kings!


That reminds us! This is a month without the letter r! No oysters for us. We hope you will weep with us and deeply sympathize as we make do with snails and quahogs: those of the largest size!

The Frog Princess

Smeagol Says:

It's our first Blogiversary!
FBRNetwork News has been up for a year today! Two hundred and ninety five posts about our brave, beautiful, ridiculous frogdogs have gone up. We couldn't do it without the photos and stories we get from our foster parents and the adoptive families who take our fosters home.

To celebrate, we are calling for news from our FBRN grads, whether living or at the Bridge, and their families. Send us a photo or two and an update on how your FBRN adoptee is doing, and we'll post the news. Send your update and photo(s) to

fp-fbrn at comcast dot net

Celebrate with us and have a piece of virtual anniversary cake! We are enjoying a slice of poppyseed cake with raspberry filling and creamcheese icing. What's yours? asks

The Frog Princess

Simon Catchpenny

If you go down to the park today, you'll never believe your eyes.













If you go down to the park today, you'd better go in disguise!














For every dog that ever there was is gathered there for certain because









Today's the day those silly mutts have their playday!



FBRN grad Simon the Flyman and his inexhaustible sister Penny test the theory of gravity at a park near their home. These two are inseparable and perfectly matched in temperament and activity level.




Since Simon came to stay, Penny is much less keyed up. Since Simon came to stay, he is a happy, happy boy, attracting the love and affection of his family's family and friends and persuading even the staunchest cat people and labrador people to consider taking up the happy life that is to be had with a frogdog.

We believe you can fly, Simon! We believe you can touch the sky!

Sadly, we are not convinced you will ever beat Penny to the ball, admits

The Frog Princess.

PS Regarding the previous post about Bumble: Those who must ask whether a certain party is a certain party must not really,truly love a certain party or they would know his face by heart and they wouldn't have to ask!
Hmf.
FP

Bumbles BOUNCE!

One of our PA8 survivors of a puppy mill, our tiny perfect diva, Bumble, is celebrating her own self with a whole boxful of presents from an admirer.




And after the toys are opened and scattered and played with, what happens? Ohhh, the eyes go to half-mast, the wee shoulders slump, the baby is tiiii-rrred, and she is ready for a little nappage.






But not on the floor. No, no, no! This baby doesn't sleep on the cold, hard floor. She had enough of that in the puppy mill. Bumble knows what's coming to her. She knows what she deserves. She knows her rights! A dog with matching patches on her eyes gets to sleep in the people bed. Yes.








Bumble has a lovely foster home in a warm and sunny state and she's delighted to spend her mornings on the deck, absorbing the warmth and vitamin D she never knew while living in a barn. She's thinking of something to occupy herself once it's too warm to stay outside anymore.





And here she is. What does Bumble spend her afternoons doing? She spends them listening to stories and pestering her elders for more stories. More stories! And then she steals their toys and runs around the house until it's time once again to crawl into the bed!

It's a dog's life, sighs
The Frog Princess

The Best Laid Plans

The best laid plans of frogs and men gang aft agley. Sadly, it's true. Here's our beautiful Sadie, come back to foster care. Though we loved the family who applied for her and they loved Sadie, the resident Yorkshire terrier was not amused. Not even a little.

So after several contretemps and a couple of battle royals and one or two down and dirty donnybrooks, the towel was thrown in, the combatants sent to their corners, and Sadie came back to us to try again to find another wonderful home.

Meanwhile, though she seems a bit confused by the recent changes, she is full of pep and energy and is a different dog than the tired, listless, crabby girl she was before the soccer-ball sized tumor came out of her tummy a few months ago! It's as though this girl knows she has beaten the odds in a mighty big way (20 per cent chance of survival? Pooh. She gently sailed through surgery and her recovery on a magical carpet, and of course she survived. And,as you can plainly see, she is thriving still) and is making the most of her time remaining.

Here she is singing an aria in her tutu. Don't tell her she's mixing her careers, please. She's cramming in all her big dreams into one short life: ballerina, opera singer, medical marvel: done. We can't wait to see what's next for her! Maybe she'll become a diplomat or a dirigible operator. We'd love to see her flying over the kingdom, waving a little paw while the flashing sign spells out "FBRN! RESCUING, REHABILITATING and REHOMING FRENCH BULLDOGS!" or maybe see her on the news throwing tiny parachutes out the blimp's window with candy bars or little toys attached or even whole packages for children in countries where there is poverty and unhappiness and lots of unmet need. She might even fly emergency missions for Doctors Without Borders, delivering supplies and personnel! She can do anything.

She should be back up on the available dogs page on the next website update on Thursday. If you'd like to see what tomorrow brings with this dear girl, check out her bio and apply for her.

Hmm. Blimps remind us of hot dogs. Hot dogs remind us of dinner. Off to the kitchen goes
The Frog Princess

Brother Can You Spare a Dime?

These photos of Troy, the handsome young breeder surrender, caused lyrics of the Depression-era song "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?" to run through our head. We don't know why. Maybe it's because he has such a melancholy expression in some of the photos. Maybe it's because we know that since coming into FBRN's care, Troy has lost a considerable amount of weight and undergone neutering. When he first came to us, Troy was very fearful, not at all accustomed to life as a pet. As he started hanging out with the resident Frenchies and chasing and playing and learning the fine points of Marquess of Queensberry Frenchie Wrasslin, he lost some pudge and gained some self-esteem and confidence.
While he was with us, we also caused his insides to disinvite some unwelcome guests that were making themselves obnoxious somewhere in the loops of his intestines. He felt much better without the hitchhikers. Still. Something was just. Not. Quite.

Once I was a puppy, I was the one! Just as bright and shiny as chrome!
Once I was a puppy, now I'm grown. Brother, can you spare a home?
Once I was a stud dog, I was the one, I was the dog in the zone!
Once I was a stud dog; now I'm done. Brother, can you spare a home?



Once in a rattan basket, gee we were cute
Full of that Frenchie frolic and fun!
Half a dozen pups, all chewed on a boot
And I was the one with the tongue!



Say don't you remember, you taught me, "Come!"
Taught me "sit!" "stay" and "down!"
Say, don't you remember, you taught me "Come!"
Brother, can you spare a home?

Troy is looking for a place to be loved and adored. If that sounds like your place, why not check out his bio and see what you think?

How can you resist that sad face? queries
The Frog Princess