Psst! There's still time to buy a raffle ticket for your mom!

One of our adopters made this beautiful quilt and we decided to raffle it for Mothers' Day. It's our homage to moms everywhere and especially to the nameless thousands of puppy mill breeder dogs. It's not too late to buy a ticket or ten.

Ask Frog Princess: Smeagol

We had an inquiry about Smeagol. His mom responded with this message:


"All is well in Smeagies world. Nothing too exciting or earth shattering, just the way he likes it! ;) He's currently thrilled to have his Uncle Norn staying with us while we've been traveling this month, so he's banking some extra snuggle time.




Smeags continues to see a Rehab Vet for laser treatments, heat wraps and massages to help ease the tension built up in his poorly designed shoulders. Needless to say, he eats all the attention up with a spoon!






Most exciting of all, though, is Smeags most recent modeling job. Sure the pay was only fish treats, belly rubs, kisses and cooing, but this boy loves to work it for the camera! I've attached a few of photos of Smeags displaying D's beautifully handcrafted Napoleon Bonapart costume for your enjoyment."




Oh, good heavens. Was there ever a more handsome beast? It's simply unfair to those with a crush on that absurdly delicious animal to put him in a uniform. I hear the sounds of bodies crashing to the floor all over the world as they swoon with desire and admiration. Those eyes! Those ears! The jaunty, devil-may-care arrangement of his teefs in over and under lip presentations.

Never let it be said that Smeagol is without savoir faire, panache, elan, and gravitas. He's the hot-diggety-doggiest! pronounces

The Frog Princess

Rosalie Finds a Comfy Spot

Foster girl Rosalie was abandoned or lost in a park and being tormented by children, when a Good Samaritan jogger picked her up as Rosalie tried to follow her home. Frenchies are such people-centered dogs, it is hard to imagine the level of anxiety a lost or abandoned French bulldog must feel.

We are so relieved that Rosalie found one caring person in a parkful of people to take her in and find us. We'll make sure she'll be loved and safe until a family can be selected for her.

Meanwhile, Rosalie is resting by the fireplace and enjoying the comfy bed she recently received from a supporter.

Sure beats being stoned and harried by precious little kiddies, doesn't it? grumps

The Frog Princess

Spirit Has a Diagnosis

After several months in our care and a bizarre on-again, off-again wobble, we decided to have an MRI performed on Spirit's poor corpus.

Here's what the neurologist and radiologist discovered, as her foster dad reports:

"Thanks everyone for the support Spirit has received about her positive diagnosis. After playing phone tag with her Neurologist for the past couple of days (I now know her # by heart) I finally got to speak with the good doctor. She did find some evidence of hydrocephalus syndrome which is not totally uncommon for Brachy breeds but that was not the problem with what we are seeing.

They did find some inflammation on the left side in her spinal column. She said this could be caused by a minor stroke or an injury that has never healed properly. She is off crate rest but is to be restricted to walking on lead (2-3 X daily) and NO jumping, climbing stairs, etc. She feels exercise and restrictions will allow this to heal. She highly recommends Hydrotherapy and massages so whoever said to get Haricot's bathing suit out was right. Where's that bikini? I am trying to get her in this week.

She gave me a few things to watch for and am to cut back her exercise if I see them. She has been off her steroids for over a week now and has improved quite a bit with just very short walks and restrictions on what she can do. She has definitely been taught to go up and down stairs, to jump on and off the chairs and couch and to jump in and out of the car. Ouch! The stairs are no problem as I gate them off. It has been a real chore keeping her from jumping on the couch mostly. She is FINALLY starting to get it that I do not want her up there. We had to gate the couch off for a while which irritated my dogs to no end. Lol!


She's a very sweet girl who loves to be with you at all times. She does have some separation anxiety but we have been working on that too and she is slowly getting better.

She has settled here much better over the last week and is playing with toys and wanting to play with my dogs although I nip that in the bud because of her neck. She had a few accidents in the house the first week or so but none since and she's been great about going out. I find it very strange with her peeing though. She goes about half as often as my other dogs but has HUGE pees when she goes. I mean HUGE. We tested her urine at the last vet visit and it was perfect in concentration, no indications of infection, PH, etc. Maybe she just has a BIG bladder?"

It's very good to know what is ailing poor Spirit, and now that we have a good sense of the fundamental issues, we can set about making her physical therapy program and finding a lifestyle that will keep her well in her forever home. We thank all our sponsors and supporters and our foster families, as well as the doctors and staff who make these treatments possible.

The Frog Princess

The Frog Princess is in Love

with a man named Stu Bykofsky.

Anybody Want to Hear about a Happy Ending?

Many of our readers remember Cypress, the hydrocephalic guy who came to us in NOLA and soon left the land of gumbo, jazz and crawdads to foster with a former nurse. Here is a note from his foster mom and some news from his adopters.

For a boy who was diagnosed with intellectual deficits, he sure has smartened up some! Head of the class, even!

Here's his foster mom:

"Just received this and had to forward it to the group. For new volunteers that don't know who Cypress is, he was taken in by a vet tech from the breeder who had brought him in to be euthanized. When I got him, he only weighed 6 lbs. He has a spinal deformity and wasn't able to walk with his back legs. He also had a mass on his pharnyx which was trimmed down a little. He spent quite a bit of time at the specialists with oxygen. But what this little guy didn't have in strength, he had in pure determination. A wonderful family in New Jersey adopted him with all his problems, and look where he is now. I am so proud of little Gibbs, as he is now called, and couldn't have found a better family for him. He is loved, cared for, and couldn't be doing any better. Hurray for the wee one."


And from the adoptive family:

Cypress and his foster brother Pache made it into our calendar this year!

"Hi J! Well Mr. Gibbs out did himself in class today and we wanted you to be the first to know. Today they played a timed game in which squares with commands were placed on the floor. Each dog and owner had to go up to the square and execute each command and move to the next square. Each dog was timed. The squares had commands like sit, down, stand etc. Guess who won!!!! Mr. Gibbs did all the commands correctly in the fastest time!!! A. is one proud Mama! And B. the trainer said it just proves no one should ever think a dog can't do it because he is handicapped.

There was a woman visiting the class who rescues English Bulldogs and she was thrilled because she can tell the Mr. Gibbs story whenever someone doubts a dog with problems like his.

Oh, he is such a wonderful little guy and we love him so. And A. is such a proud Mama."

See there? Doesn't that warm the cockles of even the most cynical, shriveled up old heart? We can feel our pruny pericardium filling out and swelling up with pride. And what's this? A foolish grin is distorting the royal features of

The Frog Princess

Billy, Don't Be a Hero!

Ah, there is nothing we like better than inserting earworms into the unsuspecting brains of our readers! But introducing a new Frenchie is a close second!

Young Billy has been brightening the lives of his foster parents for several weeks, now. He's had cherry eye surgery to correct those crazy peepers, and he's making himself right at home. Here's the first report we got from his foster mom:

"I am happy to introduce Billy Boy, FBRN's newest foster! Billy wound up in a NYC high-kill shelter after being found wandering all alone in Brooklyn. No one claimed him, and i picked him up from the shelter on Saturday. Billy Boy is estimated to be about 3 years old, currently weighs 24 pounds, but should be 28-30, needs to be neutered, and has cherry eyes. The poor boy is not at all housebroken - he must have been kept indoors all the time because the padding on his feet are so soft and have started to bleed after a few walks on the city streets. In addition, he has had chronic diarrhea since they found him last thursday, and was just started on metronidazole and panacur today to help clear it up and gain some weight! Don't know what kind of rough life Billy endured beforehand, but if you raise your voice or go to pet him too fast, he flattens his body to the ground to brace himself. Poor thing.

The good news is that he seems to get along with all dogs he has met so far. He is super sweet, and wants nothing more than to crawl in your lap and smother you with kisses. He is a total lover boy. He needs to learn basic commands as well, which should be no problem because he is VERY food motivated. He has me laughing.... he is so stubborn that he wouldn't go out in the rain this morning, so I had to carry him 2 blocks to where there's scaffolding to stand under and do his business and not get wet. At other times, since his feet hurt him, he parks himself in the middle of the sidewalk and refuses to walk until I carry him 2 blocks to one of the few patches of grass in Hoboken, where it's soft on his feet and he will walk around. I also think he is younger than 3, because he apparently thinks my coffee table is a chew toy as I sit and type this!

This cute little boy will get neutered and have cherry eye surgery on Monday"

And here's her post-surgery note:
"When i picked up Billy from a NYC shelter last weekend, we knew he needed cherry eye surgery and to be neutered. But when I brought him in for a checkup and surgery on Monday, the vet said he could benefit from having his nares widened, and would look at his palate while under anesthesia. Turns out the poor boy's palate extended all the way into his trachea! So little Billy had cherry eye surgery, nares done, palate done, and was neutered all in one night. He didn't know what hit him!

But today the little boy is acting like nothing has phased him. He has more energy than before, is (trying) to run around (when i'm not keeping him crated so he can
rest), and wants to play with his toys. He is so funny.... he is just like a little puppy even though he's about 3 years old. He entertains himself by tossing the ball and then fetching it for himself. On walks, he picks up sticks and leaves to eat and munch on. At least he is getting the hang of housebreaking and isn't peeing in his crate as much anymore!

Well, what this boy lacks in genetics and housebreaking, he certainly makes up for in personality. I don't think you can get much more lovable. My dogs will snap at him, and he just goes on his merry way in a different direction. Not a bad bone in his body.

Billy still needs to gain more weight. He came from the shelter at 23.5 pounds, and was 25.2 pounds when he went in for surgery 8 days later. He still has another 3-5 more to gain so I don't feel his backbone or ribs anymore.

Whoever adopts this boy is going to be one lucky family. If you've been looking for another addition to your family with a great personality, this guy's the one (as long as you don't mind a little housebreaking reinforcement).

Oh, and I wasn't going to foster him, but he has weasled his way under my skin, and i just can't imaging not picking out and knowing where his permanent home will be. So i will be fostering him through to his adoption!"

Another update:

"Billy is SUCH an awesome dog! He is very puppy-like in his behavior... steals tissues that fall on the floor, chews the coffee table, get the zoomies and torpedos himself onto the sofa... someone is going to be a lucky person to adopt him!! Believe me, I've already been trying to figure out how I can handle adopting a 3rd dog in my small apartment. Can someone close to the NYC area adopt him so I can still visit him??!! hee hee...."

And, from his available page bio, some last words from the foster mom:

"Billy is one of the sweetest, most lovable dogs I have come across. The best way to describe him is innocent and puppy-like. He definitely needs some obedience training to learn things like not to eat whatever he finds on the ground outside! He is a charming little dog, and passersby constantly stop to give him attention. He seems like he is so happy with life, and just loves chewing his bones, playing fetch, and loving his people. Even if no one plays with him, he will toss a ball and fetch it himself. Whoever adopts him is going to be one lucky family!"

My, my, my. This foster mom's love for this little frog is just palpable, isn't it? We have the best foster families in all of dog rescue, claims

The Frog Princess

Meet Mookie!

Poor Mookie was unable to come to grips with the fact that she wasn't the baby of the house anymore. After more than a year of trying to help Mookie accept the new baby, Mookie's owners very sorrowfully surrendered her to FBRN.

Here is the first report from her foster mom:
"I picked her up last night and her dad was heartbroken to let her go! She spent the night just chilling in a quiet room away from my dogs, and she passed out snoring!

She is GORGEOUS with one black spot on her back - so adorable…she hasn't done a whole lot yet, but she hasn't had an accident, she is totally [up to date on vaccines], just needs a microchip and a once over and she should be ready to go!

Her dad said she was bit by a dog a few years back and hasn't trusted them since. She definitely needs to be placed as an only dog. While I see signs that she will come around with the right dog, she is very anxious, and I think she would do best soaking all the attention up herself!"

Mookie is settling in to her foster home, and if you'd like to offer her some support or sponsor her, you can check her out here.

Usurpation is a difficult thing for many dogs. How well we remember the birth of our younger sibling, and the resentment and dismay we felt upon first encountering the squirmy, demanding young morsel of life. How often we dreamt of a world without siblings and a return to the pre-lapsarian Eden of our earliest days, when the sun rose and set around us and our needs. How intense were our feelings of schadenfreude when our second sibling came around to bump the first sibling from her post as center of the world. Happily, the feelings of emotional kwashiorkor receded in time, and soon we three were a merry band of hoydens terrorizing the court and environs and driving our poor mother mad with worry and embarrassment, as all children do.

It is sad to see a Frenchie who cannot overcome her initial distress at the arrival of a newcomer. We hope that as an only dog, Mookie can once again find happiness and balance.

The Frog Princess

Beautiful Quilt Raffle for Mothers' Day!

Our sweet little Frenchie's loving mom is tidying up her bow to send her out to play.

(illustration: Khris Winthrop)



But, life is often not this idyllic and many of our little Frenchie moms have been used as unwilling baby factories to produce puppies for profit.










To honor all the moms and mother figures in our lives, please take a chance on FBRN’s beautiful, handmade quilt. Whether you choose to give it to someone special as a gift, or keep it yourself, you can feel very good knowing that the funds raised will go toward spaying and neutering our little foster frogs.






This gorgeous piece of art was donated to FBRN by Susan, mom of FBRN Grad Finnegan. Susan has won several awards for her quilts and this one took second place in last year’s Twin Rivers, NC Quilting Guild show as an original design in the hand quilting/appliqué category. Luxuriously soft, it is made of 100% cotton. It measures 36” by 36”. Displayed on a bed, couch or wall it is a keepsake to treasure.




Raffle tickets are $5.00 each, or five tickets for $20.00. Raffle ends May 1st, 2009 at 9pm EDT. Winning number will be drawn using the Random Number Generator at www.random.org. Please check your spam folders if you don't receive your numbers within 48 hours of purchase.

Hubba Bubba!

Here's a remarkable story from a woman who works as a vet tech and who seized the chance to be a hero to a homeless frog:

"A few days before Christmas, the local Animal Control officer brought in a male black/brindle Frenchie (whowas estimated to be between 6-7 years old by our doctor).

He was brought inbecause he was hit by a car (a witness, who called Animal Control, said someone purposely swerved to hit him). I fell in love with him instantly, and decided to take care of his medical needs and foster him for a few months until I felt comfortable handing him over to FBRN. (I frequently check up on the website to see the latest news and progress of the foster Frenchies, and donated money this past Christmas. I greatly admire all of the wonderful people in the FBRN who care for all the Frenchies in need).

Let me tell you a little more about "Bubba":
As I said, he was hit by a car, and needed immediate medical care. Animal Control can only afford to do so much, and his care exceeded their allotment per pet, and he would have been euthanized especially because of his age. I couldn't stand the thought of him being euthanized, so I decided to take on his medical bills. We did x-rays, and luckily, he had no broken bones. He was, however, suffering from shock from the auto incident.

Upon examining him, we noted that he was underweight, had poor coat/skin quality (probably from a lack of a quality diet), and had severe deformations of his ears.
The ear deformations weren't from ear infections that turned into hematomas, rather, our doctor said it looked like his ears had been "chewed on" by another animal. That being said, I wasn't about to wait around 5 days for someone to claim him (he wouldn't have made it that long without immediate treatment for shock). So, we treated him, gave him I.V.'s, and had him board with us until he was stable.


In the meantime, I placed an ad in the paper in case someone was looking for him. Honestly, I was praying no one would claim him, because he was so poorly cared for, it would break my heart to send him back to that life. After the five days were up, the
officer signed him over to me, and I continued his treatment.

When bloodwork was drawn, it showed his liver functions were not up to par because of the effects of the shock trauma. He was put on a liver supplement (Marin) and we waited a little while longer to re-test his blood values. When we re-tested them, the values had greatly improved, and he was able to begin the next stage of treatment: vaccinations and neutering.


He had a retained testicle (which added on to the cost of surgery), but it was a breeze to have it removed while going through the neuter surgery. While having surgery, I had him implanted with a microchip, had his teeth scaled and polished, and gave him the first round of vaccinations (DHLPP, Bordetella, and Rabies). He pulled through like a champ, and was ready to go home with me the following day.

He has been in my care since then, and has improved so much. His skin is no longer flaking off every time you scratch his back (which he LOVES), his coat is smooth and shiny, and has put on a good amount of weight. He got a second round of DHLPP and Bordetella, and is now fully vaccinated. He is also on heartworm preventatives and flea control.

Bubba has never bitten anyone since I have met him, in fact, he loves to be around people. He never barks when someone comes to the door, but he is right there to greet them. He is a very mellow, loving dog, who loves to give kisses and sit on your lap.

His only "behavioral" problem is that he is very food-oriented. He never seems to get enough! He cannot be free-fed, because he would try to eat a whole bag of dog food if it was left out. Currently, his only health problem is that he had a "hot spot" right above his anus and on the underside of his tail. He is almost finished with the course of antibiotics and topical medication.

The reason that I am "surrendering" him is because I already have three dogs at home, and four dogs doesn't let me give each dog the attention they deserve. I apologize in advance that I am not able to offer a donation to his new foster family, but I have spent over $1,300.00 since I began taking care of him so that FBRN wouldn't be burdened with that large of a medical bill. I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't be able to keep him permanently, but when our eyes first met, I knew he deserved a real chance at happiness.

I hope that I have given you enough information on Bubba, and that someone within FBRN will be able to find him a forever home where he will be loved as much as he would love his owner. Please let me know if there is anything that you can do to help, I greatly appreciate it. And, I'm sure that Bubba will appreciate it too."

Hubba Bubba will be on our new faces section of the foster page next week, in case you'd like to stop by and make a donation to sponsor him.

What a wonderful thing this woman has done for a strange and needy Frenchie. Please join us in thanking her for her generous and selfless gift to Hubba Bubba. Without her, he'd be as dead as that driver intended him to be.

The Frog Princess

Jeremy's New Home

From time to time, we get little notes from our adopters letting us know how their dogs are doing. We got this note from the woman who adopted foster Jeremy (now called Bailey):

"I'm sorry it's taken so long to get these to you! Better late than never I hope!! ; )

It's been almost 2 yrs. since my beloved 11 yr. old Rottie, Kain passed away. I've missed his companionship so much, but I knew that getting another puppy (especially an active or large breed) was out of the question. My physical disability limits the activities I can do with a dog. I have fostered dogs and have 4 grandogs, they all love being with me but I can't give them the kind of training and exercise they want and need. Then my son told me about FBRN. When I saw those sweet, sometimes sad little "froggy faces" then read their bios--I knew among this breed was a perfect match for me!

When I saw Jeremy's picture he was so cute I had to know everything about him. When I read how he needed someone that was "a homebody" because of his separation anxiety, I knew I had found my perfect match!!

Thankfully, all of you at FBRN agreed and allowed me the privilege of adopting Jeremy, who I have renamed "Bailey".

Bailey has been with me now in his forever home for 5 weeks and I can't imagine life without him now! He is my little shadow. We have great conversations as we go about our day. ; ) He loves to snuggle up and watch TV with me at night until we both fall asleep.
Then in the morning I usually get woken up by a little furry paw touching my cheek to see if I'm ready to play tug, his favorite game!!

Bailey also has 3 four legged cousins to play with quite often. He says, "he really enjoys family days. The four-way tug game can get pretty rowdy, but when everyone has tired of tug and tag the sofa is pretty cozy and there's always someone willing to scratch your tummy or that spot on the back of your neck you just can't reach! I miss my foster family, but I think this family needed me more, especially my new mommy!"

...I wanted you to know how thankful I am to have this little guy...

Blessings to all,
P W and Bailey

Four way tug of war? Sounds like a new Olympic sport to

The Frog Princess

Ask Frog Princess: Tail amputation?

Here's our new foster, Crockett, with a new friend!

We got a question about corkscrew tails from a reader:
I have a question about the wonderful corkscrew tails. I have had Frenchies and Bostons for years and never ran into a tail problem before now. Is there justification to amputate a tail? My little girls tail turns in on her butt and barely lifts up when she potties. I have been wiping her clean daily but it really seems to bother her. I have a trusted vet tell me to think about amputating her tail.

New adoptee Dylan flanked by English bulldog brothers Ford and Diesel.


He wouldn't suggest this if he didn't feel it would help her. I just don't want to put her through the pain unless it is absolutely the right thing to do. Have you guys had to amputate tails and how much pain will she be in after the surgery? I had one vet tell me it is very painful for the dog to have their tail taken off. I just want her to be comfortable and happy. Thanks, Jen and Sophie

And when we put it to our friends in FBRN, here were some responses:
1. "Yes, you gotta wipe them all the time. You should also use a Qtip with something like Malaseb to clean the tail fold. It may be REALLY tight but you need to do it all the way around the spiral. Then for good measure you need to go in and "pick their tail" once a week. We do this wile watching TV at night. You go into the tail fold, spiral part and pull out any loose hair.

My breeder told me all these things when I got Pierre and then at his well puppy exam the vet added in that if these things aren't kept up on they can get an infection requiring the tail to be amputated.

That scared me to pieces and my kids always get comments from every doc they see about how well their tail & tail pocket has been maintained."

Big frog, little frog! Maxine with FBRN foster Deo.

2. Here's a response from a vet:
"As a veterinarian, I can give my medical opinion. Tails can be amputated and dogs seem to do very well. I have had to amputate many tails due to trauma. The only concern is that it would need to be amputated at the base of the spine. There is a potential to affect nerves to the bladder and colon if the veterinarian is not careful. Are you using alcohol free wipes? If not, that is probably what the dog doesn't like, alcohol on the tender tissue around the anus. If the actual tail is bothering her (without wiping it) then consider amputation. And if she retains urine and feces, then scald can occur resulting in skin lesions."

2007 Grad Della, now Olive, in her birthday tiara!


3. From an FBRN volunteer who has an amputee:

"My big Frenchie, Rico had to have his tail amputated. He had the exact same problem. I talked to 3 vets and they all agreed that it was a necessary surgery for Rico's future well being and overall comfort. One vet (a good friend of mine as well) made me "put myself in Rico's paws" and I immediately made the appointment!
Rico is definitely a happier (and healthier) dog due to the surgery. As far as the surgery itself, he was given a pain injection (Metacam) just before the surgery, and he came home with pain meds for 10 day after the surgery. He fared VERY well! It never bothered him and he never showed any signs of pain...and he would...he is a bit of a wimp."


Another photo of new foster, Crockett, looking pitiful.

4. From a vet tech:

"I work for a vet and we've had to amputate some of these screw tails for reasons like this. Sometimes the dogs get bad skin infections and sores from the tail being so close. I wouldn't call it an extremely painful surgery. Of course I would talk to the vet and make sure good pain control is in place and I would keep my dog on some painkillers after the surgery. But we amputate tails for a number of reasons and the animals do quite well after the surgery. The recovery does not seem to be that hard on them."

5. And a response from someone in the human medical field, with photos of her Frenchie, Yoda:

"We have two Frenchies with a multitude of medical issues. Yoda, our male, was purchased through a breeder as a show dog. We did indeed show him, but never finished him because he began to limp. This dog has hemivertebrae, megaesophagus (resolved as he grew older), soft palate resection, horrible food and outdoor allergies (dust, grass, trees), and the tail.
Yoda's bottom and backside, post-amputation.
His tail started becoming infected in his second year. It was wound in a way that it would rub against the body skin and get horribly infected, even though we are medical people and were always very vigilant. The infections caused so much pain that he literally could not sit still and would hop and run and whine trying to find relief. He had his last infection right at Thanksgiving 2004. The Monday after, we had it amputated.

Handsome Yoda!


We were, of course, concerned about anesthesia, which
is such a big concern with these guys. Luckily, we used the same vet [FBRN President Ruth Chiger] goes to, so they were well experienced with Frenchies. The procedure was done Monday. We visited him that afternoon and took him home the next day. He came home on pain meds and antibiotics. I would say he was quiet for 2 days, after that, it was like nothing had happened. I am enclosing a picture for you to see what it looks like after (the pink spots are from allergies and unrelated). It really looks much worse that it was. It took several months for the hair to grow back, but now hardly anyone notices that he doesn't have a tail. The procedure cost about $500. We were very pleased with the results and only sorry we didn't do it sooner. I hope this helps."

6. From another volunteer:

"Our English Bulldog had his tail amputated. It was rough for him - he cried on the way home and he was such a noble dog. BUT his tail took a turn and was growing into his tushy. As our vet put it, when we wiped his butt under the tail, he compared it to wiping a raw sore with a corn cob. Ouch! So we had no option but to amputate. It was so much better in the long run. He was about 8 when he had the surgery. Poor guy."

Jen and Sophie, we hope that these answers have given you some things to think about. Please do keep us informed and if Sophie has surgery, let us know how she is doing. Of course, these answers should not be regarded as veterinary advice, but only as friendly discussions of personal experience. Consult your own vet and get a second opinion before making any decisions, and keep in mind that all surgeries carry risk--and anesthetizing any Frenchie is especially risky. Please seek out a vet skilled in brachycephalic breeds, with experience in the surgery you are requesting and in anesthetizing brachy dogs.

Thank you to all our friends and volunteers for helping to answer Jen's question!

The Frog Princess

5th Annual New England Frenchie Social!

You are invited to join us for
The 5th Annual New England Frenchie Social
to benefit the French Bulldog Rescue Network (FBRN).
The event will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2009 from 10:00 am- 3:00 pm
at the Baywood Kennels Canine School of Performing Arts,
16 Moose Meadow Rd., Willington, CT.
Please visit www.baywoodkennels. com for directions.

The cost is $12.00 per person (children under 14 free) to include:
Breakfast, lunch, beverages, door prizes
and goodie bags for all 4-legged guests in attendance.

Events of the day will include raffles, contests and all rescue frenchies
are invited to participate in the Rescue Parade.

Reservations in advance are required for those planning to attend.
Please contact Laurie Schoenfield - LaurieB76@aol. com
by April 27, 2009 with any questions or to RSVP.

Just a few hours remain

To bid on these fabulous Frenchie items, donated to us by supporters.


Donated to FBRN and currently listed on eBay are 4 fabulous items that are not to be missed. There are 2 original paintings by artist Dasha Goux and 2 frenchie ornaments by Krinkles collection (Patience Brewster). Please visit the links below and all proceeds benefit the rescue dogs of FBRN. Thank you.

French Bulldog (pied) original painting by Dasha Goux

French Bulldog (brindle) original painting by Dasha Goux

French Bulldog ornament (pink) Krinkles collection

French Bulldog ornament (green) Krinkles collection

Thank you!

The Frog Princess

Attention ATL area Frenchie folk!

Next weekend, April 25 and 26, FBRN will be presenting a seminar on training difficult dogs. Led by Kim Barnett of Follow My Lead, USA, the seminar is an introduction to the canine social structure and canine psychology, with lots of juicy and entertaining fun-facts to know and tell. Meet FBRN volunteers and catch up on the stories of their fosters; socialize with fellow Frenchie enthusiasts, and get some wonderful advice and assistance in learning new ways to relate to your beloved boy or girl.
Costs are very low in hopes that people who need the seminar can attend.

It is strongly recommended that participants attend both days, since the information on day two builds on what we learn on day one. Attendance is limited to 50.

What: Two day seminar in fostering and training difficult dogs. Led by Kim Barnett of Follow My Lead USA/UK.

When : Saturday April 25th 10am - 5pm. Sunday April 26th 10am - 4pm.

Where: Hotel Indigo Midtown, 683 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta GA 30308. (404) 874-9200 (Use code FBR when registering for a room to get the discount.) Hotel Indigo is dog-friendly, but please don't bring your dog to the seminar.

Who: Any members of ANY dog rescue or interested individuals

$20 per day, please prepay through www.frenchbulldogrescue.org web site. Click on the donation bone and use the message box to indicate your name and that you are registering for the seminar. Cost includes coffee & snacks. There will be an opportunity for more questions and a get-together on Saturday afternoon after the seminar. Dogs welcome.

We would much rather educate dog owners and help families keep their dogs than rehome a dog who could be confident and calm and contented.

Email questions to: adorabullsmom@yahoo.com

The Frog Princess

PS Minneapolis/St Paul folks should know that another two day seminar is planned for May 9/10. Watch this space for additional information.

Wonderful volunteers!

FBRN has some of the best volunteers we have ever worked with. Here's a story one of our intake coordinators shared with our volunteers about the long journey 3 of our new fosters made last week:
Reva


"Please allow me to share what amazing volunteers we have:

E.C. & P. K. handled the surrender [of 3 retired breeders]. M. went above & beyond the call to help these girls move from the foster-clogged Midwest to sunny FL to start their new lives. She had planned a trip for a week or so later but moved her trip up and agreed to transport 3 surrenders in addition to her service dobie, Custer, & companion dog, Tacy, in her Subaru sedan.

Saturday, April 3, The 3 KS mill girls were surrendered; Mary was already headed there from CO. P. housed M., her entourage and the 3 new FBRN girls on Saturday night. Sunday M. headed east & south to make it to Nashville and a stay w/ TN volunteer C. H's family. Monday morning she headed to the deep south and to arrive for a stay w/D. & T. in north FL.

One girl, now April, stayed w/D. and T. and the other 2 headed south on Tuesday. After a couple hour visit in Orlando, April

they headed back west to meet up with volunteer G.G. G. transported his and G.M's new foster girls, now Cambridge & Reva, to their new foster homes!

We have totally amazing volunteers!!"

We really do. Right now, we are looking high and low for people willing to foster dogs for us in California. If you are interested in joining our remarkable band of willing and enthusiastic rescuers, please contact frenchiehelper at aol dot com.

Cambridge


And now to answer one of the first questions asked of The Frog Princess:
"Dear Frog Princess:

How do you keep your Tiara on your head? My Mom is forever trying to dress me up and I don't like it one bit! She says I am the only Frenchie that doesn't like to play dress up. I think it is humiliating.

Little Pip in Upstate NY."

Dear Little Pip:
We do have a tiara we wear for some informal formal occasions, but the headgear you see in my photo is a handmade crown found by one of our subjects in a local bazaar. It has a very nice and stretchy elastic that fits under one's chin.

We do understand that for those Frenchies whose work does not include affairs of state, the insistence of one's attendant upon one's wearing headgear, bangles, fancy dresses, costumes, or other articles of clothing can be terribly irksome. We recommend that our nudie friends demand that their attendants find another outlet for their dress up fantasies. May we suggest they borrow a baby or acquire a mannequin of some kind?

FBRN grad Haricot

It is also possible to find FBRN foster dogs who do not disdain wearing habiliments. Depending on your temperament, you might encourage your attendant to seek out one of these to exercise her unwanted attentions upon.

If all else fails, a well-directed nip and a pointed and direct exclamation of disgust may be required. Though some might fear the consequences, we feel sure that not a jury in the land would convict you.

Sincerely,
The Frog Princess

Leo Likes the Sun!

We love to hear from our adopters! Here's a note about former foster, Prefontaine, now Leo:

"...Leo is the best little dude in the world. I like to think he loves it here with us. And the feeling is mutual. I hate to say it, but Leo is a bit partial to E. I'm feeling a little of the boys club around here. Hah!

Seriously, though, he's a great little guy. Definitely a bulldog (he hates the rain and lets his stubborn side show when we have to walk him in it) but all in all, amazing dog. Listens, obedient, and - believe it or not - has been learning how to play with others quite well. We take him to the...Park and let him off leash. He hasn't shown any aggression. He doesn't exactly invite other dogs to play with him (not the most playful of dogs) but he also doesn't get aggro when other dogs decide to come around and chase his beloved yellow ball. He's fine in these situations. He
chases balls with other dogs but he never chases dogs to play & hop around. Never. I doubt he'll ever behave that way, ie, like a happy golden retriever (just doesn't seem to be his personality), but that's totally fine with us.

He's loving his raw food diet and has a hearty appetite....He's probably gained a bit over a pound or so. I'd guess nearly 21 lbs? His ribs and spine aren't so obvious anymore. He's such a small guy though (length, height, girth) that he still looks
like a puppy. We continue to heed the vet's advice and increase his meals by 20% to ensure weight gain.

Now, his allergies. Well, we did his round of antibiotics which really helped him get thru the red spots and crusties. Thankfully. And we still have him on prednisone which I think he will need into perpetuity... So we put him back on the every other day cycle. It has significantly curbed the itching (as do the medicated oatmeal baths every week) but he still has some red bumps here and there. He continues to shed (he still has yet to grow any fur in his armpits which further chafes/irritates his skin) so I keep him in a little shirt oftentimes...

Oh, i forgot to mention. When I was away last weekend, E. went to Tahoe and took Leo with. And our little Leo -- he had no problem or unease with the snow (I guess it's just the wet rain he hates). He went on a short trail hike with the boys (they had to carry him in a bag the return way, he'd had enough) and got to live it up a little on vacay..."

Leo is living well, he's clearly adored, and he's found a couple who have found ways to cope with his little idiosyncrasies and his continuing allergies. Plus, he's very well dressed!

What is it the young people say nowadays? Score! enthuses

The Frog Princess

Ask The Frog Princess!

Do you have questions about FBRN and our policies? Would you like to know more about Frenchies and their odd behaviors?

Well, wonder no more! If you have a general question about FBRN or about Frenchies, leave a comment below. If The FP doesn't know the answer, she'll find someone who does.

Please, no questions about your individual application. General questions of general interest will be answered.

Anticipatorily yours,
The Frog Princess