Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving, we'd like to reintroduce you to some of our foster Frenchies in some of their foster parents' favorite photos and let you know what they are thankful for, in the words of their foster parents.


Now, I know it is a strange picture for a favorite but it is the first picture after surgery where Valentine had the sparkle back in her eyes.
Val is thankful that she found an organization that has been patient enough to see her through her long healing process. She is looking forward to finding a place to call a home of her own, hopefully before Christmas. Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers with FBRN. :) She could not have made it through it all without them.




Hi, I'm "Clyde" a foster Frenchie and I'm thankful this holiday to have a warm bed to sleep in, plenty of good food, some other doggie friends to play with, and a lot of love and attention from my foster mom and dad.



joey is grateful for upholstery, and warm clothes, and a warm body to snuggle with and a safe place to snuggle down. we are grateful he is doing so well.


Gussy is grateful for a nice pillow to lie on and a foster family to love him.





Faith and Hope are thankful for good friends. They are also thankful that I have a lot of stuffies that they can tear up!! haha!!!!











Louis is thankful for the sunshine. He has spent so much time in a pet store. He just loves soaking in the rays.




I think this is one of Jack that hasn't been seen before. He's sitting in his new bed. I think Jack is most thankful for - honestly? - being fed regularly!! He's a super chow hound. Next on his list would be kind humans who pet him and play with him. He's a simple guy who enjoys simple pleasures. If he knew what Thanksgiving was, i.e. a big feast, he'd be all over it.
Happy Thanksgiving to all, humans and canines alike.



Brutty says he's thankful for love and lots of toys.





Rue says he's thankfull to have friends that look just like him and to be going to his forever home in time for Christmas. Bet he gets lots of presents!!!!!!!!





Ah, well if I had to guess what Higgins is thankful for I would have to say
it's for the plethora of nap times he enjoys...I love the way frenchies look
when they sleep.









Bugsy is thankful for: FBRN, Thanksgivings spent cruising around on his Harley in the Southern California sunshine, sleeping in, romps in the yard and on the leash, gentle hugs, a soft bed and toys, toys, toys (especially balls)! Bugsy is also looking forward to motoring up to his forever home come Saturday.


Our warmest wishes for a wonderful, delicious and happy Thanksgiving. We are profoundly grateful for all the foster families, volunteers and supporters of this rescue, and for the adoptive families who step forward to give our fosters loving, peaceful, safe and healthy homes.

The Frog Princess

Shoeless Joe Makes a Pitch

Poor Shoeless Joe. He's got it rough. The clock keeps ticking and ticking and yet there keeps on being no food in his dish. We aren't sure how this can have happened, but we are looking into it, you bet, Joe!
It's not like this pitiful wayfaring stranger couldn't use a coupla calories! You remember Joe, he's the dog who went walkabout for 6 months before somebody found him, malnourished, with his poor face all full of infected bite marks, and generally looking like a half-crazed junkyard dog.

The vet he was taken to was coincidentally the same vet his family used,
and the vet turned him over to the rightful owners. All was bliss and prodigal son partying until Joe felt the family's infant was low-dog and he started getting uppity with the old-timer dog. Joe had had just a little too much autonomy out in the world. He got himself a ticket to FBRN.

And now his face is all better, and his pockets have been picked, and he's had a little surgery to widen his nostrils and make his breathing easier. The neighbors down the street are no longer worried about earth-quaking snores they hear at night, and his foster family is getting some rest.


You know that expression, "It's a dog's life?" We think that's supposed to mean that times are tough, life's a hard road, you gotta just keep pickin' em up and puttin' em down.
Judging from this photo, we think the phrase should be redefined.
Junkyard dog? Naw, he's turned out to be a lot of hot air with hair on it, has ol' Joe. He dreams of nothing more than a couple of enormous meals a day, a chauffeur-driven convertible, an in-house disco, and a gaggle of beautiful Frenchie dancing girls to make his life complete.

But he'll settle for a forever family who loves him to distraction, who'll be available for a little Frenchie wrasslin', and who'll provide a big, blanketed bed stocked with warm-hearted, warm-blooded bipeds.

Dream big, Shoeless! urges
The Frog Princess

Bugsy

We've all had those days.

You know, the weather is beautiful, the company is pleasant, the day's work is done and it's time to relax. You climb into your favorite chair or flop onto your comfy sofa and prepare for a little well-earned zoning out.




And yet something is just not right. You shift around a little bit, you pick up a magazine, maybe you consider a little snack.
No. No. No. Just can't get comfortable. The magazine isn't really what you want. There aren't any Chee-tos and you don't really feel like walking to the store.

You get up off your comfy seat.

Maybe you'll know it when you see it.

You wanna play fetch? No.

Wanna chase your brother? Nah.

Patrol the perimeter, maybe mail a letter? Huh uh. Nope.

You wanna chew a stuffie?


That's IT!

Oh, that is what you want. The stuffie. Bliss.

Now to persuade your foster Mom that she needs some Chee-tos. Needs 'em now.

Needs 'em bad.

It's true. A stuffie a day keeps the boredom away, nods
The Frog Princess

Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful Boy

As John Lennon wrote more than a generation ago, "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans," so we thought, as this holiday week begins, we'd offer you a moment to pause, take a moment, and look deeply into the eyes of a very beautiful soul.

This is our dear Carlin, currently Under Review while his foster family selects a forever home for him. We think these photos, taken on the way home from a vet visit, are very lovely. Carlin seems to be speaking volumes with his expression, here, and though he may be sending psychic commands to stop at the fast food joint for a plain burger and some fries, we prefer to think that Carlin is feeling gratitude for all the ways his life has gotten better since he came into our care.
His vision is nearly clear, his hearing has returned, and the surgery he underwent to remove a polyp was a success.

This loving, active, people-person dog will be enriching some lucky family's life, thanks to FBRN's generous and loyal supporters, and the tender and devoted care of his foster family.

"Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better."

Thank you for answering Carlin's prayer.

The Frog Princess

Sophie Has a Home

Sophie, our little cyclone in a dog, has found a forever home in a men-only household. Having taken an intense dislike to women, Sophie will be living with her adoptive dad and his dad in a lovely home with Frenchie brother, Clarke, an FBRN grad and one of the deli dozen; Frenchie sister Chloe; and Pug sister Daphne.
We believe that Sophie will be happy in her fenced yard and will never want for playmates in her home. Happy landings, Sophie! calls
The Frog Princess

Tillie 3/09/96-10/04/06

Many FBRN volunteers and supporters are familiar with Tillie's story. She was to be an easy first foster for a new volunteer. She a 6 year-old girl with some past health issues, but no temperament problems. After a week in foster care, our volunteer had to take Tillie to the vet where it appeared that her mast cell cancer had returned and spread throughout Tillie's body. The vet estimated that Tillie would have just a few months to live.Her foster mom asked permission to keep her and care for her for however much time Tillie had remaining. In her loving care, Tillie lived more than three years. Tillie was a funny, silly, goofy girl. She loved to climb into the tub and hope and wait and hope some more that some kind passerby would give her a bath. She loved to play in the sprinkler with her canine siblings. She oversaw the comings and goings of a few more fosters before her passing. She was a source of entertaining stories for our volunteers and she was Miss October one year on the FBRN calendar: Miss Hallowe'en, Tilloweena.

This is the note her grieving mom sent us when Tillie passed away. Those of us who have loved and lost a dog will recognize the anguish and sorrow and very great love in her words.

"Sister Weena, Queen of the Wild Tilluluhy Louly Lous is gone, God rest her soul.
She fought that cancer to the bitter end, but finally her lung mass grew too large and caused her too much pain and she was ready to go.
Her passing could not have been any more peaceful. As she rode in my arms to the vet, she was breathing heavily and her eyes were already glazed over. In fact, the only time she looked alarmed was when they took her out to put the IV in and she looked over the nurses shoulder to see if I would follow. Once she was back in the room and we had told her how much we loved her, she fixed her eyes on me and the injection was administered and she went to sleep. She looked just like she would when she would like on the couch and watch TV with me. I sat in her spot when I got home. Boy do I miss rubbing her ears already.
Over the past three years since Tillie was rescued by FBRN, I've been faced with the prospect of letting her go, but nothing could have prepared me for today. My heart is heavier than I could have ever imagined and seeing her food bowl had me doubled over in knots. Just yesterday morning was the last time I will ever get to say, "Tillulah, put your bone down before you go outside," as she would like to take and leave her Nylabones in the back yard. You see, Tillie was always so happy that she had to have a toy or a bone in her mouth while her back end would wiggle from side to side. Oh, how I miss my sweet girl.
I would attach my favorite picture of her, but I can't bear to go through the cds and choose just one. I just keep picturing that sweet honey colored dot on her forehead and those large ears...oh my, how I love her. How lucky I have been to have been loved by her. She gave me her all, up until the very end. Quite the trouper.
Thank you, FBRN, for all your support and care over the years for Tillie. I know many of you have cried and laughed at her antics; now just smile knowing she's in heaven on our side."

Hoping there are lots of sunny days and sprinklers up there for a funny little dog to splash through,
The Frog Princess

Lillie Then and Now

Lillie came to us in the midst of labor. Her owner contacted us, our volunteer met him, Lillie was signed into FBRN's custody, then was whisked to a rescue-friendly vet and underwent a C-section within 3 hours. Maybe more remarkably, a foster home willing to take in a neglected, near deaf Frenchie and her 3 lab-mix puppies was found in less time than it takes to tell the story. Lillie has raised her pups, they were placed through a local shelter's listing service while they remained in our volunteer's home, and have all been adopted.
Lillie has undergone ear surgery to remove the detritus of many infections and polyps and to relieve the pain and pressure in her ear. She needs another surgery before she will be placed. Generous FBRN sponsors and donors made Lillie's maternity care and her first surgery possible.

Meanwhile, the cigarette burn on her head and the chemical burns of unknown origin have healed, Lillie has bloomed under the tender care of her foster sibling Murphee and foster mom, and she has learned what it means to be an indoor pet, after living as an outdoor dog and having to fight for every scrap and morsel of food with the other yard dogs.
Though not yet ready for adoption, Lillie grows more confident and beautiful every day. Thank you for all you have done to make her progress possible.
Sincerely,
The Frog Princess

Kaspar Meditating in the Marigolds

When Kaspar was 15 weeks old, his family had him evaluated by a professional trainer following some incidences of misbehavior, including biting, barking and insubordination. The trainer saw something...evil in Kaspar. Said he was incorrigible. Said he needed killin'.

Crushed and incapable of euthanizing such a young dog, the family surrendered Kaspar to FBRN. Turns out Kaspar is a bit of a tough case, and after a number of applicants backed out upon reflecting on the kind of commitment and consistency Kaspar would require, his foster family asked if they could adopt him. Kaspar is a very happy dog in his new home, rarely showing evidence of the depraved and criminal character he had been accused of hiding behind that black mask.

Kaspar has grown to be a very interesting young beast. When he gets upset or overstimulated, he goes into the garden and sits in the flowers until he calms down. Here's Kaspar, practicing biofeedback in the backyard.

Would that we were all as wise as this handsome creature, wistfully wishes
The Frog Princess

Handsome Jack in the Mangroves

Our foster, Handsome Jack, continues to recover from a little setback he endured this summer. So far, he seems to be maintaining an even keel. It helps so much that his foster family includes a physician who is conscientious about keeping HJ on a strict schedule of medication. He's back on the available page, and he's ready to move to a home where he can be cuddled and coddled for the rest of his life. If you have the time, resources and commitment to give a special needs dog with lots of personality and a great big heart, why not apply for this boy?

Here is Handsome Jack, enjoying a brief rest among the roots of a mangrove tree on the Florida coastline near his foster home.

Oo, Jack! coos
The Frog Princess

Dora and Friends

We were very sad to learn that one of our volunteers, Dora's foster mom, had an emergency medical condition that required surgery and recovery.


Regardless of her own pain and interrupting her recovery, she nonetheless made the effort to place Dora in another FBRN volunteer's care.

Dora is now enjoying the company of a gang of Frenchies at a new foster home and, best news of all, has recently gone into review! We are hoping to perform a home check soon and place her before Thanksgiving.



We are hoping that Dora and her friends Pache, Kaspar and Dulcie are enjoying the sunny days of a New England fall.


Our best wishes for a full and rapid recovery to Dora's first foster mom!
The Frog Princess

Lucy Lou, Looking Good!

This was Lucy Lou just a few weeks ago. Note the way her legs are crossed and the wasting of her back end.



This is what a few weeks with a devoted foster family can do. Legs are no longer crossed, and Lucy Lou has some movement in her back right leg.




Though donations for Lucy Lou's treatments weren't the equal of the very generous outpouring of gifts we received for Anna Belle, Roxanne, and Pixie, we are happy to say that we did receive some sponsorships and well-wishes for Lucy Lou from a number of caring contributors.





Soon, Lucy Lou will be traveling to Texas from Georgia in order to receive some care from a sympathetic veterinary specialist. We are very hopeful that Lucy will see even more progress toward improved mobility. If you'd like to donate toward her continued recovery and travel expenses, either for the first time or again, please visit Lucy Lou's foster page on our website, and don't forget to leave a little message of encouragement and hope for Lucy Lou. She's working very hard to get better.

With gratitude to our kind and loyal supporters,
The Frog Princess

Dame Babycakes: Card Shark at Work

"You gotta know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away, and know when to run.
Don't ever count your money while you're sittin' at the table; there'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done."

Hit me, Baby!
The Frog Princess, with acknowledgement to Mr. Kenny Rogers

Murphee: On the Job!

FBRN volunteers got a little scare recently when one of our grads had to spend some time at the hospital. Murphee, a foster sibling par excellence, is feeling better now.



Murphee recently made a friend in the local Animal Services department. When the officer heard about Murphee's contributions to rescue and all of Murphee's volunteer efforts as a therapy dog and hospice visitor, the officer offered to let Murphee have his picture taken wearing an official badge in an official truck to help celebrate his recovery and encourage him in his good works.



Murphee just loves to sit in the truck, as you can see by the smile on his face!
Even when he's not in the truck, he's always on the lookout for critters in need.

Murphee certainly has done his share of looking after little lost Frenchies over the past few months. He's a good boy, he is, and he's got a great big heart.

We feel safe and happy knowing that Murphee is on the job, helping to protect and serve.

Thanks for your good work, Murphee! says
The Frog Princess

Beulah

Here is Beulah, bored on an evening at home, thinking of possible amusing diversions with which a silly Frenchie might entertain herself for an hour or two.





A LIGHT BULB moment!




With FBRN grad and foster sister Mags, Beulah has discovered a game the Frog Princess has played: I Spy. It goes like this: One player starts the game by saying, "I spy with my little eye...something red!" (or blue or gray or black or what have you) The other player must then gaze around the room or out the car window and attempt to locate the object the spy has spied.

As much fun as it was, the game came to an early end when spy and guesser were distracted by


COSTUMES! Our hats are off to any household with the energy to hold down and dress up
this many doggies!

We believe we spy a vier for Princess amongst this jolly mob!



If we were another sort of ruler, we might be tempted to shout, "Off with her head!" Fortunately for Beulah, we are a tolerant, benign sort of dictatrix. We'll settle for a tax of half the dog treats in Beulah's goody bag!

Benevolently yours,
The Frog Princess

Cosmo Plans a Caper

This is Cosmo. To look at him, no one would ever guess that beneath this generous exterior lurks the persona of a canine kingpin. Watch as the story of Cosmo's latest caper unfolds before your eyes.



Here is Cosmo, grinning high and wide, working hard to lull his foster family into a sense of security, a feeling of confidence that such a large and happy fellow would have few thoughts of...freedom!



We surprise Cosmo in the midst of an exercise routine. Too late, too late, we wonder: what would a dog of that noble stature need with strength and aerobic training? For what nefarious purpose would a happy lapdog require such stamina and muscle?

As the day wears on, young Cosmo's activities grow more confusing to our observer. Cosmo calls a meeting with his foster siblings, with promises of Frenchie fun and Frenchie wrassling.



And yet, once gathered to him, the Frenchie conclave does not engage in chase me games or wrassling or even a pleasantly companionable Kong and Gummabone gnawfest. No, these three have something more in mind than fun and games. Something...more.



Oh, yes! Escape is at the root of all this plotting! Escape and freedom and a wild scampering to the center of the village, where, identity tags and Voters' Guides in hand, these proud Frenchie-Americans will cast their VOTES!

Go, thou, and do likewise.

This shaggy dog story brought to you as a public service by
The Frog Princess

Max and Lulu: Tooth and Tongue

Max and Lulu are being placed as a pair.
They are being featured this week on the front page of our website because we are seeking some wonderful applications for these two cuddlers. Their foster mom sent in some admittedly blurry candid photos we thought we'd offer our readership. She has promised some more better ones as soon as she can arrange it. Here's Max, drunken with delight and delirious over a toy he has found. Note the ecstatic half-closed eyelids, the tell-tale grin and the air of debauchery. It's a great toy. It's his toy. And Lulu can't have it.

And of course there's Lulu, who here appears wearing her customary amiable expression, her tongue peeking coyly from betwixt her pearly teeth and cherry lips. Possibly it is because her tongue is a wee bit too large for her head, but we prefer to imagine that she is one of those interesting critters who experience the world through their tongues. Lulu might be one of those who taste the air, sense the currents, explore the unseen with special sensitivity.

These two are certainly sybaritic sorts, and if you are willing to indulge them in pleasures of the senses, to present them with sundry varieties of odiferous, luscious, chewy, bouncy, squeaky treats, by all means hie thee to the applications page and apply for them.

Peckishly,
The Frog Princess

Louis Saws Some Logs

You'll recall that young Louis was moved from the Philadelphia area to New England when his foster brother, the inimitable Shortstack, began to tire of his company.
We got a note last week to let us know that Louis has settled in quite nicely, and a photo to provide evidence that Louis is suffering not a bit from shortness of Shorty. Here's a note from Louis' foster mom: "As you can see.....Louis is right at home sleeping in bed. He is quite the character. If you get in bed and push him over to make room....it's like he has a bungy cord on him. He springs right back to where he was. He just loves to sleep plastered against you. This poor little guy is just so starved for love and attention. I can't get out of his sight for a moment without him screaming. I just love him...he is soooo sweet. He will make someone a wonderful companion."
As long as the bed is wide and the companion is narrow, we think Louis will be a fine bedwarmer and bunkmate, teases
The Frog Princess

Oatus and Tessa Together

Shortly after Oatmeal, called Oatus, was adopted, his family decided he'd be happier if he had a sister.


His family put the word out that they were looking for a nice grown-up Mademoiselle to join their family. Friends of friends suggested Tessa, a four year old retired breeding girl, and following some conversation and photos, Tessa joined the family.

FBRN volunteers in the Northeast offered their services to help transport Tessa from her breeder's home to her new family's place in New York state. The transport worked out quite nicely, and it gave volunteers a chance to meet some fellow volunteers and enjoy a lovely summer day. This is Tessa, up on her legs while Oatus hangs out waiting for a treat.
Oatus and Tessa are having a blast together, chasing deer and bunnies in the back yard, and when the wildlife is scarce they chase each other around the speedway in the house: through the kitchen, through the den, across the screened porch and back into the kitchen again! Vroom! Vroomvroom!
May the excitement continue and the fun never end!
Sincerely,
The Frog Princess

Dewey and Baxter, Waiting

Here's a photo of one of our foster boys, Dewey, and his pied foster brother, Baxter. They are finished with their own meal and they are gazing, with a yearning so painful it transmits itself to one's own watering mouth, at the dish that their foster sister has so tantalizingly left a spoonful of dinner in.O! The evil workings of the Frenchie girl's heart! She has these two boys wrapped around her paw, and she knows they will not dare to eat her leftovers, so she walks away from the last few bites and lets the boys break their salivary glands with desire.
And then, just when they dare to hope that she doesn't really want that last wee bit, Allie the Evil Genius swans back into the room and daintily consumes the final morsels before their wondering eyes.
O! Allie! Shame and fie upon your tricksy nature! You'll be sad when Dewey has gone to his new home and only Baxter remains to taunt and tease.
In the deathless words of the Bard:
"I am ashamed that women are so simple
To offer war when they should kneel for peace...."

Well, maybe not ashamed, since we are ourselves unrepentantly shrewish from time to time. But Allie! Be nice! commands
The Frog Princess

Kismet

Beautiful Kismet has been adopted by a Kansas couple who have transplanted themselves to the hubbub of a Virginia city.

The couple have had a Boston terrier in the past, so they are familiar with the needs of the no-nosed.
Kismet will have a chance to meet and greet lots of her neighbors as she and her family run errands, buy groceries, and explore the districts of her new town.
And Kismet's wish to be an only dog has been granted! She's the only pet in the house, which is just the way she likes it.
We wish Kismet and her family a long and happy life together! Congratulations on finding each other, says
The Frog Princess