Update on Killian

Here's an update on Killian, the good looking red-headed boy who was hit by a car and left in the road a few weeks ago:

"First of all – he is PRECIOUS!  Next – he is becoming a sincere momma’s baby!  I really have to get after him for his crying and whining when I need to put him in a crate. LOL  But, great news – if you’ll remember, the day we took him in with his broken jaw, he was also dragging his back legs – both the result of a car hitting him.  Well, this weekend was a month since he came to us and the vets and surgeons have really studied his backend and why he was dragging it – they could find nothing on the x-rays showing a broken bone or disks.  It has gradually started getting better – he began walking on three legs.  We were happy about that.  This past week, he began gingerly putting down the fourth leg!  He has tried to jump up on us, which we quickly bend down so he will stop trying to jump – his legs just aren’t strong enough – but last night I was on the phone and he came up to the chair I was in and stood up on his hind legs, leaning on the chair, for me to love on him.  He could do it!  He has begun running, with a tiny limp on one side, but he is thrilled and so are we.  He is amazing!  The jaw is healing well – he is out of his cone and looks like a real dog now instead of a bubble boy. LOL  Just wanted to share his great news.  Oh – the vets did say they have suspected that he could have had a hairline fracture of the pelvis, which would not be corrected surgically, would not be able to be seen on the films, but would just heal over time.  The legs are working!"

We are all so happy that Killian is coming around and doing so well.  Thanks to the motorist who stopped to pick him up and took the time to find FBRN, thanks to Killian's foster mom, and thanks to the donors, sponsors and supporters of FBRN who made it possible to get Killian in to see the vet and get him fixed up!

The Frog Princess

FBRN in the News!

One of our volunteers has a husband who writes for a newspaper.  He wrote about their experience fostering Cecil, who went to his forever home this week. It's a very nice article about our volunteer and her commitment to Cecil and about FBRN.

We all love to see the smiles of our adopters as they see their dogs for the first time.  Cecil's foster mom reported: "The first thing [Cecil's new mom] said was that Cecil was even MORE beautiful than in the photos I've been sending ..."


Who could disagree?  The frog is fabu.  And we can see the Mick Jagger resemblance.

A little.

Yes, you know, if we squint and tilt our head a bit, agrees

The Frog Princess

Flo Flies In

Flo, named for Florence Nightingale, arrived in FBRN's care this week.  She's a precious little puppy who was purchased in a famous chain of petstores.

Following months of treatment for demodex, Flo's vet looked her over and thought she should be seen by an orthopedic vet because her hips seemed to be popping in and out a bit.



Her owner, who is going through chemo, felt she might not have the strength and energy to care for Flo as well as herself.  As you might imagine, it was a very, very sad and difficult surrender for Flo's owner as well as our volunteers.

Please keep a good thought for Flo's owner, who was selfless enough to do the right thing for her dog.  And take a look at the beautiful face on this darling girl!




Uh, oh, wait a minute.  Is that a mischievous little grin she's trying to hide?  Do you see it, or is it just us? 

Whether or not she turns out to be a mischief maker, we are pretty sure there's not a thing that could be done to make her one speck or iota more adorable, judges

The Frog Princess

Capn Mac Takes a Nap

We got a little update about Capt. Mac, one of our fosters who has had a tough row to hoe. 

"Mac has been suffering from some IBD / sensitive tummy issues.  He began to lose weight and has been eating ID food for a while. This seems to have helped him a lot,  along with his nice thundershirt.  He is
enjoying a relaxing Summer waiting for someone to come and adopt him.

He is still a bit of a phantom puddler around the house and on the deck if not watched, he really loves to make his mark and cover up any scent of other dogs.

Here is Mac snoozing in one of his favourite places."

Boy, doesn't he look innocent?  I wouldn't think that a sweet, sleepy guy like that might sneakily sneak around the joint piddling on things.

"C'est la vie, say the old folks, goes to show you never can tell." 

The Frog Princess

Mario Makes It Home!

Poor Mario, his owner was yet another victim of the vicious economy.  There were lots of tears when his family had to give him up.  Mario is fortunate--there was a family waiting for a little brindle boy just like him!  He moved all the way from the blazing hot heat of Texas to the pretty hot heat of SoCal.  He's got a little sister named Stella to play with and a kind of cranky Chihuahua named Murphy to observe their foolishness.  Here's what his family wrote as he was settling in earlier this month:

"Thought I'd pass along some photos of Mario. He is doing great...already
comfortable with our routine. He and Stella are absolutely inseparable!
Their favorite pastime is to tease one another with toys, then proceed to
chase one another around trying to get the toy. Which usually ends in an
exciting game of tug of war.

Mario seems to LOVE the weather here. He goes
outside multiple times a day to sniff around and lay in the sun. He has
also learned to get very excited when he sees his harness and leash come
out, because we go on long walks after dinner. We started him off slowly
the first couple of days, but today we did a 3/4 mile walk and he handled it
beautifully!"

It's great for our foster families to hear from their adopters, and volunteers love to hear about happy endings, too.  That Mario!  What a great grin he's sporting there.  No question that he's a happy boy.  Thanks to our sponsors and donors for another wonderful story, says

The Frog Princess

Stay in Touch!

FBRN has a new greeting card store! 

Buy a few to keep on hand, and there'll be no more last minute dashes to the market, advises

The Frog Princess

Sprite

Sprite (Moo to her foster family) is a darling little pied girl.  Her mom wrote us with this detailed update last week.  And some great photos!

"It's been a busy week. Busy with cleaning. Sprite, or Moo as we've ended up calling her here, has one accident a day. For a couple of days it was peeing in her crate in the afternoon. I had a pillow in it and it went through the wash a couple of times as a result. Then around midnight she peed on her dog bed, which is next to my side of the bed. My boyfriend woke me up as he could hear it happening (I was dead asleep). There was another pee in the stairwell yesterday while we were waiting for Zadie, my little slow poke, to get down the stairs. Can't quite figure it out, except she seems to like to pee on pillows and she will pee in the stairwell if she has to wait for Zadie. Although the pillows seem to be a much more consistent trigger. It's a shame because she came with a nice big dog bed but the last two nights she's been sleeping on my housecoat.

Since my last email I've noticed that she is protective/possessive of her food around Zadie but will let me take it away from her without a fuss.

Zadie tests Moo's patience, and mine, with her puppy shenanigans. When it's too much I've been crating Zadie as she doesn't mind it and it calms her down. Moo has always been fine with the play biting, pawing, and barking.

...I haven't yet taken Moo to the vet but would like to on the weekend & get her left ear rechecked. It still looks swollen and I'm running out of antibiotic ointment. Moo's fur is still coming out at her back end & she's starting licking her front paws. Perhaps a course of Benadryl would help her out. Something to talk to the vet about.

Moo walks on the slow side with rolling hips but isn't in pain. I still carry her up & down the stairs. There is no knuckling. Moo lets out a little warning bark if she hears unusual noise, but she doesn't get carried away."

All this piddling on pillows puts us in mind of a pup who is making her mark in a new place after a few moves in a row.  Could be that she wants the world to know the comfy pillow is SPRITE'S pillow!  We hope she soon settles in and feels that she doesn't have to leave her mark everywhere.  She'll be much easier to live with when she feels more confident, asserts

The Frog Princess

Opportunity for Torontans!

Here's a chance for Torontans to look into "Doga"--Yoga for dogs!
Doggie Spa Weekend
Saturday, July 17, 12 – 5 pm
Sunday, July 18, 11 am – 3 pm
Paws Way, Pet Discovery Centre
245 Queens Quay
North Building
Toronto, ON
416-360-PAWS (7297)
Featuring Doga, Massage Therapy, Reiki and Doggie Make Overs with the groomers
Sherlock's foster dad will be demonstrating Doga!

There's also a photo of Pimms just for the beauty of him!

Ask Frog Princess

Last year we posted an "Ask Frog Princess" piece and answered many of the questions over the course of the following few months.  If your question wasn't addressed or you have a new question for us, please post it in the comments section below.  By the way, this is a photo of Babbs, one of our visually impaired dogs, taking a walk with her foster mom's granddaughter.

Chico Checks In

Chico has been fostering over in Hawai'i for a month or two.  His original family didn't realize he was deaf, so as you can imagine, there was a lot of frustration on both parts.  When his foster mom took him as far as she could in terms of training, she kindly and generously flew him to the mainland to be fostered with a trainer, who will work with him on hand signals and socializing.  First, Chico will be spending just a few nights in a layover with Dakota's foster family.  Here is the first report on the adorable but rascally Chico:

"Chico the adorable little Deaf jetsetter arrived late last night from Hawaii.  His very caring foster mom  brought him over so he could have a better chance on the mainland to get adopted.  R. has arranged a great foster home in WA with a trainer already in the making.  We are doing a mini evaluation while he is here until the weekend.  

He was really wound up after being on his best behavior flying over.  He had a big thirsty drink, settled in on the drive after about 20 mins, got home, had a nice walk out in the yard, a light bite and with just a few minutes of quiet whines, settled in for a deep sleep.

Until he is transported this weekend I want to allow him decompression time.  J. and I had a nice long chat and her information was incredibly helpful.  He was very reactive at her place (she has 2 intact males and Chico would go crazy at just the sight of them), but he was fine with her females.  He would spin and bite at the crate door when she tried to shut it, once knocking it off as he charged it.  Goes NUTS behind a gate or x-pen if he sees other dogs.  There is a clear trigger to each of these isolated reactive behaviors and that means a great chance of working it out!   Being deaf he is highly sensitive, and only recently has anyone even realized that, so poor guy just needs some structure, calm and steady guidance, and he will blossom in no time.  Big thanks to J. for getting this guy into FBRN.

He is in my office with an open crate and his foster dad set up a baby gate on the door; there is a second barrier with an x pen blanketed so no one can be set off.  This way everyone in the house can smell each others' presence, but there is no fence fighting to get things off on the wrong foot.  We can keep our guys in the other room or even out back, then we take Chico out for exercise, potty and sniffin' around.  IF we introduce him to anyone at all while he is here, it will be Dakota on a nice long walk.  We'll see how it goes.  As I said,  I think Chico just needs some down time for a bit to ease the stress and tension of all the changes.

I'm staying home today and tomorrow, spending some time just being present in the room with him, then rotate him outside for a bit.  He's doing great and you can see he is starting to unwind...."

 

It is so exciting to watch these dogs with a past grow into dogs with a future.  The introduction time our foster mom is talking about is SO important when bringing a new dog into a home.  There are some families that will allow a dog to just walk in and all the dogs, old and new, can get along immediately.  But it's stressful on the new dogs to be introduced to a new environment so quickly.  It's much better to give the new dogs a separate space--maybe a guest room or a guest bath or laundry room--where they can start to get the smell of other dogs, and get used to the sounds and vibrations of the house and the rhythms of daily life.  

 

Think about how you feel after a long plane ride to a strange place and strange people.  It's nice to get a chance to meet just a couple of friendly people first, maybe take a nap, have some wind-down time.  The difference is, the worst that can happen if you get thrown into most new families is someone might be rude to you.  For dogs, it's about survival--teeth can be involved.  It's frightening.  Be kind to your new dog and give him a couple of days to get his bearings, urges

The Frog Princess

Kiki

Our girl Kiki has been waiting patiently for the right people to come along since last summer.  She's a very good girl, and she loves her people!  She has a few quirks, but she's a loving, sweet-natured dog in the main.
Kiki was a breeder girl who was inappropriately placed with an older couple who didn't have the energy or know-how to manage her.  Kiki quickly became top dog in the home, and when a cable guy came by one day, she bit him.  We don't know any more than that about the circumstances--just that she bit the cable guy.




Exit Kiki from the elderly couple's home and into FBRN.

Because she bit the cable guy, she has the bite label, and that is probably turning people many people off.    She's a dominant girl, and unless she gets the consistent message that she is not the boss and there will not be an opening for any management positions any time soon, she will test and test again.  Although she now lives reasonably happily with two foster siblings and last week even initiated play for the first time since she got into foster care, she would far prefer be the only spoon in your cereal bowl. 

Kiki sounds like she's all rotten, but really she's almost all good with just a few bruised areas.  If she were a peach, she'd make a very tasty jam or cobbler!



Kiki loves to go for walks and she loves to cuddle with her people.  When she first wakes up, she likes to stretch out by reaching up her person as high as she can and pat-pat-pat with her paws.  She loves to be held upside down like a baby and have her tummy rubbed.  She would lie that way for hours if she could.

She hates the camera and she isn't very photogenic, because she always lowers her head between her shoulder blades like Snoopy doing his vulture thing.  But we got some new photos of Kiki out among the flowers last week, and we hope that seeing her in this venue might help people see her as we do:  mostly lovely, with just a few broken petals.

Kiki deserves a home and family of her own.  If you are willing to consider her, check out her bio and see if she might be the carnation for your buttonhole, the peach for your pie, the chutney for your curried chicken, extravagantly poetizes

The Frog Princess

King Killian

We've received many loving notes from our donors to Killian and we wanted to update you on his progress.

From his foster mom:

"Killian – sweet, sweet Killian.  He is doing well – still hobbling a bit on one back leg, but getting around SOOOOOO much better than when he arrived.  He gets along with all of the dogs in this pooch haven and that is so awesome.  They are all very inquisitive about the cone, but he is good about letting everyone check it out.  He hasn’t played a lot with any of them, but he may not feel up to it yet.  He is still on pain meds from the jaw surgery, but is eating like a lumberjack. LOL  He does well for his baths and loves to be snuggled.  He is very attached to me and on the weekend, he didn’t even want to poop in the yard with my husband – he wanted mom to come with him. LOL  Huge eye roll!  Anyway, he sees the doc today for a checkup, but is coming along nicely."

 He looks beautiful in his pink shell/throne, doesn't he?  Lovely photo.  We all want to say thank you to every donor who sent money for Killian's surgery and treatments.  He's feeling a little better every day, thanks in large part to our friends, donors, and supporters.

Keep him in your thoughts, please!  He's such a good boy, croons

The Frog Princess

Capt. Mac Is Cool

In New England, where the weather is frequently muggy and hot in summer, Capt. Mac takes advantage of a cooling "blanket" in the shade.  It's lovely to lie frogdog on a nice cool surface and let physics do its evaporation thing.
If one can find a couple, three people willing to wave some fronds in the air and feed one grapes, it's even better, but one takes what one can get and is grateful for it, bravely observes

The Frog Princess

Gonna Take a Miracle

This little dog is another one in dire straits that we could not turn away. With Porter and Killian, she'll be causing us to dig once more into the couch cushions looking for every penny we can find. Worst of all, she's in California, where vet costs are at least 1/3 again as much as they are in the midwest.

Unfortunately, she needs an operation fast, and we don't have time to move her.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

Miracle came to us from Animal Control, who seized her from a yard full of at least 6 dogs and a lot of dog dirt.They responded when the neighbors called reporting a dreadful racket. It appears the dogs had gotten into a terrible fight and Miracle took the brunt of it.

Animal Control took her into custody, stitched up her torn ear, removed a couple of teeth that were barely hanging on, and spayed her. The owners relinquished ownership to Animal Control and Animal Control called FBRN.

She's got a couple of dirty ears, she's quite underweight, and she is still lactating from a recent litter, but Miracle's major problem is a torn up, broken shoulder. She will require a special surgery that involves a pin and a tension band--this is the option that will most likely el iminate pain and return full use of the limb. It's an expensive surgery. It will cost over 2,000 dollars and closer to 3,000, even with a discount. Here's what her foster mom had to say about her:
"She carries that stuffed tigger around like a baby. She takes all of her toys nite nite, then she lies down to nurse them. She tries to suck my finger, now that she lets me get close enough. Almost like she (like her recent litter) was taken away from her mommy too young....

She is very loving, but clearly afraid. She is also afraid of seeing other dogs until she is familiar with them. She is still totally separated from my dogs, but shows no aggresion to others through barriers. She wants to get better. She really does. She is terrified, but oh, so willing, if she knows what I want. She is starting to trust me. Just in time, as we are going to have a long road of rehab, we are going to have to trust each other, learn a lot from each other, while we patiently get her through this and work out the emotional hurts at the same time....

Animal control really came through."

These needy dogs are falling like the gentle rain onto the place beneath. We are hoping the quality of mercy has not been strained in the past few weeks, and our friends and supporters can once more give us a hand with these dogs we just could NOT refuse.

Would you get a load of that darling face? How could anyone say no to her?

We can't refuse these neediest of the needy: a dog who was run over and left in the highway to die; a dog who was flung in the backyard to die of exposure or cancer, whichever came first; and this precious girl who was the victim of neglect and then a nasty dog-pile.

It's so important to all of us that someone be here for these dogs that our Junior Volunteers will sell soda; our grown up volunteers will use their crafty skills to raise money; our foster families will open their homes to these needy beasts; and our friends will step up to help, too. You never fail.

You can sponsor Miracle by donating and leaving a note for her in the little box on the Paypal check-out page.

Thank you for giving again when we need it so much.

The Frog Princess

Porter Update

Just in!  News from Porter's foster family:

"Just a fast update on Porter. I know many of you are following his medical condition. His foster dad took him for xrays today to see if his lungs have any cancer and what his heart looks like from the heart worms. The good news is the lungs and heart look good. The xrays were sent to a radiologist to confirm. The bad news is the vet saw swollen lymph nodes. We will know more next week. Pray for him he is such a sweetie pie and has stolen his foster dad's heart."

Please do keep a good thought for Porter! pleads
The Frog Princess

Junebug in July

A few Good Samaritans pooled their money and bought Junebug out of durance vile at the hands of a disreputable breeder.  Arrangements were made to acquire her, and Junebug was picked up in dark of night in an empty parking lot.  Friends, if a breeder won't allow you to come to their home and see their facilities, that is a very bad sign.  If they want to meet you after dark in a parking lot in a bad part of town, that's another bad sign.  We don't encourage our friends and supporters to ever do anything dangerous, even for a Frenchie in trouble.  But once Junebug was in our care, we were glad our Good Samaritan friend and her husband made the trip.

Junebug was adopted a few months ago, and from time to time we hear from her adopter.  We love to hear from adoptive families.  It can be hard to let these dogs go, but knowing that they are so beloved makes it easier for our foster families.  Here's a note from Junebug's mom, talking about Junie and her sister Gigi:

"I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that Junebug is doing great.  She has had no health issues and has fit into our family perfectly.
Her personality has changed dramatically in the past few months.  She is definitely the top dog around here!  She never fights with Gigi but just gives her a look that means drop that toy!
She has filled out a little more and her coat has continued to improve.  It is nice and shiny now.
She has had a few accidents when someone else has been watching her and we deviate from our routine, but seems to understand that I really don't like for her to do that!
I hope you and your family are doing well and are having a nice summer.  We are having a cool spell here and it has been great.  Thanks again for picking me to be Junie's new mom."

Seems that Junebug is a girl after our own heart.  Iron fist in a velvet glove and one look that can stop another frog in her tracks?  Yes, that is the kind of Frenchie born to be a benevolent despot, not unlike

The Frog Princess

Porter

Some days it is wonderful to be a volunteer.  Maybe you meet a bunch of nice people and work together to move a dog to a foster home.  Maybe a dog gets the treatment he needs and feels better right away.  Sometimes someone says something nice.  Or you get a great note from an adopting family whose dog is the love of their life.

And then there are days when you open an email and learn that a dog has been abandoned in a backyard for 5 years.  He's only alive because a neighbor jumped a fence when she saw his unconscious body.  When she called his family, who were on vacation, they said, "Oh, take him.  We don't want him."  And you learn that on top of heartworm and ear infections, he has an enormous malignant tumor in his mouth that is making it difficult for him to eat and breathe.  As if that weren't bad enough, the tumor itself has become infected.  (See the pink thing that kind of looks like a tongue in the photo above?  That's the tumor.)  If the dog were fostering with us, we'd have a hard time not naming him Job.

But he has been named Porter.  He's a beautiful red-headed Frenchie with a loving, happy personality and he has shown no possible reason why anyone could fling him in the backyard and forget him for years--not even providing the bare minimum care of heartworm preventative and yearly exams.  It's a hard day in dog rescue for us.

Very hard day.

Porter's tumor is malignant, but the vet he saw said there is a very high rate of success in removing these tumors.

Porter will be seeing a surgeon in the next few days.  Please keep a good thought for him.   If the surgeon says it is too late for Porter and surgery can't help him, he'll stay with us in hospice care, in a loving home, until it is time to say good-bye.  If we can get him well, we know that--despite his cancer history--there is a family in the world who will make it their business to see that Porter's remaining time on earth are full of the kind of attention, affection and respect that every dog deserves.

He's got a long row to hoe before he can get to the people he'll love, though: he's got to have surgery and be treated for his heartworm and have his ears cleaned and his teeth cleaned.  Please keep him in your thoughts.  And, of course, if you have a couple of bucks lying around, you can always send them to us for his care.

We thank you, and we know Porter would thank you.

By the way, is it just us or is this dog just as handsome as the day is long?  Heavens above, we are such a sucker for a red-haired boy.  Man, he's good looking! sighs

The Frog Princess

Butter Bean, Butter Bean, Prettiest Frenchie We've Ever Seen!

Sometimes an old dog has to leave her home and start a new life.

So it is with the adorable Butter Bean. At nine years old, her family's work schedule became so demanding that Mlle. B. Bean was not receiving the kind of attention she deserved.  Her broken-hearted person surrendered her so that Butter Bean's remaining years could be full of love and laptime.

That's what Frenchies need, you know.  They are not like some dogs who are happy to be with you or apart from you.  Frenchies were bred to be lapdogs and they need their people.  Sometimes we hear from disgruntled applicants who have to work all day away from home and whose workplaces don't allow their dogs to go in with them.  They suspect that FBRN is prejudiced against working people.  In some ways, they are right.  We want the very best situations for our dogs, and for most of our Frenchies, that means a home where there is someone around most of the day.  Frenchies are great for retired people and people who work from home or work part time or who have partners who have a schedule that is staggered--morning shift for one and graveyard shift for another.

This is not to say that if you work away from home you won't be considered for a Frenchie from FBRN!  The majority of the world works away from home in places that don't allow dogs to come to work.  We just want people to understand how we think about our dogs' happiness and emotional health when it comes to making choices.  Butter Bean's owner thought the same way, and that's why Mlle. B. Bean is looking for a home where someone can share Butter Bean's days.

Butter Bean's foster mom is pretty smitten with this tasty morsel.  Here's what she said after just three days of fostering:

"Butter Bean is still the sweetest thing this side of the Mississippi on day three.  Yesterday afternoon we all went to the local park and Miss Butter Bean showed us how to play soccer Frenchie style.  She kicked that ball all over the park!  You would never know she was 9 years old if it was not for her hind legs.  At home she follows me around the house and then politely waits for me to put her on the couch when she has had enough of following me. Supposedly she didn't eat her food much in her old home, just LOTS of treats.  She is on a good diet of Embark, veggies, and chicken now, and she eats every bite!  She is an absolute doll of a little old lady!  I attached a few photos."

We have a little secret.  We would turn up our nose at good-for-you food and hold out for TREATS ONLY if the kingdom's nutritionist would let us. 

Some people are way too caught up in that whole stupid food pyramid myth and don't understand the value of a little squeezy cheese and hotdogs, are we right?  Vive la fromage squeezy!  Vive le hambairgaire!  Vive le root beer float! Vive la revolution dans la cuisine! incites

The Frog Princess

Pablo

We've got a gorgeous new blond boy in our care. He's really very good looking and although he's got a flaw or two, he's bound to be snapped up like a minnow in a lily pond.

Here's what his foster mom wrote about him:


"This is Pablo!! He is a recent owner surrender. He is settling in very well. He is good with my cats and other dogs. Has no issues towards the other animals at all. Also good with the kids. He has a couple small quirks and he has a couple of bad habits towards the vacuum and the hair dryer. He will go after them and nip you in the process if he has to...so we are working on that and it is getting soooooo much better, just in the couple of days that I have had him. I know he will go fast, he is the sweetest boy and is already totally vetted and up on everything."

After a couple of weeks on the foster page, we have a feeling Pablo will be zooming right over to the available page. If you are in the market for a gorgeous, fair-haired frog who prefers to live off the grid, check him out.

The Frog Princess

eBay items available now!

Four items donated to the French Bulldog Rescue Network (FBRN) are currently listed on eBay and the links to them are listed below. There is a FB trivet, a copy of children's book "Gunner and Dumbo", a Hummel figurine and a leather dog leash.

 

All proceeds benefit the FBRN foster frenchies so please visit the links and bid! Thank you for your support!

 

French Bulldog trivet:

http://cgi.ebay.com/French-Bulldog-ceramic-trivet-/140419693301?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b1aa7af5

 

French Bulldog children's story book "Gunner and Dumbo":

http://cgi.ebay.com/French-Bulldog-story-book-Gunner-and-Dumbo-/140419697164?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b1aa8a0c

 

Hummel figurine "Retreat to Safety":

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hummel-figurine-Retreat-Safety-/140419703096?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b1aaa138

 

leather dog leash Made in Italy:

http://cgi.ebay.com/leather-dog-leash-Made-Italy-/140419707517?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b1aab27d

 

Tandy is in a Movie!

Tandy's adoptive family has made a movie about Tandy's story.  You can watch it on YouTube.  Might want to have a tissue handy.
*snif!*
The Frog Princess

Bugsy Is a Working Dog

Usually Bugsy spends every morning patrolling the beach with his mom.  She's out there for her health, but he's out looking for sand dollars to keep him in kibble during his retirement.  Every once in a while he'll tell off a horseshoe crab for littering up the beach instead of getting a real job.

He's allowed to talk smack to those lazy crabs, because on Mondays when his mom goes to work, he changes gears and gets to go to the golf course, where his dad works.  Bugsy keeps his hand in at the course, making sure the gophers are under control and the swans in the water hazard keep their rude remarks to themselves.  Did you know swans are very violent animals?  Sure, they look all regal and romantic and people are always writing fairy tales and ballets about them but take it from us:  Keep your distance.  They'll take a chunk out of you and curse a blue streak while they are doing it.  Perfect argument for beauty being only skin deep. 

Ah, Bugsy.  You've got the life, there, bud.  Keep up the photos, we love to see how our grads are living, invites

The Frog Princess

Poor Harvey!

FBRN's greatest expense is veterinary care.  If you have been to the vet recently, we are sure you believe that!  We don't begrudge the cost, but we do try to find the best vets we can who will offer a discount to rescues.  We understand that there are lots of rescues in the world, and vet clinics have big expenses and no government funding as some hospitals do; so we are always so grateful to find a clinic or individual vet who knows that our resources are limited and helps us by giving a discounted rate.

One of our newest intakes, Harvey, had to go to the veterinary specialist to see if we could improve the tear production in his eyes.  Here's his foster mom's report of the visit.

"Today was a big day for Harvey . . . we visited a veterinary ophthalmologist, and for the first time I feel we are truly on the right path. The doctor gave Harvey a very thorough exam and we walked out with solid explanations for the symptoms we have been dealing with and a plan of action.

 Harvey has apparently been treated for cherry eye previous to coming to FBRN, as it was discovered today the gland of the third eye has been removed in both eyes. This, of course, is not helping in the quest to produce more tears.  Although we have made progress . . . Harvey scored a 20 (yeah, yipeee, celebrations) in the left eye and a 3 in the right eye on the Schirmer tear test today!  That was the first time the right eye has registered any moisture.  I was doing a little dance in the exam room. The doctor said the inflamed tissue surrounding Harvey's eyes in and around the interior of his eye lids is due to what appears to be a staph infection.  She took a culture sample and is sending it off to the lab for confirmation.  This infection originates in the oil glands and is also not helping with the tear production efforts.

Monday night the interior tissue surrounding his right eye was so inflamed the eye ball looked recessed in the socket. She said that is a result of the infection in the oil glands flaring up and today she was surprised at just how inflamed it was considering he is on an anti-inflammatory.



He does still have a considerable amount of cloudiness to his eyes but she said she can see it is beginning to heal.  She could tell his right eye has been under a lot of stress for a long time.  She is optimistic he will fully recover and the current corneal scarring will clear.  She did say his eyelids are still excessive and with time he will probably need entropion corrective surgery again.  She said the first entropion surgery was done very well but at each end he still has excessive lid which may cause problems in due time. 

We are to continue on with the Cyclosporine but we have been upgraded from artificial tears to GenTeal gel and Puralube for moisture, Ciprofloxacin has been added to treat the staph infection and, as always, eye wash as necessary to wash out the goop.   He is due back in three weeks for a check up.

Harvey was a charmer and greeted everyone at the office with kisses.  Here is a picture of a not so happy Harvey at the eye doc and a cute doggy eye chart."

Like boxers, pugs, and other dogs with prominent eyes, Frenchies are prone to eye problems.  Adopters should be aware that it is common for Frenchies to suffer ulcers, corneal scratches, or abrasions at some point in their lives.  Most often, an abrasion or ulcer can be treated with eye ointment.  Occasionally, more specialized treatment is required.

Harvey is one of our medical case fosters, and FBRN needs volunteers like Harvey's foster mom who are willing to help with dogs who require regular medications, like pills and eye-drops, before their fosters can be made available for adoption.   If you feel you could make the commitment to become a volunteer and help with medical case fosters (or any other kind!) please be sure to email Kathi Luljak, our volunteer coordinator.  We match our volunteers to the kind of cases they feel most comfortable handling.

Meanwhile, as a special note to Harvey, we would like to say that we are especially susceptible to those Frenchies who appear to have been applying lip rouge as the car jounced over the railroad tracks.  Adorable!  How we would love a smackeroo or two from those darling lips! cries

The Frog Princess

Yu Gi Oh Moves On!

The adorable YuGiOh--Hugo to his friends--is on his way to life with his forever family.  Here he is stubbornly refusing to look at the camera or make cute for us.  Thankfully, his new mom has a sense of humor. 

Wethinks she will need it, opines

The Frog Princess

Kailey and Pee Jay Officiate at Soccer

Nothing gets by these two.  Especially Pee Jay.  He's got the face of a 5 season professional official.  Kailey still has some innocence and sweetness around the edges, don't you think?  Check out her available page and see if she might fit in on your team, suggests
The Frog Princess

Etsy Shop Donating 10 Per Cent

of sales of items that feature critters!  Check it out!

The owner of this shop is an FBRN adopter and volunteer.  There are several vintage bulldog items to be found, but every item with an animal represented on it falls under the 10 per cent donation.
Thanks, Katie!
We love Etsy, sighs
The Frog Princess

http://www.etsy.com/shop/localevintage