Gibson Gets in Line

Most dogs come with a wee bit of baggage.  In that way they resemble  humans.

 

Gibson is no different.  He is a dog who likes to be in charge of things.  He likes to know where his ball is.  He likes to be in charge of who gets to walk down the street while he is walking on the street.  He even likes to try to be in charge of his person.

While Gibby has been in foster care, he's been learning that it's ok for him to take some time off of the whole Bark Vader gig, and he's getting the hang of a world where other people are in charge.

To that end, his foster mom has disinvited him to sleep in the people bed, on account of that privilege seemed to be telling Gibson that his foster mom was HIS AND HIS ALONE and he was getting a bit snippy with anyone who was talking to her or hugging her or otherwise expressing interest in HIS PROPERTY.  Now that Gibson is sleeping in his crate, his attitude has shifted.

Gibson still needs a person who can resist the pull of those dark and shiny, brown and beautiful eyes; he'll need someone who can say no to his occasional challenges ("What?  Oh, this bed?  This is the one I shouldn't be on?  My mistake!") while providing him with the recommended daily allowance of tummy rubs, walks, and nylabones.

If you think that you fit the bill, check out Gibson's bio.  Could be you were made for each other, hints

The Frog Princess

Happy (Foster) Mother's Day!

On Mother's Day we celebrate our moms and all the nice things they do for us.

Woodrow




At FBRN, we are celebrating Foster Mother's Day with some photos that will help us remember that

Borat**

Even if our foster dogs can't bring us breakfast in bed or make us darling little pawprint cards,

Gibson

They can still make our hearts melt.

Hogan


And how!

 Lavelle




Our foster moms might have to spring

Lugnut 



for their own flowers

Milady



And there won't be any coupon books for cheerful chores,

Orwell


But on Foster Mother's Day

Petaluma Poppy


The FBRN foster frogs across the country

Squee

From Bangor to LA and Seattle to St. Petersburg (plus a few points north of the US border in Canada)

Tripp



Will be delivering Frenchie kisses, froglesome cuddles, clownish antics, ridiculous grins, snuffles, snorts, snores, and plenty of warm pink bellies for their mammas to tickle.

Curly Joe 


And that is more than plenty for any FBRN foster mom.*  If it's more than plenty for you, too, consider becoming a foster mom!  Next year at this time, you could be celebrating a Happy Foster Mother's Day.

To every mom of every kind, we send our thanks and appreciation, and we wish you a very happy Mother's Day!

The Frog Princess

*Dads, too, but that's a story for another special day!
**Borat and Milady will have foster pages later this week

Rousseau is getting it together!

Poor Rousseau!  She has such a hard time with allergies.  It would be great if she could just have a blank slate in the skin department and start over!

In some ways, she's getting that.  Her foster mom has found her a skin specialist who has set out a treatment plan for Rou that they hope will get her cleaned up and and her hot spots healed up.

Rousseau loves the outdoors, and it's a shame to keep her penned up when the spring air is blowing and the grass is popping up and there are squirrels to condemn and neighbors to greet.  But outside is where the allergies lurk.

Here's a note from her foster mom about Rou's condition and a video showing her entirely ridiculous head tilting.  

"Last week her skin test was clear so she's going to be on antibiotics for another week just to clear out anything residual. We're also weaning her down off her allergy medicine because the vet would like her to only need it once or twice a week. Last week her hot spots were pretty much gone but today there's a couple popping up because I mistakenly let her come out to play with us (even wearing a tshirt and wiping down with baby wipes when we came in). It was breaking my heart watching her sad face through the back door while we played. She got an extra bath tonight so hoping they go away fast! If all goes well once she's off her antibiotics she'll be up on the available page.

"She still LOVES her walks and will make sure you know it's time to go! If you mention the "W" word you get the total head tilt from side to side everytime you ask. Cracks me up!!"

Here's the head tilt video.  Foster mom asks that you pay no attention to her voice.  


That kind of head tilt could put her in the finals for America's Next Pup Model, in the opinion of


The Frog Princess

PS  Following the walk the video promised, Rousseau and her foster brother were pretty tuckered out.  Boom!  They collapsed right on the floor!

Peaceable Kingdom

FBRN grad Tessie and friend wait for the sun.

Runner-Up!

Here is Cloet enjoying some of the great swag she got as runner-up in our March Madness contest fundraiser.  The hat is handmade by a volunteer, and the antler was donated by another volunteer.

Cloet also got a great stuffy, though we suspect by the time you see this, it will be a thing of the past.  She's completely recovered from last month's palate surgery and from the aspiration pneumonia she developed after surgery.  We were so glad that the clinic where Cloet's surgery was done has an overnight, staffed facility.  They were able to see the problem and start treatment immediately, and that may have saved her life.

Thanks to our donors and sponsors, Cloet is now enjoying visibly improved breathing and much improved quality of life!  Here's what her foster mom said:
"Since the surgery (and few days after coming home from the hospital) she definitely seems to breathe easier. her whole body doesn't rock with the effort to breathe in. She is also quieter, though still is on the noisier side. She also seems to have a lot more energy. Every morning she goes bananas wanting to play. she never did that before the surgery. I think she is feeling good with all that extra oxygen getting to her brain!"

Our donors and sponsors have made a new frog out of her!  We can't thank you enough, gushes

The Frog Princess

Playdate!

FBRN grad Butter Bean and available foster Lena (the brindle girl in the middle) got to enjoy a playdate with a handsome honey-pied friend, Liam!  Liam and his mom showed up for an afternoon of fun with lots of hostess gifts for Lena, and the time flew by.

 Part of fostering is socializing fosters with new people and dogs, so foster families invite friends over to help their fosters get accustomed to sharing their people and their environment with others.  Everyone reports the playdate was a success!
Thanks to Liam and his mom for the great presents! 

Looks like quite a haul to

The Frog Princess

Agnes of God

Innocent as she is, it seems Agnes wasn't under any angel's wing for the past 2 years.  She was sold by a breeder to another breeder, who sold her to a third breeder when Agnes didn't produce puppies.  Finally a guardian angel in the shape of an independent rescuer intercepted Agnes before she could be sold a fourth time.  This Good Samaritan paid cash and bartered with the dog beds she makes to get her hands on Agnes.  Thank goodness she was successful.









Agnes is very timid at the moment.  She is not spending much time outside her crate, though the door is open.  She prefers to feel safe inside her "cookie box" resting on the comfy bed her friend made for her.  We are so grateful Agnes's rescuer saw her photo and made the effort to save Agnes. 











According to Agnes's vets records, she was spayed in November, and the vet records show she weighed a healthy 24 pounds.  When our independent friend took her in to be examined, she weighed just 17 pounds.  According to the people who sold her, food was too expensive, so they were giving her just 1/2 cup of Purina a day.


There are some people who have no business owning animals.  If you must rehome your dog, please consider using a reputable animal rescue.  FBRN has a thorough vetting, application, interview, home visit, and approval process.  Our foster families stay in touch with adopters.  We do our best to find responsible, loving homes.  If you decide to advertise your dog, don't trust that the people who show up to take your dog home are who they appear to be.  Ask for veterinary references.  Ask to see the home.  Never give a dog away for free.

  

Agnes is recovering from her starvation diet, and she'll be up on the website's foster page next week.  If you'd like to contribute to her care, you can click on the bone on the left side of FBRN's home page and in the box that says: "Message to seller" you can tell us your donation is for Agnes.

We'll do everything in our power to make sure that Agnes's next home is her forever home and that she never knows another hungry night.


One neglected, worn-out little Frenchie down, many thousands to go, sighs

The Frog Princess

Marcel's Got Some Moves

But to be honest, they aren't really like Jagger's.  

And that might not be so bad.  

Puppies gotta dance.  It's the loose joints and the floppy head, suspects

The Frog Princess

PS.  This is the 10 month old with demodex.  He's getting better--see this early photo?  You can see a lot of improvement compared to the video!

You can check out Marcel here.

Anybody Got Any Mojo Lying Around?

If you do, our pitiful young Cloet could use it.  Look at the poor thing.  So worried.  So tiny.  So red-haired.

She's going to get nares and palate surgery tomorrow, and while we have every confidence in the surgeon, it never hurts to have the mojo and the juju of our friends and supporters flying through the ether to the ears of the Frenchie gods.

We're keeping a good thought for you, Cloet!  A good thought and positive vibes from

The Frog Princess

UPDATE!  Cloet came through the surgery just fine, and we thank everyone for their good wishes.  Sadly, all those years of difficulty breathing have resulted in a partially collapsed larynx.  We believe the damage is limited to what is there now, but we don't know the kinds of problems the partial collapse may cause in the future.

FURTHER UPDATE!  Cloet came *this* close to winning the March madness competition!  She's feeling much better and is breaking more hearts every day.

March MADNESS!

Visit FBRN's Home page for information on how to vote for your favorite FBRN foster!

Just a Peek

Alena wants her friends and supporters to know she is doing ok!  Recently, she discovered she is allergic to dust mites (as we all are, really, even if it's only an emotional allergy), so she is taking Temeril-P, and that is minimizing some of the itchiness.

Meanwhile, she continues to rule the roost at home as only a mostly blind, fairly bald, nearly deaf, floppy-eared frog can.

And for those looking for a photographic update, here ya go.

What?  You were looking for full-on glam when you come peeping at a lady in her boudoir?  Half-glam is all you get from Alena, and it's way more than you'd get from

The Frog Princess

Magnolia Prepares for St. Patrick's Day

We understand that some folks are dismayed by the wearing of the green on St. Patrick's Day.  Some folks object to the way the US jokes about beer consumption, muttering about the way some people engage in hurtful stereotypes.  Some people even complain about the practice of dyeing perfectly good ale a disgusting shade of shamrock.  (We have to admit, we ourselves do agree with that last one.  People!  Really, now.  That's just nasty.)

We have heard that some folks are dismayed by what they consider the disdignification of perfectly well-equipped dogs by the addition of clothes and props and hats and the like.

We have also heard that there are individuals who decry the anthropomorphism of dog-speak and ascribing human emotions to dogs.  Science, after all, has not proven that animals experience emotions.  Science has not been paying much attention, in our opinion, but that is neither here nor there.


The sad fact is, none of the aforementioned individuals are going to enjoy this post very much, since it involves the whole basketful of objectionable material.

To whit:  Magnolia wearing green shamrock deelybobbers, and a tiny green mug, the better to enjoy some green gravy on St. Patrick's Day.  Furthermore, we are going out on a limb and we are claiming that Magnolia is having a helluva time in her outfit.

And, we contend, if you listen hard, you can hear this one-eyed beauty singing: "When a froggish eye is smilin', sure tis like the morn in spring!  In the lilt of froggish laughter, you can hear the angels sing!  When froggish hearts are happy, all the world seems bright and gay, and when a froggish eye is smiling, it will steal your heart away!"

Enjoy yourself this St. Patrick's Day, regardless of your opinions on the content and character of this post urges

The Frog Princess

Intrepid! The Search for LUGNUT!

Never, never let it be said that our volunteers are without courage, stamina, endurance, pig-headedness or that they are not brimful of essence de goofball when it comes to a frog in need.  The closest volunteer we had to a dog who was described as seriously stricken with separation anxiety lived over a 7 hours' drive away, through wintery mountain terrain and the kinds of road that Robert Frost was thinking about when he talked about the ones that are less-traveled-by. 

 

Over the plains of Alberta, Canada, through the raggedy mountains of Glacier Park, our fearless volunteer rolled along with but a single thought in her head:  

"I hope I didn't leave the iron on..."

Through day and night and day and night and in and out of weeks and months, the fearless flyer flew!  And finally the object of her search and the reason for her unreasoning flight was in sight.

A dog called Lugnut.

And once she had him, she turned right around and she drove all the way back, many hundreds of miles, through ice and snow and radio wasteland until at last they reached the frozen land where her home still stood and her own dogs waited, and after a bite of dinner, our volunteer slept the sleep of the virtuous and just.

And so did Lugnut.

With countless thanks to our adventurous, madcap volunteer for making the exhausting journey to rescue this pup.  He's settling in quite nicely and he'll soon be appearing on the foster page, where you can see more photos and even some video, promises

The Frog Princess

Farewell to Smeagol

Smeagol, one of the first puppy mill dogs FBRN rescued as part of the NC10, has passed away.  He lived far longer than anyone had a right to expect, with a heart full of worms and a history of shocking neglect.  As FBRN's unofficial mascot, Smeagol had the power to rally our volunteers, and he had an enormous following on Facebook. 
This morning, his mom posted this final photo of Smeagol and these sad words.

"It is with a shattered and very heavy heart we must share the news with our family and friends of Smeagol's journey to the Rainbow Bridge. Our silly little French man made the peaceful transition last night and our house has fallen silent with out his precious little snores, his flat, fat paws and stubby little legs trotting from room to room or his one of a kind talkative voice demanding our undivided attention. There will never, ever be another character like Smeagies and he has forever changed mine, Trey and our pups lives. ♥ We'll always love you, Smeagie Weegie Woo! ♥"

Smeagol made many appearances on this blog over the years, and we will miss his ridiculous, wonderful face.  He was an inspiration to rescuers and the anti-puppy mill movement.  He'll be remembered forever by his many, many friends and

The Frog Princess

Exciting Medical News for Spine-Injured Dogs

Take a look at this article describing a new drug currently in trials in Texas. French bulldogs are among the breeds that most commonly suffer disc disease or spinal cord injury.

Remy uses his cart to go to the dog park and play.

The drug has been quite successful in mice, and offers hope to dogs prone to spine-injured dogs, particularly those with disc injuries.

The key is immediate treatment.

If your dog suffers an injury and/or exhibits symptoms of pain--slow to move, panting, whimpering, unwilling to lift his head, or he loses mobility--even if you can't get this drug, the secret to a full recovery is immediate treatment.

Do not wait to see if the dog gets better.  Go to your vet or the ER vet immediately.

Spinal injuries can be very expensive to treat, and they often include MRIs and surgery.

Tinkerbell in her custom, pink-wheeled cart visits a local store.


We recommend that Frenchie owners carry dog pet insurance, so owners are never faced with the suggestion of euthanizing their dog if he is injured.

Thanks to the handsome Remy and the fair Tinkerbell for providing photos for our readers and

The Frog Princess

Paulie Walnuts Dreams of Sheep

Many years ago, Hollywood imagined what might happen if a passel of city folk found themselves embroiled in the culture of the deep country.  My Cousin Vinny was a big success and is still getting lots of play on family room screens.

Paulie Walnuts, recently of the sophisticated megalopolis that is New Jersey, has made a shift in his residence not unlike Vinny's.  From the New Jersey urban landscape to a sheep farm in rural Virginia, Paulie Walnuts has made friends all along the way, and he has learned to appreciate a life pastoral.

In fact, Paulie Walnuts is enjoying his locale so much he's begun to think of himself as a sheepdog.

Do I hear you laughing?  Sure, make fun.  Like you'd blend.

Paulie Walnuts has developed a keen eye for any potential trespassers.   Coyotes.   Drunken college boys out to tip some sleepy sheep.  Wool rustlers who can flip and shear a ewe in less time than it takes a barista to serve you a double mocha skinny latte with whipped cream.  Interlopers. 

He's not havin' it.
 

Paulie Walnuts keeps his ears open for any cries of sheeply dismay.

He makes his rounds, checking in with his lieutenants in the field.

Paulie Walnuts never rests.

He's a hero for our times, really, proclaims

The Frog Princess