Sadie Bugg

Sadie Bugg is a newcomer to FBRN. Her foster mom sent this update this week:

"This is our Sadie Bugg!! Small, adorable, sweet, loving, playful, a clown – all the wonderful adjectives that go along with Frenchies!! She loves everyone and everything including cats and the other dogs, toys, snacks, anything edible... and playing! She will claim and attempt to destroy a toy in moments, thrilled to show you her expertise in that area!! She usually brings me the stuffing or the pieces!! No bad habits. She is not completely housebroken but is crated-trained and will run to the door to go out if you pay attention. She is, as you can see from these first pictures, a little underweight, has a lot of skin problems and has yet to be spayed.
She is on meds and special medicated baths for the skin and once under control she’ll go in for her spay. She loves to eat and is gaining weight daily. Her skin is MUCH better with the Salmon and Sweet Potato food – no grains – and her meds.

Hugs to all from the Sadie Bugg!!"

Oh, my! Right back atcha with the hugs, little Bugg! Do they come cuter than that? Not in the experience of

The Frog Princess

Another water baby

Anyone would think we had a particular fondness for Frenchies who've undergone back surgery and take hydrotherapy as a result. That may be so, but really we just love seeing our plucky frogfriends getting themselves in good working order!

This is Kramer, who just happened to go down in the rear while in foster care. Any Frenchie can go down in the rear at any time, and as we've said before, the
key thing is to get the dog to the vet asap. Don't wait to see if it gets better on its own, don't even wait until after work, get to the vet immediately.

Here are some photos of Kramer with a note from his foster mom from February:

"Wow. What a month Mr. K has had! What started out as pretty normal...just waiting for the perfect home...turned into a whirlwind of doctors, long car rides and emergency surgery.

In case anyone missed it, Kramer went down in the rear on Saturday, February 6th. My husband called me (I was out of town of course) and took him to the vet. The vet gave him some meds, ordered strict crate rest and to bring him back on Monday if he wasn't any better. Not showing any improvement, I had him at the vet first thing Monday morning. From there we were referred to the closest neurologist (Northbrook, IL...2 hours away) and off we went. He had a MRI to confirm a ruptured disc and he was in surgery before I even got home."

And here's a note from just a week ago:


" I did some more research and found a vet about 30 minutes away that offers hydrotherapy. I am happy to report that Kramer is still with me and doing fabulous with his PT!! He has been going three times a week for hydrotherapy sessions. The therapist is very impressed with his progress. Friday will mark the two week, or half-way point. He still has another two weeks scheduled after that. He seems to love his therapy sessions and especially playing with all of the toys that she puts in there for him. The therapist said she has never seen a bulldog of any kind put their
face down in the water like he does to go after a toy (although my Coby will do it for a tennis ball). I've attached some pictures from his session yesterday. I found it pretty hard to get good pictures, but you get the idea!

I've given him an x-pen to move around in now. He can move about, but I still don't have to worry about the other dogs jumping on him. His housebreaking has made HUGE strides and he will bark when he wants to go out now! I think he will be able to go back available very soon!"

You know, it is possible that we actually do have a little soft spot for a frog in a pond. Really, just take a look at this face and think about how handsome and brave he is. If she did have tender feelings for a certain pied frog, no one could really blame

The Frog Princess

Training to benefit FBRN~

*** Please crosspost! ***

French Bulldog Rescue Network

invites you to join us
for a training event with

Pat Wright
"The Dog Listener of the East"

Sunday, May 2, 2010
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
at
Baywood Kennels
16 Moose Meadow Road
Willington, CT 06279

********************

Pat Wright is the highest member of the Jan Fennell team of Dog Listeners
in the United States. She has taught countless dog owners the canine leadership skills needed to eliminate unwanted behaviors in their dogs. In response to our expectations for them in a world they don't understand, dogs can develop a multitude of behaviors including; aggression, destructive behavior, pulling on the lead, excessive barking, separation anxiety and jumping up (at strangers or family).
Please come join us and take this opportunity to learn the leadership skills necessary
to allow your dog to come to peace in the human world.

********************

Suggested Donation: $10.00 payable at the door
Refreshments will be served

All proceeds to benefit French Bulldog Rescue Network

Watch out! Be careful!

Don't look all at once!

We wanted to share some photos of one of our newest Frenchies, Yu-Gi-Oh.

Looking handsome






We expect that there will be gasps and the sounds of bodies falling into fainting couches and calls for smelling salts all across the land when these photos are revealed.






Watching for the Easter Bunny.


Ready? Hang on to your hats, people. Yu-Gi-Oh!











Having a little nappage.





It doesn't matter where or how you take a photo of him, he just looks great.




Out in the woods

Look for him this week on the new faces page.

Did you hurt yourself when you swooned? We tried to warn you.
Put some ice on it, advises

The Frog Princess

St. Patrick's Day Junior Volunteer Contest!

The results are in!
Micah, 13 years


Here's what the Jr. Volunteer Coordinator had to say about the winning entries:

"The votes have been tallied and the winners are in...

Congratulations to Piper, Tatum and Micah!!

Many thanks to all of our participants. Each entry made the job of our team of judges that much more difficult. (Thank you, judges!)
Piper, seven years old

It was a pleasure to view all of the wonderful artwork. Tremendous only just begins to describe the efforts for the 2nd Annual Jr. Vol. Art Contest."

We'd like to offer our thanks to everyone who participated this year, and our

Tatum, 10 years old


congratulations to Micah, Piper and Tatum! Thanks also to the judges, who should lie down with a nice cool washcloth over their eyes to recover from the ordeal of choosing, sympathizes

The Frog Princess

Twinkle toes

Twila is one of our earliest cart frogs. She spent quite a while in foster care, as all our cart dogs do, waiting for the special family to come along who will see the ability instead of the handicap. Here's a note from Twila's mom:


"I know that these pictures aren't the greatest, but the subject matter is amazing: Twila is standing UNassisted in the water! She now goes to underwater treadmill therapy every other week and walks for 15 minutes at 1 MPH. A therapist helps move her legs, but she now has some muscle
control and can do some of the movements herself with proper foot placement (especially when motivated by a stinky salmon treat). To put this in perspective, when we started therapy about 15 months ago, Twila took a break every 5 minutes, walked at a pace of .3 - .5 MPH and did little to assist the therapist. I am so proud of my girl!"
What Twila's story should tell all of us is the six-month cut-off we hear so often may be arbitrary and inaccurate. We should not be so quick to lose hope or give up on therapeutic treatments. With consistent, dedicated exercise and attention, many dogs will continue to improve incrementally over time.

It's enough to make an old girl like The Frog Princess break out in a few steps of a happy dance, herself!

The Frog Princess

An Interesting NYT Article

For a long time, people knew or suspected that a person who would abuse an animal would abuse a child or a spouse. Now it appears some states are taking action to identify and cross reference animal abusers, including hoarders. Here is an article from the New York Times describing what a handful of states have done and what others are considering.

Put the Lime in the Coconut...

You must not blame us for that sticky earworm, it was the subject line that came with the email containing this photo of our newest hospice case, Coconut.

Coconut's foster mom said: "So I have this bowl of wooden limes on my dining room table, and one of them rolled onto the floor..."

Put the lime in the Coconut, make you feel better!
We hope it is working for you, Coconut!
The Frog Princess
PS Happy St. Patrick's Day!

A One Year Anniversary

Foster moms can't get enough news about their fosters once they are adopted. One of our foster moms received this wonderful email from one of her adopters. Perhaps we should name one of our incoming Frenchies, "Ruffles." No one can have just one.

"My friend just e-mailed me about adopting a Frenchie and I was going though all of my files from a year ago when I got Chanel. I can’t believe it has been a year!! She is seriously THE LOVE of my life. Thank you for all of the support. I couldn’t have
done this without you! I was laughing at the irony of the whole situation when I went back and re-read all of the emails! I was in ____ on Valentine’s Day weekend and my parents called me to come over to the mall. They were in the pet store – and had been in there for TWO hours with a baby boy French Bulldog. My father was begging my mom to get it for him for Valentine’s Day. The ended up not getting him (I told them they better rescue one!) but they said their next dog will be a Frenchie. Remember when they wouldn’t let me bring Chanel home? She definitely won them over!

My mom and I went to San Diego last September and my dad came and picked us up in his Cadillac – which is his pride and joy. As I was loading the luggage in the back I heard this snort and there was Miss Chanel – sitting right on the leather in the front seat!


Thank you so much for choosing me to be her forever mom. I love her to pieces and can’t imagine my life without her!! Thanks for all of your work for all of the Frenchies out there. The day I own my own home you will be receiving my application to be a foster mom!"


We are so happy to learn that this woman's family will be adopting a Frenchie in the future, and we truly hope they will adopt from rescue. If they choose to get a puppy, we hope they will do their homework, learn about the breeder, be sure they can meet the mom and dad and this is especially important, see the facilities where the puppies are being raised. Never buy a puppy from someone who won't let you come to her home. Never buy a puppy from someone who wants to meet you in a parking lot.
Never buy a puppy from someone who will sell a puppy to just anyone who has a credit card and will ship a puppy anywhere.

Expect the experience of buying a puppy to take some time, maybe months, until a puppy is available. Expect the breeder to want to talk to you at length. Expect a good breeder to want a home visit and/or a veterinary check. Are your current animals in good condition and up to date on their wellness visits? She'll want to know what kind of pet owner you are.


If you raised a puppy from the day of its birth, ask yourself if you would be willing to just hand a dog over to anyone who gave you money. Wouldn't you want to know that your puppy was going to be well cared-for? Good breeders will include a clause in the contract that says if for any reason you must give up the dog, you will get in touch with the breeder first, so she can take the dog back. Good breeders care about their dogs from the moment they are born until the day they cross the bridge.

This family is on the right track to adopting a puppy the right way, and we love that this woman is so happy with her FBRN girl! It's wonderful that she's out educating her family and friends, too!

The Frog Princess

Psst! You Guys Know the Spring Basket Raffle Is On, Right?

Junior Volunteer Basket


Better than ever! It's our biggest fundraiser of the year, and lots of our volunteers participate in putting the baskets together. There is lots of playful trash-talking between the regions. Check out these cornucopia of canine (and people) treasures! Take a special look at the Junior Volunteers' effort. It's their first time entry, and we think they've done a terrific job!
Each ticket is $5, but if you buy 5 tickets, they are 5 for only $20!


Junior Volunteer Basket, continued!

Do you feel lucky? Sure you do! You know that if you love a Frenchie, you are already luckier than most! wheedles

The Frog Princess

The Queen Has Passed

With deep regret we inform our readers that Queenie, a long term foster adopted by her family, has crossed the Bridge to rule her subjects on the other side with an iron paw in a velvet mitt.


Often my traveling companion.

Here her mom shares memories of the Queen:
Queenie was an amazing and fascinating dog to live with; always fiesty, often challenging and very funny: just my kind of person- I suppose that's why we got along so well: I loved her for her behaviour, not in spite of it. She was the prime example of how attitude and what you project can take you far and gain respect.

"I'm only sleeping on the floor tonight so I can tell Santa what to put in my stocking."




She remains the only dog that our severely aggressive American Bulldog had any respect for whatsoever. Queenie had a unique relationship with him where he was literally putty in her hands. She was able to back him into a corner with his head down and turned away and hold him there with just a look when in reality he could have eaten her in a few seconds - he just never knew it because she was so good at what she did.

OK Queenie, I give in!

She also flirted with him unashamedly and he was very gentle with her. For all her attitude, the Queen was not a fighter and didn't retaliate on the occasions that another dog decided to call her bluff.

"Yes, you may bring me another cushion, thank you for asking."




When my Boxer boy would sleep on the sofa with his feet dangling, she would sneak up and bite his toes, she couldn't resist it and he'd just look down, see it was her, pull his feet up and resume the position - he knew she was no threat.

Just a few months ago, a client brought her two young Boxers for some training with small dogs. I invited her into the yard where Queenie was waiting and the client was reluctant, fearing that her two rambunctious dogs would flatten her in their excitement.

She had excellent taste in beer.


After much reassurance that they would not even touch her ( I explained that they would rush up but stop at least a foot from her) she let them loose. Sure enough Queenie didn't let me down, she raised her head, stood firm and those Boxers screeched to a halt and lowered their heads in front of her. Such was the power of the Queen.

We have so many wonderful photos of her, at some point I'll ask Angela to make a slideshow, but for now here are a few specials to remember Queenie at her finest.


Peel me some grapes, will you?

I miss her swagger and her stompy gait as she used to parade around the house and garden, most of all I miss the naughty twinkle in her eye."

Queenie was a one of a kind girl, and volunteers were fortunate to hear her tales of
adventure among the rabble she shared her world with.

Queenie waiting for her smoothie


Queenie, you always knew rank hath its privileges, and you made the most of yours.

Until the Big Dog calls us home, your memory will linger in the heart and mind of

The Frog Princess

Ella in the Snow!

Eloise, now Ella, is having a blast in the snow!
Here's a note from her adopters:

"Ella wanted me to send ya’ll a picture of her playing in the snow. She did this herself (honest Able). She’s so funny and was springing around in the snow like a bunny rabbit. Ella sends hugs & kisses!"

Some Frenchies are allergic to the snow and cannot possibly go outside to potty or their parts will fall clean off. Just ask 'em. And then there are those like Ella, who can't get enough of the fluffy stuff. Chacun a son gout, declares

The Frog Princess

JR Volunteer Contest

It's the weekend. If the children are bored or if they are underfoot, print out some of these drawings and ask if they'll color them as part of the Junior Volunteer contest.

The JV Art Contest entries have been trickling in. You cannot believe the talent and the cuteness!
There's still time for any young artists to put color to paper... Create your masterpiece on your own or have a coloring party.
Contest deadline is St. Patricks Day, March 17.
Details are at the website.
As well as at facebook


No cost to enter!

More great SWAG benefitting FBRN on eBAY!

Such generous donors we have! Look at all the great items available now on eBay!

Four items have been donated to the French Bulldog Rescue Network (FBRN) and are currently on eBay now.

Please visit the links below and bid to help raise money for our foster dogs. All proceeds benefit the FBRN rescue frenchies so please bid high. Thank you.

French Bulldog w/bells original drawing by Jeanne Balsam


French Bulldog trio original drawing by Jeanne Balsam


French Bulldog "Rowdy" original drawing by Jerrie Yensing


UNO game cards AKC Non-Sporting Group

Imagine playing UNO in the game room surrounded by marvelous works of art!
Bid high! Win them all! The kids can pack a lunch instead of buying for a few months!

That's the kind of moderate, reasonable and wise action you can expect to be taken by

The Frog Princess

Paizlee Post-surgery

FBRN's sponsors allow us to do wonderful things for our needy frogs. This note came from Paizlee's foster mom, describing the surgery Paizlee underwent last week.

"Paizlee is doing remarkably well. The vet removed 2 teeth that were infected. Boy, does that make a difference in the smell of her breath. She did indeed have an elongated palate and as well, had some sort of abnormality. She had a flap of skin in the back of the palate that was flipped up under itself and inflamed. He said that he had never seen anything quite like it before. She also has a very tiny laryngeal passageway. This may continue to alter her breathing, but she is soooooo much better. It's amazing how quickly we've seen the results. He said that it may take a week or so for the swelling to go down, so it should continue to get much better. Thank you FBRN for doing what you do for our frogs. It is such an honor to be a part of it.
We will continue to fatten her up and then she will be ready for her forever home where she will be the missing piece to someones puzzle. She is a dear one!"

FBRN's sponsors NEVER let us down. Paizlee can breathe now, her inflamed and painful teeth are gone, and she's giving us her best cutie-pie poses as a thank you to all who helped her, whether as sponsors, as monthly donors, or as folks who remember loved ones or celebrate events throughdonations on our memorial page when they click the "in honor of" button.
You are always here for the dogs, and it means so much to them and to the foster families who care for them.

With warm wishes and grateful thanks from FBRN's volunteers and

The Frog Princess

GoGo!

We welcome a new girl to the party--all that is missing is a pair of Gogo boots! This tiny dancer made quite a trip to her new foster home, thanks to volunteers' help in the transport, but she is settling in very nicely. Here's a note from her foster mom about her first few days in foster care:

"I'd like to introduce GoGo. After a long drive and several volunteers' help, GoGo made it to our house. She is a sweet pied baby, 11 months old. Apparently she and her sister, also 11 months had began to fight and the owner didn't feel capable of resolving the issue.

So far, GoGo has been very loving and friendly with everyone here, including the dogs.
She enjoys playing with the kids and I believe once she settles in she will be pretty frisky!

She will need to be spayed and have a good going over by the vet.

Here are a few pictures, she hasn't made herself comfortable yet, so they aren't the greatest!

She is adorable though!"

Adorable about covers it, agrees

The Frog Princess

Let the Sunshine In!

That's just what we did when a happy young thing came shining through our mail slot! Here's what her foster mom had to say about her first few days with Sunshine in the house:



"Sunshine, an 11 month old beauty, was picked up on Saturday. A petite and demure fawn, she is sure to win many hearts. She loves playing with my kitties, chasing her squeeky ball and going for walks.

She has been getting a lot of attention from the neighbors since she looks stunning in her new pink wardrobe (PetSmart had a 75% off sale) while on her strolls. She seems to get along well with the family pugs.

Sunshine also seems to be enjoying the robust health of her youth. I'm sure we will have an abundance of applications for this charming girl when she goes up for adoption!"

Pink is just the color for that pretty baby. Heavens above, that little black masked fawn girl is going to set hearts a-fluttering from here to there and there to here! The applications crew will have to gird its loins and batten down the hatches, fears

The Frog Princess

Bluto Passes On

From time to time we receive a dog into foster care that is much sicker than anyone realized. Batboy, Addison, and Tobias the Toad were dogs we knew and loved too briefly. We heard today that Bluto has crossed the bridge.


"I am so saddened to tell you all that sweet Bluto passed away last night at the vet's office. Although we only had him a short time, he still leaves behind a very sore spot in my heart.

On Wednesday evening, when I arrived home from work he had all of a sudden taken a
turn for the worse. He refused all food (even meat and treats) and he threw up all that he drank. He felt very hot to the touch and his face and paws were raw and red. We took him in and they immediately put him on iv liquids. He was running a fever and was dehydrated. The vet took an x-ray & said his tummy was very "thick" and his liver was very small. Although he has been on antibiotics & steroids for 2 weeks, he had developed another infection on his feet and face.

The vet believes that he had lymphoma. She is very surprised that it had not been diagnosed earlier. From what she tells me, it's not often that a dog goes downhill so fast, unless he has had the disease for awhile. At least I can say that he was loved and had lots and lots of belly rubs this past few weeks. He is now pain free and happy."

Our foster families are so generous and loving with our dogs, whether the time in foster care is a few days or weeks or more than a year.

Sleep tight, Bluto. With all our volunteers, we send thoughts of comfort and peace to the foster family from

The Frog Princess

Paizlee's Puttin' on the Ritz

One of four dogs we acquired through the generosity of a Good Samaritan who saw them advertised in filthy conditions on Craigslist, pretty Paizlee has been through the spa, and now she's clean and shiny and ready for all that life as a beloved lapdog can offer. Here's her foster mom's note about her:

"Paizlee is a love bug!! She is settling in wonderfully. She is learning to go potty outside and make herself home on any piece of furniture she likes. She is great with all of our dogs and cats. She is not familiar with toys or how to play with Graycen [another puppy mill survivor].

Her breathing is a huge concern and we are working on getting a few pounds on her so that she will be able to have surgery for her spay, palate and broken teeth. She is a true joy and just tries to snuggle with you when you get on the floor with her.



For a girl that is 6 years old, she has a lot of youth, even with everything she has been through. She



was a breeding machine for this puppymill and now she is free from that torture and enjoying her new life of relaxation."

Such a pretty girl! Once her immune system is up to the stress, she'll have spay surgery and then be ready for a family. Watch the available page for her. We hope there will be lots of people who see the value in a used up breeder girl who once lived in conditions unworthy of any animal, except maybe rodents, who seem to like things a little on the nasty side.

Or so we hear, hastily adds
The Frog Princess