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The Reason

Everybody Loves Puppies!!

However, senior dogs are usually the first to be euthanized at shelters.
The average age of bulldogs in rescue is 5 yrs old!

Why not consider adopting a senior?
Take a walk through your local shelter and you will see a sad sight. Row after row of senior pets actually dumped there by their owners. Chances of them getting adopted are very slim. In fact, we have actually witnessed people surrendering their senior pets and then walking out of the same shelter with a newly adopted puppy.
Imagine the sadness and confusion that senior pet goes through. We hope through our rescue program that some of these forgotten souls will find loving homes.
Maybe you are reluctant to adopt a senior dog because you fear that your time with your new best friend will be short, bringing that painful time of loss closer. But the privilege of loving a senior dog makes every single day special, as you and your companion share love, friendship, and a special relationship that grows stronger with the knowledge that you have given this old dog a second chance at life. The love that grows from this knowledge is stronger than the pain of eventual separation. 
Your decision to adopt a senior pet will be rewarded
with unconditional love and devotion..



Oliver's Story



Loved as a puppy, forgotten and dumped as a senior. This story is much too common to the people in the world of rescue.

Meet Oliver. At one time this sweet bully was someone's beloved puppy. As time went on, this puppy grew old and his family decided he was no longer worth it and let his health deteriorate and then finally left him at a shelter for someone else to deal with. His eye sight is almost gone along with his hearing. His ear canals almost swollen shut and patches of his skin necrotic from past infections. His muscles are weak from most likely being confined. FEBR saw him in the shelter and could not leave him there to die. Now he sits in rescue. His chances of finding a new home are slim as there are not too many people wanting to adopt senior pets. The day we picked him up he did not want to move. The shelter staff asked if we wanted a wheelbarrow to get him out with. We declined and helped him walk out. He was despondent, he had given up. We took him right to our vet and did a full work up. His heart was strong, his lungs were clear, and his blood work was all normal. He was very depressed though. Sitting on the exam table, he would just doze off. We took him home and he found a spot to lay down and that was it. He did not care about anything. We petted and rubbed him, and no response. He acted like we were not even there. FEBR did not give up on him though. We started him on eye drops, ear ointment, antibiotics and medicated baths and encouraged him to walk. After a week, Oliver made a u-turn. He started waiting for us to come and see him. He started taking walks by himself and has found a path to walk using his smell. Now he eagerly awaits his daily rubs and will bump us with his head to ask for more. It was not his time to die. We can only guess he is over 8 years old, we do not know how much vision he has left, we assume it's only shadows he can see. His hearing may improve with his medicine, but he has regained the will to live. He can sense that someone loves and cares about him and FEBR will continue to love and care for him for the rest of his life.
Update: 4/15/08: Oliver has been adopted!!!!
Thank you for all the support! Oliver has found his forever home

New Update!
8/9/08:
Just 4 months after what we thought was Olivers forever home, his new owners did the unthinkable. Oliver was dumped back at the very same shelter he was saved from. We were in shock and disbelief when we got numerous calls from supporters of Oliver and the shelter stating that his new family left him there. Can you imagine what Oliver was going through? How cruel can people be? There was no way FEBR was going to leave him there. So with help from a cute little assistant, once again, Oliver walked out of Animal Services, this time for good. It is very sad that we live in such a disposable society. No animal should be left alone to die at a shelter without knowing how it feels to be loved and cared for. That is what FEBR will do for the remainder of Oliver's life. Oliver is doing quite well and we will pamper him as best we can.









RIP Oliver  1-09-2009

The Reason

To you, from all your rescue dogs...
 
I would have died that day if not for you.
I would have given up on life if not for your kind eyes.
I would have used my teeth in fear if not for your gentle hands.
I would have left this life believing that all humans don't care.
Believing there is no such thing as fur that isn't matted, skin that isn't flea bitten, good food and enough of it, beds to sleep on, someone to love me, to show me I deserve love just because I exist. 
Your kind eyes, your loving smile, your gentle hands, your big heart saved me. You saved me from the terror of the pound, soothing away the memories of my old life. 
You have taught me what it means to be loved.
 I have seen you do the same for other dogs like me.
I have heard you ask yourself in times of despair, why you do it when there is no more money, no more room, no more homes.
You open your heart a little bigger, stretch the money a little tighter Make just a little more room...to save one more like me.
I tell you with the gratitude and love that shines in my eyes, in the best way I know how, reminding you why you go on trying.
I am the reason,
the dogs before me are the reason,
as are the ones who come after. 
Our lives would have been wasted, our love never given, we would die if not for you. 
--Author Unknown


What You Need to Know
BEFORE You Get a Bulldog. 


How Much is That Doggie in the Window? 
 Many pet stores purchase their puppies from puppy mills.   These puppies often are poorly bred which could mean extremely high vet bills in the future. Buying puppies from these places encourages the puppy mill owners to continue because they are making a profit. Pets are housed in filthy, cramped conditions. Many never have contact with humans so they are not socialized and may have severe emotional problems.   Don't be fooled by pretty pictures on someone's website.  Ask to see the facilities and meet the mother and father of the puppy.

Bulldog Buyers Beware of Greedy Breeders.
 Many people think that they can make a lot of money breeding Bulldogs because of the high price people might pay for a puppy.  The reason Bulldogs are so expensive is because there is a lot of expense involved in breeding. Bulldogs belong to a group of dogs know as “brachiocephalic” breeds or “short-nosed” breeds. The short nosed breeds cooling mechanism and air transfer is much less than other breeds making them very prone to over heating, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Since Bulldogs are prone to overheating, they should not breed naturally. This means that artificial insemination is required--therefore the purchase of semen is necessary. The vet also has to inseminate the female. Bulldogs have exceptionally large heads which means that about 90% of Bulldog deliveries are done by caesarian section. If this is not done, the female may be unable to deliver the puppies and could potentially sustain serious injury or die. When people discover that they aren’t able to make the money they thought from breeding, they become discouraged with the high cost of maintaining their Bulldog that is not bringing in money, so they end up neglecting or abusing them. The Bulldog may or may not be lucky enough to make it into rescue before it’s too late. 


Can You Afford To Own a Bulldog? The potentially high cost of owning a Bulldog:

• Bulldogs can be prone to allergies and may require a special diet. 
• Bulldogs are prone to breathing problems which may require surgery. 
• Bulldogs have various health problems that can potentially be very costly. 
• Bulldogs are prone to hip dysplasia and other joint problems. 
• Will your Bulldog have a cool place to live and sleep?  Bulldogs CANNOT be left      outside!
• Will you be able to keep your Bulldog indoors when you aren't home?
• Do you have air conditioning?
• Can you afford potentially expensive vet bills? 
• Will you be able to provide your Bulldog with special food and supplements? 
• Do you have enough time to spend with your Bulldog? 

Here are just a few of the Before and After rescued Bulldogs FEBR has encountered.
Take the time to learn about English Bulldogs before you decide to bring one home.
Don't make them suffer just because you didn't take the time to learn.






Fiona - Before

Fiona was left at a County Shelter and was completely covered in mange.  This is not a condition that develops overnight.  
It is abuse and neglect. 

Fiona - After

Isabella - Before
Isabella was convescated from a "backyard breeder" and suffered from mange and neglect.  Owner thought she could use an over-the-counter tick/flea collar to get rid of the mange.


Isabella- Before

Isabella - After

Dudley - Before
Dudley was an owner surrendered rescue suffering from acute gland infections.  The infection had gone untreated for so long that surgery was the only option.

Dudley - after surgery and the required drainage

Dudley - After


Smudgie - Before
Dumped at the County Shelter and left tied at their door in the rain until someone arrived the next morning.  Weighed only 32 lbs. (about 20 to 25 lbs. under weight).  Had double pneumonia, mange, and  
severe ear infections

Smudgie - After