Today is National Puppy Day. It’s a day when we celebrate the love for our dogs and also bring attention to how many dogs are in shelters and rescues looking for their forever home. Both of my dogs are rescue dogs. I wouldn’t have it any other way. There are so many dogs, perfectly wonderful dogs that need a forever home. Every rescue dog I have adopted has been such a great addition to the family.
The latest dog I rescued is an adorable French Bulldog from Chicago French Bulldog Rescue. Everyone who meets her says she is so cute and so sweet. And she is. But I have this nagging voice inside my head that makes me want to scream out….”but you have to hear the rest of the story.” So here is the rest of the story.
You might have seen a social media post or something on the news last week that the French Bulldog is now the most popular dog in America, overtaking the Labrador Retriever. When I saw that, my heart sank. If there was ever a breed in trouble, it’s today’s French Bulldog. And increased demand for them is only going to make it worse.
Preservation breeders of French Bulldogs only breed the healthiest dogs. They do extensive health testing and are in a battle to keep a healthy strain viable. They have few puppies available, and a waiting list is the norm. But people do not want to wait. So puppy mills and backyard breeders see an opportunity. They do not care about health. They only care about money. They provide little vet care and breed as often as a dog can produce. This continues to pollute the French Bulldog gene pool with more and more genetic issues. And these poor dogs are left to suffer. They cannot breathe well, they have back and hip issues, epilepsy is common. And the more demand there is, the worse it gets for the dogs.
They are creating “designer” Frenchies…. exotic colors and the fluffy Frenchie are two examples of how bad breeders are making a bad situation worse. And that brings me to the story of my new Frenchie, Sophie. Everyone who sees her says her colors are beautiful, but I want to scream out… she shouldn’t be that color.
She is a tri color merle. Not a standard French Bulldog color and one that people think looks “cool.” But she was bred for profit and her health was not a consideration by her backyard breeder. A merle French Bulldog is not a purebred dog. Somewhere along the line, there is Chihuahua in her lineage. But for a greedy breeder, the merle color means more profit.
The “breeder” who had Sophie was an all too common situation. She had no idea how to responsibly breed dogs, she knew little about the health of the dogs, she tried to cut corners every way possible so she could maximize her profits and when she ran into medical emergencies, she didn’t have the funds to pay for vet care. Fortunately, this breeder was talked into surrendering many of her dogs to rescue. And that is how Sophie came to me.
She is the innocent victim. As is her mother and hundreds of thousands of other dogs like them. She has a breathing issue and will probably require surgery. And she will get what she needs from me to be healthy. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
French Bulldog rescues are flooded with dogs right now. And many of them have health issues, expensive health issues that their owners didn’t anticipate and could not afford, so they gave them up to rescue. Then the responsibility falls onto the rescue organization to help them if possible. And if not, they are the ones that have to make difficult decisions and suffer the heartbreak.
So before you consider a French Bulldog puppy… dig deep and ask yourself if you really want to perpetuate a horrible situation that is only getting worse. If you truly have your heart set on a puppy, then find a preservation breeder and wait. It might take a year or two or three to get a puppy, but you will know that you are not buying a dog bred for profit instead of the health of the puppy and her mother.
Or better yet, rescue. When you rescue a dog in need…. any breed or mix, that opens up a space for yet another dog to find its way to a better future through adoption. And before you do either, become an expert in the breed of dog you want. They all have instinctual traits and health issues. Know what you might be getting into before you make the commitment. Every dog is beautiful and deserves a loving home. Just make sure you are prepared for this life-long commitment. We owe them that.
