Tyree July 31st, 2008
Well, it seems that this black brindled beauty is continuing to enjoy the easy life, as well as adjusting to a
new family member. Lizette, who is the late Karen Kring’s Frenchie, was never the social butterfly but it looks like Peanut has wormed her way into her heart (and onto her couch!)
Samia July 29th, 2008
Well today was the big day! The Beef finally had his surgery to get those nasty polyps out of his ears! He will be feeling much better once those polyps are gone; but I gotta tell ya, he was not happy about having to skip his breakfast. This boy loves to eat and I really believe that other than playing and cuddling, it is his next favorite thing to do.
The vet was able to do both ears and even did a little bit of reconstructive surgery so that Beefy’s ears would not flop over as much. He will be spending the night at the vet’s so that they can monitor him. Let’s hope for a quick and speedy recovery so that the Beef can start shopping around for a new home!
cccpups July 25th, 2008
Benny, our endearing little Shih-Tzu/Frenchie Mix will be leaving us. Before coming to us, Benny had already had so much upheaval in his life that he was left permanently scarred, despite the best efforts of our French Bulldog Village volunteers to give him a sense of security. Was he abused before he came to the Village? We just don’t know. We do know that he arrived leery of new people and afraid of men.
The warning signs were there, but we made excuses for Benny. We sent him for a much needed hair cut, and he bit the groomer, but we reasoned that bite away. After all, groomers get bitten all the time, don’t they? He lunged at visitors, making perfectly clear his intentions to bite. We even reasoned that away, saying, oh well, he can be crated, we’ll find him a hermit to live with and to love, because that’s what makes it so heartbreaking. Benny was a loving dog.
He loved his foster mom, and he loved to play with her and the other dogs in his foster home. How could such a loving little dog exist inside such a dangerous package? Benny and his foster mom worked out their own truce, and we began to have high hopes for Benny’s future. We even found him an adoptive home where we were assured that visitors were few and far between. His foster mom delivered a crate to his new home with instructions to use it when visitors arrived. Benny bit the cleaning lady.
While Benny sat on house arrest in Oregon with his adoptive mom, we were finally forced to take a long, hard look at Benny. Neither love nor training had been able to give to Benny the self confidence he needed to tolerate strangers in his territory, to welcome them joyfully rather than with growls and lunges. In Benny’s mind, he must always be on the ready to protect against any intruder. Now we were faced with the obligation to protect the people he would inevitably meet. Benny posed an unacceptable risk to those people. We simply could not trust him.
Everyone is heartbroken at this turn of events. As a rescue group, the French Bulldog Village has to do the responsible thing, for the good of the dogs and for the good of the adoptive homes. We wish that every story could have a happy ending, but sometimes we will be faced with tough decisions. All that we can do is remind one another how hard we tried.
Benny will not leave us in some sterile animal control facility. His foster mom Linda will be with him, stroking his fuzzy little coat and reminding him how much he is loved. Please wish him well in his future journey, where he will endure no more pain or fear. We will all grieve the loss of Benny.
Tyree July 24th, 2008
Elroy’s foster mom, Adair, has been reporting good things from our latest K-Kid. His vet visit was a huge success - no major health problems except he will need surgery on his palate and nares, which we expected. He was a little nervous at the vet, but submitted to the exam and even allowed them to cut his nails.
He also continues to improve in his new home life and follows Adair everywhere. He loves to play with his foster sister but will come looking for Adair if she is out of sight for too long. 
Elroy doesn’t seem to have much of an appetite but she thinks that with a little help from some neighborhood boys, he will be eating with gusto in no time. Can you say cheese?
Tyree July 21st, 2008
This weekend Lucy hopped on the FB Village Bus and took a ride to her new forever home. After 8 years of service to her breeder, she has finally found a place to hang up her leash and be adored. Below is a letter that her new family sent to the Village:
“Lucy…you got some splainin’ to do…”
Ricky Ricardo’s words ring in my ears when I see my newly adopted sweet pea, Lucy, run through the house as if she has just been up to something. I laugh over her antics and feel that in just a few short days, she has become a cherished part of my family and life. But I’m getting ahead of myself…
A few weeks ago, I went to my friend Kathleen’s grooming salon to pick up my nine year old pug/poodle Lily from her appointment. Before Lily came out to greet me, a teeny French Bulldog appeared and instantly filled my heart. “Who is that?” I asked Kathleen, as I wrote out my check for Lily’s beautiful summer cut. “That’s Lucy,” Kathleen replied, “She’s eight years old, has had a rough life, and needs a good home.”
I had no intention of adding another dog to my household even though I had felt for years that my partner and I could supply a rescue baby with a very loving home. I resisted the urge to adopt, thinking that it would be too difficult for Lily to go from being the “queen of everything” to having to share “her house” and our affection with another fur baby. I was wrong. Lily has not barked, snarled, or raised her lip in anger once since Lucy arrived. I find them sacked out on the couch together, not yet touching but inching closer to each other each day.
The first time Lucy set foot in our home, she immediately walked over to our statue of the Buddha that is seated on the living room floor. Lucy just stood there and looked at him for a few moments. That day and the next we did not see her drink any water and were getting very worried. I wasn’t even able to get her to drink off of a spoon. She turned her nose up at Lily’s water bowl. Later that evening I emptied the offering bowl on our little shrine to the Buddha and thought, “Well, it couldn’t hurt,” and proceeded to fill the bowl with fresh water and placed it on the floor for Lucy. She just lapped it up and I knew then that she would be all right. Who knows? Had a little divine intervention just occurred? Seemed like a blessing to me.
Our first cherished girl, Lily, is white and only 11 lbs. and Lucy is a very dark brindle (appears black with a white bib and paws) and 15 lbs. so I refer to them as “our little salt and pepper shakers.” The first day I walked them together, neighbors who already know and love Lily literally came out of their houses to meet Lucy. At three different houses, these good people sat on their front lawns and played with the girls. Lucy is so affectionate and just basked in the attention. Our neighbors are wonderful and made sure to give Lily equal time so she wouldn’t feel upstaged by her new “little sister.” 
Our pet sitter said that, with time, she thinks Lily will be close to Lucy and may even begin to mother her a bit. At the very least, they will provide companionship for each other in their later years. How amazing it would be if this little girl who was forced to produce puppy after puppy and endured countless cesareans yet never got to be a mom will now have two moms and a big sister who will lavish her with hugs, tummy rubs and kisses for the rest of her life. We feel privileged and honored to adopt “Lucy Liu” and are so grateful for her loving presence in our lives.
Does a Frenchie theme run through your life? You need one of our Frenchie keychains! You can get yours now at the French Bulldog Village Marketplace.
