This cover story
is a twofold plea.

Loo Loo

Emmitt

Pecos Bill

Tilley

Lexi

Tonka

Since June 11, FBRN has taken in 32 Frenchies. Many of our volunteers remember the days, not so long ago, when we didn't get 32 Frenchies in a year. But now, as puppy mills go bust and the economy continues to tank, people are divesting themselves of their breeding stock and their pets, and this month has sent us reeling with the sheer numbers of dogs we have taken in. The TX13, dogs from a breeder who has become ill and must downsize; the ARK 3, from a puppy mill in trouble with the law; the MO5 from another breeding operation, and a variety of family pets, shelter dogs and strays who came a-knocking at the door. We couldn't turn them away.

We wouldn't turn them away, but can you imagine trying to find 32 foster families in less than two weeks? We have only a couple of hundred foster homes available under the best of circumstances, and at any given moment, many of those homes are unavailable for whatever reason--vacations, family emergencies, full houses, you name it. And to make matters tougher, virtually all of those needed foster homes are in the area of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, areas that are always hopping with mill dogs and shelter pulls. We found homes, but not without incredible stress on our intake coordinators, their families, and our foster managers. We had one volunteer grab her sister, get in her vegetable oil-fueled car and head out on a 19-hour road trip from Wisconsin to Missouri and back, picking up frogs and dropping them off along the way--her last delivery of the day was at 2 am and she tumbled back into her own bed at 4:30 am! We got all these frogs into foster homes, but just by the hair on our chinny chin chins. We NEED foster families. If you have considered fostering but have not yet gotten around to applying, please get in touch with Kathi Luljak, our volunteer coordinator. It takes a little while to go through the process, but if you start today, you'll be ready to help us out when the next tsunami of French bulldogs hits us broadside and we are foundering.

Loo Loo
Our second plea is for funds. Take a look at LooLoo. LooLoo is in our care because her owner couldn't keep up with the medicines and specialist visits LooLoo needed. Her foster family has to wear rubber gloves when they pet her because of the three different nasty, hard-to-kill bacteria roiling around on her poor skin. Her ears are closed off and terribly infected. LooLoo is not absorbing nutrients and her spine protrudes up through the skin on her back. We don't know why. She's got allergies, which we'll address once her skin is healed. This is a sweet-natured girl whose owner loved her and tried to help, but without adequate funds and proper veterinary advice, she simply couldn't do all that needed to be done. We are so glad LooLoo is with us, and we are asking for your help to get LooLoo healthy and ready for a home far away from all the allergens that are setting her off.

Bellestar

Wyatt

While LooLoo is our poster child for funding this month, every single one of these 32 dogs we've just accepted also require vet care. 32 dogs! Most require spaying or neutering, many need minor surgeries to remove lumps and suspicious bumps, all must be heartworm and parasite tested and many will need beds, collars, tags, microchips, crates and the basics of life as a dog outside a mill. Some of our volunteers are airline employees and they are taking their days off to fly some of these dogs from areas where our foster homes are full, to areas where there are empty foster homes. One flight attendant is flying from Texas to Connecticut to pick up a Frenchie and fly her to Seattle, and will then fly back home--all on the same day off.

We truly have the most committed and wonderful group of volunteers in breed rescue, we think, and we'd love you to have you join us! If you can't volunteer, please consider donating for the first time or again to help us with this unforeseen influx of Frenchies. We truly need the help, and we are asking for you to come through for us again.

Fiona