Tag: French Bulldog

French Bulldogs Rescued from China Available for Adoption Soon

If you love French Bulldogs but don’t want to shell out thousands of dollars to buy a purebred, you may be in luck: Frenchies rescued from China arrived in the Los Angeles area yesterday and will soon be ready for forever homes.

Because of Covid restrictions, the 21 dogs had to wait a year to be transported to the United States.

“I got a phone call telling me that if they didn’t get out in the next couple of weeks they wouldn’t be able to get out, because they’re all short-nose dogs,” Melissa Bacelar, CEO of Wagmor Pets, a nonprofit rescue organization based in Valley Village, Calif., told CBSLA yesterday. (Most airlines don’t allow short-nosed dogs like Frenchies, Pugs or Boxers to fly in the cargo area during the summer because of potential breathing problems.)

According a post on the Wagmor Pets Facebook page, the Frenchies were bred in terrible conditions and then rescued from the meat trade.

“I thought it seemed completely ridiculous that a bunch of Frenchies were stuck in the middle of Asia when here in California people are getting assaulted for their Frenchies,” Bacelar told CBSLA.

She may have been referring to Ryan Fischer, Lady Gaga’s dogwalker, who in February was shot in the chest by thieves who stole two of Gaga’s French Bulldogs. Fischer fortunately survived, the dogs were safely returned, and the criminals were caught and are facing serious charges.

Because French Bulldogs are so popular and expensive, dognappings have been on the rise. To help protect these dogs, Brandi Hunter, vice president of public relations and communications at the American Kennel Club, told CNN that owners should spay or neuter them, get them microchipped, not leave them alone outdoors and not disclose any identifying information about them on social media.

The Frenchies rescued by Wagmor Pets will be available for adoption after they’re microchipped and have received all their shots. “Please keep in mind that many of the dogs that come into Wagmor Pets have often had very little positive human interaction, and might take a little extra love and patience to feel comfortable in your home,” the rescue notes.

You can check out the profiles and inquire about adopting the Frenchies and other available dogs via the Wagmor Pets website.

Photo: Petfinder.com

GRRR: Lady Gaga’s Dogwalker Shot and French Bulldogs Stolen

April 29, 2021 UPDATE: The dognappers have been caught, including the “good Samaritan” (yeah, right) who turned in Lady Gaga’s stolen French Bulldogs. The five losers are all being held on charges including attempted murder.

Feb. 26, 2021 UPDATE: Koji and Gustave have been found unharmed! Last night an unidentified woman brought Lady Gaga’s two stolen French Bulldogs to a downtown LAPD station. The LAPD said the woman wasn’t involved with the shooting or dognapping. Those creeps are still at large, and it’s not yet known whether the woman will receive the $500,000 reward. In more good news, although he was shot in the chest with a semi-automatic handgun (!), dogwalker Ryan Fischer is expected to make a full recovery.

When my local KABC Eyewitness News reported the disturbing news last night that someone with a semi-automatic handgun had shot a man walking three French Bulldogs in Hollywood and then stole two of the dogs, my heart went out to the victim and the owner of the stolen dogs.

It turns out the owner of those Frenchies — Koji, Gustav and Miss Asia — is Lady Gaga. The victim is Ryan Fischer, her dogwalker.

When paramedics arrived at the crime scene, Fischer was conscious and still managing to hold onto Miss Asia, the dog who wasn’t stolen. In the video below, a police officer can be seen taking and comforting the frightened Frenchie. Fischer was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and, fortunately, is expected to recover from his wounds.

Witnesses say the gunman fled with the dogs in a white Nissan vehicle. Lady Gaga, who is currently filming a movie in Italy, is offering a $500,000 reward for the safe return of Koji and Gustav, no questions asked. The LAPD’s robbery-homicide division is investigating the crime.

It’s not known whether the creep knew he was stealing Lady Gaga’s dogs. An LAPD spokesperson told KABC that thefts of French Bulldogs are on the rise in the city.

Because they’re so popular, expensive and easy to pick up because of their small size, French Bulldogs are among the most stolen dog breeds, Tara Bruno, founder of the Short Noses Only Rescue Team (SNORT), a New Jersey nonprofit that rescues these and other dogs, told PEOPLE.

“Our whole family is upset and praying Koji and Gustavo are not harmed,” Lady Gaga’s dad, Joe Germanotta, told Fox News. “Help us catch these creeps.”

Anyone with information about Koji and Gustav’s whereabouts is asked to email KojiandGustav@gmail.com.

Photo: Justin Higuchi

Meet Zoe, the NFL’s First Emotional Support Dog

There’s a new member of the San Francisco 49ers, but this one is a whole lot shorter than the other pro football players.

And, unlike any of her teammates, Zoë is female — and she has four legs. She’s a French Bulldog who’s the first to serve as a certified emotional support animal for an NFL team.

Zoë, who’s just a year old, was adopted by the 49ers in October 2018. As a “specifically designated” emotional support animal, her duties are to help keep the players’ spirits up and to calm them when they’re stressed out. Also, just like most dogs, she’s happy to give the team her unconditional love, whether they happen to be winning or losing.

“The players rely on Zoë to brighten their day,” a 49ers spokesperson told CNN. “Meetings, practice, and workouts can make for a long day. Zoë acts as a stress reliever.”

It was defensive lineman Solomon Thomas’ idea for his team to adopt a dog. He was inspired by Vito, another French bulldog who a 49ers employee was puppy sitting last year. Vito got to come to the 49ers training camp every day, and the players took a shine to the little guy.

Thomas’ sister had recently died when he approached Austin Moss II, the 49ers’ director of player engagement and Zoë’s official owner, to suggest having an emotional support dog for the team.

“I knew that he had just gone through a really tragic experience with losing his sister, so it was just really cool to see him get as much joy as he did coming into the office,” Moss told KRON. “And I knew that it was having a good impact, having a dog here.”

Thomas said that whenever he’s feeling down, he likes to play with Zoë. He feels like he has a special bond with her. “She just kind of helps me get my mind off stuff I don’t need to be thinking about,” he told KRON. “Or negative things I don’t want to be thinking about. She’s just really instrumental in helping me just kinda mentally relax and refresh.”

Zoë is more interested in playing “volleyball” than football with Thomas and the rest of the team. She also loves to play with balloons…and, unsurprisingly, she loves treats. “[S]o we keep the treats around, and we’re working on doing shake, sit lay down, all those things,” Moss told KRON.

The benefits of having an emotional support dog for the team were immediately apparent, Moss said.

“These guys are very strong powerful men that aren’t used to be able to express their emotions freely,” he told KRON. “But when you come in here in a safe space, and you know that it’s just about being yourself and having a good time and getting some help that you may need — Zoe brings a lot of value to that.”

Hmm, imagine if Michael Vick had been able to cuddle with an emotional support dog early in his career. Perhaps it might have prevented him from killing Pit Bulls with his bare hands, but who knows.

You can follow Zoë’s adventures on her Instagram account, the49ersfrenchie.

Photo: the49ersfrenchie/Instagram

California Man Finds Therapy Dog Lost During Las Vegas Shooting

Ryan Needham and his fiancee, who live in Phelan, Calif., survived the terrible mass shooting in Las Vegas, but Needham’s beloved therapy dog went missing for a few days.

Needham is an owner of a concession company that had a booth at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Roulette, aka Rou, is a black French Bulldog who was with Needham’s fiancee as she worked there Sunday night. Needham was driving near the venue when the gunfire erupted. One of the employees opened Rou’s crate and tried to grab her, but the terrified dog wriggled away and ran off, getting lost in the crowd of 22,000 people also desperately trying to flee the area.

“There were so many people trying to get away, we didn’t know if she had been stepped on or hurt, or worse,” Needham told KABC. “It was just a horrible, horrible situation.”

The couple remained in Las Vegas for a few days, desperately searching for Needham’s therapy dog. “We haven’t slept yet”, he told News 3.

As the news of Rou’s disappearance spread, thousands of people from around the world volunteered to do what they could to find her. Strangers created Facebook pages and posted the lost dog’s information online. “We never would have guessed so many people would have stepped forward to help,” Needham told KABC. “The best thing is it shows there are so many good people. So many people willing to try to help other people.”

Good news: Needham and his fiancee can now get some much-needed sleep. Their beloved Rou has been found alive and is now safely back at home in California with them.

Needham saw Rou running in a field next to the shooting site. “I jumped over the fence, I kneeled down, she ran and jumped into my arms!” he told News 3 this morning. (According to KABC, however, Rou was found inside an apartment complex. Needham believed she had been running back and forth from there to her crate in the concessions area, part of the crime scene that has been roped off by police. Either way, what’s important is that she was found alive.)

Rou lost some weight and appeared to be somewhat traumatized from her ordeal. Needham was thrilled she’s still alive.

“I’m so glad everybody’s spirits can be lifted by our dog’s story,” he told News 3. “Maybe it can help a little. This dog is a symbol of hope. She’s the new mascot for Vegas.”

Here’s information about how to help victims of the Las Vegas massacre.

Photo via PawBoost.com

Labrador Retrievers Celebrate Record-Breaking 25th Year as America’s Favorite Dog

For the 25th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever was the most popular breed in the United States in 2015, the American Kennel Club (AKC) announced today. It’s the longest run at No. 1 of any breed in the AKC’s 122-year history.

“The versatile, lovable Lab has firmly planted its paw print in AKC’s history,” said AKC Vice President Gina DiNardo.

Continuing to grow in popularity is the French Bulldog. In 2014, for the first time in a century, the breed cracked the top 10, and it jumped from No. 9 to No. 6 last year.

“Keep your eye on the French Bulldog,” DiNardo advised. “The Frenchie has risen 32 spots over the past decade and shows no signs of stopping.”

These are some of the other breeds that are becoming more popular:

  • Cane Corso (jumped from 47th place in 2014 to 35th last year)
  • Norwegian Elkhound (100th to 88th)
  • Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (74th to 35th)
  • Belgian Malinois (59th to 51st)
  • Leonberger (101st to 93rd)

These were the 10 most popular breeds of 2015, with their 2014 ranking in parentheses. I’ve also included helpful links to national rescue organizations for these breeds. Adopt, don’t shop!

  1. Labrador Retriever (1)
  2. German Shepherd (2)
  3. Golden Retriever (3)
  4. Bulldog (4)
  5. Beagle (5)
  6. French Bulldog (9)
  7. Yorkshire Terrier (6)
  8. Poodle (7)
  9. Rottweiler (10)
  10. Boxer (8)

Here’s the complete 2015 AKC breed popularity list.

Photo credit: Jose Roberto V Moraes

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