Category: News

A traumatised French Bulldog with a deformed spine has finally found a home after a year in an RSPCA kennel. Bullseye, the Frenchie was discovered with 11 other dogs living in filth and badly malnourished in a home in Great Yarmouth, England last year. Two of the dogs, Bullseye and Skye, were sent to Woodside Animal Centre in Braunstone Frith, Leicester, and both have now been re-homed. Skye was the first to find a new owner and the RSPCA made an appeal in the Leicester Mercury on January 10 for a home for Bullseye.

Joff Musson and his partner Terri Welch, of Clarence Road, Hinckley, saw the story and got in touch with the charity. Joff, 24, said: “We already had a French bulldog called Coco and we’d been thinking about buying another. ”When I saw the story in the Mercury, I thought it would be a nice thing to do to give Bullseye a new home and he’s settling in really well. I picked him up about a week ago and he’s getting to know Coco. She’s a hyper little dog and it’s a funny combination because he’s very chilled out. It’s the first time we’ve got an animal from a rescue centre and we’re glad to give him a new home. He has a deformed spine but he seems fine. He’s just lazy.”

Nicola Cowton, who works at Woodside Animal Centre, said she was very happy to see Bullseye find a new home. She said: “It was great to find a home for Bullseye and the response to the Mercury article was very positive. He has medical problems and with the congenital spine problem it was important he had an owner who could look after him. He’s a lovely dog.”

Bullseye’s previous owners, meanwhile, have been prosecuted by the RSPCA and have now been banned from keeping dogs for 10 years.

For more information, visit: www.rspcaleicester.org.uk

The American Kennel Club announced today that the Bulldog was the most popular dog breed in New York City in 2013, and the French Bulldog came in second. Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers round out the top five.

In 2012, the Lab was number one.

New Yorkers’ tastes in dogs differ a bit from the rest of the nation.

Nationally, the AKC says Labs remained the top dog last year, for a record 23rd year. That’s the longest any breed has spent in the top spot since the organization’s founding in 1884.

The Bulldog is the fifth most popular in the national rankings. The French Bulldog is the 11th.

The rankings reflect newly registered dogs, mostly puppies.

A DOG lover from South Tyneside, caught up in an illegal imported animal scam, is aiming to launch a charity to help other victims.

Paula Ros paid £700 for a French bulldog puppy, which she believed had been bred in England.

However, the dog was later traced to Lithuania, and now she is trying to help others hit by the growing problem of illegally-imported animals.

Miss Ros, 23, of Australia Grove, South Shields, has paid more than £500 to have her French bulldog, Tallulah, put into quarantine.

She said: “Thankfully, Tallulah is fine and I hope to get her out in a few weeks.

“But there must be lots of other people caught up in my situation and some of them will struggle to pay quarantine bills.

“I want to help others who have bought French bulldogs and am trying to get a registered charity number.

“I plan to call the charity, For the Love of Frenchies.”

Miss Ros bought Tallulah after travelling to Manchester, but failed to obtain the correct documentation.

A microchip in the dog’s neck later revealed the animal had been bred in Lithuania, not the UK.

The case sparked a warning from South Tyneside Council, which has highlighted the dangers of diseases from illegally-imported cats and dogs.

Miss Ros added: “There is a high demand for French bulldogs and I would like to get a few hundred people involved in the charity.

“I already have a presence on the internet and people can simply look for ‘For the Love of Frenchies’ on Facebook.”

A council spokesman has urged dog lovers to only pets from a reputable dealer and to examine documents before any sale.

This story was produced by the South Shields, England newspaper, The Fields Gazette