English bulldogs' surge in popularity offset by high abandonment rate Discussions

Malka · Dec 3, 2014

The English bulldog has conquered New Yorkers’ hearts, with more wrinkly canines waddling the city streets than any other breed in 2013. But the breed’s burst in popularity has a downside – nearly 350 were surrendered to city shelters last year.

On Tuesday night, bulldog lovers and celebrity pet owners, including Ice-T and his wife Coco, came together at the Long Island Bulldog Rescue’s 15th-annual Bash for the bulldogs in New York City to raise awareness about abandoned English bulldogs, an issue first reported by the New York Post this week.

The star-studded event hosted by Beth Stern, animal advocate and wife of radio personality Howard Stern, raised funds for the New York charity to rescue and care for the dogs while they await adoption.

“We need to raise money for these unbelievably expensive dogs, that are just being bred indiscriminately for profit, which you can’t do with any breed, and this breed in particular,” said Laurette Richin, executive director and founder of Long Island Bulldog Rescue (LIBR).

A testament to the bulldog’s rise, the breed has seen a 323% jump in registrations across the US since 2003, according to the American Kennel Club.

“We credit their loveable personalities – the bulldog makes a great and loyal family pet and are also fantastic with kids,” said Hillary Prim, an AKC spokeswoman.

Facing growing demand for the chubby canines, pet retailers turn overseas or to puppy mills that often breed the animals in substandard conditions, which can exacerbate health problems or result in new ones.

“These dogs don’t have a lot of puppies,” Richin said. “They’re not a money-maker if you do it right, that’s the problem. The demand far exceeds the supply. And today people are just anxious to get what they want when they want it.”

Richin said novice pet owners are soon finding they can’t afford to care for the bulldogs. Though the dogs don’t need much exercise and are good with children, they suffer from a range of health problems and can be difficult to train. Last year, her charity rescued 347 English bulldogs, up from 19 in 1999 when she founded the non-profit.

“We’re seeing wonderful people who just didn’t know, and they wind up, in some cases, having to mortgage their homes to take care of these health problems,” Richin said.
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Full article and photograph here...

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/03/english-bulldogs-abandoned-ice-t-coco

Once again "fashion" ends up with unwanted dogs in rescue.

SIGH

lovemybull · Dec 3, 2014

Unfortunate that unlike most "bully" breeds the English is recognized as an easygoing family dog, a description fitting many dogs under that heading. What many people don't research into is the health issues that often come with English bulls.

We considered taking in an English bull female last year and I asked several different sites their opinion. The almost unanimous vote was friendly, easygoing and have a vet plus specialists on speed dial. Terrific dogs but expensive health issues.

Then again we went with American Bulldog and while he doesn't have breathing problems or skin conditions, his knees are a mess. Guess the configuration in general of oversized body on bitty legs is a general issue with any bully.

LMost · Dec 3, 2014

Sad but very true, in fashion seems to always be bad for a breed.
Why I actually point out the issues to owning my breed when people say they want one.

Just wondering how many dogs will end up in the shelters here come Jan 1st, when new ownership laws come into effect.

English bulldogs' surge in popularity offset by high abandonment rate Discussions

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English bulldogs' surge in popularity offset by high abandonment rate

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