Do you want to adopt a rescue bulldog? Once you've read about bulldogs and educated yourself you need to fill out the BCARN application. Follow this link to the national BCARN application page. If you choose to, you can submit your family's information for consideration of a rescue bulldog placement.
BCARN keeps a nationwide database of bulldogs in need of new homes. Fortunately
for the Bulldogs that come into a BCARN-affiliated rescue program, the BCARN has
a unique database that allows rescue groups access to applications all over the
country. This database
allows rescue workers to review many applications according to different search
criteria. This helps us find the best home for each dog. Not all BCARN workers
have access to the application database however. This is a privilege that has to
be applied for separately and requires a signed agreement to keep the
applicants’ personal information confidential. The great thing about the BCARN
database is that rescue groups can screen potential homes much faster. The
database has search options that make the process fairly efficient. We can check
homes in specific states for things such as: no cats, no dogs, home ownership,
family member home in the daytime, will accept a dog with special needs, etc,
etc. Being able to search for specific conditions in the homes allows us to do a
better job of matching a home for each Bullie to best meet its own particular
needs. This increases the odds that we have found what we hope will be its
“forever home”. Please
refrain from contacting the rescue organizations until after you have completed
the
form. If a dog has information in its profile stating it cannot be homed
with children or other pets, please do not ask us to break this rule. Each
bulldog entering rescue is carefully screened and if it has been determined it
will not do well in a home with other pets, trust us, it won't.
Bulldogs are extremely intolerant of heat. They must be kept in an air-conditioned area with limited trips outside when the outside temperature is over 80 degrees or the humidity is high. Close supervision is required during outside activity, especially in spring and summer to prevent over-exertion leading to over-heating.
Rescue Bulldogs are:
Usually someone’s pet that just
didn’t work out in their former home
for one reason or another. Many Bulldogs that come into a rescue
organization
are not “rescue” dogs in the classic sense. Most aren’t in immediate
danger of being euthanized. They come from “average” homes,
but had owners who couldn’t provide the best home in their current
situation for that particular dog.
Bulldogs whose owners didn’t feel
adequately equipped to evaluate prospective
new owners. They want their Bulldog to have the best chance
at finding a “forever home” and feel a rescue organization has better
resources at its disposal to find to the most suitable home for their
Bulldog.
Bulldogs surrendered to a rescue
group who are worthy of a good home.
They may have some minor health or temperament issues, but in the
proper home, they will give their new family as much love as any other
Bulldog would and deserve a chance to prove that.
A Rescue Bulldog is not a “trash”
dog, or a “reject”. In the vast
majority of cases, they are family pets that need a better situation
in order to thrive. In the “right” home with people who care
enough to provide the conditions it needs to have a good life, it
can again become a well-loved member of the family.
Who created the Bulldogs that end up in rescue?
If you think that most dogs that come into rescue were bred by large scale "puppy mills", you would be mistaken; at least as it pertains to this area. The majority of rescue dogs appear to have been bred by what is commonly called “backyard breeders”. This term generally is used to describe someone who breeds dogs on a smaller scale, and often without thought as to the welfare of the resulting puppies once they leave their yard. Their primary concern is usually whether the interested buyer is able to meet their asking price. Backyard breeders rarely bother to determine whether the new owners are equipped to keep the puppy for its lifetime. Backyard breeders usually do not show their Bulldogs or support breed clubs, as those things cut into their profit margin. Sometimes the primary reason to breed a litter is simply because they want to get a return on the initial investment of the purchase price of their own dog.
Backyard breeders do not encourage the
new owners to contact them if there are any problems with the puppy. Generally
speaking, once the puppy is out the door and the check has been cashed, the
relationship has ended. We have had a few cases where breeders were contacted,
but they were unwilling to take back the dogs in question or help out in anyway.
If people have met the breeder of their
puppy only at the time of sale and have had no lasting relationship with them,
it is not surprising to find that these breeders are unwilling to take
responsibility for the dog later in life.
The key to keeping Bulldogs out of rescue is educating the public. One important aspect of that is to have breeders make sure buyers know how to properly train and care for their Bulldog. Buyers need to be aware that a committed breeder can be a valuable resource and should be someone they can go to when they have questions about the care and training of their Bulldog. A responsible breeder will want their puppies to go to homes where they will be loved and cared for their entire lives and will do everything they can to ensure that this happens for each and every puppy.
If a breeder is does not take time to
interview prospective owners, but only seems eager to take your money, odds are
that breeder will be unavailable should problems arise at some later point in
time. Responsible breeders usually provide written contracts that will state
that they are to be contacted if a buyer is no longer able to keep their
Bulldog. A responsible breeder would prefer to help buyers find solutions so
that the dog is able to remain with its original family. But if that is not
possible, they should be willing to help you find a suitable new home for your
dog. This does not necessarily mean that they will refund any of the purchase
price. It is not as easy to find eager buyers for adult
dogs as it is for cute little puppies that are nice 'blank slates'. Many people
do not want to deal with possible behavioral issues and would rather not take
that risk. If they do, they will not want to have to pay much for the
“privilege”. Not everyone who breeds occasionally can be considered a backyard
breeder. It is not the quantity that determines that, but the quality of care.
If a breeder seems knowledgeable about the breed and shows you that they have
put some thought into the breeding and is willing to provide you with written
assurances that they care about the puppies they sell, then it shows they are
serious about the lives they have created. However, as long as there are
breeders who are primarily “puppy producers” there will always be a need for
breed rescue. If breeders are not involved in the ongoing lives of the
puppies they produce, the risk is higher that those dogs will end up in a rescue
program. There is no safety net for these dogs and their owners. Responsible
breeders don't just care for their dogs, they care about them. Before a person
considers buying a puppy from a particular breeder perhaps they should ask
themselves, “Is this somebody I’d like to be friends with?” If the answer is
“no”, then it
would be a good idea for them to continue their search.
