French Bulldog Bullmarket Rowan Moon at Homewood

Majors in Syracuse for Roxy Rowan

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We’re very proud of Bullmarket Rowan Moon Homewood, better know as Roxy Rowan, for her results this past weekend at the dog shows in Syracuse, New York. In four days of showing, Rox won two of the four available majors, and also took Best of Winners.

We’re very excited about the show career of this cobby young girl. She’s sired by BIS Am/Can Ch Napachai Cruel Intentions out of Bullmarket Absolut Ruffiana. Rox is owned by Carol Gravestock, Dave Berrey, Michael Stelmach and Taryn Lloyd, and lives with Michael and Taryn in Toronto.

She was shown by Kay Reil, of Handling by Kay, who did her usual stellar job of presentation.

We’ll add her official win photos when we receive them, but here’s a photo of Rox chilling with handler Kay Reil in her hotel room. All show dogs should have it so good!

Roxy with handler Kay Reil

 

dead animal carcasses at rendering plant

AAFCO Admits Rendered Pets in Pet Food

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UPDATED  03-20-2014: article link via Dr. Patty Khuly on barbiturate trace levels in pets, due to rendered pets and animals in the pet food supply chain.

When I first wrote an article years ago stating that some pet food companies were using the rendered remains of euthanized pets in their food (under the ingredient designation “meat and bone meal”), I got some pretty nasty email from people telling me I was either insane, or a liar.

For those who were still on the fence, here’s a just released video of AAFCO’s president finally admitting, on camera, that it’s allowable (and, in fact, fairly common practice) for rendered pets to end up in pet food.

AAFCO, by the way, is short for The Association of American Feed Control Officials, and is the regulatory body that sets guidelines for pet food and pet food ingredients in the USA. They could quite easily ban the use of rendered pets as acceptable for inclusion in pet food – but they don’t, because pet food companies value the cheap protein count that comes from rendered meat and bone meal.

What else can be rendered and made into “meat and bone meal”? Euthanized pets, road kill, expired grocery store meat (including the packaging), kill floor detritus, dead stock… etc.

Ethical considerations aside (and they are numerous, in my opinion), rendered pets (and horses) bring something else along with them – trace amounts of the chemicals used to kill them.

This is no minor matter – the Veterinary Industry takes this risk seriously enough to have studied barbiturate levels in pet foods, and to have assessed them as a risk to pets who consume them. Trace barbiturates consumed by pets create a tolerance level which has decreased overall effectiveness of barbiturates, making dosing pets increasingly difficult for veterinarians. Additionally, the chemicals used in euthanasia are, obviously, deadly.

Dr. Patty Khuly has an excellent article on this topic here – http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2010/oct/rendered_barbiturates-10474

As I’ve been saying for years — It really, really DOES pay to read the label.

H/T to the ever awesome Yesbiscuit for the video link

Lost or stolen French Bulldog Guelph Ontario

Another Missing French Bulldog – Guelph Ontario Area

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Another lost or stolen French Bulldog has been reported, this one in the Guelph Ontario area.

Mikey is a neutered pied (black and white, to the average person) French Bulldog. He went missing on March 15th, from the area of Kingsmill Avenue & Eramosa River in Guelph Ontario. He was wearing a blue harness – there is no word on whether or not he is microchipped. His owner believes he may have crossed over the river to play with other people or dogs.

There is a reward for his return.

If you spot him, please call Deb at (519) 763-6166

More details are on the Helping Lost Pets website – http://www.helpinglostpets.com/petdetail/?id=174930

Missing French Bulldog Caledon Bolton Ontario Canada

MISSING FRENCH BULLDOG – BOLTON CALEDON, ONTARIO

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A French Bulldog is missing and possibly stolen from his owner’s property in the Bolton – Caledon area of SW Ontario, Canada.

Poutine is a brindle pied (black and white) neutered male French Bulldog. He is wearing a blue collar, and is microchipped and wearing pet tags from Nobleton Veterinary . Poutine went missing from the fenced yard of his home on Castlederg Sideroad, which is near Highway 50 on the border of Caledon and Bolton.

If you have seen Poutine, or have any idea of his whereabouts, please contact:

Nobleton Vet Clinic :
phone 905-859-4670 or 905- 857-2839

Printable posters of the above image can be downloaded here

THERE IS A NO QUESTIONS ASKED REWARD FOR HIS RETURN!

Poutine was bred by our friend Richard Rockford, of Aristocrafts French Bulldogs. He is a son of Richard’s lovely French Bulldog boy, Baxter, who tragically died last year due to veterinary error. As you imagine, Richard and Ewa, along with Poutine’s owner, are devastated.

Please share – let’s bring Poutine home!

 

French Bulldog Champion Barkston Atom

Vintage French Bulldogs – Old Fashioned is Still in Style

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– Click to view film on British Pathe website

I found this gem in the British Pathe film library – it’s footage of the Richmond, UK dog show, and shows several breeds, including a French Bulldog named “Champion Baxter’s Atom”, owned by one of England’s most renowned, French Bulldog breeders,  Mrs. Townsend Green.

Mrs Townsend Green was one of the most respected Frenchie authorities in the UK. She was one of the nine founding members of the French Bulldog Club of England (FBCE). Her Roquet 96 (by Boule ex Boulette) won the first French Bulldog show in England, held on April 7, 1903 at Tattersall’s in London. Mrs Townsend Green’s renowned Barkston kennel was founded in 1897, had a great influence on Frenchie breeding in England in the 1920s and ’30s and continued until 1940. The good lady was president of the FBCE from 1926 to 1944 and died in 1951.

– Bonham’s Auction House

Atom, the dog shown in the Pathe film clip, is a solid, cobby,moderate backed little dark brindle bitch, with a reasonable amount of stop and nicely rounded ears (although for today’s taste they seem a little bit low set – partially a result of having a film camera shoved into her face, perhaps!).

In contrast with many other breeds, this bitch would still be ‘in the ribbons’ if she was shown in most countries around the world, and she’d certainly earn a place in most breeding programs. This is because, for the most part, French Bulldog breeders have held out against being persuaded that overly exaggerated features are necessary to win in the show ring (and to sell puppies to pet owners, many of whom are just as guilty of desiring extreme features as the most inept judges could ever be).

Moderation is a difficult thing to achieve – it’s easy to pick out the BIGGEST dog, or the FLATTEST face, or the SHORTEST back, because extremes ‘stand out’ and draw our eye. Moderation, that underrated virtue, can seem to ‘blend’ into the background, unless we can learn to value and recognize it. Remember, just because something is difficult, doesn’t mean it isn’t worth striving for.

As modern breeders, we have to ask ourselves – “Do we want to be the generation responsible for screwing up the French Bulldog?”.

Do we want to allow ourselves to be swayed for a desire for ‘extremes’ instead of the moderate, healthy, sound dogs that have survived virtually unchanged for over a hundred years? Let’s hope not – or a hundred years from now, there might not even be a French Bulldog, other than in film clips.  This is why it is SO important to fight back against breed clubs that attempt to impose arbitrary, cosmetic and potentially dramatically detrimental changes to breed standards that have stood the test of time.

Image below is of the trophy won by Mrs. Townsend Green’s French Bulldog  ‘Barkston FanFan’, awarded by French Bulldog Club of England for the Best Dog exhibited at their show June 19 1922

presented by the French Bulldog Club of England for the Best Dog exhibited at their show June 19 1922 won by Mrs Townsend Green's 'Barkston FanFan'

presented by the French Bulldog Club of England for the Best Dog exhibited at their show June 19 1922 won by Mrs Townsend Green’s ‘Barkston FanFan’