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Tattoos & French Bulldogs – the Ultimate Fund Raiser

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Out of Chicago comes the most awesome fund raising idea in the history of French Bulldog fund raisers – a Tat Fest!

From Chicago Now –

I’m sure if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know how obsessed I am with my French bulldogs. We actually rescued one of our pups, Marshall, through the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue, a truly incredible organization that devotes so much time and money to bettering the lives of Chicago’s Frenchies.

This Saturday, the amazing tattoo artists from Insight Studios are donating their talents to the rescue.

On December 19 and 20 Insight Studios will be having a benefit for The Chicago French Bulldog Rescue. We will be donating 100% of the profits on those two days to help out The Chicago French Bulldog Rescue. Since these benefits are usually busy, we will NOT be taking appointments. It will be a “first come-first served” basis. Make sure you tell us you are here for the benefit.

Read the rest on Chicago Now, where you’ll also here the story behind this awesome tattoo of a little Frenchie named Gatsby –

French Bulldog Tattoo

French Bulldog Tattoo

I have my own French Bulldog tattoo, on the back of my left ankle. It’s based on this photo, of Bullmarket Versace as a puppy –

Bullmarket Versace

It was not particularly well done – I picked out a random, ‘open all night’ tattoo place on Yonge Street, and walked in on a whim, pulling this photo of out my wallet. I wanted it done with angel wings – a sort of guardian angel Frenchie, if you will. It turned out looking more like a small, squat gargoyle. I put up with it for years, and finally decided to have it removed, and better version done over top of it.

Timing, in this case, was everything – the weekend I had the first tattoo removal done, Rebel – Bullmarket Versace – dropped dead.

Coincidence? Of course. But still, a rather strange one that still bothers me to this day.

At any rate, if you’re in Chicago and in the market for some new ink, now would be the time to get it done. And hey, even if you aren’t, why not drop in and lend them support, and maybe make a donation. You just might get inspired to get your own Frenchie immortalized. Just do me a favor – don’t ever get it removed, if you get one.

A Fish Called Boogie

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Boogie is a K Kid at the French Bulldog Village. He’s a special needs French Bulldog who has regular hydrotherapy to help him regain the use of his legs.

Read more about Boogie here, or share his story via the FBV Sprout –

The Infamous Mystery Clock Unveiled!

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Thanks to everyone who donated to the French Bulldog Village’s “We’ll Stop at Nothing” fundraiser, Kimberly Rice has reluctantly agreed to unveil the mystery clock.

Here is Charlotte’s official announcement –

Here is the infamous mystery clock!

The fundraiser was dominated hands down by Kristen Boone of MD, with Tyree Pace of California coming in a determined but distant second. Altogether, we raised $425.00 for the privilege of revealing the mystery clock in all its ugliness. Thank you to all who contributed to make this fundraiser possible.

We finally got to see the clock! Aw, Kimberly, it’s not that bad. Interesting muzzle, and I love the big stitches ala Frankenstein holding together the left side of the face!

Enjoy the clock, Kristen!

And, here it is –

French Bulldog Village's Mystery Clock Unveiled!

French Bulldog Village's Mystery Clock Unveiled!

Kimberly had a few words to say, in her own defense –

Charlotte,

If for one minute you thought I was fibbing about the true UGLINESS of this clock–well, here is the proof. OH MY GOSH!!! I cannot believe you are going to actually publish this!!!

I am going to have to send Kristin a REAL clock—I will let her pick the color and design. this one is just disturbing.

The muzzle even looks like it is bleeding.

Well, maybe not so much ‘in her own defense’, but at least she’s honest about this odd little clock’s faults. Personally, I think that this ‘ugly’ little clock (which was the forerunner of so many other, attractive clocks) is the absolute PERFECT fundraiser for French Bulldog Village, and the French Bulldogs that they help.

After all, FBV doesn’t always get the prettiest Frenchies into rescue. In fact, FBV seems to get more than its fair share of the halt, the lame and the down right ‘disturbing’ dogs. Look at poor Bella – hairless and stinky and not exactly a French Bulldog beauty queen. And yet in her own way, Bella IS beautiful – just like this clock, Kimberly. Your clock shines with inner beauty (OK, maybe that’s just the glare off of the bloody stitches, but you get the idea).

Either way, now you can’t say that you haven’t been forewarned – when it comes to raising money for French Bulldogs (and the occasional pug, Frenchie mix, and ‘oh, what the hell – if you squint it sorta looks like a Frenchie’), FBV will STOP AT NOTHING!

And remember, just because this fundraiser is over doesn’t mean that you can’t still give to FBV. After all, the world needs to have a place where the not so pretty French Bulldogs can turn to for help, and that place is French Bulldog Village. Let’s help them keep their doors open, so that no dog is turned away.

Use the paypal button below to give – don’t make us show you more photos of the clock.

Newsday Article Epic FAIL

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Cassandra DiPietro, wife of NHL hockey player Rick DiPietro, and Beth Stern, wife of Howard Stern, hold two of the 150 dogs that arrived Wednesday at the North Shore Animal League. "OMG u guys, it's just like getting a puppy from a pet store! Let's get all our friends one for Christmas".

Cassandra DiPietro, wife of NHL hockey player Rick DiPietro, and Beth Stern, wife of Howard Stern, hold two of the 150 dogs that arrived Wednesday at the North Shore Animal League. "OMG u guys! Let's get all our friends a puppy for Christmas".

Here’s a hint for the reporters (and editors!) over at NewsDay.Com – do you know what rescue groups like Northshore Animal League and Best Friends Animal Society don’t like? They don’t like the idea of puppies as Christmas Presents. They really, really don’t like it at all.

That’s why they probably don’t appreciate you headlining your article (which was more about showing off celebrity wives than it was about the dogs) –

“Need holiday gift ideas? 150 dogs need a home”

Article here.

I can barely run a snippet from it, as the article is about as sketchy as the mental skills of the genius who came up with that headline, but here’s the first paragraph –

About 150 dogs rescued from Midwest puppy mills were taken to North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington, the shelter said in a news release Wednesday.

The dogs include those used for breeding, as well as adolescents and puppies, the agency said.

The breeds include dachshunds, westies, French bulldogs, poodles, Boston terriers, beagles, Brussels griffons and bichon frises, according to the release.

No word about where the dogs came from (big raid? Kennel foreclosure? USDA violations? Who knows), but a cheery note about how they’ll be available to take home soon. Sort of like pet store puppies, huh? Yeah, I bet Best Friends and Northshore just love this story.

Update: after being tipped off by Charlotte, I took a look at NSAL’s website. 55 dogs listed as available – 48 of them puppies. They have NO senior dogs available for adoption. None.

Anyone who has done rescue for any length of time knows that adult dogs and seniors in need of homes FAR outweigh puppies – and yet NASL is importing them in from out of state?

I think I must be missing something here – how DOES this differ from Pet Stores who ‘import’ puppies in from the mid west?

FBV’s “We’ll Stop at Nothing!” Fundraiser

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Those shameless little monkeys over at the French Bulldog Village are rolling out their big guns for this season’s fund raising efforts.

Here’s their newest fund raiser –

Submitted by Charlotte Creeley, FBVillage Co-Founder

Kimberly's Beautiful Blue French Bulldog Clock

Kimberly's Beautiful Blue French Bulldog Clock


Some of you out there, who happen to be French Bulldog Village volunteers or who visited the FBVillage booth at the 2009 French Bulldog Club of America National Specialty in Massachusetts, are the lucky owners of French Bulldog clocks lovingly hand painted and glazed by our very own FBVillage board member Kimberly Rice in the wee hours of the night when she finally got home from work every night. A real labor of love and some very beautiful clocks.

These clocks were so popular among our volunteers that we had a dreadful time keeping any back in order to have some to sell at the Specialty show!

What you don’t know about is Clock #1. Clock #1 was also lovingly hand painted and glazed by Kimberly Rice. Before she knew what she was doing. She has told me repeatedly that Clock #1 is so incredibly hideous that she will not/cannot show it to ANYONE. Kim Jacoby has seen it and could probably attest to its ugliness, but she has already blanked out the memory from her mind… I asked her, “How ugly exactly is this clock, Kim?” and her response was, “What clock??”

So, I really, really want to see this clock, but several months of browbeating and begging and whining have not produced a picture of Clock #1. Kimberly says it is just too ugly. No pictures. Go away.

Well, I finally convinced her to turn it into a fundraiser. Sort of a hideous silent auction. Here is how it works. We are asking for donations in any amount to PayPal – the donate button is right on the front page of the French Bulldog Village website – AND when we reach $300.00 in donations, the auction will close, and Kimberly will produce a picture of Clock #1, AND she will ship it at no additional cost to the highest donor. Unless of course, the person, upon seeing Clock #1, says, um, er, oh my, no thanks! Alternately, we can mail it to your dearest friend in your name… Or, we can mail it to the next highest lucky donor on our list. And so on, until someone agrees to take Clock #1 and give it a home. Poor Clock #1, her own mommy doesn’t love her.

Kimberly is being very brave about this. And I HAVE to see this clock. Please donate!

Charlotte Creeley, Esq.

Please support the FBVillage…
The K-Kids need your help
www.frenchbulldogvillage.org

Here’s a PayPal button link, to allow you to bid (HIGH and OFTEN) on the mystery clock.




Remember, every single dollar benefits the K Kids and the other French Bulldogs and French Bulldog mixes that the French Bulldog Village assists. FBV is the last resort for the French Bulldogs that other rescues turn down – please don’t make FBV have to start turning down Frenchies for lack of funds.

A gallery of the beautiful clocks Kimberly has designed – remember, no one gets to see Clock #1 until the auction is OVER! We’ll be unveiling it right here, as soon as FBV unleashes it on the world.