In a Bulldog State of Mind

A few weeks ago, a friend who knew about our animal-motivated adventure contacted me because she was in desperate need of petsitting for her three pups. Dorian was already scheduled to lead a birdwatching tour in Minnesota, so I (Sonia) agreed to help out since I wasn't committed to anything else while he was away. So, on Feb 5, I jumped on a plane and headed to New York!

I arrived in Farmingdale, NY, a Long Island suburb of New York City. My friend had already left, so when I arrived at the house I was met by three very excited English Bulldogs -- Mia, Buddy, and Charlie. 

I've known Mia since she was a puppy. My friend, Kathy, initially fostered Mia through a local bulldog rescue. Mia was rambunctious and mischievous at that young age, and she quickly earned the brand "NNBD" (No, No! Bad Dog!). I remember the first time I heard this nickname during one of my visits. Kathy's partner, Mike, is a phenomenal chef, and he'd invested several days to marinate a rack of lamb for a special dinner during my stay. Mike removed the uncooked meat from the fridge, placed it next to the preheated over, and turned around to close the fridge. In that instant, Mia snuck into the kitchen, stood on her hind legs, and snatched the whole rack of the counter! I just remember Mike shouting, "No, No!! BAD DOG!" as he chased her around the house! Despite that bad behavior, Kathy and Mike fell in love with Mia and decided to adopt her permanently. Now a senior dog slowed by arthritis, Mia spends most of her time sunning herself in the front window. 

Mia is just one of several bulldogs who have rotated through Kathy's house. For the past 10-plus years, Kathy has collaborated with Long Island Bulldog Rescue (LIBR), an organization which helps, heals, and re-homes abandoned English Bulldogs. The non-profit was started by Laurette Richin, a woman who, in her own words, "traded in her ex-husband for a bulldog." That first bully came from a breeder, but Laurette quickly realized how many other bullies were in bad situations. At one point, a local animal shelter enlisted her assistance to care for a young bulldog whose muscles had atrophied after continual crating. Laurette fostered the dog, and that experience opened her eyes to a growing problem of neglect, abuse, and abandonment of English Bulldogs. She launched her own bulldog rescue in 1999, and helped rescue 13 bulldogs in that inaugural year. The rescue has since grown into one of the largest rescues in the region, and they currently re-home approximately 300 bulldogs every year! Laurette is well-known in the rescue community, and it's hard to find a rescue bully in the Northeast who didn't intersect Laurette at some point in the rescue process.

Kathy's story is similar to Laurette's. Like Laurette, Kathy fell in love with English Bulldogs when she adopted one from a breeder. Her son, Rocco, joined her family in 2007 and Kathy was immediately smitten with the breed. It didn't take long for her to get involved with LIBR, and quickly became an ardent advocate and dedicated volunteer with the rescue. Beyond fostering and adopting, Kathy also helps transport surrendered dogs. I've gone on a couple of these "rescue missions" with her, and it's remarkable to see how so many people collaborate to help a single pup in need. In one instance, I accompanied Kathy to a house where a dog was being surrendered. When we walked up to the front door, the unwanting owner shoved a fully-grown bulldog out of the portal before handing over the leash to Kathy. Unfazed, Kathy hoisted the animal into her SUV, and we headed over to Laurette's house where the dog would remain until it was placed into a foster home. Kathy eventually agreed to re-homing responsibilities, and that's how she ended up with a full rotation of bulldogs at her house. With as many as six bullies in the mix, there were always enough treats, beds, and love to go around. Her love and respect for animals is one of the things I admire most about Kathy. 

Today, Kathy has three English Bulldogs, all of which came through LIBR. The breed isn't very outdoorsy, so my time together with the three admittedly-lethargic dogs was pretty chill. We snuggled by the fireplace, watched a lot of winter Olympics, and drank our fair share of red wine (I swear, it wasn't all me!). It was perfect. Charlie, the youngest, was the best snuggler. 

Buddy also really liked snuggling, but he was a bit more awkward. Kathy warned me that he liked snuggle but hasn't figured out how to do it. I didn't know what she meant by that... until I experienced it firsthand. I can't count the number of times Buddy sat on my face or on my shoulder and thought it was totally normal. 😂

Buddy's version of morning "snuggles"

The highlight of my time with Mia, Buddy, and Charlie was helping them open up their Valentine's gifts from their 'secret admirers'. Every year, LIBR pairs former rescues from different families so that they each have a secret Valentine. Each dog (i.e. owner) then sends their Valentine a special gift with a love note. I helped Mia open hers and, as you can see, she was thrilled with her loot. 

This is the note that came with her gift

Overall, it was a wonderful week. Whether it was Buddy's awkward snuggles, Mia's old lady waddle, or Charlie's insistence on gluing himself to me everywhere I went, the dogs kept me laughing throughout. Here are some cute photos showing exactly how committed Charlie was to staying by my side. While I was working, he'd squeeze his way behind my back so he could sleep behind me. Then, randomly, he'd pop up like a Jack-in-the-box to look over my shoulder to check out what I was doing. This usually happened while I was on Zoom calls, so Charlie ended up endearing himself to all of my colleagues. 

It was hard to say goodbye to this wonderful pack, but I know I'll see them again in the not-too-distant future. Until then, many thanks to my favorite New York Bulldogs (so much better than New York Stankees 😁)...