The story of Lil’ Lucy the “Frenchie” (French Bulldog) begins in a South Florida puppymill, where they practiced the “anything goes” type of breeding (interbreeding relatives, and any other random combination of dogs, just to make a profit). This creates congenital problems; the most common being Luxating Patella, skin problems, heart and renal problems, as well as various diseases. All Puppymills and breeding facilities are different, but usually hold the same philosophy: Feed and vet the dogs as little as possible to cut expenses, and give them just enough to continue breeding. Often, several dogs are crammed into a small area or crate, and forced to fight for what little bits of food and water are given. It is common for the dogs to survive off of their own waste, which results in rotting gums, decaying teeth, and numerous infections. These dogs are usually euthanized when they can’t produce puppies, or die of inhumane causes.
(Marvin in blue)
Lil’ Lucy was saved by Marvin Mathias, founder of Lulu’s Friends Rescue www.lulusfriends.com in Wilton Manors, Florida. Initially, she was diagnosed with an eye bacteria that was eating away at her left cornea. Now, since treatment, she can see around the affected area that has been left scarred. She also had two unsuccessful surgeries for a cleft pallet (congenital opening of the roof of the mouth), so she can only drink from a water bottle, allowing her to take in a controlled drop of water at a time. She can’t eat wet food due to the possibility of it clogging the cleft, which could suffocate her. She does help herself to dry food — and she LOVES chicken!
The average French Bulldog weighs 23-28 pounds. With the current trend of small dogs as fashion accessories, breeders are breeding down to get smaller dogs. Lil’ Lucy is 15 pounds. Breeding down could mean breeding mother and runt son, to produce a smaller and more profitable puppy. That puppy could have congenital and behavioral problems, at the puppy’s expense.
A few months after her rescue, Lucy jerked her body suddenly, resulting in an injured spine, leaving her paralyzed in her back legs. Her caretaker, Marvin, raised funds to get her spinal surgery, and she was able to walk again. The celebration was short when she injured her spine again, and sadly, the second surgery has not been as successful. She is currently paralyzed in her lower spine, leaving her back legs limp without any control of her bowels, and requiring her bladder to be expressed by a human.
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But please don’t cry for Lil’ Lucy! She is living life, and is very happy! She's currently being fostered with Stacy Narcisse of Get A Life Pet Rescue www.getalifepetrescue.com where she is receiving various physical therapies. She is cheerfully functioning as a regular member of the pack of small dogs, without any restrictions! Stacy shares the importance of Lucy seeing herself like the other dogs, in order to mentally assimilate normal dog functions. “Lucy gets free run of the house. There are no boundaries for her, so she can scoot herself to wherever she wants to go, allowing her to be in the mix of all goings-on in the house.”
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There are water bottles set up in the house and all of the necessary accommodations, so that Lucy blends right in. When Lucy is not wearing a diaper, she does need to have someone pick up after her, but it's such a small price to pay for this furry bundle of joy. Lucy eats dry food at her leisure, she goes outside with her foster mates for potty time (when she has her bladder expressed), and she rushes in immediately afterwards to claim a doggie bed! Lucy barks when she hears things, and bosses some of the fosters around. She really has quite a bit of personality!
Part of her therapy is having her rear legs hoisted up in a harness which enables her to run. Yes, run not walk! With her legs dangling, we hope that Lil’ Lucy’s mind will open to the possibility of walking. Physically, Lucy is responding to stimulation with her legs, and receives massage, craniosacral therapy, and physical therapies, along with acupressure to improve her condition. These therapies, in addition to aqua therapy, have proven to aid spinal injury fosters of Stacy’s to walk again with the combination of Dr. Gerald Johnson DVM’s acupuncture and holistic medicines. Each case is different, but with Lucy’s enthusiasm, we are hopeful for improvement.
We are looking to place Lucy in her eternal home. If you are interested in adopting Lil' Lucy, please contact Stacy stacy@getalifepetrescue.com.
If you would like to make a contribution to Lucy’s medical care please click below.
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