Salem French Bulldog Rescues Shine Harsh Light On Overbreeding Dangers

SALEM, MA — A dozen French Bulldogs — some with considerable health concerns likely caused, in part, through indiscriminate overbreeding — are looking for their forever homes with families that can provide committed love and support amid ongoing veterinary needs

Seven of the French Bulldogs, ranging from 12 weeks to 5 years old, are at Salem's Northeast Animal Shelter after being transported from Springfield last week.

"One of these dogs, Mylah, is almost completely blind," MSPCA-Angell Vice President of Animal Protection Mike Keiley said. "One of her eyes was missing when she came to us, and her other eye is abnormally small. We also think she may be deaf.

"We expect she'll need more support in her adoptive home, but we believe she'll be able to flourish with the right adopters when she's ready to find them."

• New York City Rescue Cats Arrive In Boston In Search Of Forever Homes

The six other French Bulldogs she arrived with are in relatively good health and are expected to be available for adoption as of Thursday.

"Considering all of the potential challenges with French Bulldogs, we're grateful that only a handful we’ve taken in this summer needed advanced care," Keiley said. "These surrenders underscore a really important issue in animal welfare — overbreeding. It leads to health challenges that are really
costly and obviously negatively impact the animal's quality of life."

Keiley recommends that those who seek to buy a dog from a breeder visit the breeding home or kennel and see at least one of the parent dogs. They should also ask breeders about the health and behavior of both the animals and their parents, and get references.

The MSPCA-Angell has additional advice for buying animals from a breeder on its website here.

Four other, one-month-old Frenchies were surrendered in Boston this summer and were in need of serious care.

"As we often see when a specific breed becomes popular — in this case French Bulldogs — people indiscriminately breed them in the hopes that they can capitalize on the demand, which, unfortunately, frequently leads to dogs with congenital problems that can be costly and challenging to address," Keiley said. "With certain breeds, especially brachycephalic ones, this can be particularly prominent, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing with French Bulldogs."

The puppies — which were named Macy, TJ, Kohl, and Marsha — had varying degrees of damage to their eyes when they were surrendered on June 24. They were initially treated in the Emergency and Critical Care Department at Angell Animal Medical Center before moving to the MSPCA Boston Adoption Center Clinic, where some of them required surgery.

Macy underwent surgery to remove both eyes on Aug. 7, while Marsha had surgery to remove her left eye on Aug. 14.

TJ and Kohl have permanent scarring on their corneas that is expected to heal, but could result in glaucoma or other conditions that will require their future adopters to have a close relationship with a veterinarian.

"These puppies have obviously been through a lot, but they'll be able to thrive with adopters who are able to help them manage their new environments," said Keiley.

An 11-month-old French Bulldog named Rylo was also surrendered to the Boston Adoption Center because his family was moving. He has a chronic gastrointestinal issue that shelter staff say is manageable, but he should be the only dog in his adoptive home.

Rylo is available for adoption now at the MSPCA Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem.

Interested adopters are asked to visit the Northeast Animal Shelter during open hours, which are Monday – Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Thursday – Sunday, 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The cost of caring for the French Bulldogs is roughly $15,000. Those who would like to donate to help offset that cost are asked to do so here.

More on Patch:

• 'Magic Of Salem Strikes Again': Sean Stellato Celebrates 'Tommy Cutlets' Landing With New England Patriots
• Legendary Performer Frankie Avalon To Headline 207th Topsfield Fair

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)