St. Louis English Bulldog Rescue

07/06/2025

(Long post)
Holiday weekends always seem to be challenging in Rescue Land. Was contacted early yesterday morning about 2 Bulldogs in a dangerous situation. Love the STLEBR family!!! Kristina made on the fly vet appointments for exam and shots for 1 dog, no make that 2 dogs, make that 1 dog, no really it's 2 dogs... the all breed rescuer was on her way to help several of the dogs. She could pick up the Bulldogs and meet me somewhere. Kristina was taking Bullet to his new foster home, the rescuer couldn't take them home or stash them anywhere, these dogs had no vet history either, oh and the girl might be preggers too. I'm racking my brain for who could take a dog with no vetting without risking current pets. Everyone seemed to be traveling too. Called Christlanda and Bryan (the owners of the fabulous Princess Nala who left us in May). Immediate call back and step up!
Met the rescuer with the 2 dogs in Wentzville. Both pups had microchips! The boy has a nasty elongated palate and was roaring and sucking air. Got them transferred and loaded up, then headed for the Banfield in Town and Country that was able to fit us in for exams and vaccines and heartworm tests. To add to the fun, temperature was 95 degrees. Boy was supposed to be 3 years old. Girl was supposed to be 5. Both intact.
Boy weighed 35 lbs, not too skinny, just small. Ears had signs of chronic infection, one cornea looked compromised, teeth pretty clean, coat dry and scaly, temperament really sweet, breathing horrible. Full set of vaccines and heartworm test.
Girl weighed 45 lbs. Long nails, dry and scaly coat, good breather, a little round and looked like she had recently been in season. Rabies shot and heartworm test. No DHPP vaccine as they can cause problems if she was pregnant. Kristina arrived. Christlanda and Bryan arrived. It was decided they would take the girl pup to foster and Kristina took the boy.
When I arrived home and endured the accusing sniffs (who were you hanging out with while we were left at home???), started the microchip search and track routine.
The girl's microchip went back to Save a Life who closed down late last year and did not transfer their registry database. Dead end.
The boy's chip tracked back to a breeder in Missouri. She contacted me. She has a contract that the dog can't be rehomed that he must be returned to the breeder. Good breeders have AND enforce this type of contract. The boy pup was almost 8 years old! He had been passed around several times; via Craigslist the last time. The breeder will be getting him and taking him to her vet Tuesday. She will get the treatment he needs and find a new home. Kudos to breeders who do the right thing!!!
The girl pup will be visiting Wentzville Veterinary Clinic on Thursday for her spay and the rest of her vaccinations.
Just thought I would share with our followers some of the reality of holidays and rescue! Thank you all for your prayers, help, and support. You make a difference for these Bulldogs!

07/03/2025

Kristina and I said goodbye to the wild and wonderful STLEBR Alum William Finn this afternoon. He was surrendered back to STLEBR in the final stages of his life. He was a very good boy.

07/01/2025

Tip Tuesday!

07/01/2025

It’s the first day of the month, and we can’t forget about our fur babies! Don’t forget to give your pup their monthly preventative to protect against heartworm

06/29/2025

Check out our fabulous Etsy shop for amazing Bulldog-related gifts! All proceeds go to StLBulldogRescue, an organization dedicated to helping Bulldogs in need. 💕 https://stlbulldogrescue.etsy.com

06/29/2025

Kristina has been an integral part of Saint Louis English Bulldog Rescue for several years. She has stepped up and taken on a lot of responsibilities from hauling intake pups to managing surgical recoveries, ER visits, screening adopters and fosters and much more. Her very successful doggie daycare, boarding and grooming business A Howlin' Good Time Doggie Daycare and Hotel suffered a disastrous fire last Tuesday. All people and dogs were evacuated safely! The facility is a total loss.
Here are some comments from Kristina:
"Hey everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to share my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who has reached out during this incredibly tough time. I truly appreciate all the support, and I’m sorry if I haven’t been able to respond to everyone—I'm receiving over 100 messages a day! Please forgive me if I've missed your message.

Last Tuesday, my business tragically went up in flames. The cause is still under investigation, which is complicated by the extent of the damage and the involvement of state authorities since we work with animals. The insurance company is also conducting their own investigations.

As for my next steps, I'm uncertain and will likely remain in limbo for months. Personally, I don't need anything right now, but my priority has always been my amazing staff and the dogs. If anyone has job leads in Jefferson County or could send some extra prayers our way, it would mean the world to us.

I’m deeply grateful that every single dog and staff member walked out safely. We couldn't have managed it without the incredible support from all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
A Fundraiser has been set up for the staff members, all of whom showed amazing courage and commitment to safely removing the dogs and getting them to a holding area.

Here is the link to use or share for the fundraiser! Thank you again so all of your amazing support! ❤️

https://givesendgo.com/GHHR2?utm_source=sharelink&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=GHHR2

06/28/2025

July 4th Survival Guide for Pets 🐾

Let's face it: our pets don't share our love of fireworks. The flashes, the booms, the chaos… it's all a bit much.

Here are seven quick tips to help owners' fur babies stay calm, safe, and maybe snooze through the night.

🟢1. FLIP THE LIGHTS ON: Keeping your home well-lit helps minimize the scary flashes from outside explosions; lights on = less visual anxiety.

🟢 2. CLOSE THE BLINDS: Shut the shades, blinds, or shutters. Blocking out the bright bursts helps create a safe, cozy den for your pet.

🟢3. EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE! A tired dog is a calm dog. Take a longer walk, throw the ball a few extra times, or go for a run. Start 2–3 days before the 4th for optimal effect.

🟢 4. DOGGY EAR MUFFS: Yep, they're real, and they work! You can find several options on Amazon with expedited shipping to make the boom-booms go bye-bye.

🟢 5. TURN UP THE VOLUME: Mask the big bangs with music, but skip the heavy metal. Studies show that soft rock and classical music are the most effective in relaxing anxious pets.

🟢 6. TRY A COMPRESSION SHIRT: Like a weighted blanket for dogs, compression shirts apply gentle pressure to help ease stress and trigger calming hormones.

🟢 7. MEDICATION: When other methods fall short, ask your vet about Trazodone or other options. It works by boosting serotonin, helping pets stay relaxed and emotionally balanced.

06/27/2025

Feel Good Friday!
Alumnae update- LuLu
Hi - LuLu is doing great! She was the perfect addition to our family. We all absolutely adore her. She gets extra excited when we have visitors!!! And loves all dogs she meets. Sometimes she is a lot of women for her fellow dog friends 😜 Our little princess!

06/26/2025

One of the top reasons we see dogs surrendered into rescue is due to financial limitations for medical expenses. Everything is just becoming more and more expensive. We hope you will never need assistance but if you do please save this list of options. Share before any other sources you may be aware of.
Local Grants
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Check out these resources if you need assistance affording veterinary care for your pets.

06/26/2025

It is with great sadness we learned of the passing of STLEBR Alum Winston Michael yesterday. Winston Michael developed severe epilepsy at a young age and it was a challenge to manage his seizure activity. Brian and Chelsea had loved another dog with epilepsy and they opened their home to Winston Michael. He had dog friends, children friends and a whole family who loved him and were able to manage his medications so he would have small seizure events about every six weeks. He had serial seizures yesterday morning and had a heart attack. He was a very lucky and very loved boy. Rest quietly in love Winston Michael. You are very missed.
From his mom: I regret to share the heartbreaking news of Winston’s passing. Early yesterday morning, he lost his battle with epilepsy.
If you ever met Winston, you know how easy it was to love him…his gentle spirit, goofy personality, and unwavering love brought so much joy to our family.The house feels much quieter without his snores. We miss you so much, buddy. You were so deeply loved.

06/19/2025

Another fun surgery day at Wentzville Veterinary Clinic. New intake Remi needed 2 cherry eyes fixed, a neuter and the 2nd soft palate resection this week! To add to the fun, the Purple Pig decided he hadn't seen a vet in over a month, so it was time to rub his old crate calluses on the steps and get a nice, oozy infection. Clean and scrub and antibiotics for the Pig!
Remi was distraught over the no breakfast policy this morning. After the rampant abuse he had to endure, he wasn't going to eat his post surgical beef sandwich either...so there! Add a microchip and a tail pocket scrub to just pile on the indignity! Push the good thoughts for the pups!
Thank you all for your support!