A Red Deer woman is keeping the memory of her beloved bulldog alive by helping find new homes for other dogs of the French and English varieties.
Tiffany Leamen adopted an adult female bulldog named Stella in October and developed such a love for the breed that she founded the Alberta Bulldog Rescue in March of this year.
Sadly, Stella passed away shortly after the organization got up and running.
“Her memory inspires me to keep working to help bulldogs that need our help,” Leamen said.
The rescue group has already established a network of about 20 volunteers in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan dedicated to finding what Leamen called “forever homes” for abandoned bulldogs.
Despite being lovable “couch potatoes,” she said this breed is one of the most expensive and time consuming to care for over a lifetime — something that can often lead to owners deciding to give them up.
Some of the health issues common in bulldogs that can be pricey and time consuming include breathing problems, allergies, birthing typically by caesarean section and the daily responsibility of cleaning their wrinkles.
“I think a lot of people adopt them without realizing how much work it is and end up realizing they need to give them up,” Leamen said.
Only a couple of months into operation, she was proud to report that two bulldogs recently found new homes through the Alberta Bulldog Rescue organization. Daisy now lives in Calgary, while Quincy is now living near Cold Lake, and Leamen said the new owners assured her both are thriving. “That’s the happy ending that we’re looking for,” she said.The rescue group is run solely by volunteers and any money raised benefits the rescue efforts. Leamen, who also works full time in the non-profit sector in Red Deer, is responding to all the positive interest by working on establishing a Canadian bulldog rescue network.
She is also trying to find ground transportation that can move dogs rescued from high-kill shelters in the United States up to Canada.
For more information about the Alberta Bulldog Rescue, visit www.albertabulldogrescue.blogspot.com