HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue in the News!
2/20/08 Heavensent gets an article in the Trend!
HeavenSent matches Bulldogs with Adoptive Homes
by Jessica White
The bulldog made national news this year, as it finally broke into the Top 10 list of the American Kennel Club’s most popular breeds in the country.
Sometimes, such popularity can have dire consequences. Scams have popped up all over the Internet preying on people’s desire to purchase their own bulldog puppies.
And, even legitimate breeders may use unscrupulous breeding procedures to meet the demand for bulldogs, leading to dogs more prone to illness and infection.
To keep both bulldogs and their potential owners safe from sickness and scam artists, organizations like HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue of Voorhees work to save ill bulldogs and place them in the homes of caring families.
HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue operates entirely with the work of volunteers who hail from across the South Jersey area, and even a bit beyond into Pennsylvania.
The rescue group almost exclusively deals with bulldogs, although it will occasionally take in a French bulldog or a mixed breed.
Kara Gordon, the rescue coordinator for HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue, said that the organization managed to place 94 bulldogs with permanent families last year.
“We keep looking until we find the right home for the dogs,” Gordon said.
Gordon, a Voorhees resident, has several bulldogs of her own. She juggles both a full-time job and her desire to help other dogs find loving homes. Gordon first became interested in the breed as a child, and eventually was drawn to animal rescue.
“I fell in love with the breed, and I saw the need,” she said.
While bulldogs wait for an adoptive family, volunteers from HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue, including Gordon, foster them until permanent homes are available. This gives the organization an advantage in the adoption process.
“The best thing about rescue is that we foster the dogs, so we know what they’re like,” Gordon said. “We interact with them. It gives us a leg-up to find them a home.”
Adopting a bulldog through HeavenSent is a rigorous process that includes a thorough online application and obtaining several references, including a veterinarian’s reference. HeavenSent also conducts a home visit before the adoption takes place.
Homes for each individual bulldog must meet unique criteria depending upon the particular dog’s needs. Rather than finding a dog for a specific family, “we find people for the dog,” Gordon said.
Bulldogs are not necessarily more sickly than other dogs, but poor breeding and neglect (whether intentional or not), can lead to myriad health issues such as breathing problems and infections.
“[People] just don’t know what goes into taking care of them,” said Gordon.
Although Gordon said that many of their bulldogs are first treated for health issues before being adopted, HeavenSent receives some healthy dogs from families who can no longer care for them due to life changes or other circumstances.
Regardless of their initial health, dogs are usually adults; it is rare that a dog under 3 years old comes to the rescue.
Besides cases where owners voluntarily surrender their dogs to the organization, HeavenSent also receives dogs from its connections with animal shelters throughout the tri-state area and along the East Coast.
“When a dog is really sick or old, they’ll call the rescue,” Gordon said.
In April, the rescue organization will hosts its annual Bullyfest in Marlton. Bullyfest has grown from a backyard affair in Medford that drew 50 people into a larger event with over 300 participants.
“It’s our biggest fund-raiser,” Gordon said.
Highlights of Bullyfest include a rescue parade with bulldogs adopted through HeavenSent and a bulldog-kissing booth.
Gordon said that the organization could always use volunteers and foster parents.
“There’s so many dogs in need, and they’re not just a cute accessory,” Gordon said. “They’re adorable little beings with souls and feelings, and they need help.”
For more information about HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue, Bullyfest, or becoming involved with the organization, call Gordon at 215-514-9819 or visit www.heavensentbulldogrescue.com.
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