A load of bull(dogs) — MidAtlantic Bulldog Rescue’s mission to save one beloved breed

By:  | September 25, 2024 |  |  Monmouth County

by Pamela Dollak

Dog rescue is a tough business. Exceedingly long hours. Miles of travel to parts unknown. Often sorting through filthy conditions. Dealing with sick, injured and, oftentimes, abused dogs. It’s not for everyone as it can easily break your heart and your spirit.

Fortunately, there are some people for whom rescue is their life. Cathy Kittell is one of them.

Kittell is one of the founders, as well as current treasurer and secretary, of MidAtlantic Bulldog Rescue in Belmar. MidAtlantic is a breed-specific rescue that cares for unwanted English Bulldogs and finds loving foster or forever homes for them.

Maybe like a lot of people, you’re thinking, “Bulldogs? Why, they have a face only a mother could love.” Well, Kittell IS that mother figure to these dogs, and she thinks they’re “just gorgeous.”

Specialty rescue

So why have a rescue that focuses on just one breed of dog when there are so many dogs of so many breeds in need of good homes?

For Kittell, the answer is puppy love. In 2003, Kittell went gaga over her neighbor’s English Bulldog and yearned to buy her first Bulldog puppy. She thoroughly researched breeders and became friendly with one who was involved in rescue.

“So I jumped onboard,” Kittell says enthusiastically.

She started her breed-specific rescue in 2007, despite having a deep understanding that English Bulldogs are not everyone’s cup of Earl Grey.

“It’s an interesting breed, but they are not for everyone. They are quirky, they can be lazy, they are funny,” says Kittell, continuing, “They need to be brushed frequently, they can overheat quickly, their flat faces need to be wiped often, many have breathing and skin issues, they can’t swim …”

To breed, or not to breed

Naturally, Kittell would prefer for a family to adopt one of her rescue Bulldogs, but she is well aware that many families want a puppy. For those, they will generally need to find a breeder.

She is happy to recommend a good and honest breeder should anyone want a Bulldog puppy, and stresses the importance of researching both the breed and breeders on your own.

However, Kittell’s passion turns to fury when it comes to unsavory breeders who, according to her, breed designer dogs for the money — sometimes charging up to $12,000 per English Bulldog — and care nothing for the health of the dog.

“Sometimes English Bulldogs get a bad rap, but that’s because of where they’re bred. Here’s a little tip: good breeders don’t ship dogs,” says Kittell, adding, “And a Bulldog should look like a Bulldog, and not ‘exotic.’ These dogs often wind up having severe health issues. I want people to stop buying from horrible places.”

Jenna Nistad of West Long Branch has been a volunteer with MidAtlantic since 2017 when she and her own English Bulldog, Winslow, met the group at a fundraiser.

She started out by evaluating the Bulldogs that were getting surrendered to the group. She’d meet the dogs and discern any health or temperament issues to get the full picture and learn if the dog was adoptable or potentially a forever foster.

She, too, gets roused when discussing “bad breeders,” alleging that they are one of the main causes for surrenders.

“We’ve seen much more (surrenders) in the last year or so. Many Bulldogs are bred to be a ‘rare Bulldog,’ one with a special color or shape or size,” she explains. “Their (‘bad breeders’) goal is money. They ignore the dog’s health. The fancier the dog is in the surrender calls we receive, the more health issues it has. (English Bulldogs) are already compact and come with health risks even when properly bred. But when bred for cosmetic purposes, it is worse.”

Foster fails vs. forever fosters

Kittell says that numerous rescues are overwhelmed with surrenders right now. With no physical space, MidAtlantic relies heavily on foster homes for the four Bulldogs Kittell presently has ready for adoption and another nine still on medical hold.

She believes the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a lot of people to adopt dogs, and that many of those same people are the ones surrendering them now for various pretexts.

“We get every reason: divorce, health issues, they’re allergic (to the dog), the dog doesn’t like my kid …” says Kittell.

Though it sounds negative, many of Kittell’s foster families wind up being “foster fails,” meaning that they ultimately adopted the English Bulldog they were fostering and made the pup an official part of their family, which Kittell says is more common than you might think.

Nistad eventually began fostering, too, during which she would coordinate new foster and adoption homes, for which many factors must be taken into consideration that are tailored to each specific dog, such as: Do they have kids in the house? Does the home have stairs? Will the dog need a backyard? Is the dog better in the city or the country?

Throughout the rest of Winslow’s life — he died in October — Nistad fostered seven dogs.

“He was good with fosters,” she reminisces. “He was kind of indifferent. He was neither super attached, nor disappointed when they left. It made it easier for us when they got adopted.”

Her most recent foster, Bruce, is now Nistad’s forever foster due to some chronic health issues. With a forever foster, the rescue pays for food and medical expenses for the life of the dog. Other reasons that MidAtlantic might deem an English Bulldog a forever foster could be special needs or advanced age.

The latter of which holds a special place in Nistad’s heart.

“I always advocate for senior Bulldogs,” she says. “They are so special and you get such fulfillment from taking one and giving one what they need. And you get so much love for one in return.”

MIDATLANTIC BULLDOG RESCUE
MidAtlanticBulldogRescue.com/blog