French Invasion

Written by Fern Wooden, Staff Writer

Photography by Southern Vintage Photography

As of 2021, the French bulldog has become a status symbol, rising to the American Kennel Club’s second most popular dog breed in the United States. From Gaga to Megan Thee Stallion, “Frenchies” have become more than a loyal companion with their rise in pop culture and social media popularity. As a result, French bulldog breeding is reaching new heights, transforming itself into a must-have accessory similar to the Paris Hilton chihuahua era of the early 2000s. But, with the rise in popularity, demand for breed skyrocketing post-pandemic, and rising health risks, is America’s new primadonna dog in danger from itself?

Rising a staggering 267% since 1997 in popularity, the French bulldog is becoming an American icon now more than ever. Emerging from England in the early 19th century, the Frenchie’s ancestral roots come from the English bulldog. Like most American Kennel Club breeds certified today, modern French bulldogs owe their origin to England and societal innovations. During the 1830s, England outlawed bull-baiting, one of the English bulldog’s primary purposes. Bull-baiting required these larger athletic dogs to grab a bovine by the nose while hanging on for dear life. As the sport’s traction waned in the early 1800s, breeders began to expand the breed’s potential by creating the toy English bulldog.

Starring in their own Cinderella story, the toy English bulldog shifted social classes when lacemakers emigrated from England to Paris amidst the industrial revolution. Their compact physique and spunky personality made these breeds ideal travel companions. Frenchies quickly found admiration amongst multitudes of social classes, notably France’s ladies of the night. One reason for their intrigue included their distinctive smooshy faces and cartoonlike ears.

As people interacted with their vivacious human-like personalities, it was only a matter of time before their trip across the Atlantic to the United States. Making a splash in the United States, Americans recognized these “bat-eared” dogs as show-worthy, earning them a space on the AKC roster in 1911.

Fast forward to 2022, and Frenchies have taken the social media world by storm. The hashtag #FrenchiesofInstagram is one of the top-grossing tags of any dog, with over 16.2 million posts. Take the blogger, Manny_the_Frenchie, known as the world’s most-followed bulldog, on Instagram. He shows the practicality of owning a Frenchie as a doting family dog. Celebrities like Megan Thee Stallion’s Frenchie have more followers than the average influencer account. Boasting 624,000 followers, Foe The Frenchie promotes the lavish lifestyle and status symbol associated with French bulldogs.

Amidst the status and aesthetic appeal, these Instagram accounts fail to highlight the multitude of health issues these loveable breeds suffer. Frenchie enthusiasts seeking to accentuate the breed’s features for social media fame can increase poor breeding practices. The high demand for these unorthodox renditions of Frenchies leads to a rise in unethical breeding practices. Fraudulent breeding practices also impact the overall breed of an already genetically modified canine sidekick.

One of the risks that comes with the increase of demand for designer colors of these dogs is the rise of backyard and puppy mill breeding. Backyard breeders include anyone who mates dogs without much planning and consideration for the animal’s well-being. An inexperienced breeder can put both the mother and puppy at risk of death or further health complications. Likewise, puppy mill breeders do not consider the dog’s health either. Each dog is mass-produced to turn a profit as quickly as possible.

Coco,, a 6-year-old Frenchie, can be found on instagram cocogiveskisseschs. Coco actually won a costume contest 5 years ago as “Sharknado” that Lowcountry Dog judged for Bullies 2 the Rescue. Her mom, Jessica is a big rescue supporter and found Coco from a local breeder who apparently shipped dogs from Guatemala with lots of health issues,. Coco has been lucky to have found her mom and is very well trained and a professional model as you can see!

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Kristina Contreras from Bullies 2 The Rescue, a bulldog rescue with a base in Charleston, SC, warns people of “rare” bulldogs produced by these breeders. “If you follow the rescue, you will see new color patterns in both French and English bulldogs,” says Contreras. Contreras emphasizes researching standard colors of Frenchies. “These are being portrayed as rare and with very high price tags. Please do your research about these color patterns. We are seeing really serious health issues coming into rescue.”

French bulldogs fall into the Brachycephalic breed category, alongside similar canines like Boston terriers, pugs, boxers, and Cavalier King Charles spaniels. The term defines any dog with a short muzzle and flat face, leaving small airways for breathing. These breeds suffer from a multitude of issues because of this genetic trait. For example, Frenchies often have difficulty breathing in hot climates, snoring often, and unprovoked coughing, sneezing, and overheating.

What may sound like a cute quirk, deeply snoring is usually a sign of something far more sinister. Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome, BOAS, is a health condition commonly overlooked by owners, resulting in breathing difficulties and compromising their dog’s quality of life. In Frenchies with this condition, vet bills rack up fast. They require thousands of dollars in surgical procedures to open up their airways in some instances.

Puppy mill breeders can contribute to health issues like BOAS, providing animals far too young to leave their litter to the pet store to be sold for astronomical amounts. Petland is a privately owned operator and franchisor of pet stores that sell purebred and “designer” breeds puppies to interested buyers. In the past few years, the franchise received a multitude of lawsuits from pet owners after their puppies unexpectedly got severely ill or died. A current class action lawsuit is underway in South Carolina against Petland Summerville.

Lowcountry Dog has presented numerous articles about Petland since they changed ownership in 2018. In May, Lowcountry Dog went undercover to Petland Summerville to inquire about a French bulldog puppy posted for sale. She was a female born on the 6th of March with a blue and tan coat, a color not recognized by the AKC’s standard breed colors. Greeted by a fantastic employee when Lowcountry Dog entered the facility, we noticed the dogs were in clear kennels, similar to a display case with a gate in the back. There were two to three puppies in a kennel, which we found odd considering there were a multitude of empty kennels. However, their facility appeared hygienic, and they informed us we needed to sit in a family area and they would bring her out to us.

Petland staff told us as a result of all the recent lawsuits, they made a 180; however, they still use the same breeders they had before the lawsuits. According to Petland, the smooshy-faced two-monthold puppy we were holding was not from a mill, despite her coming from the heartland of Amish puppy mills. After we finished the Powerpoint presentation of images that were so pristine they could have been photoshopped, the employee reminded us each puppy cost a pretty penny because they come from a verified pure bloodline and have all their shots. At just $309 a month and totaling a little over $8,000, Petland presented their offer as a steal.

Emmy Rose & Luna Bean are both puppy mill survivors and rescued at auctions, where mills sell dogs to other mills. Each of their rescues was able to save them from further breeding and they now live the life in the Lowcountry. Emmy Rose is a certified therapy dog who has spent years comforting cancer patients in various clinics.

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When Lowcountry Dog asked again if she came from a puppy mill, they told us she did not and they would not feel comfortable lying to us about something as serious as that. LCD asked to see her records and snapped a quick photo of the breeder’s name, Herman Raber, from Montgomery, Indiana. A quick Google search confirmed LCD’s worst fears. He was listed on several watch lists as a puppy mill breeder, meaning Raber was no stranger to selling French bulldog puppies to stores similar to Petland. The nonprofit site, Bailing Out Benji, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to ending puppy mills through research, education, and advocacy, also has Raber on their watch list and the Raber family name is infamous in puppy mill circles often investigated by the HSUS.

During one of the last years of normalcy pre-pandemic, the Humane Society of the United States, published five separate investigative reports exposing the horrid conditions of the Petland franchises. Those accounts from 2019 focused on cases all over the south, including Virginia, Florida, Texas, and Kentucky, many of which have the same franchise owner as Petland Summerville. One of the most damning reports came out of Frisco, Texas, with an undercover investigator posing as an employee finding a multitude of sick puppies, sold knowing some of them were in critical condition and malnourished when pawned off to unknowing pet owners. The expose covered several pure breed puppies and focused on Frenchies and the respiratory issues addressed in this article. On one of the last days of the case, the undercover employee noted an employee brought out a white French bulldog isolated from the sales floor due to breathing issues to a potential buyer. Other lawsuits involve former employees who have gotten ill themselves working with the sick puppies.

Sadly, in South Carolina, institutions like Petland do not receive any legal repercussions for the sale of puppy mill dogs, making their health and safety hard to regulate. In 2019, Live 5 News published an article discussing a potential bill to hold puppy mill breeders responsible for distributing dogs to pet stores. Bill 3086 proposed redefining requirements for a commercial dog breeder to have a license. More importantly, the bill stated anyone who violated the new regulations would be charged with a misdemeanor and fines between $200 and $1,000. A second offense included an additional 30 days in jail.

“The bill says the law would only apply to sites where dogs are being bred to be sold to pet stores,” wrote Live 5 reporter Brad Streicher.

How can South Carolina residents expect to see change when these bills are proposed and not passed and do little to prevent places like Petland from acquiring animals from inhumane breeding practices? As Lowcountry Dog saw in our investigation, Petland sold the French bulldog puppy at their Summerville location for over $8,000. A $200 to $1000 fine is minuscule compared to the profit margin the company makes off each dog sold in their stores.

If someone wants to purchase a purebred Frenchie for show or solely as a loyal companion, there is nothing wrong with that as long as it is done responsibly. Lowcountry Dog promotes the health and well-being of owners and dogs as the number one news source for pet owners in the Lowcountry and promotes the idea of adopting and shopping responsibly. One way to avoid the heartbreak of owning dogs as genetically inbred as Frenchies is to research reputable breeders and avoid fashion colors.

Rocko is the CEO of Palmetto Pup Co. and can be found on instagram at @rockomyfrenchie. He is 3 years old and models his company’s creations, which includees leashes, colors, harnesses, bandanas and more. Check them out at palmettopupco.com

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Ann Egan, a co-founder of North Point French Bulldogs, a private breeder here in Charleston, has an extensive history as a professional Frenchie breeder. Like Contreras from Bullies 2 the Rescue, Egan discusses the genetic issues that breeders who advertise “exclusive” breed colors fail to realize. In addition, Egan speaks heavily about preservation breeders, someone dedicated to breeding purebred dogs and striving to protect their breed and continue its existence. Breeders like her are critical to maintaining the Frenchies’ integrity amongst the growing demand for these dogs.

“I will say that it is a bit frustrating to me personally when I see a person selling French bulldog puppies that they say have been genetically tested for color because this almost always means to me that they are breeding the “fad colors”; colors that are not allowed by the AKC breed standard,” stated Egan.

Baxter (11 months), Hazel (8 years), and Gretta (5 years) are owned by Ann Egan who is the co founder of North Point French Bulldogs in the Lowcountry. Baxter is just beginning his show career and has already reached Champion status with the AKC, while Hazel & Gretta are retired AKC Grand Champions. All three are also at Trick Dog Novice level with the AKC. The girls are also registered in The Kennel Club as they were born in the United Kingdom.

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Egan is not the only one who sees the rise in “fad colors” as a red flag. Dr. Brock Sauls, DVM of Southside Veterinary Hospital, provides canine reproductive services for the Charleston area. With an extensive background in breeding French bulldogs and breeding them for show, Dr. Sauls is one of the top Frenchie experts in the Lowcountry. When it comes to what makes a well-bred Frenchie, he states that the parents’ health is critical.

Owning a French bulldog is an investment from the start, with some people spending thousands of dollars per puppy, whether it is from a rescue or a breeder like Egan and Dr. Sauls.

The process of breeding French bulldogs is far from natural and includes ovulation determination, stud and semen procreation, artificial insemination, transcervical Insemination or surgical implantation, and a cesarean section at delivery time. There are also lots of clinic visits during the gestation period. The average cost of breeding a litter of puppies is between $6,000 to $7,000, producing small litters of one to three puppies and other litters having four to six. Aside from the initial expenditure, the French bulldog is prone to a life of medical bills to lead a successful life.

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Ethical Breeders in New York has a differing opinion to Kristina, Ann and Dr. Sauls. They are an exotic color breeder of French bulldogs that have an extensive website of information about colors and their breeding practices and pride themselves in a full transparency when it comes to breeding.

French Bulldog Colors. The Standard and The Rare.

Standard Colors (AKC)

1. Brindle

2. Cream

3. Fawn

4. Black

5. Any mix of all above + Pied

Remy, our cover dog, is 5 months old and comes from Ethical Breeders in New York that specializes in exotic colors for French bulldogs. Remy’s owner, Allie, who has 7 years exoerience as a zoo keeper, did lots of research before selecting the breeder and her puppy. Remy is from genetically tested parents, mom being a blue brindle, and dad being a merle that don’t suffer from the typical Frenchie issues, and actually don’t have any issues with their soft palate/breathing. They were carefully selected which means that Remy will be athletic and run without getting tired super fast and encounter a lot of the other issues Frenchies typically suffer from.

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Exotic Colors (non AKC)

1. Blue

2. Merle

3. Lilac

4. Isabella

5. Chocolate

6. Blue Fawn

7. *Furry

8. Any mix of all above + Tan

Lowcountry Dog advertiser and Frenchie influencer, Natasha Ann Navarro, owns a boutique brand of Frenchie-inspired clothing. Frenchie Friends Brand, based in Charleston, has over 8,600 followers. She acknowledged her current Frenchie is the most expensive dog she has ever owned. “Chewy (above) has been my most expensive Frenchie. Last October, we noticed he was having issues using his back legs and being around a lot of other Frenchies. I had an idea he may have Intervertebral Disc Disease, which he did,” said Navarro. New owners or people interested in adopting the breed need to research everything about the breed, from breathing issues to common dietary restrictions, climate restrictions, and genetic ailments from so many years of breeding.

“They are more than just a status symbol,” exclaimed Navarro, reminding people they are family members and deserve to be treated as such. Frenchies are not like the latest accessory, and once you get bored of them or no longer can afford them, you can not trade them in for the newest model. As animal advocates and lovers, it is our job to protect the voiceless from exploitation alongside their social media clout. Any pet is an investment, and despite their human-like personalities, the Frenchie looks to their owners to treat them as more than an accessory. Like Cinderella, these dogs deserve their fairytale ending. It is up to the public to advocate against puppy mills, contact their representatives, research the breed, and find reputable preservation breeders.

If you believe the Frenchie is the right dog for you, do you research, look at rescues, research breeders, understand the health risks and costs involved before getting America’s latest “IT” dog. ■