1/17/21
Due to ongoing and additional health concerns, Poppy will move to hospice care. She has been with her foster family for over a year and will continue to be loved and cherished for the rest of her days.

In the language of flowers, the poppy is a symbol of hope and resurrection. So it is a fitting name for our own bright flower, who has overcome more in her 4 years than most dogs do in a lifetime. Now, sweet Poppy is looking for a home where she can put down her roots and bloom. Maybe it’s yours!

Bred by an unscrupulous “breeder” who was more interested in fad colors than health, Poppy suffers from a number of congenital ailments, including intervertebral disc disease, brachycephalic syndrome, severely bowed legs, and luxating patellas (kneecaps that slide out of place). Despite contracting parvovirus as a puppy, she was sold and shipped from Georgia to New York, where her new owner was greeted by a tiny, barely breathing Frenchie covered in feces and vomit. Poppy fought hard and pulled through, but her health remained poor. After exhausting what seemed like every resource and possibility, her owner made the selfless decision to surrender Poppy to FBRN.

While in rescue, Poppy’s foster mom and medical team worked hard to get her into tip-top shape (or as tip-top as a pup can be with so many ailments!) She had a spay, hernia repair, and nares/palate surgery, as well as a series of laser therapy treatments on her spine and legs. Poppy was then adopted out to a wonderful family, who loved her dearly (and the feeling was mutual!) Sadly, Poppy’s adoptive family was met with a major emergency, and were left unable to care for their sweet girl. Poppy was welcomed back into the FBRN fold with open arms and paws, and after a little bit of a tune-up, she’s ready and rarin’ to find her forever home.

Just like her namesake, Poppy is a delicate flower. She is mobile and gets around amazingly well for a pup with such wonky legs, but extreme care must be taken to protect her back. That means no racing up and down stairs or leaping on the furniture, and Poppy must never be left alone on the couch or people bed (as a fall or jump down could result in serious injury). Luckily, Poppy is a petite girl at only 18 pounds, so carrying her about the house is no big deal! Poppy also suffers from severe brachycephalic syndrome (specifically, hypoplastic trachea and laryngeal collapse), which causes labored breathing and food regurgitation. This means that she must be walked on a harness—never with a collar—and her breathing and exercise must be closely monitored. If she shows signs of overheating or difficulty breathing, it’s time to immediately get cool and calm down! Poppy also has irritable bowel syndrome (a.k.a. the tummy rumblies), and also several environmental and food allergies, so she must remain on her current Hills ZD canned diet, Nature's Farmacy supplements, and Nordic Naturals Fish Oil. Finally, Poppy’s spinal deformities have caused her to be urinary incontinent. She has been trained to use pee pads and tries her best, but she is not reliably housebroken. A regular potty schedule will ensure a minimum number of puddles in the house!

Poppy would do best in a home with someone who has experience with her medical issues, but more important is a home where she can spend as much time as possible with her person. She can sometimes be slow to warm-up to strangers, so a very busy office might not be ideal, but we think she’d make a fabulous coworker for anyone lucky enough to take their dog to work. When at home, Poppy can be left in her crate for a few hours at a time, but she doesn’t like it much and is vocal in her protests; plus, she can’t hold her bladder that long. Besides, Poppy is happiest when she is at her person’s side, or on her person’s lap, or under her person’s arm…basically, she wants to be with her person wherever, whenever. In foster care, Poppy enjoys having a fenced backyard where she can sunbathe to her heart’s content, but regular trips to the neighborhood park could also suffice. Poppy gets along beautifully with dogs of all sizes and thinks cats are just swell, though her affinity for barking at her feline foster siblings tells us that only dog-savvy cats need apply. Finally, Poppy doesn’t care about the size of the humans in her house—adults and kids are equally okay in her book. However, to ensure her safety, any resident children should be older, dog-savvy, and able to understand Poppy’s physical limitations.

Poppy has been through the wringer time and time again, but nothing can dampen her spirit and joie de vivre. Foster mom says, “She is such a happy petite little girl! She just loves to be around her humans. She will do a little dance with her front paws and bark at you, looking to be held.” And with a face like that, who could resist scooping her right up? When she’s not enjoying a snuggle, Poppy likes playing with her stuffies and her favorite ball, and she even shares nicely with others. She is, in a world, delightful!

Caring for a disabled dog undoubtedly has its challenges, but Poppy is worth every bit of extra effort. And nobody knows this better than her dedicated foster mom, who tells us, “Poppy is the sweetest Frenchie! She has had a rough start as she was adopted out and returned due to her previous owner becoming ill. She has settled into our home so well and has become a member of the family. She loves nothing more than to be with her human and will do a little dance with her front paws tapping back and forth and bark until you pick her up and hold her. She would let you hold her all day if you would. She loves playing with my dogs and can't get enough of her stuffed animals and balls. She is so special and truly is a little petite Frenchie gem that deserves to be completely spoiled in her forever home.”

If you have the picture perfect spot for this beautiful Poppy, all you have to do is click the link to fill out an application for her. Please be ready to travel as FBRN does not ship dogs as cargo, so adopters are expected to pick up their dogs from their foster family.

FBRN dogs are in foster care in people's private homes. For the foster families' safety, we do not disclose specific locations, and we don't set up meet and greets prior to applications. For detailed information about the dogs in our care, please read the extensive bios on each dog.

ABOUT POPPY:

Poppy has several environmental and food allergies and must remain on her current Hills ZD canned diet, Nature's Farmacy supplements, and Nordic Naturals Fish Oil.

She is a food resource guarder so must never be around small children and must be monitored during feeding and when toys are present. Slow introductions are required for new visitors to the home or strangers.

Poppy suffers from bilateral grade 4/4 medial patella luxations and bilateral distal femoral varus abnormalities. She has IVDD and must always be carried up and down stairs and must not be allowed to jump on or off the furniture. Poppy is urinary incontinent and must remain on daily Proin ER.

Poppy had palate and nares resection, repair of a sliding hiatal hernia, and spay on 02.12.2018. Poppy has a hypoplastic trachea and a partial laryngeal collapse requiring long-term steroids. Her breathing must be monitored during exercise or play. This condition prohibits Poppy from flying in an airplane and automobile trips must be limited to four hours or less. Her breathing must be monitored during exercise or play. Poppy must wear a harness when going for walks, never a collar or choke chain.