Los Angeles Animal Rescue Of The Week: Southern California Bulldog Rescue

Southern California Bulldog Rescue first started as a group committed to caring for dogs associated with local English Bulldog show groups. But when the board of the English Bulldog breed club began rejecting elderly and sick dogs from the rescue program, 12 volunteers decided to form a group that would rescue all bulldogs regardless of age, health, or breed standard limits. The group of volunteers, headed by Skip Van Der Marliere, George Britton, and Elaine Feinstein officially established their own rescue program on January 1, 2007. Southern California Bulldog Association allowed them to rescue more dogs, but also meant they would no longer receive any financial support by the breed club. This made them reliant on donations and volunteer work entirely.

Since opening its doors, SCBR has rescued, sheltered, and found homes for over 200 bulldogs a year. The foundation's goals include not only rescuing bulldogs from kill shelters, but accepting them from owners who can no longer care for them. The foundation also spends time rehabilitating dogs, providing medical treatment, neutering the animals, and giving hospice care for older and terminally ill dogs. In the last five years, a group of about thirty volunteers has cared for over 600 rescued or neglected dogs.

The organization points out that, according to the 2011 American Kennel Club report, bulldogs are the most popular dog in the Los Angeles area, making backyard breeders and puppy mills more likely to breed these dogs for a profit. Because of this, Southern California Bulldog Rescue has stepped in to focus primarily on this breed and find bulldogs loving homes with responsible, caring individuals. Eventually, Southern California Bulldog Rescue hopes there will be no homeless bulldogs on the streets of Los Angeles.

Check out the slideshow to see photos of animals available for adoption. For more information, go to Southern California Bulldog Rescue.