All About Bessy

Meet Bessy — a bulldog with big feelings and an even bigger personality.

Bessy is a young English Bulldog who was originally adopted from our rescue as a puppy and later returned due to biting concerns. We don’t know the full story of her early experiences, but what we do know is this: Bessy learned early on that she could control situations if she pushed hard enough—and sometimes that included using her mouth.  

During her previous home, Bessy struggled with chronic urinary tract infections and ultimately required a vulva-plasty. The daily care involved in healing was uncomfortable and painful, and we strongly suspect this is when her biting behavior escalated. Pain changes dogs, and Bessy is no exception.  

Since returning to rescue, she’s been given structure, consistency, and clear boundaries.  She’s done the work; and graduated to functioning member of society. Bessy uses her words like a big girl!  We have her on daily Vitamin C and Cranberry supplements, which have helped manage her UTI issues, and her medical needs are currently stable.  Bessy also has angular deformities in the growth plates of her front legs. Right now, they don’t slow her down or affect her quality of life, but they may contribute to arthritis as she ages. Future joint support and realistic expectations will be important.

Personality-wise? Bessy is expressive. She has opinions. She has feelings—big ones. She is not a passive bulldog who will quietly go along with the program. She thrives with confident, calm leadership and clear rules. When she knows what’s expected, she relaxes. When she doesn’t, she tries to take charge.  

Bessy loves to chew, enthusiastically play with toys, and wander the yard sniffing every last interesting thing. She would do best in a home with a similarly sized or smaller dog who is playful but not overwhelming—someone who can coexist without pushing her buttons. 

Bessy is not for first-time dog owners.  She needs adopters who are comfortable with boundaries, understanding about her biting history, and confident enough to lead without intimidation or fear. In the right hands, she is funny, engaging, and deeply Bulldogish in the best of ways.  She will keep you entertained for sure!

Bessy doesn’t need perfection—she needs clarity, consistency, and commitment. If you understand that good dogs can have complicated pasts and you’re willing to meet her where she is, Bessy may be ready to meet you.

While in foster care, all our dogs are thoroughly vetted.  Any discovered medical issues will be disclosed above.  Our Lucky Bulldogs (and their smushie-faced buddies) are cleared by their vet for adoption prior to us accepting applications.  All our dogs will be up to date on Rabies & DHPP vaccinations, up to date on Heartworm preventative after a negative Heartworm test, and spayed or neutered prior to being adopted out to their forever homes.  Often times, our dogs are given dentals and sometimes nare-widening surgery if needed while under anesthesia. All surgical and medical history we have will be shared with adopters.  Further details can be discussed with the foster volunteer during the phone interview for the applications that are chosen to proceed to the phone interview part of the adoption process.

All our dogs are crate trained unless otherwise noted on their "All About" pages. 

We typically will accept applications for our available dogs for 1-2 weeks except in cases of overwhelming popularity where we may stop accepting new applicants sooner. Once we have stopped accepting applications, we will review them and proceed with a phone call with our top applications to chat about the dog being applied for, go over the adoption process, and answer any questions the potential adopter has. After phone calls take place, we will decide on our top applicant choice and proceed to contact them to schedule a home visit (in person or via video chat), and check vet and personal references before the adoption is ready to be completed. This process can take up to 6 weeks, but we do notify all applicants of the outcome.