Hello Bichon Lovers,
We hope that you, your loved ones, and FurKids are safe, healthy, preparing to celebrate the holidays with family and friends-- and ready to welcome in a happier, healthier 2026!
The adoption of our precious pups is one of the most enjoyable aspects of rescuing! Being able to hear how FurKids and their families are growing together and bonding is always so very special. And we are now hearing from returning adopters as they, too, create new families. While it is always sad having to ever have to say ‘Goodbye’ to any FurKid, being able to place another one (or two) with a loving family we already know is a reward. And, as we enter our 21st year of rescuing, we continue to be amazed at how many lives we have touched, both canine and human.
Finding a wonderful forever home and a second chance for precious pups is what we do. We want to highlight a few of these special FurKid adoptions – and also tell you a little about two pups we will feature in Coming Attractions. If one of their stories touches your heart in that ‘special way’, please email or text me, and we’ll work together so that you can meet!
And, of course, each and every Bichon Bash creates memories and experiences for all of us! Every year we see familiar faces and also have the opportunity to create new friendships. Hosting our event in San Diego this year was exciting and rewarding!. Celebrating our pups and their adopters, raising money to continue to save lives, is the purpose behind the Bichon Bash. Please ‘join us (virtually)’ for a sampling of photos taken at this year’s Bash.
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As always, we need and welcome both new and returning fosters. And we are grateful to all volunteers who help us to continue our mission. You are the heart and soul of BFK!
Have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday and year-end. And please enjoy the stories below.
A YEAR FOR PAIRS
It’s fairly well-known that most FurKids enjoy the companionship of both their human and canine companions – and that most of us have more than one FurKid in our homes. Well, it has been quite the year for bonded pairs at BFK as well.
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Monty and Frankie came from two distinct shelters in two counties. Monty was picked up by a brave BFK volunteer from an LA shelter while the LA fires were still raging. He and Frankie appeared so much like one another while they were in separate foster homes that we thought they should meet. All kinds of magic took place when they did – and the two boys quickly bonded. They were then adopted by their forever Mom and Dad and became a family of four. |
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Zander and Zayne (who were surrendered by their owner) were the next pair. Lively, active, under-socialized -- but with potential, these boys were rescued and received a lot of initial care and structure from an amazing ‘dog mom’ in Novato, then came to San Diego, where they continued to learn how to be good canine citizens. The zany pair were then adopted and began enriching the lives of their forever family in Orange County. |
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Soon thereafter came Riley and Linzi, rescued from a shelter, who learned how to walk, play, and become real members of their foster family. They learned commands, potty training, how to walk on a leash - and more! All that training and socialization prepared them to later be adopted by a remarkable family. |
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While we were catching our breath from “the pairs”, along came Stevie and Sully (part of a hoarding situation and shelter surrender.) These boys were truly diamonds in the rough. It took amazing fosters and equally amazing adopters to give these boys the reassurance they needed to feel safe and loved in the world. |
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Rounding out this "year of pairs" were Elvis and Presley, two siblings from an LA shelter that looked nothing alike (and yes, that happens!) and were separated from one another at the shelter. Fortunately, the person who adopted Elvis brought him back to the shelter the next day (our volunteer had been trying to get both of them when she was there, but another lady wanted Elvis only). |
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After what we know was a sleepless night for her, Elvis came back to the shelter just as our volunteer was arriving to rescue Presley. These two pups confirmed that while love can appear in different sizes and shapes, it’s still love. The joy these boys have being together is apparent, and the ‘double impact’ (and fun!) they have brought to their forever Mom and Dad is exciting and rewarding. |
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FOREVER AND EVER... FOSTERS
And then there are the ‘special kids’ that become part of our Forever Foster program! Established in 2010, this program assists FurKids who require additional assistance to live out their lives. Bichon FurKids provides that assistance. BFK incurs all expenses for these pups. Forever Fosters care for these special pups as they would one of their own and are with them when they cross the Rainbow Bridge.
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Our Forever Foster program includes a precious pup named Billy Joel, who came to us after his owner abandoned him. Billy is a senior who lives to love, and didn’t understand why he was abandoned. A few weeks later, that same shelter called – this time about a two-year-old with inflamed, bloody, and painful gums and lacerations in his cheek. He was only 12 pounds and was incredibly sick. |
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A few weeks later, the same shelter called for another furkid, Robbie. It turns out that Robbie has a very rare dental issue (I had never heard of either it or even its acronym!) that had to be diagnosed by a veterinary dentist. (Yes, Dorothy, there are veterinary dentists!). Robbie’s foster Mom had already fallen in love with him and, when she heard his diagnosis, decided he needed to remain with her. Robbie then became a Forever Foster, even at his young age. He receives special medications and treatments monthly and is living his best life where he is. |
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Last April, we rescued another very sick little boy. It turns out that at under 9 pounds and with a grade 5 heart murmur (that’s 5 on a scale of 6), Barnaby was experiencing medical issues on multiple levels. He has had a series of ear infections that did not clear up, despite trying many different antibiotics and treatments over the ensuing months. Barnaby has been lovingly cared for as part of our Forever Foster program, and will have spent hopefully the best, although a short chapter of his life, being a FurKid. |
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And just before Thanksgiving, you, our amazing community, helped us make the commitment again: this time to rescue a precious little senior who was being prepared for euthanasia at a local shelter. Princess was in the critical care medical room at the shelter, listed as a 16-year-old poodle who had been surrendered by her owners with a grade 5 (again, out of 6) heart murmur, an enlarged heart, a distended abdomen, and ‘age-related conditions.’ She was a sick little girl who, despite being so very uncomfortable, showed spirit and a will to live. While we wish we could save every dog, and seniors especially from losing their lives in a shelter, we knew we had to try to help this tiny girl. |
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Once she became a FurKid, Princess received amazing medical attention and foster care. She rallied, as her tummy was no longer painful and distended! Princess started eating, walking, enjoying being out and soliciting love and attention wherever she went. While she was definitely neglected in her previous life, our goal was to give her the love, care, and the best medical care we could. Princess became our most recent Forever Foster, one whose spirit and enthusiasm for life made us all prouder than ever that we could make a difference for this last chapter of her precious life. |
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Being cute and fluffy attracts a lot of attention. There are many dogs that we rescue, however, that have been shaved by the shelter to be ‘more comfortable’ and are no longer cute little whitish fluffies. And even though we say (and know!) that hair grows, not being their future fluffy selves often discourages people from meeting some pretty amazing pups, That has been true over the two decades we have been rescuing...
In spite of that, we rescue these soon-to-be-once again fluffies because it is their personalities, dispositions, and lovability we can see in their eyes–and that we can experience in their interactions. And every once in a while, one of the shaved, neglected fluffs also turns out to be a stunning beauty! My first foster arrived tear-stained, matted, and unkempt, but had the biggest, brownest, and softest eyes I had ever seen, and they were filled with love. She was subsequently shaved by my groomer (who did a better job than the shelter, but it was still necessary). As her hair began growing out, it didn’t matter because we had already fallen in love with her personality, her sweetness, and devotion. That was my “Princess Lindsey Anne” and I was her proud and grateful Mom for 17 plus years. She turned out to be a beauty, but it was as much inside as outside. And I had no way of knowing that when I first met and fostered her.
I'd like to now share a couple of our latest prospective beauties with you. Let me know if you can see what we do. They are not yet beauties on the outside, but are definitely beautiful on the inside.
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First, there’s Kody. Named Marshmallow by the shelter, we first learned of him when he was 72 hours from being euthanized. His write-up said he was calm, relaxed, and gentle from the moment he arrived at the shelter. He was about a 9-year-old poodle who came in as a stray, was malnourished, but very sweet. In fact, the shelter indicated it named him Marshmallow because he would ‘melt your heart.’ At 16 pounds and an adult, no one was willing to look past his being malnourished or unkempt, so the shelter shaved him down and prepared to have him cross the Rainbow Bridge. |
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There was something in Marshmallow’s sweet face and disposition that helped us know we could not let his story end there. We changed his name (to Kody) and his future (to living in a foster home, eating good food, getting daily walks and being safe and loved once again.) This precious pup with funky teeth and eyes that look straight into your soul wants nothing more than to be someone’s bestest companion. He’s ready for that to happen and Kody can also be that rare thing we call ‘an only’ (pup in the house) although he gets along well with other dogs. |
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Lastly, there is a chunky monkey of a bichon that the shelter called Poundcake. We first learned about her when she was on the ‘Urgent Dogs’ list. This little girl was obviously not exercised, as the pads of her paws had no calluses, and was over-fed (having short legs to begin with and a belly that touched the floor added to the name). Her nails were overgrown (which also made it difficult to walk) and her gait was stiff. |
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In other words, this not-as-little-as-she-should-have-been pumpkin needed help. And it arrived in the form of an amazing foster Mom who is already helping Trixie, as we now call her, to get opportunities to walk (daily), eat nutritional food, play (a little and more as she becomes healthier), and to live out her years as a healthy, more active bichon–not a couch potato or poundcake. We will update Trixie’s bio and share new photos as well. Look at her cute little face and see if you see what we saw. And if you want a delightful companion who appreciates everything that’s being done to help her, she’d love the opportunity! |
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As this year draws to a close, there are so MANY people within BFK that we want to thank, starting with our fabulous fosters, incredible Board and Coordinators, volunteers who transport, groom, manage our supplies and handle administrative tasks. To all of them and to all of you, thank you for another year of serving and saving lives.
Happy and safe holiday to you and yours.
Marti and FurKids
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