i Love English Bulldogs Photo Contest Winners

Thanks to all of you who entered pictures of your beautiful Bulldogs in our i Love English Bulldogs photo contest last month.

No bull – it was not easy for our contest judge, Skip Van Der Marliere, a founder of Southern California Bulldog Rescue, to pick two winners from the pawmazing entries. But after careful consideration, he chose the first and second-place photos. Without further pawdo, here they are!

1st Place: Tigger

Tigger

“The composition is very lovely and shows some of the more charming characteristics of the Bulldog,” Van Der Marliere said. “The square jaw, panting tongue, tell-tale ‘rope wrinkle’ over the nose and rest of her face shows that Tigger is a nice example of the breed.”

Tigger’s dog mom, Nichole, shared the touching story about her adorable pooch entered her life.

“The first dog my husband and I ever purchased together was an 8-week-old English Bulldog puppy, who we named Penelope,” Nichole said. “We fell head-over-heels in love with this little girl. But sadly, just shy of her 16-week birthday, we woke up to find she had passed away in her crate during the night. We were devastated, to say the least. It was as if we had lost a child.”

A few months later, Penelope’s breeder told Nichole she was retiring Tigger, who was Penelope’s mother. The breeder said she couldn’t imagine a more perfect home for Tigger.

“It’s like having a little piece of our puppy back with us,” Nichole said. “We love Tigger dearly and can’t imagine our life without her squishy face.” Tigger is 6 years old and just passed her Canine Good Citizen Test.

“In her eyes you can almost see the excitement of being photographed and her willingness to please whoever is holding the camera,” noted Van Der Marliere.

“Tigger’s showing that every wrinkle counts, and when displayed with pride, is beautiful.”

2nd Place: Mickey Jumbo

Mickey Jumbo

Van Der Marliere chose Mickey Jumbo’s photo “because it shows the personality of a Bulldog so very much. Bulldogs are easygoing and yet set in their ways to ‘have it their way,’” he said.

Mickey Jumbo’s dog dad, Ben, says the 3-year-old “was left outside his whole life before being rescued. He’s the happiest guy, and loves to be petted by everyone!”

Mickey Jumbo also loves to climb things, just like he’s doing in this picture. “He hopped right up on this stack of outdoor chairs, no problem, and sat there for a while, just watching the people walk by,” Ben said.

“Mickey here has made sitting in a chair his mission, and makes it look effortless with his facial expression,” Van Der Marliere said. ”Mickey’s face almost looks human as he makes himself comfortable while looking over at someone at the same time. Mickey shows that Bulldogs are great at multitasking.”

Although Mickey Jumbo has had five surgeries and he needs ear and eyedrops every day, Ben said you’d never know there was a single thing wrong with him. “He’s my best buddy, and whether he wins the photo contest or not, he wins in my book!”

Honorable Mention: TIE – Bam and Tigger

Bam

Based on your “Likes” in our i Love English Bulldogs Facebook photo album, two pooches got an equal number of votes as the fan favorite: Bam and our first-place winner, Tigger.

Bam loved to fetch and retrieve balls, “especially basketballs,” said his pet parent, Kim. “He loved to swim and would toss his own tennis ball in the water to swim after. I thought I’d take a break from the working breeds I had always had and just enjoy a dog who would lay at my feet and snore. Instead, I got the Bulldog with the Labrador heart! Bam’s kidneys failed him late last year just before he turned 5 years old, but his memory will always be alive in our hearts.”

Tigger and Mickey Jumbo will each receive i Love Dogs Reishi with Green Tea plus a coupon good for a 50-percent discount on their pet parents’ next purchase of i Love Dogs vitamins and supplements. An i Love Dogs bag filled with goodies will be sent to the pooch of Bam’s dog mom’s choice.

Many thanks to Skip Van Der Marliere for judging our contest and for the great work he does with Southern California Bulldog Rescue (SCBR), which provides shelter, re-homing assistance and funds for medical treatment for more than 100 Bulldogs every year.

If you’re in Southern California, the 2nd Annual Laugh-A-Bull Comedy Festival at the Brea Improv on August 21 will feature a comedy show, buffet, silent auction and raffle drawings, with all proceeds going to SCBR.

To help SCBR pay for rescued Bulldogs’ medical bills, food, boarding, spaying and neutering, transportation and more, you can make an online donation or mail a check (payable to “Bulldog Rescue”) to Bulldog Rescue, P.O. Box 10313, Santa Ana, CA 92711.

Laura Goldman

Laura Goldman is senior social media writer for i Love Dogs, Inc. She does love dogs. And elephants and turtles. Along with writing about the loves of her life, Laura likes to play with her two pound pups and tell anyone who’ll listen just how awesome Pit Bulls are.

More Posts – Website

Follow Me: