Please meet my granddaughter, Blair. It’s not easy to adequately describe Rachel Blair Becker... she’s a piece of the rainbow dropped into my lap, a darting firefly in the night, a ray of sunshine on a grey, dreary day and the joyful sound you would expect from a gaggle of angels. When she was a young child, she would come visit her grandpa and me for a 2–4-week annual summer visit. We grew a deep, close relationship during those annual trips.
This was also during Karen ‘s high school years, so Blair had amazing time with her aunt, rehabbing the wildlife that filled Karen’s life. This accomplished two important, deeply ingrained traits that would follow Blair to adulthood: a lifelong relationship with Karen and a deep love for all animals, but especially the wild ones.
This story falls into the ‘all animals’ category. And it happened when she was an adult living in Ohio. Blair lost her “heart dog”, Gibbs, several years prior, to hemangiosarcoma. She was emotionally not ready to get another dog. She knew that someday, when “the right one” came into her life and she was ready, she would know. Playing into this solid belief was a personal commitment that had been influenced by her Aunt Karen’s challenge: “Never buy an animal. There are plenty of free animals that need us.”
Blair and Gibbs
While living in Ohio, Blair learned about an 8-month-old English bulldog puppy who was purchased from a puppy mill for $700, sick, and unlikely to receive medical care. She also knew this breed suffered from serious inherited health problems, especially those bred carelessly for profit. Everything in her heart told her this puppy’s future looked bleak. Taking him on would mean endless vet bills and heartache—but walking away wasn’t an option. The owners agreed that the puppy’s best hope was with someone who could provide medical care, and Blair became the unexpected new owner of a breed she'd sworn she’d never own.
Frank was severely overweight and, according to her highly colorful vocabulary, “looked like a big, huge fat tick!” He had a visible skin infection over most of his body, very little hair, and a strong yeast odor so severe it was immediately noticeable upon petting (and caused a rash when some people touched him). He lacked energy and ‘spirit’ but was excited to be around people.
Blair followed Karen’s guidance closely, which included a skin scrape and bloodwork. Findings showed three skin issues: a bacterial skin infection, a severe overload of demodex mites and an overgrowth of yeast. His gut was also “completely ripped to shreds” due to the antibiotics the previous owners shared with their dog, attempting to treat the skin lesions.
Treatment included daily medicated baths to treat the skin infections, lime sulfur dips (an all-natural, very pungent skin rinse that treats mange), herbs and supplements to reduce itching and support his immune system, DHA/EPA to reduce skin inflammation, and an immediate diet change to a nutritionally-dense raw food diet.
Frank’s recovery process was long and intense for Blair, as well as for Frank, almost 2 years. Because he had open, oozing skin lesions, he wore shirts to protect from excessive scratching.
Dogs born with genetic weaknesses, like many heavily inbred breeds, already begin life with significant health disadvantages. When those fragile genetics are compounded by neglect—poor nutrition, lack of veterinary care, chronic stress, or an unhealthy environment—the result is a body that struggles to heal and thrive. You can’t change DNA, but you can influence how it’s expressed. By improving the quality of food, minimizing environmental toxins, and supporting what immune resilience the dog has left, gradual recovery becomes possible. It’s not quick or easy—there’s no magic pill for health. Healing comes through consistency: a daily practice of making the right choices, providing care, nourishment, and patience, one day at a time.
Days turned into months, and slowly, each skin lesion healed and didn’t return. His weight trimmed down. His personality slowly blossomed as his pain decreased, and he started to play with toys. He had a new life, and finally his body was beginning to feel better. He was “turning into Frank”.
I had to ask Blair my very hard question: did you ever think about euthanasia? And she very honestly gave me this response: “It was a thought that crossed my mind BUT I knew that with Karen’s support and everything she’s taught me that we would be able to save him IF he wanted to be saved. I saw lots of ‘last chance’ situations when I worked with her at her hospital, so I believed that we would be able to save him if he wanted to live. It was his choice. He was so pitiful that you’d cry for him, just looking at him. I tried super hard to not let him give up so I didn’t have to.”
Blair’s Words:
“He slowly turned the corner during those 2 years of intense care, and I found renewed hope for him. His ongoing care remains high, after all, he is a bulldog. He’s my high-maintenance boy, cleaning his ‘booty hole’ and crescent roll (due to his weird-ass corkscrew tail) after every bowel movement, managing endless drool, snorts, snores, and breathing issues, occasional sulfur days, and wiping his penis twice a day because he is ‘genetically buff’ and cannot clean it himself. And he still experiences occasional skin flare-ups requiring attention. He’s never been our family’s version of ‘healthy,’ but it’s my goal to make him the healthiest version of himself that’s possible. I work on his health every day.
I moved from not wanting a bulldog to “foster failing” for the first time in my life. During those two years, I learned to love him and I found him quite handsome, in his own funny way! Frank is my constant shadow; he sticks to me like glue. When I’m away, I’m told that he pouts and looks like a ‘melted candle’. He provides comforting nighttime noise, making it difficult for me to sleep in a quiet room; he’s my living, breathing, and snorting nighttime ‘white noise’ machine! He also enjoys walks outside and occasionally we see critical/judgmental glances because he is intact. But I’m ready for any conversation; letting him have an intact endocrine system is the one gift I could give his body, and removing health-promoting sex hormones would only make his skin, weight, and immune system imbalances worse…neither of us wanted that (not to mention the risk of anesthesia with a profoundly brachycephalic, smash-faced breed).”
Brachycephalic breeds, such as Bulldogs, Pugs, and Frenchies, have shortened airways that make breathing more difficult, especially during heat, excitement, or exertion. These dogs are prone to exercise intolerance and can quickly become overheated or distressed, even during mild activity.
Around holidays like Halloween, if they enjoy wearing costumes, it’s important to choose lightweight, breathable options that don’t restrict airflow around the neck or chest. Costumes should only be worn for short periods, always under supervision, and removed immediately if the dog shows signs of stress, heavy panting, or fatigue. Comfort and calm should always come before cuteness. Blair says that Frank’s attitude is “bring it on, Mama!” when it comes to wearing costumes, probably from all his tee shirt wearing years early on.
Some cats, like my granddaughter Danielle’s cat, Jake, appear to have no stress when wearing shirts or small accessories, but most felines find clothing uncomfortable or stressful. Danielle’s advice about cat’s and Halloween: Each animal has a unique personality and tolerance level, so it’s essential to respect their individual comfort. If a cat seems tense, frozen, or tries to remove the clothing, it’s best to skip dress-up altogether. For those rare cats who do enjoy it, keep outfits lightweight, nonrestrictive, and worn only briefly under supervision. The goal should always be to make the experience positive and stress-free, honoring the cat’s preferences above all else.
I frequently receive pictures of both Frank and Jake dressed up in some fashion. If we have pets that, at minimum, tolerate being dressed up, as Jake does, or as Frank, who appears to enjoy all that attention, Great! HOWEVER, if you have a Homer or Callie, animals whose personality you just know would not resonate with having anything put on them, please don’t even attempt it. Homer would fight against this with everything in him and the stress on him and his mama would be horrendous. Callie would wiggle out of your hands or arms, run and hide and we wouldn’t see her for 24 hours. We know this about them, and we know better than cause undue stress and trauma even trying it. It’s extremely important to honor our pet’s wishes when it comes to putting anything on their bodies. Know your pet and respect their wishes.
In fact, Karen and I both turn our lights off on Halloween evening, lock our doors and put quiet music on to keep our environment as peaceful as possible. It’s not that we don’t love little trick or treaters, it’s that we have highly sensitive pets that get stressed when strangers ring the doorbell. So we prevent it from happening when possible.
Blair and Danielle on the other hand, put their favorite costumes on Jake and Frank and have very low stress, fun times with holiday costumes.
Have a safe, fun and respectful Halloween.
With love,
