Adopting a French Bulldog in Manchester: rescues, costs and breathing

The count under the short answer is live: it shows every French Bulldog and French Bulldog cross listed with us in Manchester and within about 25 miles, with a link to the rescue that has each dog. Our Manchester French Bulldog page lists them nearest first. It is usually a short list, so contact the breed rescues below as well.

Popularity is part of it. Flat-faced puppies are in "incredibly high" demand, Dogs Trust says, which makes these breeds among those illegal breeders most often smuggle into the country. The breed "is not for everyone", Phoenix's guidelines warn, and a Frenchie that has ended up in rescue is more likely than most to have health imperfections.

A young adult from Phoenix costs £450, which overlaps the lower end of the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross gives for buying a puppy, while an older dog is £150. At Manchester & Cheshire Dogs' Home the £200 adult fee includes a full health check, neutering, a first vaccination, a microchip, a collar and ID tag and four weeks' free Pet Plan insurance.

The bigger cost with this breed is the vet. Phoenix's FAQ says plainly that French Bulldogs "are not cheap dogs to care for", that pre-existing conditions won't be covered by insurance, and that if you can't afford the adoption fee the breed may not be for you. Its guidelines say it no longer routinely pays for BOAS surgery or dental work. A foster dog can't be insured, and if you ask a vet to note something on its record during the foster, an insurer may later class it as pre-existing. PDSA puts the set-up cost of a small dog at £415 and the running cost at £69 a month or more.

French Bulldogs are flat-faced (brachycephalic), so breathing comes first. UK sources name these concerns for the breed:

• Breathing (BOAS). French Bulldogs are on PDSA's list of flat-faced breeds that brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome commonly affects. Its signs include noisy breathing, snoring, excessive panting and finding hot weather or exercise hard. The Royal Kennel Club calls it "a progressive, lifelong disorder", and the University of Cambridge BOAS research group notes that not all flat-faced dogs show clinical signs.
• A breathing grade. Under the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme, a trained vet can assess a dog from 12 months old and give it a grade between 0 (clinically unaffected) and 3 (severe signs). A rescue dog rarely has a grade, so ask what the rescue's vet has noticed at rest and after a walk.
• Eyes, skin folds and tail. The points The Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch asks show judges to look for include breathing difficulty, pinched nostrils, protruding eyes, dermatitis in skin folds and a tail too short to cover the anus.

A Frenchie suits a small home: The Royal Kennel Club gives a flat as the size of home it needs, and exercise of up to an hour a day. Stairs are the question in a block of flats. Phoenix's FAQ says a flat or no garden need not rule you out, but that it won't place a dog with medical needs that can't manage stairs in a high-rise with an unreliable lift. If you share a communal garden, it wants to know you can manage other dogs, children and pets there safely, and it warns that some Frenchies will scale a fence of 3 to 4 feet.

The general rescues near Manchester set their own rules. Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary won't rehome a dog to a home without "a secure garden or yard" and doesn't rehome dogs to homes with children under five, and Destitute Animals Shelter needs your landlord's permission before you apply if you rent.

Heat matters on a warm day: The Royal Kennel Club says flat-faced dogs are at high risk of overheating in warm weather "even in the UK". Phoenix also asks how you would reach an out-of-hours vet at night if you don't drive, and says that, as a rough guide, its dogs shouldn't regularly be on their own for more than about 4 hours.

No rescue sells a French Bulldog. You apply or register, the rescue matches you with a dog, and you pay its fee. Puppies do come through rescue, but rarely, so be open to an adult whose breathing the rescue already knows.

If you buy, see The Royal Kennel Club's advice on buying a flat-faced puppy: walk away if either parent breathes loudly, snores while awake, snorts or wheezes, and ask to see both parents' grading scheme results. Its breed page says it will not register merle French Bulldog puppies, because the merle gene raises the risk of impaired hearing and sight. The Royal Kennel Club runs a "Find a puppy" service. If an advert looks like a scam, report it to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud).