'French Bulldog obsessed' owner sets up successful monthly group walk for owners across Northamptonshire

Every month, around 50 French Bulldogs and their owners gather at a Northampton park to socialise.

The French Bulldog Meet & Walk group on Facebook was set up three years ago by Sandra Holloway, 57, from Kingsthorpe and it has since accumulated more than 400 members.

Owners of French Bulldogs across the county now meet once a month at the Drover's Return Cafe to take a walk through Hunsbury Hill Country Park.

Founder of the group, Sandra, said: "I think Frenchies are beautiful and they have so much character. I am just obsessed with them. They are like a magnet. We all meet up and I get covered in slobber because I have to pet them all.

"We all have a chat - I get a lot of people asking about my dog, Tilly, because - of course - I post about her a lot. Most people are just comparing, sharing stories and asking for advice.

"Frenchies have such weird things about them. Tilly snuggles with a tennis ball and she will have it in her mouth and she will just go to sleep with it. I started asking other people and they would be like yes, our dogs do that too. They suck on a blanket or they suck on your arm. It is nice to know that your dog is normal."

Sandra has always adored dogs. After her mother passed away, she took on her parents' two Westies - one passed away a week after her mother's death and she looked after the other dog for another nine years.

Six months after her mother's last dog passed away, Sandra adopted a French Bulldog puppy, who she named Tilly. When Tilly was just a year old, she started to go blind and she was subsequently diagnosed with inflammatory brain disease by a vet specialist.

Tilly was put on a course of steroids and commenced chemotherapy. Her eye sight returned after 11 months but then the condition flared back up again in June last year, affecting her spine and preventing her from walking properly.

Tilly has since been treated with steroids and still has chemotherapy once a month. Sandra describes her as "an absolute warrior."

Talking about the effect adopting Tilly has had on her life, Sandra said: "When my Westie passed away, I told my husband I could not go through that heartache again but we lasted about six months and we saw her.

"I was going through a tough time three years ago and losing my mum's dog was hard. Tilly found me and I found her and she's my little lock and I think I am her rock now."

The idea for setting up the French Bulldog group walks came along after Sandra had been following the charity, 'French Bulldog Saviours' for quite some time. Sandra saw that there were group walks taking place for the breed elsewhere across the country but spotted none in Northamptonshire.

Sandra then received a lot of messages from people asking if she would establish a group, encouraging her that - if she did - they would come along to it. Thus, the 'French Bulldog Meet & Walk Northamptonshire' group was born.

The first group walk took place in Upton Park, then Delapre Park and then Abington Park but, as the group grew bigger and bigger, there was just one problem.

Sandra said: "We just did not have enough room. We found that Frenchies are just nutters. They want to do the zoomies all the time."

The term 'zoomies' describes when dogs get a sudden burst of energy and start to run very fast in circles and random directions.

The group now meets up at Hunsbury Hill Country Park, where there is a huge field so that the pooches can zoom to their heart's desire.

When asked about the benefits of the group walk, Sandra said: "Frenchies recognise their own breed. I think a lot of dogs struggle to read them because of the grunting and they don't have tails. Other dogs look at them like, 'what's happened to you?' Someone once asked me if Tilly was growling at her and I had to explain, that's just her breathing.

"I think people do it because they want the company as well. Ours is quite a personal group and everyone has got to know each other very well and it is really lovely."

Owners, who were previously anxious about letting their reactive dogs off the lead, have also been in touch with Sandra to thank her because the group has increased their confidence with letting their dogs off the lead.

The dates and times of the walks vary from month to month depending on weather and availability. In the summer, walks take place either early in the morning or in the evening as French Bulldogs struggle in the heat, particularly with breathing.

Owners of other Bulldog breeds are also welcome to join in on the walks. The last walk, which was Christmas themed as it took place in December, raised £100 for the French Bulldog Saviours charity.

The next group walk takes place on Sunday, January 30 and French Bulldog owners are asked to meet at the Drover's Return Cafe in Hunsbury Hill Country Park at 10.30am.

To find out more about the group or to join, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/273445830220839.

To see pictures from the recent big Dachshund group walk that took place in Abington Park on Saturday, January 22, click here.