With their perky ears, their please-pick-me-up-and-cradle-me gaze and their short-legged crocodile waddle, French bulldogs have become the "it" dog for influencers, pop stars and professional athletes
Chris Del Rosario, a partner in a French bulldog breeding business with his brother, Jaymar Del Rosario, rides with a night stick and gun in case anyone dares to steal his dog Cashew, in Elk Grove, Calif., on May 18, 2022. The popular breed has become one of the most expensive in the United States, and some owners have started carrying guns for protection. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times)
ELK GROVE, Calif. — The French bulldog business is booming for Jaymar Del Rosario, a breeder whose puppies can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. When he leaves the house to meet a buyer, his checklist includes veterinary paperwork, a bag of puppy kibble and his Glock 26 pistol.
“If I don’t know the area, if I don’t know the people, I always carry my handgun,†Del Rosario said on a recent afternoon as he displayed Cashew, a 6-month-old French bulldog of a new “fluffy†variety that can fetch $30,000 or more.
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