We Love Lucy

Pam and Dan Crafts’s lovable bulldog was one of three winners on the Ugly Dogs contest.

By Melissa Ebert; Photos by Kevin O'Riley

When Pam and Dan Crafts chose a bulldog for their son, Daniel’s, 21st birthday present, they had no idea the puppy would become such a big part of their own lives. When Daniel moved to St. Louis, his apartment wouldn’t allow pets, so his bulldog, Lucy, had to stay behind with Mom and Dad. When finally able to keep a dog, Daniel felt bad about displacing Lucy from her home and opted to keep her at his parents’.

Pam and Dan couldn’t have been more thrilled. After their two children, 28-year-old Sarah and 25-year-old Daniel, grew up, their home was left quiet. “Lucy definitely filled the empty-nest void,” says Pam of the now 52-pound bulldog.

Lucy, who turns 5 this month, is playful and curious, which at times has been perilous for her. Pam describes Lucy as a “ball-hog,” saying she’ll pounce on everything from a tennis ball to a basketball (just don’t ask her to bring it back).

“Once, she ate a baseball and we had to have surgery to get it removed,” says Pam. Dr. Brett Bacon of Willard said the pooch had a 10 percent chance to survive the $1000 procedure. But Dan Crafts never worried, stating Lucy was a tough dog and would be fine; fortunately, Dan was right.

Lucy’s curiosity can also be dangerous. Whenever the Crafts visit the lake, Lucy will lean over the boat to stare at the lake-life, namely turtles.

“Of course, she always eventually falls in,” says Pam. This would be okay, except bulldogs are known more for sinking than their swimming abilities. Luckily, this fix was cheaper than surgery: Pam and Dan got her a doggie life jacket.

Lucy’s good-natured personality has helped her make friends, including two families in her neighborhood. Pam says she’ll march up to their doors and bark until they give her a treat.

Though some might consider Lucy less valuable because of her lower jaw, which protrudes farther than most bulldogs’, Pam maintains that Lucy is the best dog for her family.

“To a breeder, she’s not the perfect dog, because she’s different,” says Pam. “But for us, she’s perfect because she’s different.”