Founded 1998
About the American Bulldog Registry & Archives
ABRA exists for one reason: to preserve the history of the American Bulldog through permanent registration records, an open pedigree archive, and a community of people who take the breed seriously.
The History of ABRA
The American Bulldog has never had an easy road. The breed nearly disappeared after World War II -- when working dogs lost their economic purpose and were simply not bred. A handful of dedicated people kept the bloodlines alive, most notably John D. Johnson and Alan Scott, whose separate breeding programs are the foundation of the breed as it exists today.
By the late 1990s, the American Bulldog was growing in popularity but lacked a dedicated registry that understood the breed's history and the way its breeders actually worked. Multi-breed clubs could accommodate the American Bulldog, but none were built around it.
ABRA Founded
Tony Mancera, Vern Hopley, and Rob Armour founded the American Bulldog Registry and Archives with a specific mandate: a single-breed registry designed entirely around the American Bulldog, with an open archive that anyone could search. The Archive was meant to be a permanent public record, not a private members-only database.
Lance and Lesli Rose Purchase ABRA
Lance and Lesli Rose, active breeders of Classic and Bully American Bulldogs under the Rosebull kennel name, purchased ABRA. They had been involved in the breed since the early 2000s and understood what the registry needed to serve both established breeders and people newer to the breed.
Building the Archive
Through the first decade of Rose ownership, thousands of historical registrations were digitized and added to the Archive. Dogs that had been registered on paper only were entered into the database, connecting bloodlines that had previously been isolated in paper records held by individual breeders.
pedigreedatabase.ca Launches
The American Bulldog Archive moved to pedigreedatabase.ca -- a fully public, searchable pedigree database with 5-generation photo pedigrees, health records, and breeder profiles. The database grew to over 44,000 dogs and became the largest public reference for American Bulldog pedigrees in the world.
abra1st.com Launches
Registration moved to a dedicated portal at abra1st.com -- a fully online system for litter registration, permanent registration certificates, 5-generation pedigree printing, and the Blue Ribbon health program. The new system is connected directly to the Archive database.
What ABRA Does
Registration is the foundation. The programs built around it support the breed over generations.
Litter Registration
Register a litter through abra1st.com. Each puppy gets an ABRA Puppy Paper tied to their permanent record. Litter registration is $20 and includes one Puppy Paper per puppy.
Permanent Registration
Every registered puppy gets a permanent ABRA registration number that never changes regardless of how many times ownership transfers. The certificate travels with the puppy from breeder to buyer through the ABRA handoff, included in the litter fee.
5-Generation Pedigrees
Print full photo pedigrees directly from pedigreedatabase.ca. Every registered dog's pedigree is publicly searchable and printable by anyone -- not just the owner.
Blue Ribbon Health Program
ABRA's health certification program tracks OFA, PennHIP, eye, thyroid, and elbow results for registered dogs. Blue Ribbon status is publicly displayed on the dog's Archive profile.
The American Bulldog Archive
Over 44,000 dogs at pedigreedatabase.ca. Every ABRA-registered dog is in the Archive. The database is publicly searchable -- no login required to look up any dog or pedigree.
Verified Breeder Program
Breeders who meet the standards -- Breeder Pro membership, registered litters, documented health testing -- earn the ABRA Verified Breeder badge displayed on their profile in the Breeder Directory.
Our Mission
The Breed's History, Preserved by the People Who Love It.
ABRA exists to ensure that every American Bulldog that passes through a registered program becomes a permanent part of the breed's written history. Not a transaction. Not just paperwork. A record that outlasts the dog, the owner, and the breeder -- available to anyone who wants to understand where this breed came from and where it is going.
The People Behind ABRA
Lesli Rose
Registrar & Co-Owner
Lesli handles registrations, breeder support, and the day-to-day operations of ABRA. She and Lance have bred Classic and Bully American Bulldogs under the Rosebull name since the early 2000s.
Lance Rose
Co-Owner
Lance co-owns ABRA and Rosebull Kennels. He has been involved in American Bulldogs for over two decades and brings a breeder's perspective to every policy decision at ABRA.
Why It Matters That ABRA Exists
The American Bulldog is a breed with a specific, documented history. It has specific founding dogs, specific bloodlines, and specific people who kept it alive when most of the world had forgotten it existed. That history deserves a permanent home that is not behind a paywall, not controlled by a multi-breed club with competing interests, and not dependent on any one person staying interested.
ABRA is that home. The Archive at pedigreedatabase.ca is public and permanent. When you register your dog with ABRA, you are adding to a record that belongs to the breed -- not to any organization, not to any individual. It will still be there long after we are all gone.
That is why registration matters. That is why ABRA exists.
Your Dog. Their Story. American Bulldog History Forever.
Register your American Bulldog with ABRA and add your dog to the Archive that belongs to the breed.
Start Registration Contact Us