The End of an Era: Bella - R.I.P.

It was love at first sight...

Ten years ago, I walked into Petsmart and wandered over to the pet adoption area. There with her owner and volunteers from Cascade Animal Rescue was the most beautiful, sleek black and white lab/greyhound mix I had ever seen. She was bright eyed, curious and friendly. When her owner, a young woman, told me the reason for giving her up, it made me cry.


Bella had been with the family from birth two years before and had grown up with the woman's son, also a two year old. This was a military family and they were being relocated to the east coast, but the young woman was going to be caring for her mother and the situation was one where they just couldn't take Bella with them. She was in tears and so was I.

I went home and told Scott about the situation and he didn't hesitate, although we already had Kirby, a toy Poodle and had recently adopted Calvin, a gold Siamese. Before the day was over, we had three pets.

Today marked the end of an era. Three years ago on August 14th, Kirby had to be put down. His 19 years finally caught up to him and it was time to say goodbye. Calvin was with us for eight years, but disappeared a year or so ago. Never having been one to miss a meal, I'm convinced the raccoons in the gully were responsible for his demise. And today, we said goodbye to Bella.

She was a sweet, loyal, wonderful companion who was so good with our grandchildren and with us. She would lay at the top of the stairs waiting as Scott labors his way up. If a dog can, she showed concern and sympathy. She's been our security system too, barking furiously whenever anyone drove up the driveway or climbed the stairs. However, she was more bark than bite. I never knew her to bite at all; she had a very "soft" mouth, gently taking treats from my fingers. And recently she had befriended the kittens I've been fostering from the shelter. She loved to play with them, since Charlie our adopted Maltese -Poodle mix and Riley, another Siamese who joined the household in the last couple years, were just not interested in having fun with Bella.

On Thanksgiving day she stopped eating and by the time we got home that evening, she wouldn't move from the hallway. I gave her water, she drank, and sometime in the night she crawled in to lay at the foot of my bed. Yesterday, with the help of a photo client who just happens to lift weights, we put her into Scott's van for the ride to the vet. Two hours later, with x-rays taken and a blood draw, the problem was still a mystery. We decided she would stay over night, they would give her fluids and do another blood analysis.

When I walked in this morning, Bella tried to get up and finally did and with the help of a Vet Tech, we were able to take her outside so she could relieve herself. She collapsed on the way back in and had to rest before being lifted up and helped inside. Dr. Kasey Kime's only comment was that the test results were "awful." The bottom line after having taken more x-rays was that she had a mass the size of a melon in her abdomen and had been bleeding internally for some time. Scott and I had already had the discussion last night about the decision to be made, if the results weren't good.

I was with her as she passed, stroking her head, tears streaming down my face. She died painlessly and peacefully. And the tears are streaming now. I see her face, her eyes and can feel the smoothness of her coat. She was a beauty - in so many ways. We will miss her terribly. It is the end of an era.