Our sweet Bella dog took her last breath late weekend. She was nearly 15 years old and although we knew her time was near, we weren’t prepared to let her go and say goodbye.

We rescued her from a terrible puppy mill when she was 6 weeks old. She had parvo, a belly full of worms, and she could barely open her eyes because of the amount of fleas. Still, she had a skip to her step. We took her straight to the vet. I remember the drive so clearly, cradling her in my lap. We named her Bella and we cried after we dropped her off, not sure she would make it. She DID make it and many weeks later she was diagnosed with severe VonWillibrands disease (similar to hemophilia) which made for an interesting life for all of us. Despite all of this she lived a long, happy life full of hikes, snow adventures, road trips, camping and beach trips, and so much love. When we lived in Oakland, one dear homeless man always called out when he saw her, “HAPPY Dooooog!” She has been with us since the beginning, even going on our honeymoon with us, and she was indeed a happy happy dog.

It’s been strange, not hearing her nails tap on the floor, or hear her snoring on the couch, or have her begging for our food. We are sad, a little in shock, but also honoring her unexpected long life. We’ve been burning candles for her while we all go through our emotions, and made a cake to celebrate her life. She was a sweet soul. And we will miss her. Thank you to the amazing vets at Dove Lewis Emergency Vet for their compassion, and professional care. It deeply mattered to us.

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