Here is our StubbyDog of the Week: Bella

By foster parents... Angela & Gene :dogtongue:

Six months ago my husband and I were approached by a parent whose children attend the school where my husband is an Assistant Principal. She knew we were dog lovers and was looking for a foster placement for a pit bull mix who had been rescued on the streets of the Bronx.

Ariana, as she was then known was not adapting well to kennel life. She had open sores on her feet from an allergy to the cleaning products used in the kennel and had wasted down to thiry five pounds. Our initial response was "no, sorry". We already have three small dogs of our own and my 88 year old mother might be challenged by the care of one more dog. That weekend we talked to my mother, thought some more about this suffering animal and decided to give it a try. By Tuesday afternoon, a dog which could only be described as pathetic showed up at our house. Her large head dominated her emaciated body and she walked with a limp from the pain of open sores between her paws. Despite all this her tail wagged constantly and she quickly became my husband's constant companion. Ariana did not seem to be an appropriate name for her but it was not until our neighbor, a first generation Italian referred to her as "Bella" that we knew we had a name that worked for this sweet and affectionate animal.

It was clear she had never lived with other dogs before and had to learn to share, wait her turn and tone down her exuberance as she frequently attempted to engage my dogs in play. She seemed so big to us and every day we warily watched and waited for those traits that pit bulls are so noted for to emerge. My grand-daughter came and tried to "ride" her one weekend and we ran for her expecting the worst only to find that Bella licked her face and welcomed the attention. She quickly developed a love for stuffed animals and enjoyed tearing them up all over the house. Six months later she has learned they are special treats and she carries them everywhere she goes, caring for them as if they were a pup.

Through Bella we have learned to delight in simple things that never caught our attention. Watering the garden creates endless delight for her as she runs to get under the hose and get soaked. She enjoys chasing leaves as they fall in piles in theyard and even more so when she can run and jump in the piles.She has learned to run and play with my dogs and most days they enjoy the romp. Most of all, we have found her to be a quick and eager learner. She can now beg, give her paw and stay on command and these tricks were taught quickly and repeated frequently when she hopes for a treat

.Though Bella is not my dog I suspect that when the day comes and someone wants to adopt her, we will not be able to let her go. Her love and affection greet us every day as we come home from school, her antics never cease to amaze us and her exuberance and her tender, gentle licks have provided us with a valuable lesson. The old saying "don't judge a book by its cover" certainly applies here. Every day I think of the hundreds and thousands of pit bulls out there, just like Bella who will never get the chance to have a forever home because of ignorance and misunderstanding .My experience has taught me that just like any animal how they are treated and how they are trained is how they will grow and develop. I feel tremendous sadness when I think of my son who lives in Denver and the fact that he cannot adopt a pit bull as he had always hoped . Denver is a citythat has banned pit bulls. He would have been that owner happy to have rescued his "Bella".

I hope that others like me will open their hearts and minds to the possiblities of reaching out to these misunderstood and often maligned dogs. They have so much love to give and are loyal and trusted friends.




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nice story hope the ending is as good