Beyond a Cute Dog Painting: Bella
"Bella was happy no matter what she was doing"
Bella
“Bella lived to be fifteen and a half, but it was easy to imagine that she’d live forever. we adopted her at age six, and she still acted like a puppy. brought to the mspca by law enforcement as a cruelty case, she had spent the first six years of her life in a cage in a basement, being bred for profit every heat cycle. one might think a dog with that history might be shy, untrustworthy of humans, and unsure how to function out in the world. not Bella. the day we met her we took her outside and she started sprinting around the grass, coming when we called her, leaping into our arms and our hearts. taking her home to our household of two cats and a dog was ridiculously easy - she loved her new siblings and they loved her back. she and the cats were snuggling within the first two weeks. my sister Liza once said that Bella was happy no matter what she was doing, and she was right. she was happy to go for a walk or happy to stay home. happy to take a nap and happy to get up. happy to venture out to new places and happy to come home again. she gremlined her way into the heart of everyone she met. she had a massive under bite and was permanently scruffy, and when she trotted her little black ears flapped up and down like wings. she was tenacious and affectionate and fearless and maternal and perky and scrappy and snuggly. as she got older she developed some dementia symptoms and was a little unsteady on her feet. we adjusted; pet steps in every room, motion lights on the stairs for safe night time wanderings, a special nonslip feeding mat, a toddler safety rail on our bed. she was enthusiastic about walks and food and chasing her cat sisters until the end. her nighttime zoomies were legendary until just recently. last Thursday she had a collapsing episode, and on Monday we found out she had very advanced lung cancer. we made the decision to let her go that day; trying to do right by her until the very end. our house feels awfully quiet without her zip and spunk, and we are living in her memories as we navigate this new normal. rest easy bells - you earned it.”
* I also painted Bella’s sister, Layla
If you would like me to paint your dog and share your tribute, click here to submit
What I have been reading about dogs :
Who Ya Gonna Call? Goosebusters :Robert Young explains how the birds can be a menace and why Border collies are his star employees.
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Love your little blind contour doggy dividers! 😍