Happy 5th Woofday to my doggie boy, Davey Dog

A belated happy 5th, DD! We were all caught up in Josie's illness and her journey to the Bridge this morning and lost track of your special day. But know that I watch you run and play and sleep every day, not just on special days. Soon I hope to see you at the park with the ponds. Even though I did not like the water while on Earth, I love watching you, Teddy Bear and Maggio splash and swim. Josie says hi, too! Take care, my heart dog!

Snorts from your girl,

Belly Bug

New girl at the Bridge

Hi, all. I just wanted to let family and furriends know that my foster sister, Josie, made it safely to the Rainbow Bridge this morning. She had been adopted with a small cough that just kept getting worse, and apparently developed into pneumonia that her little body just could not beat. Please know that she no longer has a cough and she is safe and loved here at the Bridge. We've had a couple good romps,and we've sat together to watch over our families.

I know her furrever human family, especially her mom, are very sad and wracked with grief. My foster family is also sad, and they feel guilt that they adopted out a dog that turned out to be sick, even though at the time it seemed like such a small thing.

All I can offer them is my thanks and love and Boxer kisses for adopting a rescue dog, and giving her such tender and loving care for the short time she was with them. The best you can do is truly the best you can do. She wants me to tell her furrever family and her fosters how much she appreciated the love and care she receieved after being rescued. It was the best time of her short life.

Here is Josies' profile: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/1120025 Please check out her video, you can really see her sweet personality in that short clip.

Boxer kisses and snorts to all,

Facci

Now I Can See EVERYthing!!

Hi, my Furiends!! Long time no woof!!

Before I came to the Rainbow Bridge I liked to always know where everyone in my family was & what they were doing at all times. Now, from here in the sky, I CAN see everything & everyone!! It's great! I don't have to constantly go up & down the stairs & from room to room to keep an eye on them when they don't stay together in one place. You'd think they could have at least stayed together, right?
And I can hear & understand when Mom & my Man talk to me. NOW I know what "Bella! Don't roll in that!!!" meant. (Though I still don't get the logic.) **sigh**

One thing I'm really happy that I can see is that Mom & Man, Davey Dog, Teddy Bear & the kitties have joined families in one home. I kept telling Man to stay with me (& Mommy) 'cause I liked it best when I could snuggle with him (& Mommy) all night. I'm happy that he realized that I was right. I can see that now they all know that I was always right about everything. **snort**

Sometimes, Mommy tells me the story of how I was left by my 1st family at the shelter when I was a young pup, & how she & my Boy found me & adopted me. And since I turned out to be her best furiend & companion, she decided to adopt my brother, Teddy Bear 2 years ago. (Now... from here...I GUESS I can see those endearing qualities Mommy insisted that he had.) And since they loved me so much, & since Teddy makes them so happy, & because their hearts are still healing from my passing, Mommy & my Man have started fostering rescued doggies for ARF-IL. So because of me, more doggies are getting saved & finding loving furever homes. I think they should say they're "Bellaing" pups instead of "fostering" them. **big bottom teeth Boxer smile**

One sad pup they "Bella'd" was a cute little 2 yr old Boxer girl named Carmela who'd been used by a backyard breeder (BYB) & then discarded. She was underweight, her teeth were all worn down to the gums from chewing on her cage, her paws were stained from standing in who-knows-what, and she was scared to death. Because they loved me so much, Mommy & Man had to take care of her & made sure she found a great home. And Man got to see, through Carmela, how irresistably adorable I was even as a young girl. He'd have REALLY been wrapped around my little paw then!

And the foster pup they call "May Mae" is a Boxer mix with another sad history. She had enough Boxer ways to win the hearts of Mommy & Man, but enough of her "mix" ways to not be a "replacement Bella." Silly people... there is no such thing as a "replacement Bella!" ** big snort ** I'm happy to see that they decided to adopt May into our family. It's gonna be up to Teddy & Davey to teach HER the ropes (and her "place") like I did for them.

One thing that I'm not happy to see is how sad Mommy & my Man still are that I'm not there with them. I can see & hear them but they can't see or hear me when I reassure them that I'm okay, that I know we'll all be snuggling & playing together again before they know it, and that
I'm still the boss of everyone (well ... almost everyone) up here, just like when I was there. .. 'Cuz THAT's what Heaven is for me! So keep me in your hearts but please don't be sad. I'm so proud that your love for me has inspired you to help other homeless dogs find loving furever homes like I found.

And Phoebe Buffay... Thank you so much for always remembering me with gifties & sweet messages. I'm 'specially watching over you & waiting till we can play some day, too. Till then, I'm enjoying watching you & your Mom & all the fun you have together.

Love to all my family & pals...

Wiggles... Bella

Pawlease Vote For My Furiend, Miracle

Miracle came to the Rainbow Bridge just 6 months after being rescued. Unbeknownst to her new Mom, Miracle suffered from a little known disease called AIHA/IMHA. Miracle's Mom continues to strive to raise awareness and research funding for the disease on Miracle's behalf.

By clicking on this link you can help Miracle win the Brickfish contest and raise much needed funds for this cause. Just click Vote for Miracle.

To read Miracle's full story, click on Miracle's Page.

Thank you very much.

One Month Today Without Bella

I'd like to write a lighthearted diary entry today about Bella running happily, her youth renewed, with the other pups at the Bridge. Maybe next month. Today I grieve still for the gaping hole that remains where Bella once was. Where once there was shock upon touching her slimey ears after Davey carefully massaged them...
Where gardening once meant Ninja Bella snapping the gloves right off of my hands... Where once a taste of ice cream would be followed by a "Happy Dance" with 4 paws waving in the air... Where coming home once meant being greeted with a wiggle and a squeaky egg... and where every day I enjoyed her talking for her dinner, and telling the boys to settle down in the house, and the sounds of snorts and sneezes filled the rooms and our hearts.

The hole left by your absence is as big as the love we will always carry for you, our Belly Bug. We miss you, Baby Girl. oxoxoxoxoxoxox

Love & kisses,
Your Family.

Today I went to the Bridge

I was so tired and could not hold on any longer. Mommy and Davey Dog's dad did all they could to help me feel better, and I tried so hard to get better. But it was clear that I was losing ground every day. They gave me a great day today and were with me till long after I crossed over. I feel better now than I have for a very long time. They're so very sad right now and missing me so much. Thank you to efurry pup for your love & kindness. I'll let Mommy say more later.

Wiggles from Heaven... Bella

2-11-09 Here's Mommy:

We've kept our pals abreast of Bella's health issues here that arose around Christmas. We had seen tremendous improvement after she began medication to reduce swelling around her brain. But after 2 weeks of having the "old Bella" almost back, she began to decline again. Last Friday, I called and asked Dr. Ray about what else we could do to give Bella comfort, but we were already doing everything we could do. And this past weekend she was pretty much back to square one. On Monday, 2/9, I called Rita, Bella's favorite giver of hugs and cookies (AKA Dr. Ray's Assistant), and set the appointment to let our precious girl be at peace.

Once the decision was made, Bella was surrounded by her humans who loved her most... Me and Teddy, of course, and her favorite furfriend in the whole universe Davey Dog, and Davey Dog's man Frank, and Bella's Boy Michael & Michael's wife Christina. Her dad from her former life, Randall came to say goodbye, too. She spent the rest of Monday and all day Tuesday doing all the favorite things she could... She got the best food, had some ice cream, special cookies, went for a walk, drank all the water she wanted, made a stepping stone with her paw and Davey Dog's and Teddy Bear's paws imprinted in it, got flowers from Randall's girlfriend Bonnie, and more hugs than she could stand.

At the end of the day on Tuesday, Frank, myself and Bella arrived at Dr. Ray's office where Rita greeted her as usual with a pocketful of cookies and fresh hugs and kisses. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Ray and Rita, who were so caring and compassionate toward us and Bella. Bella and I looked into one anothers' eyes as she breathed her last.

I can't begin to express how much our friends' prayers, pawmails, rosettes, gifts, candles and postings of love and support have helped to carry us through this time of great sadness. Our family thanks each of you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you all.

Faccia Bella's Mom

It's Time for Football!!

My super pal, Harley Davidson, invited me to play in his football game and asked me to invite 5 more of my pals to play. I'm so excited! I never played football before!

Harley passed me the ball, so I have to tell 5 funny things about myself. I have to pick only 5??! Okay... Here goes:

1. When Mommy is fixing my dinner, I stand in the doorway & talk so
it sounds like I'm crying "Maaaa maaaaaa" (Mama);

2. If my BFF Davey Dog accidentally steps on me I go & snap at my
furbrother, Teddy... BOL!;

3. When the big boys have a bone or chew, I stick my pushed up little
nose right in there & take it from them just because I can;

4. If the toy that the big boys are playing with falls near me, the boys
are afraid to come get it because I'll snap 'em if they try to take it
back (even tho I don't even want it);

5. I like to go visit my neighbors, and once I went right into the open
porch door to visit a neighbor and she screamed & wouldn't come
out of her house because she thought I was mean! Can you
imagine!?

Now you know why my Mommy says I'm a funny girl... BOL!

Now I'm passing the football to my furiends who I pmailed so you can tell us 5 funny things about yourselves. 1 - 2 - 3 - HIKE!!!

wiggles... Bella

It's My 12th Birthday!!

I'm having such a great birthday! For a while we were worried that I wouldn't be here for my 12th birthday... But here I AM!!! I wish you could all be here to celebrate with us! I got to go INSIDE the p-a-r-k for a little while. AND me, Teddy, and Davey Dog had special kongs... AND we got peanut butter flavored ice cubes with carrots and broken cookie pieces in the middle! I can't wait to see what other surprises Mommy has in store for me! I'll tell you all about it later!

wiggles... Bella oxoxox

Your pawrayers are working!

Hi, Furiends! :-h

All the pawrayers and well wishes from my Dogster pals, old and new, are doing the trick! Each day Mom and I see some improvement. Last night Mom gave me my Kong with some peanut butter just inside and I could use my tongue to get some of it out! AND...

I walked up and down the stairs last night and today without any help and without losing control of my legs! AND...

I got up on the couch to lay down all by myself!

Today Mom took me with her, Teddy Bear and Davey Dog over to the off-leash park. I had to wait in the car till the boys finished playing with the other pups. But then Mom put the boys in the car and Mom and I took a walk along the outside of the park fence and I could smell all the news on pup comings and goings at the park, and I got to give the stink-eye to a couple of disrespectful pups that poked their noses through to sniff me. I can't go inside the park because it gets pretty unruly in there and I could get hurt. Besides, since my "condition" began I have a very short temper with other furs. I treat every dog (except Davey Dog) like they're Teddy Bear now... BOL.

I've still got a ways to go toward my goal of feeling "normal" but I'm on my way. So pawlease keep me in your pawrayers and thank you so much for your love and support.

wiggles... Bella

Where has everybody been?

Woof! I haven't seen Momma, the man, my boy, Davey Dog or that pesky Teddy Bear these past few weeks! Where have they been?
Come to think of it... Where was I?! I don't remember anything, but OMD am I exPAWSted!!

Today is day 3 on the Prednisone and all my furvorite pups and humans are back!

What's that, Mommy? ... Oh... Mommy says we've all been here, but I was not myself & I didn't know anybody. No offense, Mom, but that's not pawssible. I would never forget the beat of my heart, my Davey Dog.

But, even though everybody's back, I'm still not feeling quite Facci-fabulous. I'm eating better and pacing less, but Mom says I'm still up most of the night crying and pacing. I don't walk too good and it seems like my tongue isn't working right. We're hoping I'll keep feeling better.

Thank you to all my pals who've been sending sweet messages and pawrayers. I'll keep you updated. Keep your paws crossed for me.

wiggles... Bella