BellaMississippi

9/12/06 - I should start out by saying that I've been blessed with the opportunity to not only have been Bella's foster mommy but now her forever mommy. Bella's adoption by another family did not come to fruition and so I was able to adopt this wonderful girl! She has come a long way from her illness since she first came to my home. Bella's the sweetest dog I've ever met (of course I'm biased)...she has the sweetest heart and soul and thrives on bringing lots of love and joy into my home. She is so eager to please listening to commands given to her and also making sure to give everyone lots of kisses. Bella was to have been spayed most recently, but a check up at the Vet showed that she now has a grade 2-3 heart murmur. The Vet believes this could be due to the heartworms and could go away on it's own. Our next steps are to follow up in a month or so to verify the status of the murmur and take things from there. We love our little Southern Belle to pieces and will make sure to provide more updates shortly!

9/06 - Bella has been adopted

7/28/06 - Bella is pending adoption
Although Bella's only been with us for just over a month, it seems as if she's been here much longer. When I talk to my family, friends and neighbors, everyone asks about Bella. All I hear is Bella, Bella, Bella. This house has officially been "Bellafied"! :) She makes such a great impression on everyone...we all just love her to pieces! It's been such a pleasure to be a part of Bella's journey with her new life!!! She has brought so much love into this house that we will definitely be sad to see her go. With that being said, we are sooo happy for this girl that BAR has found her forever home. She has been blessed with an awesome opportunity to start over which we as humans sometimes do not get. This girl is most deserving of this as all of BAR's boxers and friends of BAR (other breeds)are! Thank you for following Bella's journey with her foster home AND and big thank you (again) to all of you that assisted with her transport from Mississippi to New York!!! Bella will always remember how much you kept her in your prayers during her illness and her treatment!!!! She sends you all sweet boxer kisses! :)

7/23/06 - So it's been almost a month since Bella received her heartworm treatment. As I mentioned in my previous updates, she has been doing amazing! Seeing her now you would never even know that she had been sick at all! She is running and jumping around the yard without any symptoms (coughing). I still need to monitor her activity level for the next week or so, but I've been gradually allowing her to play more each day. She continues to enjoy her baths and even allows me to brush her teeth. Bella has filled our home with so much love and hopefully we have given her the same in return!

7/20/06 - Now that Bella has been feeling better, I was able to take her with me to the pet store yesterday. As the employees from the store saw her, they each made their way over to say hello. She received so many compliments on how well behaved she was and how well she listened to me after only being fostered for a month. She was so curious about everything in there, but was such a good girl! When I made my way to the register to check out, Bella saw the bird display and OMG she was so fascinated by them. She didn't try to jump on the display, but she was not having anything to do with me getting her away from them...it was like trying to drag a semi truck. After several attempts, we were finally able to leave the store.

7/18/06 - Bella is making a huge come back and she's letting us know that she is feeling much better. She gets so excited to see us when we wake up in the morning and when we come home from work. Bella has always given kisses when asked for them, but now she is proactive with them. If I'm working on the computer, she'll come over to me and jump up to give me kisses which is so cute. She loves taking her daily walks and each day I try to take her a little further now that she is doing better and has more energy. Stairs are no longer a problem. She used to take one step at a time, but now she jets up them with no problem. I even have to ask her to slow down a bit for her safety. We are no longer crating her at night. She does perfect when left alone in the home during the day and when we are sleeping. Bella is all wiggles and kisses and is a very happy boxer thanks to BAR!!!

7/14/06 - Bella has been doing great! She doesn't seem to show any signs of discomfort from the heartworm treatment. Her cough is still there, but to a small degree. I'm just now starting to see the boxer side of her and its very exciting! Gary dropped off some more stuffed animals for Bella and she has been playing with them around the house. I finally saw her pounce on them and it was awesome. I still have to monitor her activity level, so unfortunately I have to be the bad guy and make sure she is not too active.

Bella has really improved with walking on a leash. She still pulls a little bit, but it's a huge improvement to when we first starting walking her. She tends to pull more when you first take her out, but on the way back home she is very relaxed and rarely pulls. Birds and squirrels are of interest to her and she will try to take you to them if you let her. She has seen other dogs while walking and is just interested in looking at them...no barking or aggression. She did however bark at a teenager yesterday morning. He was at a distance and she only gave off one bark. Bella has met many of my neighbors during our walks. They all comment on how sweet she is! Bella seems to get along great with everyone and has yet to meet someone she doesn’t like.

I recently cleaned Bella’s ears. She was very patient with me while I was doing this however once I finished one ear she walked away….hesitant to come back. I asked her very nicely to come back and explained to her that her ears were very dirty and that she can’t walk around with one clean ear J Being the good girl that she is, she came back and sat quietly with me until I finished.

Bella weighed in at 54 lbs at her last Vet visit. Now that her appetite is back I anticipate that her weight will increase.

Bella loves, loves loves her belly rubbed and will ask for them by rolling over. Who can resist that cute belly???? She continues to be the sweetest thing ever. People just can’t help but fall in love with her. It warms my heart to see her feeling better as each day passes and I’m anxiously waiting for the day that she’ll be able to run around and play and really start to enjoy her new life!

7/10/06 - So now that Bella is starting to feel better, her appetite is slowly coming back, she's taken a liking to her treats again and she is even asking for belly rubs...yeah! She is still on track for not having any accidents in the house which is amazing! My carpet thanks her very much!

In one of my previous updates I said that Bella wanted nothing to do with the couch, but I've found proof to negate that statement (doggy prints). The funny thing is that she doesn't go on the couch while I'm around, only when she is by herself. I'm still crating her at night, but I'm leaving her lose during the day. She doesn't dislike the crate, but you definitely have to entice her to enter it with a treat. She doesn't bark while she is in there, but if I try to sleep in late on the weekends she has been my alarm clock a few times (just a couple of barks). She is used to our week day schedule of waking up before 6am, so sleeping in late for us is around 8am. Bella is home alone and uncrated during the day while I'm at work and continues to prove to us that she can be trusted! Nothing destroyed, no counter surfing...just some interest in the couch :) I bought Bella a bed for her to lay on when she first got her treatment and she uses it all the time. She takes naps on it throughout the day and sleeps on it at night while crated.

Bella's follow up with the Vet went great! I found a bump on Bella's back recently so they verified that it's probably a benign cyst. They wouldn't normally remove it, but since she will be getting spade shortly they plan on doing the procedure at the same time.

Bella continues to remain mild mannered, but the twinkle in her eye is starting to glimmer. She is really enjoying her surroundings and even more so the feeling of being loved and cared for!

7/6/06 - The heartworm treatment for Bella was injected into her muscles in her lower back area which was causing her much discomfort. She was having problems taking the stairs and even something as simple as walking around. Her cough had also intensified to the point that any time she got up to move she would end up coughing for 10-15 minutes and finally settled down only to start back up shortly after. Bella was coughing up a lot of phlegm and even some blood. I'm just starting to see her come around again. She's taking the stairs much better than she was and is moving around much easier and with less coughing. Her spirits seem to be higher and she is even starting to salsa dance for us again. I say that she is a little salsa dancer because when she gets excited she shakes her back end all around...it's just too cute!

There's a field by my house that has a professional fire works show for the 4th. I wanted to walk Bella early enough so that she wouldn't have to go during the show. So I took Bella out with several people around (kids and adults). She was a perfect angel! She sat right beside me as I talked to my neighbors. There were a few kids between the ages of 6-9 that wanted to say hello to her. She just sat there and allowed all of them to pet her head and her back. I was watching her very carefully to make sure that she wouldn't get spooked by anyone or from all the attention, but nothing seemed to phase her. I do know that she doesn't do well with loud noises (like a bang) because when something has been loud in the house she crouches down to the floor and hides. I had several distractions in the house during the show so that she wouldn't hear the fireworks and she did very well.

Bella received her first bath yesterday! She wasn't sure how she needed to get in the tub, so I had to pretty much get her in there myself. She did however try to jump out when I first started to get her wet with the water. Funny how she didn't know how to get in, but she sure knew how to get out! :) Once I told her to stay and asked her to sit for me, she did great! She gave a few licks towards the shower head, but remained still the entire time. I think that Bella thought she was at a spa because she sure enjoyed me rubbing the soap all over her. Now Bella is smelling so fresh and so clean!!!

We have another Vet appointment this weekend to follow up with her treament. So far this girl is doing wonderful!!!

6/27/06 - Bella received her heartworm treatment last Friday and Saturday. She was very well behaved for the car ride (approximately 1 hour drive each way) and was very sweet to all the folks at the Vet's office. During the next 4 weeks Bella will have to be kept calm and quiet. The Vet said that it is dangerous to allow Bella to do any activities that will increase her heart rate while the heartworm treatment is in her system. Since Bella is mild mannered and does not jump off the wall, we don't anticipate this to be a problem :) This little girl is just wonderful to have around. Even though she doesn't feel well right now, she is still so pleasant! She even gives us lots of sweet, sweet kisses.

Bella also wanted me to thank everyone who assisted with her transport from Mississippi....Ivy, Alison, Gary and all the other people that worked this out behind the scenes!!! She sends you all lots of love and most importantly lots of kisses!

6/20/06 - Since our last update Bella has shown some improvement with walking on the leash. Instead of dragging us down the block, she is now walking us very fast :) I am happy to report that she has also responded to treats. She initially wanted nothing to do with them, but I think that was because she may not have had them before. A lot of things seem very new to this girl. Gary (one of the BAR Directors) was kind enough to provide Bella with lot's of stuffed animals like the one that's in the picture. At first Bella wanted nothing to do with them, but once she realized it was okay to play with them and put them in her mouth...it was all over. Unfortunately, the stuffed animals didn't make it. We tried to give them CPR, but the damage was done :) Bella on the other hand had a ball! She didn't realize that if she kept chewing on them, there would be nothing left to play with. Our next steps are to get Bella something she can chew on that will withstand her teeth. Now, please don't get alarmed by my story of Bella and the stuffed animals because Bella is an absolute Southern Bell (our Mississippi girl)!!! We all know that Southern Belle's are supposed to be prim and proper which she is! She hasn't gotten herself into anything she is not supposed to. I even left her alone & uncrated in the house for an hour while I ran to the pet store and the grocery store. When I returned home everything was the same....Bella was even in the same spot where I left her. She has not had any accidents in the house and follows direction when given to her. This girl is just awesome!!! All she needs now is to get her treatment and find a permanent home that will give her lots of love and affection!

6/19/06 - Our new foster dog has been wonderful the last 2 days. She traveled a long way from Mississippi to be rescued by BAR. She is heartworm positive and will be starting her treatments the end of this week.
She is such a sweet girl and comes to you when she is called. Speaking of which, we've been calling her Bella instead of Sugar. Not that it was a bad name at all because she is sweet as sugar, but we were talking about her being a Southern Belle...that's when it turned into Bella and it kind of stuck with us.
Bella is completely content with laying on the floor and has no desire to jump on the couch (not even 1 attempt). She is very mild mannered and does not display any destructive behavior. We've left her alone in the finished basement (our family room) while being upstairs for 20 minutes at a time, to return to everything the same way as we left. Her treats were on the table (within her reach) and she made no attempt to sneak a taste. Which tells me that she doesn't seem to be a counter surfer. Her eyes still have a tint of sadness to them, but we're hoping that it will eventually fade away with lots of love.
Bella's cough comes and goes throughout the day. She has an episode for a few minutes, but then it stops. The one thing that we need to work with her on is walking on a leash...it all seems so new to her. She may be a sick girl, but she is strong and can take you down the block if you let her. Once she takes a step out of the house, she will start to walk you. I've been calling her name and giving her the command of "with me". She'll get it for a minutes, then start to drag again so I've been making her halt, then sit and start again.
Bella knows to sit and also lay down although she responds to this with a verbal command and hand gesture...she doesn't care for any treats with training. She has been eating pretty well, although she likes to eat when you stand by her. If you walk away, she will pick at a little bit then walk away as well. So far this wonderful girl is adjusting well and it's been a joy to have her in our home. People will absolutely love to adopt this girl!!!!

6/17/06 - From Gary Berg - BAR Director of Finances and Intake

I am happy to report that the Mississippi girl has made the loooooong journey, a journey that has ended with her finding BAR, and is safe and sound in her foster home.

So many thank you's to dish out. For starters, I want to thank a young lady named Ivy, who found this sweetie (she was calling her Sugar after she spent a few days with her) who found her wandering in the streets of Mississippi and knew that she needed help. Ivy does animal rescue down there, and took Sugar to her vet and confirmed that she was heart worm positive. It was clear that Sugar's life was spent being bred, and that she recently had a litter. Ivy, like so many rescues, was over capacity, and put out a plea for help. That plea was answered by boxer angels. So Ivy was going to drive all the way to New York, some 1200 + miles to get her into a BAR foster home. We really had to find a better solution, so with some research, we connected with a shelter down south that we have worked with in the past that has some transport contacts, and we had to get the dog to West Virginia and they would get her up to basking ridge, NJ.

So Ivy's trip was reduced to 650 miles (each way :o)), what a super person she is!

Then our very own Allison takes over from there and in typical fashion we have come to expect from her, she agrees to drive into Manhattan to meet me at the NYC shelter and hand off this girl, as well as take a beautiful boxer boy on her way home and drop him off with Carolyn Ann and Dianne, who graciously agreed to take this boy from the CACC and temporarily foster him until we can move him to a foster home. Allison, there is not much I can say but a great big THANK YOU!!!! for spending your Saturday nite saving a couple of boxers!! We are sooo fortunate to have you as a volunteer!

And finally, a great big thank you to Jackie and her sister Maria, who have agreed to foster the Mississippi girl. This is their 1st foster, and not the easiest health issue to do as a 1st, but thank you sooooo much for pitching in and taking her to the vet for her treatments, and letting her stay and get healthy. You have also truly saved a life here!

So Sugar arrived at 10:30pm, safe and sound in her foster home....she is just a totally sweet boxer girl who gives sweet gentle kisses when you ask for them, and is settling down I her new foster home tonight. When I left her she was already getting used to her new surroundings. This had to be a head spinning day and a half for her on her journey to BAR. Watch for her progress over the next 4 weeks.

I am soooo proud of what this group continues to accomplish...truly a special group, indeed!