Good-bye Bell

Do you know the theme song for "Old Yeller?" Well that is the theme song of our four pawed faithful friend, Bell. We changed a word here and there.

"Old Beller!

Come back Beller!
Best dog gone dog in the West!"

And she was the best dog in the world.

We rescued her from the pound in 2001. She was quiet and sweet. She didn't bark for the first 4 months. She was already well trained, except for the leash. She liked to lead and drag you down the street. She loved to go with us on trips, but hated car rides and would whine constantly while we drove down the road. She was very proper and polite to other dogs, just as long as they kept their nose away from her privates. For a treat she would dance, roll over, say she loved you "arf, arf, arf", shake hands, catch the treat in the air, and sit pretty.

I will always remember....

-How she would pull us up heal when we were hiking.

-Greet everyone who came to the door with a lick.

-Herd us when we would go in four different directions on the beach.

-Run from the vacuum.

-Follow the kids when they went out to play.

-Chase the neighbor kids who were afraid of her, just because she thought they were playing.

-Beg for treats from the neighbor while he was in his UPS uniform. She knew that is when he had them.

-That Bell did not like to get her paws muddy if at all possible. I built a cement path in the back yard and she used it faithfully.

-Bell didn't like to swim, but she liked to rescue sticks floating at the edge of the water.

-She loved to mother chicks. She would put her nose down by them and talk to them in a gentle tone.

-She loved kids and was gentle with babies. She never bit.

-She was an escape artist and then would wait for us in the driveway while we were gone.

-And many more memories.

She also suffered from allergies. It started with flea allergies and later food and pollen. Eventually she was on low doses of prednisone, that gave us an extra year with her. And when the ear and skin infections became a chronic condition, we just couldn't watch her suffer anymore.

So on Monday, January 5th 2009 we enjoyed our last day with her. We hugged her, took her on her last walks, and spoiled her with her treats. We all cried on her last trip to the vet. We tried not to cry in front of her, but at the vet, we could not hold back any longer. We said good-bye. And then cried all the way home.

Her corner is very empty now that she is gone and we miss her. She will always be in our hearts as the "best dog in the west."

estimated birth 2000 - January 5th, 2009