In early fall, Bella came into Lee County Animal Control. She was picked up as a stray and over her 7 day stray hold she waited patiently for her owner to come for her, but no one called, no one came looking. So, like many others, she became a Safe House dog.
Bella came to Safe House wearing a thick metal chain for a collar almost embedded into her neck. She came to us with a urinary tract infection, an ear infection, and obvious physical signs of being bred constantly. She also came to us with severe signs of abuse including flinching, fear biting, cowering, and absolute panic if anyone raised their voice around her. When trying to get her out of the animal control truck, she was so fearful she cowered in the corner and, when that didn’t work, she unsuccessfully tried to bite in self defense.
Bella went into foster. Her first foster kicked her out for inappropriate urination and for aggression. We got her to the vet who diagnosed and treated her UTI. Bella went to Foster number two.
Foster two was making great progress with Bella, but Bella came down with a terrible ear infection. We got Bella to the vet for treatment, they were a little forceful with her, and she tried to bite the vet and vet tech. Bella’s foster, confident that she was making progress, took Bella back home and kept working with her to overcome her anxiety and fear.
By late fall, Bella had become very attached her to foster mom. She was the first person who was kind and took time to bond with Bella. Unfortunately, Bella saw the foster mom’s son as competition and bit him in the hand. It was not a nip. She bit him and broke skin. On her way out of the foster home, she bit the boy again on the other hand. Bella needed more help than we were giving her.
We reached out to several rescue partners and dog trainers. Many of them had the same advice: “euthanize her”, “she’s unstable, you have to put her to sleep”, “she’s an adult, she cannot unlearn what’s been done to her.” Most dog training facilities outright refused to accept her as a student. Bella was our first ‘problem dog’ and she now had a bite history. She was truly fearful, in a constant state of anxiety, and we questioned what quality of life she might ever have. At Safe House, we have never euthanized an animal for behavior issues. We have always gone the extra mile to find the right home. We have driven behaviorally challenged pets all over the country and even into Canada. We know the day may come when we might have to put a truly vicious dog down, but the day hadn’t come yet and we were unanimous that we weren’t going to euthanize anyone unless we were 110% positive that everything possible had been done. So we kept reaching out and looking for options.
Through a rescue partner, we found a board and stay training program in Chicago who agreed to take Bella on. Bella spent two weeks there and got glowing reviews. Bella excelled at clicker training, greeted guests politely, and was making great progress.
Her ear infection came back and really took hold. Bella’s equilibrium was off and she didn’t want her head touched. Bella’s trainer suggested the ear infection might have even caused her bite incidents. We ran a culture on Bella’s ear and were told she would need to be on antibiotics for 6 weeks.
Bella started her new meds and continued in training. Within days there was another phone call though – now Bella had developed kennel cough despite being vaccinated against it. Bella could not catch a break. She came back home to Safe House, where we put her into foster number three, followed her trainer’s advice to provide clear pack structure by giving her a safe place of her own like a crate and not the couch or bed, and we continued the 6 weeks of antibiotics plus treatment for kennel cough.
Bella made remarkable progress. She was happy. Once a fearful, anxiety ridden dog, her eyes now shined. She engaged visitors and other dogs. She ran and played instead of cowering. She learned to ‘sit’ on command. She gained confidence. She finally met enough people to understand not all of us are bad, not all of us are going to hit her, and that maybe the human race deserved another chance. The dog we know today as Bella is not the same dog we pulled from Lee County Animal Control. It just took a while longer for her to make her journey. It took more time, more money, more effort. It took giving her a chance.
In hindsight, we are thankful that we let our hearts guide us with Bella and that we did not listen when trainer after trainer told us that she must be euthanized. It makes me very sad to think of the many Bellas across the country who are not given this chance. How might you react if you were chained and beaten for 4 years? How long would it take you to trust again? Personally, I don’t think I’d ever be able to. I think Bella has me beat in the forgiveness department.
In a few minutes, Bella has an adopter coming to meet her. An adopter chose her specifically because she has these issues, which he understands and has experience with. She waits beside me now with tail wagging and her head in my lap, with complete trust in me. Many people ask rescuers how we do this work, how we suffer the heartbreak and stress. It’s for moments like these. There’s a chance this lovely girl starts the next leg of her journey tonight.
Update – 8:15pm: Bella has just gone home with her forever family. It was love at first sight.
