11/10/2022
Friends, we have some sad news to share. One week ago today, my family said goodbye to our precious 17-year-old poodle, Bella. She battled multiple health ailments for years, aided by a powerful will to live, natural and conventional treatments, and much love. Sometimes Bella seemed immortal to us.
In reflecting upon what made our little Golden Girl so special, I often think of how she was highly sensitive, intuitive, funny, and consistent. If you were down, Bella could sense it and would stay close and provide comfort and kisses. She never gave us any trouble, entertained us with her antics, was a good sport when we dressed her up for holidays and birthdays, and loved her veggies (prompting me to call her the “plant-based poodle”). Bella even played a role in our entrepreneurial endeavors. She inspired our Canine Cloud pet bed and served as the company’s Chief Canine Officer and primary fashion model.
Bella’s unique qualities were to be expected, as she was heaven sent. She was born the day before my grandma died. We felt a spiritual connection to Bella. My mom brought her home a few days before Christmas in 2005—our best gift ever!
Bella was a friend to many pets, including our late rescued Chow Chow, Teddy, and my own rescue dog, Annie. Bella even helped raise a feral kitten, Sadie, whom we found in our neighborhood and adopted out to an amazing family in 2018. Sadie is very comfortable around this family’s dogs, which they attribute to her early socialization with Bella.
Author and rabbi Harold Kushner maintains that every brush with death is a brush with life. Grieving the loss of Bella over the past week has been overwhelming. We loved her like a child. The depth of our love for Bella inspires us, in time, to pursue more love, adventures, and happy days—all in the company of dogs yet unknown.
According to spiritual teacher Ram Dass, “We are all just walking each other home.” It was our honor and privilege to accompany Bella on her journey home. Rest easy, sweet girl, as you are now healthy, happy, and whole again. Thank you for all the love, joy, and meaning you brought to our lives, which we will always treasure.❤️