Love Story: Bella the Great Dane
Bella arrived one Sunday afternoon in March 2009. A pure breed
blue Great Dane, tall even for this species of dog, super skinny and extremely
skittish. When her original owners left her at the house all she could do was
run in circles around the couch and pee with fright whenever we tried to
approach her. My mum spent months and months coaxing her out of her frightened
shell, making her feel at home and safe, training her to walk on a leash (in
the three years of her life she had never walked outside of a backyard on a
leash), and trying to understand why she was so scared of everything. Ever
tried to hold a scared Great Dane on a leash when the wind ruffles something in
a bush, or a car honks suddenly? It’s like trying to hold down a bolting,
non-broken colt. They jump in the air. High. Taking all of their 100+ pound
weight with them. We realised that Bella had not been treated well, probably
abused, and never loved and cared for in the way that she should have been.
There were days when I know my mum was near to giving up, but she never did.
Three years down the line, Bella is a happy, 150+ pound dog
who now lives in California with my mum, sister and brother, Fury and the fat
cat Muffin. She is much loved and cared for, and spends her time following my
mum around the garden, sleeping on her bed right by my mum’s desk while she is
working and demanding cuddles and hugs whenever she can. There is not a
sweeter, more docile and gentle dog in the world. I spent a lot of time with
her on Long Island before my mum moved back to California too. I taught her to
run in the snow after the blizzards at the end of 2010, let her use my bed as
her own when I wasn’t in it, taught her how to jump on the couch and watch Lost
with me, even though she wasn’t really allowed to, and helped my mum teach her
that it was OK to be happy and be loved, and that she didn’t need to be scared
of anything anymore. I obviously don’t get to see her much anymore, a couple of
times a year when I am able to go and visit my family in California, but she
always remembers my voice, always follows me around like a devoted friend, and
always looks up at me with those big eyes full of love. It’s amazing what a lot
of love and caring can do for an animal. It makes me happy to think that
although her first three years were probably full of pain, fear and abuse, at
least the three years after that were full of love and happiness.
A few weeks ago the vet diagnosed Bella with bone cancer. It
started in her back leg, and although it hasn’t travelled to her lungs or other
organs yet, it will. There is nothing anyone can do but make her feel
comfortable until she is not comfortable anymore. Painkillers and muscle
relaxers, and a lot of help walking around, as the lump in her leg is growing
and jumping up on couches and running around aren’t really options anymore.
From talks with my mum and the rest of the family I gather that her condition
is worsening quite fast, and it breaks my heart to think that I may never get
to run around the garden, cuddle her or just talk to her again. It breaks my
heart even more to think of what my mum is going through right now, because
even though she is putting on a tough face, I can hear her heart breaking across
the thousands of miles that separate us.
My mum, who also happens to be a wonderful photographer, has
been documenting Bella’s life in our family from day 1, and it’s amazing to see
how she has grown and changed over the years, from the skinny, scared shell of
a dog, to the big, happy, mischievous dog that she is now. The collection of
photos that she has put together can be found HERE. The first page also
contains Bella’s story in my mum’s words.
"Little" Bellington - giant dog with a heart of gold <3>
