In recent “Bella” news, she made the trek from Utah to California on the weekend of April 16^th to participate at the “America’s Family Pet Expo” in Costa Mesa, CA.  Bella, along with Cha Cha and Scooter-Boots, represented Healing Heart Sanctuary and gained many fans throughout the weekend by giving out lots of kisses and hugs to anyone who passed by.  She also played fetch, ran, and even some jumping!

The biggest piece of news out of Kanab, UT, is that Bella does not rely solely on a cart to get around. If she wants to play fetch or go on long walks, her cart is still necessary, however; she has made huge strides without it!  We are all so happy for Bella!

She is everyone's sweetheart!

Saying "hello."

Standing on her own!

Bella sitting.

Bella eagerly waiting to play fetch the the Pet Expo!

Bella and volunteer from 2nd Chance 4 Pets, Katie M. at the Pet Expo.

Laura Bradshaw and Bella at Healing HEART Sanctuary

2nd Chance 4 Pets volunteer Dan Vold escorted Bella from San Jose, CA to Kanab, UT.  Dan & Bella had an extra-long trip on August 17 with several poop & pee & diaper change stops. They stayed at a funky (pet-friendly) casino hotel in Mesquite, Nevada.  

They arrived at the Healing HEART Sanctuary today around 1 p.m. and were greeted by the welcoming arms of sanctuary volunteers and Best Friends staff members who had come to meet Bella. A local video crew filmed the afternoon events.  

Bella met the resident turtle and cats, and she has become fast friends with the dogs.

Dan will be bringing Bella to Best Friends Thursday, where she is slated to be a guest of honor at the Best Friends’ weekly staff lunch.

Dan is on a mission to promote Healing HEART Sanctuary (HHS) and to encourage Kanab visitors to volunteer at HHS, just a few miles from Best Friends Animal Society.

More about HHS:

http://helpbella.wordpress.com/2009/08/

and

http://www.healingheartsanctuary.org/index.html

Bella will soon become a special resident at Healing HEART Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Bella will be surrounded by the love and care of extraordinary humans and new furry friends.

Bella will continue to rely on our help for support, so please donate if you can. And if you’re planning a trip to Kanab, please contact Healing HEART Sanctuary to visit Bella, volunteer at the sanctuary, and meet an amazing group of individuals who have created a very special haven for special needs pets.  Healing HEART Sanctuary is only a few miles away from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

Website: http://HealingHEARTSanctuary.org

Here’s what Healing HEART has to say about the Sanctuary:

Healing HEART Sanctuary (HHS) is devoted to helping animals and children get back on their feet, whether it’s directly or through outreach and program development.

We take in rescued animals that have been injured or disabled, and we rehabilitate them. They either stay with HHS as a part of our onsite program or, when it’s time, we find appropriate adoptive homes for these special needs pets. During the animal’s rehabilitative time at Healing HEART Sanctuary, children who are physically, mentally, or emotionally challenged get the chance to interact with, care for, and help in the recovery process of the animals. The gratitude, joy, and love that the animals express enhances the human-animal bond and helps the children learn, among other things, that happiness need not be dependent upon circumstances.

Healing HEART Sanctuary is also dedicated to raising awareness of the able-ness of animals with disabilities, sharing information and collaborating with the public and other animal and people organizations.

Healing HEART Sanctuary is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation.

Laura Bradshaw, Executive Director
LauraBradshaw@HealingHEARTsanctuary.org
Phone: (818) 406-4923
Address: 160 W. Kanab Creek Drive
Kanab, UT 84741

Please call to schedule a visit before coming by.

Bella never asked to be paralyzed. She never asked to be abandoned by her owner or to be threatened with euthanasia. Bella’s only request in her short ten weeks of life has been for love and to find a family that she can love in return.

Bella is an adorable yellow Labrador Retriever puppy, and with one puppy kiss she can melt your heart.  That’s why the veterinarian at a San Diego vet clinic, who had been tasked with ending the life of this innocent animal, couldn’t go through with the procedure. And that’s why volunteers from 2^nd Chance 4 Pets, an all-volunteer animal welfare organization, have united to help Bella find a forever home and to make sure that she receives the medical treatment and rehab that she deserves.

2^nd Chance 4 Pets collected contact details for 50+ Southern California rescue and shelter groups and started distributing information about Bella to them and to the public. Simultaneously, 2^nd Chance 4 Pets began conversations with the San Diego vet clinic and realized that Bella needed to be re-homed as soon as possible.

Volunteers from 2^nd Chance 4 Pets drove to Southern California on Saturday, August 1, and brought Bella to a new foster home in the San Jose area. On Monday, August 3, Bella was seen by one of the area’s very best orthopedic surgeons, Dr. Andrew Staatz, who also brought in a neurologist, Dr. Christina Vitale. During the appointment, which lasted almost three hours, Bella was tested for neospora and a urinary tract infection. 

On Friday, August 7, test results showed that Bella does have a urinary tract infection, but she tested negative for neospora.  The neurologist and the orthopedic specialist believe that her paralysis and other health issues are related to a neurological condition and are not an orthopedic issue.

Scout’s House, a rehab center in Menlo Park, California,  saw Bella on Tuesday, August 4.  The rehab specialists spoke to the neurologist and also performed their own examination.  They demonstrated several stretching exercises designed to help Bella’s rear legs become less stiff.

2^nd Chance 4 Pets’ virtual volunteer team received no responses from their efforts to contact Southern California animal groups.  The volunteers switched their focus to developing a website for Bella (helpbella.org) and this blog. They also began to research organizations to apply to for financial assistance to cover Bella’s medical expenses.  A team of about 15 virtual volunteers located throughout the U.S. continues to focus on these efforts. Several local volunteers and friends of Bella are distributing more than a thousand flyers in the area in an effort to raise donations. 

Raising the necessary funds to provide Bella the treatment and equipment she needs has proven to be a daunting task. However, through the generosity of the public and the dedication of the volunteers, a handicap cart was built for Bella by the HandicappedPets.org foundation.  We have also received three carts from Best Friends Animal Society.

Bella’s medical problems are far from over. Just last Friday, August 7, Bella had an emergency procedure done, a consequence of her neurological issues.  Bella will be seen by Dr. Sheehy again on Monday, and we hope to be able to determine how successful Friday’s procedure was and to discuss the next steps for ensuring care and comfort for Bella. 

If you can make a donation to help Bella, please visit www.helpbella.org. Donations can be made online at www.2ndchance4pets.org and can be mailed to 2^nd Chance 4 Pets BELLA FUND, 1484 Pollard Rd, No 444, Los Gatos, CA  95032

About 2^nd Chance 4 Pets

2^nd Chance 4 Pets is a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer non-profit animal welfare organization established to reduce the number of pets unnecessarily euthanized each year at animal shelters and in veterinarian offices due to the death or incapacitation of their human companions.