Bella is a very gentle, sweet and shy two-year old Whippet-type dog who is looking for a relatively quiet home where she can be part of a loving family. At twenty-four pounds, she is a little big to be a 'lap dog' -- but that doesn't stop her from trying.
The shelter manager first described her to me as "sweet and gentle -- a real mush."
Once she is comfortable, she is very playful, as you can see in this short video.
Unfortunately, Bella got off to a rough start in life -- she, like most dogs sold in puppy stores, came from a puppy mill in the Midwest and spent the first year and a half of her life in a cage at Puppies - Puppies - Puppies, a puppy store in Yonkers, NY. She was finally purchased by a family who dropped her off at the Mount Vernon Animal Shelter less than six months later. According to her paperwork she turned two on April 7th -- while sitting in yet another cage, this time at the shelter.
I moved her out of the shelter as soon as we had someone to foster her and she spent the next couple of weeks being showered with love and attention -- and even gained a pound :)
She is living with me right now while I look for a great home for her. She is very shy around people she doesn't know, and most men. I think her ideal family will be relatively small, maybe one or two children with a fenced yard -- she loves to play outside! She also loves to go for long walks (and they help to relieve some of the stress that comes with being a shy dog) -- so her new family would have to promise to get her out for daily walks. She is very good on a leash -- she is not the type of dog to pull at all.
She has been OK with mellow dogs that we walk with, but has not instigated play and is easily intimidated by other dogs. She could live in a home with another dog, but it would have to be a very calm one. Living with another dog could be very beneficial to her as it could help her relax.
Although her previous family did not take her out to potty, but used wee-wee pads, I have gotten her out regularly and she seems to get it. I have a pad out for her, in case she needs it, but she hasn't used it yet.
If you are looking to add something sweet and gentle to your life, and would like to meet Bella, please fill out an application from Cat Assistance, the rescue I volunteer with. Please share this with anyone you know who might be looking for a dog like Bella. Thanks! :)kerri ann
Kerri Ann Hofer blogs about animal welfare, the scourge of puppy mills, puppy store protests, and animal rescue. She also posts dogs and cats for adoption. Follow Kerri Ann's Patch blog by clicking here and then click "Get email updates."
