Bella

Bella came into our pack in the fall of 2017 from another home where she spent a lot of time in a crate. As a result of her time in the crate, she had several bad habits, and we affectionately called her our “wild child” because even with the bad habits, we saw so much potential in her and she never failed to show us what she could do every day.

She was a very edgy and intense sheppy and all she needed was some love, strong leadership (that was us and the sheppy we had at the time, Sammy, who sadly passed away in August 2023) and a stable pack/home to fit into. Seeing how well she turned out, I think we gave her all that and a lot more – in return, she gave us the best of herself each day.

When we moved to the North Okanagan a few years back, Bella and Sammy traveled across the country with us and enjoyed the hotel experience and all the different places we stopped to visit as much as we did. Once we settled into our new home, Bella immediately staked her claim as to what areas of responsibility where hers to keep an eye out for. This area not only included the side walks that ran past our house but also a 2-block radius in all directions. If she could see something (day or night, didn’t matter), she gave her deep warning bark to let whoever was out there know she was watching. Sammy would also bark at folks who walked by, but it was Bella who took on the bulk of security around and inside our house.

After Sammy passed away, Bella became top dog in the house and continued being true to herself and us. We knew she missed Sammy but she carried on and we were so proud of her. She was always a very healthy sheppy and she recently just turned 9. We thought she would just keep going like she always did but unfortunately, she passed away though the night after being diagnosed with a enlarged spleen just a few days before. We’re quite simply, devastated. She’s left a big hole in our hearts and our home is very quiet now and it feels empty without her coming around every corner. We know she’s in a better place free of pain and by now, has caught up with Sammy looking for the next squirrel to chase while running through the green fields on the other side of the Bridge.

Bella, we are so grateful to have had you in our lives for 7 years. You will not be forgotten, and we will always be so proud of our wild child who became an amazing sheppy girl. We will miss you Bella, but you’ll always be in our thoughts and hearts – run free my sweet sheppy girl, run free.