Category Archives: Being Bella

Bella Shares Her Prettiest Facebook Photos

0
Posted by on May 11, 2012 – 8:22 am
Filed under Being Bella

Mommy enjoys taking pictures of me so we have lots and lots of them.  Some are silly, but some are really pretty and I am going to share them with you in this blog.  Since starting on Facebook, Mommy likes to look at the pretty pictures that people share of their families, places they go, their pets, and so she started taking pictures of me.  This is one of the earliest photos that she put up on Facebook, and it is still a favorite because I am smiling:

This is one of Bella's earliest Facebook pictures.

Later, as my coat got thinner, I began to wear pretty little dresses.  Then one dress led to another and then coats, and then pearl necklaces and pretty soon I became a fashionista.  It took me a little while to get used to it,  but I sure do turn heads:

Bella 2

This is a pretty little Halloween Pawty Dress, a friend’s Mommy made it just for me:

Bella models her custom-made Halloween Pawty dress Read More »

Bella Talks about the Importance of Microchipping

1
Posted by on May 4, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under Being Bella

You have just come home from work at the end of the day, but that familiar sound of barking greetings upon your arrival is missing.  You think maybe she’s asleep and didn’t hear your car, so you open the door and put down your keys and purse.  Continuing through the house you call out her name…expecting her to come bounding down the hall, but she isn’t there.  Panic sets in.  You look through all the rooms but you don’t find her.  You go out to the yard to see if she is there and look from one end to the other, and then you turn the corner and realize the gardener left the gate open…and your beloved pet is gone.

Are you prepared in case your beloved pet accidentally gets out of your yard?

What next?  You comb the newspaper over the next few days looking for the “Found Dog” ads.  You visit the local animal shelter, walking up and down the rows of runs, filled with dogs that have all become separated from their homes for endless reasons.  Some kind person may have picked her up, but who and where?   You even call all the veterinarians in town, asking if someone might have called them about a dog like yours.  There is one more thing that you could have done, but didn’t do:  If only you had listened to your veterinarian’s advice and had her microchipped.  The chip is slightly larger than an grain of rice, and carries a unique number that can be traced through a registry to locate you.

A pet microchip is slightly bigger than a grain of rice

Veterinarians routinely microchip pets.  Often there are microchipping services available at discounted prices at pet specialty events, fairs, and expositions.   Pet rescues such as Southern California Pomeranian Rescue and shelter pets are almost always microchipped upon adoption.  There is now a FREE registration database that will not cost pet owners an annual fee at microchipregistry.foundanimals.org.  In three easy steps your pet’s microchip number will be registered. You will need to update your information, however, if you move or change your telephone number.  Microchips result in a high rate of shelter animals being returned to their owners; if the owner can’t be located it is usually because of disconnected telephone numbers in the registration data base.  Always include a second contact like a family member or even the rescue that you adopted your pet from as a back-up.

Once your pet is microchipped, be sure to keep the contact information up to date

You will sleep a little better at night knowing that you have increased your pet’s chances of survival and reunion by taking the step to 1) have her microchipped and 2) register the chip for free at microchipregistry.foundanimals.org.

You'll sleep better knowing your beloved pet is protected with a microchip

Bella Attends America’s Family Pet Expo

7
Posted by on April 27, 2012 – 8:35 am
Filed under Being Bella

America’s Pet Expo is the largest consumer pet show and expo, with lots of exhibitors and vendors and shows, and everything is about pets!  We were at the Orange County Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa CA on April 20, 21, and 22.

Bella at opening day of America's Family Pet Expo

There were lots of breed exhibits, and police and protection dog demonstrations, adoption booths–that is why I was there with Southern California Pomeranian Rescue as their Pombassador! There was a petting zoo, and pony rides, and this year there were some very special guests: The Beverly Hills Chihuahuas, Chloe and Papi, and Uggie from “The Artist”, and Brigitte who plays Stella on “Modern Family.  There were vendors of pet foods, clothing, toys, all kinds of pet oriented products and services.

I was very excited about our booth there for our rescue Pomeranians.  We had several of the Pommies that were available for adoption there for people to meet and play with.  I was also very excited about having my picture taken with my 1-800-PetMeds fans!  People always like to take my picture but this time I actually got to pose WITH them!  Here I am on the lap of one of my fans:

Bella poses with one of her fans

Mommy made a giant PetMeds box for me to sit on so I could pose for pictures.  Lots of people and their children posed for pictures with me and donated to the rescue.  People would tell me that they watch the commercial and think that I am the cutest little dog ever!

Bella poses for photos on a PetMeds box

Read More »

Bella Loves Hello Kitty

1
Posted by on April 13, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under Being Bella

Now you might think it is a little weird and downright crazy, but I am crazy about Hello Kitty.  It started with a Bella Blankie that Mommy was making for Southern California Pomeranian Rescue.  She discovered that there was a hole in the fabric so it just wasn’t suitable to be sent out to a donor; it didn’t just get thrown out, no, she just made it a little shorter so the hole got cut off the end.  So the short Hello Kitty Bella Blankie got to be Bella’s Hello Kitty Bella Blankie!  This is me with my very own Hello Kitty blankie.  I still have it and I take it everywhere.

Bella loves her very own Hello Kitty blankie

Then my furrends started sending me things, like Hello Kitty Jelly Beans and Hello Kitty Stuffies.  I have little stuffies and big stuffies, here I am with two of my most favorite big stuffies:

Bella poses with two of her favorite Hello Kitty stuffies

Read More »

Bella Dishes with Ms Texas America 2012

2
Posted by on March 30, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under Being Bella

I recently had an opportunity to sit down and have a chat with my furrend Shanna Olson, who holds the title of Ms Texas America 2012, about all of the things that we have in common. Besides having a great appreciation for fashion, style and beauty there is also something else that we both love: Shanna is also a volunteer for Southern California Pomeranian Rescue and she attends many of our events and helps raise funds and awareness.

Shanna is a volunteer for Southern California Pomeranian Rescue

Shanna’s platform for her pageant and charity work is Animals Helping People and People Helping Animals. Shanna is always interested in bringing awareness to events that put a spotlight on the good works that people and animals do for one another.  Here is a picture of Shanna, me and my Mommy at one of our adoption events last month, and I wore my tiara because Shanna wore hers:

Bella dons her own tiara and poses with Shanna

In February, Shanna attended a very special event to deliver pet oxygen masks to the Anaheim PD K9 unit. Here is a picture of Shanna with Emma Zen, Canine Ambassador, whose foundation focuses on pet safety and awareness, and raises funds to purchase the pet oxygen mask kits to be donated to first responders:

ShaEmma Zen's foundation raises funds to purchase pet oxygen mask kits to be donated to first responders

I think that Shanna is a very special person and I am very proud to be her furrend. Thank you, Shanna, for spending some time with me to tell me about some of the special projects that you are supporting, and keep up the good work!

Bella Talks about Synergy: A Bella Blankie is More Than Two Pieces of Fabric

3
Posted by on March 23, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under Being Bella

Mommy is really the originator of the Bella Blankies, but how they got started and the crazy way they have become popular is all the work of a big magic word:  Synergy.

In July of 2010, Southern California Pomeranian Rescue accepted a plea from the South Hamilton Animal Alliance and the Jewell Animal Hospital in Jewell, IA for help with placing a large number of adult Pomeranian dogs that were being released from an Iowa puppy mill. Here is a picture of them with Dr. Lisa Hindle Deppe of Jewell Animal Hospital after leaving the puppy mill:

Dr. Lisa with Pomeranians released froma puppy mill and looking for a home.

Transport was arranged and soon 11 dogs were being driven to California and taken into rescue. Here is a picture of SCPR Volunteer Bruce and Precious Pets Transport driver Linda upon their arrival.

Precious Pets Transport ready to rescue Pomeranians in need.

Many volunteers gathered to receive the dogs, bathe them, groom them, and get them all ready to be picked up by the foster families who had agreed to foster them while SCPR worked to find them all homes. It was a hot and sunny day in Southern California and everypawdy got wet , even the volunteers!

Volunteers bathe and groom the Pomarnians so they are ready for their foster family.

Money needed to be raised to cover the expenses.  Mommy committed to making 20 fleece dog blankets to help raise the funds. She made her own pattern and had enough fleece to make 10 right away. We told everypawdy on my Facebook page about it. Here is the picture of me that we took on the very first one featured on Facebook:

Bella poses with the first Bella Blankie

The volunteers at SCPR dubbed them “Bella Blankies” after me, and my Facebook furrends really loved them. They are not sold, but anypawdy that makes a donation to SCPR can ask for one and Mommy will send it as her thanks for helping support SCPR. The donations pay for spay/neuter, microchipping, vet checks and treatment where it is necessary, vaccinations, dental care, and sometimes even life-saving surgeries. People from all over the world have Bella Blankies now: in Australia, Norway, France, Canada, England and Scotland too! Beginning with the very first Bella Blankie in July 2010, we are proud to have recently sent the *drumroll please* 500th Bella Blankie  to my furrend Theodore. Here is Theodore celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of his adoption:

Bella's friend Theodore with the 500th Bella Blankie

So if you are asking what any of this has to do with Synergy? Synergy is what you get when the whole is more than the sum of its parts. After all, it is just two pieces of fleece; but when they are sewn together with love and the hope that the lives of more dogs will be saved and placed into homes, it officially becomes a Bella Blankie.

And there, my furrends, you have it.

Bella Talks About Dealing With Grief

12
Posted by on March 9, 2012 – 9:00 am
Filed under Being Bella

My family has had a loss this week: my sister Lois went over Rainbow Bridge.  Rainbow Bridge is a place between here and there, where the animals go to wait for their human companions to meet them and go on the rest of the way to Heaven together.

Bella's sister Lois went over Rainbow bridge

Lois was much older than me.  My pawrents adopted her from rescue twelve years ago, so she could have easily been fifteen years old or more. This is Lois that first Halloween, wearing a pink ballet tutu that Mommy made for her costume.  She was always very athletic and loved to run and jump.

Lois was adopted from rescue 12 years ago.

Lois had been rescued from the animal shelter where she had been picked up as a stray, and a rescuer came to get her out before she met a terrible fate.  My pawrents were looking for a Pomeranian and they don’t remember quite how the connection was made, but they adopted Lois. Because of that nice lady that rescued her, and because my pawrents were there to adopt her, Lois was able to live the next twelve years in the embrace of love with a family.   This is a picture of Lois just before she passed:

Bella's sister Lois, not long before she passed to Rainbow bridge.

She grew older and her face grew more white, and she slowed down just a little but always chased the birds in the yard and barked at the garbage trucks every Monday.  Old age and old bones caught up with her and we had to let her go, but we are very sure that there was a huge Welcoming Committee waiting for her at Rainbow Bridge.

The Welcoming Committee for Lois

We will miss her tossing her toys around just before mealtime, and hearing her snore under the big bed where she loved to sleep.  Her long life is really a tribute to the people who do the work of rescue everywhere, saving animals from being disposable too soon.  We are looking at the bigger picture that she was an example of, and encourage people to adopt their pets from rescue.  Because of dogs like Lois, I am so fortunate to be the Pombassador for Southern California Pomeranian Rescue.

We pets don’t make out wills, but if I could, I would want my pawrents to get another dog from rescue right away.  Saving another life would be the best way to honor mine after I have gone to Rainbow Bridge.  I will be waiting for them along with all the pets that came before me and will come after me, and together we will finish crossing Rainbow Bridge over to Heaven and this is what we will see:

Jesus

Bella Goes to Silver Bay Kennel Club Dog Show

11
Posted by on March 2, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under Being Bella

Last weekend was the Silver Bay Kennel Club of San Diego Dog Show and I got to go–oh, not as a show dog in the ring competing for points, and majors, and specials, and I still don’t know the significance of all the different colors of ribbons.  I went as a house pet for people to meet up-close and personal and get to know a little something about Pomeranians.  It is a special time for me and Mommy because it is just the two of us, and we go in the PomMobile.

Bella, beside her PomMobile.

Dog Shows are open to the public and if you didn’t know it, the different Breed Clubs will sometimes sponsor a “Meet the Breed” booth at the show where club members will bring their personal pets so that show visitors can come by and see the dogs with their owners.  Visitors are encouraged to ask questions about the dogs and learn about the different breeds.

Many dog shows have "Meet the Breed" booths.

Meet the Breed is my most favorite thing to do, and it is where I also get to talk about Rescue and encourage the visitors thinking about getting a Pommie to consider contacting one of the many breed specific rescue organizations or start their search on Petfinder.com.  There usually are also handouts available so you can even take some information home.  Here I am in the Pomeranian Club’s booth last Saturday with some of the informational handouts we had for people:

Bella encourages people to consider breed-specfic rescues.

It is a great place to learn more about whether or not you really want a Pomeranian, or a German Shepherd, or a Poodle.  You can ask questions about temperament, housetraining, compatibility, or a lot of other things like what kind of grooming needs or health problems your favorite breeds may have.  The children like to pet me and feel how soft the top of my head is, and Mommy gives them little bits of treats to feed me (I love that part).  I must have been petted by a zillion different people that day, and got my picture taken by a bazillion more.   Mommy loves it when one of the professional photographers with a cool whiz-bang camera will take my picture too, like this one:

Many people enjoy petting Bella's soft fur.

Another fun part of going to the big dog shows is all the vendors that come with all their wonderful wares like a big bazaar.  There are so many things to see, and taste, and we see new products all the time.  Mommy usually gets me something to chew on or a new outfit when we go.  I ride in my pink Pommie Pram and bark at everything that moves and even if it doesn’t move, I will still bark at it.  Then at the end of the day it is time to go back to the PomMobile and go Nighty-Nite and gear up for the next day.

At the end of the day, Bella goes nighty-night in her PomMobile.

Bella’s Big Adventure

6
Posted by on February 24, 2012 – 8:40 am
Filed under Being Bella

Last November, I got to take a tour of the PetMeds offices in Florida, and brought my BFF Hope with me.  Hope is a Pomeranian, too.  We flew on an airplane from California to Florida.  Mommy and I were very happy; it was the first time we had ever flown First Class anywhere!  We took my stroller with us, so while we were in the airport I could ride in my stroller and look out, and the people would smile when they saw me.  Here is a picture of me in the stroller waiting for the airplane.

Bella travels in her stroller at the airport.

The next day another one of our furrends, Chewie Mutt (his real name is Chewbacca Cuddlebun Waffles but everypaw calls him Chewie Mutt for short), who lives in Florida met us at our hotel.  Me and Hope have been furrends with Chewie on Facebook for a long time but we had never met him in real life before, so this was very exciting for all of us and our moms, too.  Here is the picture of the three of us together for the first time.

Bella meets her friend Chewie Mutt at the hotel.

That afternoon we went to meet the people at PetMeds, and some of our other Facebook furrends that live nearby met us there.  We got the grand tour and got to see how all the customer’s boxes got filled with their orders, and all the amazing machines that make the boxes move like little boxcars on a railroad track getting filled with all kinds of wonderful things.  Here is a picture of me sitting on top of the biggest treasure trove of Greenies ever!

Bella on Mt Greenie

Chewie had to go back home the next morning, so Hope and I got to go shopping in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea!   This is a picture of me and Hope at the beach there, but notice the sign in the background behind us–we didn’t actually get on the beach because we weren’t allowed.

No dogs were allowed at the beach.

So we got ice cream instead!

Bella enjoys ice cream

What a day!   We made memories to last a lifetime of visiting with our furrends and having a great time. Back at the hotel it was time to rest for a while because we had an early plane to catch back to Los Angeles the next morning.

After a busy day, Bella naps before her flight home.

PS:  Thank you, PetMeds, we all had a pawesome time!

Bella Talks Hairstyles

15
Posted by on February 17, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under Being Bella

The question that I am asked most frequently is what breed of dog I am.  Most people are surprised to learn that I am a Pomeranian.  Poms are supposed to have big poofy coats, but you have noticed that I have my coat trimmed pretty short.  Here is a picture of me as a puppy when I was about 4 months old:

Bella when she was a puppy, about 4 months old.

I had a nice coat that grew big and poofy. Since my pawrents live in the High Desert region of Southern California, my mom would take me to the groomer and ask for a “Puppy Cut” at the beginning of the summer just before it would get really hot.  Here is a picture of me with my Puppy Cut:

Bella looking adorable in her puppy cut.

My coat always grew back nice and poofy over the winters until I was about five years old, when it began to get thin, first on my sides and then on the backs of my legs, and then my neck.  We learned about Alopecia X, the mysterious thing that makes several different dog breeds, including Pomeranians,  lose their coats.  It is NOT a reason to put a dog down, but a dog with Alopecia X should not be bred.  The problem is, you don’t know if a dog has Alopecia X until he is several years old.  There is research being done now to try to identify a DNA marker for it, but none has been found yet.  Jiggy on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has lost his coat too.  Mommy has always liked my short coat anyway and thinks I am much cuter this way, so now she gets me pretty dresses and outfits to wear.   Here is a picture of me in one of my prettiest pawty dresses:

Bella's pretty party dress covers her hair loss caused by AlopeciaX.

A lot of people have suggested many things to help grow my coat back, and Mommy has honestly tried them: Melatonin, thyroid supplements, special shampoos and exfoliants,  raw food diet, no poultry products diet, but so far none of that stuff has worked for me.  Despite all of that, most would agree that I look fine just the way I am.