Just in time for the holidays, we received this heartfelt account from DogTrekker.com reader Alison P.:
On October 4 I opened your email newsletter, Treat Your Dog to Autumn Adventure in Sonoma County. I love reading the DogTrekker newsletter, and although I'm close to and familiar with Sonoma County, I wanted to see what new trips and treats your group dug up.
And that's when I first saw Bella.
I immediately fell in love. My wife and I had been passively looking for another dog for a while, but were very happy with our own Sweetie Pie and content to wait until we found just the right addition to our family. The fact that Bella was deaf was intriguing, not deterring, and I just knew we'd be able to provide the kind of supportive home where she would thrive.
So that very day I went online at Pets Lifeline to check her out in depth, filled out an adoption application (maybe checked with my wife first, but you know, priorities and puppy love at first sight!), called Pets Lifeline and set up an appointment to come visit Bella, so we could introduce her to our Sweetie Pie and see if the pups could be sisters.
And then the Sonoma fires started.
Pets Lifeline, and Bella in her foster home, were in the fire's path and evacuated. We didn't hear anything from the group for a few anxious weeks, and in the meantime gathered up supplies and provided donations to help fire victims — with a special nod to the amazing animal shelters keeping their charges safe from harm.
Once the fires were extinguished and they were able to move back in, we heard from Pets Lifeline and went to go visit Bella. She and Sweetie Pie were instant friends, running and playing and having a great time together. So we made it official and, giving some time for Pets Lifeline to finish her vaccines and things, made a date to pick Bella up and take her home for good.
Now we have two sweet, adorable, loving pitties in our family, and life is wonderful.
Bella with her big sister – Photo Credit: Alison Peters
We all spent Thanksgiving in a cabin in South Lake Tahoe. Bella seems to be enjoying her new life, and Sweetie Pie is an excellent big sister — who sometimes gets annoyed by puppy antics, but gets over it pretty quickly.
We are thankful for your the DogTrekker newsletter, which provides great information and introduced us to Bella in the first place.
We are extremely grateful to Pets Lifeline for rescuing and taking care of Bella till we could find her — and for providing an amazing foster family for her in the meantime. Thanks to that group effort, Bella came home well trained, happy, lovable, and with toys, clothes, crates and a constant support lifeline in her foster mom, who we became and remain friends with.
Happy Holidays!
With love from,
Alison, Teri, Sweetie Pie & Bella
