I recently celebrated my 18th month birthday and I’m doing well and enjoying the summer. I still have a lot of energy and especially like visits from the grandkids. They call me their “treasure” and love playing with them & them pampering me! I love looking out our front window and now have my own special chair to best see everything going on. My back window lets me see my next-door Labrador neighbor, Olive, who is my buddy. She always barks to let me know when she’s outside and wants to play I had my Cardiologist follow up appointment and testing last week and they said that I don’t act or feel as how serious my heart condition is. I still need to maintain a slow and steady pace to keep me healthy and well. I had a nice day at the groomer’s & am looking & feeling beautiful!

It’s been a few months since my last update. I’m now 14 1/2 months old and have grown both taller and longer BUT I still have my puppy energy! People are surprised when they find out that I have a serious heart condition. I will really enjoy the warmer weather after such a long cold winter. I love looking out my front door and windows to watch people, dogs, and birds. I especially like playing with my chew toys, particularly my bananas! My Valentine’s Day visit with my Cardiologist was not encouraging. My stenosis got significantly worse as I grew and I need to be more careful to not get too excited or active for too long. I’m very happy that I still feel well and am enjoying myself with my family. Love, Bella

Hi again! I just got back from the groomer who told me I’m now ready to enjoy the holiday season. This is my very first Christmas, so I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant. I asked the grandkids what to expect and they told me someone named Santa visits them early Christmas morning and brings them gifts from their wish list and puts them under their tree. I’m eagerly waiting to see where my present goes. They said he comes down the chimney so I’ll hang out in front of the fireplace to see if I can meet him. I’m very happy with my foster family and am very comfortable here. I’m slowly growing out of my puppiness and hope that my heart adapts to the challenge. THAT is MY special Christmas Wish. I’m going to see my Cardiologist on Valentines Day and hope to give you a positive update soon! Happy Holidays to You, Bella

Hello again! I'm Bella and I'm almost eight months old now. Quite a bit has happened since my first letter. I had to go see a heart specialist last month for further tests and an exam. They looked very serious and sad when I was done. I was told that I have extremely severe sub aortic stenosis, which makes my heart work a lot harder to pump my blood to my body. Unfortunately, surgery can't fix my problem. They say puppies like me usually live an average of eighteen months. I'm on daily medication now for the rest of my life to help slow down my heart so it works as best as possible. I need to be very careful not to get too active or excited or I'll get tired and weak, have difficulty breathing and could faint, or suddenly die. I'm now called a Hospice Dog and I've been with my new family for a month now and am very happy here. They say I'm a treasure to be with. I'm still full of puppy energy but I'm getting better at doing everything in moderation. I'm very affectionate and love to have company to pamper me. I especially like going on short walks and meeting my neighbors and their dogs. I'm very inquisitive and learn lots of new things every day.