Bella
Name: Bella Paton
Date of Passing: 06/21/2023
Message to Bella Paton: My sweet Bella would have been 15 years old today. I always thought she would live forever, but I knew in reality she would not. It's been nearly 5 months since we had to good-bye, I still miss her and cry every day, it's taken me this long to be able to even write words down on this page the loss bas been that tragic for me, but my hopes have always been one day I would be able to look back at all the happy memories without being so sad, because 15 years is a lot of life to celebrate, so here we are! I was fortunate enough to be able to say good-bye to my Bella in the way I think she would have wanted, through a Gentle Goodbye, but I know the expense is one not everyone can afford, so every year on Bella's birthday we will donate to the Butterfly Fund to be able to help families in need say good-bye to their loved ones, and I think for this Bella will be looking down smiling from over the Rainbow Bridge.
Tell us about Bella Paton: Bella came into my life a bit unexpectedly; I had just moved into my first apartment on my own in Chicago and my mom convinced me it would be a good idea for me to get a dog for company. I was so unsure of the idea, I had asked for a sign, which was sent to me in the form of a letter from a company called Primitive - where I had been at for an event several months prior and we filled out printed wish cards to be mailed for blessings to the Himalayan mountains in Nepal.
The card was returned to me in the mail this same day I had asked for the sign, and no my wish was not for a dog, however, their symbol on the front of the envelope was a paw print (and Bella just happened to be a Lhasa Apso, watchdogs for the monks in Tibet). I took that as a yes, I should bring her home! Since this wasn't planned, I didn't have a name picked out for her in advance, but I had happened to be reading one the twilight book series (keep in mind, this was way back in 2009!), and therefore she was named (no not after the word beautiful in Italian) after the main character in the book, Bella, the vampire! She was 3 months old when I got her, and just the best dog ever since. Tell us the ‘story’ of your pet (ex: how you got them, how did they get their name, favorite things, etc)
Of course, she had her misbehaving moments, as much as I tried to train her, she was a runner up until about 8 years old, causing much stress for her momma, but she was my first (and only) baby - and she went everywhere with me. We spent so much time together in the Chicago, at the dog parks, at the dog beach and also in Wisconsin - we had our place in Green Lake she came with every weekend over the summers, she was with me on every boat ride, paddle board ride, laying around the pier, hanging out in the bay... She loved my aunt's place in Mosinee, the fields that went on forever. When I did have to go out of town and couldn't bring her with me, she would stay at my dad's house with her best friends Moe and then Rocky (both yellow labs).
When we moved out of the city to the suburbs in 2017, she was able to enjoy a large backyard and long walks down the uncrowded streets. The last couple of years, with working from home in 2020, 2021 and 2022, I was able to spend so much more time with her during her golden years, and we both just really loved being around one another and keeping each other company. She was my everything. I will miss her every day for the rest of my life. She was my favorite hello and my hardest goodbye. I talk to sometimes as if she is still right there next to my side, I know she will always be in my heart forever. Bella, your momma loves you forever, run pain free my sweet little girl (2008 - 2023)....
Date of Passing: 06/21/2023
Message to Bella Paton: My sweet Bella would have been 15 years old today. I always thought she would live forever, but I knew in reality she would not. It's been nearly 5 months since we had to good-bye, I still miss her and cry every day, it's taken me this long to be able to even write words down on this page the loss bas been that tragic for me, but my hopes have always been one day I would be able to look back at all the happy memories without being so sad, because 15 years is a lot of life to celebrate, so here we are! I was fortunate enough to be able to say good-bye to my Bella in the way I think she would have wanted, through a Gentle Goodbye, but I know the expense is one not everyone can afford, so every year on Bella's birthday we will donate to the Butterfly Fund to be able to help families in need say good-bye to their loved ones, and I think for this Bella will be looking down smiling from over the Rainbow Bridge.
Tell us about Bella Paton: Bella came into my life a bit unexpectedly; I had just moved into my first apartment on my own in Chicago and my mom convinced me it would be a good idea for me to get a dog for company. I was so unsure of the idea, I had asked for a sign, which was sent to me in the form of a letter from a company called Primitive - where I had been at for an event several months prior and we filled out printed wish cards to be mailed for blessings to the Himalayan mountains in Nepal.
The card was returned to me in the mail this same day I had asked for the sign, and no my wish was not for a dog, however, their symbol on the front of the envelope was a paw print (and Bella just happened to be a Lhasa Apso, watchdogs for the monks in Tibet). I took that as a yes, I should bring her home! Since this wasn't planned, I didn't have a name picked out for her in advance, but I had happened to be reading one the twilight book series (keep in mind, this was way back in 2009!), and therefore she was named (no not after the word beautiful in Italian) after the main character in the book, Bella, the vampire! She was 3 months old when I got her, and just the best dog ever since. Tell us the ‘story’ of your pet (ex: how you got them, how did they get their name, favorite things, etc)
Of course, she had her misbehaving moments, as much as I tried to train her, she was a runner up until about 8 years old, causing much stress for her momma, but she was my first (and only) baby - and she went everywhere with me. We spent so much time together in the Chicago, at the dog parks, at the dog beach and also in Wisconsin - we had our place in Green Lake she came with every weekend over the summers, she was with me on every boat ride, paddle board ride, laying around the pier, hanging out in the bay... She loved my aunt's place in Mosinee, the fields that went on forever. When I did have to go out of town and couldn't bring her with me, she would stay at my dad's house with her best friends Moe and then Rocky (both yellow labs).
When we moved out of the city to the suburbs in 2017, she was able to enjoy a large backyard and long walks down the uncrowded streets. The last couple of years, with working from home in 2020, 2021 and 2022, I was able to spend so much more time with her during her golden years, and we both just really loved being around one another and keeping each other company. She was my everything. I will miss her every day for the rest of my life. She was my favorite hello and my hardest goodbye. I talk to sometimes as if she is still right there next to my side, I know she will always be in my heart forever. Bella, your momma loves you forever, run pain free my sweet little girl (2008 - 2023)....