Bella's Memory: Help Ease Financial Strain

As many of you know, my son Christopher and I were on a Missions trip in Kentucky with his school last week. Our puggle, Bella, had gotten into some food she shouldn't have Saturday evening while I was packing. She seemed to have passed everything and was recovering Sunday except for some GI issues, and we left early Monday morning for our trip. My boyfriend Eric was going to be taking care of her and our cat while we were gone. Bella seemed to be okay Monday, but declined rapidly on Monday evening. He took her to the emergency vet in Verona that evening, and they took x-rays and blood, and gave her an IV of fluids due to dehydration. She didn't have a blockage, but she was extremely dehydrated. They kept her overnight (which was just a few hours at that point) with fluids in her. That bill (from 1:00 am to 8:00 am on April 29) was over $2,100. He took her to Anicira the next morning, where they gave her more fluids. He picked her up that afternoon and was to monitor her and bring her back to get her port removed or continue treatment, depending on how she did overnight. She started to decline that evening, with no appetite and was unable to keep water down, and he took her back early Wednesday morning, April 30. As he was waiting for the doctor, she had a seizure. They quickly tended to her and got her stabilized. I was trying to communicate with the doctor and him on what the next steps were, and the doctor said that she may have had an underlying kidney issue we didn't know about, and that they could send her to a vet in Charlottesville to see if they could help her. As they were getting her ready for transport, and Eric was fueling his truck to go get her, she began seizing again. The doctor called me and told me we were losing her. I asked to be put on speaker phone so I could talk to her and say good-bye, which they did. She passed as I was telling her how good of a girl she was and how sorry I was that I couldn't be there with her and how much I loved her. Eric got there shortly afterwards and spent some time saying good-bye to her and letting me see her on a video call. To say I was devastated is an understatement.

Bella was always SO HAPPY! She was a bundle of joy, and didn't know a stranger. She loved everyone, even those who didn't love her. Our hearts are broken, devastated, at this sudden loss of our little ray of sunshine. She would have been 11 on July 4, 2025. We now have a huge hole in our hearts where her little nose should be.

As you know, emergency vet bills are outrageous. I haven't received the bill from Anicira yet, as she is still there because they were closed Saturday, and the SPCA where I will be taking her is closed today, but I'm guessing it will be around $500. To add to this emotional and financial stress, I am also in the process of trying to buy a house and move, which is another story in itself. My funds are extremely tight and limited. I also want to have her cremated, so we can have her with us when we find our home. I am hoping that I can raise enough to cover her vet bills and final expenses, so I don't have an additional financial burden on me at this time. It seems like my son and I keep getting knocked down, and I'm doing my best to keep us afloat on a single income. Anything you would be willing to donate to put toward her vet bills and final expenses would be greatly appreciated. If you knew Bella, you loved her. This is a final way you can show her that. If you are unable to help, please share this and pray for us as we go through this process.