In Short

Bella is my sweet 10-year-old Akita–Collie rescue, and over the last two weeks her back legs have suddenly started collapsing. She’s weak, in pain, and struggling to walk, and our vet doesn’t yet know the cause. She now urgently needs a specialist appointment and an MRI to understand what’s happening and begin treatment.

Bella has been a huge support to me through autism, ADHD, and multiple chronic health conditions. She helps me feel confident in my community, breaks my hyper-focus when I’m burning out, and stays by my side on the days I’m exhausted or in pain. She’s had a tough life and deserves a comfortable, happy senior life.

Specialist care is expensive, so I’m fundraising to get her the urgent help she needs. Any donation, big or small, will make a real difference. Thank you for caring about Bella.

Full Story

Bella is my 10-year-old Akita–Collie cross and a gentle, sweet senior rescue dog who has brought so much love and stability into my life. She’s naturally shy around new people, but once she trusts someone, she becomes playful, funny, and full of personality. Her zoomies make everyone laugh, she adores children, and she loves other dogs so much that she forgets her own size. When we walk with other people, she instinctively “herds” everyone together to make sure nobody gets left behind.

Over the last two weeks, something frightening has happened.

Bella’s back legs have begun collapsing without warning. She’s suddenly weak, clearly in pain, and struggling to stand, walk, or even squat to go to the toilet. This came completely out of the blue, and it’s getting worse.

Our vet is concerned and doesn’t yet know the cause, so Bella is being urgently referred to a specialist for advanced imaging — likely an MRI — to understand what’s happening. Without it, we can’t begin the right treatment, and mobility issues like this can worsen quickly.

How Bella supports me

Bella isn’t “just my dog.” She plays a huge role in helping me manage autism, ADHD, and multiple chronic health conditions.

With my autism, Bella helps me feel more confident walking around my neighbourhood and interacting with people. She naturally breaks social barriers — people approach her, and suddenly conversations feel safer and easier. Because of her, I’ve met people I never would have otherwise, and it has helped me feel part of a community instead of isolated.

With my ADHD, she gently interrupts hyper-focus before I push myself into exhaustion. She’ll bring me a toy when she senses I need to take a break — her little way of reminding me to rest and reset.

With my physical health, I live with twelve chronic conditions, which is a lot to manage day to day. On the days when pain and fatigue make everything difficult, Bella stays loyally by my side, offering comfort, companionship, and calm. She has been a steady source of emotional grounding through some incredibly hard times.

Bella was a rescue who already had a tough start in life. Giving her a safe, loving home in her senior years has meant everything to me — and seeing her suddenly struggle like this has been heartbreaking.

Why I’m fundraising

Specialist veterinary care in the UK is extremely expensive. We are facing costs for:

Specialist consultation

MRI under sedation

Any further tests or treatment depending on results

I want to give Bella every chance at keeping her mobility and enjoying the happy, gentle retirement she deserves. Any amount you can donate — even a small one — will go directly towards her specialist care. Every donation and every share truly helps.

Thank you so much for reading and for caring about Bella. I will keep this page updated as soon as we know more about her condition.