Jeannette’s Afghan Hound Bella’s Eye Surgery

Hello, I am Charlotte Bender, volunteer Rescue Chair for the Southern Arizona Afghan Hound Association, founded in 1985. We have worked with a number of breeds and canine adoption and rescue agencies over the past decades.

Dear "Friends of Bella,"

When Jeannette York was dying, she was told by her family that they would take care of her dogs. Jeannette's siblings did take 2 of the dogs.

However, her husband and his daughter kept two- Bella and Danika- and then put them up for adoption as a bonded pair in good health. AZ Rescue was not allowed to get these dogs, and all our inquiries were ghosted. Afghan Hound Club of America Rescue was not allowed to take the dogs.

A couple in Las Vegas, John and Kimberly Dillon Scott, did open their hearts, were delivered Bella & Danika and paid $1100 for them. The girls were spayed but needed dentals.

John and Kimberly have done much rescue work with greyhounds over the past 20 years. It became apparent that these were not a bonded pair of FMs and, in fact, Danika needed to be placed as an only dog or with a male. Kimberly contacted Sandy Blount at AHRSC and sent Danika to her, and she is being fostered in California. Thank you, Sandy!

The AZ people who adopted Bella and Danika to the LV couple have since ghosted them and will not respond to them at all.

Bella stayed in L.V. and settled in. But… When she came to Kimberly and John, she had a growth on her eyelid that the adopters claimed their vet said was no big deal. Of course, now it is.

Kimberly took Bella to her vet, who said that the growth is 1/3 the eyelid and would need an ophthalmologist’s skill. The cost of the surgery from the Las Vegas canine Ophthalmologist proved to be more than Kimberly thought, by a lot (estimate only) at $4796.79. She and her husband feel they can afford $2500 toward the surgery. We have contacted eye vets here in Tucson and Phoenix, and they will not suggest cost estimates unless they see the dog.

We could go to lots of time and expense getting another opinion on cost, but we think it is better for Bella to stay with her people and heal there as the process involves a skin graft.

We were not able to do anything for Jeannette's dogs ...until now, by helping John and Kimberly take care of Bella’s surgery.

Just for reference:

The vet is Christopher Smith, DVM

5231 W. Charleston Suite 150

Las Vegas, NV 89146

Would you be able to contribute to this fundraiser?

A donation of any amount would help Bella keep her eyesight.

Thank you (Bella can’t type, but she says Thank You, too)