Bella, also lovingly known as “Belly,” crossed the rainbow bridge on July 1, 2026, after being in our lives for 11 years. Her early years started like any other Labrador Retriever: chaotic. The kind of chaotic where she ate laminate flooring even though she played fetch and walked every day. Bella was the tennis ball queen and liked playing fetch. She also loved to swim so much that she would drag you toward the lake if you got too close to it.
Despite her early chaos, she mellowed out into a sassy old gal. The kind of sassy where she would “huff” with exasperation when you disturbed her peace. She was a beautiful dog– and she knew it. She had the softest, most beautiful fur. Bella was always a happy-go-lucky girl who loved people, especially kids, and a faithful companion to all that pet her.
Bella helped her mother through the very difficult years of early adulthood. When life felt overwhelming and confusing, Bella was there for her. Hugging Bella made problems seem smaller. As she aged, her uncle would carry her to bed every night to sleep with him. Mind you, she was 80-90 pounds and still let him do it. They crammed into that twin size bed and watched TV until they fell asleep.
Bella also helped her grandpa transition into retirement, which was no small feat for a fellow busy body. Bella would hang outside with him, nap with him, and snack with him. They basically became retirees together. She also loved eating a piece of toast in the morning with her grandma and barking at her grandma for cookies every time she was on the phone. (Our Belly knew what strings to pull for a snack.)
Bella was a wonderful dog and beloved member of our family. She will be terribly missed.