Angel With Paws! Loveable Little Maltese Mix, 5, Spayed, Healthy and Vaccinated
Bella has been Adopted!
Meet Bella!
This absolutely adorable little Maltese/Shih Tzu Mix is looking for someone to cherish her. She is a very affectionate little dog with perfect manners and tons of charm. She is perfectly house trained, quiet and loves attention. She is playful, and has some really cute characteristics that make her so very special.
Bella is being rehomed by her owner, who has come to the realization that recent changes in lifestyle and environment have made Bella’s life far too chaotic. Bella loves her quiet time, and living in a busy household with many people coming and going has made her quite miserable.
Although it breaks her heart to do so, Bella’s owner feels that it would be best for Bella to be placed with a loving single or couple in a quiet home, where she will receive lots of love, attention and quiet cuddle time.
Bella was adopted from a rescue organization by her owner when she was just 16 weeks old. This poor little pooch had been sold by a breeder to a family with small children, and Bella was extremely traumatized by having been literally mauled by the family’s children, as well as neighborhood kids. As a result and because of her very small size, Bella will not be placed in a home with children under the age of 10. Her perfect home will be with adults who are semi-retired, or work from home, with lots of time to provide the quiet routine and solid companionship that Bella needs and deserves.
All About Bella
Location: Redwood City, CA 94063
Name of Pet: Bella
Type of Pet: Dog
Breed of Pet: Maltese/Shih Tzu mix
Sex of Pet: Female
Age of Pet: 5 years
Pet’s Color and Coat Type:
All white, soft straight hair, fluffy
Size and Approximate Weight:
7 pounds
Spayed/Neutered?: Yes
Up to date on vaccinations?: Yes
Does this pet get along with cats?: Yes
Does this pet get along with dogs?: Yes
Does this pet get along with children?
Should be placed with children over age 8
Any Health Problems?
She had an injury to her left, rear knee that has healed but is still delicate.
As is often the case with small dogs she has tooth decay and is missing some teeth….some she was born without and some had to be extracted
Personality
Bella is a sweet and fun dog. She is very friendly and likes attention. She does not like to be picked up but loves to sit on laps. She is very tiny and has been squeezed by small children, so she will stay away from them but she will greet older kids and adults enthusiastically. She will play fetch with stuffed toys and adores walks, parks and rides in the car.
Bella is very smart and caught on to house training right away. She has never made a mistake in the house except for the very few times that she was sick.
What is your home environment like?
I run an active hospitality house (like a bed and breakfast but people stay for months not days) and I rent suites to visiting students and young professionals who are new to the bay area.
My home has 5 bedroom/bathroom suites and a big, fenced yard. The environment is sometimes busy with people in and out. Evenings can regularly include casual group dinners of 4 to 8 people.
Please Tell Us A Little About Your Family:
My sister and I are in our mid-50s and we live here together with our 3 renters. We are very warm and friendly people and treat our renters like family.
Our brother lives a mile away and comes over frequently with his little pug. He often takes Bella home with him for sleep-overs, which she loves.
We also have another dog, a 1 year old poodle mix named Coco who gets along very well with Bella.
What are your pet’s favorite toys, foods, activities?
Bella likes small stuffed toys that squeak and bully sticks. She likes to play tug and fetch with her stuffed toys and enjoys it when we hold the bully stick so she can chew hard on it.
She is a picky eater but loves chicken jerky strips and will eat her food if I start her off with some pieces of the jerky and then offer her either kibble or canned Natural Choice dog food. Her feeding times vary each day…I usually offer her food when she starts looking at the treat bag to let me know that she is hungry.
If possible, please tell us a funny, cute or heartwarming story about your pet.
There are so many!
Bella likes babies that are too young to grab her, and when my great nephew was an infant Bella learned that his car seat often contained cracker crumbs and other goodies so she would nose around him and tickle him while trying to find the food. She also licked his face and hands to get a good treat!
Now that he is a toddler she has learned to steal corn chips or toast out of his hands or to simply wait for him to drop it.
Also, Bella does this hilarious little “circus dog” thing when she’s peeing by lifting her back legs and walking along on her front legs as she pees…it’s so ridiculous and anyone who sees her do it always laughs and wants to know why she does it. We have no idea so we just shake our heads and tell them she’s working on her circus routine!
For What Reason(s) are you needing to rehome your pet?
Unfortunately my lifestyle changes are making Bella anxious and unhappy.
I rescued Bella when she was about 14 weeks old (5 years ago) when my life was very quiet and simple. I worked from home and had Bella with me all the time so we were each other’s main companions.
Since then my lifestyle has changed quite a bit. I retired from my profession, expanded my home and turned it into a business with a number of other people living here. Also my sister moved in with me so that I could take care of her (she is in a wheelchair) and so my life and house have become filled with activity.
My home now is causing Bella to bark for no reason, sleep poorly and run out of the house every time the door is opened. When my brother takes her over to his very quiet, calm house for the night Bella loves it, he reports to me that she doesn’t bark at all, sleeps deeply, stays away from the door and lounges around with him and his dog all morning. When she returns home he has said that he can see her calm disappear and be replaced by stressed out behavior.
Please describe what you are looking for in an adoptive family/home for your pet:
Bella does best living with one or two affectionate adults who love having a little lap dog to dote on, take for walks and cuddle.
She is not used to being alone for more than a couple of hours at a time so someone who works from home or likes to take her with them (or can come home frequently during the day to walk her and pet her) would be perfect.
Bella would do very well living in a condo because her house training is extremely reliable and she prefers to do her business while on a walk rather than in the garden.
It’s really important to me that this next home be a permanent one for Bella so I would like her new adoptive parents to live in a stable environment (own their home rather than rent) and intend to keep her for the rest of her life.
What supplies and accessories will come with your pet?
Leash, collar, harness, doggy car seat, electric blanket, food, treats, toys, food and water bowls.
Vet info/health history, the name of her groomer and recommendations for dog walkers.
Additional Comments or Information
I love Bella very much, she is a good girl and I can’t wait to find someone who will bond with her and love her for the rest of her life.
