Our Sweet Belle

Steve Froelich

Active member
Posting in this tribute area is never easy. But it allows us some space, and an understanding circle of friends.
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Belle was the first dog I ever owned myself. I got Belle after 21 years in the Navy thinking that I could finally have a dog. I had no idea how much that dog did for me.

I Joined a retriever club
I took her to AKC Hunt tests
I started hunting again
It was on my way to a hunt test that I stopped at Jennings and my first intro to carving decoys.
She really changed how I've spent every fall for 8 years.

But with all that, she was the family dog as well and provided great joy to my wife and kids. I plan to carve a decoy for her remains and hunt with her for some time.

FWIW. Belle was struck with lymes disease. Heres the tough part. She was given annual shots and had tick meds always. In hind sight, there were some indicators, but they were so slight and masked, that its hard to tell from the normal maladies of a working dog. She had a stiff hip once or twice. She got some NSAIDS and was fine. She was acting depressed, just so happend that we moved in May and all of a sudden she stopped eating her food. Vet thought that was normal. We switched food and she started eating again. By the way she ran 5 miles with daughter a week ago. She stopped eating Thursday. The tests showed that her kidneys had shut down completely. I don't know what I would have done different.
 
I'm very sorry for your loss. It is a hard thing to loose a family friend and hunting buddy any way. You did all you could for her, I blame things like that on the strong lab will to please and stick around with it's "pack" longer than they should. I like the idea of puting her remains in a decoy so you can keep hunting with her, or just a fitting resting place for her on your mantle.
dennis
 
Steve,

I am so sorry to hear about Bella passing. It is very hard to lose a family member. My heart and prayers go out to you and your family.

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] "By the way she ran 5 miles with daughter a week ago.[/font]" Reading this alone, tells me Bella was a fine dog who will be greatly missed.

Once again, my condolences.
 
Steve

It's hard to understand how they can go so fast. Like Belle running 5 miles, my Cassie swam the Arkansas river only two weeks before she passed. I still can't comprehend her doing that terminal with cancer. Belle sounds like she was a perfect fit for you and a companion that added new dimensions to your life. The end is always painful but the whole experience is cherished. Belle sounds like the kind of dog I'd like to have around my family.

Eric
 
Dogs makes us better people, in spite of ourselves....

I'm sorry to read of your loss, and my condolences to you and your family.

Best,
Brian F.
 
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