Giving up is not easy

We first met Elva at one of our public outreach events where her dog Bella was spayed and microchipped. Little did we know that she’d soon be homeless and spending her modest monthly income on hotel rooms to keep Bella safe. She searched high and low all summer for an affordable rental that would accept a larger dog, but the stress started to take a toll on them both and by summer’s end, she had to give up. She’d originally saved Bella from a bad start and adored her completely, so letting go was bound to be very hard on her heart.

Fortunately we had room in our program, so after a very sad good-bye, they parted ways and we started prepping Bella for adoption to a new home.

Bella has since been adopted to a young Oakland couple. Without her dog, Elva was able to move in with family and get a necessary surgery for her knee, although she’s told us that she’s had a hard time with the loss and hopes to find a home that will allow her to have a dog someday. Whether or not the Bay Area rental market will welcome her is a question for another day.