January 1987 to July 2003
My Beloved Belle. I begged to get a puppy for 2 years. When daddy finally said yes, I found you. You were from a puppy mill (which at that time I didn't know was a bad place) in Iowa. The lady who sold you to me told me you were a schnauzer/lhasa mix. I didn't care that you didn't look like either.
I fell in love with you when I first saw you. When I brought you home, daddy asked me if I could have possibly found a homelier dog. However, within a week you had him wrapped around your tiny paw. That's why when I left him when you were 10, I left you with him. For I knew that as much as you loved me, you would have died without him.
I just wanted you to know that even though I left you, I did so because I knew it was best for you -- not because I didn't love or want you. You now have 4 half-sisters and 2 half-brothers. While I love them, they will never take the place you occupy in my heart.
God Bless You, my beloved Belle. May I see you at the Bridge.
Love, Momma.