Written by Elmarie Stodart
Professional photography by elysian and What a Treat Pet Sitting
I had a miniature Maltese named Snuggles for almost sixteen years. When she passed away in 2016, I thought I’d never get over the gaping hole she left in my life, and I swore I wouldn’t get another dog again. Of course, the yearning to have a dog never went away, and in 2019, after visiting various animal adoption days, I received a call from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA in Grassy Park. They had a Maltese mix named Twinkles up for adoption, and they thought we might be a good fit. I didn’t know much about her history other than she was surrendered by an elderly couple who could no longer care for her and her sister, who was adopted a few weeks earlier by a family living in Newlands.
I went to meet Twinkles. She was sitting in the corner of the kennel with her head bowed down, seemingly disinterested in the other dog she was sharing the kennel with. There was so much sadness about her. I walked outside to the small, enclosed area they had for meet and greets. She tentatively walked over to me, and I reached out so she could sniff my hand. She looked up at me, and her tail slowly started wagging. But it was her eyes looking into mine that sealed the deal. I decided there and then that she was coming home with me and that her name would be Bella. It popped into my head, and the name stuck.
On the 20th of May 2019, I went to collect her, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.
Our first stop was for a check-up at Hillside Vet with Dr Duncan Siegfried, an incredible vet and human being, who estimated she was about five years old. She was in good health, although it was clear she never got much exercise. One of her legs was shorter than the others and lacked core muscle strength. She couldn’t jump on my lap or stand on her hind legs. I started doing short walks with her. Initially, she could only manage about five minutes before being out of breath and needing a rest.
We also started working with Karen Sinovich, an animal behaviourist, who helped address her issues with separation anxiety. We started going for basic obedience training with Karen and her team of trainers at Dog Hub, and as much as Bella learned, I learned even more. Karen recommended I have Bella qualified as a therapy dog, given her temperament and love for people and children.
In November 2019, Bella became a qualified therapy dog through Pets as Therapy. We were about to start volunteering at a retirement facility when the pandemic struck, and the world went into lockdown. Looking back at what was a terrifying and uncertain time, I have no doubt things would’ve been significantly more challenging to deal with had Bella not been by my side.
I work for a publishing company, and towards the end of 2020, I returned to the office on a hybrid basis. I took Bella along one day. I snuck her into the building, and my colleagues instantly fell in love with her. I’ll never forget the smiles on their faces when she walked over to them to say hello. What started as a once-off visit quickly became a regular occurrence. It wasn’t unusual for some of my colleagues to ask for alone time with Bella. And so, she became our office therapy dog as well.
Our Jo’burg marketing team appointed her as Barketing Manager in 2022, and she received her own custom-made branded shirt with our company logo and her job title. She participates in some of our social media campaigns and has even met some of our local and international authors. She’s as much a part of our office as I am. When I’m travelling for work or off ill and not at the office, my colleagues always comment how noticeably different the office mood is when Bella isn’t there. They never say that about my absence from the office!
Bella and I spend every waking (and sleeping hour) together. When I had to start travelling for work, it was a big concern to leave her with a sitter. Fortunately, I met Roxy Zunckel, owner of What a Treat Pet Sitting, when she was collecting supplies to send to the people and animals of KZN during the horrific riots of 2021. She mentioned that she has a pet-sitting business, so I hired her to look after Bella when I travelled. Even when Roxy was unavailable, she took great care in matching Bella with a sitter who’d suit her personality and requirements.
A few months ago, we were notified that we’d have to move out of our current office space and into a new building. The building doesn’t allow dogs, and my heart broke when I realised that our time “working” together was coming to an end. When the rest of the staff heard about the office move, the first question was whether Bella would be moving with us. When I told them the new landlord wouldn’t allow it, it caused quite a commotion. I decided to submit a formal proposal based on her status as a therapy dog and knowing the impact her presence has had on all of our mental well-being.
I sent an e-mail to all my colleagues asking if anyone wanted to submit a short testimonial, sharing what Bella’s presence at the office meant to them. I was overwhelmed by the response I received; out of 22 employees, I received 18 testimonials. What each of my colleagues shared, some of it deeply personal, had me in tears. I know how much she contributes to my own mental well-being every day, but I wasn’t fully aware of the level of impact she had on some of my colleagues as well. It was incredibly moving to see my colleagues come together like this, irrespective of job title or level of seniority.
The proposal was unfortunately turned down. Since therapy dogs aren’t classified as service animals, like guide dogs or medical service dogs, they’re not afforded the same rights in terms of access to buildings. While it’s becoming increasingly common for animals, specifically dogs, to be allowed in the workplace in the United States and the United Kingdom, South Africa still has a long way to go. Large organisations and commercial property managers don’t fully understand or appreciate the value and impact dogs can have on employee well-being and engagement. It’s an issue I’m passionate about, and I’ll continue, through my association with Pets as Therapy, to try and change these perceptions.
I was left in a predicament. Bella isn’t used to being on her own for eight hours a day. Despite having made progress with her separation anxiety, going from being together almost every hour of the day to eight hours apart was going to be problematic. She’s introverted around other dogs and prefers to be in the company of people. Traditional doggy daycare was, therefore, not an option – the number of dogs she’d have to socialise with would put too much emotional strain on her. Paying for a dog walker/sitter every day wasn’t financially possible either.
I live in an incredibly dog-friendly community, so I decided to place a post on the community’s Facebook page. I didn’t know what to expect. I realised I was asking a lot: a person with no pets of their own to look after Bella during the day for modest remuneration. Dee Ivings from Happy Tails was one of the first people to reach out to me and ask if she could also post on other groups. Not long after she shared our post, messages started pouring in. Some were from people who couldn’t necessarily help but just wanted to send a message of support. I once again found myself moved by the extraordinary kindness and generosity people exhibited towards us, given they didn’t know me at all.
One message was from a lady who’d recently retired. She had lots of time on her hands and was in need of some company. She offered to look after Bella during the day while I was at work. Bella “interviewed” her via video call, and we arranged to visit her at her home to meet in person. I’m happy to report that after meeting each other, Bella has a loving and safe space to visit every day while I’m at work. How I will cope without her when the day I must go to the office alone arrives, I don’t know. There’ll be tears the first morning I have to go drop her off, not unlike when parents must drop their children off for the first day of school. But knowing Bella will be taken care of takes a great deal of anxiety and stress off my shoulders.
I’m so grateful to Dee and Happy Tails for facilitating this solution. And the many wonderful people of Vredehoek, Gardens and Oranjezicht who reached out to me. Bella and I may not be able to repay this kindness to each person, but we’ll continue paying it forward with our volunteer work through Pets as Therapy.
You can follow Bella @missbellabutterscotch on Instagram.
