Hi there. You are probably never going to read this, but you should know what's going on in the world, little girl, especially since we live a city apart from each other. I hope to all the heavens that I don't know you or your parents personally, because if I get the chance to speak with them, they'll get an earful.

And anyone who knows *me* knows that that is a promise, not a threat.

You recently got the gift of a beautiful two year old Golden Retriever. Your mom went to the Humane Society and got her for you. I'm sure she's a lovely dog, but a bit reserved. Maybe she howls at night, or makes a mess on the floor. Let me share with you why.

Her name is Bella. That's her real name, no matter what you've named her. She and another dog named Zina got loose from her owner's yard somehow about 3 weeks ago. She didn't have a tag on because her owner was afraid of Bella getting caught on some of the low hanging branches in her backyard and strangling herself on a collar.

Bella's owner went looking over and over again at the Humane Society and never saw her or Zina (who happens to still be missing) there on any of those visits. When she finally did see Bella, 6 days after she disappeared, it was discovered that she had already been adopted and was awaiting spaying. Adopted by your mom, for your birthday.

By law in our state, everything was done correctly. Untagged pets are kept for 5 days before being released for adoption. Tagged (or microchipped) pets are kept for 10 before being released for adoption. For those who have not done it yet, please tag or microchip your pets... I've got tags on Sasha, but a chip is looking really attractive now. Bella was untagged. The only thing we don't know is why Bella wasn't spotted by her owner on those visits to the Humane Society.

I'm sure, if you're anything like me, you're absolutely head over heels in love with your new friend. But it must be hard right now having this new dog, and knowing that someone else is crying all day for her best friend. I expect you would be doing the same if you were in that same situation - if you'd lost your dog and found that someone else had adopted them and wouldn't give them back to you - *YOU*, the rightful owner.

I expect that if it were your best friend in the whole world who found something of yours and you saw them with it, you would want them to give it back to you, right? That's what friends do.

That's what nice, respectful people do.

This has happened before in the valley where we live - 6 times in the last 3 years to be exact. And all the new owners gave back the dogs to their rightful owners. I'm sure they understood the bond between a person and their pet.

Maybe you don't know at this moment that it's your new furry friend that's causing such a huge uproar in the valley where we both live. Dog lovers all around you have called the newspapers, radio stations, and the Humane Society. Some of those people have said they would stop supporting the Humane Society's efforts, despite the fact that they followed the law. But I bet you will before long, because how many people in your neighborhood will know that you have a new dog... how many of your friends will visit and find out you have a new dog or who you will excitedly tell "Look what my Mommy got me for my birthday!!!"... and who will be the first to ask you if that's Bella.

Now is a tough time for you I'm sure. Maybe you do know that this is the famous Bella. Maybe you've bonded with her... totally in love with her. Maybe your parents are saying that Bella is yours, yours, yours and you don't have to give her up for anything, because the law is on your side. Maybe you *want* to give her up and don't have the strength to go against what your parents are saying.

This is the time to stand up for what you believe is right. Hopefully that means teaching your parents a lesson and telling them that Bella belongs to someone else, and should be with her rightful owner. An owner that made an offer to buy you a Golden Retriever puppy in exchange for getting Bella back - that's an incredible reward if you think about the cost of a purebred Golden puppy. But that's a reward that probably was never presented to you... and was refused by your mother.

Now the courts are getting involved; a lawyer has been retained; newspapers and media outlets across the country want to interview Bella's original owner. Your mother is going to be portrayed around the world as being unfair and selfish for not giving Bella back...

... I only hope that this isn't the result of your mom protecting an unfair and selfish daughter. Happy Birthday to you.