She got shot in the head but continued toward the shooter even after being shot. To give him kisses. Because this pitbull was a lover, not a fighter. She did not know bullets. Only love.

When a dog gets shot in the head and the call comes to The Pongo Fund, everything stops. Because the shock of the call demands full attention.

The bullet entered one place, exited another. Just two holes. But all that damage. Fractured jaw. Cheek. So many teeth destroyed. Yet even after being shot this sweet Pibble continued toward the shooter to lick him with kisses because that’s what she knew.

Just kisses. That was her weapon.

There’s no way around it. This story hurts. The tears are real. And it just happened a few days ago right here in Portland. (Donation link to help Bella is at bottom of this post)

But please do not begin to speculate. Because the details of what happened will punch you in the gut and leave you shocked and they will hurt so please let me not share them now. And please don’t post any nasty comments about what you think might have happened because you do not know.

Let’s instead focus on the good. This dog lived.

And that’s what it’s like to be part of The Pongo Fund.

But it’s like this too.

A woman on the side of the road sobbing. When asked what she needs, she says “Pongo, I need Pongo.” A social worker called to tell us this. Can we help?

A newly homeless man still finding humor in his situation, until he talks about his dog being hungry and then he cries. Can we help?

A woman who described herself as old enough to know better, who finally decided enough was enough and grabbed her cats and fled to never be hit again. Can we help?

And then the hardest one of all. The sweet pit bull shot in the head and neck. Thousands of dollars of medical care later to save her, her fight continues. But she is better, so much better.

This love muffin learning to eat again needs more wet food. Because that’s all she can eat after the bullet that entered her head and exited her neck and fractured her jaw along the way caused the loss of so many teeth that it makes eating hard food impossible for now.

But her family subsides on food stamps and there is no more money left for food for their hero dog. Can we help?

And right there in those few moments is a small taste of what it means to spend a few days in the life of The Pongo Fund. The day before Thanksgiving. Talk about feeling grateful.

To be able to help. Yes, we are so very grateful.

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” ― Rumi

The call came from a social worker a thousand miles from Portland. She told of the woman sobbing on the side of the road, her dog next to her. She saw them and stopped. All she heard was Pongo but had no idea what it meant. This sobbing woman had received our help years earlier. Now in a new city and state, but needing us again. The social worker searched online. She called. What is Pongo, she asked? She cried when we told her. We got food on the way quickly.

The newly homeless veteran slept on the sidewalk but still joked about how things could be worse. He had little but said he was ok. I had many things he needed but I first needed him to say yes to them. He would not. So I switched gears and asked about his dog. He looked down and stared at her. I couldn’t get him to look at me again. The jokes. The laughter. It all stopped. He said she was too old and too sweet and she deserved better. He started to hand me her leash and walk away and at that moment I could see inside of this brave man and his insides were crying. Neither one of them asked for the help they needed. But we made sure they both got that help.

The woman who said the bruises no longer healed so she teased herself that they were beautymarks but of course she knew they were not. She said that was all her eyes saw anymore when she looked in the mirror. She had become her bruises. But she knew she was more than that so in a flurry she left. Living in her car, she felt safe. She found a shelter, they told her about Pongo. Her cats were hungry. We helped them all.

And then we just got the call that stopped us cold. About the sweet pit bull named Bella. Shot in the head and neck, a situation far too tragic to share with you here. Scooped up into the arms that rushed her to emergency care. A series of skull radiographs. Surgery. Recovery. A 34 line bill and many thousands owed in lifesaving veterinary care.

But here’s the first mind blowing moment. The people that adopted Bella and took responsibility for her care did so after she was shot. Doing what they could for a dog they loved but who was not even theirs.

Yet these kind people were already struggling themselves, feeding their family on food stamps. Now stepping up to take out a high-interest credit card loan just to pay the thousands in bills to save a dog’s life.

Here’s the second mind blowing moment. Bella is a licker. She licks and she loves. And even after being shot she continued to go toward the shooter to lick him with her Bella kisses. She had no idea that she had been injured. She only knew that she wanted to love despite the bullet shot into her skull.

It would have been over for Bella were it not for the family that had no money but still paid her bill. They applied for and received a high-interest credit card loan with a huge APR just lurking for them to miss one of the payments that they already can’t afford.

Along with the ongoing care they provide for Bella, they now also have the stress of a big bill and monthly payments for the dog whose life they saved.

And here’s the third mind blowing moment. When they called The Pongo Fund, what do you think they asked for?

Money to pay the bill?

No. Not money.

All they asked for were a few cans of wet food because that is all Bella can currently eat. Think about that. Thousands of dollars in debt to save the life of a sweet girl shot in the head and all they ask for is dog food. For real.

In my world, these people are Heroes.

We met them today and got them cases of great Evanger’s wet food. And a big bag of Canidae dog food for when Bella can use her teeth again. A new cushy Bella bed too.

But that’s not all. Because we have quite a surprise coming for them. And it’s more than just great food.

Because that $3000.00 they owe for the bill they stepped up to pay? The Pongo Fund is going to raise the money to pay that bill. And that way they’ll have a bit more to spend on their young kids for the holidays.

And they have no idea.

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” – John Wesley

Do you want to help?

Please join us as we continue the miracle. Because if you love your dog, your dog who is safe and happy and well, then I beg of you to please love this dog too. Because Bella is all of us.

Click our DONATE NOW link here https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/ and donate to help save the people who saved the Bella dog that got shot.

$3,000.00 is all we need to pay this bill. Please write FOR BELLA in the comments section. Your kind words will help heal this whole family.

Today is the day before Thanksgiving. We are all busy counting our blessings. And thanks to these heroes, her new family, Bella counts her blessings too. They have my help. Will you please help too?

There you have it. A small taste of what it’s like to spend a few days in the life of The Pongo Fund. A sometimes exhausting dance of joy and sadness. And MIRACLES. Always miracles.

It is what we do and why we do it from the group filled with giant hearted volunteers that always try to do more.

It’s about miracles and blessings. And a brave girl named Bella and the family who loves her.

And This Is Why We Pongo.

And one more thing. THANK YOU to the Veterinary Angels that worked so hard to save this sweet girl. You have our eternal gratitude.

The donation link for Bella is here https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/ .

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. For Bella. thepongofund.org

(The left of the photo is Bella’s sweet pink nose, the things sticking out of her skull are drainage ports to keep the swelling down)

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