The Adventures of Julie and Bella 2025

Today has been a day, y’all. A full-on, emotional rollercoaster kind of day — and through it all, both Bella and I had to summon some serious bravery. 🧡

It started this morning with our usual walk 🚶‍♀️🐕. Bella surprised me by wanting to head into a neighborhood we’ve never ventured into before. Now, I tend to get anxious 😬 exploring new areas — especially when I don’t know what animals or situations we might encounter — but it was early, quiet, and something in me said, “Okay, let’s try it.” So we did. And we made it home safely. Small victory #1 ✅

Later, I had to drive my parents 🚗 to an appointment for my dad. What I didn’t realize was that I’d be navigating unfamiliar highways — five-lane chaos 😱 — packed with traffic 🚦 in an area I don’t know well. Cue the anxiety. To say I was a nervous wreck would be an understatement 😓. My hands were gripping the wheel like it was a lifeline, but I got us there and back in one piece. Small victory #2 ✅

By the time I got home 🏡, I was ready to crash… but Bella was ready for her afternoon walk 🐾 (of course). Even though it was a scorching 90 degrees ☀️🔥, off we went. I kept it short because of the heat, and we were almost home when out of nowhere this small, neglected-looking dog came charging at Bella — no leash, no owner in sight 😡.

The dog went straight for her and started attacking. I immediately started yelling 😤, trying to protect Bella and get the dog away. That’s when the owner finally came outside — not to apologize, not to help — but to scream at me for yelling at her dog. 🗣️

Excuse me?! Your unleashed dog came out of nowhere and attacked my leashed, minding-her-own-business Bella… and I’m the problem? 🙄

Let’s be clear: if Bella had been hurt 💔, things would’ve gone very differently. I was one second away from going full-blown Momma Bear 🐻.

I’m still angry. Not just because we were scared 😢, but because people need to take responsibility for their animals. That dog could’ve been hit by a car 🚘 — it could’ve seriously hurt another pet or a child. But instead of owning up to that, the owner made it about me yelling. Unreal. 🙄

Needless to say, Bella and I were both shaken. We came home and snuggled up on the couch 🛋️ despite it being as hot as the surface of the sun ☀️😅. Some days just call for extra snoogles and deep breaths 🐶💤💗

Today tested my nerves, my patience, and my protective instincts — but we made it. And that’s something to be proud of. 💪🐾