Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | June 30, 2025 | wbjournal.com Let me tell you about Bella B ella's reputation preceded her. Shortly aer college when I adopted my first puppy, Vegas, I wanted her to play with a furry companion. My married friends Beth and Jason Werling each had a dog. Bella was Beth's dog originally, and she had always described her as a wild one still hanging onto her puppy energy, so we three decided it would be best for young Vegas to play with Jason's dog, Callie. When Vegas and I got to the Werlings, Callie wanted to have nothing to do with her. So, we introduced her to Bella, and the puppy bond was instant. Bella & Vegas became fixtures in the Werlings' backyard. When they went out of town, Bella would stay at my place, and the three of us would go running together. Aer Beth became pregnant with the Werlings' first child, they worried about managing Bella's manic energy while raising a baby. I was in the process of moving from Ohio to Florida, and Beth asked me if I could have two dogs at my new apartment. In that summer of 2005, I adopted the dog with one blue eye and one brown eye, and the three of us made the 1,300-mile journey south. e move wasn't all sunshine and rain- bows. Bella once tore up my commem- orative Rolling Stone edition dedicated to Hunter S. ompson. On a trip to the dog beach, Bella turned heel and sprint- ed a mile through to the parking lot and onto a busy highway, when a kindly stranger enticed her to safety. Despite the ups and downs, Bella & Vegas became inseparable, and Bella's longheld puppy energy turned into genuine love and affection for everyone she encountered. On one of our first dates, my soon-to- be wife Sarah & I visited the dog park, so Bella & Vegas could meet her dog, Molly. e dogs all seemingly got along, Sarah & I quickly fell in love, and our pack was formed. "BellaMollyVegas" was a con- stant phrase used in our home, whenever they got a little too unruly. When Sarah was pregnant with our first child and severe nausea limited her diet, Bella would wake with her early each morning to eat waffles together. Aer she was born, we traded our small Florida condo for a slightly-less-small apartment in Marlborough, Mass. In those crazy first few years, Bella was the glue. Vegas was my dog. Molly was Sarah's dog. Bella was our family dog. She was the constant presence, always laying around on the furniture, always ready to be petted, always next in line for a treat. Bella was the perfect dog for the kids. Aer Sarah gave birth to our second, third, and fourth child, Bella was their starter dog. While Vegas and Molly ran away or disappeared into their own skin whenever a curious baby or energetic toddler ambled over to them, Bella was always calm and ready. Even when they would pull her hair. Or jump on her while she laid on the couch. Or ride her like a horse. Bella was our family dog. Molly, sadly, was the first of our pack to go. Her death was sudden, and Sarah took the loss the hardest. For years aerward, she would take a saved lock of Molly's hair and hold it for comfort. Bella & Vegas aged, and the house calmed on the dog front, even as our children grew more adventurous. We had moved from Marlborough to Springfield to the sleepier suburb of Wil- braham. Vegas developed diabetes and required twice-daily shots of insulin over five years. When someone once asked why we kept up with the expensive-ish treatment for so long, my first thought was, "Because she's my dog." As I was making breakfast one day, Vegas had a seizure, causing her to go braindead. e decision was an easier choice than Molly's, but all the more painful for me. My dog died in my arms. BellaMollyVegas was now Bella. Our family dog had grown old and lonely, but she remained great with the kids, gently walking around the back- yard as they played. In an effort to find a new companion for Bella and fueled by a desire to inject more dog energy into our pack, my oldest son & I spent Mother's Day weekend in 2018 driving all day and all night and all day down to Mississippi to adopt a cattle dog from Sarah's friend. us, Lilo entered our lives. When WBJ Publisher Peter Stanton first pitched e Dog Edition, I didn't get it. e idea was such a le turn for a business-to-business publication used to covering real estate transactions, life science expansions, and cuts in higher education. Eventually, though, I under- stood. e dog economy has become so important, especially as dog humaniza- tion has risen, spawning all degrees of business opportunities, as Staff Writer Mica Kanner-Mascolo writes in her "More than just a pet" story on page 10. is growing puppy love has its downside, as costs have risen and forced more pet owners to surrender, putting a strain on the animal shelter system, as Managing Editor Eric Casey writes in his "Ruff times" story on page 8. Doggy love has its upside, of course. Dr. Eric Dickson says his animals are the only ones for whom he doesn't have to put on a show (page 15). A 100-pound beast has become the mascot for Austin Furniture (page 19). People oen confuse AiVi Nguyen's dog with her boyfriend (17). e Worcester Red Sox's annual Bark in the Park has become so popular, it's now held weekly and has expanded to cats (13). Julianne Hertel looks out for the underdog, through foster care (14). Michael Myer's Aussie- doodle has a wardrobe full of authentic Bella licks cake frosting off Desmond Kane on his first birthday in 2010. A young Bella plays in Beth & Jason Werling's backyard. FROM THE EDITOR

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