Help Save my Bella who is fighting for her life

On Saturday April 12th around 6:45 PM my almost 16 year old bichon poodle baby and I were walking home from our daily walk in my neighborhood in Wilmington, North Carolina about one minute from my home when 2 large loose mixed breed pitbulls were running loose and brutally attacked us. They belong to a neighbor who, come to find out, has allowed this to go on for years and these dogs have gone after multiple other dogs, young children, and even adults in my neighborhood and failed to do anything about it or contain their dogs. The dogs are out loose constantly and they are highly aggressive, dangerous, and show no mercy. Nothing has been done by the police, Animal Control, or my HOA and these dogs have not been surrendered. My entire neighborhood is still at risk and unsafe.

These dogs immediately charged at us with their mouth wide open, growling, baring their teeth, and I knew we were about to be attacked. In an effort to protect Bella, I picked her up from the street and held her as tight as I could in my arms and attempted to run but they circled me down in the middle of the road. They literally ripped my baby out of my arms with their teeth, mauling her all over the road as she screamed and cried and made sounds I have never heard in my 16 years of loving my baby. I was dragged across the pavement while trying to save her and I couldn’t. The only reason why Bella is alive but is now fighting for her life is because two neighbors heard my screams and ran to help who managed to detach the dogs and place them back into their yard whose gate was wide open with a broken latch. My neighbors lodged something in the gate in an attempt to keep them contained and we heard sounds of the dogs eating each other. Many other neighbors came outside with bandages, blankets, and towels to apply pressure to Bella’s wounds as we got her ready to rush to the ER. Bella sustained highly serious traumatic injuries and was immediately taken into emergency surgery with stitches, staples, and had a drain inserted. She was bitten and punctured on her eye, her pee hole, her back, shoulders, and has blunt force trauma to her organs. They ripped her skin completely off of her.

Bella is suffering from severe life-threatening complications from the attack and is currently in critical condition at NC State, one of the top 5 veterinary hospitals in the United States who are trying to save her life. She went into respiratory distress on the way transferring her to the hospital. Her blood pressure is dangerously low and she is receiving multiple blood transfusions. She had one surgery and they needed to call in a second anesthesiologist as she cannot breathe on her own and it was extremely risky. She has Pneumonia and long contusions from blunt force trauma as well as significant long-term damage to her heart. Her lungs are not okay right now at all and have declined since being there. She has fluid in her chest. Infection has also spread from her skin and now she has systemic inflammation and infection affecting the blood flow to her organs. She cannot breathe on her own right now at all and the next step if things decline is mechanical ventilation instead of the oxygen chamber.

The owners of these dogs have taken zero accountability, refuse to pay for Bella’s medical needs and bills, or for anything.

Bella was so healthy and happy and they ripped it all away from us out of straight negligence. Owners were not even home and willingly left their dogs in their backyard knowing their fence and latch was broken. Owners of the dogs show zero sympathy in any sort of capacity, no remorse, and even laughed in my face when I told them she was fighting for her life, still covered in her blood. They told me because she was 15 years old she was bound to die soon anyway.

Bella’s medical expenses are up to over $25,000 and will continue to be more and more the longer she is in the hospital. I have drained all 3 of my bank accounts, applied for new credit cards, care credit, applied for credit line increases. I am absolutely drowning and doing everything I possibly can to save my baby girl. She does not deserve this!!!!! I am not one to ask for help and so many people have pushed me to make this page for days and I truly have been embarrassed to but now I know I truly need so much help and CANNOT do this alone. Thank you from the bottom of my broken heart to anyone who donates to help my Bella. Every single dollar will go toward her treatment and medical expenses. THANK YOU.

-Amanda Sobeck