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Belle waiting to ring
in year with you

It's the time of year to count your blessings. If this process takes less than a minute, you might want to think about revamping your life a bit. Like by getting a dog.

Dogs have a way of making you forget about your problems. Mainly because you have to take care of all of theirs. Say you are sitting there feeling sorry for yourself, contemplating overdosing on Cold Stone ice cream, and suddenly feel something wet and slimy on the back of your leg. That would be your dog's nose, letting you know that he doesn't care how depressed you are, he's got to go shishi and now. See? Suddenly your life has meaning.

This introduction was a clever way to let you know that there's a little dog at the Hawaiian Humane Society named Belle who would love to be the one giving you the wet-nose treatment.

Belle's story is kind of sad and I intend to lay the pathos on with a trowel to get this pooch adopted this week.

Belle is a mixed breed but mostly Catahoula (or Catahula), an term that, surprisingly, has nothing to do with cats doing the hula. Catahoulas were bred to herd livestock, so if you adopt Belle, you should have a couple of head of cattle around the house. Just kidding. My dog Boomer is a Border Collie and he seems perfectly happy that there are no sheep on the premises to herd.

But Catahoulas are smart and energetic so don't expect Belle to spend the day sitting in your lap. She's going to want a family that embraces the concept of "fetch" as an essential element of a meaningful life.

Belle was first adopted in 2003, according to Humane Society spokeshuman Jacque Smith. But her military family moved, leaving her with friends to find her a home. That didn't happen so she was returned to the humane society. She was adopted again in October but returned again. She's got to be feeling a tad insecure. I mean, when two families abandon you, you've got to start thinking, "Is it me?"

It's not. Belle's a great dog. She's been taught to sit, stay, walk nicely on a leash and prepare federal tax returns. (I'm not sure about the last one.)

Belle's going to bring some jingle to a loving family this holiday season. Get it? Jingle? Belle? Never mind. Just visit Belle at the humane society. And if she's already been adopted, check out the other 50 dogs hoping for a home for the holidays. Your life will thank you for it.

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