Visiting

Do not grab her tail:
Although she may tolerate it, parents/guardians should stop children from doing it.

Do not attempt to sit on her back or ride her.
It may injure her back and she will not like it.

She does like to be hugged, but gently:
Approach slowly but if she looks uncomfortable, do not let them hug her . It is generally recomended with any dog for a person not to get their face near the dog's face until a comfortable relationship has been established.

If she tries to walk away from a child, let her:
She may just be wanting to go investigate something else or she may have had enough. Do not let the children continually follow her around, she may be trying to get away from them.

Do not pet her or sit close to her while she is eating or drinking from her bowl:
She can be protective of her food just like trying to take a ribeye steak from one of the firefighters. It is advisable for children not to play in her bowls even when she is not at them.

Do not bring other dogs around the station without expecting some type of reaction:
Bell will like to play with other dogs but she is jealous. We cannot predict reactions from either dog during a visit and unless the combination of the two dog's relatonship has been established it is best not to bring them by.

Ashes is not allowed on dayroom furniture:
Her nails can tear fabric and she will leave shedded hair on the fabric. She can sit in other types of chairs such as metal ones.

Parents or guardians should maintain direct supervision when the child is with Bell.

Bell may not be fed from the dinner table or any type of "human food"
We do not want her to beg from people when eating. If she approaches the table while your eating, point to her bed and say "Go lay down". She will typically stop half way there and look back to see if you are serious... tell her a second time.

Do not give her treats (Milkbones, dog biscuits, ham bones or any other)
She is on a balanced and recommended diet. She is fed a predetermined amount of food prepackaged each day. She has a tupperware container for each day of the week so Firefighters can determine if she has been fed.
Although she will deeply appreciate the gift of a treat, there is no way to determine how many people in a given day are providing her with the same treat.

Bell may have an allergic reaction
Although we have not experienced an allergic reaction with Bell, we did with Ashes. If people provide other food or snacks without our knowledge, we would not be able to determine and control the potential allergy.