On paper, her name was Bella.
Elijah never used it.
Two things stood out during the hearing, though I didn’t understand them at first.
When Elijah spoke, the dog’s breathing changed.
Not relaxed—regulated. Slower. Steadier. Like his voice gave her something her body remembered.
And Elijah… had scars.
Thin, jagged lines across both forearms. Not self-inflicted. Something else.
I didn’t know what yet.
Gerald Faust testified first.
Clean clothes. Calm voice. Controlled posture.
He said he owned the dog. Two years. Bought from a breeder. Fed her. Housed her. Responsible owner.
He called her “property” more than once.
Said he came home and found a break-in. A boy inside. Holding his dog.
“She was shaking,” he said. “He scared her.”
Elijah’s lawyer asked only a few questions.
Had the dog ever seen a vet?
No.
Had she ever been inside?
No.
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