05/31/2026
In two days I turn 68. That’s still hard for me to believe sometimes.
I’ve lived an incredible life filled with blessings, challenges, sacrifices, heartbreak, growth, and purpose. And through all of it, I am thankful.
When I moved to the farm in 2005, I honestly had no idea what the future would look like. I had this dream of owning a farm, growing food, and helping animals. At the time I was consulting and able to work remotely, so I took the leap and moved here.
Then came the Great Recession. Companies downsized. Work became uncertain. I was scared.
Back then Danville was still a much smaller, quieter town. I started boarding dogs in my home just trying to make ends meet and figure things out. Very quickly I saw a huge need for long-term boarding for military families. Families serving our country were struggling to find reliable care for their beloved pets during deployments and relocations.
I had years of marketing experience, but very little money. I sold goji berry plants. I timbered part of my land just to pay bills and build my first cabin. A friend and I put in the walls, floors, and fencing ourselves.
Little by little, through word of mouth, more military families found us. More dogs came. More cabins were added. I sacrificed a lot to build this mission, but I believed in it deeply.
Finding the right people along the way was instrumental in helping me continue building this dream.
Today, around 60% of our boarding is for military families.
In 2019, Haven Mia Bella was created to help support that mission. The truth is… fundraising is hard. I understand people are worried about the economy and struggling themselves. But sometimes I feel like my message is difficult to explain.
People understandably open their hearts when they see abused or suffering animals. But what we do is prevention. We help keep families and pets together before surrender ever happens.
So many military families end up losing their pets because deployment plans fall apart at the last minute. Someone cancels. Care arrangements fail. And these families are already serving our country under tremendous stress.
We step in when we can.
We are not a huge nonprofit with massive funding. We are small, personal, and built from sacrifice and heart. Some days I feel defeated trying to keep it all going.
But I’m not stopping.
Honestly, monthly donations — even $5 a month — help us more than people realize.
If you would like to support Haven Mia Bella, donations are tax deductible.
PayPal:
[email protected]" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=[email protected]
Facebook fundraiser for my birthday
https://www.facebook.com/donate/937143895987680/?fundraiser_source=external_url
Cash App:
$havenmiabella
Venmo:
Checks:
Haven Mia Bella
244 West Fork Rd
Cascade, VA 24069
Your support truly means everything to us.
We have also been blessed by a few people who included us in their wills. I honestly do not know how we would have sustained this mission without them. Their generosity has helped so many dogs and families stay together.
As for my birthday week… I’m eating all my favorite foods. Dakota is grilling me a steak Friday, bought me a beautiful orchid for my collection, and some gorgeous plants. Hopefully Saturday we’ll plant seeds together.
And no… I’m not slowing down yet.
I still have many things I want to build, improve, and accomplish.
I hope you’ll continue supporting me and believing in this mission.
— Tamara Belotti
The picture is the farm back in 2006. My son and granddaughter Mia Bella who is a teenager now. Who remembers these days when I had one building in the back?
