Bella’s passing marks another sad chapter in East Village fire tragedy

Bobby and Bella 

Bella, the miniature pinscher of late East Village resident Robert "Bobby" Bartolomey, has passed away following complications from the apartment fire that claimed her owner's life last Sunday. 

Bella succumbed Friday evening to an infection and neurological damage caused by smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning, according to a post from Dean Mann, the East Village resident who took Bella in after the FDNY found her in the apartment at 65 Second Ave. 

Here's more from Mann from the GoFundMe set up to help care for Bella: 

While this is certainly not the outcome we had all hoped for and supported, it is a grim reality of the circumstances that Bella experienced. It was a miracle that Bella survived the fire, as she was in the apartment while the fire burned for more than 30 minutes. The support from the community, first responders and the many veterinary medical professionals who treated her gave Bella a fighting chance; however, after almost 5 days of fighting for her life, Friday evening she joined her owner in heaven. Their legacy in the neighborhood will forever be remembered. 

My sister was kind enough to set up this GoFundMe and at the time we felt like Bella would be released from the hospital within a day or two; however, she remained in critical care and the decision to give her a fighting chance was made entirely possible by the support of the community and everyone who donated to help Bella. Your generosity allowed Bella the ability to receive the amazing care up until the very end. 

While this story is extremely sad, it also is very heartwarming to me as so many of the local people from the neighborhood reached out, contributed and stepped up to keep this person's legacy and the dog alive. ... I was so moved by the support and had no idea so many people knew Bobby (a retired veteran and certainly a staple of the neighborhood who was never seen without Bella). 

This is truly a remarkable NYC and East Village story, I cannot express enough my gratitude for the people I have met through this experience. I had visited Bella in the hospital everyday this week and though I am terribly saddened at this outcome, I am at peace knowing that she is no longer suffering. 

The FDNY found Bartolomey, 75, in his apartment last Sunday morning after the fire broke out. The FDNY has not yet released a cause for the blaze.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Neighbor steps up to care for dog injured in 2nd Avenue fire that claimed owner's life