As terrible as it may sound, our canine buddies are merely transients who spend the most of their time with us. The least we can do is be there for our pets in their final moments so they know they were more than just a pet to us; they were a member of the family.
Unfortunately, saying goodbye to an elderly dog can be a painful experience that not everyone can handle. That is merely one of the causes for the abandonment or, worse, the killing of some elderly or terminally ill pets.
The senior 10-year-old dog (at the time) Bella was cruelly left to drown
Image credits: RSPCA
While struggling to stay alive before she was accidentally spotted by two dog-walkers, Jane Harper and her friend Joanne Bellamy
Image credits: RSPCA
Image credits: RSPCA
This is the size of a rock that was tied to Bella’s neck as the poor canine struggled to keep afloat
Image credits: RSPCA
After rescuing the dog and getting her out of the water, Bella was immediately taken for emergency treatment at the local vet
Image credits: RSPCA
She was later transferred into RSPCA care afterward
Image credits: RSPCA
Image credits: RSPCA
As fortunate as Bella was to survive with a rock tied to her neck in the freezing cold water, the emergency visit to the vet also showed that she had several other health problems.
Image credits: RSPCA
Bella was cared for by the kind and dedicated Radcliffe Animal Centre staff in Nottingham after being transferred to the RSPCA while the local police and the animal protection organization initiated an inquiry to identify those guilty for the dog’s inhumane treatment
Image credits: RSPCA
Image credits: RSPCA
The senior German shepherd was fortunate to spend the last 15 months in the care of the RSPCA, where she underwent a total transformation and recovered fully, enabling her to find a forever home with retired couple Maggie Mellish and Charlie Douglas.
Image credits: RSPCA
Image credits: RSPCA
The retired couple, who live in a village in South Derbyshire, seemed like a match made in heaven for Bella (now 11 years old) as they previously had looked after shepherd-type dogs of their own, and were willing to give all the love and attention to Bella as well since their last dog passed away a couple of years back.
Image credits: RSPCA
Last Wednesday, the couple went to the center which has cared for her Bella up until now as they wanted to spend some time with their new pet ahead of her moving in with them the next day. The dog’s rescuers, Jane Harper and her friend Joanne Bellamy, were also invited along to witness the happy occasion and see how Bella was doing.
Image credits: RSPCA
One of Bella’s new owners, Maggie, gave the media an account of what happened. Maggie remarked:
“Over the past 30 years, our family has owned three shepherd-type dogs, and we adore them. Both my daughter’s dog Flame and our rescue dog Tia/Luna passed away this year. We truly missed them. Then, after reading Bella’s plight in the news a few weeks ago, my daughter Clare Lusher encouraged us to submit an application for her.
Image credits: RSPCA
