A German Shepherd called Bella, who was tied to a rock and thrown in a river by her owners in an attempt to drown her, has found a new loving home thanks to the RSPCA.
The dog was rescued in 2019 after passers-by noticed her in the River Trent, England, where she had been struggling for hours trying to stay above water. Thankfully, after 15 months of recuperation and care, the 11-year-old dog has found a new home after a televised appeal.
The previous owners of Bella were tracked down by police and prosecuted. Charlene Latham, 32, was sentenced to a 12-months community order after being found guilty of causing unnecessary harm to an animal. There was not enough evidence to prosecute the other owner of the dog.
Ella Carpenter, who manages the Radcliffe Animal Centre, had looked after Bella for 15 months went on the national breakfast TV show 'This Morning' to tell Bella's story and appeal for someone to adopt her. She said:
"There was a deliberate attempt to drown her. Thrown into the river Trent in the middle of the night. She spent hours there until thankfully two dog walkers spotted her moving and her eyes flicker in the water around eight o'clock in the morning. They acted quickly they got into the water very bravely. They pulled her out and upon doing that discovered that she was tied to a rock and the enormity of what was a deliberate attempt to drown her hit home and they called the police and they got her to a local veterinary surgeon and then here to start her recovery."
It was after watching the TV show that Maggie Mellish, 79, and Charlie Douglas, 70, stepped forward to adopt the dog. Maggie told reporters:
"We as a family, have three Shepherd-type dogs over the last 30 years and really love them. We lost our rescue dog Tia/Luna two years ago and my daughter's dog Flame, this year. We did really miss them. Then we saw Bella's story in the press a few weeks ago and the fact she needed a home so my daughter, Clare Lusher, encouraged us to apply for her. We know she is in her older years but we just want to offer her a loving home she so deserves after all she has been through. We are both retired so she will have our company constantly which is what she really needs and it will be great for us too."
Charlie added:
"We were horrified by what happened to Bella and when we came to see her, we realised what a great personality she has and she really is perfect for us."
The RSPCA saves tens of thousands of animals every year in the UK and is one of the country's most loved and well-funded charities.
[h/t: Daily Mail]
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