“Walking into the backyard and seeing Bella in such distress that day was unimaginably gut-wrenching,” Sage said in a statement obtained by Best Friends. “Ultimately, the best situation for Bella will be to get adopted by a family, but she’s going to love life here at the sanctuary until she gets her forever home,” Julie Castle, the chief executive officer for Best Friends Animal Society, said in a statement. “We are grateful we could help and play a small part in Bella’s life journey. This is why we do what we do. These are the moments that make the tough times all worth it.” Best Friends is optimistic that they will help Bella heal physically and emotionally from the cruelty she endured before her rescue and are looking forward to hosting the smiley dog for as long as she needs. “She has gone from the horrors to the joy of people. There are so many now that have a heart for her.”
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the largest no-kill pet sanctuary in the nation, answered the call and agreed to welcome the pet after reviewing Bella’s medical and behavior history. Best Friends has a long history of helping neglected and abused pets, including caring for a number of the dogs rescued from Michael Vick’s dogfighting ring. On Aug. 16, 2021, a mail carrier found the young pit bull mix entangled in a tether and abandoned in a backyard with no food, water, or shelter. Over Bella’s first days at the sanctuary, the staff will monitor the pet’s normal, day-to-day interactions and use this information, along with the dog’s behavior history, to create a training plan for the one-year-old canine and figure out her long term goals. Saginaw animal control officers Desi Sage, who responded to the original animal cruelty call about Bella, and Abbe Balderstone, who helped with her rescue, drove Bella to Utah over four days, making many stops along the way to play, rest and explore. Unfortunately, the trauma Bella experienced earlier in her life has affected some of her current behaviors.
Saginaw County Animal Care and Control recognized that the dog required training with a trauma specialist to have the best chance at a bright future — so the shelter put the call out for a no-kill rescue with experience assisting traumatized dogs to take over Bella’s care. Saginaw County Animal Care and Control took in the neglected pet and helped her through the two operations she needed to treat her injuries. Bella recovered quickly from her procedures and smoothly adapted to life on three legs thanks to her fighting spirit and generous personality. “This poor girl had to chew off her leg, but her personality is still so loving, even though can in here starving, abandoned, and neglected,” Bonnie Kanicki, the director of Saginaw County Animal Care and Control, told PEOPLE shortly after Bella’s rescue. The mail carrier called for assistance, and Saginaw City police and animal control officers responded. Bella allowed the animal control officers to approach her and remove her from the painful tether wrapped around her body.
I am Kraig Wharton, a wildlife conservationist and a television personality. I am 30 years old. I was born and raised in the small town of Marion, Alabama. I have always had a love and respect for nature, which led me to pursue a career in wildlife conservation.
I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel all over the world, working with some of the most endangered species on the planet. My work has taken me to some of the most remote and dangerous places on earth, including war-torn countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
I am passionate about educating people about the importance of conserving our natural resources, and I am committed to doing whatever it takes to protect our planet for future generations.