The dog who chewed off her own leg to survive has been adopted

A pit bull in Saginaw, Michigan, USA was forced to gnaw off its own leg after being left out in its owner’s back garden for weeks with no food, water or shelter. There is light at the end of the tunnel for this lovable pooch.

Tried to survive

Bella the pit bull was only one year old when she was found starved and dehydrated in a back garden tied up. Bella had gnawed off her own leg to try and free herself from the steel cables tied to her.

Despite the painful act, she was unable to free herself as her other leg had gotten tangled in the cables. After being left outside for weeks, a passerby heard Bella barking in the back garden and went to check as the dog sounded distressed. The passerby quickly notified the authorities.

Desiree Sage, a Saginaw County Animal Care and Control officer arrived to rescue Bella and seeing Bella was ‘unimaginably gut-wrenching’.

According to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Desiree Sage said:

Walking into the backyard and seeing Bella in such distress that day was unimaginably gut-wrenching,

Against all odds, Bella overcame being left for dead.'

Bella was rescued

Bella was taken to Saginaw County Animal Care and Control and was treated by the centre’s vets. She was fed, hydrated and given a lovely warm cosy bed to sleep in. after weeks of healing, Bella was well enough to be moved to another shelter.

Bella was taken to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, which is the largest no-kill sanctuary in the US.

The shelter explained in a blog post earlier this year:

While the dog is friendly and loving, [Saginaw County Animal Care and Control] was concerned about the trauma that Bella endured,

With the experienced trainers and caregivers on staff [at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary], Bella could get the care she needs, as well as all the time she needs to recover.

Desiree and another colleague drove 34 hours from Michigan to Utah to take Bella to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Many people helped with the journey, a car dealership even offered to loan the shelter a car for the trip and cover the cost of petrol.

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Bella was adopted

Bella arrived at the Utah shelter on January 15 and spent months recovering from her traumatic experience. Despite her tragic past, it didn’t take long for Bella to be adopted. Kim Diehl and Jason Reding from Illinois adopted Bella after they fell in love with her ‘at first sight’.

The couple had read about her traumatic experience and visited Bella in February after losing their family dog, Roxane, who was also a pit bull.

Kim said:

The rest is history. Bella just has an irresistible face. It was love at first sight,

According to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Bella’s previous owner has been tracked down and was charged with animal cruelty.