Last updated: 28 Oct, 2020
Published on: 9 Jun, 2014
Bella goes from pound to comfy papasan chair
Giving rescue pets a second chance at love is the underlying mission for every one of our member shelters and rescue groups. Improving the life of a disadvantaged pets fulfils their own, as Amy from Sanctuary Tails Animal Rescue can testify after partnering Bella, a ‘special case’ pound pup, with Melissa, a dedicated pet-lover with a big heart.
“We rescued Bella from the pound. She was a bit battered and bruised,” says Amy. “And as she wasn’t dog-friendly, we had to keep her in kennels. She’d been there a while when Melissa saw her profile on the PetRescue website.”
Amy recalls Melissa’s unwavering urge to be the one who cared for her. “When I explained that Bella was not dog friendly, Melissa just said ‘that’s OK, so was our old dog’. When I explained that Bella had tried to escape and had a cut on her nose, Melissa said, ‘that’s OK, we'll put a bit of Vaseline on it'. And when I explained that Bella needed someone at home most of the day, Melissa was OK with that too. Nothing fazed her. Nothing was going to turn her off this dog.”
Right from the start, Melissa had fallen completely head-over-heels for Bella and was determined to be the perfect caring home that Bella deserved. “We’ve always had pets and they are a big part of our family,” says Melissa. “They are our furry children and get treated just like one of the kids.”
When their first rescue dog Pepper passed on, Melissa started looking through the PetRescue listings and the Facebook page. “We weren’t looking for anything in particular, just a dog in need of a second chance. And as soon as I saw Bella, I wanted to bring her home and give her a furever home.
“When I first met Bella, I was overwhelmed by this beautiful creature that stood before me. I just wanted to shower her with love and spoil her rotten. They told me I was to take her on a trial and I said ‘No, she’s part of the family now, she won’t be coming back!’
“We brought Bella home and she grinned and smiled at us. She was a little nervous at first, but was soon having fun, playing with the monkey my daughter Jade gave her.”
Bella has settled in to family life pretty quickly, barely leaving Melissa’s side since day-one. “She likes being with her pack, so we always take her with us, no matter what. That’s not a problem for us, and she does lots of cheeky things that always make us laugh.
“When she’s excited, she does mini-somersaults and jumps on the lounges head-first,” Melissa laughs. “But she’s smart too. My daughter Jade has taught her to sit, lie down, roll over, wait and stay."
Bella is home! She even has her own papasan chair, but prefers to sleep in the bed with her humans.
“There is never a dull moment with Bella in our lives,” says Melissa. “And we exercise more now, which makes us all a little healthier.
“I’d definitely recommend adopting. The feeling is amazing, even if that pet will be in your life for a small amount of time, you’ll be its whole life. It’s very rewarding.”
If reading this Happy Tail inspired you to consider adopting, we have thousands of adorable pets waiting for their forever homes right now.
You can help us keep saving pets too, by making a donation to our rehoming programs. It costs just $10 to match one of our rescue pets with their new family.