No one knows exactly what Bella endured before she was found — but her frail body and missing fur tell a heartbreaking story.
Earlier this month, the German shepherd was spotted running along a highway in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Thin, nearly hairless, and clearly in need of help, Bella caught the eye of a Good Samaritan who immediately pulled over.
“The person who found her stopped and Bella jumped right into his car,” Diane Buhl, president of Char-Wills German Shepherd Rescue, told The Dodo. “From the very beginning she was so sweet and trusting.”
The rescuer rushed Bella to the local SPCA, who then reached out to Char-Wills. And though Bella’s body showed the scars of neglect, her spirit came alive the moment she was given something she hadn’t had in who knows how long — her very own toy.
Her rescuers handed her a simple tennis ball, and Bella’s eyes lit up.
It’s hard to tell how long Bella went without toys, but it’s safe to say she won’t grow tired of playing with them anytime soon.
“All she wanted to do was run around with that ball in her mouth,” Buhl said. “She loved getting a toy.”
It’s likely Bella had been abandoned once she developed the painful skin infection that caused her fur loss.
At around 7 or 8 years old and unspayed, Buhl suspects she may have been used for breeding before being discarded.
On top of her skin issues, Bella was 20 pounds underweight. But with steady meals, medicine, and lots of TLC, she has already started to heal — both inside and out.
“This neglect had gone on for a long time,” Buhl explained. “She didn’t have any health issues that would’ve caused her to lose weight or not eat — she simply wasn’t offered food. It makes you question why her owners didn’t just bring her to a shelter. We’ll never know. But now, she’s being spoiled at her foster home.”
That foster home, filled with dogs and cats of all sizes, quickly became more than temporary. Bella’s foster family couldn’t imagine letting her go and decided to officially adopt her.
“It’s hard not to love her,” Buhl said. “We knew this might be a foster fail.”
Despite everything she’s endured, Bella hasn’t lost her sweetness or her faith in people. She greets everyone with a wagging tail — and, of course, her beloved ball.
“It’s terrible when any dog is neglected, but it’s particularly hard when they’re so sweet,” Buhl said. “Despite whatever neglect Bella faced, she’s still really trusting. She’s a complete angel.”
Bella now has what she always deserved: a family, a safe home, and all the tennis balls she could ever want.
To support dogs like Bella, you can donate to Char-Wills German Shepherd Rescue.
