A healthy German Shepherd faces death after its deceased owner requested in her will that the dog be put down.
Connie Lay of Aurora, Indiana recently passed away, and requested her dog, Bela, be cremated and buried with her. Now, people nationwide are fighting to save Bela's life.
Under the law, animals are possessions, and owners can choose to have them put down if they wish. Lay's attorney, Doug Denmore, said that death was one fate his client considered for the dog.
Bela was scheduled to be put down on Tuesday, but the #SaveBela campaign on social media saved his life.
There are volunteers willing to take him in, but Lay did not want the dog to be adopted. Instead, the second option the woman left in her will was for Bela to be transferred to the Best Friends Animal Society - the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary.
However, Mr Denmore reported that the estate cannot afford to send Bela there. Best Friends released a statement expressing regret over the situation.
"We want to save Bela's life and bring him to our sanctuary, but the decision to send him to us or have him put down and cremated is out of our hands.
"The decision needs to be made by the person designated in Ms. Ley's will and we are hopeful that she will agree. Please be patient as we educate her about Best Friends life-saving mission and demonstrate that Bela will be in good hands.
"Please show your support for Bela to come to Best Friends by adding your positive message of hope for Bela to have a safe and happy holiday by using the #Hashtag #SaveBela.
"This situation is really a great reminder that our animals are our family, and families should plan for their pets who survive them. Whenever possible, the best option is for an adoptive home to have been identified, with informed consent, prior to the owners passing."
Bela is being boarded at PAWS of Dearborn County until a solution is identified and accepted by Lay's estate.
