Originally published 2021-04-05.
Bella is an elderly shepherd dog who was found in January 2020 standing up to her neck in the River Trent in Nottinghamshire, her lead tied to a carrier bag weighted with a rock. Two passers-by got her out of the water, the RSPCA nursed her back to health over about 15 months, and in spring 2021 she went home with a retired couple in South Derbyshire. Her former owner admitted causing her unnecessary suffering and was sentenced at Nottingham Magistrates' Court.
Many early headlines called Bella a German Shepherd. Local reports based on RSPCA information describe her as a Belgian Shepherd, a closely related herding breed, and they place the rescue in January 2020 rather than 2019. Here is the full story, followed by what to do if you ever find an animal in trouble and what it takes to give an older rescue dog a home.
A morning walk that saved her life
On 6 January 2020, near Long Lane in Farndon, close to Newark, Bella was spotted in the river by walkers. She had apparently been in the cold water for hours. Her lead had been tethered to a bag containing a rock, which held her in place as the water rose around her.
The women credited with her rescue, Jane Harper and her friend Joanne Bellamy, went into the water to pull her out. Only once she was on the bank did the reality become clear: this had not been an accident. Police were called and Bella was taken to a local vet. She was hypothermic and, by most accounts, very close to death. Bella was around ten years old at the time.
Fifteen months of recovery
From the vet, Bella moved to the RSPCA's Radcliffe Animal Centre in Nottingham. The team there, led by centre manager Ella Carpenter, cared for her while the legal case went ahead. Because she was evidence in a cruelty investigation, she could not simply be rehomed straight away, and her age made finding the right family harder still.
Over the following months Bella regained her strength and her confidence. Jane Harper later said that she looked like a different dog, with a beautiful coat and a happy, lively manner.
The court case
RSPCA inspectors and police traced Bella's owner. Charlene Latham, then 32, pleaded guilty at Nottingham Magistrates' Court to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. She received a 12-month community order and was fined £80, with £200 in costs and a £32 victim surcharge, and she was banned from keeping dogs for three years. She told the court a former partner was responsible; he denied it, and there was not enough evidence to prosecute him.
Many readers felt the sentence was light for what looked like an attempt to drown a dog. The law has since changed. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 raised the maximum prison term for the worst animal cruelty offences in England and Wales from six months to five years, and it came into force in June 2021, after Bella's case had been decided.
A television appeal and a new family
As the case ended, Bella was ready for a home, and the centre made a public appeal, including an appearance by Ella Carpenter on ITV's breakfast programme This Morning, according to national press reports. Among the people who saw Bella's story were Maggie Mellish, 79, and Charlie Douglas, 70, a retired couple from South Derbyshire. Their daughter encouraged them to apply.
The couple had lived with shepherd-type dogs for around 30 years and had recently lost two much-loved dogs. They knew Bella was in her senior years and saw that as a reason to adopt, not a reason to hesitate. Being retired, they could offer the near-constant company an older dog thrives on. Charlie admitted: "We were horrified by what happened to Bella." Meeting her in person, they said, showed them what a great character she had.
Ella Carpenter called it "the perfect happy ending to a story which started off so sad." The two rescuers were invited along to celebrate Bella's adoption.
If you find an animal in danger
Bella's rescuers acted bravely, but rivers are dangerous, especially in winter. The RSPCA and UK emergency services generally advise the following:
- Do not put yourself at risk. Cold water and currents can overwhelm a strong swimmer within minutes. If a person or animal is in danger in water, call 999 and ask for the fire service.
- Report cruelty. In England and Wales the RSPCA's 24-hour cruelty and advice line is 0300 1234 999. In Scotland, contact the Scottish SPCA.
- Note the details. Time, place, photos and anything attached to the animal, such as a lead or bag, can help investigators trace who was responsible.
- Keep the animal warm and calm. A cold, frightened dog may bite; wrap it in a coat or blanket if it is safe to do so and get it to a vet.
Why older rescue dogs deserve a chance
Senior dogs often wait longest in shelters, yet they can be among the easiest companions. Many are already house-trained, calmer than young dogs and happy with gentler walks. Before adopting one, it helps to think about a few practical points:
- Ask the rescue about health conditions, medication and likely vet costs, and check whether pet insurance is still available at the dog's age.
- Plan for time at home. Like Bella, many older dogs settle best with people who are around for most of the day.
- Expect an adjustment period. Dogs with a hard past may need weeks or months to trust a new routine.
- Look for shelter support. Good rescues offer advice after adoption and will want to hear how the dog is settling.
Bella's life began its second chapter because strangers stopped on a riverbank, a care team stayed patient for more than a year, and a couple in their seventies decided an old dog was exactly the dog for them. Each of those choices is open to the rest of us in some form.
Sources: Derbyshire Times, April 2021; The Star, March 2021; Daily Mail.
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