An Indiana woman who died last month left a seemingly-touching request in her will: she wants to be buried with her dog, a nine-year-old German Shepherd named Bella. But there’s a “problem”: Bella is still alive.
And that “problem” has an unfortunate “solution” — because Connie Lay’s will stipulates Bella “must be euthanized, cremated, and buried with her.”
Bella is currently being housed at a humane center in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Lay did leave an alternative — sending Bella to a no-kill animal sanctuary in Utah — but her attorney, Doug Denmure, says that’s not an option:
Denmure said Lay didn’t trust Bella to be around others and the 105-pound dog has a history of aggressive behavior. He called the dog “potentially dangerous.”
“He could cause damage and inflict bodily harm on strangers, in particular, children,” Denmure said. “When (Lay) died, she died at her home and the dog was in there. No one could enter the house because they were concerned the dog would attack.”
Bella was scheduled to be euthanized on Tuesday morning, but the action was put on hold after an outcry on social media, driven by the #SaveBella hashtag:
Bella's owner died & wants her put down so that their ashes can be mixed..could you be anymore selfish? #SaveBella pic.twitter.com/zv0i1YOqUC
— Thea M. Stonerock (@NoUseForAThea) December 16, 2014
Denmore is exploring the option to send Bella to Best Friends Animal Society in Utah — “the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country” — but as of right now he says it’s not financially feasible. And, unfortunately, Bella’s fate lies with him.
“The dog was owned by my client and now it’s part of her estate,” Denmure told WCPO. “And those are her wishes, as far as the future of the dog is concerned. Outsiders don’t have the grounds to rewrite the provisions of my client’s will and impose what they want.”