Katie and Bella are best friends and love nothing more than playing fetch at the Crusaders sports grounds every day.
Katie Searle and Bella are best friends.
IT doesn’t take long for a dog to win over a person’s heart. Just ask 10-year-old Durban North resident, Katie Searle, who fell in love with Bella, a border collie born into a litter of nine in Bethlehem. The Searle family knew they had found the perfect pet when they saw her. Bella, who has a brown and white coat as well as differently-coloured eyes, is a stand-out in any field; however, that is not the reason why.
Bella has three legs, but despite this the young pooch shows no sign of it holding her back. She loves nothing more than playing fetch at the Crusaders sports grounds and, believe it or not, Bella also plays tennis by returning the ball with her snout. When she was 12 weeks old, Katie’s mom, Deanne, accidentally ran over her leg. Vets at the time tried everything they could, but in the end decided on amputation. However, her disability has not affected her, as Katie explains below.
Katie, who is at Our Lady of Fatima, said she blamed herself after the accident.
“I was so worried that she wouldn’t survive the accident but she was so brave and was determined to get past the amputation. I was crying at the vet’s because I thought it was my fault that she was run over. I told my mom that it was okay to reverse. She’s made such an incredible recovery and doesn’t seem to notice that she only has three legs,” she smiled.
Bella has differently-coloured eyes and a brown and white coat.
“She loves playing hide-and-seek and is the best friend anyone could ask for. She also plays lifeguard when I swim, always keeping watch. We play fetch and exercise her every day, and her having three legs makes her that much more special.”
