Faces of No-Kill: Survivor dog Bella, 2 years later

Bella’s signature look — a squishy smile, an adorably blocky head, and one ear standing tall while the other flops down — melts hearts wherever she goes, including those of her adopters, Kim Diehl and Jason Reding. By day, she indulges in epic couch cuddles, and by night, she nestles close to Kim and Jason for bedtime snuggles. But life wasn’t always this cozy for Bella. Her first year of life was downright scary.

Back in 2022, rescuers found Bella tied with steel cables in the backyard of an empty home. The abandoned pup had become hopelessly tangled in the cables, eventually leading to the loss of one of her back legs.

After receiving urgent care at a shelter in Michigan, Bella came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to heal both physically and emotionally. And today, Bella is thriving thanks to all the care she received.

Kim and Jason fell in love with Bella shortly after her arrival at the Sanctuary. They first learned about her through a story about her incredible resilience. “We (had) recently lost our senior dog, Roxanne, who we also adopted from the Sanctuary,” says Kim. “We were ready for a new family member and decided to meet Bella on our annual volunteer trip to the Sanctuary. We took her for a few outings, fell in love, and a month later we brought her home to Illinois.”

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This spunky little dog handled the long drive from Utah to Illinois like a champ and quickly settled into her new home. “She was so cute when we first brought her home,” says Kim, laughing. “When she thought it was bedtime, she would go into the bedroom and get herself all tucked in, and if you didn't come fast enough, she'd come out and peek around the corner to make sure you followed her.”

Bella’s impact goes beyond her adorable antics at home. Recently, Kim and Jason celebrated their 10th year of volunteering at the Sanctuary — and they brought Bella along for the ride. The celebration was extra special: Staff and volunteers who remembered Bella were overjoyed to see her thriving, and the family made new memories together at the place where it all began for them.

“Best Friends is a place you go to volunteer in hopes of giving a little to the animals when, really, you receive so much in return,” says Kim. “You receive the great experience of being a part of such an incredible organization. Best Friends is not only about making new dog friends but human ones too.”

Although Bella’s leg amputation had healed beautifully, she still faced mobility challenges. So Kim and Jason took her to a top-notch veterinary rehab facility to explore the possibility of a prosthetic for her back leg. While they haven’t yet found a prosthetic that works for her, the experience introduced Bella to an incredible therapy team who helped her build strength.

Bella also attends doggy daycare twice a week, where she loves playing with her canine friends. While she’s still slow to warm up to new humans, Kim, Jason, and their neighbors are helping her build confidence in that area. “She sees our neighbors all the time and likes them a lot,” shares Kim. “She barks a hello to them and likes to sniff their feet. When we’re out on walks, she’ll sometimes lead us right up to their door to say hi.”

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At home, Bella is a certified couch potato and the last one to get out of bed in the morning. “She's such a homebody,” shares Kim. “She just loves being home.”

Whether she’s greeting neighbors with a barked hello, playing with her daycare friends, or lounging on the couch at home, Bella’s life is now as cozy and full of love as she always deserved. And when it’s bedtime, you can still count on her to peek around the corner, making sure her family is right where they belong: by her side.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.