#SaveBela was trending on Twitter just a couple of days ago. It is a campaign that was started shortly after Connie Ley's request that her dog, Bela, be euthenized and buried with her became public. This request came straight from Ley's will, and as of her death on November 24, Bela's right to life has come into question.
According to CNN, Ley's lawyer, Doug Denmure, is not backing down in the face of public demands that Bela's life be spared. He is quoted as saying, "The dog was owned by my client and now it's part of her estate,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."
Ley did preface her euthenization request with an express interest in sending Bela to an animal sanctuary in Utah run by the Best Friends Animal Society. The problem with this is financial resources. It is not in the estate's budget for Bela to be sent to the sanctuary. Many have offered to assist in her transportation costs, but don't seem to be considering the cost of her upkeep once there, as shared with Massapequa Patch:
"The rescue organizations are tapped out,” the individual wrote. “They are full, running out of money and exhausted. It’s so easy to say ‘Let the rescue organizations take them in,’ but do you give some of your time to them? Do you drop by to see if they have enough food to get through the month? Help to exercise the dogs? Give money to pay for vaccinations or to spay and neuter?...The woman who left instructions with her lawyer to put her dog down was responsible and loving and seeing to it that her dog did not suffer from the negligence of others."
The decision to put Bela down is also supported by Ley's long time friend, Andrew Peters, who according to Eagle Country 99.3 told the radio station that Bela could be aggresive. He indicated that though Bela had not attacked a human, he has severly attacked other animals and acted hostile towards people he did not know. Andrews expressed his concern that Bela would not make a good family dog, and that adoption was not a good choice.
In light of all the opposition posted on various social media sites, Best Friends Animal Society did comment on the situation via their Face Book page.
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