A black Labrador who went missing after being frightened by fireworks has become the focus of an outpouring of community support, after residents rallied to help fund her mounting veterinary costs.
Bella, a much–loved family dog from Bridlington, bolted during a night of fireworks and was later discovered injured on Fraisthorpe Beach. Her owner, Richard, said the past few days had been an emotional whirlwind.
GOFUNDME LINK IS: – https://gofund.me/b7980da95
Owners Richard and Sally have kindly given the Echo another update:
“Yesterday (13 November) was a rollercoaster,” he said. “Good news is that the fracture in her pelvis doesn’t need an operation and will be on bed rest for 4–5 weeks.”
However, Bella still faces significant treatment.
“She does need a cruciate ligament operation once her pelvis has repaired,” Richard explained. “She will be in the vets probably till Sunday.”
Although Bella is insured, the policy will not cover the full extent of her current and future medical costs. In response, Tracy Roberts, who runs Bridlington Lost and Found Animals and has been supporting the family since Bella disappeared, has set up a GoFundMe page to help ease the burden.
“This isn’t something we wanted to do but, as you can imagine, due to the severity of her injuries it isn’t cheap,” Richard said. “Over 400 people have donated in 14 hours, which is totally overwhelming because most of the people I don’t know – it’s just unconditional love towards Bella. We will never be able to thank everyone, but thank you.”
The fundraising page, which continues to attract donations from well-wishers across the area, can be found here:
The family say they have been deeply moved by the community’s kindness.
“We would like to thank you all for your continued support and love for Bella. She is a very special girl.”
