Bella, a German shepherd, was reunited with her original owners after they lost her six years ago. Per PEOPLE, the reunion was finally made possible after firefighters rescued her when she fell into a canal.
Bella was straying in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood when she fell into the canal on August 5. A resident called 911 to report the incident.
“Our crew from Engine 47 responded to the scene and safely removed her from the water. Luckily, she was standing on a ledge and only partially submerged, making the grab easy,” Frank Guzman, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue’s public information officer, said. “After the crew brought Bella to their fire house, she was given food and water and allowed to rest.”
After she was rescued, the police department eventually determined Bella had been implanted with a chip back in 2018.
“After searching several databases, they were able to find out that she had been adopted from Broward Animal Care and Adoption,” said Guzman.
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The Nicholson family adopted Bella, and they reside in St. Cloud. The distance between that city and Fort Lauderdale is almost 200 miles.
“[The family says] that a couple of years after adopting Bella, they suffered a house fire and had to move into a hotel. Unable to bring the German shepherd, they gave her to a friend who, without permission, gave her away to an unknown person,” Guzman stated.
“They thought they had lost their dog for good. They then moved to central Florida where they live today.”
The Nicholson family and Bella ultimately reunited after they went to Fort Lauderdale to pick her up. The canine also quickly recognized them, PEOPLE reported.
“Hugging Bella again felt like our family was made whole again — like being reunited with a long-lost friend,” Lisa Nicholson said. “We had a welcome party with a bunch of doggie treats and new toys. We gave her a steak and she loved it! She also got a new doggie bed.”
