Dogs go missing all the time, and the thought of a breed such as a labrador being used in a fighting scenario will be distressing to many readers.
But Bella is okay - she turned up in Otara, 330km away.
It is unlikely that Bella travelled that far on her own four feet, but how she got there is irrelevant. She has made Beryl and her son Phillip very happy, and she's given Northern Advocate readers the gift of a story that warms hearts, and induces smiles.
And, better still, Bella seems to be unharmed. The reunion between one of man's oldest best friends and her owners wouldn't have happened if it weren't for new technology. Because Bella wore a name tag that can't be spotted easily by thieves - a microchip. And when a kind Aucklander found her and took her to a vet, Bella was on her way to a new journey, that of a reunion.
Owning a dog is a big responsibility and microchipping your pet is part of that - Bella's story is a classic example of why it is worth it.
