“The prayers and support we received from the community was so special. We 100% could not have found Bella without the valued help of everyone. From the bottom of our hearts a massive thank you. Our family is whole again.”
These are the heartfelt words of Sindy (née Perrins) Jansen who recalled shedding tears of joy and being overwhelmed by an incredible sense of relief and renewed gratitude during their emotional reunion with their beloved furry family member after a whole week apart.
Jansen and her family desperately called on the public for their help in locating their pet dog, Bella, which went missing during a pamper session turned pet owner’s nightmare on Saturday 27 May (“Family seeks much-loved pet dog who disappeared from Somerset West parlour,” News24, Wednesday 31 May).
The four-year-old cross between a border collie and cocker spaniel disappeared without a trace when an open door of the grooming parlour at Petworld XXL Somerset West prompted the canine into the busy streets around The Pines centre.
She was apparently last seen leaving the Somerset Mall precinct and running past the De Velde apartments towards the fast-food restaurants at The Sanctuary shopping centre.
Jansen, after Bella’s disappearance, recalled last seeing the loveable family dog when she dropped her off for her appointment, which was scheduled for 13:00 on Saturday.
The pet owner further recalled being thrust into the heart-wrenching reality after learning that Bella is missing on returning to the groomers to fetch her around 13:30.
She immediately got into her car to look for Bella and called on family, neighbourhood watches and security companies to help with the search.
Petworld also initiated its own efforts in hopes of tracking Bella down; flyers created by the retail pet store were distributed and a reward of R2 000 was on offer to the one who finds the pooch. The concerned family also matched the reward on offer by the parlour.
However, as the days rolled on and hopes for Bella’s safe return started to fade, there was light at the end of the tunnel. Just before noon on Saturday (3 June), exactly a week later, Jansen received a call from a gentleman, claiming he had spotted a dog fitting Bella’s description on N2 highway near the weighbridge.
She recalled: “My whole family as well as the Petworld team mobilised and after three hours of chasing her between the N2 and Somerset Mall my brother, Dale Perrins, managed to get her into his car as she was so exhausted from running.
“She was surprisingly in good condition. She hardly lost weight and was not injured, from what we could see. She was just tired. We took her to the vet the next morning for a check up during which she got the green light.”
During a visit to the Jansens’ Croydon residence on Monday (5 June), the affectionate Bella who truly does roll over for tummy rubs the minute she sees you and nuzzles your hand for a cuddle, was in her element and clearly happy to be home, where she enjoys all the attention from Jansen’s daughter Sophia, and her cousins, Hayden and Kendall Perrins.
“We cannot describe how happy we all are to have her back where she belongs.”
