How web-surfing Shrewsbury woman fell for a stray dog . . . in Romania
[gallery] When Sally Phillips decided to do a spot of web surfing, the last thing she thought would happen would be spotting her ideal pet dog.
One problem – she was in Shropshire and the dog was in Romania, where it had been abandoned to life on the streets.
But undeterred Sally, a mum of two from Shrewsbury, set about giving the dog a better life.
And today, one-year-old Beau, who was regularly stoned and beaten while roaming the streets of Bacau, is living the life of Riley with Sally and her family.
"She has settled in so well," said Sally, who works at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
"She is amazing. We love her to bits."
The family had lost their dog, Kera, when she died at the ripe old age of 18, and had decided to take the plunge to get another. "I was just on the internet and came across a website called K-9 Angels. There were photos of Beau on the street in snow and temperatures of -15 degrees.
"I contacted K-9 Angels straightaway and was put in touch with a lady in Romania who had known Beau since she was a puppy and was the one who fed her and her family along with many other strays on the street.
"She said how Beau loved to have cuddles and loved human affection and sent me photographs of Beau and her family. Once we had agreed to adopt Beau she was taken off the street into the safety of a foster home."
Beau was then spayed and vaccinated and, three weeks later, was on her way to Shropshire for her new life with new owners who had still not met her.
"But it is like she has always been here," said Sally.
"I had never considered adopting from Romania before reading about K-9 Angels, I thought it would be very expensive, but it isn't," she said, although she declined to say how much she had spent to get Beau to her home.
"She settled so well into her new home and is the most gentle, kind and trusting dog you could meet; which is quite unbelievable when you know what cruelty she has experienced and witnessed. Everyone who meets Beau falls in love with her."
The Romanian Government has now voted to introduce a new law whereby all stray dogs will be taken to the public shelters and destroyed within 14 days if they are not rehomed.
