There is a very odd case concerning a nine-year-old German shepherd dog named Bela who is to be buried with his owner who died three weeks ago but the problem is…Bela is very much alive and healthy. Bela’s owner left specific instructions with her attorney for how her dog would live out the remainder of his life. Originally, she wanted Bela shipped across country to a no-kill shelter in southern Utah where he would live the rest of his life surrounded by caring people. However, (and it’s this that has everyone up in arms) if sending Bela proved too costly then the dead owner’s wish is to have him euthanized, cremated and his ashes buried alongside hers. When the dog’s dead owner’s original arrangement proved to be too costly, the alternate option now comes into play. Presently, there is a growing movement across social media sites to defy the dog’s dead owner’s request to have her dog euthanized and buried with her. But there is one piece to this conundrum that could be the pivotal point to its outcome. It seems Bela displays aggressive behaviors around strangers, especially kids. Bela is 105 pounds with a history of aggressive behavior which often leads to a dog being euthanized. A veterinarian recommended that Bela be put down according to the dead woman’s attorney because he could harm strangers and children in particular. Now that Bela’s fate has been made public, there has been such an outcry that plans to euthanize the dog have been put on hold. Bela is presently in the care of a humane center in Indiana where he is being very well cared for and is happy. The center in Utah, where Bela was slated to go originally, wants him to come there but that decision is to be made by the friend of the dead woman appointed to oversee Bela’s future. Keep in mind, this dead woman’s request is perfectly legal! This case seems to raise ethical questions about the amount of control deceased people should have over their pets lives. People aren’t allowed to euthanize healthy pets, as a whole, but it is not uncommon to euthanize unwanted pets. We shouldn’t want people to decide the fate of a healthy pet on a whim, assuming the pet will be cared for. We shouldn’t encourage this. Bela’s fate is still undecided but with the outrage this case has in sighted, I’d be willing to bet Bela will live.