This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary officials confirmed Wednesday that they are dispatching representatives to Indiana to take custody of a dog saved from a death sentence contained in his deceased owner's will.

An Indiana woman's last wishes were that her dog, a healthy but sometimes aggressive German Shepherd named Bela, be cremated and buried with her after she died.

"We have someone heading to Indianapolis now to pick Bela up, but they've been delayed by a bad local storm," Best Friends spokesman Eric Rayvid said. "It looks like they will arrive tomorrow, load up and head to Kanab."

Best Friends operates its world-renowned, no-kill sanctuary just 5 miles outside the southern Utah town of Kanab, in Angel Canyon. Nearly 2,000 formerly homeless or abandoned animals are sheltered at the site.

In a statement, Best Friends said it had been successful in working with an attorney representing the deceased owner, and the dog had been released to the organization's care.

Once the dog arrives in Utah, "he will celebrate a warm, happy holiday with lots of treats, toys and love," the statement read.

More details on the reasons behind the deceased woman's will also came to light on Wednesday.

Best Friends spokeswoman Barbara Williamson said that Bela's owner — identified as Connie Ley, a woman in her late 50s who died Nov. 25 of undisclosed causes — was concerned that her dog, with "a history of intermittent aggression," might not be able to find appropriate care and management after her death.

Once Ley's attorney and a friend designated to make the final decision on Bela's fate learned about Best Friends, and its staff of expert trainers and animal behavior specialists, they agreed to granting the dog a reprieve.

"At Best Friends, we believe that the life of every animal has intrinsic value and we will always do our level best to help 'Save Them All,' which is at the core of our mission," Williamson said.

She added: "Bela has experienced the trauma of losing his life-long companion and his home. Our first priority is to do everything we can to make Bela's life whole once again."

Twitter: @remims