Stella

2010 - 2019

We first met our Stella in September of 2010 while helping out at a pet adoption. She was just 4 months old and was the happiest, cuddliest, most adorable puppy ever. Devin, who was just 12 at the time, said “I am not leaving here without this dog.” Despite the fact that we already had 2 dogs at home, Stella joined our family that day. Even though she was just a baby, her tail had been broken into an “L” shape that stayed that way, she had a silver dollar-sized wound on her back that never grew fur again, and she had all kinds of worms and parasites along with fleas. But none of this kept Stella down. She had an indomitable spirit and an upbeat personality every single day of her life. Stella loved being the alpha dog on walks in the woods, taking the lead but stopping every few minutes to make sure her pack was keeping up. Stella took her role of guard dog very seriously, keeping the whole family safe by alerting us to dangers like cats in the yard or babies going by in strollers. Stella weighed 75 pounds, but she wanted to be a lap dog and loved to be snuggled. Stella was an old soul with a very calm, composed sense of self. Stella had the most expressive, beautiful brown eyes that conveyed her boundless love for us. She could really look at us and hold our gaze in a way that no other dog has done. It is heartbreaking to know we will not look into those soulful eyes again in this life.

Poor Stella struggled with an ACL injury that gave her a lot of trouble, and just now has lost her short battle with bone cancer at the age of barely nine. She has borne all of her pain in her typical stoic and good-natured way. Stella was a very beloved member of our family and her absence leaves a huge dog-shaped hole in all of our hearts. She leaves behind her best friends and dog pack, Cherry and Lucy, and her human family, Tim, Linda, Kayla, Lynae, Caroline and Devin. Stella, you were such a good, good girl. The best of the best. We will love you forever and we can never replace you. In our dreams, Stella is reuniting with her cat Bianca and running happily through sunny, flowering meadows and chasing squirrels with Trixie, Paula, Buf, Envie, and many other loving companions, taking the lead, of course. Rest In peace, sweet girl.