Stella was one of a kind.
Like us, she had her share of troubles. Before she came to us, she had been rescued from a breeding mill. She had at least 6 litters, and they had filed down her teeth, cut off her tail, and broken her spirit.
Then she found us.
Out looking for a dog while we were in Mesa, we went to our local PetSmart. Not only were the dogs there too rambunctious, they were crazy expensive. Still, they were cute, and we got into a conversation with the employee. Turns out, there was another, older dog, who they had kept off-site. Wanting her to go to a good home, they invited us to go visit.
We arrived, and Stella (named Zoe at the time), immediately came over and put her head in Carmella’s lap. We knew then we had found our dog. Half Pit Bull, half Labrador (they believed), no one had any idea how old she was.
At first, she was nervous.
Once we had worked everything out (no charge, they just wanted her to go to a good home), we took her home with us. At first, she was nervous, jumping at shadows, and having nightmares in her sleep. But, as time went on, she grew to be our constant companion. While she was always skittish around other dogs, she calmed down and the nightmares eventually stopped.
She was so loving.
We did what we could for her, and despite her rough early years, she became a loving member of our family. With the grandkids, she was gentle, and seemed to treat them like her own pups. Even when they were young, she never once snapped or even growled around them.
She was there for everyone. When Reid became sick, and spent a majority of the time in bed for several months, Stella was right there, cuddling up to him and making him feel better any way she could. When Carmella would sit on the covered porch, she would leave the door open. Stella would come out, staring down on the walkway below, and always seemed to think she was a lap dog. While she might have been a bit big for that, the sentiment was touching nonetheless.
She loved the dog park.
Our apartment in Mesa, where she first came to live with us, had an enclosed dog park. While she didn’t like going when other dogs were there, she loved it when it was just her and us. Sitting on a bench inside the gated walls, we would let her off the leash to roam around. Her favorite activity was rolling around in the grass, and the look on her face was priceless (as you can see in the video below).
She loved to travel.
While car trips seemed to bore her, she enjoyed the new smells at every stop on our car trips. Visiting the Pacific Ocean, listening to the seals barking at Pier 39, or crashing out on the down mattress when we stopped in Las Vegas, among others, are fond memories that will be with us forever
In 2021, it was her time to say goodbye.
In June of 2021, after 7 wonderful years with us, she shuffled up to us, said her goodbyes, and passed away. While we miss her everyday, we were happy to be able to bring 7 years of joy to a life that started so brutally. We are thankful we got to know her, and so glad we had that much time to spend with her. We’ve had her cremated, and plan on bringing her ashes with us as we continue on our journey…wherever we may go.