Stella’s Story

Stella is a very sweet but very shy girl who was having a hard time with shelter life. She had made some progress with a few of the volunteer dog walkers, so foster Kate took her home in November to see how she would do in a house. Kate has experience with shy dogs, so she gave Stella a balance of space and guidance to make her feel comfortable. Stella was initially afraid of any movement in the house (picking something up would send her running across the room) and ate once a day only when it was dark out. Through routines and patience, Stella came out of her shell and she is now housetrained, crate trained (she’s perfect in her crate!), and eating at normal times. She absolutely loves walking and is perfect on a leash, a real pleasure to take out on long walks. While she may seem aloof at times, her actions show she has so much love to give. She loves to sit next to Kate on the couch and Kate often wakes up to Stella laying right next to her on the bed (and taking up all the space by her feet…). She has learned “sit” and “paw” quickly, she’s a very smart girl! And she is very soft and loves scratches.

Stella would love a calm, quiet house with adults to keep working on her confidence. Because her inclination is to run when she is afraid, Stella will need a home with a fenced-in backyard to keep her safe if she gets outside. She was a street dog and can very easily run far from home if scared. Stella is otherwise a very easy and rewarding dog, with soulful eyes, adorable ears, hilarious howls, and a true desire for peace and continued guidance from her human.