Lady Stella

My story

Backstory: Stella has a past. Don’t we all? She’s been through a LOT, and she’s still emotionally healing from the upheaval. Stella was dropped off at an animal control facility by a person who was losing their home, and they did not have the wherewithal to take of her. She showed up completely covered in enormous mats, and she could barely see because they were in front of her eyes. Breed and Hair Notes: Stella has hair that grows and not fur, and the person who once had her neither brushed nor cut her hair. This is why she was recently shaved down quite close to her skin. Just give it a couple of months, and you’ll start to see her gorgeous hair grow to its rightful length! She will start to really look like the Lhasa Apso/Shih Tzu mix that she is! PLEASE NOTE: her hair will grow indefinitely, and she will need professional grooming every 4-6 weeks. Only apply if you understand the additional maintenance and cost that these dear hair-not-fur souls need and are willing to commit to life for such care. Get to Know Stella: Despite the obvious neglect, Stella is unabashedly forgiving. She still loves people despite it. Can you imagine being so forgiving? We can all take a lesson from Stella about how to live. Stella is small in stature at only 8 pounds, but don’t let her size fool you into thinking she’s a meek and fragile little girl. On the contrary. Stella has a wonderful balance of gentleness and strength. She’s only three years old with a lot of life to live. All Stella wants is to love people and be loved by them. She is sometimes playful, but not overly energetic. After playing or going for a walk, she loves an afternoon nap and would like to take them by your side or in your lap. She is very smart and is a quick learner. She arrived to our sanctuary without any manners. Now, she knows how to sit, stop, come, and is walking well on a leash. She can walk miles and is currently our star walker! Ideal Home: Remember when we said Stella had a past? It seems to have involved a frightful attack from another dog or dogs, and she’s successfully working on overcoming her fears through basic positive reinforcement training. She can successfully be in a home where she is the only dog, and she would soak up all the attention. She can also be in a home with other very patient and calm small dogs, provided her people give her time to learn how to trust them. She is currently thriving now in our sanctuary with several other dogs. She sleeps next to them on the bed at night and is learning how to play with them. PLEASE NOTE: Stella will need a very experienced adopter who understands how to redirect behavior through positive reinforcement training. She is still overcoming her hesitations and learning how to trust other dogs, and she needs an understanding person to help guide her through it. She is also hesitant meeting new people. Once she is approached quietly, she will become fast friends but on her terms. Only a quiet home with no children for Stella. She loves to ride in a car, provided she can be in someone’s lap or right next to them on the trip. If you love roadtrips, she will enjoy taking them with you. If you travel often and plan to leave her home with a sitter, Stella is not your girl. Stella is a companion animal in the truest sense of the word. She wants to be with her people all the time, and she needs this consistency in her life. She has separation anxiety and will call bark when her people leave the house. We trust this will calm down in time through more training. With this in mind, she can ONLY be in a home where her people are there most of the time. Apartment living is probably not ideal unless you really are with her all the time. If you work away from the home every day, Stella is not going to be happy. Working from home is ideal. If you plan on putting her in a crate, there is no need to apply. This will only create stress and anxiety being separated from her people. She will flourish in a home where she can hang out with her people during the day and sleep with them at night. Who will be fortunate enough to have Stella’s love, sweetness and unabashed loyalty in their lives? We look forward to finding out!

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Lady Stella, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.