You should never underestimate the transformative power of love.
When Stella was first found on the streets of Atlanta, Georgia, she was a lost cause. Due to her disturbing past, this lovely gray and white doggo girl was extremely traumatized.
She lost all of her faith in humanity and had the most heartbreaking bark whenever someone tried to approach her. Then, with just the right person and endless attempts to help her, Stella embarked on a life-changing journey.
This is her story!
Stella’s Heartbreaking Past
A neighbor spotted Stella roaming the streets of Atlanta after she was cruelly dumped by her owner. She was used for breeding for so many years and then discarded after her owner could no longer “use her.”
Animal control picked up this skittish girl, who eventually was set to be euthanized. With many scars on her soul, Stella couldn’t properly socialize nor go into a new home.
Then, the good people of LifeLine Animal Project, from Atlanta, Georgia, stepped up!
They picked up Stella and gave her a chance for a new life. Despite her heartbreaking past, the volunteers didn’t give up on her. With the help of their partners, Fly With Me Animal Rescue, they managed to secure Stella a shelter until she was finally ready to go into a loving home.
Then, the hooman-shaped miracle arrived!
Krista Keough saw the picture of this pawdorable girl on the rescue’s Instagram just the morning after she had the most unusual dream.
“She came into my life because I had a dream one night that I was running on the beach with my sister and her dog, and I looked down to see a gray and white dog;” Kirsta told GeoBeats Animals.
She immediately knew that she had to meet Stella, as it was destiny that brought these two together!
On their very first meeting, Stella and Krista immediately fell in love with each other. She knelt in front of her, and, for some reason, Stella put her head into Krista’s arms, as if she was trying to say: “You’re my hooman now!”
The two went home, starting a new life together.
Healing Journey
For the first couple of weeks, Krista decided to put the meeting of Stella and her other dog, Apollo, on hold. She made sure to make Stella as comfortable as possible, as this rescue girl was still quite traumatized.
She had the most heartbreaking bark whenever she would go outside or see “a potential danger” approaching her. She acted like a guard dog around Stella when she really was trying to escape the horrible past that haunted her all the time.
Then, with some love and so many attempts to accommodate her, Stella’s behavior started to change!
She warmed up to Apollo to the point where they became best friends. The two got used to each other’s company and soon became inseparable.
Underneath her broken soul, there was a pawsitive, enthusiastic girl eager to play and do endless zoomies in the yard. Still, her occasional outbursts would go on display, and Stella would have a really hard time adjusting to new circumstances.
“I felt like maybe I had taken on too much. And I thought about her backstory from the time that she was in her former family home to the streets to the shelter on a bus all the way to me, and I thought, if she can overcome that, then I can certainly make some changes in my life to accommodate her and give her the things that she needs,” says Krista.
Stella’s healing journey inspired her mom to write a book called “Dear Diary, it’s me, Stella” about the moments of despair and Stella’s heartbreaking journey through life.
With the book, Krista tried to raise awareness about rescue dogs and their unbreakable spirit, even after the horrible events they go through.
Today, Stella lives the best life with her family, and even though she still might cope with the past at moments, her mom’s endless love is what makes her thrive. She never, ever feels alone or abandoned anymore, and her momma’s lap is now the safest place for her.
And, isn’t that what every dog in this world should have?