We met each other at The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas during quarantine in 2020. At first, I thought she was a little too hyper for me. The shelter staff member suggested I take her home and foster her for just two weeks. She told me taking dogs out of the shelter and into a home environment can soothe them. She was right! Not even a full day went by and I knew Stella was never going back. She and I are attached for life.

When Stella came into my life, something changed within me.  She is such a blessing and has taught me so much about myself, life, and how to find joy in simple things like taking a walk. A friend described her relationship with her sweet dog as “the one who taught me unconditional love.” When I heard that, I immediately understood because that’s one of the main lessons Stella has taught me. 

We love to travel, go on long walks, especially on the beach, and take lots of pictures. Well, I like to take a lot of pictures, I’m not sure Stella really does but she plays along. Stella loves a tasty treat hidden in her ball, playing fetch, trying to chase squirrels and a puppaccino from Starbucks! And if there’s one thing I know for sure about Stella it’s that she’s simply happy to be with me! It’s impossible to describe what that means to me. 

It always warms my heart to see how people react to Stella. A simple smile or an “oh, she’s so cute”, makes me feel like the luckiest person alive - I get to be her mom. She has this way about her that makes people smile and brings them joy. There’s a human-like way about her that connects us so deeply and there’s no doubt in my mind that we were meant to be together in this lifetime. When people compliment me for rescuing her, I just silently laugh.  We know the truth of who did the rescuing! 

XOXO