Is your dog in the market for a BFF? Meet Stella Bella, the perfect addition to your pack!
Stella is a medium-size pitbull estimated to be just one year old. Already in her short life, Stella has faced plenty of hardship and strife - she was found abandoned in Philadelphia, tied to a fence with no food or water in sight, and was transported to the shelter by the Philly PD. Stella was terrified to find herself in a shelter, initially growling at anyone who approached her and too scared to even walk outside or walk more than a few steps beyond the office where she was staying. But over the days and weeks she spent as an "office foster hanging out with staff, Stella has blossomed, and is now utterly unrecognizable as the frightened little pup she was upon entering the shelter.
Stella has been in foster care since June 27th, and shares her foster home with two adults, a rabbit, and seven cats! But what Stella would REALLY love is a forever home of her own, with other dogs she can play with. Want to learn more about Stella? Check out her notes below, and email ruby@acctphilly.org to inquire about her!
WHAT STELLA WANTS:
- Above all, Stella would be overjoyed to join a multi-dog home. Stella ADORES other dogs and would be perfectly matched for a household with playful, fun-loving pups like her.
- A loving home with just grownups or teens - since Stella is still on the shy side with new people, but can also be jumpy and mouthy when excited, she will need a home with bigger kids or just adults who can give her time to get to know them, and can help her continue working on her excitable behavior.
- Several long walks each day that give her plenty of time to sniff! Stella is no power-walker, and prefers to take her time meandering around the neighborhood, sniffing everything in sight.
- A fenced-in yard is not required, but would give Stella plenty of space for her zoomies!
For a one-year-old dog, Stella is surprisingly lazy and spends much of her time napping. To put it in perspective, Stella recently napped for six hours straight after a 45-minute play session. A two-mile walk or hike is enough to wipe her out for most of the day!
WHAT STELLA KNOWS:
- Stella is 100% housebroken, and has never had a single accident in her foster home. She will regularly hold it for 6 to 8 hours while her foster parents are at work with no issues at all. She will sit by the door and whine when she's ready to go out.
- Stella is crate trained, though she is sometimes a bit reluctant to go into the crate since she knows it means her mom and dad are leaving her for the day. Tossing a few of her favorite treats in (Mini Milkbones or cheese) usually does the trick!
- Stella knows Sit, especially if you have a treat.
- She sleeps through the night, and loves to cuddle with her humans. She sometimes gets up in the night and finds one of her plush toys to gnaw on, but is good about keeping herself occupied.
- While Stella loves people food, she is polite while her foster parents are eating meals and her only "begging is sitting quietly near you and giving puppy-dog eyes, hoping you'll slip her some pizza crust or a corner of your sandwich.
- Stella knows to take treats very gently. A word of warning, though: if she's not hungry, she'll take her treat and then bury it in the nearest couch or under her bed to save it for later, so watch out for miscellaneous Milkbones hidden around the house.
- Stella walks nicely on her leash, with occasional pulling if she smells a particularly enticing scent that she wants to check out.
- She's not phased by loud sounds, and was totally fine with the July 4th fireworks extravaganza as well as several big thunderstorms. (She's not a fan of walks in the rain though!)
- Stella is polite when passing by strangers on her walks. She isn't reactive to new people, and typically won't bark at them unless it is dark out and they surprise her. A slow approach is still recommended, due to Stella's previous fearfulness, but she has made great strides with her openness to meeting new people.
WHAT STELLA'S STILL LEARNING:
- Stella gets excited to see her favorite people - and I mean REALLY excited! Your one-dog welcome committee will shower you with the most exuberant greeting of your life, complete with face kisses, jumping, and yes, sometimes mouthing too. Stella is working on managing her excitement in a more appropriate manner.
- Stella has a unique habit of showing her enthusiasm by nibbling gently on things - toys, blankets, and especially people. While she means well, Stella's foster parents are working on gently dissuading her from nibbling on people's clothes or skin by moving away from her or distracting her with her favorite toys.
- When left alone for long periods of time, Stella will sometimes chew on household items like phone chargers, shoes, or books. She has her own room in her foster home where there's nothing of interest for her to chew on, but she could also be crated while home alone to prevent her finding a new "chew toy. Puzzle toys and Kongs are definitely helpful to keep her occupied, too.
- Stella has some minor separation anxiety. In addition to the chewing noted above, Stella will bark or cry for a few minutes when she is left in her room, and will paw at the door sometimes. She settles down after a couple minutes.
- Stella absolutely loves other dogs and even likes cats. However, she tries to greet cats and small dogs with the same bouncy, high-energy play style she has around other big dogs. She is still learning how to treat cats with respect, and for now is just a little much for them. We expect small dogs could find her play style too rough-and-tumble for their size, but she is always open to meeting them and seeing how things go. In the foster home, Stella is kept separated from the other animals via a baby gate, in a separate room, or on a leash if in the same room as them, since she gets too excited at times and tries to chase the cats.
Dozer and Stella Bella: https://youtube.com/shorts/nsKcnholDxY?feature=share
Stella Bella and Thumper: https://youtube.com/shorts/jnBHbZNPWjk?feature=share
Bennett and Stella Bella: https://youtu.be/esnOZeYHBMc
Boxer and Stella Bella: https://youtube.com/shorts/k63gzfyI6qQ?feature=share
Blitz and Stella Bella: https://youtube.com/shorts/rWojoFFcDj8?feature=share
Stella bella and german: https://youtube.com/shorts/pIhXEWdIbKw?feature=share
Rocky Jr and Stella bella: https://youtube.com/shorts/wTbQkIp9jwk?feature=share
Gem and Stella Bella: https://youtube.com/shorts/ZSyznteLX_s?feature=share
Gigi and Stella Bella: https://youtube.com/shorts/tLXSgNdCY0A?feature=share
Smiley and Stella Bella 1: https://youtube.com/shorts/1NCEIpVZffQ?feature=share
Smiley and Stella Bella 2: https://youtube.com/shorts/V79YoRaZrY8?feature=share
Smiley and Stella Bella 3: https://youtube.com/shorts/6YzxZRWRINc?feature=share
