Initiative: Rescued Bestie Feature, in collaboration with The 13 Project
Featured Canine: Stella, 16 y/o cattle dog mix
Rescue Facilitator: Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, Springfield, MA
The sweet soul in the painting above is ever so sadly no longer with us. I contemplated keeping my focus of this series on those pups alive and barking, but the truth is, few dogs have made such a lasting impression on me as Stella, and nearly 2 years since her passing, I still think of her frequently, and fondly.
I met Stella when she was well into her teens: upon moving to Cambridge 5 years ago, she was one of the first dogs to welcome us to our local park. Clearly showing her senior status, with greying fur and a stiff gait, she had at the time just undergone a rather unsettling period of health problems and had a significant patch of her coat shaved down on one side, to make way for a procedure. Due to her age, what should have taken weeks to begin covering over in new fur took months - which became the topic of repeated humerous discussion... but soldier on she did, and eventually medication adjustments and diet changes finally aligned to create a stable new normal for her, and for a number of years she thrived as a determined old senior.
Stella was rescued from a western MA shelter when she was about 6 years old. Her original owners apparently ceased to be able to care for her, at which point they passed her on to a relative. It was the relative that gave her up to the shelter. Among all the other dogs up for adoption on the day my neighbor strolled through the kennels, I'm told Stella was the only dog not clambering at the door of her cell, desperate for (no doubt deserved) attention - apparently, this girl was too proud to beg... and her dignity gained her a new home that day.
Dignity, strength, soul... Stella just had a presence about her, and concentrating it all, like a perspicacious tractor beam, was her ultimate focus... on what made her happy. She was a rock solid tank of a cattle dog mix, but age and illness routinely knocked her down. Brilliantly, through all of her many and periodically quite serious afflictions, her attitude - that dignified determination - outshined the tough stuff, and a more courageous, hopeful animal I have yet to meet. Her motivating force? That timeless canine pacifier - the stick.
Stella was no stranger to tennis balls, but a good branch to trot around with and she was on top of the world. It always began with "the look" - that upturned expression of anticipation... and drive... a sparkle in the corner of her eye that signaled the stick thrower to get on with it. No matter how stiff or sore she was unquestionably feeling, if she thought she could rally a human into a few rounds of fetch, she'd crank up the game face and prepare for a retrieve. And even when her arthritic joints caused her gait to resemble a wind-up tin toy, she still mechanically strutted after her wooden quarry with the kind of heart you just couldn't ignore. In her later days, her weakened limbs would occasionally let her down, and she'd flop to one side in her zeal to chase or return with her prize - never once did I see her loose that stoic spark, however, and she'd be back up, unashamed, ready for the next step, as quickly as her feet allowed. The girl had FOCUS, and she knew where she needed to point it at all times.
You were a role model for all species, Stella, and you will forever be missed.
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