Roscoe Rescues: Stella

Hi everyone, Roscoe here. 

Recently someone asked mom, "how does Roscoe rescue?" Well buckle up because here it comes. The story of my life as a rescue dog. And I don't mean as a dog that was rescued, although I was, I mean my life as a dog that rescues other dogs. 

Stella was my very first rescue. Mom and I picked her up from animal control in November of 2012 and she was a mess. Emaciated, dirty, she didn't want to even get up when we went to her kennel.  Yet, we brought her home with high hopes! She needed us. Stella didn't want to move for the first three days with us, aside from going potty she didn't move, she didn't eat. I tried to show her toys and and to roll over for belly rubs but she just slept. I remembered the uncertainty I felt when I was rescued and realized I needed to be patient with her. So I put the toys away and I laid next to her quietly. On the third day I was in the kitchen with Mom and Stella appeared in the doorway, and wagged her tail. After that I showed Stella how to be a good dog every day. I had only learned this myself a year prior, so it was nice to have someone to keep learning with. Stella didn't ever tell me what she had been through, we only knew she was found on the street. But from the day she wagged her tail in the kitchen I knew it was up to me to rescue Stella. Eventually Stella learned all the doggy things. We chewed bones together, we went on walks, we ran on the beach in the waves and the sand, we even played at doggy day care a few times a week at Evergreen Pet Lodge on the Island, my favorite place. Stella was doing so well, she was learning to be a dog.

When we got word that someone was very interested in Stella she was still very skinny, but she was happy, so we drove to meet her potential new dad and despite her tiny frame his eyes lit up. The day before we left to meet her potential new home we ran on the beach together at sunset. The beaches are dog friendly on the Island so we met so many new dogs and Stella did so well. I think she knew she needed to be strong, and I knew that we wouldn't run together on the beach again. She was ready for a family of her very own.

Stella lived several years with her new dad. They lived in a few different states and she got to travel with him regularly. He sent us photos her whole life, to show us what a beautiful dog she was and remind us she was loved. She grew even stronger over the years, she put on weight and she no longer looked like the ghost of a mistreated dog, she was incredible. I had done my job. Stella passed away a few years ago, in the arms of her dad. I couldn't be happier for the life I helped give Stella. I'm a very lucky dog to have been her guide dog from the trash she had been treated like to the duchess she deserved to be.  Stella was adopted in 2013. But my work was nowhere near done.