🐾 How Stella Found Us: A Rescue Story That Was Meant to Be

 

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How has it been 4 years already?

Today’s post is a little more personal.

Back in 2021, Mark and I made one of the best decisions of our lives—we opened our home and hearts to a rescue dog. 🐶❤️

We had both been dog parents before, and at the time we were living with our amazing roommates and their two lovable Miniature Schnauzers. But as any dog lover knows, there’s something profoundly different when it’s your own. So, we began our search.

One day, while scrolling through Petfinder, I came across a sweet black Schnauzer named Paloma—the name struck us immediately. We loved the singer Paloma Faith and, yes, the grapefruit cocktail too! 🍹 It felt like fate. We applied without hesitation… but days passed, and we heard nothing. I checked the listing every day. I emailed the rescue multiple times. Then, suddenly, she was gone. No explanation. No response. Just… gone.

We were crushed.

But as life often does, it had other plans for us.

The very next Petfinder email included a new suggestion: a Schnauzer mix named Summer. The moment I saw her face, I turned to Mark and said, "That’s our dog. She’s the one." We submitted the application immediately—and this time, we heard back the next day. She was in Louisiana, preparing for transport to New Jersey that weekend.

References were called. Vet checks were done. It was official—she was ours. (Thanks to https://wagoninn.rescuegroups.org/)

Now, let’s talk about that name... Summer. I’ll be honest: I’m not a fan of the season, and there was no way my dog was going to carry that name. We decided we’d name her Paloma, in honor of the pup we had missed out on. I printed her tags. Filled out her city license paperwork. Quoted her pet insurance. All under Paloma.

But the universe wasn’t done.

The night before her arrival, Dobby (our black Schnauzer) got sprayed by a skunk at 11 PM. 😩 We had to be up and out the door by 6:30 AM to meet our new girl—and now we had a stinky pup and no sleep. (That’s a whole story for another time...)

Despite the chaos, we managed to get a few hours of sleep. Now, I normally do not remember my dreams, especially the good ones (the bad ones I always seem to remember however) but that night I did. While I was dreaming, I had the most vivid moment—I called out to my new dog, but not as Paloma. I called her... Stella. Yes, like the famous line from A Streetcar Named Desire.

I woke up, looked at Mark, and said: “Her name is Stella. That’s it. That’s who she is.”

And that’s how Stella came into our lives—not by accident, but by destiny. 💫

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These are the pictures of Stella from PetFinder when we first saw her. It was love at first sight!!

The next morning arrived, and to say we were excited would be the understatement of the year. We were finally going to meet Stella—the pup we already loved with all our hearts. We got there early, parked, and joined about 30 other equally eager families all waiting to meet their new dogs. The parking lot buzzed with anticipation, and we were practically bouncing in our seats. 🐾💛

When the transport van finally pulled in, it was like time stood still. And then, there she was. The moment they handed her over to us was pure magic—raw, emotional, unforgettable. I couldn’t hold back the tears. After everything—the searching, the waiting, the skunk incident, the name change—Stella was finally home.

(📸 Check out the photos below of us waiting and that powerful first moment we met her.)!

   

Now, we all had a long eventful day. So it was time to get settled and get some much needed sleep.

And the rest, is history. We have had amazing adventures with Stella. She'd come with me to work and hang in my office and was on display on 24x36" canvas. Plus she visited Santa when he came to the office.

And she even sneak attacked Aunt Anna when she wasn't looking to jump in her lap.

We visited Central Park in NYC.

She did Zoomies, a mobile dog gym.

 

She was a celebrity guest at the groomers pet first aid class.

We have been to Cape May and stayed at a fantastic pet friendly bed and breakfast (Shout out to https://www.highlandhousecapemay.com/) 

 <-- she was ready for anything!

We celebrated her 1st Gotcha Day in a Big Way!

She learned to deal with being in the car, in her own special way...

She learned what soft was and that she can pretty much sleep anywhere

 

She's become fine art! Thank you, Aunt PhyPhy!

She learned to chase and not trust squirrels.

She learned that she LOVES the snow! Much like her dad!

She loves the park

She loves to people watch... aka watching tv

Now, if you have made it this far, THANK YOU!!!

All of this is to say, Happy Gotcha Day, Stella. These past 4 years with you have been more than we could have dreamed of. You are the epitome of perfection. Mark and I made a promise, your life may have started out rough, but we will make sure the rest of it is nothing but fun adventures, soft places to land, and a full belly every day! 

We love you with all our hearts!