Never underestimate the power of love to transform a life.
Stella was found roaming the streets of Atlanta, Georgia, her spirit fractured and her trust in people nearly gone. The gray and white dog carried the weight of a painful past, leaving her wary and deeply scarred.
Her bark, sharp and haunting, echoed whenever someone came near. But then, fate intervened, and Stella’s story took a turn no one saw coming.
A Broken Spirit Wandering The Streets
A concerned neighbor first spotted Stella wandering alone in Atlanta. Her previous owner had used her for breeding repeatedly, then cast her aside when she was no longer wanted.
Animal control picked her up, but her fear and emotional wounds made her difficult to place. Eventually, she was added to the euthanasia list.
That’s when LifeLine Animal Project, from Atlanta, Georgia, stepped in.
Refusing to give up on her, they took Stella into their care. With support from Fly With Me Animal Rescue, she was placed in a safe environment where she could begin to heal.
Then, something extraordinary happened.
Krista Keough saw Stella’s photo on the rescue’s Instagram, just hours after having a vivid dream.
“She came into my life because I had a dream one night that I was running on the beach with my sister and her dog, and I looked down to see a gray and white dog;” Kirsta told GeoBeats Animals.
Moved by the dream, Krista went to meet Stella.
From the moment they met, a bond formed instantly. Stella rested her head in Krista’s arms, as if to say, “You’re mine now.”
That same day, Stella left the shelter and began a new chapter with Krista.
Building Trust One Day At A Time
Krista waited several weeks before introducing Stella to her other dog, Apollo. Stella was fragile, still haunted by her past, and Krista focused on helping her feel secure.
Her bark returned whenever she sensed danger outside, not out of aggression, but out of fear. She was a wounded soul trying to protect herself.
With time, patience, and love, Stella’s defenses began to soften.
A post shared by Krista Keough (@kristakeough)
Eventually, she and Apollo became close companions. Stella’s playful side emerged, and she began racing around the yard in joyful zoomies.
Still, her journey wasn’t without setbacks. New experiences sometimes triggered her anxiety, and Krista admitted there were moments of doubt.
“I felt like maybe I had taken on too much. And I thought about her backstory from the time that she was in her former family home to the streets to the shelter on a bus all the way to me, and I thought, if she can overcome that, then I can certainly make some changes in my life to accommodate her and give her the things that she needs,” says Krista.
Inspired by Stella’s resilience, Krista wrote a book titled, Dear Diary, It’s Me, Stella, chronicling her pain and recovery. Through the book, she hoped to raise awareness about the healing potential of rescue dogs.
Today, Stella is thriving in her new home. Though traces of her past remain, she is surrounded by love and safety. Her favorite place is curled up in Krista’s lap, a place where she knows she’ll never be abandoned again.
And truly, isn’t that what every dog deserves?
