Stella

Pet's Name: Stella

Dog: Primary Breed: Siberian Husky

Birthdate (an estimate is okay): 10/6/24

Age Category: Young

Where did you get your pet?: October 6 2025

Was this pet ever in a shelter, rescue, or foster program? If yes, please provide details.: Yes - Stella was 2 days away from euthanasia due to lack of space at Trenton Animal Shelter.

Adoption Day (when did you adopt your pet? An estimate is okay.): October 31st 2025

Gender: Female

Size (at full-grown): Medium

Approximate adult weight in pounds (number only): 55

Primary Color: Tan (Mostly)

What are your pet's favorite toys and activities?: Long walks/hikes and playing tug of war

Has your dog received any formal obedience training?: Yes

What commands does your dog know?: Sit, down, stay, heel, yes marker training (for recall and redirection), place

How does your dog react to being left alone for short periods?: Exceptionally well! She was also already crate trained when we foster-adopted her so she does very well when we put her in the living room with closed doors and crate access for up to 6 hours at a time (that's the max number of hours we are comfortable leaving her at home alone)

Are there any specific triggers that cause your dog anxiety or stress?: YES - she has bitten if people try to pet her anywhere on her body and she doesn't know them. Specifically that Ben and I (since we are the primary caregivers) are able to come in full and regular physical contact with her BECAUSE we've been working with her. I'd say about 3 weeks in Stella approached me and asked me to give her a full pet around her body with zero reactivity.

Is there a daily routine that works well for your dog (feeding, walking, sleep)?: Yes - like most dogs, Stella loves her routine. We always start off the morning with a long 1 hour walk. Depending on the weekday (since I have a hybrid work schedule), I might feed her breakfast first before the walk, or feed her after the walk. Then around 1pm she gets her second 1 hour walk. In between she gets crate and toy time as she wishes. Then around 5pm is dinner then backyard potty/sniffies time. Afterwards about 3-4 hours of relaxation, then final backyard walkies/potty break, then onward to crate for sleepy time!

Medical History and Care:

Does your pet have any history of health issues or medical conditions that potential adopters should be aware of?: Stella was experiencing chronic digestive symptoms (diarrhea) - but after trying a few different diets (from Fromm Duck a la Veg to Spot, Spot & Tango's Unkibble, to even home-cooked Just Food For Dog recipe), she is now eating 80% vet-prescribed Hill's Prescription Gastrointestinal Microbiome Chicken Recipe and 20% homecooked Just Food For Dogs Turkey and Whole Wheat Macaroni recipe, which seems to be agreeing quite well with her!! Her bowel movements have been completely back to normal now.

Additional notes about your dog’s health history:: When we initially fostered Stella from Trenton Animal Shelter, we had to find out the hard way a week into fostering that Stella had 5 surgical staples left on her stomach from a previous surgery that the shelter happened to omit from her medical history. We also had to pull teeth and nail through backend channels to get a full copy of her medical and behavioral records. From what we can see she doesn't have any medical conditions, which is good.

Has your dog ever shown any challenging behaviors, such as biting a person or another pet? If so, please share some context.: Yes - although Stella has only bitten if provoked (specifically if anyone comes close to her body and proceeds to put their hand out to pet her anywhere), she can quickly become overwhelmed and bite to tell them to back off. We specifically put on the "Do Not Pet" leash sleeve AND repeatedly remind people to give her her space as she is a reactive foster dog in training and being rehabilitated, and sometimes people just don't listen :(. That said, we have specific protocols in place when we walk her (e.g. walking off of the sidewalk when possible, giving her plenty of room to sniff safely and scanning her surroundings to ensure that everyone has space to walk and respect her space). We are also positive that she was never properly socialized when she was young as she can easily get excited around other dogs - but thankfully about 6+ months of VERY PROACTIVE training with Greenleaf Pet Resort and yes marker training, she is hovering at about 87% neutrality rate as of May so far as we keep a lot of every walking entry and count the number of dogs she's seen, and either did or did not react to).

How often does your dog require grooming (e.g., bathing, brushing, trimming)? : I'd say bathing every 1-2 months is acceptable BUT she must get her nails trimmed once every month to prevent long quicks. I do brush at least 3 times a week as it's a really great bonding experience for her and I. We also clean her ears once a week.

Does your dog have a dental care routine (e.g., brushing, chews, professional cleanings)?: Yes - we give her the Honest Paws dental powder in her food twice a day, and brush her teeth once a week. Depending on how long she will remain in our care, we will aim to schedule her first professional dental cleaning by the end of this year as she has some plaque buildup in her two molars.

Personality:

How is your dog with children?: Best in an adult home for now: Has not been around children, or finds them overwhelming.

How is your dog with other dogs?: Best as the only dog: Has reacted to other dogs and should live in a home without them.

How is your dog with cats?: Best in a home without cats: Has reacted to cats and should live in a home without them.

What's the most endearing thing about your dog?: Stella is incredibly loyal and intelligent (she also has only barked twice since we've had her for the past 7 months, which is incredibly rare!) She will whimper if she's overwhelmed, but we would happy take that over barking any day! She has a good balance of wanting to play with us while also loving her space to decompress in her living room and crate area.

What criteria are important to you when considering an adoptive family or home for your pet?: Experienced handler/family ONLY - they MUST respect Stella's need for personal space and boundaries as that will be CRITICAL for being her best possible advocate when it comes to walks, going to the groomer, vet appointments, having guests over. She clearly is very selective about who she allows to handle her so the potential adopter MUST respect that it will take time and a lot of patience for her to learn that she can trust her new family and that they will always advocate for HER NEEDS in order for them to thrive and build a lasting and trusting bond together as a group.

Is there anything else you'd like your pet's new family to know?: Respect her space, always. Stella will let them know if she wants attention (e.g. she will nuzzle your hand for pets). Let her initiate - even then! Do not prolong petting as that will take time for her to build trust, and we strongly advise that things like putting a flat palm on her back for a brief moment is totally acceptable, BUT always read her body language carefully (e.g. if ears are forward, pupils are starting to dilate, she's starting to show teeth or growl) BACK OFF and give her space. Unfortunately not enough people understand or believe us and they take the risk of being bitten because they did not respect her personal space or read her behavior correctly.

Why are you rehoming your pet (primary reason)?: Foster Pet

Details about rehoming reason (if needed): Trenton Animal Shelter pointed a gun to our heads and said that one - they don't really do foster programs so I had to convince them to let us give it a shot. However, they also said that if Stella is returned to the shelter and not adopted within 7 days, she would be euthanized. That coupled with the fact that there was blatant medical negligence (e.g. 5 surgical staples left on stomach after a surgery from 4+ months ago - which we will provide full medical records) for, my family made the difficult decision to pull her altogether because no other adopters or rescues were able to step up and we wanted to give her a full chance to live and be a dog! That said, we pulled her within a month of us moving into our first owned home, and we cannot realistically keep her permanently since we need to be realistic about our budgeting and bandwidth to commit to a dog full time. This is not a decision that we made lightly, and we will do everything we can to ensure that she doesn't end up in the shelter system again as it's been quite traumatic, and we would love to find her the best possible home that is ready and equipped to step up and give this wonderful girl a chance to live her best possible life!

If applicable, do you have the legal right or necessary permission from the breeder or rescue organization to rehome this pet? :

How long will you be able to keep your pet before you may need to consider surrendering him or her to a rescue?: Not an option, my pet will stay with me for as long as it takes

Who is your veterinarian?: Chesterfield Vet Clinic

What do you feed your pet, and does he/she have any feeding quirks or preferences?: 80% Hill's Prescription Diet - Gastrointestinal Biome + 20% homecooked Just Food For Dogs Turkey and Whole Wheat Macaroni. We also give her treats like pure organs (beef lungs, chicken liver, chicken hearts, beef heart). She also loves fresh fruit (such as blueberries, mangoes, bananas) and of course cheeses and yogurt haha. Before I forget we also give her Stella and Chewy's as well as she LOVES the raw treats and toppers! Oh and pig ears!!

Do you currently have pet insurance?: Yes

Would you consider a long-distance adoption?:

City, State: Trenton

Zip Code: 08611

How did you hear about us?: AI Search or Chatbot

Referring Name (person, page, or organization, if applicable): Google Gemini

Service Level: Tailored Placement: Full Support for Behavioral or Medical Needs