My name is Stella!

Updated Bio 11/14/2015

Stella is a 2 year old Yorkie Female being fostered in Beechgrove TN.

When Stella came into United Yorkie Rescue on 11/4/2015 she was VERY PREGNANT with 5 puppies. Over the course of days Stella’s health declined dramatically and the Veterinarian determined that we needed to deliver Stella to save her life. As it turns out, some of Stella’s pups had died in utero and this was causing Stella to become sick and developing sepsis. An ultrasound revealed that Stella’s abdomen was full of fluid and she went into emergency surgery. Sadly, none of her puppies lived. They were not completely formed and never really had a chance.

On a much brighter note, Stella is now recovering well and is already making strides. This little girl whose only value in her previous life was her ability to crank out litter after litter of puppies for sale to the highest bidder is now on the road to a healthy life as a “normal” Yorkie girl who we hope will eventually become someone’s treasured family member.

Stella still has a lot of challenges ahead of her. Stella’s biggest hurdles now are social ones. Stella is a true “Puppy Mill” dog……She is EXTREMELY timid and shy and really has never been socialized AT ALL. She has NEVER had the benefit of having a human to love her, pet her, work with her and teach her all the things that most dogs raised in a normal home learn. Because of that, Stella does NOT act like a “normal” dog. She mostly walks slowly around the house to find a spot that is a “secluded nook” such as under a bed, behind a sofa or anywhere that she can find a little spot away from everything for her to hide in. She does not look a human in the eye nor will she come to you on her own to seek affection. She will let you pick her up and hold her and love on her without objecting but she does not reciprocate or give you any “feedback” as to how she feels about it. It is almost as if Stella is saying “Do with me what you will…….I don’t care.” This is not uncommon behavior in Puppymill dogs. We are doing everything we can in her foster home to ensure Stella knows she is safe and loved. It is really too soon to know how Stella’s social progress will go but we are hopeful that in time with the right environment she will move past her painful past and will begin to trust humans and seek human attention.

Stella is not housebroken. She lived her whole life so far in a wire rabbit hutch where living in her own waste was her “norm”. We are working with her on this but it will take a very patient person who is willing to work with Stella consistently for her to make progress. Stella does not yet understand how to walk on a leash. Because of her past she has never known what it feels like to have grass under her feet or to even make an independent decision on what direction to move on her own. She has just begun to take her first steps …..Up until recently she would just sit down and look confused by the whole experience so she is making some progress.

We think Stella would do best with someone who is home a lot or will take Stella with them wherever they go. We think she would likely do well in a home with another dog who is older, very calm and can show Stella how to be a “normal dog.” Those seeking a playful playmate for a younger dog should know that Stella is not that kind of dog……at least not now. She needs someone who has the time and commitment to help her develop socially, make progress with her house-training and leash walking skills. Most of all she needs someone who will meet Stella “where she is” and be committed to her for the long haul. Stella is young but the life she has had so far has been a rough one that has left Stella with painful scars that are on the inside where they can’t be seen. Rehabilitation of a puppymill survivor begins with rescue, but can only be completed by a committed, loving adopter. Please do not consider adopting Stella if you are not “all in” for the long haul.

Updated Bio 11/6/2015
Stella is a 2 year old, 10 lb. (and full of Puppies due ANY DAY!) Yorkie Girl being fostered in Beechgrove TN.

What a day Stella had yesterday! She went to the Vet for her “post shelter” check up and we are on FULL ON Puppy Watch! Stella will likely deliver 4 or 5 puppies in the next 4 days or so. We are taking her temperature every day to look for the 1-2 degree temperature drop that dogs typically have when labor is expected to start within 24 hours. We will be sure an let Stella’s fans know when that has occurred so stay tuned for frequent updates.

We got some REALLY GREAT NEWS too. Stella is in pretty good health considering all she has been through and though we were told at the shelter that she was heartworm positive our Vet repeated her test and she is NOT ! Stella tested heartworm NEGATIVE which is nothing short of a miracle given the conditions that she and the other 5 Puppy Mill dogs that UYR took in from the Animal Rescue Corps Operation Autumn Angels. We are so grateful and proud to be a rescue partner with this group and they did the hard work of getting Stella and so many like her out of the deplorable conditions they were living in.

Stella was found to have bilateral ear infections, some dermatitis, luxating patellas (knee caps don’t fall into correct alignment) and some other minor issues. We also can’t fully vaccinate her until after her puppies come and have been nursed to a proper weaning age. After all those “bridges” have been crossed then Stella will be immunized, spayed, micro-chipped and ready for adoption. So we are probably looking at 3 months or so.

The Vet also instructed us to put Stella on a high quality/high calorie Puppy food so that we can correct her very poor nutritional status and give the puppies the nutrition that they need. Stella isn’t very interested in eating currently but she will nibble on it gradually. She does love treats however! She is EXTREMELY SHY. She has never been socialized so this will continue to be a work in progress. Right now our priority is to get Stella’s puppies delivered.

We will be EXTREMELY CAREFUL about finding the right forever home for Stella due to her background as a puppy mill dog. We think the best situation for her will be a stay at home “person” who will dote on her and has lots of patience to continue to work with her on social skills and training. Stella is a small dog (her non-pregnant ideal weight will be around 6 lbs we think) so we will look for her a home with no children under age 14. But Stella’s forever home is quite a way into the future for now. If all goes well we think she may be ready for adoption some time in February 2016. If you have questions about Stella you can direct those to her foster mom at tnyorkiemama@yahoo.com

Stella wishes to say a VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to all of her supporters! She is not used to such kindness as the hands of humans but she is learning that UYR Supports are a VERY SPECIAL BREED !

Initial Bio 11/5/2015

Meet Stella, a 2 year old and VERY PREGNANT Yorkie female being fostered in Beechgrove TN.

Stella is the second UYR dog to be rescued from the much publicized puppy mill/animal cruelty case in Mississippi.

As you can see STELLA IS FULL OF PUPPIES! We are on 24-7 Puppy Watch in her foster home as we are told these pups can be born at ANY MOMENT! We are over the moon excited about this for WHO DOESN'T LOVE PUPPIES?

On a much sadder note, Stella, along with 5 other dogs from this large rescue operation were taken in by United Yorkie Rescue. Sadly for tiny Stella she has lived every day of her life in a chicken wire rabbit hutch in the middle of the woods. She was expected to drop litter after litter of puppies and then have them snatched from underneath her way too soon.

Thanks to our rescue partners the Animal Rescue Corps and United Yorkie Rescue THIS STOPS FOREVER NOW! Stella will deliver her pups, nurse them for a proper period of time and when SHE IS READY and the PUPS ARE READY and not ONE MOMENT SOONER UYR will find great homes for all of them where they will be loved and treasured for their entire lives.

Stella, like all the dogs taken in from this rescue has MANY problems that face her. Firstly, we need to get her safely delivered. Judging from the size of her belly we think she is carrying 3-4 pups. Stella has heartworms, parasites, skin conditions, ear infections, bad teeth....the list goes on. On a positive note she is young so we are hoping with the proper care we can get her past all of these obstacles.

Stella was among the first to be released from the emergency shelter so that she would not have to deliver in the stressful shelter environment. She is already exhibiting "nesting" behavior and is dragging her foster parents stocks, stray towels, etc. into her bed to "make ready for puppies." She is undoubtedly a good Momma and looking out for her babies already!

Stella will be seeing a UYR approved Veterinarian today and we will know more about "how soon" we can expect our new arrivals. Stella needs to be safely delivered and nurse her pups to maturity before we can begin her heartworm treatment. In the meantime we are feeding her high calorie, nutritious food and giving her lots of TLC.

Yesterday, for the very first time in her life, Stella knew what it was like to live outside the confines of a cage. She was held close and cuddled and spoken to in a soft tone. She was tucked into a human baby play pen with a soft fluffy bed and lots of area to welcome Stella's puppies when they arrive VERY SOON.

We know that EVERYONE will be on "Puppy Watch" along with all of us here at United Yorkie Rescue so we will be having very frequent updates for Stella until this happens.

If you can help towards Stella's care or any of the other 5 Puppy Mill dogs United Yorkie Rescue has taken in, please do so. No amount is too small.

We are BEYOND GRATEFUL for everyone's help in supporting these pups.

Thank You so Much from UYR, Stella.....and "company"