Graphic images and the story of a dog attack !
Stella Bella Devoe
Alex, Melissa Pierce and their beloved Stella Bella Devoe, moved from Idaho to Oregon for a new job in 2006. They temporarily moved into a 5th-wheel trailer in Albany, Oregon while they were in shopping for a new home in a new city. Stella adapted to the smaller space and became accustomed to frequent walks instead of her daily romps in the yard back home.
Stella Bella Birthday Girl 2005
A few weeks before they were scheduled to move into their new home, Alex and Stella had just stepped outside their trailer when they were attacked by a German Shepherd mix. The dog rushed at them from 20 feet away, dragging the owner, who was unable to control him.
The shepherd attacked Stella, tearing a large flap of skin from her side. The attack probably lasted less than a minute, although it must have seemed like an eternity.
By the time the police arrived, the attacking dog and its owner had already fled the scene. Police have not been able to locate the owner or the dog.
Stella was rushed to the vet's office, where she underwent three hours of surgery to repair the damaged areas.
Unfortunately, most of the skin was lost and she has returned to the vet's office repeatedly since the attack. Stella developed a secondary infection and was put on heavy antibiotics and valium to calm her frazzled nerves.
Currently, she is on "restricted duty" in hopes
that the area will eventually heal.
She has recently regained some of her appetite,
after losing weight due to the stress of the situation.
Please send your thoughts and prayers
for Stella's quick recovery
to her family at
Updates: May 7, 2006
From Stella's papa:
Our Stella is doing pretty good. Doctor has told us to minimize movement (on a whippet? ha!) and otherwise, she went in today to have the edges of the wound 'roughed up' to help promote healing. It is shrinking fairly well, and we are keeping up with her dual antibiotic regiman, so hopefully things go well enough we can forgo the surgical solution, but it is just a matter of waiting and seeing.
At the last vet visit, she was 25 lbs, so she is not emaciated, but she is still losing a slight amount of weight. She has been exhibiting a healthy appetite in the last few days, so hopefully we can stop the weight loss, and maybe start getting her back up to her fighting weight.
And it must be healing, becuase all she wants to to is scratch it against the furniture, meaning that she is under constant vigilance.
Stella Update: 2007
Stella is doing so much better. Although she is tender and has a very nasty scar, her wounds have healed. She is once again a happy girl and a very lucky whippet girl !
Send Stella a hello at: StellaBella