German Shepherd Travels 7 Miles To Hospital To Find Owner Who Later Died Of Coronavirus

A sweet German shepherd named Stella lived in Italy, a country hit very hard by the coronavirus, with her owner.  When her owner became ill with the virus and had to be hospitalized, the 7-year-old shepherd went to look for him.

As the faithful dog traveled the 7 miles between her home and Cisanello hospital in Pisa, her owner was placed in ICU.  By the time she got there, he had sadly passed away.

A kind soul took notice of Stella and shared her distressing story on Sportella Tutella Animali’s Facebook page.  The group is based in San Giuliano Terme, a commune in the province of Pisa.

They shared her story with the hope that someone would quickly adopt the grieving dog.  Their post read:

“REQUEST FOR HELP:
Pisa. Stella's owner is one of the victims of this virus.
Stella is 7 years old and since the day they took away her owner she doesn't give peace: she escaped to find him to the hospital.
The pain is immense, now looking for someone who keeps giving her the love she received until recently.
So sweet with humans, to evaluate the relationship with other animals at home.”

Happily, they have updated their Facebook page announcing that Stella has been adopted by a family member:

“ ** IMPORTANT UPDATE **
Stella will have a new family!
She will be adopted by a relative of the deceased master, who proposed to take care of her by offering her a new home and the affection she needs, now more than ever.
We thank everyone for the many shares and your interest! THANK YOU very much!

This news is great but bittersweet because it comes with the reminder that there are many pets that have been left behind.  They also posted:

"Let's not forget the many other dogs, equally unlucky, with as many sad stories behind them… waiting inside the box of a kennel or shelter for someone who can offer them unconditional love and a new family that welcomes them, making them forget their past suffering."

As of April 16th, 22,745 people in Italy have passed away after being infected with the coronavirus.  There are 172, 434 confirmed cases and of those, 42,727 have recovered.

As the virus spreads across the world, let us be reminded of the need to care for the pets, like Stella, that have been left behind through no fault of their owners or themselves.

Please share her story to remind people of this great need.