MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) shared on Monday, April 20, that Stella, the dog who was shot and jumped from an overpass in the Green Bay area, passed away over the weekend.
"This one hurts"
What they're saying:
In a Facebook post, the WHS expressed grief over the loss of Stella:
"Stella captured hearts across the state with her incredible journey, and while we wish so deeply this wasn't how her story ended, we know that hope and love are never wasted. Instead of dying alone on a roadside, she had strangers pulling over to help guide her to safety. She had the team at Blue Pearl in Appleton working tirelessly to save her in those early, critical days. She had our staff and volunteers doting on her for the past several weeks, cheering her on at every turn. And she had an incredible community in her corner, donating to help cover her medical bills, asking how they could help, and sending her love from all over the map.
"This one hurts. No doubt about it. But we're so glad we tried. Thank you to every last person who supported her along the way. Rest easy, sweet Stella."
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More about Stella
The backstory:
Stella ran away from home on the afternoon of March 23. The humane society said she got onto I-41 that night and leaped off an overpass, falling 30 feet onto Shawano Avenue below.
Good Samaritans saw what happened and called police. An animal control officer captured Stella and rushed her to an emergency veterinarian in Appleton.
Apparent gunshot
Dig deeper:
The Wisconsin Humane Society said Stella had no broken limbs, but veterinarians found metal fragments from an apparent gunshot. The circumstances of how she'd been shot are not known. She had internal bleeding and severe damage to her lungs and chest, which the organization said are most likely from the impact of her fall.
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Since her rescue, the humane society said Stella's treatment has included multiple X-rays and major open-chest surgery. She's now continuing to recover at the WHS Green Bay campus.
What's next:
WHS plans to do a necropsy on Stella to figure out what happened. That is expected to take several days.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Wisconsin Humane Society.