French Bulldog
Meet Stella Mae — a little bundle of love, laughter, and puppy kisses looking for her forever home! Could this sweet girl be the missing piece of your family? With her giant ears, adorable face, playful personality, and impressive kangaroo-like jumping skills, Stella Mae is sure to steal your heart!
Stella Mae is a fun-loving, affectionate puppy who has so much love to give. Once she gets to know you and realizes you’re a friend, get ready for all the butt wiggles, puppy kisses, and snuggles your heart can handle! She loves being close to her people, whether that means curling up beside you on the couch, climbing into your lap for a cuddle, or being held like a baby while you rub her tummy. She’s also quite the little entertainer! Stella Mae enjoys building couch forts out of cushions, playing with her favorite toys (especially squeaky stuffies that she can enthusiastically unstuff!), and showing off her amazing jumping abilities. This girl can leap from the sofa to a chair with ease, so we’re pretty sure there’s a little kangaroo hiding somewhere in her family tree!
When she’s not busy playing or snuggling, Stella Mae loves getting outside to explore the neighborhood. She enjoys her walks and has a fantastic little nose for sniffing out all the interesting smells hidden in the grass. She does well when passing other dogs on walks and isn’t reactive to them. Although she is currently the only dog in her foster home, her previous temporary foster reported that she gets along well with other dogs. We think a confident canine friend could help her continue building confidence, but it certainly isn’t a requirement. Stella Mae can also entertain herself, so she may be perfectly happy soaking up all the attention as your one and only furry companion.
Stella Mae is a smart little girl who is learning new things every day. She has only been in her current foster home for two weeks, so she’s still figuring out the ropes of being a puppy in a home. She’s working hard on potty training, learning to sit and shake, and getting comfortable with wearing her harness. She takes treats gently, is happy to play independently, and has shown some wonderful qualities for a curious pup. Her foster can touch her paws and face, handle her toys and food, and even safely take things out of her mouth. She loves bananas (her absolute favorite!), peanut butter, and cheese, so tasty treats are a great way to make learning fun! At night, she sleeps peacefully in her crate without a peep and has had no overnight accidents. She isn’t a big barker, although she may let you know when someone comes into the house.
One important thing to know about Stella Mae is that the world can still feel like a big, unfamiliar place. She can be fearful when meeting new people, both inside and outside the home, and will need slow, gentle introductions without pressure. New sights and sounds may cause her to bark at first, but once she has a moment to process things, she settles back into her happy little self. With patience, consistency, reassurance, and the freedom to approach new experiences at her own pace, Stella Mae has every opportunity to grow into a more confident companion. Because she is still learning to feel comfortable with unfamiliar people, a home without small children is recommended while we see how she settles in. Her ideal family will understand that trust takes time and will celebrate the little victories along the way.
The reward for giving Stella Mae that time and understanding is a whole lot of sweetness! Beneath that initial shyness is a playful, loving, curious puppy who wants to connect with her people. She’ll make you laugh with her silly antics, keep you entertained with her toy-destroying adventures, accompany you on neighborhood sniffari walks, and happily curl up beside you when it’s time to relax. She doesn’t need a perfect home or someone who expects her to know everything right away. She needs a loving family willing to help her learn, grow, and discover that the world can be a safe and wonderful place.
Stella Mae is still a puppy with so much potential, and her personality is continuing to blossom every day. If you have a little patience, a lot of love, and room on your couch for a professional snuggler and aspiring couch-fort architect, this adorable girl might be just the companion you’ve been waiting for. Come meet Stella Mae and give her the chance to show you just how special she is. Her forever family is out there, and maybe, just maybe, it’s YOU! ❤️
Please note that some of our dogs are obtained from shelters, surrendered to our care, or released from breeders. Each animal's bio is based on our experience of the animal within our care, an educated guess based on physical characteristics, temperament and information shared. Each dog receives basic grooming when coming into rescue, but for some dogs they have not received grooming attention until recently and grooming may be required shortly after adoption. This will be at the adopter’s expense, so we encourage you to research the breed and be prepared for grooming expenses. Underdog cannot guarantee hypoallergenic or non-shedding qualities of any dogs in our rescue. Some of the animals come from situations where they are lacking experience in a home and confidence in humans. In turn, they require another companion dog and/or a fenced in yard in their forever home in order for them to feel safe. If you are interested in a particular dog whose bio states those needs and do not currently have them, please understand that your home might not be the right fit. Please use the filter on our Adoptable Dogs page to find the perfect match for your home.
Bulldogs, pugs, and Boston terriers, Brussels Griffons, Pekingese and others are a member of the Brachycephalic breed and therefore have a host of health issues that may arise. Because these dogs are new into our rescue, health issues in the future may arise that we are not aware of. Some of these issues are allergies, eye issues, yeast infections, interdigital cysts, slipped disks in their back, breathing problems, among a host of others that can occur at any time or when seasons change. While breed experience is not required, we encourage you to thoroughly research the breed and its financial, medical, and environmental needs to be sure this breed is a good fit for you and your family. It is estimated that the average brachycephalic breed owner spends $2,000 per year on medical needs. In addition to other surgeries, this dog may have had surgery on their nares and soft palate to improve the quality of their breathing. This will be partially reflected within her adoption fee.
These breeds are one of the most expensive dogs to own, maintain, and rescue and our adoption fees reflect such expenses. The application process for these breeds usually moves quite quickly as they are a popular breed, so we ask that adopters do research and be prepared for adoption at the time you submit your application. They are happy, goofy, playful characters and we are excited you are taking the first steps into rescuing one!
This dog requires a separate application and an application fee. This fee must be paid within 24 hours or your application will be considered void. We will not review or contact applicants that have not completed the payment portion. This dog requires a Bulldog Application. All applications will be responded to within 5 business days, after receipt of the application fee. Please understand that paying the fee does not guarantee you will be approved to adopt the bulldog. Our goal is place bulldogs in homes that are suited for their individual needs. You may be willing and able to provide a great home, but if it doesn’t meet the specific needs of the bulldog, we will not approve your application.
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Best suited to
A calm, quiet home — Stella Mae does best as the only pet, with plenty of peace.
Stella Mae is happy with:
Each organization sets the adoption fee for their animals. Adoption fees help cover the cost of this animal’s care as well as allowing the organization to help more animals.
Underdog Rescue and Placement was founded in 2000 by Shannon McKenzie. Having volunteered for several other animal rescue organizations, Shannon saw a need to help the dogs and cats often overlooked by other rescuers, the âUnderdogsâ
Our very first rescues included a pair of black kittens named Fenway & Wrigley, a pitbull puppy named Lucy and a tiny Toy Poodle named Lily (who was suffering from a head injury). No other rescue groups would take Fenway or Wrigley because black kittens are often overlooked by potential adopters, and, up until the time we rescued Lucy, rescue groups had not been allowed to rescue any dog considered to be a âPit Bullâ from Minneapolis Animal Control.
While in law school, Shannon McKenzie had the âanti-pitbullâ policy changed, with the assistance of Attorney, Marshall Tannick. Underdog Rescue continues to successfully rescue and place pitbulls and other âbully-breedsâ through a continued partnership with Minneapolis Animal Control.
Shannonâs dedication to the Underdog also extends to puppy mill survivors. Dogs that survive life in a puppy mill often come with a different set of challenges. They may require additional medical care, socialization and teaching of basic dog skills even though some may be adults. Our volunteers understand this and welcome these pets into their homes to show them what life as a dog and life with kind humans is like.
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