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Marika Meeks - Incredibull Stella: How the Love of a Pit Bull Rescued a Family

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Book:
Incredibull Stella: How the Love of a Pit Bull Rescued a Family
Author:
Marika Meeks / Elizabeth Ridley
Publisher:
Citadel Press
Genre:
Books / Home and family
Year:
2019
Rating:
5 / 5
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Incredibull Stella: How the Love of a Pit Bull Rescued a Family: summary, description and annotation

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GET READY TO FALL IN LOVE WITH ONE INCREDIBLE DOG ...
Marika Meeks fell in love with Stella the moment she saw her. The adorable pit bull puppy had been abandoned in a cold field in winterbut her warm, friendly eyes and boundless affection could melt anyones heart. Even so, Marika wasnt sure she was ready to adopt a dog. As a busy entrepreneur, wife, and mother of two daughters, Marikas life was crazy already. She was recovering from stage-three breast cancer, and her family was still reeling from her brush with mortality. But Marika couldnt deny the way Stella made her feelthe pure joy of this sweet-natured dogs unconditional loveand she knew in her heart what her family needed ...
In a leap of faith, the Meekses welcomed Stella into their home, and thanks to this incredible dog, the daily pressures of work, stress, and Marikas health problems seemed to slip away. As Marikas cancer receded and her family found renewed vitality, she began sharing Stellas story with the world. Now an international social media star, Stella helps Marika to spread their heartfelt message of advocating for pit bull breed awareness, explaining the benefits of pet ownership, and supporting shelters and other organizations that save animals lives.
If youve ever experienced the joy that only an animal can bringor felt the healing power of a pets unconditional loveyoure going to adore Incredibull Stella.

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Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many people were instrumental to us in the writing of this book. We would especially like to thank our editor, Michaela Hamilton, and everyone at Kensington for all their hard work and support.

Marika would especially like to thank her husband, Brian; her best friend, Betsy; and her mom for helping her with this undertaking.

Elizabeth begs forgiveness from her cats, Claudius and Calpurnia, for writing yet another dog book. She trusts she will, in time, earn back their love.

Photo by Erica + Jon Photography

Photo by Roland Lombard

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

M ARIKA M EEKS was born in England and emigrated to the United States with her family at age six. A lifelong entrepreneur, she started her first business at the age of nineteen and went on to become the co-owner of a national software company. She brought a new franchise concept to Fort Wayne, Indiana, when she opened the citys first Jimmy Johns. In January 2013, Marika was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer at the age of forty-one. She traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona, in April 2015 for cancer treatment and ended up settling in Arizona with her family. Now cancer-free, Marika is devoted to sharing the story of how Stella has changed her life while helping as many people and animals as possible. Visit Marika and Stella on Facebook, on Instagram@incredibullstella, or at incredibullstella.com.

E LIZABETH R IDLEY is the author of five novels and co-author of four memoirs, including Saving Sadie: How a Dog That No One Wanted Inspired the World with Joal Derse Dauer. She has a bachelors degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a masters degree in creative writing from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. She is a proud cat mom to Claudius and Calpurnia and lives in Wisconsin. Visit her on Facebook or at elizabethridley.com.

EPILOGUE

Stella (and Marika) Just Getting Started

The Meeks family today: Marika, Carly, Stella, Caitie, Brian.

Autumn 2018

T hanks to Stella, today I find myself a forty-six-year-old wife, mother, and cancer survivor who is living her best life ever. Stella and I are on a mission, to spread her key messages about pit bull breed awareness and acceptance, the health benefits of pet ownership for people, the importance of spaying and neutering, and the wonderful, lifesaving opportunities that come with fostering.

Weve also become deeply involved in fighting Breed Specific Legislation. Pit bulls, sadly, are often discriminated against, and Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) impacts pit bulls and other similar dogs more than other breeds. For example, in Montreal, if you have a pit bull, it must be muzzled even in your own fenced backyard. Insurance companies often dont provide coverage if you have a pit bull, and many landlords specifically exclude tenants from having pit bulls, so between insurance not covering homeowners and landlords not allowing them, shelters are overflowing with pit bulls just like Stella. It breaks my heart to think how many beautiful dogs like Stella that would make kind, loving, gentle family pets are instead euthanized every year simply because of myths and misunderstandings about the breed. Stella and I are committed to helping change that.

Meanwhile, Brian and I have been happily married for almost eight years, and weve settled in Arizonas beautiful Paradise Valley. My health is great, and my daughters are happy and healthy, focusing on their education. Caitie, who was once so lost she contemplated ending her life, now volunteers as a peer counselor, talking to other kids and young adults about suicide prevention.

I had a rough start in life, and Stella did, too, which may partially explain why we were so drawn to each other. I never thought I was worth much, and I accepted the little that people gave me, in terms of love, respect, and affection. I didnt believe I deserved anything better. Today, instead of being content with crumbs, I spend my life in pursuit of things that bring me joy. If something compelling comes across my path, I go for it, and if I fail, I chalk it up to experience and then go back and try again.

Getting to this point wasnt easy. In fact, I came about as close as you can get to losing my life before I realized that not being me was killing me. I had to come to understand and believe that I was entitled to be happy. Entitled to be and do those things that bring me joy, entitled to happiness. What are you entitled to?

In the pages of this book, I share how becoming an entrepreneur, leaving a failed marriage, dealing with my first husbands alcoholism, and navigating my Stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis all taught me, eventually, just what I was entitled to: finding true love, trusting my intuition, deep healing of body and spirit, faith in myself, and so much more.

Its taken me a long time to realize it, but I can finally say that I am so grateful for what cancer has taught me. I am so grateful I got this diagnosis/opportunity in my forties. What if I didnt get it until I was eighty? If my wake-up call came at eighty... what a waste that would have been. Being diagnosed at forty-one gave me the opportunity to live the second half of my life differently from the first. What greater tragedy is there than figuring out your passion in life when its too late to act on it?

My journey is about so much more than my efforts to stay alive. It is all about how to live while you are still alive. Isnt that what we all should be focused on anyway, cancer or no cancer? This is my most important work; this is what my soul is calling me to do. This, come what may, is the path and life I have chosen.

And finally, there is Stella. When she wakes me up every morning by bounding into my room and into my bed, I stare into her deep amber eyes and I see reflected back to me nothing but pure love, patience, and acceptance. I see an idealized version of myself. I used to feel like I wasnt enough, but to her, I am enough, and so much more. I may not be a perfect person, but Im her perfect person, and thats all that matters. Her love keeps me grounded, but her love also gives me wings to fly.

Thank you, Stella. You came along when I least expected it and you healed my broken spirit, you mended my splintered family, and you gave me something to focus on other than my anxiety, worry, and illness. Youve opened my mind, my heart, and my world to new people and new possibilities. I cant wait to see where our adventures take us next!

(photo courtesy Erica + Jon Photography)

Marika, age four, with older sisters Michelle, left, and Martine, right.

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