How a stray puppy rescued from a trash pit became a movie star
In the movie “A Dog’s Way Home,” former Tennessee shelter dog Shelby portrays Bella, a pet who embarks on a long journey in search of her owner. (James Dittiger/Sony Pictures Entertainment)
We’ve all heard the cliched stories of an actor’s struggles before a career breakthrough: living hand to mouth, waiting tables, temping, couch surfing and generally scraping by before landing that major role.
The star of “A Dog’s Way Home,” now in theaters, has a hard-luck tale that could top them all. Before her big break, she was living in a landfill, rooting through garbage for her next meal.
Meet Shelby, the tan-and-black mutt who portrays Bella, occupying the screen, often solo, for much of the film’s 97 minutes — and whose trash-to-riches saga could itself be a gripping cinematic yarn.
Shelby’s big break came in April 2017, when animal-control officer Megan Buhler was driving in Cheatham County, Tenn., a rural area about 25 miles from Nashville. Out on an unrelated call, Buhler spotted and approached what she recalled was a noticeably skittish dog emerging from the dump.
“So I knelt down and just said, ‘Oh, come here, baby,’ ” said Buhler, 29. “There were lots of cars driving by — I mean, it was heavy traffic. She was so scared, and she finally came right up to me, and I was able to put her in my truck.”
The pair headed to the county animal shelter, where the staff took to calling the new resident Baby Girl.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/02/18/how-stray-puppy-rescued-trash-pit-became-movie-star/?tid=pm_national_pop
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