Veteran, Former Auto Exec & Therapy Dog Have Their Own MI Tavern

And the community just gave Stella an 8th birthday party to remember.

Let me see if I can paraphrase this wonderful story for you all, which you can read in full and feel all the feels HERE:

Bob Ostendorf says that he loves two things: people and dogs. He grew up in St. Louis and is a veteran of the Navy. he eventually worked in Alabama for Michelin - he speaks fluent French.

When his plant closed, he went on to start rescuing companies from financial ruin, which brought him to Michigan - a lot of his clients were suppliers to Detroit automakers.

His job took him to Pennsylvania after the death of his wife, but before he left Michigan, he bought a house in Plymouth with the intention of moving back someday.

And he did end up moving back in 2010, and at that time, decided to buy a Bernese Mountain Dog from a breeder. Stella became his best friend - she even sat at his feet during the funeral of his parents.

He would often bring her to Doyle's Pub in Plymouth, where the staff would prepare meals for both of them. The pub was having money problems, so Bob (who was bored in retirement) bought it with a partner and renamed it Stella's Black Dog Tavern.

Stella is a licensed service dog and frequently visits veterans at the VA. The tavern has stuffed animals that look like her, which Bob gives out to little kids. He's given out over 2,000 so far.

And THAT, my friends, is the LITERAL definition of "good news." Bob is a good person, Stella is a good dog and together, they do great things here in Michigan.