Notes: Mabel - female/spayed - young (one to two years of age) - Pit Bull/Dachshund mix (best guess) - 48 pounds - brown
You could not find a more plucky, scrappy, and lovable dog than Mabel. Perhaps she is not the prettiest dog, and her breed combination, unlikely though it seems, is the best that we and our veterinarians can come up with to account for her appearance. But underneath this tattered, brown and ungainly dog's exterior is the heart of Cyrano - the optimism of Fanny Brice - and the courage of Rudy Rueddiger . And, as you may have inferred, the soul of the classic underdog.
Mabel was found as a stray by one of our volunteers. Crouching and creeping her boney way hopefully down the street as she sought a helping hand, Mabel recognized a friend when she found one, and she bounded into our Good Samaritan's car gratefully, and suggested that they high-tail it out of there. This, and the fact that Mabel had obviously never received good care in her whole life, are all we know of her past.
Mabel was treated for heartworm disease and came through like a champ. She gained weight, and happily embraced the order and security of foster care. Never popular with other dogs, she was attacked by three of them at once in an ambush that occurred very unexpectedly, and despite the severity of her wounds, she spent her time at the hospital wagging her tail and endearing herself to her surgeons and their staff.
We were incredibly thankful that she came through yet another terrible misfortune with characteristic good cheer, but we have begun to ask ourselves how best to depict this dog whose biography of misfortune surpasses The Perils of Pauline.
Mabel is the mutt we all want to help; she is the dog who cannot believe her good fortune, despite all the misfortune she has experienced. She is gentle and seeks frequent affirmation from humans that she is doing the right thing. She is very sweet-natured, the ultimate "people dog". She is extremely tactile - loves to be hugged and sits in rapt attention when she is being spoken to.
Long-backed, Mabel resembles a low torpedo with legs. She is understandably a bit clumsy, and yet she picks her way through the house very carefully, trying her best to be graceful. She has a very negative attitude towards cats, and is disliked by most dogs; in fact, it is likely that she perceives herself at such risk among her own kind, that she projects an image that provokes other dogs. This image makes it impossible for her to inter-act comfortably or safely amongst any but the most stable, tolerant, and world-wise dogs.
But if you were to meet Mabel, you would recognize immediately that she glows with pride and beauty in the presence of humans. She is perfectly housetrained, and attentive to manners. Almost painfully eager to please, she would not dream of chewing things that do not belong to her, and, when left home alone, she waits happily, thinking about how lucky she is.
Mabel will never attend dog parks; life has instructed her that such an environment is inordinately dangerous. Being the "best Mabel she can be" would involve quieter, more home based pursuits, and predictable, non-adventurous walks. But for an individual who could be content not asking Mabel to provide what she cannot give, there is a bountiful supply of everyday experiences that she would and could supply with all her heart.
For an adopter who would consider a humbly earnest, somewhat scarred, slightly imperfect and inordinately loving dog, Mabel would reward that commitment with countless days of devoted joy and love.
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