Rainy Day News

We didn't know we needed a dog. I knew I loved dogs and would like to have one someday. But my husband of 35 years knew just as strongly that he didn't want a dog. He said they were too much trouble. He surely didn't know we needed a dog. Not until Mabel. 
 
On a snowy December night I stepped out onto my porch near midnight.  As soon as I turned around and saw her walking up my driveway, disoriented and covered with icicles, I knew this dog needed someone to help her.  Not being experienced 'dog people', we weren’t sure what would happen when we reached for her but we wrapped her in towels and brought her inside. 
 
Mabel was in pretty rough shape.  Her teeth were ground down to the gums and we were able to conclude that she couldn’t hear.  We couldn’t understand why she was having accidents in our house. Surely a dog this old had been house broken. We were told it was likely she had never been in a house before.  She had probably been used as a breeder dog and kept in a crate outside.  Whoever had her no longer needed her in her senior years and she had been dumped.
 
That thought tugged at our heartstrings and we fell in love with this old toothless Bully. Even my husband couldn't give her up after that. We decided as a family that we would work together to take care of her and give her a loving home. 
 
Our son offered to pay vet bills to have her looked at and get her shots.  We went to Miami Valley Animal Hospital because it was so close to our home.  What a fortunate decision for us and for Mabel. On our first visit we were so impressed with the way Dr. Leckband handled Mabel.  It was clear that Mabel had been neglected and even abused, as an x-ray revealed bb's lodged in her flank. We explained that we wanted to give Mabel a loving, comfortable home for whatever time she still has left and that we were able to provide routine veterinary care, but we would not be able to pay for any surgeries or expensive treatments.
 
As Mabel’s larger needs, such as her painful teeth, became clear we were advised that MVAH’s partnership with Ellie's Rainy Day Fund could help.   We were overwhelmed with the thought that there were people who cared enough to help us give Mabel a comfortable life. 
 
Now that she is feeling better, our girl has become a livelier dog (well, as lively as old bulldogs get). She loves to snuggle up next to my husband, the man who was sure he didn't want a dog, and he loves it just as much as she does.  She loves to be petted continuously and will nudge your hand with her short little nose if you stop. She has gained needed weight, maybe even a little too much, because, like all bulldogs, she never thinks she has had enough. But most of all, Mabel is happy, maybe for the first time in her life.
 
From the beginning it was clear that Mabel blessed us by bringing our family together as a team to love and care for her.  Mabel chose us.  She’s helped us just like we helped her. We knew that we didn’t want her to leave this world suffering.  Thanks to Miami Valley Animal Hospital and Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund, we’re able to make sure that won't happen.  We feel very blessed to know that there are good people in this world that are there to help us help Mabel. 
 
                                           

• It is hard to navigate in your living room because the floor is occupied with a deluxe orthopedic pet bed, or a heated pillow. 
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  Your bedroom looks like a showroom for playground equipment—stairs to the bed; ramps to the top of the perch; etc.
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  You leave a light on at night to assist with failing vision?
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  Your exercise is now split up into shorter morning and evening walks with your furry ones. 
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  You are hiding litter boxes on every level of your house, with low, easy to enter sides and have food and water bowls in many locations.  
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  You are doing extra scratching behind the ears to calm and connect, and even some gentle grooming
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  And finally, you are sticking to reassuring, regular routines...and even taking time to nap together.