Mabel, Mabel, If You're Able
The instant I saw a photo of Mabel, I knew she was going to be my dog.
I couldn’t tell you exactly how or why; I had looked at hundreds of rescue dogs at that point, even inquired about a few that I was really serious about bringing home. But there was just something about her sweet face that made me know, deep in my soul, that she was going to become part of our family. My then boyfriend, now husband Devin, was just happy to be adopting any dog; we had talked about rescuing one for months even prior to all the Covid shutdowns, but especially being in the height of the pandemic we knew it was the right time. I don’t know if he felt that same instant, deep connection that I did to this specific dog; I remember feeling almost frantic telling Devin about her, and how I just knew she was the one. He was supportive and excited too, but reminded me to not get too attached; there had been several dogs we tried to adopt already who ended up finding other homes first. He doesn’t get it, though, I remember thinking. That’s OUR dog. I just know it.