Mae

Mae - What a beautiful soul. Raised as a breeding dog, turned into an emotional support animal. Her beloved girl was in need of comfort for many reasons and Mae fell right into place without any official training. She accompanied her beloved girl to doctor appointments, including the entire process of assessing, fitting, adjusting, and eventually removing an orthodontic spacer and braces. Mae was amazing!

Mae was breeding mom until she was 7 years old. Much older than most before she was retired, but her easy going and lovable nature was wanted by many. When I realized a support animal was needed for my daughter, I reached out to a local breeder about any ideas she might have. That’s when she suggested Mae. The breeder just knew her sweet spirit would be a perfect fit; and she was right! I surprised my daughter by taking her to meet Mae, and it was love at first sight for both of them.

The only issue we were concerned with was how Mae would interact with cats. Like most animals, it just a little time for everyone to figure out who was in charge and where each of them stood. The big boy of the bunch, Stemi, was smitten with Mae and became her sidekick. Mae want always pleased with this encounter, but soon grew to accept Stemi as his partner in crime, per say. They were roughly the same size so when food was around, they would sit side by side like two pillars. Their bond was strong!

The little boy of the bunch, Pepper, loved Mae as well, and well, Mae loved in just as much in return. Pepper could walk all over Mae and not once did Mae ever seem to care. She just knew that Pepper meant no harm. Mae would be chewing ona rawhide and walk away, only for us to watch Pepper come by and grab it for himself. Yes! Pepper is a cat. Sweet, lovable Mae just allowed him to do so and would grab it back the first chance she would get. It was such a sweet gesture between the two of them!

We always used to joke about how Mae would never hurt a fly, and it was true. They might buzz around her but she ignored them while Pepper pounced around to catch them instead. Mae would even allow both Pepper and Stemi to share her kibble. Always as easy going and non-aggressive as can be. That is why our “1 hit wonder” grew on anyone she came into contact with. Even more so, why her loss was felt by many.

You see, Mae and her beloved girl would take walks through downtown on an almost daily basis. They would partake in their very own photo sessions and anything else they felt like doing. That’s why on June 28, 2021, when Mae and her beloved girl went for one of their nightly walks, I was not concerned for their safety. We live in a smal rural town on the border to Canada, and have such a low crime rate, many people leave their doors unlocked on a daily basis.

However, this night would be very different. You see, as Mae and her beloved girl were walking on the sidewalks in downtown, another dog was also in the area. This wasn’t unusual, but this certain dog was unrestrained but its owner. This neglectful action would soon cost Mae her life.

This unrestrained dog was a beautiful pit bull, whom we shall call Bull. Bull was only with his owner for approximately 6 months and had come from a rescue shelter in another state. His background was sketchy, but being a pit bull, his owner should have been more responsible with the laws of the state, as well as the town. Unfortunately, Bulls owner felt as if she knew her dog and had no concerns.

Sadly, as Mae and her beloved girl walked down the sidewalk, Bull saw nothing but prey. Mae had no chance to even try and defend herself. Within mere minutes, Mae died in the loving arms of her beloved girl. This sad ending would only bring even more heartache as the entire situation was mishandled by many. As of today - September 16, 2021 - we wait to receive any type of retribution for our loss. Bulls owner already went to court, but was basically slapped on the wrist with a fine and a requirement to keep Bull leashed at all times with a short, 3 foot leash.

There was never any mention of what Bull did, the loss of our sweet Mae, and why Bull was able to go without a muzzle when by law, he should have. We now wait to go to court after we filed a small claims lawsuit in the hope of retaining any type of justice for Mae. A financial win seems pointless, but its all we have to let Bulls owner know that what she did was wrong in so many ways. Our “1 hit wonder” can NEVER be replaced by money, or even another dog. The loss we all feel still sits so incredibly heavy upon our hearts. We just pray that someday, there will be #justiceformae - our 1 hit wonder of a dog, friend, family member. Until then, rest in peace sweet girl! Rest In Peace!