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From the owner of Mabel (now Gracie):

I've sent a couple of updates to the staff at TAS, but I'd love to see a happier photo of Mabel (now Gracie) on your blog. Your blog is responsible for this wonderful new addition to our family!

A friend posted your entry on Basquiat to Facebook, which drew me down to TAS in person, but I found he'd already been adopted. I toured the other cages and found Mabel off by herself, pacing endlessly in her enclosure. She didn't throw herself at every newcomer like many of the other dogs; it was obvious I would have to work for her trust, and I sat with her for some time. I returned the next day with my partner and our two other shelter dogs - a 13 year old lab mix and a 10 year old spaniel mix. The staff at TAS (Korey) helped us set up a meet and greet outside which went incredibly well, and we knew that we had found the newest member of our family.

We were off work for a week with her at our house, and Gracie's favourite place to be is still outside in our large back yard. For two days, the time she was outside was spent underneath the bushes. Each day thereafter she made measurable progress, becoming more comfortable with her surroundings, with us, and with our other dogs. She loves to be outside, loves to run full-tilt across the yard, and though she is still quite timid and easily scared, she is absolutely a new dog. We're working one-on-one with a reputable trainer, and have even been taking Gracie on some leashed walks. Our vet and trainer think she is about 5 years old.

She is an amazing creature, extremely loving after all she has been through, and we can't wait to see the dog that she becomes in time.





I love this photo. It captures a perfect moment:






5 Comments to “Update on Mabel”

  1. Anonymous says:

    what a wonderful update! It is heart warming to see Gracie enjoying life on the "outside"! Running so happily in the garden. After the horror of 5 years in a puppy mill cage it's easy to see why she enjoys running and being outside with someone who cares about her. With such wonderful owners and two gorgeous dogs to show her how good life can be when rescued by compassionate people it must feel sooooooooo good to her. Thank you all who made it happen!

  2. Allyson says:

    That's our girl....thanks so much for this blog and for all you do. We wouldn't have Grace without this!

  3. Bev McMullan-Kungl says:

    There is nothing as great than a happy, contented and loved dog! I am very happy for Gracie and her new life!!! Bravo!!

  4. Wow, I love this post. Allyson: that made my day!

    I think we all, at some point, look at our dogs and wonder what they would be like in the shelter. I know my dog Wolf would probably be much like Gracie, because here is a dog who needs love and exercise, and has such a love of the outdoors and hiking. So it is so gladdening to read about a dog rescued in every sense of the word. Thank you! (love the action photo, but also the quieter one of the three dogs hanging out.)

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A request

The reason for this blog is to help get specific dogs adopted from TAS but equally important is to try to normalize the idea of shelter dogs being just as good and just as desirable as any other dogs including those which are regularly merchandised by backyard breeders, puppy millers and those few remaining pet store owners who still feel a need to sell live animals. The single greatest stigma shelter animals still face is the belief that shelter animals are substandard animals. Anyone who has had enough experience with shelter animals knows this is untrue but the general public hasn't had the same experiences you've had. They see a nice dog photo in a glossy magazine and too many of them would never think of associating that dog with a dog from a shelter. After all, no one abandons perfectly good dogs, right? Unfortunately, as we all know, perfectly good dogs are abandoned all the time.

The public still too often associates shelter dogs with images of beat up, sick, dirty, severely traumatized animals and while we definitely sometimes see victims such as these, they are certainly not the majority and, regardless, even the most abused animals can very often be saved and made whole again.

Pound Dogs sometimes discusses the sad histories some of the dogs have suffered. For the most part, though, it tries to present the dogs not as victims but as great potential family members. The goal is to raise the profiles of animals in adoption centers so that a potential pet owner sees them as the best choice, not just as the charity choice.

So, here's the favour I'm asking. Whenever you see a dog picture on these pages you think is decent enough, I'd like you to consider sharing it on Facebook or any other social media sites you're using (I know many of you do this already and thank you for that). And when you share it, please mention that the dog in the photo is a shelter dog like so many other shelter dogs waiting for a home. If we can get even five percent of the pet buying public to see shelter dogs differently, to see how beautiful they are and how wonderful they are, and to consider shelter dogs as their first choice for a new family member, we can end the suffering of homeless pets in this country.
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