Hello Mabel and welcome to our family – or should that be hola Mabel?
Mabel has travelled all the way from Spain to find her forever home. She has been with us just under two weeks and already she has totally found her paws. She is already best pals with Dilly, my Pointer cross, who has been so lonely since my little Angel died last summer and since his best friend Aston moved away with his dad (another story).
I don’t know Mabel’s background, other than she was taken to a kind lady who rescues abandoned, neglected and unwanted dogs on the Costa Blanca. I’d been following Sam on Facebook for ages and was looking for a little dog for me and a friend for Dilly. A year had passed since Angel had left me and I felt I was about ready to welcome another dog into our home, so I’d been looking for a rescue in the UK and abroad. I was going to foster a little Rommie rescue, but DEFRA’s ban on dogs coming to the UK from Romania put paid to that (for now anyway, who knows what will happen when the dreadful ban is finally lifted). One of Sam’s Facebook posts caught my eye and we started chatting. Before I knew it – and within a couple of days – I’d agreed to adopt Mabel! I’m still not quite sure how it all happened so quickly!
She was exhausted and stressed out when she arrived after travelling for two days. I know rescue dogs need time to decompress and process what’s happened to them – 3 days to de-stress and not feel so overwhelmed, 3 weeks to start to settle and 3 months to trust, to feel secure and to know they’re home is the advice given. But honestly, she knows already she is loved and that she has come home. She follows me round like a shadow, plays with Dilly, loves cuddles and is always wagging her tail. She has come out of her shell and her funny little personality is shining through. She chews my trainers, carries my 2kg hand weights upstairs and leave them on my bed when I’m not looking (god knows how, she is so tiny), insists on jumping on my knee when I’m working at the computer and won’t take no for an answer if she wants attention. This morning she destuffed her bed. She is adorable.
She was terrified of traffic noise when she arrived, but already she is getting over that and is so brave – though the enormous tractors that pass at ridiculous speeds do still frighten her. And we seem to be on a major holiday route for bikers if the number of motorbikes that have zoomed past this summer are anything to go by.
Even Cosmo kitty is starting to get used to her. He would prefer her to be less lively and not so playful, but that’s cats for you. She in her turn is learning to leave him alone and focus her attention on great games with Dilly. And chewing my trainers.
I hadn’t quite realised there was something missing in my life until she arrived. It makes perfect sense of course – I was missing a little dog.
I know Angel would have liked her.