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photosby Talia Hodge
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photosby Talia Hodge
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photosby Talia Hodge
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photosby Talia Hodge
When Emily Prestage and her mom, Melanie, first met a 5-month-old puppy with short blond fur and floppy ears at Buckeye’s Missions and Sanctuary in Brunswick, the Staffordshire terrier mix burrowed into their hands and legs.
“She was just a lover. She wants to be around you and wants to be loved, truthfully,” Emily says. “That’s ultimately why we decided we wanted her because she was such a loving dog.”
The Prestages had recently lost a dog. While Melanie was ready for another pet, her husband, Jim, was hesitant. But the affectionate demeanor of the pup they named Mabel changed his mind. Since they adopted her Jan. 12, Mabel has been getting comfortable in their Hinckley house, where the couple lives along with Emily while she’s home from college. Despite being a puppy, Mabel is calm, making it easier to potty train her and take her on walks. She’s happy too.
“She’ll be laying there, and she has a smile on her face,” Emily says. “I’ve never seen a dog have that big of a smile.”
Besides shredding toys and indulging in post-potty treats, Mabel enjoys trying to chase her new brother, the family’s 13-year-old cat, Grady.
“He wants nothing to do with it … but it’s fun to watch these two go at it,” Melanie says. “Mabel doesn’t understand the cat doesn’t want to play.”
Mabel may not have made a friend out of Grady just yet, but she loves to play with Emily’s 5-year-old pit bull, Nyah, when she brings her to the house. Emily takes both dogs on walks together — they get excited to play fetch as a duo.
Whether she is nuzzled with her mom while she watches TV or cuddled on her dad’s lap while he works, Mabel shows her family love every day.
“It’s like you can have the worst day at work, come home, see her and you forget it. She’s just so stinking cute, wants to be around and wants to play,” Melanie says. “It’s an extension of my
family.”
