Jackie’s New Beginning: Finding Her Forever Family

When two-year-old Pitbull mix Jackie arrived at HART, she was waiting for someone to see what we already knew: that she was a special girl deserving of a loving family of her very own. In July, Jackie’s wish came true when she found her forever home. Today, she’s known as Mabel, and she’s settling into life with her new family beautifully!

Mabel now has a home where she can be loved, cherished, and never alone again, just like every pet deserves. And from the wonderful update her family recently shared with us, it sounds like everyone is falling more and more in love with each other every day! 

Mabel’s family says she is very attached to all three of them and loves being close to her people. Whether she’s laying next to someone, snuggling nearby, or claiming a lap for herself, Mabel is happiest when she knows her family is close.

As she’s gained confidence and learned that she truly is home, her family has watched her become more independent, too. She’ll now happily relax in the backyard on her own as long as she can hear someone inside. She loves basking in the sunshine and has discovered one of her very favorite activities: fetch!

Mabel loves both her little ball and her extra-large KONG ball, which is about the size of a soccer ball and, thankfully, strong enough to withstand her enthusiasm. Her family jokingly shared that they “lost a lot of toys in the first week”, but it sounds like Mabel is having plenty of fun putting her new toys to good use!

When Mabel first came home, she was hesitant to go on walks or explore beyond her backyard. Her family believes she simply wanted to make sure that they really were her “place” before venturing too far.

Now, she’s becoming quite the little explorer!

Her family has four different walking routes around their neighborhood, and Mabel loves mixing them up and discovering new places. She’s even made it all the way to the little library at the end of the street!

While she still enjoys taking her time and meandering along on her walks, she now gets excited when she knows it’s almost time to go. Her tail starts wagging, and she’ll even lay on her family’s shoes—a pretty adorable way of saying, “Are we going yet?” 

And Mabel is making friends along the way! She’s become quite the social ambassador, happily wagging her tail and accepting pets from people she meets. Her family says she loooooves people, and we can certainly see why everyone would want to stop and say hello to this sweet girl.

Mabel is still very much a snuggler and loves curling up on one of her family’s laps in the evening. But she’s also becoming more comfortable choosing her own cozy spots.

Her family has placed a bed on each floor of their three-story home so Mabel always has a comfortable place to relax. More and more she’s choosing to lay, sleep, and snuggle in her beds on her own, a great sign that she’s trusting her new life more and more each day.

They’re also patiently working with her on spending longer periods of time home alone as they prepare for the return to school. Every new milestone is another little reminder of just how far this sweet girl has come!

And Mabel is one smart pup! She has already learned sit, down, “too much” (a cue her family uses when she gets overly licky or anxious), and wait.

We couldn’t be happier to see Mabel thriving in her forever home. Her story is such a beautiful reminder of what adoption can mean: a second chance, a safe place to land, and a family who is willing to give a deserving pet the time, patience, and love they need to blossom.

Thank you to Mabel’s family for opening their hearts and home to her, and thank you to all of our adopters for giving homeless animals a second chance.

Want to help more pets like Mabel find their forever families? Your support helps HART provide the care, love, and second chances that homeless dogs and cats need while they wait for their happily ever after.

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