Mable Paisley Mason

Mable Paisley Mason was born sometime around 1995ish. The first two years of Mable's life are a mystery, ending in April of 1997 when she was abandoned at the Lubbock Animal Shelter. Mable was pregnant and alone. After giving birth and having her puppies (which were all adopted immediately), Mable languished in the Animal Rescue Kennel (ARK) for three months.

Meanwhile, I was wishing for a dog. I had decided that on my next payday, I would go adopt. On July 15, 1997, I went to the ARK looking for a beagle puppy, whom I planned to name Paisley, keeping with the tradition of "P" names in our family. Upon arriving at the ARK, I found out that not only were there no puppies (it was Parvo season), but there were also no beagles. In the cacophony of barking and howling coming from the cages, I noticed an angelic face, sitting quietly in the corner. I asked to see that dog... her name was Mable and she not only knew her name, but also knew how to sit. Mable, a cockapoo, weighed only 16 pounds (a little more than half what she should) and had no hair on her tail. She was cut like a Schnauzer and wasn't the prettiest dog in the shelter... but she was meant to belong to me. When I sat down in the floor to talk to her, Mable crawled into my lap and my heart.

It took Mable a while to leave behind her former life. She didn't like men. It took her a year or more to grow a full tail of hair. She also never got over the fears that she brought with her... an odd fear of cameras, flashlights, storms and candles. But eventually Mable grew to be a beautiful cockapoo with fluffy, curly hair and a beautiful wagging tail. She loved walks and toys and all kinds of food. She found out that not all men were bad, as evidenced by the loving kindness of her Grandpa.


Mable was the perfect dog. She was sweet and loving. She didn't shed or pee in the house or chew on things. Mable was tolerant of just about anything. She didn't care when Emma pulled the hair on the top of her head. She let me trim her toe nails without even a whimper. She would go nose to nose with a deer with only an abundance of curiosity; no fear. She wouldn't run away from a pit bull. She let me snuggle her and give her baths, even though neither were her favorite thing.

In the summer of 1999, Mable and I bought a house. Shortly before moving in, we went with our family on a vacation to Estes Park, Colorado. All throughout the trip, Mable explored with gusto. She went off the trail into the underbrush and came out cheerfully tired. Little did we know that somewhere along the way, she was bitten by a tick and contracted Ehrlichiosis. Mable became so ill that she was at death's door. She lost a lot of weight and was hospitalized for several days. But she pulled through and was extremely healthy for the rest of her life.

Mable was the center of my world for seven years, at which time she was joined by a new sister, Meg. She didn't ask for a sister... she liked being an only dog. But she adjusted to Meg's presence just like she did everything else.


They both loved to go in the car, whether it was to the park or to Sonic or both. Sonic tater tots were Mable's favorite treat. Mable also loved to go to Lorenzo to visit Grandma and Grandpa. The absolute best thing about Lorenzo: Getting so many burrs in your fur that you're unrecognizable and you are forced into some one-on-one quality time with mom, a brush and some scissors.


Mable lived a long and fruitful life. So many people loved her and were touched by her sweet spirit. She defied the odds by surviving an illness that threatened to compromise her immune system at a young age. Mable went on to outlive many of her doggy friends and family. The vet always called her the energizer bunny... she kept going and going and going. In the end, though, Mable's body simply gave out. She trotted off to paradise on Friday, October 22, 2010.