TulsaPets Magazine November 2021

November/December 2021 • TulsaPets 11 M abel Joy is a beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog who loves bully sticks and frozen Kong toys with peanut butter. A sweet dog who seldom barks, she is known to lean into her people and get as close as possible. But this is a dog with a special purpose and a special owner. Mabel Joy’s story actually begins where Bulldog Mavis Pearl’s and Golden Retriever Gracie’s stories end. As readers learned in the previous issue, the two therapy dogs crossed the rainbow bridge in May. Mavis Pearl, the Bulldog with a pink wig, was known especially for her work visiting chemotherapy treatment centers, as well as nursing homes, hospitals, hospice facilities and more. “We knew that they were failing in their health; they were both getting older. We wanted another dog to learn from them,” shared Lisa Bain, founder of Lisa Bain Ministries. Bain says she has always wanted a Ber- nese Mountain Dog, and through a chain of events, she and her husband were able to bring home Mabel Joy, born Sept. 11, 2020. Mabel and her littermates were all named for heroes of 9/11. “I have to say Mavis was not too thrilled about it at the beginning,” Bain chuckled. “She was cranky old Mavis that was the queen bee.” However, it wasn’t long before the dogs became the best of friends, and Gracie in particular took Mabel Joy under her wing. “It almost breathed new life into them, and I know extended probably another year of their lives by having Mabel,” Bain recalled. It was around this time that Bain was ending her time at Joy in the Cause and beginning her next chapter with the launch of Lisa Bain Ministries, her nonprofit that utilizes animal therapy, provides care pack- ages and offers support to other nonprofits. I N T ROD U C I NG Mabel Joy By Lauren Cavagnolo Lisa, Mabel and Maddie