Mirabel was spotted wandering the streets in Kentucky by a Good Samaritan. As they got closer, they noticed something very different about the little dog – the senior Jack Russell terrier was missing a nose. They immediately called animal control reporting a dog with a terrible facial injury.
When animal control officers got a closer look at Mirabel, she wasn’t only missing her nose, but her upper lip as well, but it wasn’t caused by an accident – she was born that way.
After a medical examination by the veterinary staff, they came to the conclusion that she most likely had a congenital abnormality – akin to having a cleft palate. They also determined that the 9-year-old dog was most likely part of a puppy mill or backyard breeding operation.
Years and years of breeding, Mirabel was left with painful mammary tumors, an inguinal hernia, and dental issues – all adding to the difficulty of having her upper teeth constantly exposed.
Leaving the medical clinic, the sweet dog was transferred to the Woodstock Animal Foundation. Despite her health issues, Mirabel was in great spirits.
WAF posted Mirabel’s story on Facebook, and soon, they racked up donations of around $6,000 – far more than the goal that was needed to pay for all of her medical bills. The extra donations went to cover the bills of other dogs in need of surgery or medical treatment. Her story even garnered the attention of local news outlets.
While watching the news one night, Kelli Shook, from Toledo, Ohio, saw Mirabel’s precious face and was immediately drawn to the special girl.
“I don’t know what it was. It was just something in my heart that just knew that she seemed perfect,” Kelli told The Dodo. “She was very friendly, going up to everybody, not afraid of other animals, not afraid of people. She’s great with kids — she absolutely adores children.”
Kelli, a life coach and counselor that primarily works with children, knew that Mirabel had so much love to give to the world. It wasn’t long before they were working alongside each other.
“We’re starting a youth program here in our area where we can teach kids empathy by using animals that are not considered to be traditionally huggable or lovable,” Kelli said. “[Such as] animals like Mirabel, who have some sort of congenital defect or have been abused.”
Kelli says that Mirabel’s unique look is shocking to the children at first, including two of her own, but it doesn’t take long for the kids to get over it and realize that she’s just a normal dog.
“The kids don’t even care. They just think she’s so cute,” she said. “And nobody is afraid to pet her, even though her teeth are showing.”
Kelli uses Mirabel to teach the children about kindness, acceptance, and respect.
“We try to turn it into a lesson, saying, ‘See, you’re not afraid of her and you don’t care what she looks like, so let’s try and be that way with your peers,'” Kelli explained. “’If there is a child who looks different, let’s not treat them any differently.’”
The little Jack Russell terrier might have a few health issues, but they don’t seem to drag her down. Kelli believes that her nose is fully-functional; she smells really well and, like most dogs, is very food-motivated.
“The only issue is that she constantly seems like she has a cold; it always seems like she has a runny nose,” she added.
In addition to her nose, Mirabel has a heart murmur – and although her time on this planet is unknown, she is part of a family that adores her.
“We’re not quite sure how long she will be around, but we’re going to make the best of the second half of her life and have her help some other kids in the meantime,” Kelli said. “Just ’cause an animal has had a bad first half of her life, that doesn’t mean she won’t make an amazing pet or therapy animal.”
Follow Mirabel on all of her adventures on her Instagram page.
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