Eight years ago, Alisha Brandt’s daughter was getting off the bus when she saw someone in the car open her door and throw a puppy into the street. Brandt’s daughter ran to the little dog, realized how much pain she was in, and called her mother’s number.
The mother-daughter duo raced the little dog to the vet, knowing they had to help. She was very thin, deaf in one ear, and had suffered a major eye injury that required her eye to be removed. She was so small and unhealthy that it didn’t seem like she would make it at first.
“It was practically thrown into our lives,” Brandt told The Dodo. “She wasn’t expected to be able to stay up all night, but she did.”
Brandt and her daughter knew the miracle dog was meant to be theirs by the time she healed and were ready to find her a forever home, officially adopting her into their family. They called Captain Jackie Sparrow “the one-eyed wonder dog”, but she has gained a slew of nicknames over the years, the most famous of which is Meeply.
Meeply broke her leg while trying to jump off the sofa shortly after being rescued. Her leg could not be saved because it was already fragile and she had a history of injuries, so it had to be amputated. Little Mebli only had one eye, three legs and one ear at the time, but she never seemed to notice.
Meeply is about ten years old today, and she doesn’t seem to realize that she’s not like any other dog. She’s full of personality, and even though she barely weighs about 4 pounds, she acts like she’s a lot bigger — and has no qualms about letting every dog that comes her way know who’s boss.
“She seems to think she’s the boss of every dog,” Brandt said.
Meeply adores her family and follows Brandt like a shadow. She’s the perfect travel companion because she’s so young, and she and her mother travel about 60,000 miles a year together. She enjoys meeting new people, and everyone is constantly inspired by this little pup who, against all odds, is living his best life.
“When people meet her, they often start crying and want to touch and pet her,” Brandt added.
Despite her self-confidence, Mabley faces many difficulties daily. She struggles to go up and down stairs because she has problems with balance and tilts her head too much. She usually only gets about six steps up before she becomes too exhausted to continue, and going downstairs is out of the question – but she doesn’t seem to mind the load. She doesn’t complain, which can be a problem because it’s hard for her family to find out that she’s in pain, so they watch her closely to make sure everything is okay.
Meeply has been through a lot in her life, but she has always been the happiest, most loving dog, and her family is so grateful that she came into their lives.
