REMEMBERING MARY-MARGARET O'BRIEN

(lovingly shared by her mom, Michele)

She loved to play hide-n-seek. Around dusk, she'd go outside for one last sniff and maybe a tinkle or two. Then she'd go sit on the slope among the gazania plants. It was not quite dark and in the twilight she'd blend in perfectly with the plants. She'd stay as still as a mouse as I'd call her, sometimes panicking that she'd somehow been carried off by an eagle or a vulture. I'd grab my halogen flashlight and scan the yard until I saw a flash of bright pink, the color of her little name tag. "You silly thing!", I'd say. "Get in the house!" and I could hear her little laugh as she raced inside.

In the morning she'd go to the back wall and stand on her tippy-toes. She'd yap a couple of friendly barks and pretty soon one or two of the feral cats would poke their heads over the wall and say "Hello and Good Morning, Mary-Margaret!". They'd play like this for a while and then skitter away until the next day.

When she saw a sick rat making his way across our back yard, she walked over and watched it. I said "NONNONONONO" thinkingshe had something else in mind, but she didn't. She stayed by the rat as it made it's way across the yard, and sat with it until it passed away. She sat next to it until I came and got her. She was kind and loving like that.

She absolutely loved everyone, from her dental hygienist and her vet to her CPA. Here she is with her accountant, Doug MacRae. They had a very special relationship.

We were on a Southwest flight to Nashville the year before last and a young newlywed couple boarded. The wife and husband were sitting separately and the wife was crying. It had been a long day and she wanted to sit with her husband. The woman next to us switched places with her and she settled into the middle seat, still shedding tears of exhaustion. Mary-Margaret climbed into her lap and started giving her kisses. They snuggled and then both curled up together and slept the rest of the flight. This is something Mary-Margaret did without thought. She soothed people and loved on them. She always knew what would help.

In Nashville one year I remember that the AKC lady was giving a demonstration with her own dogs as to the test that our pups would take. After each example the lady gave her pup a treat. Most of the other dogs in attendance were snoozing, but Mary-Margaret watched intently. About half-way through she hopped off the chair and joined in the demonstration, executing each command with precision and accuracy. When it was over, she got her treat and then came back to her chair. When the test was given, she got 100%. Not only was she sweet, but smart, too!!

A "ham" from the word go, one of her crowning achievements was being featured in a "cameo" role in a reality show for the WE Channel. Even though she never quite got her star on Hollywood Boulevard, she is mentioned in imdb.com and given credit for her work. Not many pups can lay claim to that. Here she is at her "wrap" party with Donna Kanter (center), Producer and Director.

When she was only 9 weeks old she started "puppy school". She was an excellent student and got along very well with ALL the little pups. She graduated "magna cum laude" (if there is such a thing in puppy school) and she was invited to keep attending so she could mentor the new class of pups. She was an excellent teacher and only once did I see her discipline another pup. A little black and white Shih Tzu ("Pepper") was behaving like boys do and she was having none of it. She told him politely to back off and he kept at it. Finally, my teensy little probably 3 1/2 pounder at that time took her front paw, flipped him on his back and straddled him. The other pups gathered around and enjoyed the show. After that, the little Shih Tzu was a perfect gentleman. She knew how to get her point across.

We were visiting friends in New Jersey a while back and had a great time. She loved playing with their Yorkies (Rhett and Scarlett) and her fiance "Hashimoto" and when it was time to go she said "Nope!". She turned around and headed into the woods, all the time telling us in her own way that she was not leaving. It took a while to catch her, especially while we were laughing at her stubbornness.

Her life is documented at here on Blogger, although for the past year she's been posting more often to Facebook than to her blog.

She loved being the YTNR Chaplain, and she took great pride in working with Julie Gedro in giving the invocation at the Yorkie Family and Friends get together. She was employed full-time as the Receptionist and Head of Public Relations at Rancho Attorney Service of California. She has been writing a monthly column for the YTNR Newsletter faithfully for several years. She even created the Yorkie Brigade Chapel and held Sunday services for all creatures, fur and feathers, for one entire year.

Video Montage of Mary-Margaret's Life

Mary-Margaret O'Brien
Chaplain, Yorkie Brigade
She was who we all strive to be!
9/19/2005 - 7/26/2016