Chelsea

CHELSEA

  The minute we saw Chelsea we wanted to take her home. She's been gone about 7 years now, and I don't think she could ever be replaced. Chelsea was rescued as a puppy and no one knew who her parents were. It was apparent that she was a mixed breed, but you could only guess which ones. She definitely had some sort of hunting dog in her. 
I believe she was the cutest puppy I'd ever seen.

I grew up on a farm where dogs were never allowed in the house. So, it was different for me having a dog live in your home and a become a member of your family.

When she was still a pup, a friend of asked,

"Is the roof of her mouth black?" We checked and it was. "Well then, she must be a smart dog."

Chelsea was very intelligent. But, as a puppy, she drove me insane with her chewing, digging and house training. By the age of two, she was the perfect pet, except for her coat that shed all year around.

Chelsea had a tendancy to run away from home. She was so smart that she figured out how to open the gate to the back yard, so that she would be free to roam the neighborhood. One summer morning Chelsea was missing again, so we started to call for her. She usually came when she heard us calling and clapping. Chelsea came running toward home nearing our busy street. We didn't see the car speeding towards us.  Suddenly BAM! Chelsea was hit! My daughter, 5 1/2 at the time, saw it too. We both screamed assuming Chelsea was dead, But then I saw her lift her head. The driver of the car stopped to see if he could help. He felt awful, but it wasn't his fault. We took Chelsea to the vet where they kept her overnight. Miraculously she had no injuries, just badly bruised. After that accident, Chelsea never again ran away from home. Once in awhile, Chelsea would escape, but she would not cross the street without us.

She had learned a difficult and painful lesson.

One day I came home and found an Animal Control officer trying to lure Chelsea out of our yard with a treat. Chelsea did not trust her and refused to take the treat. She just sat in the yard growling at the officer. 
I was not happy with the woman, but proud of Chelsea. What a good dog!

When Chelsea was about 4 years old we moved to another state. During the time of transition Chelsea had to stay with friends for about a month and couldn't live with us. I remember the day we went to get her, she was SO happy to be reunited with her family! That night we stayed with friends who didn't allow dogs inside. It was a chilly and rainy night. We tried to get Chelsea to stay under some shelter, but she refused. Instead all night long she lay in the wet mud. She chose that spot, because from there she could view the window of the room where we slept.

I think Chelsea was afraid we would leave her again. :-(

The next day we took Chelsea to our new home. She was already a very good dog, but she became exceptionally obedient for months after that. As if saying, "I will not give them a reason to leave me again." Chelsea did not understand why we "abandoned' her for a month.

She also was a very good watch dog. Chelsea only barked at people she didn't know and only if they were on our property. Unlike other dogs who bark mindlessly at anything that moves.

Also, Chelsea was wonderful with childeren. Many of our nieces and nephews as toddlers would grab, pet and climb on chelsea showing their 'love'. But chelsea never once nipped, bit or even growled at the children. Instead she would lie there and take the torture with a pitiful look as if to say, "Pleeease make them stop!" Because of her good nature, we were often asked if we could clone Chelsea.

Chelsea enjoyed rides. We brought her along on the long trips in the van to visit my family. We told our girls that Chelsea was a better traveler than them. Eleven hours later as we approached my hometown Chelsea would wake and start to whine . She knew we were almost there. My parents live on a small farm and Chelsea loved having the freedom to roam the property, chase cats and eat the scraps from the home cooked meals.

During spring break we would go to my parent's farm to visit. A few days later we would leave for Colorado to ski in the Rockies. We left Chelsea behind in good hands. A few days later Mom would call worried because Chelsea had stopped eating. She said Chelsea even looked sad. We would be gone for about 5 days and on the last day it was as if she knew we were coming home. Mom reported that Chelsea seemed happier and would wait at the edge of the road all day for our return.

Chelsea was our faithful companion for over 12 years.

She had became very frail and was not the same dog. As a family we made a difficult decision; it was time  to have her put down.

The weather matched the mood of that sad day. On a cold and wet February morning our dog went for her last ride. Chelsea, who fully trusted her master, followed him inside. He handed her leash over to the vet. Chelsea turned to look at her master one last time. A lump grew in his throat and thoughts of calling the whole thing off entered his mind. Instead he sat quietly and waited. It didn't take long.
 My husband took Chelsea's lifeless body home and buried her in the rain. I stood by him as he dug the hole, then I took one last look.

I shed many tears that day as I went through our family photo albums. This was the photo I chose to frame, so that we would always remember our beloved Chelsea.