3 Years of Chelsea

Yesterday marked Chelsea's 3 year "adoption anniversary" with us.  Chelsea came to us in 2009 from the Maryland SPCA where she'd been transferred from BARCS after being found on the "streets" of Baltimore.  They told us she'd probably been abused and while she was only 1 1/2 she'd given birth to at least two litters of puppies.  Anyone who has had the pleasure of walking Chelsea or seeing her interact with other pups understands that she carries those days from the streets with her constantly.  Yeah, she is definitely a fighter but she is just as much a lover.  She does everything intensely: eating, sleeping, walking, barking, playing, fighting, etc.

While Charlie definitely confirmed our status as a "family" we felt like a family of three before he entered our lives.  "Chels" is definitely not a lay around kind of pup, she wants to be entertained, touched, played with, and basically adored 24/7.  Since having Charlie I have had many days where she was trying my patience more than him.

She's also as smart as they come.  She's a pro at catch and this past summer mastered swimming! She recognizes that good food is hard to come by and always wants to savor the opportunity.  During the first month we had Chelsea I left a few steaks to thaw on the counter only to come home and find them both gone.  A few hours later when we sat down to watch TV, John reached in between the cushions and pulled out an entire steak!  Then, there was the time she slept on the kitchen table to get closer to the fan during a hot summer night.

We couldn't have imagined the past three years without her...she makes us smile and shake our heads in disbelief (mainly that we let her run our lives) every day.

Chelsea's first night at House on Strathmore

John meeting Chelsea for the first time at the SPCA--her name was "Brooke" then

Her first snow, I think we'd had her a week at this point

This past summer, at her favorite spot--Herring Run Stream!