Chelsea was just over a year old when Bob and Rox found her in July of 1996. She was wandering down a road near a large mall in San Jose looking unsteady. We feared that she might have been hit by a car. When Rox finally got close enough to examine her she turned out to be dehydrated, starving, and very pregnant.

The vet told us that she would give birth within a few days. Four days later she had eight puppies and was still five pounds heavier than when we had found her. We decided to keep them all until the puppies were weaned. After a few weeks we agreed that we would keep Chelsea permanently.

Chelsea and her puppies all came down with parvo. She couldn't get the usual inoculations until she was finished nursing and the puppies were still too young. All we could do was try to keep them hydrated, a 24-hour a day job for more than a week, and hope for the best. We lost three of the puppies, but saved Chelsea and the other five.

The Santa Clara Humane Society accepted the puppies into their no-kill adoption program and placed them all within a few weeks. Several of the new owners called us for background and to tell us that the puppies were doing well.

Chelsea was extremely friendly. She would push her way up to strangers and insist on attention. Unlike the other dogs, she would sit to be petted all day if she could find someone willing to do it.

Chelsea was quick and bouncy. At one point she could jump high enough that her legs cleared the top of a two meter (6') fence with a half-meter (2') to spare. She loved to run, jump, crawl, and climb.

In a previous house there was a squirrel that was often seen on a the tree right outside Bob's office window. Chelsea and that squirrel seemed to have a thing going. They would both sit and stare in mutual fascination for long periods of time. Once the squirrel climbed onto the outside of the screen and she sniffed it quite delicately, but with obvious happiness.

After Aslan passed away Chelsea began to take over his duties. She was our security monitor and household manager. If anyone, human, dog, or cat, is unhappy she was there to help. Another duty she took on from Aslan was that of Bob's companion dog.

Chelsea passed away on October 22, 2005 in the arms of her loved ones. We will always love and remember her.