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I found "Chelsea" one day in a local dog pound. The old-fashioned type of animal holding facility--cold concrete floors indoors and out, not enough heat, old cyclone fencing cleaned faithfully by devoted staff, but rusted and worn with the years. No "Animal Shelter", this place. The new, multi-million dollar animal shelter is on the far side of the city, and only pets relinquished by their owners for adoption are allowed in those heated, cheerful indoor halls.
Chelsea is a purebred Border Collie. She was brought to the facility by Animal Control with her "brother", a large, menacing Rott/Shepherd/Pitbull cross, because he was threatening joggers, and she was guilty by association. The owners were contacted, expensive fines and even more expensive kennel restrictions were required before the owners would be allowed to take their dogs home, and Chelsea and her "brother" were put in death row, to be held the minimum number of days required by law, and then euthanized if the owners didn't pay the fines, meet the requirements and reclaim their dogs.
I met Chelsea the day she arrived at the shelter. That first day she huddled in terror at the rear of the kennel. I came back every day for several days, getting to know her and finally finding out her history from the kind and helpful kennel staff. As I got to know her, I fell in love with her sweet, timid, obedient personality, and couldn't bear the thought of her being euthanized. The owners couldn't afford to reclaim her. Maybe I would be allowed to.
I begged my gentle husband to let me adopt her, if the staff at the animal facility would allow it, even though it would bring our canine family up to 5 dogs. His heart is as big as a mountain, and he allowed me to go ahead and inquire about the possibility of adopting Chelsea. I didn't know if it would be possible, because her paperwork listed her as unadoptable.
Because staff at the facility knew me, I was allowed to interview as a possible adoptee for Chelsea. My fence had to meet certain requirements, and I had to show proof that my other dogs were licensed, but I was approved to adopt Chelsea! Only just in time, too. She was scheduled for euthanasia the morning after Thanksgiving.
So, on the night before Thanksgiving I found myself driving home in the dark with a shivering, frightened, cowering dog, and prayed for the guidance to give her a loving home and a better (and longer!!) life than she'd known up to that day.
That's how Hope came into our lives. Nowadays she can be found joyously chasing tennis balls, riding in the car, "tongue lashing" our faces, or snuggling contentedly as close to one of us as she can get. Finally she is living a life she deserves. A life filled to the brim with happiness, love and hope.