Happy birthday chloe!

Free to a good home.

That was Chloe at age four in an online ad. Today, after four years of ball throwing (I have a pretty good arm now!), hundreds of walks, and soothing a terrified 65 lb ball of fur during countless thunderstorms, I can’t believe anyone would ever give Chloe away.

Yes, she is a total nut. She has selective hearing, pulls on a leash and has anxiety issues. She sheds like crazy. She doesn’t understand what personal space is. She lets the cat totally boss her around. She poops A LOT. She has absolutely no manners when it comes to meeting other people and dogs. She is by far the most difficult dog I have ever photographed.

But we love her.

We are actually Chloe’s third family. Her first home as a puppy was with a college student, who quickly realized that taking care of a pet is a lot of work. More than she could handle. Chloe’s second family was in a home with three kids and two other dogs. The owners proceeded to add a puppy to the mix, realized it was more work than they could handle (do you see a reoccurring theme?) and gave up Chloe. Yep, that’s a total head-scratcher.

So, she came to us, free to a good home.

She loves belly rubs, her tennis balls and walks. She loves swimming and would happily splash around in the water for hours. She is the best greeter after a long day at work. She has the daintiest little eyelashes. She is gentle with our son and tries her hardest to not steal his balls. She has a carefree zest for life that makes me envious. She has the sweetest face and the kindest soul.

She has given so much to us, all totally free, no strings attached. I hope in return we have given her the good home she has always deserved.