Chloe aka Trollop, Big T, Paw Paw (July 2000 - October 2010)

I wrote a few blog posts a while back dedicated to notable animals in my life. I never got around to Chloe although I fully intended to do so. Well, I got an email from my mom yesterday telling me that Chloe had passed. So, today I am dedicating my blog post to this sweet, sweet dog.

Chloe as a puppy:I was working at a vet clinic in 2000 the summer after I graduated from high school. This clinic serves as a contracted shelter for surrounding counties which didn't have shelters of their own. However, this is an extremely small clinic with only 8 to 10 kennels and a few cages for smaller dogs/cats. So, the length of stay for these strays was short. Chloe came in with her mom, brothers and sisters from a county that contracted with the clinic to keep them for 4 days (if I remember correctly) to see if they would be claimed or find a new home. Chloe was the only one of her litter that looked like a Border Collie. I have a soft spot for Border Collies as my family has always had them. I made the comment to the vet that I thought she was really cute. Well, the 4 days passed with no takers. One by one, the mother and puppies were gone (I know it's hard to imagine, but this is not a perfect world we live in). Chloe remained....way past the 4 day mark. Every day she had a new sign on her cage saying "Julie- Please take me home." or "Julie- I'm so cute and I love you." Well, I finally talked my mom into letting me bring her home.

At first it was kinda rocky. Chloe loved all people and would constantly run off to other people's houses or follow walkers and runners home. I called her "Ungrateful" many times. Then when she was a year old, she developed allergies really bad and had to get monthly shots. The best we could figure she was allergic to fleas, grass, and I think she had a touch of a food allergy as well. I think it spawned from being kept in such a sterile environment when she was young. As she grew, she looked like a Border Collie only in color and markings. You'll see from the pics below.

Even though Chloe LOVED most all animals (including cats...especially cats), she was brutal to small wild animals. We called her a KOSA (killer of small animals). She would dig up moles and deafen them with her barks. She would go trail riding with me and it would never fail that she would end up killing and carrying around some sort of wild animal.

One thing that Chloe hated was a digital camera. I don't remember her being all scared of regular cameras, but you had to be real sneaky to get her on digital film (explaining why I only have about 10 pics of her on my computer) or you could hold on to her so she couldn't leave:

She loved to show her belly:
I think it stemmed from me checking her belly for redness (as this was the first sign of an allergy flare up) and then she would get her "fix." She loved getting shots. But maybe that was because she knew she would feel better.

Chloe hanging out with the sheep:
Me making her take a picture with me in the truck:
I think this is the first time I took a picture of her with my digital camera....After this picture, she ran every time she heard the *beep* of the camera coming on:
It won't be the same without you, Chloe. You were truly a kind and good soul (except to small animals). I will certainly miss you being our "Doggie Escort" when Joseph and I go for evening strolls. Best escort ever.