It was midsummer 1998. I was born. Daylight I couldn’t see. I couldn’t hear. But I know I was there. I could feel the lick of my mother. I could feel the touch of the people. I could feel my brothers and sisters.

It had been a week or two and I could see. It was blurry at first then things came to me. I could see my mother, brothers, sisters, and the people. I saw a little girl. She looked to be about three. She had blonde hair and blue eyes and soft hands. I could know she was the one that would always pet me. I know those hands from anywhere, how she would stoke softly with my fur and she would talk. Her voice so comforting.

This person was Chelsea. She was my person. She named me Magenta, after the magenta colored dog on Blue’s clues, I liked that name. It fit me. A dog named Magenta. Chelsea would always come and see me after she got done with school. I was always caged up so she had to come to me.

There was also my mom Redfield. She was a big brown Chesapeake bay retriever and I wanted to grow up and be like her. She always knew what to do to protect me against my best dog friend Shelby. Yeah we were friends but she loved to fight me. I never fought back though so my mom would fight her. They used to get into the biggest fights. Chelsea and I would go hide while Chelsea mom or dad would get them two apart.

At seven weeks I could run free on my own. The outside smelled like grass and rain at times. I always knew when Chelsea was coming. I could smell her. She had a sweet smell. I would wait at the gate or door for her to come from school. Every day at 3:00 p.m. I would be there. We had tons of great adventures together. We used to play tag. I loved that game.
“Magenta, come here girl.” Chelsea said yelling from the gate.
“I’m coming Chelsea!” I said like she could hear me. I know she could we had that bond.
“Hey girl, how was your day?” Chelsea asked looking at me with those light blue eyes.
“It was good. Shelby and mom got in a fight again.” I said looking up at her with a hurt look in my eye.
“Awe Jenny.” Chelsea said leaning over and giving me a kiss on the nose.

We had a language all our own. We could talk forever without saying a word. Mom had it to but she would talk with Chelsea’s mom I don’t know what they would talk about but it was special.


One day Chelsea’s dad brought home a turtle. Chelsea was so happy. She always wanted one. She would tell me that a lot. She finally got one. I looked at it. It looked funny. It had no fur or hair. It was slimy too. Mom later explained to me that’s how they were. Chelsea named it Franklin, after her other favorite T.V show Franklin and friends. She could talk to it to. Just like how me and her talked.

Chelsea has the summer off so we spend every minute together. Sometimes Mom and Shelby play with us but not often. Mom didn’t do much of anything anymore. She was sick I could tell. Shelby would be with her a lot. Chelsea and I would talk about Mom a lot too.

One day Mom wasn’t doing well at all. She wouldn’t even get up. Chelsea and her parents took Mom to the pet hospital. They came home without her and Chelsea told me everything. I started to cry and so did Chelsea. We cried together which made things a little better. I didn’t get much sleep nor did Chelsea.

The next morning I heard the phone ring. It was the vet. Chelsea and I went in the room and listened. Chelsea mom was on the phone and her dad was beside her mom. She started to cry and she hung up the phone. Her dad starts to cry too. We’ve never seen them like that. Chelsea’s mom walks over to us. Chelsea was petting me.
“Chelsea…” Her mom said still sobbing.
“What’s wrong mommy?” Chelsea said looking at her mom.
“Redfield passed away…” Her mom couldn’t finish she started crying to hard.

Chelsea looked down at me with those eyes. Tears were falling from them. I licked her face.
“Magenta your mom isn’t coming home.” Chelsea said wrapping her arms around me.

I knew what that meant. Mom was gone. I started crying. I couldn’t help it. I looked at Shelby. She was in the corner. I wiggled my way out of Chelsea’s arms and walked over to her.
“Shelby?” I managed to say.
“Yes Magenta?” Shelby said with a sad voice.
“Is mom in a better place now? Is she out of pain?” I asked.
“Yes, she is Magenta.” Shelby said turning to look at me.
“What was wrong with her?” I asked.
“She had cancer and she held on as long as she could.” Shelby replied.
“But why? She was in pain.” I asked starting to cry again.
“Because she loved you and she wanted me to tell you if she didn’t make it she always loved you and Chelsea is a keeper.” Shelby said licking me.

A few months later we moved to Davenport. It was a big town. We moved to a small house with two bed rooms. It had a nice fenced in back yard Chelsea and I spent all out time there. Shelby watched us most of the time. We had tons of great adventures there. Chelsea met a cool friend there her name was Alex and I liked her too. So it was always Chelsea, Alex, and me. Well most of the time it was. Chelsea and Alex spent a lot of time together but I knew when Chelsea came home she would spend lots of time with me.

When school started I was miserable. I would pace around waiting for Chelsea. She hardly ever came home on time. She had friends and she would come home at weird times. And when she went to stay at someone’s house I couldn’t sleep. I would pace around the house and Miny, Chelsea’s mom’s new cat, would always yell at me and so would Shelby.

In the winter time I would pull Alex and Chelsea around in the snow. I would always get a reward. Either a ball or a treat. One day Shelby, Chelsea, Alex and I were playing in the back yard and we were playing a game and we got married. It was a fun game. I liked it a lot. It was also funny. All four of us had great times together.

In March I think Chelsea came home one day sad.
“Magenta..” Chelsea said sobbing. “Alex is moving.” Thoughs words were like a knife right through me. Chelsea was so upset and so was I. Chelsea was torn. Her best human friend was leaving.

Chelsea never really got over Alex leaving but she had a distraction. She was getting her tonsils out. When she came home from the hospital she was all out of it. A few days later she still couldn’t talk but she was awake for about three or four hours of the day. She would write what she wanted to say. Most of the time it was about me. I would spend all day lying next to her. I had to guard her. She was the only thing I had left and I was the only thing she had left. We needed each other.

We lived in that house for about five years. We then moved in with Chelsea’s grandma. It was a nice month stay. Well Chelsea and her mom stayed for a month. They moved to Bellevue. It was about two weeks before the rest of us moved there too. Chelsea was so happy to see me and I was happy to see her. We lived there for about a year Chelsea had good friends there too. I liked them too.

Then it was off to Preston. We move a lot but I really liked this house. It had tons of space for me and Chelsea to roam. I would watch Chelsea jump on the hay bales. She was good at it too. She would have friends come over too. I liked when they came. More attention for me! They gave Shelby attention to but Shelby mainly kept to herself. This was because she was getting deathly sick.

One night when Chelsea’s parents were fighting. Chelsea’s mom and Chelsea packed up and left for a hotel. Chelsea kept trying to take me with. I wanted to go but I couldn’t Chelsea was crying and so was I. We were rarely apart and it was a mad house at the house. Shelby was lying on the couch barely living but she later told me what happened. She later died that night. Her last words to me were Magenta take care and I’ll tell Redfield everything. Her words trailed off. She was weak and barely got those words out. Chelsea’s dad cried a lot that night.

After a week or so Chelsea’s dad had disappeared and Chelsea and her mom were back. Chelsea told me her dad went to the hospital. I guess he was sick. Chelsea did a lot of crying. I could tell something was wrong. I was always by her side. I made her laugh and feel better.

A few months later things were back to normal. The whole family back together and things were better! Chelsea and I always talked at night. She told me about her friends, her school, and anything. She always told me I was a good listener. On days she was really sad I would let her use me as a pillow. She said I was soft and smelled good.

During the summer the family from Florida came up. I got lots of attention. We were always outside doing something. We went swimming, we hiked, and we did a lot. Most of the time I got tired and went back home and rested. I was a fat dog. I mainly became lazy when Chelsea became lazy.

Two years later I started to get sick. Chelsea cried a lot then too. I had a little bump on my stomach and I already had my lady parts taken out. Chelsea kept telling people to look at it, to get it checked out but everyone blew it off. Chelsea would be talking to me and be in tears hugging me.

One day it got so bad every time it was touched I would yelp. I was then taken to the vet. He said I had breast cancer. I could sense something was wrong with Chelsea. I saw that look in her eye. The vet said it spread to my lungs and I wouldn’t survive. Chelsea just started crying. I could tell it killed her inside.

We went home and I lied in Chelsea’s bed with her. That’s when I saw it. Chelsea just dropped. I could feel the emotions she was feeling. Her eyes filled with hate. Her heart filled with sorrow. She hated the fact I had cancer and she hated her parents for the fact they did nothing till it got so bad. I couldn’t have been saved it would have ended this way no matter what happened.

Chelsea cried every night after that. One day I was taken to the vet and they kept me for about 3 days. I could tell Chelsea was hurting. I really didn’t like it there. But when I got home I wasn’t any better.

Near Christmas the family from Florida came up again. I just laid on my bed and watched them. They brought two dogs with them. One named Diego and the other Blaze. Blaze was the one my family was getting to keep.

December 23, 2010 I was in serious condition. Chelsea came in and saw me when her parents told her to. She showed no emotion when she said goodbye to me. She petted me and walked out. It was 3:00 a.m. when I passed. Chelsea came in and saw me one more time she kissed me.

I was in heaven. I saw Shelby and my mom. We watched the days following after my death. It was then next day Chelsea hasn’t cried or anything. She told Alex and they were sad together. Chelsea was getting something in the bathroom and Brandon or Dylan said something and Chelsea just lost it she got so mad. She had fire in her eyes then tears. All that pent up sadness came out in one yelp. Her dad comforted her.

To this day I still watch over her. She still hurts. She still cries. I make sure she doesn’t get to hurt. You could say I’m her angle. I love her some much and I know she loves me a lot too.