Let Me Introduce Myself

Me, Kelsie Iris: photo courtesy of my loving foster mom

Hello!  My name is Kelsie Iris, and I am a Border Collie/Australian Cattle Dog mix being fostered in Mississippi but soon to travel to my fur-ever home in New Hampshire on April 18th!  Mom named me after someone who’s incredibly special and a great inspiration to her (I’m really honored to share my name with her!), and my middle name, Iris, comes from the Roman goddess of the rainbow (Mom says it’s because I’m so beautiful!).  I am going to be studying at Dartmouth College to become a psychiatric service dog.  Mom says it will be a long journey, but she thinks I am smart and am up for the task.

Before coming to my foster home, I lived in a kill shelter in Louisiana.  I was so scared of the world that no one wanted to adopt me, so because I seemed "hopeless," the shelter decided to put me down after I had been with them for a while.  Luckily, right when I was about to be put to sleep, I was saved and taken to my wonderful, loving foster home, where I have had 6 canine brothers and sisters.   I'm so lucky to be alive and to have a second chance at life!  By getting a chance to live, I even had the chance to deliver my puppy--he now lives in Connecticut with a loving family.

The journey to becoming a service dog should take around 120+ hours, or at least 6 months, if not more.  It sounds like a long time, but Mom has assured me that the time flies by really quickly.  I also try really hard to learn quickly and do my homework, so my goal is to become a service dog as soon as I can, without jeopardizing quality, of course.

I want to show the world that even though I’m a rescue dog, I am no less than any other dog.  I might have my fair share of a painful past, but that doesn’t mean that I am not up to this task.  I will have hiccups along the way, but I know I can do this.  I’ve been given a second chance and the promise of a safer future, so I want to do this.  I want to serve a higher purpose and help someone else heal as I heal, too.  And luckily, even though I’m not a service dog yet, I’m currently an Emotional Support Dog (for future reference: ESD), which means I still get to help Mom’s mental health--I get to help her from the moment I meet her!

I love to fetch when I'm outside, and I love to snuggle in laps when I'm inside (as you can see in my picture!).  I really try hard to be sweet and gentle with everyone, especially with little critters like cats and toddlers, because I know that's the right thing to do.  Everyone I meet tells me I'm beautiful and brilliant, and I'm beginning to believe them!  I love to love and be loved, and I can't wait to share all my love in my new fur-ever home!

Cheers!

Kelsie Iris