Chelsea Townsend of Oakton and her dog, Ginger, a Maltese-Yorkie, age 5.
"Dear World, I have a puppy."
That's how Chelsea Townsend announced the adoption of the six-pound Maltese-Yorkie mix that she named "Ginger." Chelsea was a GMU freshman when she and her mother brought Ginger home from the Fairfax County Animal Shelter five years ago. The dog was Chelsea's "gift" for living at home while going to school, but Ginger became much more. Trained to alert when the world seemed insurmountable, the tiny dog has become a trusted friend, a confidant and Chelsea's constant companion. All this from a ball of fluff that was not supposed to belong to us. You see, we had gone to the animal shelter twice that day, finding it closed the first time. Upon our return, the family who had originally adopted and loved Ginger were there — bringing her back because their other dog bullied her.