"Boo"

My wonderful Sheltie, Boo, died June 21, 2004. I had Boo for 7 wonderful years. He meant the world to me and I was devastated when he died. Everyone knew Boo; we were a couple. I did not think I could go on without him then I contacted Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue. I wanted to wait for just the right guy and I found him at their annual picnic. I was drawn to him right away, with his red "Adopt Me" jacket. I picked him up from his foster Mom a few weeks later. He is an absolute joy. He looks and acts so much like Boo. I feared that would upset me but quite the opposite; it has been very healing. He, Beethoven, is a joy; perfect. He sits at my feet as I write this. I am truly blessed to have had two wonderful Shelties. I still grieve and miss my Boo; he is buried at my back door. I feel that Boo sent Beethoven to me. Boo died June 21 and Bee was turned in by his owner June 24. What a great tribute to my Boo!

Kay Graves

"Skeeter"

May 30, 1992 - June 1, 2004

I am a total Sheltie person. A breeder I know called me one day and said Puppies are on the way! They were born May 30, 1992. Two weeks later she called and said come pick your puppy out. I was thrilled. They were tiny little bundles of fur... I chose mine because she could find her way to the food dish.

Four more weeks went by. It was time to pick her up... Her little nose was so cute. She was a sable and white with silver trim on her ears and light streaks of silver. We brought her home and she was "all grown up" - paper trained in two days. She never chewed a thing.

The whole family loved her dearly. Her name was Skeeter since she was no bigger than a mosquito. She loved to go for walks and rides in the car. She just wanted to be with us. Skeeter and the kitties all loved each other. The kitties would wash her and she loved it. She would love to run with my son and play ball. She loved her balls to play with.

We could walk her without a leash and she would stay right with us. She would help my husband set up the camper and stay right by his side.

She was nine when I lost my husband. She could sense and feel my pain. She was slowing down, so she and I would walk by the lake and feel an emptiness. She couldn't run and play much any more.

The groomer told me one day she had some lumps on her side. I didn't want to hear that. Skeeter helped me through a very difficult time. My vet told me Skeeter, being ten, was too old for surgery. So I wanted her to live as long as she could. The vet said she would be OK, but that if the lump started to grow and seep it would be time to send her to the Bridge.

One lump started to grow huge. It started to seep. She tried to keep it clean; it got too bad. She was good otherwise, but I could tell her side was bothering her.

When I took her to send her to the Bridge she looked as though she was saying "Dad will be waiting for me on the other side of Rainbow Bridge." I think that thought made it so I could accept it a bit easier.

Skeeter was a special girl. We called her Skeetie Weenie. I miss her dearly and will always love her. Now that winter is begun I miss her more, as she used to like to help anyone shovel - chase the snow.

I now know Skeeter has made it across Rainbow Bridge, and that someday she will be waiting for me.

Thank you for listening. I know Skeeter is MY Angel Sheltie!

Jerri Hally

Sable

1995 - 2004

Sable... you left us too soon... here are some of our memories of you...

How shortly after you had grown from a puppy, you considered the four of us your "flock" and would sit at the top of the stairs on the second floor and watch intently as your human flock would move from room to room...

You were always interested in what we were doing... whether it made sense to you or not...

Many times you would wait until we were all home to chew on your rawhide bone...

How you would stand for what seemed hours to let us rub your belly while you stood up...

How you loved pizza...

You loved to play the "paw game" or just run tearing through the house from room to room at high speed and never missed a stair, even when you were very sick...

It was a game to you to get a treat... sometimes you would hide in the back yard at night until the right name was called, other times you would wait to do tricks until you saw what we had for you... it was all a funny game to "trick" the humans...

How at some of the lowest moments of my life you were there with unconditional love and your little paw to say it would be OK...

How I cried for three hours when you ran from the vet's and were lost for two days...

We had many names for you... Sabie-girl, Puppy-Girl, Dogg-Dogg, Sabeus, Saba-licious, but our favorite was "The Best-est"...

How you never understood why all the dogs in the neighboring yards would bark all the time... and you would only bark to protect us...

How you would watch intently by the window in the morning and wait for the squirrels to come to the trees close to the house and run to the door to go outside and tree them...

Even when your kidneys were failing and you couldn't eat or drink, you still loved us all.

We all miss you a great deal and know when we cross the great divide you will be standing at the Rainbow Bridge waiting for us.

Love,

Lawrence, Diane, Jonathan, and Justin