Happy Beginnings2

Kelsey Kelsey is doing just great! She is imitating the best of Tessie & is responsible for keeping Tessie young. In fact, Tessie has lost weight & is now at her ideal weight due to play. The vet is really pleased with Tessie's progress at weight loss & her overall health. We can't believe how Tessie gives in to everything Kelsey wants to do. Tessie never wanted to play as often as she does now or give up her toys like she does now. She even shares her "Daddy time" that she wouldn't before. It's almost like she views Kelsey as her daughter.
	Kelsey is still rough & tumble (Steve claims that you had the vet there give her a sex change operation... she was really a boy dog, and just looks like a girl dog!) When she does wear Tessie out, she turns to Baillie to have more wild rough & tumble play. She can't seem to get enough though. After they are both worn out, she still wants more, & we have to make her leave them alone. That's when she'll start chewing on a bone or ripping a baby apart (yes, she's still doing that!)
Kelsey has softened in some areas... she loves our special times (morning & evening) that we call "love it up" time. She can't get enough of the kisses & belly rubs & she gives kisses when we wipe her feet coming in the door after being outside. She is very sweet tempered & loves to be brushed & doesn't mind being bathed or having her nails trimmed. She isn't fond of having her teeth brushed, so we're working on that. Colleen (licks & kisses from Little Red Dog)

Lily

We chose Lily(Annie) to come live with us two days after Christmas last year--my husband's gift to me. We had lost our wonderful Tess in November a week after she became seriously ill and nothing helped her. We renamed Lily since my husband and family call me Annie. She adapted quickly to her new name. After 8 months she is a very welcome part of our family. She follows her big brother Obie around our large yard. Treats are a favorite part of her day--especially Bobby's ice cream!! We think she has a swivel neck because she can lean back and twist her head around to see what we are doing. We've never had this breed of dog before and she is very loving, attentive, and loyal. We especially like her soft, thick fur. We get a kick out of her gentle nipping so we will pet her or as she walks with us in our yard. Thanks so much for your help in getting us together.
Bob & Annie

Jake

Jake picked us to be his owners last December right after we got engaged. When I say Jake picked us I really mean it. When we went to take a look at a few of the dogs Jake sat on Derek's lap from the moment we got there until the moment we left. He has really had a positive impact on our lives. He is so affectionate and loves all the people and dogs he ever meets. He loves to play outside or just snuggle on the couch with us. We are so thankful for him and look forward to giving him a playmate soon.

Laura and Derek

Red

Just a note on Red Murphy aka Shooter. You wouldn't believe this dog, with my health problems he is amazing. He knows when I feel bad or if I'm sleeping and start to breath differently he will jump against the bed and whine until I wake up.

He also loves to watch cattle. I will open the gate to bring in hay and he will stand in the middle of the gate and keep the cattle back.

Two years ago we had a bull that weighed about 1500 lbs. and Red got hold of the bulls nose and chased him back then went back to the gate and stood there waiting on another one. Got to be an every day routine.Red will chase the cattle away from the fence.So long as they stay back about 10 feet he is fine but any closer and he goes nuts.And he was never trained by me to do any of this. Aussies are amazing animals. Almost like kids, only they listen better.

Thanks for helping us get Red.
Tim and Diana

Frodo This is the story of "Happy," now known as "Frodo," and how a former "wild man" became a dog with a purpose. I've had Type I diabetes for the past 32 years. A switch to a new, much faster-acting insulin put me at great risk of harm due to low blood sugars. I decided I needed to do something about this situation, and the solution was simple. Find a service dog who could alert me to low blood sugars before they got out of hand. But the question remained: Where could such a dog be found, and how do you train it? The training solution was solved with information from a now-retired dog trainer named Marilyn Pona. The dog solution, well, that took a little more time. When I first contacted Kay about adopting an Aussie, I had already checked out the dogs available for adoption. Kay advised me that she would be willing to meet at the Aussie show in February, with a potential candidate. But I kept going back to the website, because there was just "something" about the lead-off dog. I called Kay and asked if Happy's foster mom could bring him along to the show as well.
	Kay advised me later that my call had added a few more grey hairs. However, something definitely clicked between us. How do you say "no" to an Aussie who curls up on your lap and takes a nap amid all of the action at a dog show? Lynn told me she couldn't believe the sight, and neither did my best friend, who had previously said, "You know, you really don't have to make a decision today." So, Frodo went home with me, and our training began. Less than a week later, Frodo did his first alert, and was wildly praised for this. He has continued to prove, time and time again, that he is truly a gifted dog, and he does a fantastic job. The chin lick, which is the "alert" to a low blood sugar, has turned into a chin scrub. If I forget to pay attention to his alerts, he finds other ways to let me know. One night at my karate class, Frodo walked out onto the deck and refused to leave. I went to check m y blood sugar, and it was dropping. (A dog at the dojo? My Sensei has three dogs, and is delighted to have him there. Frodo has even sat on the board for students testing for advancement. He's referred to as the unofficial third member of the board, and has been given the honorary title of "green vest," relating to his service dog vest color.)
Last weekend, I was at home and had just finished dinner. My blood sugar started dropping rapidly. I drank juice, but it continued to drop. I pointed to my landlady's house and told Frodo "Go get Gail." Smart Aussie that he is, he understood. (I hadn't taught him that command.). However, in Aussie language, getting Gail meant leaving me. He started to bark his sharp alerting bark, and when I told him again to get Gail,, he raced out the door, barking all the way. Gail said she could hear him, even though she was in the shower, and she came running over. Frodo continued to race back and forth until he had gotten assistance. He stood guard over me all the rest of the evening, much to the dismay of one of my male cats. (Bob is not especially fond of dogs, and he tends to instigate much of the trouble. After all, how do you expect a dog to NOT chase a cat when the cat hisses at the dog and takes off running?) We've nicknamed Frodo "Wonder dog," and he has earned that title. He accompanies me to work, sitting in on sessions with several of his favorite little clients. All of the kids who work with him in my therapy sessions are crazy about Frodo, and he even has a sign on the office door: "Four-footed therapist available. Two ears, no waiting! I work for hugs!" Yes, he's not perfect, just take a look at all of his stuffed toys. He has a special fondness for chewing up hedgehogs.), but what dog is? All know is that Frodo is truly one of a kind, and I'm glad that he's mine! Special thanks go out to Kay and Lynn (foster mom for the "Big Red Dog"). Thanks also to all of the people at Aussie Rescue! Chris

	Ziggy Here are some pictures of Ziggy. My sister renamed him him from Ziggy to Beethoven. She had a Ziggy that had to be put to sleep not too long ago and we thought we would retire that name. These are some of Beethoven's new friends (especially the black lab mix - Reggie).
The other dogs like to slobber on Beethoven and roll him in the dirt as you can see from some of these pictures. Everyone is getting along great. Beethoven is a big hit in puppy class. He is probably the best one in the class. Most of the class didn't realize he was deaf until the instructor mentioned it. Susie

	Molly Just thought you might like to see some pics of Molly taken this Fall. She's the love of my life! And she is now spoiled rotten!
If I am sitting next to her and not petting her, she moans. :) Thanks for my angel! Mary

Sydney

Hi Kay and Sheila! I just wanted to warm your hearts this morning - Sydney is still my special angel, and I love him more than I can say!!

He is so much a part of the family, I forget he's deaf. He is forever in my heart!!

Thank you both for your part in his life that brought him to me.

Bye for now,
Rebecca and Sydney

	CeeCee Things are going great. I just can't imagine why anyone would not want this dog. CeeCee is extremely well-behaved, gentle and affectionate and I love her. Here she is on our property north of Troy.
Thank you so much for letting CeeCee into my life. Pam

Buck and Gibson

We wanted to share a current picture of the Bergman boys, Buck and Gibson. Buck has really made a big difference in Gibson's life, and ours. The boys are a joy to be around.

Tina and Phil

Beau is a 10 year old working dog that lived and worked side by side herding hogs with his first owner until he died and Beau was left homeless. Then he came into Rescue! Here is a note from Beau's current owner.
	I just wanted to let you know Beau is absolutely wonderful. He has adjusted well to 3 playful cats. Sometimes he 'stalks' them for hours. He loves going to the parks. We have a great park system - beautiful trails we can walk for hours. Of course, everything is now covered in snow. I wasn't sure how much snow he was used to, but he certainly enjoys playing in it! He also likes trips to the pet store to pick out toys. He was a superstar in his household obedience class. He is truly a blessing, Susan
Beau with our old pony, Bumpers. Beau is sure he should move Bumpers someplace, but where?

Emma
I wanted to let you know that Emma is doing AWESOME. She is the greatest dog that ever lived. We have no potty accidents and she is becoming a very beloved member of our family already. I think I would go into deep depression if I ever lost her.

I have taught her how to "shake," "sit," "lay down and roll over," and to "give me a hug." She is brilliant. Everyone who sees her goes on and on about how beautiful she is and how lovable. I think she is almost human.

She only barks at vacuum cleaners. It is so funny. My kids get a kick out of it and tell her "thanks for protecting us from the big, mean vacuum cleaner Emma!"

Thank you for letting us adopt Ms. Emma. She is the joy of our home.

Michelle

	Annie Annie's owner called Aussie Rescue of St Louis for help when he ran out of dog food and his neighbors were threatening to shoot his dog because she was killing and eating their chickens. He also had no further use for poor Annie because she had only produced one puppy in her last 2 litters. Annie and her female puppy had not been fed for four days when Kay from Aussie Rescue arrived to evaluate the situation. Annie and her last puppy, Lovey, were standing forlornly next to an old abandoned car with chains big enough to hold a horse connected to the ropes that were being used as collars. Both dogs had not been fed for at least 4 days and were weak from malnutrition. Their coats were sparse and course and you could see every single rib bone and their hips were sticking out.
As soon as Annie arrived at our home, she could not have been more grateful. She snuggled her way into our sofas and beds with a gratifying deep sign of relief. Being somewhat insecure and demanding of our affections, she pushes any and all other dogs away from us so we can devote all attention to her – which we love to do.
	She has made a full recovery - so much so, that the vet has now put her on a diet! As you can see from the pictures she now has a luxurious full coat and carries a look of contentment 24/7.

My Dog Presley My dog Presley is a very good dog and my family loves him. This is how we got him.
	In the middle of June my mom’s friend Sheila rescued my dog from the A.P.A. She brought him to my house and we all fell in love. We didn’t get him because my dad was out of town. When my dad came home Sheila brought Presley over. We went out on the patio and when my dad sat down, Presley gave him a big hug. My dad said, “I’ve never been hugged by a dog before!” My dad couldn’t say no. So Presley has been living with us for almost three years.
I love Presley because he gives me kisses, he protects me when someone strange comes around, and he’s just a whole lot of fun to have around. Thanks to Sheila for trusting us to be the right family for Presley. Kerry

Geo
Two and a half years ago, I bought a black tri aussie for my husband for Father's Day. He actually picked her out and named her Cruiser. When Cruiser was about 6 months old, she went to obedience classes at Petsmart. Well, Cruiser was an exceptionally energetic aussie. She would beg us to play from the time we got home from work until we went to bed. I finally said she needed a companion to play with. First, I looked on the local humane society's web page, but no aussies. I really didn't know about rescues until I did a search and found it. I looked at all the pictures and contacted Kay and our KC rep about a couple of aussies. There was one aussie that stood out for me, but it said he was afraid of men and would not be good with children. As I read his story, it was just love at first sight. Geo had been rescued from a breeder in Kansas City, along with several others. Part of them were sent over to Kay in St. Louis. Kay became Geo's foster mom and they had a very special relationship. She knew he had been abused, but did not know in what way....something we will never know...but it was obviously at the hands of a man. After other inquiries did not work out, I emailed Kay with my story and could I be considered an adoptive parent for Geo, given that I am married and have 2 grown sons and a granddaughter, I wasn't sure. We emailed and talked on the phone and I guess I convinced Kay to give me a try. Being a foster mom to many, she thought Geo might thrive better with fewer animals and more attention. We met Kay & Geo in Columbia, MO Easter weekend, along with Cruiser and Kay's alpha male, Inca. My husband and I took Cruiser to meet Geo. After all he was going to be her companion. We walked in and here was this beautiful blue merle. My husband was in love, but knew he had to be very careful and gentle with him. Cruiser loves everybody, so she was all over the place and Inca was very protective of Geo.
To make a long story short, Kay consented to letting us take Geo home with us. Geo was my dog and would only go outside, eat and come out of hiding for me. He was a nervous wreck at first, so we gave him our bedroom to go to for security and it has been ever since. Geo has made great strides these 8 months. He and Cruiser are the best of buds and play together when outside (Geo has manners...he doesn't play in the house). He is friendly with the cats, especially Callie, who was a scared cat I rescued some time ago. Geo and Cruiser have always shared their bed with us and Geo is now a pretty good buddy to my husband. Darrell has been very patient with him, even though he wanted Geo's acceptance from the git go. Geo now gives Darrell kisses, looks to him for comfort and snuggles with him. My husband can take Geo out back now, with Cruiser, for a game of football and Geo is now the aggressor. He takes the ball away from Cruiser and runs with it. Geo still does not like men....he tolerates my sons.....but we still have to watch him. He seems to only be assertive when outdoors. Geo has blessed me many times over and he got me thru having to put my 15 yr. old dog, and one of my cats with cancer, to sleep in October. I have hope now that in the future he will trust others more and gain the confidence in the house that he has outdoors. Geo is loved and well cared for and I know that is what Kay wanted for him, even though she still misses him. I have been recommending rescues to lots of people and I just took in a kitten that was rescued from a shelter, where he would have been euthanized.

Caesar (formerly Skipper) remains a very happy and playful boy and we'll ever be grateful to the Aussie Rescue of St Louis for saving this precious member of our family.
	We drove 1300 miles roundtrip to meet Caesar after seeing this picture at the Aussie Rescue of St Louis website.We traveled with our other rescued pup, Sophie, and let her make the final decision about whether or not Caesar would join our family. They got along from the start. We're pretty sure Sophie considers Caesar her personal chew toy and that good natured Caesar just plays along.
Both dogs have graduated Puppy Socialization training and we plan to resume schooling in spring. Caesar's a really sweet dog who would have been euthanized if not for Kay and Aussie Rescue of St Louis. Please, if you're even thinking about adding a dog to your family, please don't hesitate to adopt one of the loving companions available from Aussie Rescue of St Louis. Dali

Mink and Sky
I adopted my first Aussie from the St. Louis Aussie Rescue group in the spring of 2002. He looked just like a little baby mink when all picked him up, all brown and fluffy, so that's what I called him. This picture shows him hard at work visiting a nursing home when he was about 10 weeks old. He doesn't look too happy, but Miss Nettie was tickled pink. She was 100 years old when that picture appeared on the front page of our weekly paper, the Mountain Echo.

Mink was hand raised from the time he was 3 days old. His mother was accidently killed during a rescue of some 50 dogs from a hoarder, and he and his siblings were tended by a big hearted volunteer--thanks again, Hope!!

About a year later, my sweet old golden retriever left me, and I took all of four days to find Sky. Here are Sky and Mink, resting after a difficult chess game--those Aussies are smart.
Debbie

Chip
We adopted Chip on March 1st, 2003. Literally the day after my father passed away. We had been looking for another Aussie My daughter wanted her own Aussie for agility. We had inquired on several dogs before we found Chip. We found out Chip had been abused before being turned back into rescue.
Our little guy had some issues. New people frightened him, especially men. Chip has shown a lot of resiliency in the short time we’ve had. He went from a dog who would snap at strangers who tried to pet him, to a little charmer. Occasionally seeking attention (and cookies) from strangers.
Chip was in need of obedience classes and very undersocialized when we got him. My daughter took him to obedience class and Chip got the ‘crash course’ in socialization. We got him right before the agility season started, we couldn’t leave him at home for 10-12 hours while we took Boone to trials, so Chip came with. He met people (lots of people) and dogs. He was exposed to a whole new world. He was shaky at first, hiding from new people and snapping at anyone who tried to reach over his head. We learned to be very careful and not force him to be petted. It’s been a long time since Chip has snapped at anyone (knock on wood!). In fact in March 2003 he passed his Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog International tests!

Chip has been taking agility class for almost two years now and he loves it! It’s built his confidence up. He even got to try herding and will probably be taking herding lessons come spring. Chip still has a lot of puppy left in him. You can see this especially when he’s chasing snowflakes or rain drops in the yard. Chip loves to play with other dogs, but we’re careful of who he play with. He’s very much a herding dog and will body slam and grip whoever he’s playing with. With some dogs that’s fine, with others we’re concerned he’d injure them, not on purpose he just doesn’t realize his own strength!
We’re not sorry we made the drive that day to pick up our cuddly little Chip. The kids and I still miss my dad, but Chip gave us something to focus on during a very hard time. We wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world. He is first and foremost his sister’s (my daughter’s) dog.
Jooly & the Recycled Aussie Mob UAGI Boone O-NGC, O-NJC, TG-N, TN-N, JS-N, GS-N, CL2-R, CL2-H, HIC, CGC, TDI Chip HIC, CGC, TDI +Jr Handler High in Trial RACE Agility 10/23/04

	Emmy Things are going great with Emmy Louis from St. Louis! Now that she is healthy and happy, she is a wild dog at times! Speed dashes around the house, banking off the furniture, harrassing the cat and dogs and especially harrassing Dell...! She is a lot of fun!
Dugan has broken down and plays with her now without shame. He had to, Sadie couldn't keep up! So we've got wrestling matches going on most of the time which I think is fantastic! Miss Emmy Lou has spiced up the household a bit!
	The other day my bird was approaching Emmy on the floor (as he often does), and it got very quiet, so I stopped to check on what was going on. He was standing between Emmy's front legs and trying to reach her lip with his beak. She was frozen and leaning away. I watched for a minute, then saw Emmy's lip twitch and interrupted the interchange to find that Jethro was actually standing on her BONE. She is SUCH A GOOD DOG!!!!! Jethro got reprimanded, and Emmy got lots of loving. (and their mom was chastised for letting things almost get out of control...) Jody and Dell

Roo Formerly known as Rufus, hasn't grown much since being adopted and is still very much a puppy... all sweet innocence. He's very bright, and (usually) very good. He's delighted to please, learns quickly, and has made me his "job," watching me all the time.
	Roo gets along wonderfully with other pups... see him romping in the backyard with a few "friends" ...
...especially his "best" friend (besides Sadie) the little Westie Tuuli who works here every weekday. They play all day, except for nap breaks. I'm grateful every day that I found my new little pal. Thanks so much for sheltering him until I could "find" him! Kathie

	Cayenne My husband and I decided to look for an Aussie as a companion for Nutmeg, our beautiful red merle Aussie. We were interested in an Aussie we could spoil, make part of our family, and one that would be happy just being a “pet.” Therefore, we started checking into Aussie Rescue. We were both pleased with what we found, but were disappointed to find there were no dogs in Minnesota (at least at that time). Kay is the only person from out-of-state who contacted us.
She had several possibilities, but we chose Cayenne. When it was time for us to pick her up, they even transported her to southern Iowa for us! It was still a long trip for us (15+ hours round trip), but at least it was possible, and WELL WORTH IT! Cayenne is such a HAPPY dog! And she is most definitely a character! She loves her rawhide chewies and seems to always need to have one with her. Even if she’s not chewing on it, it’ll be hanging from her mouth. I call them her “pacifiers.” She never, ever, loses track of where she last put her chewie.
	Cayenne also has a great nose and is always tracking something that has been in our yard. She loves to swim too. If she is running around outside for any length of time, you can bet she’ll find her way to the lake for a cool down. (Even in November when the water is icy cold!) Cayenne has done a terrific job of winning not only our hearts, but Nutmeg’s too! Cayenne and Nutmeg have settled down into a great relationship. We are happy to tell you Cayenne has truly made our home, her home, and she has become a real part of our family. We can no longer imagine our home without her in it. We feel very fortunate to have her! We can’t thank you enough! Sue, Tom, Nutmeg and Cayenne

Morgan We adopted Morgan in May 2004-she loves to play frisbee outside and loves to run the yard.
	She is a true velcro dog, she is a joy to have around. She is very intelligent and learns quickly. She has learned to play with toys in the house, which she was just learning that when we got her. Since they had used her as a breeding dog, she didn't know how to play.
Morgan is just 2 years old, and we are so glad we were able to rescue her. She is part of our family now.

Petey
We are so appreciative of the Aussie Rescue group and their abiltiy to match rescued dog to new owner. Petey fit into our household perfectly and seamlessly. Latest Petey news: he has passed his Therapy Dog test, and will be visiting Forest Park Hospital to bring his joie de vivre to the alzheimer's patients there.
Doug & Randy

Alec
Thanks Kay for helping me find this wonderful dog. He is doing WONDERFUL!! I could not have asked for a better dog. He is absolutely gorgeous & is very well behaved. Alec already goes anywhere I do and prefers to be with me. My children love him and play ball and tag with him. Even my husband loves him and is glad to have him. He is already a part of our family and we can't imagine not having him around. His new hobby is chasing and teasing the chickens and rabbits. I don't know if they (the chickens and rabbits) would say they couldn't live without him :) Thanks again for everything!!

Cathy

Randy
Oh he is an absolute dream. He loved everyone and played so cute with my friends 1 year old German Sheppard mix. Randy is trying to make friends with the cats. He is so curious. The cats are horrified but are slowly getting used to him. He is doing super good with the leash and if we crouch down to his level when we put it on him he does not get nervous at all. He is good with strangers and other dogs while we walked in the park and loved the nieces and nephews to death. We are head over heels for him already. He is so sweet. He has the neatest deep chuffing kind of bark which he does not do often. When the farmer down the roads coonhounds bark he has to add his 2 cents worth.
Randy is everything we could have hoped for and more. Thank you so much for letting us take him home

Amy, Larry and Carol

Here is an update and recent picture of Randy with his best friend and favorite pillow. One of our cats named Yohji. He thinks he is his mother. Randy is wonderful with all our cats.
Hugs
Larry, Carol and Amy

	Preston "Our son Austin had been asking for a dog since our German Shepard passed away in February of 2001. We decided on an Aussie, based mainly on our experiences with an Aussie in our obedience classes with our German Shepards way back when. We spoke with several breeders and were actually going to go visit one in the Chicago land when I stumbled on the Aussie Rescue web ring completely by accident! We saw several dogs we were very interested in - and I actually printed out their pictures for our son to see up close.
He picked Preston (a beautiful and intelligent Blue Merle pup of the ripe ole age of 4 months!) the minute he saw him. He wrote a letter to Santa that night and asked him for nothing other than that cute little Aussie he saw in the picture. I emailed Kay and submitted the application - knowing that our pup was over 5-1/2 hours away! Our foster parents (Ross and Linda) agreed to keep Preston til the 23rd of December so we could surprise our son for the holidays.
	We drove from Chicago to Springfield (about 3 hours) and Ross, Linda and Kay drove to Springfield from St Louis (also about 3 hours) where we met for the first time and have become steadfast friends... Preston was delivered for Christmas Eve straight from Santa and our son could not hide his elation. This is HIS baby! We have had Preston for almost 3 years now (this Christmas!) He travels with us by car, everywhere we go - he's been to Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, New York City, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Canada. He LOVES to swim and ride on the boat! His best friend is our friend's yellow lab "Wrigley", and they cannot get enough swimming TOGETHER! He is by far one of the smartest dogs I have ever known - and we all fight to sit and cuddle with him.
Although he is kind of a momma's dog at bedtime, because he likes to sleep at my feet on the bed right on top of the electric blanket! He never barks unless a stranger is present - and he walks the kids to the bus stop every morning without fail. This wonderful organization brought us the most handsome and loving dog alive as far as we're concerned! Thank you Kay!" Perry, Teresa, Austin & Aryana - and of course Preston!

When Pearl came into rescue she was so frightened that for the first 2 weeks, she would only sit in her crate with her back to the world. Eric drove all the way from AZ to take her HOME!
	Look at her now! Now she spends time in the mountains with her new family. Pearl, aka Squeaks, loves her siblings, treeing squirrels and.........
Pearl, aka Squeaks, is also known as.......... the Queen of Everything! There are three words for you Pearl. You Go Girl!!

I got Sydney as one of my fosters in January 2003 and the day after I took her home, I called Kay to ask "Can I keep her, please?!" She stole my heart and I couldn't imagine giving her up! She had been adopted out once before, after her original family gave her to Aussie Rescue due to a divorce She jumped the fence and found herself at the shelter more than once; apparently, the wife and daughter of the man who adopted her did not like her and were relegating her to "back yard lawn ornament" status, and she didn't like that much! Sydney has a CGC and is a registered Therapy Dog with TDInc. We are taking lots of agility classes and should be ready to trial next year!

Cody, on the right, was adopted privately from a Petfinders ad! His original family loved him, but realized they were ill-equipped to provide him with the exercise and attention he demanded, as they had 2 toddlers! With a little bit of detective work, I found Cody's breeder online and began corresponding with her regularly. When she had a litter this spring, I couldn't resist taking Gunnar, who is Cody's uncle!!! Cody is a competitive frisbee dog who deserves a more competitive partner (!) He is trying is hand at herding as well. Recently, we were told he seemed like a natural for search and rescue work, so I guess tracking is next! I feel blessed to have found my wonderful dogs and have enjoyed fostering and transporting for Aussie Rescue for 2 years, meeting great people, learning much about dogs and getting lots of satisfaction knowing that in my small way, I am doing some good.
Sincerely, Mary

Cheyenne I can't say enough good things about this wonderful dog, who has become the love of our life. She has totally fit into our routine and seems very happy and content. She acts like she has lived here forever.
	She barks at strangers, but NO aggressive bone in her body! She LOVES the farm does not chase the horses and her favorite spot is lying on the front porch surveying the property. :-) She sticks to us like a burr, loves attention and makes sure she gets plenty of it! She loves to snuggle. No matter what room we are in she is right there with us. Her biggest dilemma is when we are in different rooms..."oh golly, which one should I go with?"
Thank you again for joining us together! And I think that Cheyenne would say the same thing! Judy and Ron

Luke

Luke the Goof - Lucky Luke - Luke the Love of My Life!!! This gentle boy came to me gravely ill from a tick borne disease that left him with very few platelets (the stuff that allows your blood to clot), a liver that was enlarged and not functioning well and 20 lbs underweight.

Luke is a miracle - that's what the vets at the University told us - never had they seen a dog survive who had been in such bad condition, but not only has he survived but he is thriving!! Luke is a beautiful, loving boy who gets along with everyone. He is in training now for obedience and agility - watch for him - he is going to be a real star!! Thanks to Tami Grandia of West Virginia and all the volunteers that helped care for and transport this gem of a dog to my family!

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Australian Shepherd Rescue of St. Louis