Cricket passed away on January 27, 2001 from an inoperable tumor under his spine. John writes: "He was the best little fellow and the most loving dog I've ever had. I thought we'd be together for many years. He had been perfectly normal, running and playing, snoring, jumping all over the furniture until last Monday night. But thanks to everyone who helped me get him, even though I only had him for a year and three months we had the best of times." We will all miss Cricket. Below is his story.

I got my Sheltie, Cricket, through Triangle Sheltie Rescue in October. He is a great little fellow. He has been a virtual saint, except for digging up my marigolds to bury a steak bone ... I should have thought about that.

I have let him come out to the garden with me and he stays between the rows and doesn't trample the plants. He sits beside me and watches me work. He does seem to like cucumbers. He stays in the house all day while I'm gone watching TV and sitting in my La-Z-Boy chair, now his chair.

During mealtimes he sits next to me in the dining room and waits patiently while I eat. He goes to sleep as soon as I turn the lights out and jumps up on the bed to wake me up at 5:30 sharp every morning, I threw away my alarm clock. Cricket loves to go on long walks and to play with my neighbor's dogs.

He can be very protective also ... a mean Rottweiler mutt in my Dad's neighbohood came at my Dad in his backyard. Cricket was playing in the backyard and he walked right up to the snarling rottweiller and putting his head down like a bulldozer backed the rottweiller across the street and up onto it's owners front porch. Cricket never snarled or made a sound, he just pushed that mutt right out of our way. Then he just turned around and trotted back over to us as if it was all in a day's work.

If all goes well, I may have to get him a sister this fall. Thanks again for making this wonderful dog available to me. -- John Worthington