Joey was a dog I rescued from a local animal shelter. I was looking  for a companion for Max as we had just lost our 6mth  old puppy "Kera" to cancer..... The moment I looked into his eyes was magical. He had a warm old mannerly way about him...and was the "senior" dog here at Thom's. We took a skinny, terrified, matted little creature and  had ended up with what you see above. He was a funny dog, thought
he was a "big dog" and was always ready to take on the world to defend his turf lol.  He was Emma’s constant companion. Never ever think you cannot find a wonderful dog at a shelter.....they are diamonds in the rough and with some
  polishing, and love they blossom.

In my opinion a Sheltie is good medicine for the soul.

We had Joey for nine wonderful years, and  at thirteen years old he felt it was time to head for the bridge...

Joey we miss you, and wish you a safe  journey to heaven, where age and sickness don't exist, where you can play in the  mud and never need a bath, where you can eat whatever and whenever you want, and  no one yells at you for barking....

A Little Dog Angel

High up in the courts of heaven  today
a little dog angel waits;
with the other angels he will not  play,
but he sits alone at the gates.
"For I know my master will come" says he,
"and when he comes he will call for me."

The other angels pass him by
As they  hurry toward the throne,
And he watches them with a wistful eye
as he sits at the gates alone.
"But I know if I just wait patiently
that someday my  master will call for me."

And his master, down on earth  below,
as she sits in her easy chair,
forgets sometimes, and whispers  low
to the dog who is not there.
And the little dog angel cocks his ears
and dreams that his master's voice he hears.

And when at last his master  waits
outside in the dark and cold,
for the hand of death to open the  door,
that leads to those courts of gold,
she will hear a sound through  the gathering dark,
a little dog angel's bark.

Noah M. Holland