Dear Cindy,

In late 1993, I bought a female ACD puppy from you. I lived in Pinellas County at the time. She was Call Me's Sophie Bloom, born August 19, 1993, out of Maryheather Blue Solar and Plateau's Magic Ice Bunnie.

I found your website tonight as I was combing the Internet looking at pictures of ACDs, in my sadness. Sophie died last Friday, at age 12.

I want to tell you that Sophie was the best cattle dog I ever had (and I've had several). I loved her to pieces; she was my child. What a fantastic dog - beautiful, very protective, very smart, slightly cranky, and tough as could be. A real Aussie bitch!

In the last couple of years, she had gone blind and developed bad arthritis in her front legs. But she never complained; she was faithful and strong. She and I were so deeply bonded that her last act, moments before she died, was to lick my face.

I just want to thank you for the canine love of my life. I will never, ever forget her -- or stop loving her.

Sadly, but with gratitude,

Jeanne Malmgren Melvin

Sophie's human

Update:

Hi Cynthia,

I've been meaning to write you, with very sad news.

Sensational Sara of Call Me has passed on. It was last week. We finally had to make a very difficult decision. She was 15, deaf, incontinent (for years!), and her increasing dementia was getting so sad.

She would walk in endless circles around the house (inside), then walk into a corner and stand there, totally baffled as how to get "out" of the corner.

At any rate, I knew you'd want to know. She was the world's sweetest (and prettiest) dog, and we will miss her very much. We are happy to have had her with us for so many years. Thank you for Sara!

Best wishes,

Jeanne

Dear Cindy,

As you know we recently lost Bandit. It was an unexpected and untimely passing of a TRULY special dog. I have been a dog owner my entire life. Most of that time I have owned multiple dogs. I have loved them all. But I have to say without disrespect to previous dogs I have owned, that Bandit was hands down the best. I have never met a more intelligent dog. He could have done anything. He was the entire package. Smarts, common sense, problem solving ability and tons of drive. Herding, agility, obedience, etc. He could have easily been titled in any or all of those. But Bandit was simply my pet. My dog, my friend, my partner in crime. I could not have asked for a more devoted, loyal friend. He loved life and was always an eager partner in any adventure. I never found a situation in which he seemed uncomfortable in. Always confident, often a clown ( I swear sometimes I could see him laughing at his own antics) ever the gentleman. Bandit could work a crowd of strangers better than a politician on election day. He never met a stranger and seemed to genuinely like most everyone he met. Not that I really needed it, but Bandit was always watching out for me as well. I sent you a letter some time back detailing Bandit's reaction to someone attempting to break into our home. But there were subtle signs as well. Like when we would meet a stranger. Bandit would greet them in a friendly manner, yet always seemed to want to position himself between them and myself. It was noticeable. He would not do that when we greeted people he knew well. I cannot do not have the words to describe what Bandit meant to me. Friend, companion, protector. Always there, always loyal. I miss him terribly.

Sincerely,

John Cone