Sydney (aka Sunshine) was our 5 year old Blue Heeler. She was a true hero and died in a manner fitting for a courageous Cattle Dog. She jumped the wall in the backyard to try and drive away a cougar that had wandered into the neighborhood. Cattle dogs are known to be fearless and protective. We live by the Rio Grande in New Mexico. When animal control came out to investigate he told me that many wild animals are out of their range due to the fires in the state this summer. I have no anger toward the cougar who was only trying to survive in the face of human encroachment in their areas. I feel only sadness at the loss of Sydney.

She was the smartest, most athletic dog in the world. For any who have cattle dogs they will know what I mean. She loved to play - to catch tennis balls and frisbees, she was my running companion as I took her for runs in the bosque near the river. She loved to go for rides and stick her head out the window and snap her jaws at cars coming the other way. She would fetch rocks from the river - when I threw a rock she would run and stick her head under water for 5 or more seconds until she came up with a rock to bring back. She had a true zest for life. I have no regrets about any part of her life. She had all the attention, exercise, and love that I could possibly give her. She returned the same.

She helped to keep me is shape as I ran many times just because I knew how much she loved it. She also loved chasing jack rabbits in the sagebrush (she never caught any). She is buried on a ridge on the mesa where she loved to run and walk and chase rabbits. I miss her very much. She had a story done on her by the Albuquerque TV news station and also a story in the local news paper.

One of the most touching moments was after my wife and I had buried her on the mesa - we had brought back sand to cover the area in the street where she had been killed. After we spread the sand a small hailstorm moved up the street. It was like a line of rain and hail that came slowly up the street. When it had passed a beautiful rainbow came out with the Sandia mountains as the backdrop. It was a spectacular rainbow and I thought I could actually see her passing over. I hope that the story is true and that she will be waiting. We will never have another dog like her. When I was her I never felt alone - I felt safe.

Sunshine please wait - when I come you can put your ears up, wag your whole body, and we'll go get those rabbits......