We currently have two dogs Cali (pronounced Callie) and Milo.

Cali is a four year old black bi-colored Australian Shepherd (born circa February 2004). Cali has a somewhat storied past and is a very fortunate dog. Cali's mother was caught in a barbed wire fence while giving birth. Unfortunately, since she was caught in the barbed wire fence she was unable to lick the prenatal sack off of five of her newborn pups and they died. A woman drove by and saw Cali's mother stuck in the fence and helped free her. Cali's mother was brought to the woman's home and given food and shelter. When the woman checked on Cali's mom the next day there were two additional puppies in the dog house, which were Cali and Cali's sister Zoe. Fortunately, they were not born while the mother was stuck in the barbed wire fence otherwise we would never have had Cali with us today.

Milo is a blue-merle (or more correctly a bi-merle) Australian Shepherd and is the latest addition to our family. Milo was found wandering rural Greenville, Indiana and finally came across a loving family that took him in and cared for him. Since this family already had three dogs they could not keep another dog. So, they contacted their local Australian Shepherd Rescue organization who got in contact with Aussie Rescue of St. Louis, which is how we got word that Milo was up for adoption. My wife and I met Milo halfway at Grayville, IL and we took Cali along with us to make sure that they got along. We don't know Milo's age but we suspect that he is between 1 and 2 years of age.

If you are truly interested in getting a dog check out your local Humane Society, local dog pound or dog rescue.

Picture (above) of Cali relaxing on our deck.

In Memoriam:

On March 11, 2008 we lost our dog Holly. Holly was a purebred Blue Merle Australian Shepherd (born December 24, 1997). We got Holly from Kay Edwards, who is the St. Louis contact for the Aussie Rescue & Placement Help line (ARPH). After Holly's 10th birthday I noticed a marked decrease in her energy level. At the end of February, we got home from a walk and Holly was noticeably distraught and her gums were pure white. After taking her to the animal hospital x-rays and an ultrasound confirmed tumors in her spleen and liver. It was most likely hemangiosarcoma, which is a very aggressive cancer. Two weeks later Holly was downstairs and ran upstairs to meet Chelle coming home for lunch. Holly collapsed on the front foyer and was never able to get back up after that. We made the decision that afternoon to put her to sleep. Holly was our first Australian Shepherd and she was absolutely gorgeous with an established bloodline. When we were introduced to Holly in April 2001 we were immediately won over by her affection and her attention to us. Her uniqueness and mannerisms are going to be tremendously missed.

On March 25, 2004, we lost our dog Laddie. She lived to twelve years old and was considered Chelle's dog. Laddie had a cancerous walnut-sized mass successfully removed from her small intestine. Unfortunately, the surgery took its toll and she died one week after her surgery. We speculate that she died from congestive heart failure. She was one of the sweetest dogs I've ever known. She was a one-of-a-kind dog and will be missed tremendously.

On December 21, 2001, we suffered a tragedy in losing our dog Sydney. Sydney was an incredible dog. She was so smart and affectionate. She is going to be greatly missed.