Emma was my first dog. She would teach me in her own sassy way just what dogs and love really mean. At times she was far more patient with me than I was with her - content to 'stop and smell the roses' even if it meant making me late for work. She loved her fur-brother Neville, and made friends - human and canine - wherever she went.

Her early trips to the dog park would showcase her speed and agility - routinely running with the fastest dogs there, and neighborhood walks through wooded trail would similarly bring out her inner speed-demon, yet she was also happy to amble about as long as it meant fresh air.

Emma craved adventure and was always up for exploring new territories and experiences, yet she was always patient with her brother Neville who was much slower than her never leaving him too far behind.

In so many ways, Emma was typical sheepie: a bit sassy, a bit defiant, a bit demanding that the petting shouldn't stop. But in so many ways, her personality was quite distinct, and everyone who knew her could tell. She was a 'special one.'

We struggled for years to get her diet right for her, and when we had succeeded our home rejoiced. Emma enjoyed adventures and outings and love until her final days, but in the end, the ravages of time and age were simply too much. She fought long and hard against kidney failure and polyneuropathy, and would have continued to fight for our sake - that was just her nature - but we couldn't ask her to keep fighting. Emma was given rest on a Thursday, and the heavens rained down all day Friday - shedding tears and mourning with us at having lost such a special soul. We take joy knowing that she and Neville are reunited and once again wrestling together and running pain-free.