I was looking for a lab and I found Shelby in a pet store in New Jersey. She just had something different about her. She was more golden colored than any of the other puppies and had a kind of sad look on her face. She immediately ran up to my 3 year old son and licked his face. I knew she was the one! We then moved back to our hometown of Port Orchard, WA. bringing her with us. Shelby was the prettiest, sweetest, funniest, protective and most loyal dog. She was my best friend. She slept on or next to my bed (on her dog bed) and/or my sons every night. Every morning I woke she was there to greet me, and every day I came home from work, she would be there waiting, tail wagging over joyed to see me. Shelby loved going on walks and runs with me, and loved hiking with me at Lake Cushman and Browns Creek. She loved following alongside me when I rode my horse Lena on Gold Mountain and Banner forest. She absolutely loved swimming at Manchester, Southworth, Port Townsend, and Ocean Shores beaches. I will never forget all the many fun adventures we had together. She loved running after her ball or stick. She was so funny because she loved to find the biggest stick possible and drag it around, and I was laughing like I can't throw this?! It's too big!! She loved chasing squirrels, although she would never hurt them and in her later years she liked watching them. She also had a favorite stuffed bunny she carried around with her like it was her baby. She loved cheese as a treat, and I swear when I opened it, she knew the sound and would instantly appear at my feet! She also enjoyed taking my shoe outside or just moving one of them to some weird spot (but never chewing them up) so I was always searching for the other shoe when I went to leave. Shelby had many friends, my son Tristan who grew up with her and is now 16, Maggie the boxer who was her best friend, along with Johnny Rae the bearded dragon, and Tigger the Siamese cat (Shelby loved to lick his face lol). Shelby was also very tough. When she was a puppy she broke her hip and had a steel plate put in. She battled many cancerous mast cell tumors and had many surgeries to remove them. All of which were successful. Later in life she got a tumor in her eye, which grew so big it needed to be removed. Luckily it was not cancerous. In her later years she battled her back fusing together and arthritis along with mega-esphagus, but we made sure to take her on special easier walks and trips. Then she got sick with pneumonia. She lived a long good happy life with us for thirteen years and I am glad she is out of pain now. I hope and pray she is whole again and happily running around with her buddy Maggie the boxer in Doggie Heaven. We love you and miss you Shelby, you were one of a kind and will forever be in our hearts. Rest in peace sweet Shelby Sunny Oak- October 1, 2004 to October 31, 2017