Rooney . . .

Roonie was a red Doberman Pinscher who ran with the original Lickety Splits team. He started playing flyball mid-life, and from the moment that he understood what he had to do to play this fun game, he became a lifetime lover of the sport. He was never the fastest Dobie on his team, but his consistency and contribution to the team was immeasurable. He bridged the time between the old and the new and was adored by everyone who knew him. He ran with the original, all-Dobie team, he ran with the mixed teams, he ran with anyone who took his collar and got into a line-up, and as he slowed down, he ruled the legendary Chunky Monkeys.

Roonie earned his AKC Companion Dog title. Taking nine shows to finally get it, he won a single point toward his AKC Championship. He was heading toward oblivion until he stumbled upon his perfect sport. Watching him run in flyball brought a smile to everyone's face. He often would wait in the line-up, sitting down, and his handler would wonder if he even knew where he was, and then he would burst forward, running over any height jumps with such a flourish and enthusiasm that onlookers would laugh and smile.

His longtime flyball goal was to earn his Flyball Master, and this was difficult in those beginning days when we were happy to earn 75 points in a weekend. He retired with his FM, and his legacy is that he will always be part of our team logo shared with his lifelong friend Shermie, another red Dobie male who played with the original Lickety Splits. He ran until he was 11 years old and lived to be 12 1/2 years.