Maligator is a purebred Belgian Malinois, approximately 11 yrs. old at this writing. She became a member of our household in May, 2002, after being bailed out of the Chula Vista, CA shelter by our friend Laura Bollschweiler. At that point, she was a ward of Lily Rock Rescue, and I did go through the motions of trying to place her for a few months. But it quickly became apparent that she was a really cool dog, and we decided to keep her. Good thing for her, as she is quite sound-sensitive, and can be very reserved around those she's not familiar with.

Those who know Mali say she has many endearing qualities. She is small (about 46 lbs.), and beautifully proportioned. When I walk her at a show, all the Mal people want to know her lines, etc. Though we can guess, we will likely never know for sure. Just going on looks, one wonders if she was indeed the mother of a litter of 9 Mal pups dumped at a San Diego shopping center several years back.

Mali has a winning smile, and is a great companion for my two Terv boys, Worthy and Makai. She is also an excellent sheepdog, balancing beautifully, and usually doing whatever is asked of her in the field or arena. She has her PT, and likely will finish her HSAs this coming year. She also excels at, of all things, lure coursing! Last summer at RBTF's Oak Hill Ranch Funday, Mali had the fastest time of all, beating out ALL the other dogs, including those young Terv whippersnappers, and a couple of Rhodesian Ridgebacks! Can you say "prey drive"?

Mali's health is now excellent, though we had a scare with her last Jan. Dr. Dana Bleifer found a mass on her spleen, and was able to remove the whole thing before complications set in. Surgery went well, and thank the Lord, the mass was a benign hematoma. She recovered quickly, and is back to giving the boys a run for their money. Mali will finish her days here with us, and I will always treasure my "Silly Goose".