We had O'Reilly, a beautiful blue merle Aussie for many years. I brought him home from the humane society, after walking in and seeing the staff playing with this beautiful little 3 month old puppy while they had tears running down their cheeks. They were playing with him one last time before putting him down, because no one wanted a little puppy who'd been born blind. O'Reilly lived a long, eventful, happy, and useful life with many adventures (some I'd really rather he not have had - like the time he managed to get the gate open and wander out in the neighborhood in the snow; ever tried to find a mainly white dog in the snow - at night?), and passed away in his sleep this fall in his 16th year, well-loved and much mourned.
He was one marvelous, fearless, dog who was full of the joy of life.