24/12/2025
🐾VALE DELI💔
Born - 17/2/2014
Captured - 28/1/2016
Adopted - 27/2/2016
RIP - 11/12/2025
It is with great sadness that I must report the passing of our Hillswick poster girl – “Deli the Sheltie lost in Baulkham Hills“ 💫
Two weeks ago, Deli suffered a massive heart attack overnight in emergency hospital following a tragic accident. It still feels unreal that she is gone 💔
In true Deli fashion, she died as she lived: Dramatically & drastically.
Her humans, Tara & Bob, are quite naturally bereft at losing her so suddenly. Literally days before, Tara text me “I can’t imagine a world without Deli… She’s a force of nature” - a dog with such impact leaves a bloody big hole.
You may have met them at a Sydney fluffybutts gathering. But did you realise this scrappy adventurer, Deli the Rockstar, galvanised a community?
Deli’s 2016 bolt for freedom & incredible 15-day escapade —regularly traversing a major intersection & sustained on KFC garbage— brought the Sheltie lovers of greater Sydney together.
Breeders, sports & pet people all rallied to find her, organising posters, walking the streets, formulating plans, setting traps, etc & then after a 5-hr backyard ‘siege’, Deli was secured. It was all remarkable, as was she.
Deli was blessed with almost 10 years beloved by Tara & Bob & during that time she continued to temp fate. We thought her invincible. She certainly was obstreperous & we loved her for it.
She shared 6 of those years with fellow rescue Sheltie, Pepper, a beautiful, gentle blue who really grounded our wayward girl. Dell also shared her home with feral feline rescues, Fae, who worshipped her Sheltie sovereign, & Minerva who barely tolerated her.
Deli also changed my life: The mission to find her lead me to my position as rescue officer of the NSW Sheltie Club & her new family became my good friends. “Belly” continued to visit us for holidays & grooming… delighting my father with her antics, not.
Usually I would write RIP, but for this exceptional canine I say, fly high Deli-belle, roll in cosmic p**p & bark at the stars. 🌈🐾
