Gizmo, Our Australian Shepherd

In October 2016 a young Australian Shepherd walked up to my mom's house and sat down. It appeared he had been dropped off there. I brought him home, gave him a bath, he was covered in fleas and had thinning hair.
The next morning I took him to a Veterinarian Office to be scanned for a chip, he had no chip, and they posted his pictures to social media to see if anyone knew him. I went to the animal shelter and left my contact info and his picture in case anyone came looking for him. I knocked on the doors for the neighbors to see if they were missing a do or recognized him.

We ended up keeping him and the kids Named him Gizmo. He was very affectionate, cuddling dog, that we played fetch with, took on road trips and loved. Our first Australian Shepherd, we had poodles so we were used to no shedding hair everywhere. Gizmo shed enough we could probably make sweaters for everyone we know.

His coat filled in beautifully, his eyes are gorgeous.

We came home from dinner with family, and Gizmo came running to the kids to greet them as he did every day, always happy they were home: be it from grandma's house or school.
As soon as he got to them he collapsed at their feet. He was gone.
It was shocking, the kid were crying hysterical, my husband and I were there just shocked and confused at how suddenly he had passed.
While it was terrible for the kids, and we of course where not ready, he was only 3, and we had only had him 2 years.
Gizmo died suddenly, happy to see his girls. He didn't suffer, he didn't get lost and wander starving, or get hit by a car, or put down in shelter with no home.

Gizmo did have a heart murmur, and the vet did tell us that this was how he would go, running, playing and having a good time, but it wasn't expected to happen until he was much older, a senior dog.