dogs, she says it has personal meaning.
“Winning the NAC with a little unwanted rescue dog was a moment that will last me the rest of my life, likely my proudest moment,” she says. “One of my favorite memories was talking to Danny on the phone as Karma and I were warming up for finals. He was so happy and laughing. He said, ‘The rest is just gravy. You won. Karm came from Walmart!’ ”
Cheryl moved that fall to Iowa to work in the ISU Department of Animal Science. Then the unthinkable happened in March 2021 when 9-year-old Ace unexpectedly passed away from splenic hemangiosarcoma. “The loss of them so close together, along with the career change and move, had me in a weird and dark place. Then a student talked to me about wanting to learn more about dog training. As an independent study, she worked with me while fostering two shelter dogs for the spring and summer semesters. We had so much fun together and loved watching both dogs develop.” That experience led Cheryl to create the Ace Project, named in honor of her beloved rescue Border Collie who helped her husband so much.
Cheryl’s journey in dog sports began while she was pursuing her doctorate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She had a Rat Terrier named Sparky and wanted to do therapy work with him. She started classes at the Dog Training Club of Champaign– Urbana (DTCCU). “They believed my little dog could play flyball and do agility. I had only seen those on TV,” she says. In 2006, she finished her Ph.D. moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and started work as the Director of Comparative Nutrition at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. Also she met her future husband, Danny Morris, there. The following year, she made a decision that changed her agility career. A trainer at DTCCU told her about a Border Collie in an Illinois shelter. “I, for some dumb reason, thought I needed a Border Collie, so Danny and I drove all the way back to Illinois to meet her. She had been wandering around a Walmart parking lot. I named her as soon as I saw her—Karma. Danny had bought me a T-shirt on his last trip that said ‘Instant Karma,’ and I was wearing it that day.” Karma proved to be a fortuitous name for her as she blossomed into a fantastic agility dog. She earned the AKC Master Agility Championship title (MACH), made the finals of the AKC Agility Invitational, and won the 16-inch class at the 2013 AKC Agility National Championship (NAC).
Tragic Turn
Cheryl L. Morris
In 2012, the couple added another rescue Border Collie—a puppy they fostered and fell in love with. Named Ace, he grew up to be a great agility dog and was on his way to Masters titles when Danny fell ill. “He was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), and our lives totally changed, and so did Ace’s. Agility became an afterthought. Unfortunately, MSA is a disease that moves very fast. Danny quickly started to lose his balance and speech,” Cheryl says. “Ace had a career change. He became Danny’s service dog with tasks that included helping him balance, coming to get me when Danny needed me, picking things up, and stability. Danny passed away from MSA on July 14, 2020.”
Cheryl L. Morris
Ace paused his agility career for a more important job–working as Danny’s service and comfort dog.
Missouri Pet Breeders Association | Page 11
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog