There's no hat, whip, or leather jacket but West Seattle's Indiana Jones is special just the same. This one happens to be an Australian Shepherd owned by Amie and Jason Henson. He got the name because, "We liked the name and liked the series," said Amie.

His nickname of course is "Indy."

"We got Indy about four years ago from a breeder in Spokane," Amie said.

His diet sounds a little odd but Indy loves it. "We just changed his diet to First Mate Chicken and Blueberries and he goes crazy for it," Amie explained, "and his treats are Darford Liver hearts."

One night Indy got into a bag of Chukkar Cherries. He didn't get sick but, "he did stay awake for 24 hours," said Amie.

His girl friend, Lily lives next door, she's a Miniature Pinscher. "Lily will come over to our house and sit waiting," as Amie described it, "so they can hang out."

Indy, in keeping with the breed is very intelligent. "He knows his left from right," said Jason. When they go for walks in the neighborhood or down to the beach or Westcrest, Indy will respond correctly going to his right or left when asked.

He does about thirty different tricks and he knows how to spell!
"Even if we spell out W-A-L-K he knows what we mean," Jason said.

One endearing trait Indy has is typical of Shepherds, he "herds children." When we have parties he keeps children away from the outside railing or if we're in the yard he will keep everybody in the center," Amie said.

How to nominate your pet for Pet of the Week:

Want to nominate your pet for Pet of the Week? Stop by the VCA West Seattle Animal Hospital at 5261 California Ave. S.W. and just ask for a form. A nomination is not a guarantee of appearance and your name and photo may appear in our newspaper and online.

Photos may or may not be used and our "Pet Reporter" may be in touch with you to arrange to take a photo. Pets nominated will be chosen on the basis of uniqueness of the pet and the quality of the story and information submitted.