11 Great Years - We will miss you Chili!

On January 21, 2000, our dog Popcorn, a beautiful white Samoyed, passed away from Tick Fever. We decided that we would get another dog but would wait a few months. During the first week of April 2000, we replaced our wooden fence around our home with a block wall. Once finished, we decided it was time to get our next dog. On Saturday afternoon, April 15, 2000, LaRee, Melissa, Becci and I went to the Arizona Humane Society on Hatcher to find a dog. There were lots of dogs to choose from and the barking in the kennels was noisy. We found four or five dogs we liked. One of the dogs was a media dog and Melissa really liked it. The dog was being spotlighted on TV that day and so there was a lot of interest in it. We would not be there when the choice was made to select the dog. We chose a dog to spend some time together inside a cage. We decided to take her. Her name was Chilli but we decided to shorten it to Chili. She was two years old. Her owners were going through a divorce and so they brought her to the Humane Society that same Saturday but in the morning. She was pretty quiet at first. She was a mixed dog with some beagle, some hound and some German Shepherd. She was a medium size dog with a brownish red coat. She could roll over, sit and do some other things as well. Becci was thrilled to have her and Melissa was too. However, Melissa kept saying we should have taken one of the Rottweilers that had been then for many months. We are all glad that we chose Chili and had many fun times with her. Our grandchildren loved her. Our children loved her. Most of our friends loved her. She had a great ferocious bark that kept people away from our door. But she loved people and was so tolerant with children. She loved walking with LaRee.



Yesterday about 12:12 pm, Melissa called LaRee on the phone. Chili had either tried to stand up or went down but collapsed. She would lay on the floor but not do much. We could not get her to stand up or even eat a treat. We lifted her from the front room to the family room to be near her water bowl and some food. She promptly stood up, drank some water and walked back into the front room. She did not express pain by yelping or moaning or other noises. She stood up again and we looked at her right front foot/leg. It looked deformed and turned to the outside. We thought she had a broken leg. Due to the Memorial Day holiday, the Vet's office was closed. We had an emergency number we could call. We decided to wait a bit more and watched her. LaRee and I had an activity at the church we had planned to honor those who had served in the military. We moved Chili from the front room back to the family room one more time. We left and shortly thereafter, Chili stood up and walked back into the front room. She could not get down on the floor so Micah, Becci's boyfriend, helped Chili down. Becci and Micah went to dinner for a short time and came back before LaRee and I did. When Becci returned, she found that Chili had passed away. She had gone back into the family room and was laying on her bed that LaRee made for her some time ago. She was peaceful looking. No one was at home when she passed away which all makes us feel sad. I mentioned to LaRee last night that sometimes in life, things just don't go right or the way we planned them. I had set up a big event for the High Priests in the ward and was the driving force behind it. Yet, my dog was not doing so well. Many people were depending on me and so was Chili. Sometimes you just can't win and you feel terrible for a long time. I am glad she did not exhibit suffering or pain.

So, there are some questions that need to be answered. Will we see Chili again? Will she be with us in the Celestial Kingdom if we are fortunate to be there? I don't know if I have the answers but I believe we will be with her again. Not only her but also Brandy and Popcorn our previous dogs. I did a little reading today about dogs and animals and offer information to those who may want to ponder the subject.

D&C 77:2:

Q. What are we to understand by the four beasts, spoken of in the same verse?

A. They are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator, John, in describing heaven, the paradise of God, the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air; that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created.

A quote by Joseph Smith is also relevant:

The Prophet Joseph Smith stated the following in regards to those people who do not believe in the salvation of animals. In this quote he is referring to Revelations 5:13-14.

Says one, "I cannot believe in the salvation of beasts." Any man who would tell you that this could not be, would tell you that the revelations are not true. John heard the words of the beasts giving glory to God, and understood them. God who made the beasts could understand every language spoken by them. The four beasts were four of the most noble animals that had filled the measure of their creation, and had been saved from other worlds, because they were perfect: they were like angels in their sphere. We are not told where they came from, and I do not know; but they were seen and heard by John praising and glorifying God.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 291

We know God, our Father, created dogs.

In Moses 3:5 it states:

For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.

Another quote from the Millennial Star states:

A Saint, who is one in deed and in truth, does not look for an immaterial heaven but he expects a heaven with lands, houses, cities, vegetation, rivers, and animals; with thrones, temples, palaces, kings, princes, priests, and angels; with food, raiment, musical instruments, etc.; all of which are material. Indeed the Saints' heaven is a redeemed, glorified, celestial material creation, inhabited by glorified material beings, male and female, organized into families, embracing all the relationships of husbands and wives, parents and children, where sorrow, crying, pain, and death will be known no more. Or to speak still more definitely, this earth, when glorified, is the Saints' eternal heaven. On it they expect to live, with body parts, and holy passions: on it they expect to move and have their being; to eat, drink, converse, worship, sing, play on musical instruments, engage in joyful, innocent, social amusements, visit neighboring towns and neighboring worlds: indeed, matter and its qualities and properties are the only being or things with which they expect to associate. If they embrace the Father, they expect to embrace a glorified, immortal, spiritual, material Personage; if they embrace the Son of God, they expect to embrace a spiritual Being of material flesh and bones, whose image is in the likeness of the Father; if they enjoy the society of the Holy Ghost, they expect to behold a glorious spiritual Personage, a material body of spirit; if they associate with the spirits of men or angels, they expect to find them material.

Millennial Star, Vol. 28, p. 722, November 17, 1866

Dallin my five year old grandson asked me this morning, "What did Chili look like after she was dead?". I replied, "She looked just like Chili but she was not breathing and her spirit was gone."

And in the book 'Sacred Truths of the Doctrine and Covenants' we read:

The spirits of animals are in the likeness of their bodies. The spirit is eternal and does not change. The spirit of an elephant looks like an elephant; the spirit of man looks like a man. This is true of all creatures under Heaven. Therefore, the body of the creature cannot change and evolve into something different and still look like its spirit. This principle is simply stated by the Lord that there might not be misunderstandings.

Sacred Truths of the Doctrine and Covenants Vol. II, p. 38

Chili is still Chili but now lives in a different sphere, a different place. She still looks like Chili. She still acts like Chili and she is still Chili. While I do not promote divorce, I am grateful to that family who left Chili at the Humane Society on April 15, 2000. Our years with her were wonderful and brought happiness to many people.

Chili: Born 25 October 1998, Died 28 May 2011.