Happy Birthday, Chilly Dog

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHILLY,
When you were born in Memphis on December 14, 1995, and given away to your first owners from the trunk of a car in a Wal-Mart parking lot a few weeks later, you were probably a very cute Jack Russell/Chow mix puppy, but I never got to see that. Your owners gave you the name Chili, after a character in Get Shorty, and moved to St. Louis shortly afterwards. When they wanted to move to Florida in 2002, you objected and demanded to come back. On August 16, 2002, you officially moved in with me, and your soon to be best friend, Snikk, and changed your name to Chilly Dog. I was afraid that you would not get along with us because you had a reputation for being aggressive, and even sometimes mean (by people that didn't know you, of course), but you fit in right away. Before long, you and Snikk were inseparable, playing, wrestling, going for walks together, and just lying next to each other.

When we lost poor Snikk two years ago, I know that you were as sad as anyone. Seeing you stare at Snikk's empty cage,

and pace the floors in the middle of the night made me realize how close you were to him. Now that you are entering your teenage years, your arthritis keeps you from jumping off of my deck chasing rabbits, and you don't like to go for long walks, or jump up on furniture, but you still follow me around whereever I go (sitting under me as I write this), sleep next to my head, and never let me leave the house without licking my face. And of course you successfully protect our house from invasion from the mailman's attempt to break in every day.
I hope you like your new brother Andy

and Rusty.

Sorry for the late birthday card, Chilly, but on your birthday we were too busy visiting Santa Claus.

After knowing you, I can see why they call dogs like you "Man's Best Friend." Happy birthday!