Obituaries

CHILLI

Adrian and I adopted Chilli from the Refuge in January 2006, having fostered her for a couple of weeks before. After her first few days with us, we realised we couldn't take her back.

During the 15 months that followed, Chilli (formerly known as Chewy) demonstrated a huge capacity for joy. She danced skilfully and often on her hind legs and joined me and Emme the chihuahua (also from the Refuge) in singing along to songs. In short, she blossomed – and we looked forward to her having a long and happy life with us.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. What we thought was an ear infection turned out to be a neurological defect, probably due to an injury in the past. During her final weeks, Chilli underwent many tests and suffered the administration of a plethora of medications. Through it all, she stayed feisty and alert. But then her quality of life deteriorated very badly almost overnight, and scans revealed the source and extent of her problems. With no hope of a cure, we had our little princess put to sleep.

Chilli's with us in spirit now. We buried her on our block in the Hills so we’re never far from her. When I think of her, I remember a brave little dog who, despite a past involving mistreatment and neglect, gave so much love and brought us so much joy.

Our sincere thanks to the Refuge for taking Chilli in and caring for her when she had nowhere else to go.

Josephine and Adrian
April 2007