Diesel Mills Hourlland

Diesel Mills Hourlland crossed the rainbow bridge Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020, peacefully in the arms of his mom.

Born July 19, 2012, in Athol, Idaho, Diesel was adopted just five weeks later by the Mills-Hourlland family. He is survived by his dog-mom, Mikinzie Hourlland; his beloved tiny, big brother, Iggy; his grandparents; great-grandparents; numerous aunts and uncles; many, many friends and his best friend and expert dog trainer, Kinley Warwick.

Diesel’s favorite thing to do was drag around entire trees three times the size of himself and play fetch for hours on end, whether it be on land or in the water, until he could barely move anymore. He loved to explore in the mountains, running up trees to attempt to capture the squirrels, and he enjoyed a good game of hide and seek.

He loved going to his grandparents' home, where he could run in the field for hours and Grandpa would give him his oatmeal covered meals (making him picky when he returned home). Unfortunately, he did not get to complete his life-long goal of catching the neighborhood cat that constantly taunted him and used his yard as a litter box; this goal will now happily become his brother’s responsibility.

Most of all, he loved his mom more than anything in the world. There was never a day that he wasn’t there to greet her, console her, take her on her daily walk, or slobber all over everything she loved. She was his pride and joy, her biggest fan, there for her always through thick and thin. Diesel was great at a lot of things, but he was the best at loving everyone around him unconditionally.

Diesel fought a gallant battle with cancer and degenerative myelopathy. He fought his hardest, but unfortunately did not win this one, as he did against the burglars at his home years before. He spent his last days doing all of his favorite things; he had a massive steak dinner, went to his favorite spot to soak in the views of Hayden Lake, got a bacon cheeseburger from Paul Bunyan, took his family for a walk and played fetch for the very last time.

We will think of him with love in our hearts every time we open a string cheese, trip over a stuffed animal or see that darn neighborhood cat. We will carry him in our hearts everywhere we go. He will be forever missed, forever remembered and forever loved.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you hold your fur babies a little tighter, throw the ball for them an extra time, and love them just a little harder in honor of sweet Diesel boy.