Layla crossed the Rainbow Bridge on 4 May 2024 but her sister Nili will carry on her legacy speaking out against Animal Abuse, Domestic Violence, Breeders and how to keep your pet healthy, happy and living a good life.
October is Adopt A Dog Month
This month is one of the most important months of the year. You might wonder why but it is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.
The benefits are endless but most important it is an incredible rewarding experience to get the unconditional love and companionship from a loving dog.
I am aware of those that only one pure bred dog but there are so many dogs sitting in cold shelters waiting for homes including pure breeds that I strongly advise everyone to go to a shelter and open your heart to a dog sitting there. We, humans are to blame for the over crowding of shelters as people are so quick to dump their dogs at a shelter for ridiculous lies and excuses like we are moving, we having a family, the dog causes allergies, and the list can go on and on but instead of thinking of the poor dogs life they are selfish and think of themselves only.
Unfortunately, because of this so many dogs die each day in shelters while those snobs want a pure breed and instead of thinking of those dying, they pay some breeder for a dog, which absolutely makes me sick inside. Some of you might disagree with me on this point but this is my opinion and each to his own. I could not live knowing I paid for a dog from some puppy maker who keeps dogs like machines just to produce and when they cannot produce anymore dump them in shelters. Dogs have feelings, souls and emotions and should not be treated like garbage.
Angel Layla’s wise words :
https://youtube.com/shorts/gGUJQ2eBloM?feature=share
So on this note I am asking everyone to go to a Shelter, open up your heart and home and give a shelter dog a place they can call home.
Have a safe weekend and lets be the voice for the voiceless and spread the word to empty the shelters.
With a woof and love from
Nili
We must break the silence of Domestic Violence
TGIF! The weekend has arrived and I would love to put my feet up and relax but it is not going to happen LOL.
As you all know I am a Domestic Violence Survivor, one of the lucky ones and pray daily that Abuse to humans and animals would stop.
I managed to get away with my little dog, hid at a friend and then moved to a new city where we were both helped. If I had left her I know my ex would have carried on abusing her so the minute I could run, we ran.
Baby died from IMHA two years after I ran.
Baby since has passed away, but she was my inspiration, my hero, my trooper and my lifeline through those dark days, and when she passed it was when I was finally in my own home so she knew I was safe, and could then open my doors to a new pup, and Layla arrived to live with me. Layla and now Nili wears a tag that says : Shelter Survivor.
Today I am not going to talk about me, but “The Power and Control Wheel” of Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence. This gives us a better understanding as to what happens behind closed doors, and why so many victims stay in the relationships.
An abuser will want to control everything, and if he or she does not have that, we, the humans, kids or pets become the victims of his or her anger, although he/she will never admit it.
So when people reach out and talk about wanting to leave a Domestic Violence relationship but cannot leave their pets, these are some of the reasons and I from experience would have rather carried on suffering the abuse to make sure Baby was safe, than left her in a house where she would suffer.
Pets do not understand abuse the way we do and they should not have to suffer at the hands of an abuser of any kind as they give us the unconditional love and loyalty that unfortunately humans do not do.
The Domestic Violence Hotline number is : 1 800 799 SAFE (7233)
Website : https://www.thehotline.org/
Be safe, have a wonderful week, with a woof of love from
Nili
Pets in Domestic Violence Shelters
TGIF!! Friday and the weekend has arrived, phew.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month an as a survivor I want to discuss having a pet in a shelter.
This is a subject that I have seen discussed on many groups on Facebook, and how important it is for a survivors to have their pet with them in the shelter, so I am going to share my story here.
Nili and her friend being blessed on Sunday but I also said a prayer for all the pets in abusive relationships
My first few months in the shelter Baby was fostered by some amazing women until I was fortunate to be able to take Baby into the shelter with me, before I moved over to another shelter and then transitional housing.
It was fantastic having her with me again and I was really blessed but people also need to understand Shelter policies also, so I do understand why shelters say no. They are not selfish but, in a way, practical and this is why :
01.There are children in shelters who are going through trauma and might be afraid of pets
- Allergies to pets
- The shelter staff are overloaded already so if you are running around sorting out your life you are adding another burden to the staff as your pet is in your room.
- Shelters have curfews so if your pet needs to go potty at night you cannot take him/her out.
- Not all shelters can give you a single room so you might be sharing with someone who does not like pets.
When I was in the shelter with Baby I took her out just before the curfew started, I had my own room which made it easier but her food and water was in my room, she was not allowed in the public areas because of the reasons I listed above, when we did go out she was on leash and was on leash when we got back till we got to my room.
This is food for thought and there are shelters that are slowly allowing pets of have solutions for your pet who will be fostered, this actually became an important issue during COVID which opened the doors to some solutions.
I would love to hear your input on this subject and what is happening in your area ?
Have a safe weekend, Nili
October 2026 Pet Holidays and Observances
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October has arrived; can you believe it? So like every month below is the list of holidays and observances for October.
Month-Long Observances
- Adopt A Dog Month
- Black Cat Awareness Month.
- National Animal Safety and Protection Month.
- National Pet CBD Month.
- National Pet Obesity Awareness Month.
- National Pet Wellness Month.
- National Pit Bull Awareness Month.
- Small Dog Awareness Month.
- World Animal Month.
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Week-Long Observances
- Oct. 1-7: National Walk your Dog Week
- Oct. 4-10: Animal Welfare Week.
- Oct. 18-24: National Veterinary Technician Week.
- Third week of October: National Wolf Awareness Week.
One-Day Pet Holidays
- Oct. 1: National Fire Pup Day
- Oct. 1: National Black Dog Day.
- Oct. 2: Canine Companion Day.
- Oct. 4: World Animal Day
- Oct. 4: Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
- Oct. 4: Kindness to Animals Day.
- Oct. 9: CATober 9th
- Oct. 9: Vet Nurse Day.
- Oct. 10: World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day.
- Oct. 11: National Spoodle Day.
- Oct. 14: Nationional Pet Obesity Day
- Oct. 16: Global Cat Day.
- Oct. 17: National Fetch Day.
- Oct. 21: National Pets for Veterans Day.
- Oct. 22: National Make a Dog’s Day.
- Oct. 26: National Livestock Guardian Dog Appreciation and Awareness Day.
- Oct. 27: National Black Cat Day in the UK.
- Oct. 28: Plush Animal Lovers Day. A day that most dogs will be happy to celebrate…as they unstuff those plush toys…
- Oct. 29: National Cat Day.
- Oct. 30: Treat your Pet Day
- TBD: National Pit Bull Awareness
- Oct. 31:Muddy Dog Day. (UK)
And of course we must not forget Halloween, please keep your pets safe.
Have a wonderful October
With woof and hugs from Nili
Remember Me Thursday
Hello to all my friends,
Sunday is a special day for Mom, it is her birthday as I am speaking for my sister Layla also wishing Mom a very happy Birthday, I am so blessed to have been adopted by her and spending her special day with her as my sister is over the Rainbow Bridge makes it even more special.
I have always rescued a pet and that is why today, 24th of September is Remember Me Thursday is so dear to me.
What is this day?
Remember Me Thursday is on the last Thursday of September every year when we speak out for the orphan pets in shelters wanting homes, they are innocent and, in many ways, we are to blame. So we need to speak out and empty the shelters.
This is a day when we all get together campaigning for them as no innocent orphaned pet should have to die in a Shelter because someone dumped them there.
As Mike Arms, President and CEO of Helen Woodward Animal Center says : We all come from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds, but together, we can raise our voices and share one life-saving message and literally save millions of pets on this one day.”
You can read more about it on their website:
https://remembermethursday.org/about/
How can we shine a light on:
- Attend a Remember Me Thursday event near you. – You can find the events near you on Google or on the website above.
- Hold a pet food plus other pet related items fundraiser for your local shelter.
- Check to see if one of your shelters in your area are having an adoption event.
- Speak out, encourage friends and family to adopt and open their homes to an orphan pet.
- There are so many ways we can all help, so let’s take one step forward today to do it.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and praying that many shelter pets find homes
With love and woofs from Nili
A week in the life of Nili
Hi friends,
I have been very busy this week especially being a mischief maker and keeping Mom on her toes, BOL, so I told her this week we should share what I do during the week, and how much fun I have. So am going to share my favorite videos of the week which I hope you will enjoy, plus you will see why I am a chunky monkey.
This is my morning ritual, to keep my teeth clean.
Keeping myself busy while Mom works
Playtime in the park with Mocha
Dinner time after playing in the park, lots of carrots, apples, bananas, blueberries, carrots plus air dried kibbles, yumm
So as you can see Mom keeps me well fed, BOL plus active in the park at home, life is good here,
Have a wonderful week, be safe
Nili
September 2026 Pet Holidays and Observances
Happy September Friends, love Nili
Happy September Friends, have a wonderful Month, love Nili xxx
Month
- Animal Pain Awareness Month.
- Happy Cat Month. Established by the CATalyst Council.
- National Disaster Preparedness Month.
- Nationa; Pet Insurance Month
- National Responsible Dog Ownership Month.
- National Service Dog Month
- Pet Memorial Month.
- Pet Sitter Education Month.
- World Animal Remembrance Month.
Week
- Sept. 13-19: Adopt a less Adoptable Pet Week
- Sept. 21-27: National Deaf Dog Awareness Week.
- Sept. 21-27: National Dog Week.
- One-Day Holidays
- Sept. 1: Ginger Cat Appreciation Day. Celebrating orange-coated cats who have made our world a little brighter with their flame-tinted fur and their colorful personalities.
- Sept. 5: Canine Enrichment Day. (UK)
- Sept. 5: National White Cat Day.
- Sep. 8: National Dog Walker Appreciation Day
- Sept. 9: Tuxie Appreciation Day. A day to celebrate the formally-attired black and white cats.
- Sept. 13: Pet Birth Defect Awareness Day. A day dedicated to the issue of pet birth defects including information on identification, prevention and treatment.
- Sept. 13: National Hug Your Dog Day
- Sept. 13: National Pet Memorial Day.
- Sept. 18: Love Your Dog Groomer Day. (UK)
- Sept. 19: National Meow Like Pirate Day.
- Sept. 19: National Cat DNA Day.
- Sept. 19: Responsible Dog Ownership Day. Always the third Saturday in September.
- Sept. 19: Puppy Mill Awareness Day
- Sept. 21: National Cat and Dog Gut Health Awareness Day.
- Sept. 22: National Walk ‘n’ Roll Dog Day. Honoring dogs in wheelchairs and with mobility challenges.
- Sept. 23: Dogs in Politics Day. (also known as Checkers Day). Recognizing the dogs of politicians.
- Sept. 23: Adopted Dog Day.
- Sept. 24: Remember Me Thursday ®
- Sept. 26: World’s Largest Pet Walk.
- Sept. 28: World Rabies Day
- Sept. 30: Pet Tricks Day. (UK)
- Sept. 30: National Puppy Mill Survivor Day
I gave Mom a fright this week, Oy Vey
Hi friends, what a week. It has been hectic here and Mom needed to pull away from all social media including the blog as Mom got a fright last week and could not relax. Poor Mom, she is getting old and does not need frights.
What happened was while she was brushing me, she found a lump on my belly, it is small and hard and Mom panicked. So, she made a vet appointment the following day and till the appointment she was stressed.
On Wednesday we went to the vet, a new vet at the clinic I go to and she was kind and nice. She immediately checked the lump, took a sample of it and tested the sample in their laboratory. It took about two hours, but it was worth the wait.
Sitting on the bus which is fun, Nili
What she found and explained all to me in easy English is that because I was rescued at the age of about 3, not spayed I most probably had had two heat cycles. So what happened is I have a lump on my Mammary Gland, “FNA 1cm SQ nodule ventral abd: Fatty material in the background with clusters and cells that have clear vacuoles/foamy cytoplasm. Occ macrophage or mesenchymal cell. No mitotic figures seen. Likely mammary adenoma/adenocarcinoma” Mom says if they did not take me for surgery we can take each day as it comes.
She has told Mom to monitor it and go with the flow, which we are doing. It is not bothering me, I am eating (must lose 3 lbs) playing, running and of course barking then obviously I am not in pain, and it is not bothering me. Otherwise, I am healthy phew.
So that has been our week, but I must not forget that I did go on an adventure last Friday. My Godmother picked us up and we went with a picnic to sit on the bay and try relaxing a bit, it was a lot of fun and I ran around like crazy and of course chased the birds. I cannot wait to do it again and it was exactly what Mom and I needed to calm down a bit.
If I sit nicely at the table maybe I will get something, Nili
I had to climb on the table to see the Bay, Nili
So that has been our week, busy as always, lots of park and play time,
Have a wonderful week
Nili and Mom
Clear the Shelters Month
TGIF!!! It is Friday and the weekend has arrived. Mischief Maker has kept me on toes this week with her energy and I need to put my feet up and relax, LOL, wishful thinking.
This month is clear the shelters month, which is so important as they are over flowing and the more shelter dogs or cats that get adopted the less in the shelters and then less pets will be euthanized which breaks my heart, as innocent animals are being killed to make room for more and none have any say in it and that is why we need to speak out for the voiceless so their voices can be heard.
Layla in the shelter – Empty the shelters please
Nili in the shelter – Empty the Shelters please
Now that I have spoken out for the voiceless which is Layla’s legacy, I am going to share Nilis’ week.
Meet Boy Boy Nilis’ boyfriend who she meets every morning in the park
Nili the bullet running into the park as she might miss a treat from someone LOL
Nili and Caro meet up every afternoon to play.
Nili has gone from a shelter dog to a happy bratty princess and I am so blessed.
With a woof and love
From Nili
August 2026 Pet Holidays and Observances
Happy August Friends with love from Nili
Happy August Friends, summer is here and that means its hot, please keep us cool and hydrated.
Month
- Clear the Shelters.
- Itchy Pet Awareness Month.
- National Dog Month.
- Rawgust.
- World Mutt-i-grees Rescue Month.
Week
- Aug. 2-8: International Assistance dog Week.
- Aug. 2-8: Give a Dog a Bone Week
Day
- Aug. 1: DOGust Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs.
- Aug. 4: Assistance Dog Day.
- Aug. 8: International Cat Day.
- Aug. 8: National Cat Day in Canada.
- Aug. 8: National Odie Day
- Aug. 10: Snoopy’s Birthday
- Aug. 10: National Spoil Your Dog Day
- Aug. 15: National Check the Chip Day.
- Aug. 15: International Homeless Animals Day
- Aug. 16: Saint Roch’s Day
- Aug. 17: National Black Cat Appreciation Day
- Aug. 17: National Nonprofit Day.
- Aug. 22: National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day
- Aug. 23: International Bilnd Dog Day
- Aug. 26: National Dog Day.
- Aug. 28: Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.
- Aug. 30: National Holistic Pet Day
Have a safe and wonderful month with hugs and woofs from Nili