The Howlidays have arrived

TGIF !!!!


The Howlidays have arrived and I have been watching everyone scurrying around shopping for gifts for everypawdy. We hope that when shopping you will also get something for Rescue Organizations or Domestic Violence Shelters as there are so many in need of money or donations of food, bedding and of course toys for the kids in the Shelters, both pets and human.
So we are asking everyone that want to help call a Shelter, both Animal or Domestic Violence and ask them if you can give something, it is a time of giving and that would be such a Mitzvah. (Yiddish for good deed).

Last week we went to a Hanukkah party held by one of the Domestic Violence Organizations, they do it every year at someones house where we all meet up, eat lots of latkes, light the Hanukkiah and forgot our problems for a couple of hours. It was a wonderful event as always, Layla was included and loved by all, and I want to thank Shalom Bayit for the wonderful event and especially including both of us.

The Candles giving light to the past dark days

So of course if we discussing Hanukkah and I must not forget the recipe for the doggy latkes and human latkes for those that want to make them at home.


Doggy Latkes      Ingredients and Method
One sweet potato grated 
One egg
Flour to bind it all together 
Mix all in a bowl, spoon on to a baking sheet which is covered with parchment paper, bake on 350 Deg till brown on top, flip over and carry on baking till ready (golden brown) Cool and serve it to them with sour cream or cottage cheese.
This recipe makes about 5 or 6 depending on the size of the sweet potato. 

Human Latkes recipe  Ingredients and Method
5 Russet Potatoes peeled (you can do unpeeled also)
2 Eggs 
Breadcrumbs or Matza meal to bind it all together 
NOW to make life easier and tastier instead of crying while grating onions I use a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix.
Squeeze all the water out of the potatoes, add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.
Heat up oil in a frying pan, I use Canola oil, drop a table spoon of the mixture into the hot oil, flattening them a bit, fry till golden brown on each side, drain on a paper towel. Serve hot with either sour cream or apple sauce. Bon Appetit. 

Layla eating her latkes

Tomorrow Gidget arrives, she is a cutie and will be staying with us for about 2 weeks while her Mom goes away for the holidays. It is going to be fun having two dogs in the house and she is one bundle of energy so she is going to keep Layla on her toes LOL. It is going to be quite amusing. 


This weekend rain is expected again oy vey so we are going to be indoors a lot of the time unless there will be a lull in the rain, but we will be doing long walks wherever possible and I am really proud to say Layla is starting to tolerate the rain which is making life so much easier.


I have nothing scheduled otherwise but quality family time with the both dogs, lots of treats and pampering and guess what, am going to try pamper myself also, what a concept, but weather permitting I might take dogs for a walk in the evening around our neighborhood to see the houses with the Christmas lights.

On this note we would love to wish everyone Happy Howlidays, have a wonderful time with your families, both two and four legged, make memories with photographs and please do not over eat.


We also want to remind everyone what is not safe for your pets so you do not have to run to the vet, this is for both Hanukkah and Christmas.

Hanukkah and Christmas pet safety tips

With lots of love and licks Layla 

The Holidays are nearly here

Woof !!!!!!!!!!!


Mom and I have been busy as always and with the holidays creeping up on us it seems as everyone is having Christmas events for us pampered dogs.
So Mom sat with her schedule and all the dates BOL to see what she could do and fit in although there are some on the same day, plus of course Mom wants to do something for herself too, which I am not sure I agree with.


On Friday I was spoiled as Uncle Matthew came to see Mom and brought my Christmas Bag from the Shanti/PAWS project which had yumm treats, and two new toys, one I really love which is a unicorn.

Happy with her Unicorn

On Saturday there were quite a few events including the Santacon but because the weather was so bad, sheets of rain, we decided to cuddle inside instead. When the rain stopped for a little bit Mom took me to our favorite pet store and stocked me up on my favorite chews, Turkey tendons so I have a stash in the house.

Shhhh don’t tell Mom I hide them so she will get me more


On Sunday the sun appeared, so we went for a long walk to the Castro District where they were having the annual Skivvies Santa Run. This is a fun event, a fundraiser for the AIDS foundation in San Francisco. What happens is everyone congregates in skivvies at one point, and then they do a run finishing at the same place where they started. There was band playing Christmas songs and jazzy music, Santa Claus and lots and lots of skivvies with Santa Hats. I even met some dogs there joining in the fun. We took a slow walk home from there through the dog park which was great as I had a good run without my leash.

Some of the many photos 


The rest of the week has been normal BOL as Mom has been doing things and I have been hibernating from the rain, but Mom is really proud of me as I have actually been walking in the rain if I need to go out. It has taken Mom nearly 8 years I think to get me to do it, better late than never. The best part is when I get home Mom doubles my treats so it is worth it.


OH!!! Before I forget one lousy thing happened this week, I got a bath. Can you believe it is raining but Mom still insists I get a bath. How dare she ! I made sure she would suffer when we got home and what I did was rolled all wet all over her bed so she had to change all the bedding. Ha I love that kind of payback.

Thank you Ally for the photo 


This coming Sunday, I am going on an adventure, as must not forget that Hanukkah is around the corner so am going to a Hanukkah party with Mom. There are going to be lots of people and children so it is going to be lots of fun. Mom says she will pack my dinner in her bag plus treats so I will not starve BOL.

I will be posting next week our Hanukkah doggy latke recipe for everyone so you can all get your humans to make you something new.


Now am going to relax, just ate lunch as I was not in the mood for breakfast, have walked Mom good today so she is tired, 


Have a wonderful warm weekend everypawdy

With love and licks From Layla

December has arrived

Layla in the mornings

Hello friends from cold rainy San Francisco. I am not happy as my paws keep getting wet and that is not fair. I cannot  believe Mom walks in the rain with no problem whereas I have to suffer. And NO I do not like raincoats BOL.

Last week I had a friend staying with me which was exciting. Max is an old man, 14 years old, blind and deaf. He stayed with us for 10 days and the only complaint I have is that he did not let me sleep the way I like to and could not sleep late in the mornings as he got up at about 5 and would wander around. I told Mom she should have given him some of my CBD but she said no as without his parents permission she cannot do that.


I did feel sorry for Mom though as she would walk us separately as I love long long walks and he only likes short ones. So BOL Mom was doing like 8 walks a day and shhhhhh don’t tell her but it is good for her diet.


Thank you Hindy for all your information you shared with us to help Max be comfortable and for those that do not know Hindy, she is an awesome lady that writes a blog called https://caringforaseniordog.com/

With December here, it means both Christmas and Hanukkah which means lots of goodies for me,  a Christmas present and then 8 days of Hanukkah which means something new each day. 


Plus Mom loves December as there are lots of fun events going on all around us so each week we will share with you the happenings in San Francisco.  Never a dull moment in the city. 


Over Christmas my neighbor Gidget is coming to stay with us, she is a young dog so I hope she does not bug me but Mom is excited so I suppose I should be also. I will make sure my favorite toys are hidden so that she cannot destroy them and as Mom says maybe she will get me to play a bit, all I can woof is HA.


So that is what is happening in the Layla neighborhood, cold and rainy but lots of things to do over the weekend so we will be busy with fun times.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone,

With a woof and love from Layla



Thank you everyone



Dear Friends,


Friday has arrived plus it is a week before Thanksgiving and as Mom explained to me it is a time to thank people for many things, so my blog today is a letter thanking you all for everything.


01. My followers, thank you for sharing and reading my blog, listening to me complain, chat, laugh and hopefully keep you amused also with all my antics and adventures. 


02. Tropiclean – for helping Mom punish me when bathing me with your fruity smelling shampoos, your dental products which keep my teeth white and breath smelling good, the ear wash which keeps my ears clean,  I have to admit that although punishment I am a happy Tropiclean girl.

https://tropiclean.com/

03.  Raw Paws Pet Food – your treats are the best, the supplements give me lots of energy and keep me healthy, Mom says she is so happy giving them to me knowing that they are good for me.
The best of all is that your treats and other products are healthy for cats and dogs.  So cat owners please check them out.
We are reminding everyone that you have a 15% discount when shopping there with the coupon Layla15.

https://www.rawpawspetfood.com/Default.asp?sscid=51k3_szat

04. Restorative Botanicals – Mom says thanks for the delicious coffee laced with Hemp which keeps her calm but a special thanks for the amazing Hemp Oil which keeps me relaxed, the Balm that helps me with my itchiness which without these two products I would be driving Mom more nuts than she is.

https://www.restorativebotanicals.com/?rfsn=2263342.782237

05. A very special thanks to PAWS who give me a free bathing every month, help me in so many ways, you are one of the greatest organizations and without you I am not sure what Mom would do. http://www.shanti.org/programs-services/pets-are-wonderful-support/

06. A very very special thanks to Shalom Bayit for helping Mom get away from her toxic relationship and save my sister RIP Baby.  https://www.shalom-bayit.org/

07. A very special thank you to all those that rescue or foster the homeless pets, speak up for them and help wherever possible, you are all heroes and without you our lives would be hell. 

Last but not least, I want to woof thank you to Ali, Matthew, Alice, Robyn, Joanna, Amanda, Barbara, plus others who keep Mom sane, relaxed and that helps a lot as because of you she is not going crazy although she is a crazy dog mom.

And to Mom, you are a crazy worrying Jewish Mom who cooks my food, but I am so blessed to have been rescued by you, through thick and thin we have stuck together and you have made me who I am today, a happy healthy girl.


May everyone have a safe, happy Thanksgiving with your families, four or two legged and please do not forget that some foods are bad for us although I am sure they are yummy.


With love and licks Layla 



November has arrived

TGIF !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


November has arrived and with it the fog and cool weather, not sure about others but I am loving it and know Layla is happier also.


As usual we are busy running around like lunatics or should I say I do the running and she sits in the backpack, what a life LOL.


Last weekend was hectic. We were going to go out with friends on Saturday but last minute it was cancelled so off we went, Madam sitting happy in the backpack while I went grocery shopping, I have come to the conclusion it is not easy carrying a 15lb dog on your back while trying to carry another couple of pounds of groceries in a bag LOL, so what I did was when we got off the bus, I took her out of the backpack and put the groceries in and made her walk home.  She was very happy and so was I. By then I was dragging myself from exhaustion.


In the afternoon we just relaxed, napped and then went and spent sometime in the park. It in the end was a great Saturday.


Sunday morning I worked, was supposed to volunteer but it did not happen so I took Madam to one of my favorite events Dog Day Afternoon which the Pawtrero Pet store holds every year. They close down a street and turn it into this fun event with lots of booths with samples, rescue organizations plus so much more.


There were so many Booths there with really interesting products, some I know and some I did not know existed, SF dog bakery, etc so it was great to see what is happening in the Pet Industry. Layla of course ate herself through the entire event LOL while sitting in her backpack and I took photos and chatted with everyone.

If you click on this link you can see Madam tasting a treat and enjoying it big time from a San Francisco Dog Bakery

https://www.facebook.com/layla.epstein.50/videos/145313370161781/


Layla and I want to woof to Ray for once again organizing such an amazing event and the weather was perfect. I hope all the rescues found homes which always makes these events special.


By the time we got home I was tired, Layla was full of energy of course but I decided I needed a nap and that is what we did. I did make sure before going home that she would have a great run through the park.


With day light savings happening our park time has shortened so am now trying to get her there whenever possible. I hate the day light savings and Layla is not happy walking in the dark.


With November here, and the cooler foggy weather our lives are going to slow down quite a bit, time for hibernating as Madam does not like the rain and have not told her that it is arriving soon shhhhhhh. I also think all the dog events are now over for the year which I am sad about as I do enjoy them.


So on this Fall note we are wishing you all a great weekend,

With a Woof and love from Layla 

Wow October is over

TGIF !!!!!!!!!! 

We cannot believe that 2019 is nearly over, this year has gone too fast.  Who feels the same way ?


I am typing this while looking out the window at all the kids and dogs dressed up for Halloween and some of the parents too, I can see everyone is having lots of fun and of course you have the drunks among them LOL. Layla is fast asleep and keeping her indoors this evening, rather be safe than sorry.

I am sharing a memory of Baby RIP at the only Halloween Party she went to as the costume was priceless.

I still think one of the best costumes in the world BOL


While talking about Halloween I entered her into this contest and if anyone wants to help her win which would be awesome you can click on the link below and it can be done daily. I plan to donate the Bark Boxes to one of the non profits for their Pet Pantry.

http://wshe.es/lO8z1fAh

Last weekend Layla of course went to the Shih Tzu meet up to play with all her fluffy friends, it was fun to hang out with lots of little fluffs and of course be at a different park.


On Sunday we just relaxed and took it easy hanging out at our park with Danielle, a good friend of mine that owns and runs a Sanctuary in the mountains near Yosemite, chatting and catching up. She does amazing work rescuing all the poor senior, disabled, sick pets that are dumped in shelters so that they can live the rest of their lives in comfort in a home. Layla adores her and was in her element to spend time with her. 

On Wednesday some friends of mine took me and Layla on an outing to a beautiful place that I did not know existed and WOW it was amazing. The weather was coolish although warmed up around lunch time.
We walked along this stunning trail with the sea at the end of it, it is called Mori Point near Pacifica about 30 minute drive from San Francisco. Layla was amazing and walked most of it but I carried her in the back pack on the way back to the car as she was hot and tired. That is when I say phew thank goodness I have the cooling vest, backpack and so much more as it makes life so easy to take her.I would have loved to have gone down to the beach but will do it next time I go as I will be more prepared with a towel.


A collage of some of the beauty

I wish I could put all the pics up
I love flowers
the Madam in the car going there, walking and the backpacking

My favorite picture

Layla is exhausted from yesterday and basically been sleeping and eating and quick walks to do her business today LOL, poor baby.


So as you can see we are always on the move although Layla has it easier as when running errands etc I leave her at home. 
As you can see life is never boring in the Layla neighborhood and we have a busy weekend ahead of us, another fun outing with friends on Saturday and Sunday we will be going to one of my favorite pet events. 
We hope you all had a great Halloween and did not OD on candies LOL or our pampered pets on treats.

And before we forget today, 01 November is National Cook for Your Pets Day, I never knew there would be such a holiday to honor us who do cook for our pets. Here is photo of Layla’s food and just finished putting 4 containers into the freezer.

My Pampered Princess eats well 


What are your plans this weekend ? We hope you have a wonderful one and of course cannot wait to see the photos,


Woof with love from Layla 


Halloween has arrived

Good Morning all my friends,

The week is over and it has been as busy as always.

I do not normally share what I am doing but the last two weeks I have been running around going to interviews as I am planning to stop teaching and do something that I have wanted to do for a long time. I am looking into becoming an advocate for those that need help and in the spring hopefully will be doing a course in Domestic Violence Advocacy so it has been crazy here and Layla has been stuck at home more than normal.

So over the weekend we spent quality time together in the park as the weather was perfect and we are trying to take advantage of it before the winter arrives. I made no plans so that it would be just her and me and it was awesome as I am feeling guilty LOL.

When October arrives Halloween parties at pet stores pop up everywhere but this year I chose to do one only.

There is a great pet store here in the city, Pawtrero that every month has a Yappy hour on the third Wednesday of the month in their dog park and yesterday was Halloween themed so I packed Layla in her back pack, took her on the tram which she loves, and off we went. It was a really great event and Ray, the owner is just amazing always organizing fun events, gives back to the community and helps the rescues. They will be having another great event next month which I love to go to every year and really looking forward to it.  Thanks Ray as always for the fun and wonderful photo you took of Layla, plus Layla woofs thanks Uncle for the goody bag I came home with.

Yesterday was really hot so I kept Layla inside although in the late evening we went to the park and just sat chatting with friends which is a great way to end the week.

This weekend is busy, Layla has her Shih Tzu meet up which will be fun and after we going to meet a good friend of mine who owns and runs this amazing sanctuary  near Yosemite.

DREAMS, a final resting place for Disabled R Senior Animals. A home sanctuary in the hills of the central valley of Cali, for senior animals in need

https://www.facebook.com/pg/dreamsanctuary/about/?ref=page_internal

On Sunday I have not yet made plans LOL.

What are your plan for Halloween? Any dog Halloween parties? We would love to hear from you.

So now Madam is going to bed, dreaming of treats LOL,

Have a wonderful weekend and HAPPY HALLOWEEN Woof

With love and woofs

From Layla

The weekend has arrived

TGIF !!!!!!!


It has been a long week and phew thank goodness the weekend has arrived. I just hope there will be no more tremors and I can relax a bit. Yes I did check my earthquake kit again LOL.


Last Saturday we went to Bark in the park K9 Heroes event in our park which of course Madam sat in her backpack and I did the carrying. She was not happy with all the noise especially the jets flying over head so on Sunday we just lay low and relaxed in the house which she was happy with. I had the Jazz going to keep it as calm as possible plus to block out the jets. So I spoiled her with lots of treats.

Talking about treats we got some new goodies to try out. They come from one of our favorite local stores – Jeffrey’s Natural Pet Food Store. What she got was some frozen raw chicken necks and I must say she is going to town on them. Loves them and sits on the bed moaning to get more although I am only giving her one a day.

Madam will not  sit still for anything when she gets one so sorry
 about this pic


Jeffrey’s is a local raw pet food store, they prepare their food daily in San Francisco sourcing local ingredients, quality ingredients: fresh, raw, quality meats, free from hormones and antibiotics, fresh organic vegetables, and their own vitamin mineral mix. They make food for both dogs and cats.

You can read all about them on their website https://www.jeffreyspets.com/

I also had to compensate Layla big time as she got punished LOL with a bath this week, lying in the park with all the leaves falling had made her dusty and itchy, so it was needed and she was happy to come home and chew on another neck.




As you all know October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month we are sharing important info all the time to remind everyone to be safe, both humans and animals.


So that has been our week, Madam as usual being spoiled and me working hard to keep her happy, what a perfect balance.


Have a wonderful weekend all,With a woof and love from Layla

October is a busy month

TGIF !!!!! 


As you know October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month where we pray for all the victims, both humans and animals that they will be able to get away from the abuse safely.


So before I start with what has been happening in the Layla Neighborhood I want to remind everyone what to do if your pet is threatened. It is so important to remember this as this way you will know you have proof that your abuser abused your pets too which will make it easier for you to get them away.

October is a month where I think and miss Baby a lot as she was part of that dark chapter of my life but another reason I miss her is because October is filled with so many Halloween events which I was never able to do with her so I try to do as many as possible with Layla, and I often question myself am I doing it for her or out of guilt not being able to do it all with Baby.


Last weekend we went to a great Halloween Event held by one of the Paw Barkeries in San Francisco. It was so much fun with so many dogs and costumes I could not keep up with them all. Of course there were loads of treats so Layla had a party munching away all the time LOL.

I am putting up some of the photos here of some of the costumes.

There were also different vendors and an introduction to insects from a non profit that is trying to save all insects.

As I always do I used a backpack for Layla to keep her safe with everyone pushing and walking around. This is a new backpack that I received from the company called Mr. Peanut’s Pet Products. It was so comfy to carry Layla in, she was so happy and one thing I really loved about it was that when I sat down to have coffee I could lie it on its side and she could lie down and have a nap. 

The backpack is PETA certified, made of vegan leatherette and faux fleece bedding pads. It is a great backpack, light weight, weighing only 2.4 lbs, waterproof which is great for when it rains, has really great ventilation with breathable mesh on 3 sides, removable fleece travel bed and compartments for treats, poop bags or medications. It comes with a 2 in 1 feeder travel set, 12 oz duel sided collapsible bowl and an amazing 20 oz Water Bottle. It is also airline approved which for those that fly with their pets it is just perfect.


They also have a program that pays forward so when you shop from them you are supporting a shelter also, and businesses that do that for me are a winner.

For more information about their products which are socially aware, ecologically produced and safe for your pets you can visit their website : https://www.mrpeanutspremiumproducts.com/

And before I forget to all our cat friends their products are for cats too.


While I am typing all this there are jets flying over head practicing for Fleet Weekend, I personally think a waste of money which could be used for so many non profit organizations that are struggling. It also reminds me of the October 1973 war when I was sitting in school with jets flying over head protecting Israel. 


So as you can see October is full of memories for me, but am at this same time trying to make great new fun memories which will not wipe out the bad but helps make the month look good instead.


Have a wonderful weekend everyone,With a love and woof from Layla


Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Happy Friday Everyone,


October has begun and this month is a very important month for me as we will be talking about Domestic Violence and how it affects both Humans and Pets. This is also the reason I am such a strong advocate against abuse for both Humans and Animals.

To start off the month I decided to once again share my story, as I am a survivor, a proud survivor that got away and now has a voice to speak up.

I met Baby, a tan Chiweenie, while I was visiting the SPCA in Southern California. She had just been surrendered by her family. It was love at first sight. Her loving eyes and beautiful face just made me want to hold her and keep her. They kept her for 48 hours to spay her and check her out, and then I fetched her.

Baby changed my life from the moment she came to live with my now ex-husband and me.At home, I was a victim of domestic violence on a daily basis. With Baby around, I finally had an excuse to get out of the house, by telling my ex I was taking her for a walk.I went for long walks with her, which helped me get away from the stress I was submerged in day after day.My life was hard. My ex controlled the money, the computer, the phone, everything. He didn’t give me access to bank accounts, I was not allowed to answer the telephone, I could not check e-mails, not even the mail box.I was isolated from the outside world, including my friends and family. When I was allowed to talk to them, he sat right next to me, so I could not say much. He timed me when I went to the supermarket or went shopping. If I was a bit longer than expected, I got yelled at. His constant emotional abuse was to me harder than any physical abuse, since body wounds heal quicker than emotions. I was walking on eggshells all the time.

No matter what I did, to him it always looked wrong. Baby kept me going with her loving personality, her wanting cuddles, her unconditional love. And the moment we had a chance, I packed up with her and ran. We found shelter with a friend, who hid us until we could get our lives organized.We were penniless, but I knew in my heart that all would fall slowly into place once we were safe and by ourselves.

Upon arrival in San Francisco, Baby was fostered by some wonderful women from the Domestic Violence Organization Shalom Bayit (Their link is on my links page) and when possible she became the first dog accepted into a domestic violence shelter. (In another post I will discuss the pros and cons of having a pet in a Shelter)
I finally found our own little place we called home and were living a peaceful happy life with lots of laughter, fun and so much more.

10/5/10 Baby, my little trooper, my angel, my everything, grew her wings and crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She had contracted IMHA and within 48 hours passed. It was one of the hardest days of my life, one I will never forget as she had kept me going during my darkest hours.

My friend said something to me which sticks in my mind “Baby came into your life at a time you both needed each other, and left when she knew you were safe so that you could rescue another”


In January 2011 Layla arrived, and the rest is history.


If you are in a Domestic Violence Situation you can go to the National Domestic Violence Hotline :
Tel : 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or their website :

https://www.thehotline.org/

If you are in the situation we were in, know that where there is a will there is a way. Against all odds, Baby and I did it. You can do it, too and today compared to when I did it there is so much more assistance out there for you.


So we are asking everyone this month to share our story as it is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and by sharing maybe we can help others.


Please be safe, Baby and Layla’s Mom