Pets in Shelters

TGIF!! Friday and the weekend has arrived, phew.

 

We discussed October being Domestic Violence Awareness month in my last week blog and  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.

Listening to Mom tell her story as I am a doggy shelter survivor, Nili

I was fortunate to be able to take Baby into the shelter with me towards the end of my stay, 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

  1. Allergies from pets
  2. 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.
  3. Shelters have curfews so if your pet needs to go potty at night you cannot take him/her out.
  4. 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

 

 

 

 

 

Remember Me Thursday

Hello to all my friends,

Saturday 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, 25th 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.

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:

  1. Attend a Remember Me Thursday event near you. – You can find the events near you on Google or on the website above.
  1. Hold a pet food plus other pet related items fundraiser for your local shelter.
  1. Check to see if one of your shelters in your area are having an adoption event.
  1. Speak out, encourage friends and family to adopt and open their homes to an orphan pet.
  1. There are so many ways we can all help, so let’s take one step forward today to do it.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our friends a Happy, Sweet, Healthy New Year as our New Year 5786 started on the 22nd of September and our prayers are that the New Year will bring homes to all the orphaned pets.

With love and woofs from Nili

 

 

 

A day in the life of a rescued dog

TGIF! Weekend has arrived and that means time to kick back, relax and forget all the errands and tasks for two days but spend quality time with Nili.  I need to start doing this the way I did with Layla as it is only fair to her. Yup am having a guilty conscience at this moment LOL. So I decided to share with you what a day with Nili is from early morning till we fall asleep at night and how she keeps me on my toes, plus her training that she is getting, which is helping a lot, thank you Dani.

Nili my growling alarm clock, wakes me up at about 5 every morning and does not keep quiet till I am awake and searching for clothes plus to get her out. This for her is the best time of the day as I am sleepy and she is a bundle of energy but off we go. I normally walk her for about 3 blocks for her to potty, sniff and of course burn off energy. Once done and I by then am desperate for coffee, we come home. I normally let her run into the building to burn off more energy, but she will make a bee line for the front door, sitting with a wagging tail waiting for me.

I then take her harness off and feed her breakfast which is air dried kibbles, carrots, blueberries, apples and some coconut oil. She gobbles her breakfast down and then starts squeaking toys or takes a nap. While I drink my coffee finally LOL, she will sit at my feet growling and barking for attention and of course treats but have cut back with them because of her diet.

Breakfast time

 

While I work during the morning she will let me know if she needs to go out which of course we do and then once she is settled, I get back to whatever I am doing. I normally give her YOMP toy or Kong with veggies in plus a bit of salmon which keeps her busy for about a half hour. Then it is nap time for her. If we have been out longer than planned and it is hot I will give her some chopped up watermelon, carrots, blueberries and apples instead.

Yomp time yummmm

In the late afternoons around 4 or so I take her to the park to run and play while I sit back and watch her with my  coffee. She loves that time especially if all the treat people are out although most know she cannot have treats because of her diet.  I am battling to keep her on her diet plus now buying everything for her to munch on that is not more than one calorie which is not easy. If it’s a biscuit she gets a quarter. She is not starving but I do not want her to be obese and the 2 lbs she needs to lose. When we get home from the park in the evenings she gets her dinner, which is the same as breakfast and then the kitchen is closed for her.

Nili and Monkey, I just love this photo

Our last walk at night is around 9 pm when we walk about 4 blocks, she has time to potty, smell and check the p-mails. The other night while walking we came across a racoon which was as big as her, she barked like crazy while he looked at her as if to say what do you want. She thought she was so smart walking home tail wagging it was quite funny.

 

I then brush her out, make sure there are no matts, clean her teeth and she gets half a greenie and it is bedtime. Nili sleeps in different places each night but am relieved she settles down and goes to sleep.

 

So that is what our days are like, of course we do different things on weekends, but she gets lots of exercise, playtime in the park, and most of all she is not starving and goes to bed with a full tummy.

 

Rescuing a stray, is not easy in some ways, but I would not change it for anything, she keeps me on my toes and for a senior that is enough LOL.

 

Have a wonderful weekend, be safe

With a woof and hugs from Nili

I had a sleepover

Woof hello friends,

It is Friday and I had such a fun week although Mom is exhausted BOL. My angel sister Layla never met Cash who came to spend a couple of days with me while his Dad went away. It was so much fun having a playmate in the house with me.

Everyone meet Cash

Cash is a funny little boy, a big personality, playful and full of energy like Nili. From morning till night, in between walks they were bouncing on the bed wrestling, catching balls and very busy. It kept them very busy and by night they were both exhausted. The cutest of all is that they did not fight over food or treats but when they finished their meals they would go to each other’s bowl to check to see if there were any crumbs and of course chunky monkey licked Cash’s bowl extra clean. Another thing that amused me is they lay side by side looking out of the window and if one started barking the other would join in, noisy but they were happy and that was all that counts.

Waiting to lick his bowl clean, Nili

Below is a video of them playing.

So that has been our week, and the weather has warmed up so yesterday I took Nili to the park to sunbathe for a bit and of course beg for treats, although no one was there to give her HA.

Exhausted after playing

 

Have a wonderful weekend all, stay and and make lots of memories

With a woof and love from Nili

 

Vet Experience

TGIF!  Weekend has arrived and they are expecting a heat wave here in San Francisco so we are going to be indoors quite a bit as to not overheat. We have had a cold summer with drizzles and suddenly it has decided to warm up and Mom is happy but I am not, too hot for me grrrr. Thank goodness I have my cooling vest which helps a lot.

As you all know two weeks ago Nili was sick and we went to the vet clinic that Mom has been going to for over 15 years. She always loved them but this time she got fed up. I am going to break down the story here which upsets me as it was one of the best clinics to go to but since it has become private, owned by the vets that work there, has all the modern day equipment,  open 24/7 so much has gone wrong also and we have decided to move to another place, smaller but friendlier.

These are the reasons / red flag that made me do it :

 

  1. When Nili was sick, I made an appointment with our regular vet who knows Mom but was not there so we saw a new vet. A young guy, and during the exam he had another vet there too so we are wondering if he was a student or not, I have no issues with that but feel vets should listen to the dog Mom not force things on her. While checking her he said she needed fluid shots, nausea shots plus dog diet food to help her lose weight. I was astonished that he was deciding all this without discussing with me. Nili had just finished a cup of water so she was not dehydrated, she had been eating so I knew she was not nauseas. Telling me to buy diet food is not an option as I do not believe in them plus in a nutshell he was telling me to have her get a flu shot. I was in shock over it all but kept quiet as I did not want stress at the clinic for the sake of Nili. He also mentioned probiotic dog food which although I hate kibbles decided to give her instead of medications plus so much more. He wanted me to buy the cans but I put my foot down and got the kibble which I must admit helped her. In a nutshell I came home with no answers to my questions but being sold as such things I did not need.
  2. The final straw with this clinic was on Monday I called them to make an appointment for her Leptospirosis vaccine, I told them on the phone that I wanted a vet tech to do it as it is a lot cheaper and they told me they would call with time and date. By 6 that evening I had not heard from them so I called them back, the customer service told me the following : There is no vet tech appointments, He then had the audacity to tell me that for an extra $55 I could have it done with a vet and as I have credit there to cover it there would be no problem. That is when I got really angry and told him he has no right to tell me what to do with my credit, so his reply was well he would give me other places to go. I told him about an article I had read about vets thinking more of money than pets and felt that is what is happening at his clinic, he was not happy that I said that, I also told him I blogged and would talk about it here today, and then put the phone down.
  3. On Wednesday they called me again, LOL, telling me that they had place for a vet tech at the price they had quoted me $98 but I told them thanks as I had made an appointment at another clinic. I know the reason she called me was the other clinic had called them for all Nili’s files so that they would have everything before I went today.

This morning, Nili and I went to get her shot, what a difference, what a great family vet clinic, everyone was smiling, welcoming and the vet was fantastic. Did not push anything on me,  discussed chunky monkey’s weight, what to do and in a nutshell I have found the place to go now. Actually, all my friends rave about this clinic and they are so right. I always say a first impression says it all.

Waiting for the bus to go to the ver, Nili

Mom can we go home please, it is nice and cool here but I do not like vets, Nili

One of the many reasons I am sharing this with everyone is I want pet parents to know there are always other options, and it is sad that some clinics are so money motivated, causing many pet parents to avoid them plus dumping their pets as they cannot afford the vet expenses. I am not wealthy, on a fixed income, am blessed to have certain coverage for Nili but I still must watch what I am spending as to not go over my annual budget for vets where possible and if a clinic is checking my finances as such I am not interested in working with them. Their loss not mine and Nili and my gain having found a fantastic new one.

As always Nili keeps me amused so am going to share our video of the week, as she is such a clown.

Please be safe and have a wonderful weekend, with lots of  memories,

Love Nili  aka chunky monkey and Mom

 

 

 

A week in the life of Nili

Good Morning,

August is National Dog Month plus the 1st of August is Dogust, so we decided to share in photos a week with Nili so you can see how busy she is LOL.

 

This is how I watch Mom eat hoping will get a crumb, Nili

Playing with Monkey in the park

Squeaking my toy which is fun Nili

Sleeping like a baby at the end of the day

And last but not least my favorite video of the week BOL

Have a safe wonderful week with lots of fun,

Hugs and Woofs from Nili

 

 

One Year today

TGIF!! We are celebrating today Nili’s Gotcha Day, it is one year since I rescued her from LA Animal Care and Control. How time has gone so quickly and I am sure Layla is smiling over the Rainbow Bridge or giggling as she watches Nili get up to mischief.

I remember the day I saw her online on Facebook, her name there was Gladys and all I could picture was me standing in a dog park calling Gladys, I am sure half the park would have laughed at me but as per my tradition I gave her a Hebrew Name : Nili – which means forever Israel. I love the name because it is short and easy to pronounce.

The face I saw in the cage and knew she was mine

 

I have been reading Nili’s intake papers from Animal Control as I was curious to know more about her and this is what I found, her intake was on 6 July 2024, and she was a stray/OTC.  What I have learned about OTC for stray pets is that it was brought to the Shelter by a person who found her and I would love to thank that person for saving her from the streets. She was not microchipped so they could not find her family but is microchipped now so she is safe. She was a perfect weight when they took her in, had no wounds but a scab on her head which has since gone.  They also wrote that she was born in 2021 so she is 4 years old today.

I think Nili is a Fireworks runner because of the date of her intake but am not sure, the most important is that she will never be alone on the streets again.

One of my favorite photos of her taken by Jonathan of her looking at Animal Control from the car saying bye bye I am on my way home

Nili went from LA to Palm Springs where she stayed with some friends of mine till we could find a lift to bring her to SF, where she is now a San Francisco dog living the life of a princess.

Guarding the oven waiting for her salmon treats

Since her arrival she has grown so much, her confidence is amazing, she is fearless in many ways playing with big and small dogs in the park, very food motivated which is one of my biggest problems as she eats anything and everything off the streets but is learning slowly not to do it. She got up to mischief the other day in the park, some guy left a pizza in an open backpack on the ground and guess who found it and stole a piece, LOL, she came running to me with it in her mouth and hid under the bench to gobble it up, I laughed but went over to the guy and suggested he close his backpack and put it on the bench so no other dog would get some.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fN1fGTBdl7w?si=Je7MrM-KIbmD2MR2 

She loves howling when sirens go off, she has a partner in crime with this and we just laugh, see the video below.

https://youtube.com/shorts/-0-TboXgbek?si=Vpef9sie99HpQi7v

So, to my darling devil Nili, Mom loves you, I count my blessings daily that you are part of my life and keeping me on my toes all the time with your antics but if you are happy I am happy and life is too short to make a big deal over things.

I love when she sleeps on her back under her blanket, the Diva

Happy Gotcha Day !!!!!!

Lots of love Mom and Angel Layla

 

 

Why pets get lost on 4th of July

I have been reading different articles about many things that relate to 4th of July and the one that stands out is the amount of animals that get lost, shelters are already overflowing and will be full after this weekend.

It is so sad that before the weekend even starts, people are dumping pets at Shelters with a million and one reason why they cannot keep them but the bottom line is it is the 4th of July weekend, and they are going away. These people do not even think of the damage they are doing, some lucky pets will be fortunate to get out of there alive, others won’t. I cannot understand why and how people can do that, they are inconsiderate, not compassionate and should not be allowed to have pets again.  This weekend is one of the hardest for Rescue Organizations as they will be overflowing with wonderful warm fuzzy pets looking for new home because of the selfishness of their past owners.

My memory of Layla after been decorated by someone in the park, I love it

Having a pet is in my eyes having a kid, and many people would not dump their kids at a shelter just because the holiday is more tempting, actually I wonder how they are with their kids? If they act this way. Yes, I will judge them as people that have no respect for other species, and only themselves are people I do not want in my life or surroundings.

So let us pray that those unfortunate pets find new happy homes to live out for the rest of their lives, like Layla and Nili.

I also hate fireworks, they are a waste of money that can be used for so much more, rescue organizations are desperate for money and so are many other charities. I also hate them because of the fear they cause to all pets plus the wild animals outside, why should they be traumatized.

How to keep us safe on 4th of July :

Be prepared in the event that your pet does escape – make sure your pet is wearing a collar with an updated tag, microchip is updated and BEST of all just keep your pet inside in a safe place where it cannot escape. You should also walk your dog earlier before the fireworks start so that they have done their business and you do not have to worry again during the night.

How I keep Layla or Nili safe – I give her Relax Supplement from Real Mushrooms which works wonders and normally asleep by 8 pm.  If she does need to go out again during the night she tells me by moaning in my ear.

You can find the Relaxing Mushrooms on this website :

https://shop.realmushrooms.com/?ref=488

There is a coupon code for a 10% discount : LaylasWoof

We also need to remind everyone is :

 

Be safe everyone, have a wonderful long weekend

Love and woofs

Nili

 

 

A week in the life of Nili

Woof hello my friends,

Friday has arrived. Mom says it is Friday the 13th so she is lying low BOL as she is superstitious and does not want to take chances but has promised me park time phew or I will drive her crazy BOL.

The past week has been cold, windy and really gloomy, the sun poking it face in here and there but not enough for long park time so I told Mom we should share with yu my fun times in the park so you can see how  much fun I have with my friends while our parents freeze and yell at us not to eat the mud, it is so much fun seeing them freeze and yell while we play.

Waiting for my friends to arrive, Nili

Some of the videos where you can see she is fearless when it comes to size of dogs LOL.

https://youtube.com/shorts/bgUoAlKqHbc?si=x2wTUhU6ik7X3lbZ

https://youtube.com/shorts/2_-cNfZufhc?si=ea42nKKNG7XVaOl3

https://youtube.com/shorts/vyj2fp9mQZU?si=UJYSdasJI1r5da16

My diet is going well, and I have lost weight, thanks to the good food from Mom and the exercise I am getting so my summer figure is ready for my bikini BOL and Mom says I am slim and sexy now so all the male dogs will want to play with me.  Thank you to Yumwoof for the good healthy food, which has helped a lot plus the Real Mushrooms mobility chews for keeping my joints in shape. With 4th Of July around the corner it is worth stocking up on their Relaxing Chews also which help me stay cal when I get scared, helped my Angel Sister Layla also, so they are a must have for emergencies in your house. (They are for cats and dogs)

YumWoof  : You have 5% off if you enter the coupon code YUMNILI –   https://yumwoof.com/?ref=nbmzrsze  

Real Mushrooms:  You have a 10% off  if you enter the coupon code LaylasWoof  –  https://shop.realmushrooms.com/?ref=488

Sleeping after dinner and the park

Don’t forget if you use the coupons Mom gets paid a small amount which will help her buy me more treats as that is my pocket money.

Have a safe wonderful weekend, take lots of photos for memories,

With a woof and Love from

Nili

 

 

 

 

 

Busy Weekend

Hi friends,

We hope you having a wonderful weekend. Mom is late with blog today as she was having laptop problems so she was worried she would not be able to share my last weekends fun, and it was so much fun.

We took the bus to the Shi Tzu meet up where I played with lots of fluffies. Mom took me in the back pack which I do not like so in the end took me out of it on the bus and I lay at her feet plus got lots of pets from all the passengers.

On the bus

Meeting some of my fluffy friends

Using the magic word to get my attention, you can see on the video BOL.

https://youtube.com/shorts/H_WlCVc4jLA?si=7c-CYdMmgMgDlRoG

I hate this thing but Mom said it would be safer for our next event, guess who won and got out of it, Nili

Then.. I went to my first DogFest, so much fun and lots too eat.

This is an annual event in our Dog Park, a fundraiser for the Mckinley Elementary school – lots of fun and treats plus so much more

Stopping for a sniff and drink at the Puppy Pub

Jeffreys – the best of the best treats in the city plus their raw food is so good

One of the Rescue Organizations there

I tasted their food and it was so so good and healthy

Mom never knew they existed, what a brilliant idea

Another great rescue in the Bay Area

This is one of Mom’s favorite rescue organizations

I am tired and want to go home, too much chaos for me

There were so many booths, fancy dress competitions, kids games and and and Mom said she could have stayed there longer but I wa tired and wanted to go home so we left. I will add to my link page the links of all the booths, both food/treats plus other information.

I otherwise have been spending time in the dog park and tomorrow am going to the Chihuahua meet up, as it is a sad day for Mom tomorrow as it is one year since Layla crossed over the Rainbow Bridge so we going to the lake where her ashes are to say hello, it is at the same park as the meet up.

Remembering Layla, her last time in the park 3 May 2024 wearing her pink hoodie that said Little Miss Everything, I miss her daily xxxx

So friends this is a weekend of sadness but happiness cos as Mom says she was blessed to have Layla for over 14 years of fun and adventures and now she feels it is time to do the same with me, Nili

 

Have a wonderful week and please be safe

with a woof and love from Nili