Happy Gotcha Day Layla

Dear Layla,

I am writing this letter to you over the Rainbow Bridge as it is your Gotcha Day and I will celebrate it like I do each year but with sadness also as you are not with me only in my heart and I cannot hug and kiss you the way I would love to do.

I miss you barking at me each time I said we were going bye bye, tail wagging so excited and happy.

I am so proud to have been your Mom, and was so blessed to have spent so many years with you, growing old with you and enjoying our adventures and fun together.

I am once again going to share your Gotcha Story here so that others will realize rescuing is so worth it and that is why I speak out for rescues, as like you, they all need a home with a warm bed to sleep on.

I remember when your sister passed away, I waited about 6 weeks and then decided my home was too empty without the pitter patter of paws, so the search was on. I ran around to all the shelters in the city but could not find a little fluffy at the time, which is what I wanted.

So Uncle Michael introduced me to Aunt Cindy by email, told me that he would be in LA for a week so I had a week to search online for a new fur kid and he would bring her home to me.

I sat 24/7 on Petharbor and Petfinder and was nearly giving up when I saw you sitting in a cage in the Carson Shelter. The look on your face said to me take me home. I immediately emailed Aunt Cindy with your information and photo and she went to the Shelter on Saturday to fetch you for me. I remember her calling me from there telling me she had a smelly matted mess kissing her, that sealed the deal.

You arrived on Sunday evening, the 31st of January 2011, I had got the house  ready for you, bought you a new pink bed and was so excited. Yes, you were smelly and dirty but I did not care as for me what was important was you were finally home, safe and sound with a nice warm bed.

Your dumping papers said you had been an outdoor dog; you bit when groomed and in a nutshell everything negative a person can say and OH What A Lie. You were the opposite. I am ashamed to even say what your name was in the shelter.

I waited a couple of days and then met a friend of mine, a vet, Dr. Phil in the dog park, he looked at you, checked you and said I had won, and he was so right.

I was so lucky to celebrate your last Gotcha Day with a big party, pink bacon cake, lots of treats and all your friends, it is a special memory that I think of all the time.

You passed away on 4 May 2024 at the age of 18+ and you are not suffering anymore, missed every day and I have saved and will not let Nili play with your pink poodle which was your first toy you got from me.

Happy Gotcha Day my little angel, I hope you have a wonderful time over the Rainbow Bridge today,

Big hugs, kisses and love from Mommy and Nili xxx