Tag Archives: #shelters

Adopt a Senior Pet Month

Posted on by — 12 Comments ↓

Halloween is over, phew, we had so much fun last weekend I am still recovering LOL so this weekend we are lying low and just going to our regular dog park weather permitting.

November has arrived and it is one of the important months of the year as it is Adopt a Senior Pet Month.

There are so many pets in shelters, they are overflowing and the saddest of all is the amount of seniors that are dumped in a shelter.

Seniors should be able to live their golden years in comfort, in a warm house with love, not in a cold shelter which is so not good for their health. I get so mad when I see the seniors that have been dumped in the shelters, bewildered, not knowing what is going on, being dumped there like garbage because of their age.

A pet is family, should be with us till the end of their life, their love is unconditional, they have so little demands, but love, food and comfort and we should provide that to them till the end not decide that because they are aging they are unworthy of our love, dumped in a shelter and then the human goes and adopts a younger one, and the circle carries on. It makes me sick that people can do that.

So, if you are wanting to adopt a pet, or know someone who is looking to add a pet to their family, speak out for the seniors and help them find loving homes.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Il2zYs9hLrk?feature=share  

Have a safe weekend and lets us pray that all senior shelter pets find homes this month

Love Layla

 

 

 

 

Pets are Family

Posted on by — 17 Comments ↓

TGIF !!!!! It is the end of July wow, weekend has arrived.

There are so many pets sitting in shelters at this moment it is heartbreaking.

I have been watching on social media lately how people who adopted pets at the beginning of the lock down are now returning them to shelters as they go back to work.

My question to these dumpers, are you going to dump your kids or other family members now you going back to the office ? What are you teaching your kids? This is not educating them but the opposite, never mind putting a pet into a miserable cage.

I personally feel that those that dump their pets at shelters should be blacklisted and not able to adopt again, there should be some penalty to pay.

Rescuers run around looking for fosters, looking for homes for these poor pets and as a cage empties it fills up again thanks to the dumpers.

When I rescued Layla, I knew in my heart it was for life, she is aging and so am I but with all the expenses that there is I would never ever give her up, she is my fur kid till the end and nothing will make me change my mind on this.

I will not go into stores that sell pets, I am not interested in breeders and will not support them on social media and puppy mills need to close down.

And for those wanting a pure bred pet you can find one at a pure bred rescue organization on this website.

https://www.petfinder.com/

So as I watch daily these poor animals sitting in cages, my heart breaks as we as humans have let them down and they are paying the price for our selfishness.

Let us pray for all the animals in shelter that they find new homes where they will be cherished and live the rest of their lives, and a big thank you to all rescuers and fosters who are working hard for these animals, you are our heroes.

Have a safe weekend

With love from Layla

Pets in Shelters

Posted on by — 18 Comments ↓

Happy Friday to all our friends, the week is over and the weekend is beginning phew.


As most of you know I am doing at the moment a workshop to become a Domestic Violence Advocate and as this month is Domestic Violence Awareness month 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 survivor to have her pet with her in the shelter so am going to share my story here.


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 being 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 

02. Allergies from pets

03.  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.

04. Shelters have curfews so if your pet needs to go potty at night you cannot take him/her out.

05. Not all shelters can you 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 that is why in so many ways I feel there should be some kind of program for the pets to ease it for everyone and I do know that some shelters are slowly opening their doors to pets.


Would love to hear your input on this.


Last Friday Layla and I with friends went for a picnic in Golden Gate Park. It was a beautiful evening, relaxing, good food and lots of laughs. It was just what we needed and a beautiful start to a weekend.

What I did for Layla’s food was instead of taking her home made food I took with me Freeze Dried Kibbles which she thinks are treats from Raw Paws Pet Food – she loves them. The flavor I had was Beef and then I had with me as a treat their Freeze Dried Minnows which she cannot get enough of.

You can see their awesome products on their website plus you have a coupon for shopping : Layla15 – Happy Shopping

https://www.rawpawspetfood.com/


This weekend our plans are to go to the Shih Tzu Meetup which I am really looking forward to as it is a different park and I love that park as it is so big you can do social distancing.


Have a wonderful weekend everyone, be safe

With a woof and love from Layla

Running from a Domestic Violence Relationship

Posted on by — 16 Comments ↓

TGIF !!!


As you know October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and I am sharing my story today again as it is 10 years since Baby passed away and feel, she being my hero should be remembered.


It is easy to tell victims to run but it is a complicated process and can be very difficult especially if your abuser controls the finances so something I always tell victims is hide somewhere in the house or outdoors if safe, a small bag with your documents and whatever cash you can save. Put in that bag whatever your abuser will not not notice is missing as to not cause anymore friction in the house. 

If you can and a friend or family are aware of the situation talk to them about helping you get away if you do not have a car and try to carefully plan whatever you can ahead which will help making the hard decision a little bit easier.


Please note that there is a shortage of rooms in shelters so try have a back up plan so that you do not land up on the streets and try find someone to take your pets that they will be safe. An abuser will not hesitate to harm your pets if you run and they are our furkids so we need to make sure they are safe.


Baby was my hero, she had kept me alive during the relationship, because of her I was able to go for walks and so much more. She kept me alive and thank goodness I had her in my life. 

When I ran I was fortunate to have a friend who picked me up from the house with my dog and hid me at her place till I could get out of the city. I did not have money as my ex controlled the finances so whatever I had was very limited but I sold jewellery to help me buy a ticket to get out of the city where I was living.


Upon arriving in San Francisco I found that shelters did not allow dogs so a wonderful Domestic Violence Organization stepped in to foster her while I was sorting myself out. Since I ran things are changing and slowly pets are being included and the DV organizations are talking more about pets and assisting those that have them.  


She joined me in the shelter about 2 months after I got there, stayed with me in  transitional housing and then we finally moved to our own home, a place to live happily with no drama, a peaceful happy home. 
About 3 months after we got into our own home, she suddenly contracted IMHA and within 48 hours passed away, 5 October 2010. It was one of the hardest days in my life as my angel had gone and I was left alone trying to sort my life out. 


My home was empty, lonely and I felt that it was not fair that when I finally could give her everything she left me but as a friend of mine said to me : She came into your life when you both needed each other (she was a rescue) and left you when you were safe so that you could open your home to a new furkid.


Three months later it happened and I rescued Layla and the rest is history.
So what I have decided to do is to give back and at the moment I am doing a workshop to become a Domestic Violence Advocate so that I can hopefully help others, pets included and be their voice.


If you know anyone that is in an abusive relationship, reach out, offer help and then let them decide what they want to do, BUT if they know that you are there for them and their pets it will hopefully make the decision a lot easier.


Take care everyone, be safe and remember you are not alone,
With a woof and love from Layla

The Domestic Violence Hotline : https://www.thehotline.org/