Gabriela's Way

My warmhearted and loving grand daughter Gabriela passed
away in September 2016, only 24 years old. To honor her
memory and the legacy she left us, I decided to create
Gabriela’s Way.

The story of it is that she and her family moved up to the coast
to a new place, and Gabriela quickly, because of her love for
animals, noticed that in the new town dogs did not wear
harnesses. She was used to that from before - we had used
harnesses for many years, and she decided to change that -
in her own way.
She walked much around the town, and she always brought
brochures about harnesses with her. When she met a dog and
owner she went up to them and handed the owner a brochure
with a bright, big smile, and went away.
Slowly things started to change, and there were more and
more dogs wearing harnesses to be seen.

Gabriela passed away, and I decided to start Gabriela’s Way,
asking people to promote harnesses, give away harnesses,
and continue the process she had done in such a loving way.

Many people gave away harnesses, and gave money to
shelters for buying harnesses, it was wonderful to see how
much was done. Nelis Verhoeven, at Calming Signs in
Netherlands, sold a lot of harnesses, and for every 25 they
sold, they gave away one in Gabriela’s name. They gave away
many ! It made us so happy.

3 years ago I moved up to Gabriela’s town, and I noticed that
there were many dogs using harnesses, but not as many as I
would wish for. So we also started to promote them.
At Hundeland we lend them out, give away as prizes, and

people can change them when a dog has grown out of the one
he has been wearing. And all dogs visiting Hundeland has to
wear a harness - collars not accepted !

One day my daughter and I drove through the town we decided
to check, so we counted every dog we saw, and if they had a
harness or not. Result: all the dogs we saw that day wore a
harness !

There are many ways of promoting harnesses, and Gabriela’s
way was maybe the most simple, and charming ! - and it
worked.
We can all do our part, in our own way, but I wish many, many
will do something - Gabriela’s way or not.

Thank you each and one of you who make a new dog wear a
harness, - and send a little thought to Gabriela and her
smile. I do - every time.

Turid
Grandmother

"Within clients and friends we collect harnesses that don't fit any longer and distribute to charities and people who have limited resources" Winkie, London

"I was very inspired by Gabriela's way of sharing knowledge, and thought it had to be a wise way to do it, so I have given out brochures to strange people the same way as she did, and only met smiles and thanks" Turid, Gjøvik, Norway

"Ever since you told us in class what Gabriela did with the brochures I have been doing the same thing. I have donated harnesses to 2 shelters, and I just keep printing brochures and hand them out" Lizz, USA

"For Gabriela I will give harnesses to the rescue organization. I will also continue to recommend it everywhere possible" Patsy, Germany

I have contacted my friends and acquaintances to help distribute the brochure. It will be handed out to people at dog schools, puppyclasses, doggydance, at work, news, paper stores, waiting room at our local vet etc." Ingeborg, Belgium

"I will spread brochures at every vet in Vienna and the vetmed university. I will spend all the time it needs to do it !" Christina, Vienna

"We are doing up 3 flyers - called Gabriela's Way. We are going to have an on-going competition for people to nominate a rescue group of their choice. The rescue group with the most nominations will be donated a harness. For my puppy classes we are going to sell a harness for the puppies while they are still growing that can be returned for a new one at no extra cost. This allows us to re-use the harnesses for other puppies." Jenny, The Complete pet Company, Australia

"I saw this on Facebook and shared it on my local dog park's Facebook gtoup." Rosemary, Belfast

"In honour of Gabriela we would love to do something. We will soon have a new harness: green, we want this to be our special edition harness and sell them with a discount. For every 25 we sell we will give one harness to a shelter" Ellen, Team Calming Signs, Netherlands.

Kenzie
One of the last pictures taken of my beloved Kenzie, with the harness given to him by Calming Signs, Netherlands, He got the very first harness with his name on, in that colour, which was new, and with the message that for every 25 harnesses they sold in that colour, one should be given away to some dog who needed it. Till today they have given away 20-30 harnesses ! (do not have the exact number).
Thanks for keeping the legacy of Gabriela's Way alive !

Rusty
Rusty from Australia, with the harness given him as part of a deal - harnesses given away as part of Gabriela's Way, after a certain number of harness sold. Lucky Rusty, and thanks to those who keep Gabriela's legacy alive.

.....supporting the initiativ Gabriela's Way we are giving her name to the new green coloured harness, and want to donate 1 harness per 25 sold, to a shelter, rescue fond or asylum"
Nelis Verhoeven and Ellen Versteegen, Calming Signs, Netherlands.

Donation from [email protected] to the dingoes at Kaarakin Dingoes in Australia. Els Vidts donated leashes of own design.
Here one of the dingoes get the harness fitted !

Turid Rugaas [email protected] http://en.turid-rugaas.no