kelly simonetti

All of us experience grief in our lives. It hides around each corner lurking for us in the most unexpected ways. I don’t mind feeling grief now because with it came love. A totally new type of love for a sick dog called Tina. I’ve been asked 500 times about Tina recently in person and am a master at changing the subject. “Oh a great girl and she had a wonderful end to her life. Where you from? It’s a lovely day today isn’t it”. The only time my true emotions came out were at an event with 400 people when someone asked me about her. I couldn’t change the subject as everybody was looking at me. The tears came quickly with nowhere to hide. I’ve just now sat on my sofa this evening, with Jumbo, home alone been able to look at old pictures and videos of Tina. I miss her so much. I miss her smell. Her wet nose. Her pretty face. Changing her bandanas. Her lovely fur. Riding on the bike with her. Everything. I’ve a fire in my belly now to do things to remember Tina by. She was put on this earth for a reason and although her time was short she made a huge impact on people all over the world. Many of these little videos I hadn’t shared before and were from my personal ones In her last days. She was happy right until the very very last second of her life. 🥰

Tina's Hospital 🌴🐶🥰 When I was filling in Tina’s grave I had tears in my eyes but I got the manual work done and after a step back took a long deep breath. My good friend Sybille had been with me at the end and she bowed her head instinctively knowing that it was a time to say nothing. I just shouted into the air at nobody in particular “Your life won’t be in vain, I’ll do something amazing in your name”. That something is going to be “Tinas Hospital For Dogs Who Aren’t Doing So Good”. I’ve been very surprised at how taken people have been with the idea so I wanted to share what my thinking is… Timeline For The Build ⏰ 📅 I’m always stupidly optimistic for these things. Initially I was thinking 3 months then convinced myself 6 might be more realistic. In reality I’ve talked myself down and am now saying it will take a year. Just under it. We’ll have it finished on the 18th August 2024. One year after Tina died. We’ll open it at 4.45pm the exact time she passed. The things that will take time and that I can’t speed up include… 🔵Building permissions 🔵Licenses and legals 🔵World class staff 🔵A charter and operational procedures. (who gets treated? how to deal with long term stays, how to manage free care etc) My own computer screen saver is the photo below of Tina the day she arrived broken with her bones showing versus her looking fabulous. Every time I see that It drives me on. The hospital will be a place to welcome in dogs like Tina the day she arrived. That transformation took many months. Good things take time and patience. Funding The Hospital 💵🏥 The research for this has started. I am obviously not a vet nor have I ever built a hospital before. What I have started to assemble are a bunch of people who know about this sort of stuff. What I have in my head as a guideline for them are some pretty big numbers… 🔵Initial build budget of $500,000 to $1,000,000. 🔵Running costs of $20,000 to $50,000 per month While those are big scary numbers I think if something is worth doing it is worth doing right. Especially something in Tina’s name. Funding Sources… I haven’t got around to planning this in full yet but my ideas so far are… 🔵The book is selling well. I will have the final revenue numbers on this at the end of the year. As I said every penny I earn from it will be used. I’m hopeful It might get close to 6 figures over the next year. 🔵I am going to have an amazing Tina T-Shirt. It will cost $60. Roughly $20 to produce and ship so there will be $40 profit. My idea is to sell 10,000 of these and that would bring in $400,000. Ambitious and tricky to execute but I think people would support the cause. A limited edition Tina T-Shirt that helps build a hospital. 🔵Lots of people want to get involved with fundraising to make this happen. I’ve said to just wait for now as I need the plan and detailed costs etc. When the time is right I’ll get everybody involved in a community way with an overall total needed. 🔵Individuals or companies. Once I get the full list of everything we need I think people might be interested in sponsoring parts of it. A testing machine. Some equipment. Computers. Whatever we need I’ll make a wish list of and people could have them named after them. I want to design the funding so as it is community focused so as it feels like the hospital was built not by me but by dog lovers all over the world. Obviously the hospital will be for street dogs and will not be focused on making money. The Hospital Is Already Effectively In Operation Without A Home ✂️ 🦴 🐕 Tina’s hospital will be a wonderful physical place to centre everything on but the reality is that work helping dogs is already happening… In September we will fund the sterilising of 300+ Dogs. Those are in 3 locations There are sick puppies and multiple dogs in the vets for a week as I write this We spend $2000-5000 a month on operations like fixing little Tommy’s leg, getting Stitch to walk again and giving Essi a 2nd chance with a life saving amputation. The amount of dogs I can help at the moment is limited by costs, vet space, transport and a lack of some machines on the island. The hospital will fix all that. Moving From Distraction To Pure Focus 🙏 Since Tina and Snoop died I have been exceptionally busy with dogs, the book, travel and bigger picture admin work. I think I subconsciously did that to keep myself distracted in a time I knew would be very painful. What has happened since the dogs passed has been the most powerful motivation ever… I’ve met 1000s of people who have told me of the importance of the mission. Hearing it first hand has been incredible to help me grasp the impact. I’ve seen many of the dogs that we have re-homed in the UK and Thailand. Thats had a huge impact on me to do more. People have given me heartfelt letters, gifts and personal pieces to use at Tina’s hospital. Nothing expensive but the sort of things money can’t buy. It’s been lovely and a wonderful motivational distraction but everybody knows my heart is on the ground with the dogs. I’ll be happy when I’m there helping more sick dogs and looking at concrete being poured for the hospital ASAP. I love and feel all the support. There is now a very clear and tangible goal and I cannot waste this opportunity to do something incredible by building Tina’s hospital. Even though I’ve been tired recently I lay in bed visualising the entrance and all the lovely art work and children’s drawings on the walls and sick dogs checking in and out with a hive of activity and positivity in the building. It will be a very special place. It won’t be easy but I’ll get it done! Big Love Niall P.S You can always support my mission by donating here or just subscribing donorbox.org/helping-thai-st…

A behind the scenes look at a truly special week after the tough moment of losing Tina and Snoop. Not all is bad with the world and humans are incredible 🥰🙏

Today is the day! My book is out in all shops and online. It is as the title suggests a story of...Hope. Every single penny I make will be used for Tina's Hospital. All support appreciated. 📘 You can buy it here niallharbison.lnk.to/Hope 🎙️ Audio version is here audible.co.uk/pd/Hope-Audiob… 🌴✈️🐶 There is even a competition to win flights and hotel for 2 to spend a week with me and the dogs in Thailand. You can enter here yqlbvnsvsbc.typeform.com/to/… To everybody who supports me thank you so so much. Lets get this hospital built!

Dog walk tomorrow Saturday 2nd in Manchester. Anybody welcome to come along. From 7.30am to 9.30am. 📌Approx Location here.. goo.gl/maps/fJQncvJKrJJw71nR… (plenty of parking around) Just a chance to meet some nice dogs and hang out! I used to walk Snoop here all the time when I lived in Manchester so going back as a little tribute to him myself. See you there 🙏🥰

Thank You For Everything Snoop - You Were My Superhero 💔 After over 11 wonderful years of tremendous company I am starting a week without my best friend. Snoop died last Friday morning and it feels like I have lost a part of my very being, such was his importance to me. He was as kind and gentle a creature as you could ever meet and was the best listener with soft wisdom in his beautiful eyes. Snoop was a rescue from Ireland who died peacefully at about 14 years of age. A Dog Who Had A Big Impact You’ll hear people say that somebody left a huge impression on their lives. For me it was a dog. It’s no exaggeration to say I wouldn’t be here today were it not for Snoop. He’s been with me through depression, binges, anxiety attacks and every other major event in my recent life. When I ended up in hospital after nearly drinking myself to death 2.5 years ago the thing that brought me to my senses was Snoop. Laying there in ICU at absolute rock bottom the thing that got me to finally change everything was the thought of Snoop and how he had devoted his life to me. I couldn’t leave him alone. He’d never understand. He’d never recover from that. Snoop saved my life and I will be forever grateful for that. I'm also that in the last couple of years he's finally seen me at my happiest helping his friends. Snoop had a huge part in that transition. We Did Everything Together 🏃✈️ 🎾 Anyone who knows me will tell you Snoop was never far away. We’d run 5kms around Dublin. He’d come with me on hikes around Ireland and England. All my old work colleagues knew and loved Snoop from the offices. He came to Manchester and then Thailand with me. We swam in the cold Atlantic and the warm water here in his older years. We also hid under the covers when I had depression. He comforted me in the shame of coming down, with the curtains closed. He never judged me once. This was us reuniting in Thailand after his long journey over. He took it all in his stride. Resting With His Friend 🥥❤️🌴 Snoop is buried in the most idyllic spot I could think for him. In the middle of the jungle beside the beautiful Tina. Just like her, he adored chasing tennis balls in his youth. They provided great comfort to each other in the last 3 months as their health declined rapidly. They might both have been sick but they provided me with so much love and we shared many laughs and magical moments. The wind has been taken out of my sails. I feel flat. I’m not afraid to say I’m exhausted from losing 2 special dogs within a week of each other. My biggest worry in life had always been what I’d do if Snoop died. I had it triple underlined as a huge red flag day for me relapsing. I’ve been preparing for this moment for nearly a year as his health declined. That is why I kept It to myself and a handful of friends for the last few days. It’s so much to process. The best thing I can say is that as I write that Im drinking orange juice and eating fruit and more determined than ever to change the fate of dogs around the world. Snoop was quiet and understated as a dog. A gentle soul. His purpose in life was to keep me going at a hard time and to set me on a path to help his friends in need. My job now is to keep my word to him and stay sober and get everything I told him about in our quiet moments together recently accomplished. Thanks Snoop. You truly were my superhero. Niall

A Sunday treat for 50 street dogs. They have a tough life so we brought them all a bone each tonight. It’s the simple things in life 🙏🥰

Just 7 days until my book comes out. If you like dogs or comeback stories this is for you. Bit nervous now but put my heart and soul into it. A pre-order here would help massively niallharbison.lnk.to/Hope And I’m using every penny I earn to build Tina’s hospital 🙏🥰

Dog owners know this 🥰

Watch this and you will see that not all is bad with the world. What people around the world did for Tina was simply breathtaking. A dog that people will never forget and who will have a huge legacy. 🥰🙏

There’s a scene in the movie “A Star is Born” with Bradley Cooper and the dog outside the garage. I watched that movie in the end of my drinking days and the scene tortured me so much thinking about it. Of course it was only a movie but I then proceeded to pretty much try drink myself to death. I used to listen to this song hammered drunk alone and crying for hours. The thought of Snoop being home waiting for me is what got me through that ICU visit and made me want to change my life. There’s a lot of emotions in my head about Tina. They are however surprisingly positive. Yes her stay was very short and we’d all have loved to have her for years to make us smile. However for me personally I’m proud of myself because I did all the hard things for her and she had everything perfect until the very last moment. I’d never have done 1% of that when being addicted. I’d have let her down and been selfish and gone off drinking. I’m so happy I got to meet her because she taught me a type of love that I never thought even existed. She was selfless and completely pure in a way I never saw in any creature on this planet. The song and looking at Tina videos just got me thinking that it doesn’t have to end badly. Things can turn around. You can be running around the jungle with a dog absolutely full of life with a huge smile on your face and everything to live for. Thank you Tina. The work for you has only just started and I’ll see you again one day 🥰🥰

Farewell Tina - The Greatest Dog There Ever Was Yesterday at 4.45 PM Tina gently passed away. She was in her favourite hammock wrapped in blankets in my arms and with 4 lovely woman who have helped care for her holding her paws. Her belly was full of sausages and treats, she was basking in the warm late evening sun and her favourite song was playing. Tina was still alive in this picture but as far as she was concerned she was already very much in heaven and surrounded by pure love. When The Time Came, Tina Left With Dignity 🐶❤️ Tina’s test results had been really bad for a month. We did everything imaginable to prolong her life. She followed me every single day on my rounds often going on 7-8 walks with other dogs despite her illness for fear of being alone or missing out. On Thursday for the first time ever she came on one short walk and then retreated to rest. I’d never seen that before. When I came back with my dinner and she couldn’t get up to greet me at the door I instantly knew the time had come. I didn’t need blood tests or a vet to tell me. Tina had given everything she had left to give. Up until the very last moment she always had a fresh clean bandana on, she ate the very best food and she was genuinely happy and at ease with her world. It will please everybody to know that Tina didn’t suffer one bit. I Was Just A Conduit To Share Tina’s Message I get about X20 more messages about Tina compared to every other dog I share. People picked up on her innate almost spiritual qualities through a screen thousands of miles away without ever meeting her. We loved each other deeply but literally thousands of others loved Tina in their own way too. She was a beacon of hope. A soul so pure she could change people’s entire daily outlook from afar. Tina didn’t have a bad bone in her body and her ability to inspire others who were also struggling was all down to her. She radiated purity of soul and gentle goodness. They really broke the mould when they made Tina. Great Things Will Happen In Tina’s Name Her final resting place is not in Giuseppe’s memorial garden with the other dogs who have passed. She is buried beside her hammock so I can sit and tell her how the mission to save street dogs around the world is going. Much more important though is what I spoke to her about this morning after fixing up her flowers… 🔵This will be the site for a new hospital for street dogs 🔵It will be built right on top of her in this exact spot 🔵It will be called the “The Tina Hospital For Dogs Who Aren’t Doing So Good” 🔵The entrance will have a huge smiling photo of Tina 🔵I’ll figure out a way to get the best staff, machines and medicines I won’t be able to do it overnight as I need to figure out logistics, planning and funding but It’s a promise to Tina now, so that means it will be done. And it will be done fast. I can’t think of a better thing to do than having 100s of sick and needy dogs like she once was treated there. She would love that. 187 Joyous And Life Changing Days 🌞 🛵 🌴 Tina was put on this planet for a reason. We live in times with a lot of uncertainty, doom and gloom and endless negativity. After being on a chain for years, having dozens of puppies and nearly dying alone she would have every reason to also be down on life. In the 187 days that we all knew her, Tina was… Compassionate. Beautiful. Gentle. Loving. Friendly. Easy Going. Loyal. Positive. Supportive. Angelic. Graceful. She lit up any room or space she was in. People gravitated towards her. She didn’t need anything fancy or expensive. A tennis ball, her humans and some tasty food was all Tina ever looked for. She taught us all to… 🔵Live fully in the moment 🔵Don’t let the past define you 🔵Go “all in” on loving people 🔵Above all else…Be kind 187 days is not a lot but it also feels like a lifetime. She’s been swimming, made new friends, gone on hikes. had adventures and loved every second. Only a dog like Tina could have an impact like she has in such a short space of time. The sadness hasn’t hit me too hard today. I look around for my shadow and she isn’t there but I’ve been getting ready for this day for weeks. My main feeling is relief for Tina that it all ended so well. That she didn’t suffer at all. That she felt endless love and warmth from many people when she was drifting off. Tina could easily have been a street dog in Thailand tied to a chain that died alone months ago. Instead she was a wonderful creature that will have a huge lasting legacy. After I put the flowers on Tina’s grave this morning and went off driving around feeding the street dogs, I could feel the sun on my back warmer than I’d felt it in months. I saw a beautiful blue butterfly flying on the wind. The sea looked the most aquamarine I’ve ever seen it. That warm sun, gentle wind and beautiful sea are all Tina. She is everywhere now. Tina never asked for anything but I think she would have one wish we could all follow in her honour. To be kind. Maybe this weekend let someone ahead of you in a line. Check in on a friend you know might need it. Send someone flowers. Drop a note into a needy hand instead of a coin. Take a friend out for a surprise brunch. Play with your dogs a little longer than normal. Maybe just be kind to yourself and go for a walk and enjoy the fresh air. The thought of nice things happening all over the world in Tina’s name would be a lovely one. In a world where you can be anything…Be more like Tina. Broken hearted but big love to you all. Niall 🙏🥰

Tina. A dog that will live long in the memory. She didn’t let a life of breeding, neglect and being tied on a chain get her down. Once she found her freedom she fully embraced it. I thought it would be a lovely tribute if people did something kind in her name. For yourself or someone else. Today or tomorrow. Get an ice cream. Call an old friend for 10 mins. Watch a sunset. Take your dogs on a new adventure. Go for a surprise Sunday brunch. Give someone a lovely compliment. Something simple and kind. Tina was always kind and loved others more than herself. A day where people did similar in her name would be just beautiful. Feel free to share any below this video to inspire others. RIP Tina 🥰🙏