A very special thank you to Rhonetta Thomas who is sharing her story in honor of her daughter Jayla Thomas. Just a year ago, Jayla passed away as the result of a homicide, just days after her 21st birthday. To honor her daughter’s birthday and love of dogs, Rhonetta is supporting CCA with a fundraiser in her daughter’s memory. Jayla would have been 22 on February 13.
A beautiful and creative person with a huge heart for people and animals, Jayla had a true passion for both dogs and fashion. She loved to make and design clothes – from dresses to doggie diapers, and she doted on her four shih tzus who were both her babies and her emotional support animals: Gigi, Savage, Marley, and Ell. She would spend her last dime on food for her pups - - or a cute outfit 😊
Despite being allergic to dogs, nothing could keep Jayla away from them. Her first dog was Robbie a maltese /shih tzu mix who was her best friend when she was only six months old. She would follow that pup everywhere, with a runny nose and towel. She didn’t let her allergies get in the way!
As Jayla grew older, her love of animals became more and more apparent. We joked that she had her own community animal service: she would find dogs on the street and bring them home. One time, she saw a man hitting two dogs as she drove by; later that night Jayla was found giving two hurt, malnourished dogs a bath. She nursed them to health and found them new homes.
Another time, Jayla found a dog that had been hit by a car. She found a traffic cone – from somewhere – and rerouted traffic until help could come to pick up the hurt dog.
That was Jayla. A big heart for those in need. Especially those on four legs.
It was no surprise, then, when after volunteering at the Humane Society, Jayla came home and declared that she wanted to be a vet. She couldn’t see herself doing anything but caring for animals.
What makes me most proud of her is that, despite facing challenges, Jayla never gave up. She was strong and loyal. The oldest of my four children, Jayla was like a second mom to her siblings and often helped get them to school or make them meals.
To honor the memory of my beautiful daughter, I wanted to raise money for an organization that would mean something to her. As soon as I saw CCA’s Facebook page, I thought of something Jayla said one day: “When I get my own house, I am going to have a lot of dogs.”
CCA looks like a place where Jayla would love to be.
If you would like to make a donation to CCA in honor of Jayla Thomas, please visit the Facebook fundraiser page here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/210282396783752/