Hey, friend of DII!
We are so happy to see you here. If you want to get to know us better, we would like to share our story and tell you more why DII more than just a business to us.
This is going to be a very true and real story…
This is not just a brand. DII is my family and dog beds are our passion since 2016. You may ask - why dog beds? First of all, meet all of our dogs. Yes, all of them are heart of DII. And we wanted them to have not just amazing walks and everyday scrubs, but also the sweetest dreams, but we struggled to find beds that would fit their size, have good quality and also look beautiful. So we decided to do it by ourselves with a big dream that one day we could offer them to you and your pet as well. That’s how DII was born 29th of June, year 2016, on my 25th birthday.
Our biggest values - family and time.
We often say that our pet is our family member, but when I say it, I really mean it from all my heart. These last 11 years me, my husband and our two boys, we lived the most colorfull and brightest life I could ever imagine. We enjoyed life together. We went on our honeymoon together, traveled around Latvia, been in Europe, had boat rides, paddle boarding and trips with our camper. Celebrated birthdays, Chrismtas and the most important thing - created our family business with dog beds that you can now find in almost every house where a happy dog (and a cat) lives.
Unconditional love… and time
In 2019, at the beginning of november, the youngest of our boys was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Latvia's best doctors told us that unfortunately we had only a few weeks left together and he won’t spend Christmas with us. When I was 12, my dad died with the same diagnosis. I couldn’t believe that my worst nightmare became real once again. On that day, I sat on a hospital ground with my husband, we waited for our boy Balii to wake up from a procedure, and I told him that I’m so happy that this summer we lived on to the fullest. We went on adventures every weekend, swam, traveled and spend every day together. With pure heart I could say - we lived every day as the best day of our lives. And I don’t have any regrets that there wasn’t enough “I love you” or hugs. I did it every day. With this story I want to remind how precious is time we have. And it’s in our own hands how we decide to spend it.
Vigourosity and Persistance.
When we came back home, all family came to say goodbye to Balii. I sat in his bed all night and I couldn’t believe that this is it. I had only one thought in my mind and I told him not to give up. That night I read countless studies and tried to find smallest opportunity to my hope to become a reality. I called several clinics all over the world. After countless “no’s” I got my first and only “yes”. We have saying in Latvia - the one who seeks, finds it. One yes was enough for us and on that day we packed our stuff and we were on our 2000km long way. After 2000km we were in a different world. Big hospital in a village that is dedicated for human and animal medicine. Where technology goes beyond my wildest dreams. That was heavy month I will never forget.
At that time, there were thousounds of people who lived this story with and through us, and I’ve never experienced that kind of love. Every night, when we came back from clinic to our hotel, there were hunreds of messages waiting in my instagram from people all over the world. It was something I never knew I actually needed to help me get through this. Never underestimate a good word not only to your friend, but also to a stranger. You never know how much it could mean. More than we can imagine.
After a month living in my own “The Grey’s Anatomy” dogs edition, playing russian roulette every day, we got through 17 radiation sessions and the whole treatment process. Our sweet boy did it. In that month I met incredible people who love what they do, have invested more than 10 years from their lives in their education, research and saving animals, even in situations when everyone else says that there is no hope. Their love and respect to their work and patients is something that inspired me and I took it with me, so that I can give the same amount of love and respect to our DII friends.
We did the most impossible thing you can think of – we literally “ bought” time. We bought the most happiest two years where each day felt almost like in a dream. It was up until 2021. The year we said goobye to both of our boys/brothers with only 5 weeks apart. Two worst wednesdays in our lives. Demian went to heaven at an old age and shortly after little brother Balii followed him. There wasn’t a day in this world for him without Demian. They were as one. I can’t imagine their lives without each other and I know that now they’re together.
Behind our story and how it changed our lives, there is things that will never change and it’s my values, my love and for me the most important – time.
With my education and work experience, I could go and work in four different directions I know the best...
but still day after day, I choose my DII. No matter what kind of university degrees I have or how much I’ve experienced in my career, in DII I see and can enjoy the most important thing I was born with – pure, true and unconditional love for animals. And thankfully my husband has the same gift...
So tell me, why would we choose to spend the most precious thing we have, our time, somewhere else than where our heart is?!
This is our story. And this is the answer when someone ask me “why dog beds?”
With our work and product, we hope to bring at least a little bit of our love and warmth in your home and inspire to have the most loving realtionships with your pet. Although… if you are here, you already have that :)
#DII_legacy #DemianBalii #DII
