Lilly’s Day at Wet Nose | A Love Story That Started It All

The Beginning

Lilly wasn’t my first dog, but she was Joe’s. Can you believe he never had a pet growing up? If you’ve ever seen him kneel down to greet a dog in our store or snuggle one of our cats, you’d never guess it. The man is a total softie. But back then, we had been married for seven years (pet-less!), and I was itching to bring a dog into our lives.

How we ended up with Lilly is a story for another time, but the important part is: she was our first. A little ball of chocolate-colored fur with a big personality (shocking, I know), and she quickly became my whole world. Joe and I never had children, and we’ve always been workaholics. So this was where our love landed. On her.

And when I say she changed my life, I mean it in the most literal sense. She’s the reason Wet Nose exists.

At the time, Joe and I both had successful careers and we were happy. Lilly had some physical issues, and helping her pushed me down a path I never could’ve predicted. I learned about raw feeding, canine hydrotherapy, chiropractic care for dogs, supplements, and holistic support—long before any of that was mainstream. And I was fascinated. Inspired. Transformed.

Eventually, I left my career behind and opened a tiny 1,000 square foot store in Geneva, IL with one goal: to help other passionate pet parents give their animals the best life possible. Joe thought I was crazy at first (and he wasn't wrong)—but he believed in me and he loved me. And so it began.

One by one, people walked into our little shop expecting some “bougie boutique,” and left with information that would blow their minds. We weren’t there to sell overpriced collars. We were there to change lives—just like Lilly had changed mine.

That was 24 years ago.

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The First Celebration

As our store grew quickly (we outgrew our original space in less than two years), so did our community. And every single person who visited knew about Lilly. Even if they never met her, they knew her story. They knew she was the reason Wet Nose existed. Her name came up in conversations every day, because I couldn’t not talk about her.

When Lilly turned 10 years old, I knew I wanted to celebrate. So we threw her a birthday party at the store. There was cake with pink icing and carob chip polka dots, her favorite liver brownies, a few games, and of course—a giant pink polka dot bow tied around her neck. And would you believe it? She was on her best behavior. This dog, who could be spicy, sweet, and strong-willed, absolutely knew the day was about her—and she soaked it up like the queen she was.

The next year, we didn't host another party, but I couldn't shake the feeling that Lilly deserved something more... permanent. Something that wasn't just a birthday, but a legacy. So our team came together and created Lilly's Day—a celebration of the dog who started it all, and a thank you to the clients who made Wet Nose possible.

That’s when Lilly’s Day was born.

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The Start of a Tradition

We created Lilly’s Day to honor her and to thank our clients—our extended family—for all their love and support over the years. It would be part remembrance, part client appreciation, part community celebration.

Our first official Lilly’s Day was in 2011, two years after her 10th birthday party. We kept all the details under wraps, just teasing it through our marketing channels with a simple message: You don’t want to miss this. We had no idea what to expect.

But that morning, when we pulled up to the store, there was a line wrapped around the building. Our most loyal clients were waiting to celebrate Lilly. She did this. She built this.

And then… we lost her.

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The Goodbye That Changed Everything

Lilly passed away on November 23, 2012—Black Friday. It was also Wet Nose’s 10-year anniversary. That day should’ve been a celebration, but it gutted me. She had been sick for about a month, and when that time came, I could barely speak. The only thing I could manage to write to our community was this:

"A ‘Lilly’ placed in your heart will bloom forever.
August 29, 1999 – November 23, 2012."

I didn’t need to say more. And still, the outpouring of love was overwhelming: thousands of emails, social media comments, handwritten cards, flowers, donations in her honor. It was the most moving experience of my life.

But after that, something in me shut down. I checked out. Wet Nose went on without me for a while. We opened more stores. Hired more people. But the joy? It was gone. I was just going through the motions.

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Reclaiming the Heart of It All

Fast forward to today. Wet Nose has grown and evolved into something beautiful—a store unlike anything else, with a soul that runs deep. But here’s the truth:

Somewhere along the way, Lilly’s Day became just a sale.

It's hard to admit, but I’ve seen it happen. People ask, “When’s your big sale again?” “How much do I need to spend for the swag bag?” And some of them? We don’t see them again until next year.

I get it. People love a deal. But that’s not what Lilly’s Day was ever meant to be. It’s not about getting free stuff. It’s about giving back. It’s about love.

It’s about your dog. Your cat. Your heart. The way they change your life and never ask for anything in return. It’s about the way you love them, and how that love connects us all.

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A New Chapter

This year, we're going back to the heart of it all.
We're telling Lilly's story again.
Loudly. Honestly. Passionately.

We're showing our community why she matters–and why they matter, too. Because Lilly's Day isn't just about one dog. It's about every pet who ever changed someone's life. It's about the love, devotion, and ridiculous amount of joy they bring us every day.

Lilly's Day is about you.

• The ones who've stuck with us.
• The client who visits every week, just to say hi.
• The one who brings their dog in for meatballs and a belly rub.
• The ones who share our posts, not for clout, but because they believe in what we do.
• The person who remembers our team members’ names.
• The pet parent who’s been there from the beginning—and the one who just joined us, but jumped in heart-first.
• The ones that care as deeply about your pets as we do about ours.
• The ones that walk in and immediately feel the difference in our store.

We’ll be celebrating the clients who “get it.” Because if Lilly taught us anything, it’s that love isn’t measured by what you give, but how you give it.

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A Pawprint That Never Fades

Lilly may be gone, but she’s everywhere. In the smell of our open-air kitchen. In the joy of our client events. Surrounded by tennis balls in our BARK Room. In the mission behind everything we do.

If you’ve ever loved a pet with your whole heart—you already understand what Lilly’s Day is all about.

So come celebrate with us—not just a sale, but a story. A legacy. And the love that started it all.