Hera Hehr
November 1994 - October 26th, 2006
Moments in the Life of Hera
Hera was born into an abusive and uncaring human family. In the first weeks of her life, Hera was kicked, pushed, thrown down stairs and subjected to other abuse that was meant for her siblings. However, even at this young age, Hera was always caring and more concerned about others than herself.
I adopted Hera at the tender age of eight weeks when she had already endured more suffering than most animals or humans will encounter in an entire lifetime. Hera was a bundle of joy, and never complained, but I soon realized 'something' wasn't quite right. Diagnosis: Bilateral hip dysplasia.
Due to the severity of her condition, Hera's veterinarian only gave me two choices: euthanasia or reconstructive hip surgery. Since euthanasia was not an option, I decided on the surgery. However, if I knew then what I know now, I would have tried several alternative methods first. Hera had three reconstructive hip surgeries between the ages of six and nine months.
At the age of four, Hera was also diagnosed with Addison's dis-ease (a rare and dangerous adrenal gland disorder). When you are Addisonian, any kind of stress, even just going for a longer walk or eating at a different time, can cause Addisonian shock which usually leads to death.
This dis-ease made life a challenge for Hera, but she was a fighter and wanted to live. Hera's veterinarian was ready to give up on her on a
number of occasions, but Hera and I tried many different healing modalities and types of nutrition and it all paid off. Hera lived to a wonderful age of 12 years.
In addition to the physical hardships she endured, Hera also experienced emotional pain in her lifetime. Most of this sorrow was a result of
human inconsideration in the face of Hera's physical differences. For instance, like other dogs, Hera loved to be outside so that she was able to meet other dogs and enjoy new smells, fresh air and the sun. However, due to her hip condition, Hera could not go on long walks. So, I found her an "SUV", a cart which we took with us when we went for walks. Hera's "SUV" gave her so much confidence, as well as a sense of security, because she knew that if at any time her joints got tired she would be able to get into it, relax and not have to walk any further.
Some people stopped us and told us what a wonderful idea this was, but much more often, people actually made fun of Hera in her cart. They
called her names, laughed, pointed fingers and, in the worst case, even told us that "a dog like that should be put down." This was so heartbreaking for Hera and affected her deeply. Such a wonderful, loving and caring being should never have to endure such sadness and pain. All Hera wanted was to be happy.
To honour Hera and make sure that all the hardship she experienced was not in vain, I dedicate this site to Hera. Hopefully, this site will save many animals from the emotional hardship that Hera endured. When you see animals that are a bit "different", show them how much you support and appreciate them.
We do it for people, so why not for animals?
