The Native American Spiritual Adviser told her that she
would know when her husband Jim was close because she would see eagles near.
Eagles were Jim's symbol. So we knew it would be a special day when Hannah said
the eagles seemed to be accompanying her on her drive to Home for Life,
especially as she approached the sanctuary, circling above as she drove up our
driveway, as if to herald her arrival. Eagles have special meaning for her, and
it almost seemed as if the eagles had led her to Home for Life that chilly but
sunny and clear day this mid November.
For
Native Americans as well as people of
many other cultures eagles have long signified courage and a connection to the divine because they
can fly higher than any bird. They are of the earth but their powerful ability
to soar so high seems spiritual as well. Little did Hannah know that she would meet a special dog at Home for
Life that day, who seems to embody the spirit of the eagle, a gentle Doberman
with a mighty heart named Simon.
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson is an internationally acclaimed
documentary photographer whose photo “John & Schoep” went viral in 2012.
In the midst of this stupendous success, Hannah suffered an unimaginable loss: the untimely death of her young husband Jim, a fishing guide, due to hypothermia. During this thrilling time counterpointed by heartbreaking tragedy, Hannah has stayed engaged and positive, practicing her art around the world and giving generously to the animal rescue community by photographing the dogs and cats in their care. She is based in Bayfield, Wisconsin but travels all over for her work. Her specialty is ”photographing objects that move fast and bark!” Hannah adores dogs! She is so busy, famous and so in demand but made time to photograph Home for Life's animals for our sponsorship program. She visited the sanctuary and spent several hours with us late morning into the afternoon on her way to catch a flight to California to photograph dogs at a rescue in Santa Monica.
Even before she came to Home for Life, Hannah said she
wanted to sponsor one of our dogs and was eager to meet them all. She
appreciates and loves all dogs but one of those at Home for Life really touched
her heart.
Simon is a red Doberman and now about 9 years old. Since he first came to
us, Simon has seemed to inspire everyone around him with his gentle and radiant
spirit and eagerness to forge special relationships with all he meets.
We were asked to help Simon by a veterinarian after the
former owners brought him in to be euthanized. There was no way the vet could
euthanize the 9 month old puppy (then called Phoenix ironically).The vet convinced Simon's owners to sign a a release surrendering the puppy to his custody. Simon
reportedly had physical disabilities that resulted in frequent accidents and
could not be trusted in the house. The owners would leave him crated when they
were at work but were fed up when they returned home to find messes in the
kennel. The vet didn’t think he could be placed in a new home and asked Home
for Life to take him in.
Simon has always lived in our doggy townhouses. With access to a
spacious outdoor run attached to his townhouse, Simon was able to get outside
for bathroom whenever nature called rather than having to wait hours in a crate
for the chance to be taken for a walk, or if not in the crate, to hope someone
noticed when he needed to be let out.
With Simon's young age we wanted to get him involved in dog
training to help him learn his obedience skills and provide him with a challenge for his obvious intelligence. We hoped that with
his gentle nature he would become a therapy dog. We enrolled him in our Renaissance Program, and Simon developed a special bond with Ron, his student trainer at Totem Town. Like Simon,
Ron was long legged and active. And like Simon, underneath a tough
exterior Ron was gentle hearted and caring.
Ron put his heart into training Simon, who was still an ungainly
pup, barely one year old, and successfully taught him the basics of obedience
like walking on a leash without pulling, sitting when asked, staying for
petting and lying down. Ron was so motivated by the
fact that he was helping Simon and the many people Simon would go on to help
through his work as a therapy dog. It was very inspiring to see Ron walk proudly
with Simon on leash in the final classes where it was obvious they had achieved
so much.
Ron was not able to finish the Totem Town class
unfortunately, but shortly thereafter, Simon met Cesar Milan when he was in
town and promotional photos were taken for our 2007 gala, a landmark event for
Home for Life. Because of Ron's hard work to train Simon, Simon was chosen to
represent Home for Life and our gala, posing for the pictures with Cesar, and
the photos by Mark Luinenburg turned out great.
Simon with Cesar Milan
Because of Ron's diligent work with Simon, he was able to
become certified as a therapy dog. Simon became a well-loved and well recognized
therapy dog with the VA Poly Trauma Unit in Minneapolis at the VA Medical
Center. This Poly Trauma Unit is one of only four such facilities in the entire
country. They are provided for veterans returning from the wars with multiple
traumatic injuries: head injuries, amputations and other conditions that will
require long term rehabilitation and care. As a Doberman, Simon was a “manly” breed who appealed to the soldiers,
especially the young men recovering from injuries. The physical therapists
incorporated the Home for Life's dog visits into the exercises for the
patients,for example, throwing balls for the dogs to retrieve to work arm
muscles. Simon's calm and loving presence
even motivated one young soldier's recovery from devastating war wounds, and
the relationship was documented in a St. Paul Pioneer Press article about
Home for Life's work with patients in the VA Poly Trauma Unit. See the article
here.
When Simon was approximately 7 years old, he developed a
spinal problem that is common in Dobermans: Wobbler's Disease. There is no cure and the impact on the quality
of life of affected dogs is profound. They become very disabled, and the
disease is progressive, rendering these large breed dogs unable to walk. As his
disease progressed, Simon became nearly quadriplegic. Yet he had such a
palpable will to live, and to give. He was not ready to give up and we couldn't
give up on Simon either.
We tried various approaches to try to help Simon:
chiropractic which was unsuccessful in helping him, and surgery. Surgery represented a huge risk since a
procedure might have left him unable to breathe independently, requiring him to
be on a respirator. At the University, Simon underwent an MRI; after evaluating
the MRI results, while Simon was still under anesthesia, the veterinary
surgeons and neurologists determined that they could not offer a solution for
him via surgical intervention. In a way
it was a relief because the risk was so great had the procedure failed.
At this point some staff
thought it might be better to put Simon down. He was so hard to care for they
complained. I vetoed this option,
clearly recognizing that Simon wasn't ready to die. Then, they thought it would be easier to care
for Simon and that he might do better in the main dog building rather than his
longtime townhouse and lobbied to move him there. We gave it a try. But, it was apparent that
this move was more for their convenience than Simon's. Dogs may not be able to talk but Simon made it
abundantly clear he wanted nothing to do with a new location. He wanted to stay
with his long time roommates and friends. He sat at the window of the front
door of our main dog building, wistfully looking out, searching for his friends
and crying. In the end it was decided
that if we could give Simon some comfort by letting him be with his friends in
his townhouse, that needed to be the place he should be, even if it made a bit
more extra work for the staff. Thankfully, our current staff accommodates Simon
and puts his welfare first before their convenience. Simon was reunited with
his longtime friends and roommates Stella the sheepdog cross, Buster Brown the blind lab, and Ruby the walker coonhound.
Simon with Ruby,summer 2013
Simon with Stella and Buster Brown, taken last summer after Simon began walking on his own following his surgery
Searching for a solution for him we learned about a new
surgery for Wobbler's Disease that had had a high rate of success. In early
February 2013, we arranged for the pioneering surgeon Dr. Fillipo Adamo, to fly
to Chicago from his practice in San Francisco to help Simon. Simon was driven
there by some of our wonderful volunteers and underwent the new, but promising
procedure for Wobbler’s where a special device was implanted. We sent photos
of Simon to Dr. Adamao before his surgery - the photos of him with Cesar Millan
and those that had appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. With great insight Dr. Adamo commented that
from the photos, it was clear Cesar wasn't the only celebrity - Simon was a star in
his own right!
The surgery was a success but Simon had a long and slow recovery. For the first few months we performed range of motion exercises to keep his muscles supple and preserve his flexibility. He was turned every 2-3 hours to prevent the development of pressure sores. He received medication to help with pain and promote muscle relaxation. Four months into the rehabilitation, when we had nearly concluded that the surgery must have failed, Simon started to walk on his own! In the mornings, there he was - waiting for the staff at the gate of his run- he had risen to his feet on his own and walked out the dog door and to the front of his run. It was incredible and miraculous to see him finally be able to stand up and walk on his own, and we were so grateful!
The surgery was a success but Simon had a long and slow recovery. For the first few months we performed range of motion exercises to keep his muscles supple and preserve his flexibility. He was turned every 2-3 hours to prevent the development of pressure sores. He received medication to help with pain and promote muscle relaxation. Four months into the rehabilitation, when we had nearly concluded that the surgery must have failed, Simon started to walk on his own! In the mornings, there he was - waiting for the staff at the gate of his run- he had risen to his feet on his own and walked out the dog door and to the front of his run. It was incredible and miraculous to see him finally be able to stand up and walk on his own, and we were so grateful!
Simon still has a good deal of stiffness on his right side
and doesn't walk “normally” but loves doing everything his roommates and our
“normal” dogs do including making his way to the meadow for exercise with his
roommates and best friends. After his surgery, Simon received several months of
acupuncture therapy which gave his muscles some relief. When Hannah visited
in November to take the sponsor photos Simon was there to greet her, and walked from his townhouse to the lower meadow
with the other dogs from his group. He wasn't going to miss the chance to meet a new friend!
HFL staff Kaitlin
takes Hannah's photo with Simon using Hannah's own camera!
This hard winter has
been a challenge to Simon's recovery. He
seemed to lose ground with his rehabilitation, losing his mobility as the
weather grew colder. This winter has been the coldest and snowiest we have had
in 15 years at Home for Life. By the end of 2013,Simon was not walking at all.
Our dedicated staff continued to take care of him faithfully, making sure his
bedding was thick and comfortable, holding a water bowl for him so he could drink,
helping him to his feet and getting him outside on warmer, sunny days. Even
though our employees never complained about caring for Simon, as heavy as he
was to handle, leaving him like this was not a good long term solution for him.
If Simon had ever let us know that he'd had enough, as difficult as it would
have been, we would have let him go, knowing that we had done everything we
could to help him.
How do we know when one of our animals is ready to cross
over, to die? How do we know when they have had enough? I am asked this
question all the time. Sanctuaries take in and care for the special cases, many
of them high risk animals with significant health conditions. It’s understood
that part of our mission is that we will go the extra mile for our animals. Our
animals need that extra mile, often, to have their best chance at a fulfilling
life. The toughest question we have to
ask ourselves is when our efforts are directed to saving us - from the
heartbreak of losing one of our beloved animals, and from the sense of defeat
that occurs with giving up hope, conceding that there was nothing more we could
do to help. It's hard to give up when
the entire reason for the organization's existence is to rescue, to save animals.
And - it's just as difficult to honor our animals' wish to continue to
fight for their life if they want to live. We've witnessed miracles often
enough over the fifteen years Home for Life has existed to know that we must
support our animals as long as they want to live.
Animals aren't afraid of death like most human beings
are. While they don't fear death, they
love their life and will fight to live if they know it's not their time to leave. As their caretakers,
humility is required to be able to listen to our animals and recognize when
they are done and have had enough versus when they still feel connected to life
and want help to make the most of their time left. They convey their
continuing connection to life thru eye contact, engagement in what's going on
around them and interest in food and treats! So many of our animals who have
terminal diagnoses are still alive and not only just alive - but happy, pain free,
active, enjoying their animal friends, and engaged in life around them. Defying
their medical prognosis, these animals live on. What if we had euthanized them;
put them to death after they had been diagnosed? If there is still a spark, killing them
before their time is a betrayal.
Disabled
and old dogs and cats take a lot of work and creativity to care for to ensure
them a quality life. It takes patience, effort, and imagination to picture the
potential of the animal instead of focusing on the limitations. The prevailing
idea is that if an animal cannot function or walk like a normal or young dog or
cat in their prime, they must have no quality of life. That position is pretty
ignorant. Most animals want to live if they can and will make the best of their
situation, focusing on what they CAN do not their lack. Simon is just one of
our special animals whose life at the sanctuary demonstrates that if a cat or
dog can enjoy the sun, tasty food, treats and attention, the company of their
dog or cat friends, the animal still has quality of life that should be
preserved and cherished. In fact Simon is one of four dogs at Home for Life who
were quadriplegic and later recovered fully. Their stories remind us to never give up and to honor an animal's choice
to live with adversity when they have faith and want to keep trying.
Animals like Simon who come into the world with
disabilities or who become disabled as they age still find a safe haven at Home
for Life® where they will be loved and cared for as long as they may live. As
we get to know these special animals, their disabilities become less of a
defining and identifying feature, while their courage and their indomitable
spirits become what we think of when reflecting on all they mean to us.
Our
goal is now to support Simon by helping him to walk again and to make sure he
will be able to enjoy this coming spring and summer when it finally arrives.
With this objective before us, we found a great canine rehabilitation facility
where Simon now goes twice a week. There he swims in a tank, walking in an
underwater treadmill. The warm water allows his tense neck muscles to relax and
the water buoys him up so he can stand and work his muscles safely. Massage and
physical therapy, and a change in his medication are also part of his rehabilitation program. Back at the
sanctuary, our staff helps Simon with his “homework” - a number of physical
therapy exercises to strengthen his muscles and improve his flexibility. This
physical therapy represents a significant investment in Simon of time and money,
but already there is improvement. Simon has much more flexibility of his neck
muscles and can turn and flip himself around to reach his water and get the most comfortable
spot on his bedding.
Simon's
case raises an important question about animal rescue and the philosophy of our
sanctuary with regard to the animals we help. Why direct so many resources to
helping one single animal? That amount of money it has taken to help Simon and
allow him to live a pain free life and to walk again, we hope, could have been
used to help several animals. Where resources are limited trying to do the most
good for as many as possible is a legitimate approach to rescuing animals.
Home
for Life has always believed that helping animals in need and saving lives
requires a multifaceted approach. A focus on moving numbers of animals thru
adoption and reducing numbers of animals thru sterilization addresses one
aspect of the need. An exclusive focus on the numbers, however, will exempt
many deserving animals from help. Sanctuaries like Home for Life have a vital
role to play if as many animals as possible are to be saved because a true
sanctuary is created to focus on the individual animal and his/her unique needs.
The current focus in animal welfare is on moving animals through the system to
adoption and posting high numbers of animals altered and adopted. Dogs such as
Simon who fall outside the parameters of the 'adoptable' animal and who require
a rescue to divert disproportionate resources to help them will not be served
by the conventional current models offered by animal welfare. Sanctuaries whose
focus is on the individual animal provide a depth of care and a lifesaving,
life affirming alternative for these special animals.
As
long as we've known this special dog, Simon, one continuing theme of his life
has been his ability to connect with amazing people who have identified with
his hopeful attitude and kindness. Had Home for Life not
invested the time and effort to help Simon during his years with us,
how much we and everyone he has met would have missed! His love of
life, his courage, and his resilience. We didn't direct Hannah's attention to Simon but in retrospect it was no
surprise that he was the dog who most touched her heart. Like Simon, Hannah has
faced adversity with grace and courage, and has stayed engaged with life in a
positive way instead of letting setbacks overcome her. It was very inspiring to
meet such a talented and optimistic person who still has an open heart to give
back, and to see her connect with a kindred spirit, our Simon.
Here is the Facebook album of
highlights from Hannah's Facebook page. And here is her blog about
her day at Home for Life.
See all of Hannah's photos from her day at Home for Life here.
