For Dora
There aren't many times when people can have the chance to be a superhero but making a difference for a traumatized,ill, lost or unwanted animal gives us one opportunity. Nothing is more exhilarating than animal rescue because it's possible to create such profound transformations in the lives of dogs and cats who have come from desperate circumstances: to play a part in helping a vulnerable animal, wounded in body and spirit, overcome a terrible start because of the care and love we provide,and triumph over abuse and neglect by going on to have a happy life, is the greatest reward.
Helping animals makes us feel great but to me, all of Home for Life's animals are the real superheroes. Nike, our paraplegic Alaskan husky, is just one example. Now age nine, Nike has been at Home for Life since she was about a year old. This spring, she was the “Face of the Race” running the Dog5K with her sponsor, Erin, representing all of Home for Life's special animals at the 4th Annual Dog Day 5k in Waconia, MN, (for which Home for Life was the Best in Show sponsor), and inspiring our donors who made pledges to support Nike's participation in the race. See photos of Nike on race day here. Nike and all our animals at Home for Life are survivors: survivors of abuse, neglect, abandonment, and of the heartbreak of being unwanted. Despite the injustices they have suffered, they have overcome great odds to move beyond these circumstances and have never let their past limit their present, making the best of the opportunity for a second chance at happiness at Home for Life Sanctuary. We may provide help along the way but our animals's spirits are the real reason for their resilience.
At Home for Life, we have several animals named for super heroes: Spiderman, Bullwinkle, Robin, Batman, Rocky, Luke Skywalker, Dora the Explorer, and Buzz Lightyear,suggesting the idea of a blog post with the super hero theme. I thought the blog topic would be easy to write about. Instead it has taken months as I considered the question: What's in a name? Trying to define what makes a superhero is as difficult as trying to prove that our animals' have a spirit, a soul that has given them the strength to rise above the tragedies they have faced.
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“To me, animals have all the traits indicative of soul. For soul is not something we can see or measure...No one can prove that animals have souls. Asking for proof would be like demanding proof that I love my wife and children, or wanting me to prove that Handel's Messiah is a glorious masterpiece of music. Some truths simply cannot be demonstrated. But if we open our hearts to other creatures and allow ourselves to sympathize with their joys and struggles, we will find they have the power to touch and transform us. There is an inwardness in other creatures that awakens what is innermost in ourselves.”
― Gary Kowalski, The Souls of Animals
― Gary Kowalski, The Souls of Animals
It's possible to describe the many features of a superhero but a superhero will always be more than the sum of the parts. Louis Armstrong said about jazz " if you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know". If you have to ask what a superhero is, if you have to ask if an animal has a spirit, a soul, you'll never know.
According to Wikipedia, a true superhero possesses the following qualities:
Take Home
for Life's Luke Skywalker, a young boxer that was rendered paraplegic at just 6
weeks of age, when his former owners stepped on him, severing his spine in two.
Surrendered to the Boxer Rescue in Washington State, adorable Luke was facing
euthanasia. The rescue coordinators loved this spirited puppy but didn't know
how they could find a home for a dog who was paraplegic and incontinent. The
veterinarian who ran the boxer rescue called Luke “Luke Spinal walker” because,
although his spine had been totally severed - cut in half - due to the accident
which occurred when a puppy - he could still
walk with all four legs even though he had no feeling in his back legs
from the waist down.
At Home for Life, Luke has a custom made cart that helps him get
around town. He loves to run in it at top speed. Luke is on a schedule,
consisting of two hour intervals, like all our paraplegic dogs: in his cart 2
hours and then out of his cart two hours. It's very tiring for our paraplegics
to be in their carts even though it enables them to be mobile, because all
their weight is on their front end. Luke forgoes stirrups in his cart so he can
walk with his hind legs even when supported by his cart. When out of his cart,
we have witnessed him standing up and then proceeding to walk on all of his
four legs. Amazing! With a severed spine he shouldn't be able to walk at all
with his hind legs- in his cart or not. Logic dictates that he should have no
feeling and no nerve control to use his hind legs. Yet Luke can walk both in
his cart and yes, sometimes without his cart. Defying all logic and the laws of
physics, Luke Skywalker walks. But more than this Luke never has lost his will
to enjoy his life to the fullest despite his disability. It is for dogs like Luke that we created Home
for Life!
- A strong moral code, including a willingness to risk one's own safety in the
service of good without expectation of reward.
Rocky is a Miniature Pinscher mix who has had a drive - from
puppy hood - to protect his tribe, his family.
He was never trained for this calling - his sense of duty and
responsibility is inborn. His former owners had purchased Rocky and his brother
as pups. Rocky as the elder, felt his responsibility and was always protective
and assertive. His puppy brother in contrast was mellow and easy-going, leaving
the heavy lifting to Rocky. When Rocky's owners had a baby of their own,
Rocky’s protective attributes were regarded as a liability rather than an
asset, and they vigorously sought another situation for him. The problem was
that Rocky was regarded as aggressive and therefore “unadoptable” and placement
thru a shelter or rescue was not an option for him. When his owners approached us, in desperation
to save their dog's life, we figured we could handle one small dog who was soon
to be homeless and agreed to accept him at the sanctuary.
Rocky now lives in our main building and is the sentinel - self-appointed - on alert to all comings and goings during the busy days at Home for Life. Rocky's super power is his talent for discernment, and his ability to quickly evaluate and scrutinize strangers. I have no doubt that Rocky would give his life to protect Home for Life if he determined there was a risk. Despite his small size Rocky is fearless, and is not intimidated by larger dogs or people who believe his calling is misguided and that he should be “rehabilitated”. On the contrary Rocky knows his heart and is faithful to his calling. His courage and protective instincts are valued at Home for Life. He is very well behaved, always comes when called, listens well and is very smart- . At Home for Life this courageous little dog has found a job and his true calling, as the gate keeper and protector of the sanctuary's main building.
Rocky now lives in our main building and is the sentinel - self-appointed - on alert to all comings and goings during the busy days at Home for Life. Rocky's super power is his talent for discernment, and his ability to quickly evaluate and scrutinize strangers. I have no doubt that Rocky would give his life to protect Home for Life if he determined there was a risk. Despite his small size Rocky is fearless, and is not intimidated by larger dogs or people who believe his calling is misguided and that he should be “rehabilitated”. On the contrary Rocky knows his heart and is faithful to his calling. His courage and protective instincts are valued at Home for Life. He is very well behaved, always comes when called, listens well and is very smart- . At Home for Life this courageous little dog has found a job and his true calling, as the gate keeper and protector of the sanctuary's main building.
- A sense of responsibility (e.g. Spider-Man), a formal calling (e.g., Wonder Woman), a
personal vendetta against criminals (e.g. Batman), or a strong belief in justice
and humanitarian service (e.g. Superman)
When we learned of the
circumstances surrounding Spiderman's predicament, it was clear that this was
yet another herding breed that was being mislabeled as aggressive for doing
what came naturally- enthusiastically herding stray neighbors and kids. With
Spider, his American Eskimo heritage turbo-charged the intensity of his
efforts. His sense of responsibility, and calling – to herd the children on his
block – was just out of place in his suburban neighborhood. Spiderman has
flourished at Home for Life, where he has plenty of opportunity to work off his
abundant energy and exercise his enthusiasm for keeping track of all activity
at the sanctuary. Upon arrival at Home for Life, anyone can observe Spiderman
running the length of his exercise area, favorite toy “kong” in his mouth.
Checking out the new arrivals, he returns to his dog apartment at top speed to
report back to his dog group- older and more sedate, they leave the sentinel
duties to Spiderman
- A secret identity that
protects the superhero's friends and family from becoming targets of his or her
enemies, such as Clark Kent (Superman), or to protect themselves from
getting arrested by the police, like Spider-Man, although many superheroes have a
confidant (usually a friend or relative who has been sworn to secrecy).
Robin is one of our feline leukemia cats whose secret identity is that of a feral cat . Self-preservation resulted
in the feral and ever wary behavior which afforded the protection Robin and his
feline friends needed to survive. His authentic purrsonality has emerged over
the years at Home for Life: a shy but sweet and appreciative boy. Robin is also leukemia positive. Robin has lived at Home for Life for many
years, and has thrived in our protected environment which still affords him
plenty of freedom and the opportunity to go outside but also to retreat indoors
when he is cold or tired. This simple luxury was an elusive comfort in the hard
years that Robin experienced before a very kind benefactor, who was feeding him
near the University of Minnesota, asked Home for Life to take him in. She became his loyal sponsor and visits him
at our annual open house.
Most feral cats become shy and wary out of
necessity due to the many risks they face trying to exist on the streets-
dodging cars, predators, dogs and mean people. Once they know they are safe and
won't be hurt, they can become comfortable around humans and even affectionate
though they may always prefer the friendship of other cats.
- An underlying motif or theme that
affects the hero's name, costume, personal effects, and other aspects of his or
her character (e.g., Batman wears a bat-themed costume, uses bat-themed gadgetry and
equipment and operates at night; Spider-Man can shoot webs from his
hands, has a spider web pattern on his costume, and other spider-like
abilities).
Our Batman comes by his name honestly. Black with a
distinctive Bat like “look” Batman is believed to be cross between
a pug and Chihuahua. He also sports the comic book collar by Wiggles, Wags and
Whiskers. Bats seem playful to me;' they swoop around the security night lights
at the sanctuary, in pursuit of bugs. Batman the dog also swoops around the
feline leukemia building where he grabs a toy and prances around, so much the
better if the toy squeaks. All in good fun, Batman will also playfully swoop
after some of our feline leukemia cats in the feline leukemia cattery where he
resides. The cats pretend to be scared and run and a chase ensues. Batman only
tries to catch them; if he did then the thrill of the chase would be over. Bats are feared by many people but are
actually very benign creatures who eat pesty bugs, mind their own business and
sleep during the day. Sharing many characteristics with bats, our Batman also
likes to sleep during the day, and is known by the cats as a benign, gentle and
fun-loving dog.
- A supporting cast of recurring characters,
including the hero's friends, co-workers and/or love interests, who may or may
not know of the superhero's secret identity. Often the hero's personal relationships
are complicated by this dual life, a common theme in Spider-Man and Batman stories in particular.
Batman's dear friend is
Pumpkin with whom he was confiscated then surrendered to Home for Life. Read
their story at the link under Batman's name above.
Buzz Lightyear, right, is one
of our FIV+ cats. Our FIV+ cats are a charming group of imposing former
tomcats, all huge, who have left their tomcat days behind. Buzz is a stunning and handsome grey and
white short hair neutered male. He lacks a “big” personality but is a true
survivor. Buzz came to Home for Life from a Western Minnesota animal control
facility where he had been turned in as a starving stray. While caged at the impound,
he was still so gentle, and unassuming that the animal control officers longed
to see Buzz land on his feet in a safe setting. They contacted Home for Life
for help on his behalf when no rescue or shelter would take him into their
programs, because they simply didn't think that he could be adopted due to his
FIV+ status and his mature age. Although his quiet and understated demeanor
might fool some, Buzz possesses a hopeful, radiant spirit that touched the
animal control officers and enabled him to survive abandonment, his time at the
animal control facility and adaptation to his new life at the sanctuary. Read
about our FIV+ cattery and FIV+ cats at the link at Buzz's name above. .
Ashley believes Bullwinkle is wonderful, handsome and strong, but more
importantly kind. He is patient with Ashley, who uses a wheelchair. Initially
Ashley had to challenge our superhero, over food -naturally. Early on in their relationship,
she tried to steal his breakfast, and Bullwinkle stood his ground. After this
early incident, Ashley and Bullwinkle have been able to establish some common
ground and mutual understanding. A few months before Bullwinkle came to HFL,
Ashley had tragically lost her best friend, a paraplegic Thai street dog named
chok dee (the Thai language does not use capitals) due
to cancer. She was lonely and mournful after chok dee's untimely death. A few
months after chok dee's death, enter Bulllwinkle, who was facing euthanasia and
came to HFL when no other rescue or shelter would accept him due to his prior
background of alleged aggression, poor eyesight, and separation anxiety. At age eight, Bullwinkle was considered a senior
dog but was the same age as Ashley. As a collie mix, Bullwinkle is lanky and streamlined,
fast on his feet. Yet he will modify his
pace for Ashley so they can run and play together .Bullwinkle's afflictions
leading to his surrender to Home for Life - alleged aggression and separation
anxiety- have become irrelevant. As far as Ashley is concerned, Bullwinkle is
her comrade and friend, a dog who has enhanced her life and given her companionship
and friendship, accepting her despite her challenging personality and
disability.
Ashley and Bullwinkle
- A rotating list of enemies that he/she fights
repeatedly. In some
cases superheroes begin by fighting run-of-the-mill criminals before supervillains surface
in their respective story lines. In many cases the hero is in part responsible
for the appearance of these supervillains (the Scorpion was created as the perfect
enemy to defeat Spider-Man; and characters in Batman's comics often accuse him of
creating the villains he fights). Often superheroes have an archenemy who is especially
threatening. Often a nemesis is a superhero's doppelganger or foil (e.g., Sabretooth embraces his savage instincts while Wolverine tries
to control his; Batman is dark, taciturn, and grim, while the Joker is
colorful, loquacious, and flamboyant).
In the many years of
participating in animal rescue, I have concluded that most people
– and animals- are good in their heart. I'd estimate 90% + are good. But most
people in animal rescue- maybe in order to motivate themselves?- need to create villains. Can we do “rescue”
if there do not exist terrible people and even evil villains to rescue the
animals from? As the above feature of the superhero definition suggests,
the hero is in part responsible for the appearance of these “supervillains”
It’s so much more dramatic- and satisfying- to rescue a dog or cat from some evil, heinous villain. It makes the stories we tell about ourselves and we rescuers
feel better- like superheroes! But in fact, most people who have animals that
they need rescue for and help with are not bad- they are just overwhelmed, or
have found themselves in a situation that they need help with. They have no
money to take care of the animals, or the animal has developed a behavior issue
that they cannot cope with in their environment. While I used to become angry at people who
wanted to surrender animals to Home for Life, after 15 years working at the
sanctuary, it's become more and more difficult for me to demonize those people
who ask for our help. And I believe the same is true for the animals we help,
especially those who come to us as incorrigible cases. They usually are not bad
dogs or cats, but just misunderstood or in a situation that has become more
than they can cope with.
- Independent wealth (e.g., Batman or the X-Men's bene
factor Professor X) or an occupation that allows for minimal supervision (e.g., Superman's civilian job as a reporter).
factor Professor X) or an occupation that allows for minimal supervision (e.g., Superman's civilian job as a reporter).
Home for Life has no
independent wealth. Annually, I am amazed that we have made it thru another
year. We are eternally grateful to you, our generous supporters and
sponsors-who make Home for Life's lifesaving work possible. How can we ever
thank you enough? You have made it possible for us to save the dogs and cats-
like our superheroes profiled here- who otherwise would have no other
alternative, and nowhere else to turn.
- A headquarters or base of operations, usually kept
hidden from the general public (e.g., Superman's Fortress of Solitude or Batman's Batcave).
Well headquarters could
only be Home for Life Sanctuary. While not hidden like the Batcave, our
facility is not open to the public like an animal control facility or humane
society. The Sanctuary is our animals' home and to maintain the serene and
peaceful setting and routine, tours are at scheduled times. We also have
regular open houses- see photos from our July 27, 2013 open house here: https://picasaweb.google.com/mluinenburg/RideForTheirLives2013
A backstory that explains the circumstances by which the character acquired his or her abilities as well as his or her motivation for becoming a superhero. Many origin stories involve tragic elements and/or freak accidents that result in the development of the hero's abilities.
A backstory that explains the circumstances by which the character acquired his or her abilities as well as his or her motivation for becoming a superhero. Many origin stories involve tragic elements and/or freak accidents that result in the development of the hero's abilities.
Dora the Explorer was a courageous red heeler dog who survived abandonment and also a debilitating disease called Dermatomyositis, an autoimmune condition of the muscles and skin. It's possible that she would have been as endearing and brave had she not had physical challenges to contend with. More likely, her inner qualities would have never emerged, or at least been as apparent, had she not been put to the test by circumstances. Dora had no choice but to become a superhero if she was to live life to the fullest, despite her disability.
Here is the profile I wrote for her, shortly after she arrived at Home for Life:
Dora was found abandoned in the woods in rural Missouri, starving, emaciated and in obvious need of medical care, at a mere six months old. The individual who found her forlorn and alone could not keep her but brought her to a local veterinary clinic, hoping to find help on her behalf. Fortunately for Dora, the veterinarian and his wife were very kind people and not only took Dora in but also worked diligently to restore her health. With good food and care, Dora's weight stabilized, and she was able to be spayed. She never grew very big, and has remained a small and dainty dog. While her overall condition improved thanks to the care provided by the veterinarian and his wife, her appearance remained baffling; Dora was missing fur on her face and in patches on her feet, tail and other spots on her body. Dora underwent testing to rule out the most obvious explanations for her condition and unconventional appearance: allergies, mange or parasites like mites. All of these possible causes were excluded. While a diagnosis was sought for Dora's symptoms, the vet and his wife tried as hard as they could to place Dora with a rescue or shelter who they hoped would find her a home of her own. Dora was gentle and courageous, good with all people and other animals. But because of the way she looked and her perplexing health issues, no adoption program would take Dora on, and after over a year of effort to place Dora, the vet and his wife worried that Dora would have to spend the rest of her life in a kennel cage at the clinic.
One of the rescue groups the vet contacted about Dora referred him to Home for Life. Like everyone else we were taken aback by Dora's photos but our heart went out to this young dog whom the vet and his wife described as brave and gentle, a rare spirit with a strong will to live. They had just taken a skin biopsy and sent it to a veterinary pathologist as the last effort to establish a cause for her condition which would determine a way to treat her. The pathologist came back with a diagnosis: based on the skin biopsy he thought Dora either had lupus or more likely dermatomyositis: an autoimmune disease found in heelers also known as cattle dogs, which causes inflammation of the skin and muscles.
Once Dora arrived at Home for Life, we sought treatment and guidance for her from dermatology specialists at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center. There, the diagnosis of dermatomyositis was confirmed, and a treatment plan set up to provide Dora the best possible quality of life. Dora saw her veterinary specialist at the U every 6-8 weeks and was on a protocol of medicines which control her symptoms and halt the progression of the disease. We don't know how long we will have Dora with us or how long we will be able to keep her comfortable to assure her quality of life. For now, Dora epitomizes the saying "life may be short but its wide". She is happy, comfortable and lets us know that she appreciates all the loving care she receives at Home for Life. She takes her daily medication in liver sausage, her favorite treat, and loves to run in the meadow with her dog friends including her best friend Igor. She loves to sunbathe on the couch in the front entrance of our main building and loves attention from our staff and visitors.
Although the prognosis for dogs diagnosed with dermatomyositis is guarded, we wanted to give Dora the opportunity to have her own home, a home for life which she has found at our sanctuary. At Home for Life, Dora lives in our main building where she is never caged or kenneled and enjoys the loving attention of our staff who are in the building all day throughout the day and where she gets to greet all visitors and tourists who come to Home for Life. Her favorite spot is on the couch in the front entrance, where the big windows create a solarium effect, warm and bright even in the winter. She enjoys the company of our other "kitchen dogs" who live in the main building but her best friend is Igor, an older blind Lhasa Apso cross who, like the always cheerful Dora stays on the sunny side of life despite physical challenges.
We lost her just about a week ago, while the writing of this blog post was in progress. Even though she suffered from a disease with a poor prognosis,her sudden loss was unbelievable as she had just started a new protocol of medications and had responded so well. With her condition so much improved, she was scheduled to begin a course of treatment of IGB to boost her immune system. It seemed like we had finally found the magic bullet that would help heal her skin and give her a chance to live like a normal dog as she so wanted to do. But she never got the chance.It's especially hard to accept the injustice of her loss when a brave and gentle dog, and one so young like Dora, suffers from such a debilitating disease and then dies when barely two years old. Life isn't fair and even our best effort as rescuers can't even the score for some animals. Her abrupt loss was even more heartbreaking because she was seemingly getting better. Dora suddenly developed severe diarrhea,then within a few hours became pale and weak. We brought her to the veterinarian within the half hour;there it was determined that Dora was critical and needed to be moved to intensive care. Although our staff did everything to get her to the University ICU immediately, Dora died en route to the hospital. The necropsy revealed an acute hemorrhage from the small intestine, due to the disease.
Dora came to us as an unwanted stray,rejected from shelters and rescues,an unadoptable dog. Once at Home for Life, despite being featured on our website's "Meet the Dog" section, she never had a sponsor, like many of our animals at HFL. Maybe Dora didn't attract sponsor support because the initial impression from her photos was so startling. Yet , Dora was a dog who was never defined by her disfigurement, or even the disease that ultimately claimed her life. Looking back, after the shock of seeing her the first time, I never again really thought about her appearance. As my grief about losing her subsides, what will always touch me when I remember her is her bravery and dignity in the face of being abandoned, unwanted and suffering from the terrible disease, her gentleness, her determination to make the most of everything good in her life and how much she loved liver sausage and treats! Dora was a superhero and that's why her memory will always live in the hearts and souls of those who knew her and helped her along her journey. Like all the superheros of Home for Life, Dora was soulful; her soul lives on and so transcends her physical condition, limitations and her death. Listing and describing all the qualities that make up a superhero really circles around the question. All the qualities that describe a superhero come down to one word: superheros have soul .
