Hera Queen of the Gods is in Doggy Heaven.

Hera Queen of the Gods

Age 10, September 09, 1999 - November 02, 2009

Hera was the absolute love of my life. She was beautiful inside and out and full of love and kindnes

Hera on her blanket on my bed - her favorite place to rest

Nickname: Hera Zee Beara, Bearie, The Little Queen, The Beau

Hera was perfect in everyway possible. Hera was the absolute canine love of my life. She brought joy and happiness to me each and every moment of every day. She was with me all the time. When I was gone, she would be waiting at the back door for me to walk in. She slept with me every night and sometimes her sweet little head would be on my pillow with her big beautiful brown eyes gazing as me lovingly. She loved to snuggle on the bed - she would walk round and round until she could curl up in the perfect little ball and be warm and comfy. Every morning she would get up and then come back to bed - she would poke around the covers until she found my face and she would poke her beautiful little pink freckle nose right at me to let me know she was there with me. There was never anyone sweeter than Hera. There was not one bad thing about her. She was all good and love and sweetness. that was our Hera the little queen. She ruled the house. During the hot summer months, she would go out and sunbathe on the hot concrete for awhile. We worried about her but I guess she liked the warmth for awhile. When she wanted in, she would jump up and down outside the door just like a jack in the box. We sometimes called her Jumping Jackie.

This letter is to Hera from her Dad: "The eight years that you brought joy to our lives was not nearly enough. To watch your transformation from a timid little girl to the personalble grand dame was a joy to watch. Your passing has left a hole in my heart. For now tears, later sorrow, then hopefully comfort from the precious memories.' Hera please know that your Dad loved you so much - you were his little girl. HIs little Missy B. He would have done anything for you and he did as much as anyone possibly could have. Both Hera and Ezra would sit on each side of their Dad when he came home and on the weekends. He would be petting both of his "girls" and we called them the bookends because they looked so much alike. Now our bookends are gone and our familiy is broken.

On New Years Eve 2008 Hera was diagnosed with bone cancer in her jaw. We went to UC Davis the very next week where they removed her lower right jaw. Hera underwent six chemotherapy treatments after that. Even without her lower right jaw, she learned to eat and drink again and she did that with grace and style. She was a messy eater after that but we didn't mind any kind of mess that she would make. We would just help her eat and clean her up and clean up her eating area after each meal. In June 2009 she had cancer screenings and we were told she was cancer free and we were giving her an average of 12 to 24 more months. We were so jubliant with the fact that she would be with us longer. Then two months ago Hera started having trouble walking and getting up and down. We had full x-rays and blood work done up twice and nothing showed up. So again went to UC Davis - we thought she had arthritis. But no signs of arthritis and no signs of cancer. She get getting more painful and more crying out when she moved. Again to UC Davis where they perforned a bone scan just to rule out cancer, They had always told us that once the cancer is removed in the jaw and the chemo is performed that it does not show up in different parts of the body. So I was relieved with that information. However, two tumors showed up in the bone scan, one on her spine and one on her rib. And that is why my sweet little darling was in so much pain all this time. She was on 4 different pain medications 3 times a day but nothing was touching the pain. The vets told us they could give her radiation in the 2 tumors as a hospice type treatment and that would take away the pain for several weeks, if not months. And Hera could have some time with us to be pain free and do the things she liked to do for awhile. Of course, we said yes please do that for her. The radiation did not work - when we picked her up from that, she was almost crippled. She never recovered and each day was more and more painful. She could not get up and go to the bathroom She tried so hard to get up for us and walk outside. She didn't want to leave us. But her body would not obey her mind. She asked me to help her to be pain free I could see if in her little eyes and she would reach her hand out to me and touch me repeatedly. Last Tuesday we helped her find the peace she so deserved. Our hearts and sould are broken without Hera. She was our little family. We also have another girl, Ezra who is 5 - she is a White German Shepherd . Togehter they were our girls. Now our little family is broken and will never be the same again. The two girls would run around outside by the pool and behind the trees, Russell callled them the white flashes.

I have attached some pictures of Hera and you can see how beautiful and sweet that she is. She was perfect in all aspects of her life. Her heart was as big as her beautiful brown eyes. She loved to eat with us and she loved to walk with us. She loved us more than anything. She loved curling up in her big bed with her toys. She has a pillow in her bed that reads: It is good to be QUEEN. Every meal time, Hera would patrol the kitchen and point her head at me in the direction of the kitchen. If I didn't get right to feeding her at the exact time each day, she would walk around and start talking to us to prod us to go to the kitchen. She was a sweet little angel girl but she had a deep voice. It was really funny to watch and hear her talk in that deep voice of hers. She would dance around the kitchen, up and down and twirling until she got what she wanted - her food. She loved to eat all the good things I made her. During her last few days, she had omelets for breakfast and she really enjoyed those.

Part of my heart feels like Hera would like me to find another little girl like her and give her a good loving home. And I am trying to think like that. There will always be more love in this house for Hera and others like her although Hera is one of a kind and can and will never be replaced. But we know there are so many little ones that need a loving home and that is what we have here for the White German Shepherds.

Hera was adopted from a local breeder when she was two years old. The breeder was very careful and diligent in finding Hera a good loving home. I Understand there were many poeple who wanted to adopt Hera but we were the fortunate ones. I think the local breeder saw that we were the ones that would take excellent care of their Hera. Hera was two years old when we adopted her and she was shy and so timid. It took awhile before she discovered that she actually had a personality. And once she did, she was exceptional in all that she did. She loved to play volleyball in the pool with our Granddaughter, Natallee. Hera would be at the side of the pool and Natalee would throw the large beach ball to Hera, Hera would bat it back just perfectly with her nose. They would do that for hours in the summer. Hera followed me wherever I went. She was in the office with me when I was working everyday. She waited outside the shower for me - even putting her beautiful little face at the shower door. I would wipe off the steam so she could see me and I could see her. I love her so much she is in my heart forever.

Hera was so loved. I just don't understand why such a beautiful little soul would have to suffer and be taken away from a loving home much too soon. We have always had canine famiily members and they have been with us for 12 to 16 years prior to Hera. Hera was only 10. Why did that have to happen to her? I will never understand that. We thought we had weeks and months to take her to the beach and give her the Pumpkin Pie and whipped cream that she absolutely loved. She would almost take the pie right out of your hand she loved it so much.

Hera loved when Natalee came to visit. They were like two little sisters. Playing and cuddling. All three of us would share the bed. Hera, of course, had the middle and Natalee and I would lay around Hera the best we could making sure that Hera was the most comfortable on the bed. Hera also loved when our friend from Northern California Kim came to visit. Kim would tell her she was such a good little girl. I don't know how I will go on without you Hera. I expected to watch Hera grow old gracefully and sit with me by the fireplace and watch movies. Part of Hera was such a couch potato. Hera also loved her massages she got from Cindy Lea Sambueso - Cindy absolutely has that loving special touch. She would touch and massage Hera and Hera would just melt into her bed just in pure ecstasy. I believe she would be painfree during that time Cindy spent with her. Cindy thank you so much for spending time with my little special sweetheart.

Hera I know that you are playing somewhere with your healthy body - probably running after squirrels and knowing that we loved you so much. My friends tell me that Hera is with all of our pets and the pets of my friends that we have loved so much over time. Hera please know that you are so missed by all of us, Mom, Dad, Ezra and Natalee. Even your Nana loved you because she knows how much I loved you. Nana is my Mom and she has been such a wonderful loving comfort to me. I don't know what I would do without my mother and my husband and my firend Kim during all of this. And, my neighbor Nikki who knows exactly how it feels to lose a canine loved one.

A special thank you to Dr. Stephanie Scheidt who always took my phone calls and Dr. Rick Constantino who came to our home in our time of need and Shelly who would talk to me daily and try to help me feel better about everything. Hera was loved by all at the Sierra View Animal Hospital, She was called beautiful, gorgeous and regal by the staff there. Dr. Scheidt told me that I had given the greatest gift of all to Hera in letting her go to be in peace. I keep telling myself that over and over and I keep asking Dr. Scheidt to tell me that over and over until I actually believe it myself.

I know that her doctors at UC Davis all loved her and did everything they could to help our little one. I want to thank all the doctors for that. I only wish I would have had a few more days with her. Also special thank you to Dr. Rodriquez, Dr. Rebhun, Dr. Fiani, Dr. Peralta and Dr. Svivek at UC Davis as well as the staff and all the students that were assigned to our sweet little one each time she spent time at UC Davis.

Eight years was not enough to enjoy that little sweet person. All you ever did was give love and comfort. You loved your family and your home and it will never be the same again. You will forever be in our hearts and we see you everywhere we go. My friend Kim said that you are in the beautiful blue sky watching over all of us and wishing up happiness.

Love, your Mom, Dad and Ezra

The Kolanders
2009