Painter Julie Hedrick describes how her daughter convinced her to rescue a neglected dog in Brooklyn called Abby, and how Abby learned what it means to be a dog and be loved when she met Henry. Video by Miranda Loud 2013.
Our daughter was living in Williamsburg with two roommates from California. One of them had brought this tiny little puppy that was as big as the palm of your hand in a little bag on the airplane when she flew to New York. She named her Abby. They all moved in together and started school. It all fell apart very quickly. Jill didn’t train Abby, didn’t walk her. She was off at school all day so little Abigail had to fend for herself. She had no idea what it meant to go outside, walk and be a dog. She didn’t know how to be a dog.
And right around that time, we asked our daughter if she’d take care of our dog Henry while we were away for a couple of weeks. Henry came to New York and Henry got walked every day at the dog park and played and played. He would get so tired that Ari would have to carry him home in her arms, and Henry really bonded with little Abby. She kind of got a sense of what it means to be a dog. You walk, you explore, you play with other dogs.
We came home and everyone was happy, took Henry home, but after that, things went from bad to worse for Abigail after that. Soon, we received an email from our daughter with a photo of Abby with a bow in her hair and all brushed saying “Please will you adopt me?” So, we picked her up one night. It was very stealth, coming into Williamsburg. We opened the door of the car and came upstate with this little dog. We got Abby here and she didn’t know how to be housetrained, but after the first night, Henry showed her and she learned. Henry also taught her how to go up and down the stairs.
Henry is a male Llama who hails from a farm in New Hampshire. The sheep are Henry’s family. He checks on the lambs when they are born and is protective of his flock every minute of the day. He’s perfect for this job and adores his co-llama partner in protection, Julia. Llamas are known for their strength of character and for their stalwart ability to provide protection from predators to other animals.
Ellen R.
I met Henry for the first time when he was 5 weeks old when he was living upstairs from where I work. I learned that the owner had left him, his brother and his parents alone for two weeks, and discovered him in a recycling box full of feces when I went into the apartment. I happened to be at the vet and asked him what to do. The vet said you need to take the puppies until he comes back or they could get sick. After the owner came back, a few weeks went by and then he called and said I’m moving and you need to take the dogs right away. So, I adopted him and a friend adopted his brother so that they can stay in touch and have play dates. I recently discovered that his parents never leave the apartment and when I walked Henry’s father, he didn’t know what to do outside since he’d never seen another dog outside the apartment.
Henry is so loving, so kind and patient with us. He’s a wonderful dog in every way, and we’re so lucky to have him in our family. He’s a herd dog and loves to herd the canada geese at the park. He inspires us with his openness and his playfulness. He’s only seven months old and we look forward to seeing him grow.
