Hershey's Story: The Dog Behind NUFF
Hershey was abandoned on a highway in Jeita after being abused and having her puppies taken.
When we adopted her, she could still walk. But she was terrified of everything.
Her head was always down. Her tail tucked. She moved with her body close to the floor, sometimes crawling instead of walking. The sound of a fridge door closing made her shiver. When we tried to measure her for a bed, she cried and shook, thinking we would hurt her.
This wasn't a nervous dog. This was a traumatized dog who had learned that humans cause pain.
But Hershey started to heal. Not completely. Trauma doesn't just disappear. She still had her moments. But with the right approach, with safety and patience, she learned to cope. She survived. She got better with time.
Hershey found joy in the outdoors. She loved hiking. Whenever we got near a lake or river, she'd get the zoomies, jumping everywhere, so happy. Nature became her safe place.
Then one day, everything changed.
Hershey's walk was different. Wrong. We took her to multiple veterinarians, trying to understand what was happening. The abuse had damaged the discs in her back severely. This was a different kind of damage.
We did her first MRI, followed by surgery. But it didn't improve her condition. She worsened.
Our search for specialists led us to Dr. Roy and Dr. Daria. They reviewed Hershey's case and advised another MRI to understand the full extent of the damage.
When the results came in, Dr. Roy was honest with us. The surgery had a 40% chance of success. After the surgery, Hershey would need three months of physiotherapy. If she didn't walk by then, she might never walk again.
We decided to move forward. We had to try.
Before the second surgery, we realized we needed financial help. Lebanon was in the middle of an economic crisis. We reached out on social media, not knowing what to expect.
People donated. Strangers helped save Hershey. Their support gave us so much strength. We weren't alone anymore. Without them, we might still be asking ourselves "what if?" We had to know we tried everything.
On August 5th, 2021, Hershey had the surgery.
After the surgery, Hershey went through physiotherapy with Dr. Sandra. The three months passed. She didn't walk.
We didn't want to believe it. We kept going.
For a year and a half, Hershey continued with Dr. Sandra. Physical therapy, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy. She endured it all.
During those eighteen months, we created supplements specifically for her after a lot of research. Peanut butter with turmeric to ease her inflammation, not just in her joints but also from bladder complications since she can't pee alone. Peanut butter with moringa to help her build muscle. They helped her a lot.
She didn't regain her ability to walk. Her nerves couldn't heal enough for that. But she became able to move her legs.
We continued her exercises at home. We got a machine for muscle stimulation. Hershey didn't like it, but she did it every day. We kept going to prevent muscle loss in her legs.
Logically, we know she won't walk again. But there's always that small chance. Miracles can happen. Nerves might heal. So we keep her muscles strong. Just in case.
We accepted the reality. We adapted. Our house is designed around her now. Carpets and foam puzzle mats so she doesn't slip. She has a wheelchair. And she's still that stubborn dog. She still loves hiking, even with limitations. She still shreds napkins. She's always eating, always asking for more food. She's happy.
Those supplements we made for her, the peanut butter with turmeric, the peanut butter with moringa, other dogs needed them too. Dogs with joint pain. Dogs with inflammation, even the kind we might not notice. Dogs with mobility issues. That's how NUFF started.
NUFF exists because Hershey exists. Every product we make is held to the standard she deserves. Not because she has special needs. Because she's as special as every dog.
People still ask why we didn't just euthanize her. We ask them: why would we?