Current/Retiring

Helena currently has a litter on the ground and will be retired once all puppies are fully weaned. She was spayed and gastropexied during her emergency C-section. Her full story is below, along with her completed health testing and titles. 

Pedigree

OFA LINK 

Embark Results 

PHOTO ALBUM 

Hellena is a stunning black & Red Long-Coat female, 

imported from Serbia on 08/01/2025 to strengthen the foundation of our program. She brings with her 

an outstanding combination of structure,
temperament, and proven ability, holding prestigious 

titles including V1 and SG1 show ratings, 

the working title of IGP-1, temperment test BH-VT, 

and her breed survey (KKL).

Hellena commands attention with her  elegant yet 

powerful presence. She possesses fluid, effortless 

movement, a strong, level topline,

and rich pigmentation that reflects the beauty 

of the West German Show Line. Her confident stable temperament and correct structure make her not 

only a standout in the ring and on the field but 

also a valuable contributor to our vision for the breed.

We are honored to have had Helena in our program, and we are deeply grateful for the quality, type, and drive she has passed on to her puppies. 

Registered name: Hela Von Angsthof 

Registration#DN76745902 Microchip# 688038000244662

Call Name: Helena DOB: 03/10/2021 Color: Black & Red

Coat type: Long-Coat Weight:78lbs Height:23in

Tittles: V1, SG1, IGP-1, BH-VT, KKL

Health tests: Hips SV - A1 (A-Normal),

Elbows SV - Normal, Cardiac Normal,

Eyes Normal, Dentition Full,

DM Clear, vWD1 Clear, MDR1 Clear,

Clear for 270+ genetic diseases 

Owned by: Kayla Fisher

Von WestLynn German Shepherds

Helena is now okay, and her puppies are stable, however, this was not the update we hoped to share.

Warning: This update contains medical and reproductive loss details that may be graphic and upsetting for some to read.

This is not talked about enough, especially for those new to breeding who often see only cute puppies and happy announcements. Behind every litter are real risks, real emergencies, and sometimes devastating loss. If you know me, you know I refuse to stay quiet about the hard or uncomfortable parts of this responsibility. I believe deeply in transparency, even when the truth is painful, because sugarcoating these experiences does a disservice to the dogs, to the people who love and advocate for them, and to those just beginning to step into the ethical world of dog breeding. If we want to protect our dogs and do better by them, we have to be willing to talk honestly about both the joy and the heartbreak that can come with breeding.

Hellena went into labor on Thursday afternoon and delivered six puppies by 9:45 PM. At that point, we believed she had finished whelping. Unfortunately, approximately seven hours later, she delivered another male puppy. Despite our best efforts and veterinary support, he experienced multiple complications and sadly passed away peacefully beside his mother.

Early Friday morning at 6:30 AM, Hellena delivered another puppy. Tragically, this female puppy was born stillborn.

Due to the prolonged labor and losses, Hellena was taken to our primary veterinarian, where X-rays revealed that she still had another puppy retained. The puppy was very large, and it was determined that Hellena was unable to safely deliver him naturally. She was immediately transferred to an emergency veterinary hospital, where an emergency C-section was performed.

During surgery, the attending veterinarian determined that Hellena’s uterus was extremely thin and compromised, making it unsafe for her to ever carry another litter. For her safety and long-term well-being, she was spayed and gastropexied during the procedure.

During the C-section, the veterinarian called me back to the operating room to personally show me Helena’s uterus and explain that it was paper-thin and that she should never be bred again. Following surgery, the veterinarian advised that, based on the condition of her uterus, Hellena had likely carried significantly more litters than the two I was told about prior to her joining my program, estimating six to seven litters total.

This information was not known to me at the time of breeding. Had I been aware of the full extent of Hellena’s prior breeding history, she would not have been bred again under any circumstances. Learning this after the fact has been devastating.

I have taken this extremely hard. I have cried for the last 72 hours, questioned every decision I made, and carried a tremendous amount of guilt — even knowing that my choices were made based on the information available to me at the time. I hold myself to very high ethical standards, and I would never knowingly allow a female in my program to have more than four litters, even if she were otherwise in excellent health.

When Hellena came to me, she was severely underweight at 52 pounds. With proper nutrition, veterinary care, and conditioning, she improved significantly and weighed 78 pounds at the time of breeding. Based on the information available to me at the time, both my primary reproduction veterinarian and I agreed that it was safe for her to have another litter. Hellena was in excellent condition at the time the breeding took place and remained healthy throughout her pregnancy.

In total, our beautiful girl had nine puppies — six boys and three girls. Sadly, three of her puppies were lost during the difficult whelping process, but the remaining six are healthy, including four boys and two girls.

This experience has been heartbreaking. While everyone at Von WestLynn mourns the puppies we lost, we are incredibly grateful that Hellena survived and is now recovering. She is officially retired from my breeding program and will spend the rest of her life as a cherished companion, never again being put at risk.

My commitment has always been — and will continue to be — the health, safety, and welfare of our dogs above all else.