Name/Age: Hugo - 10 y/o
Family Members: Emily & Josh - Kids: Audra (1), Everett (3)
How long has Hugo been in the family? Almost 9 years
Professions: Transportation Consultant and Environmental Consultant
Location: Decatur, GA
Nicknames: Bears, Hugo Bears
5 words/phrases that best describe Hugo?
Eternally Youthful
Loving Big Brother
Snuggly
Loyal
Sneaky
What makes Hugo unique? Hugo is very transparent with his feelings. We can tell when he’s happy, sad, scheming, concerned, feeling protective of his human siblings, and everything in between. He evens sighs loudly and slightly passive-aggressively when he’s clearly bored with whatever we’re doing and ready to move on.
Chewer of sticks!
Rescue Story: Josh and I adopted Hugo from the Atlanta Humane Society. We lived in an apartment at the time, and were looking for a dog that didn’t seem to bark too much and would be a good neighbor. Hugo was the only dog in a long row of kennels not barking, but just watching us. There was a note on his door saying that this dog had recently been returned by someone who had tried to adopt him. We took a chance and pulled him out for a playdate outside. Hugo came alive outside and darted back and forth between each of us. He was so happy and showed us his sweet personality that first day. We took him home and he has been a core part of the family since then. Sometimes we try to guess why he was returned by his previous owner– did he need too many snuggles? Was he too clever? Too kind? It doesn’t matter, because now he's all ours.
Hugo settling in to his forever home!
What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love to go walking and hiking with Hugo. He has to be in front, which conflicts with my 3-year old’s preference of walking with sticks, so we’ve had to get Hugo to hold back a bit recently. He seems to be okay though. While walking around the neighborhood on hot days, Hugo likes to roll on his back in almost every front yard he passes until he finds the perfect one to cool him down.
What is life like since you rescued Hugo? Josh and I became even more of a family when we rescued Hugo. Our weekends were centered around ways that we could spend more time with Hugo: parks, restaurants with dog-friendly patios, etc. Since our children were born, Hugo has been ever watchful of them. He follows our 1-year old around from room to room just far enough away to give her space, while keeping an eye on her (or the food she’s likely to drop). Hugo is their big brother, our first child.
Photographers Note: Watching Hugo with his tiny humans, is just so cute. He keeps an eye out for them but as stated above does allow them their space. He is of course thrilled when they become treat dispensers as well, if that’s intentional or accidental. When a dog has been a family member for awhile before the human siblings arrive, it’s always interesting to see how they react to that change. Hugo clearly has taken it in stride and moved right into the role of Big Brother without missing a beat.