Hugo came to the Durham shelter as an abandonment case: he had been left in the fenced-in back yard of an abandoned house for days on end with no food or water.

Luckily a Good Samaritan called Animal Control, who picked him up and brought him to the shelter on March 6, 2008.

As an abandonment case, Hugo had to wait 10 business days before he became available for adoption, but finally, on March 26, 2008, he met his future mom, the shelter’s volunteer photographer, who fell in love with him and offered to foster him.

He went to his foster home on April 1, 2008, where he immediately loved, and was loved by, his 3 doggy siblings.

After several failed attempts at adoption (his foster mom didn’t think anyone was good enough for him!), he became a "failed foster", and was officially adopted July 28, 2008.

Since his adoption, he has been working to educate people that every dog is an individual, and that no dog should be judged based solely on its breed or breed mix.

Unfortunately, he has discovered that some people cross the street to avoid him, or pick up their little dogs when they see him coming. This makes him very sad as he loves to make new friends, both human and canine. He has truly never met a stranger!

People often ask his mom what kind of dog Hugo is. When told he is a "Pit Bull", they always say "but he’s so nice!" He has welcomed many foster dogs into his home, helped them get settled and feel loved, and ultimately find happy forever homes of their own. He loves to post pictures of his adventures on his Instagram page @hugoworld.

Hugo is a wonderful ambassador for the APS of Durham, and for "Pit Bull-type" dogs!