Shelter’s Edge

In 1999, Geauga Humane Society was a small, worthy, but underfunded organization working from an uninviting, substandard shelter that made good husbandry almost impossible and attracting adopters a major challenge. Within just two years, the organization raised over $2 million and opened Rescue Village, a new state-of-the-art facility where people of all ages now come together to care for and celebrate animals. This is the story of Hugh, the plain brown street dog who became the centerpiece of the campaign to build Rescue Village.

Not long after we opened Rescue Village, Hugh’s personal trainer Sharon Harvey asked if she could adopt him. Although it meant the Mayor wouldn’t always be at the shelter to greet visitors, we felt he had clearly earned his own happy ending – and Sharon was more than willing to let him continue his therapy work, spend time at the shelter on busy weekend days, and make public appearances. The rest of the time, Hugh became a beloved pet, taking vacations at the beach, making angels in the show, and curling up by the fire with his pal Emmett.

But wait. There’s more. As I mentioned earlier, Sharon’s experiences as Hugh’s personal trainer introduced her to the world of animal welfare and soon she was hooked. When I resigned as executive director, Sharon, an experienced and gifted hospital administrator, changed careers and moved into the director’s office at Rescue Village. Hugh’s public life and private life had come together. He was one happy dog.

Sadly, by then, he was also a sick dog. He continued with his official duties right up to the end but spent more and more time curled up under Sharon’s desk receiving only those visitors who had known him from the start. When he died of cancer, the local paper ran the story with this ending:

“Hugh was extraordinary because he was so very ordinary – a plain brown dog of unknown breeding, full of love and eager to please. He wasn’t particularly bright. He certainly wasn’t athletic. He was just a dog – a massive heart surrounded by fur.

We’ll all miss the public Hugh. All that celebrity was great fun. But it’s the private Hugh we should all remember and honor – the homeless dog in need of a helping hand. That’s what he stood for. And, when all is said and done, the best thing that happened in Hugh’s razzle-dazzle life was Sharon’s love. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what it’s always about.”

And one last appeal went out in his name. It read: “Thanks to your support, a battered street dog from Ohio not only became a mayor, but also experienced the joy of paddling in the surf and chasing gulls along the beach. Every day at Rescue Village, dogs just like Hugh are waiting for nothing more than their chance to become remarkable in someone’s life. Please keep his legacy alive by helping us to make sure that they too get to experience the joy of having a home.”

Happily, the legacy of Hugh does indeed live on as Rescue Village continues to welcome humans and animals of all ages and backgrounds and place them into loving relationships that enrich the lives of both for years to come.

Next: Why I think the story of Hugh is important

Tags: capital campaign, Hugh, humane education, spokesdog, therapy dogs

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