Hi guys, in honor of getting into Purdue’s direct vet program, today I am going to talk about my dog, Hugo, and all of the reasons why he is so adorable and going to be famous in the future .
First, let’s tell the story of how I got Hugo. I had always wanted a dog, but my parents were always very adamant about having a no dog household. However, when the pandemic hit, my family decided to take our mind off of it by letting my brother and I foster a dog. This soon led to foster
ing another dog which led to another and yet another. My parents will tell you that they didn’t get emotionally attached to the foster dogs, but you should have seen the way my mom talked to each one of them. So, I decided to exploit this point of weakness in my mom and make a final push for owning our own dog! To incentivize my academic- driven, extracurricular-driven, college-driven parents, I struck up a deal.
We decided that if I got into DECA nationals then I would be able to get my dog. So I practiced and prepared for a few months until the moment of truth came. When the results came out I realized… I did not place 💀💀💀. So, how did heartbroken Ashley Chen end up with a 130 pound St. Bernard you might ask. It turns out no one wants to go to online nationals (COVID year) so I moved up the queue so much that it was enough to qualify for nationals. It’s a little embarrassing but I have the dog, do I not?
Anyways, now we move on to WHY Hugo is adorable. A dog’s adorableness can be split into two categories: physical traits and personality. Hugo easily surpasses all standards in both categories. First of all, he is adorable to look at. His ears are floppy and every time he runs around, his ears just flop to his side. He has these large long jowls that catapulte saliva everywhere when he shakes his head and makes you duck if you’re in near proximity. And, he has this huge forehead that is not proportional to his body in any way which makes him look like a dog from a comic. It is actually adorable. Secondly, in terms of personality, he’s this awkward, sassy teenage giant that bumps into everything.
Hugo has zoomies every single night (when an animal has a sudden burst of energy and begins to run rapidly back and
forth or in circles.) and we have a protocol to ensure the safety of all parties. Please note that Hugo is huge and having 130 pounds barrel at you at top speed is terrifying and an experience I wish on no one. So, when he begins to have his zoomies, we all quickly find somewhere to sit so he can’t knock us over and then we just wait. He doesn’t really have a sense of space so he’ll crash into the walls and, without flinching or pausing, keep going. I think that his clumsiness is a huge part of his personality which makes him so adorable.
Additionally, what I like to think he inherited from me, is his sass. This dog has the most distinct side eye I have ever seen. It is perfect for making memes. He is also the least picky dog ever, and will sit and do tricks for a piece of kale. You know how many dog owners have to trick their dogs into eating pills. Hugo will absolutely do tricks and drool for his medications. However, once I bought him a bag of expensive salmon treats and he refused to even look at it. I will never understand why.
Finally, moving onto Hugo’s path to fame, I have it all planned out for him. When I graduate vet school, I’m going to eventually start my own dog daycare center and call it “ Hugo’s place”. Eventually that daycare will expand to dog toys, dog treats, every dog product you could think of, and then we’ll change the brand name to just…”Hugo’s”. He will become a household name in America, hear me out! Granted, he will be dead by the time I start it, but his picture will be framed and every dog that enters will be blessed by the reminder of what started the company. He might not becom
e famous in his current life, but he will eventually become a legend that lives on forever. #BFFS.
Hi Ashley!
First off – congrats again on getting into Purdue’s Vet Program 🙂
As someone who’s had the honor of meeting Hugo, I can attest to everything you said in this post. In the best way possible, your dog reminds me of a giant stuffed animal, kind of like those massive stuffed bears they occasionally sell at Costco.
I always wanted a dog growing up, but after my family got a cat in sixth grade, I switched allegiances (though I will make an exception for Hugo). The story of how we got our cat, Bean, started when my sister wanted, for some reason that I still don’t understand, a pet rat. We drove to Petsmart to look for said rat and then quickly got distracted by the aisle of cats. The employees let us play with the cats, and we were particularly drawn to Bean because of how playful he was. We returned home later that day, begging our mom to get Bean, and she told us she’d have to take a week to “think about it.” Turns out, however, that Bean had captured some foreign portion of my mom’s heart, because the next day we returned to Petsmart and drove home with a cat in our car.
Why hello future Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Ashley Chen! I remember our very first interaction, that day when we were forced to make incredibly awkward small talk in the bus lot during junior year because all our mutual friends left. We’ve come so far. I remember thinking, “that girl would make a really good vet”. And was I wrong? I do, however, think it’s shameful that I have never had the honor of meeting Mr. Hugo Chen. I also do have a raging dog allergy, so it may not be the best idea, but I mean, look at his face. Sneezing and a sore throat is so worth the 130 pounds of cuteness. Speaking of big dogs, I want to know if there’s a scientific explanation for why small dogs are so angry when big dogs are almost always sweet and cuddly. Our neighbors got a big dog, also over quarantine, and my dad has basically adopted it as my third sibling. Baby talk, family walks, and all – and the dog is eating up every second of it. Maybe the rage in small dogs is more concentrated in their bodies? Anyways, I think your story of how you got Hugo is hilarious, and it’s definitely a match made in heaven.
First off, a huge congrats on getting into Purdue’s direct vet program! That is actually so amazing. Just reading this one blog I can tell how much you care for animals and I am sure that you are going to make an amazing vet. Anyway, your dog Hugo is so adorable. Although a lot of people don’t like big dogs because they can be considered scary, I love them. They are so much more fun to play with than a crusty little white dog, and it looks like Hugo definitely brings the entertainment. My dog is kind of lazy so he never gets the zoomies, but he did when he was a puppy! I miss when he would straight up just run into everything in his path, and we also had the procedure to take cover to avoid getting our knees knocked out. Hugo does also look like quite the sassy boy, maybe he can start his rise to fame a little early and become a dog model. I think he could really rock some good looking collars, or maybe even some doggie sunglasses. That way when you finally start your own daycare center and brand, Hugo will already be famous from his modeling photos!
Hi Ashley! First of all congratulations for getting accepted into Purdue’s direct vet program! That is amazing and you should be so proud of yourself! Let me just start by saying I absolutely love dogs. Like I am the type of person who will cross a street just to be able to pet one. I know that sounds weird but something about dogs just made me so happy. Also, Hugo is probably one of the sweetest most perfect things I have ever seen (just based on your photos). I hope that one day his presence will live on through your plan. Anyways, I love how you mentioned that dogs have such big personalities and I could not agree more. This morning I had to take my golden retriever to the groomers and this guy sat in the parking lot and then rolled over so he wouldn’t have to go inside. Although he isn’t as big as Hugo, he is big enough that I can not lift him up. The only way the ladies were able to get him inside and out of the middle of the parking lot was with a dozen donuts. Anyways, thanks for sharing Hugo with us!
Ashley,
This blog post and your future ambitions are so impressive! I admire your strategy and perseverance that allowed you to get Hugo. My parents have always been anti- pet and when my brothers and I were younger we always wanted a dog. My parents told us the classic “do research and create a presentation that convinces us” which we completed beautifully. But my parents were apparently lying as they never got us a dog. And what makes that betrayal even worse is that my parents are thinking of getting my younger brother a pet once I go to college and he is the only kid left in the house. Hugo seems like the sweetest dog ever. I hope you have a video of his zoomies that you one day post to your blog so I can see just how fast he is. I can’t really picture a 130 pound dog barrelling towards me, but I know he would definitely be able to smell the fear on me. I can already picture Hugo’s place! The name is not only perfect, but your business plan is amazing. You could introduce your products to your customers that go to you to watch their pets and they would spread word of your services and products. I wish you all the best in achieving your goal!