Hi, my name is Mason and I’m 13 years old. My parents started fostering dogs and cats through Almost Home Canine Rescue, and while we have had some really cute fosters, Hugo is different.

My mom got an urgent message the day Hugo came into our lives saying they needed emergency placement for a very injured dog that was given to the shelter, and my mom said we could take him. Hugo was coming from the other side of the state, The Cheyenne River Reservation. It took a couple hours for the transporter to bring Hugo to a town called Mitchell, and my dad and I drove the hour drive to meet Hugo and bring him to the emergency vet in the middle of the night. We learned the next morning that Hugo had a broken Femoral Head in his back leg that needed surgery to be able to use it again.

Hugo had his operation in January and has been doing so well. He’s still a little afraid to use his leg, so with the Rescue’s help we have been working with a vet in town on some physical therapy to get Hugo to trust his leg and walk on it full time. He will switch between walking on his leg and only using three legs, but that’s so much better than it used to be.

The night I met Hugo, I sat in the back of my dad’s car with him during the drive. Even though he was scared and didn’t know he was going somewhere safe, we still bonded. I became the person he looked to for safety and comfort because I was the first person he learned he could trust. Since that night, Hugo has never left my side. He sleeps with me at night, busts in the bathroom when I’m in there, and waits by the door for me to come home from school every day. My mom calls us “the two-headed monster”.

I have been begging my parents to adopt Hugo, but they are hesitant because on top of the $350 adoption fee there may be future vet bills for Hugo’s leg. I want to show them that I am serious about taking care of MY dog. I have been selling football cards on eBay and raising money that way, but I know that isn’t enough just yet.

I want to give Hugo a home where he’s safe, loved, and never has to wonder if someone is coming back for him. If you’re able to help at all, even a little bit, it would mean everything to me (and to Hugo too). Thank you for helping me try to give him a second chance.