“Frenzy of interest”: Richmond warns reports of mistreated dog are unfounded

If you’ve seen posts about Hugo the dog on social media and have had concerns about his well-being, rest assured, the City of Richmond says he’s okay, but some aren’t convinced.

Posts about Hugo went viral over the last week and stemmed from a picture of a poster that described the poor conditions the dog was living in.

And now, in a positive twist to the story, the City of Richmond says the allegations about his well-being were unfounded.

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“Fortunately, the allegations of neglect and mistreatment in the posters is false. Hugo the dog is fine, safe and well cared for,” a City of Richmond Spokesperson told Daily Hive.

“City staff and the BCSPCA conducted a timely and thorough investigation of the allegations and determined the complaint to be unfounded.”

The spokesperson added, “It appears that someone made a concerted effort to publicize allegations of animal cruelty by posting signage on City property.”

Those allegations on the poster included claims that Hugo was kept in a cage and had to sleep in a small box, “even in winter.”

Other allegations included that Hugo could often be found without food or water and “his enclosure scattered with poop which you can clearly see in this recent pic.”

The poster also advised concerned community members to call the mayor’s office and “demand that something be done,” and was signed “citizens who care about animals.”

We also heard from the BC SPCA that it had attended the property and determined the dog was not in distress.

On Wednesday morning, the City of Richmond also tweeted about the ordeal, and the spokesperson told us there was a “frenzy of interest” in the case.

An animal in need? Tell us! Please direct such complaints to 604-709-4668.@BCSPCA_Richmond has conducted a timely & thorough investigation of a complaint regarding animal cruelty. The complaint was determined to be unfounded & the animal is safe & well cared for. #HUGOISFINE pic.twitter.com/m9JJkbEb7C

— City of Richmond BC (@Richmond_BC) June 21, 2023

Some, however, don’t believe Hugo is okay, as one user responded to Richmond’s tweet, writing, “#HUGOISNOTFINE.”