Owners fight for council-seized Gold Coast sharpei Hugo but admit they have been irresponsible

GOLD Coast dog Hugo, on death row for bad behaviour, was impounded twice and its owners fined repeatedly before it was seized.

A DOG on Gold Coast City ­Council’s death row had been ­impounded twice and its owners fined seven times before it was seized this week.

Lynette McIlveen and her son Jack Bellinger — Hugo the sharpei’s registered owner — admit they have been irresponsible owners but say their beloved pet does not deserve to die as a result.

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Mr Bellinger said he had told council officers who came to seize Hugo in December that the then-unregistered dog had died.

A month later the officers saw the “dead” dog without its owners or a leash in the park across the road from their Hope Island home.

Hugo gained a huge following after his story appeared on a national breakfast television show yesterday, and a Save Hugo Facebook page had nearly 28,000 followers by 6am this morning.

Hugo the Sharpei was caught outside off his leash twice and now is on death row with Gold Coast City Council

Mr Bellinger, who works away from home four days a week as a flight attendant, said the family had learnt their lesson and Hugo’s solo walking days were over.

“He’s the kind of dog that doesn’t like other people touching him, but he’s not aggressive in any way,” he said.

Owner Lynette McIlveen admits she’s been an irresponsible owner

“He’s a little Houdini, but we’ve had a carpenter come to the house and make the fence dog-proof and we’ve bought shock collars — there’s no way he can get out now.”

The Gold Coast City Council declined to provide the dog’s history, citing privacy laws, however, the Bulletin understands Hugo has a rap sheet dating back to March 2013 when he was first found unregistered.

He was impounded in May 2013 and again in February this year.

Hugo was reported to have attacked a smaller dog in August and to have been photographed “rushing at people” in the park.

Neighbours of the dog have mixed feelings about his death ­sentence.

Neighbour Jade Kozminski said she loved Hugo and said he would regularly wander into her place for a pat.

“He’s a cutie,” she said.

Two doors up however, Kristy McMillan said Hugo was scary for her children, who liked to play in the nearby park.

“I think they should have been a bit more cautious about keeping him on the leash,” she said.

Ms McIlveen said Hugo had helped her recover after she was poisoned while living on the toxic land of a former livestock dip site.

She now wants to leave town and take the dog to an acreage — if he is not put down in nine days.

“He’s one of us, part of our family. He’s treated like a human,” she said.

“He’s stuck in there, not knowing what’s going on and frightened. I have a connection with Hugo — he saved my life.”