This week, get to know Pepe, Lux Hileman’s dog. This little chihuahua is an oldtimer with lots of spunk. When Hileman was 13, their family went to a local chihuahua breeder in town to pick out a puppy for their birthday. Hileman picked out Pepe and got to name him, but he quickly bonded with their mom instead. 

Pepe is a seven year old chihuahua with a condition called heterochromia which causes one of his eyes to be brown and the other eye half brown half blue. He has a toothless smile and his tongue sticks out, but his family still loves him. 

Pepe may be getting older, but he definitely still has a lot of personality.

“He’s a really excitable little guy but he also loves to just cuddle and watch tv with us,” Hileman said. 

Pepe loves to watch ghost hunting shows with Hileman’s mom, but his next favorite thing to do is eat. Pepe has some very expensive tastes when it comes to food. He is very spoiled when it comes to table food and always gets to eat everything his human family members eat. Some of his favorites are pasta and steak. 

Pepe misses Hileman when they are away at college. Whenever Hileman is on their way home from Elizabethtown College, their mom will tell Pepe they are on their way. After hearing this, Pepe will sit and wait at the door for hours until his best friend comes home. 

Pepe was named by Hileman, who decided to name him after the famous Pepe the Frog meme. 

“He looked dumb with his really big ears and tiny head and body, and the meme was really big at the time. It made sense that he got named after a meme,” Hileman joked. 

Hileman’s family has always had chihuahuas, and when they first got Pepe, they already had another chihuahua named Itchy. She wasn’t too pleased at first when they brought home a new puppy, but eventually the two became good friends. Unfortunately, Itchy died four years ago and Pepe still misses her.  

Pepe isn’t just a lap dog, he also has a very important job. He is a certified service dog for Hileman’s dad who has Alzheimer’s. The family had to fill out a lot of forms and have Veteran Affairs certify the license, since Hileman’s dad is a veteran. He makes sure Hileman’s dad doesn’t get lost and helps calm him down when he gets upset. He is a very loved dog who loves taking care of his family.