Beren the dog spends his week between the Botanical Gardens and Craig Huegel’s home. ORACLE PHOTO/MICHELLE PLYAM
It’s not everywhere that “Bring Your Pet to Work Day” is every day.
But for Craig Huegel, the lead curator of USF’s Botanical Gardens, this is exactly the case.
Beren, a three-month-old English springer spaniel, is the newest part-time resident, part-time staff addition to USF’s Botanical Gardens.
Beren provides companionship for Huegel, who brought the dog into his life as a tribute to his late partner — a former English springer owner who passed away in May.
Huegel said keeping a puppy at home while he worked five days a week seemed “cruel” — especially when Beren made it clear he was “full of energy” as soon as Huegel met him.
But when Nicole Brand, the director of conservation and greenspaces for USF’s ECORE System, agreed to let Huegel bring Beren to the Gardens during the week, he jumped on the opportunity.
“I was thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m this lucky,’” Huegel said.
Although Beren has been a welcome resident at the Gardens, Huegel said his tenure may be short due to his preference for home.
“Right now, he’s here mostly just because he’s too darn little to leave alone,” Huegel said. “But we’ll see. The visitors do love him.”
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Huegel met with a breeder in Tallahassee about a month ago to meet Beren for the first time.
Beren’s black and white coat is what initially drew Huegel to the puppy, as it mirrors the colors of the springer spaniel his late partner had owned.
The dog’s name is inspired by “Beren and Lúthien” by J.R.R. Tolkien, a favorite author of his, Huegel said.
The short story follows the blossoming love between a human, Beren, and an immortal elf, Lúthien. Huegel said the novella felt like a representation of the relationship between him and his late partner.
Huegel said being a part-time resident at the Botanical Gardens has ultimately been “really good” for Beren.
“When I get here early in the morning, I can run around the grounds with him, and it’s fenced in, so it’s perfectly safe and he gets some exercise,” Huegel said.
Beren is full of energy at the Gardens, often digging holes or chasing birds.
But even with his “outgoing and loyal” disposition, Huegel said he struggles with separation anxiety.
“I can’t go anywhere without him getting up and following me,” Huegel said. ‘I’ll turn around and he’ll be under my feet.”
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Beren enjoys meeting new people at the Botanical Gardens. ORACLE PHOTO/MICHELLE PLYAM
Huegel said the Gardens’ visitors are enjoying Beren’s company just as much as he is — and Beren reciprocates the curiosity.
Milo Perez, a junior education major, was visiting the Gardens a couple of weeks ago to explore the grounds for the first time when he found out about Beren.
Perez said he played with the puppy while Huegel supervised him.
“He jumped onto me and started to follow me around,” Perez said. “He seems to really love people and just fell onto my lap when I sat down with him.”
Coen McGarrah, a senior biology major, is taking a field botany class that includes weekly trips to the Gardens.
McGarrah said the puppy chases the class around during their visits.
“Beren literally just runs up to us whenever we’re at the Gardens,” McGarrah said. “We try to give him as much attention as possible while working.”
Penelope Alfonso, a sophomore psychology major, said he found out about Beren through the Botanical Gardens’ Instagram page and decided to pay him a visit.
“I’m a huge dog person, and when I saw the Gardens had a puppy, I had to come meet him,” Alfonso said. “He is so sweet and affectionate. He seems like a really person-centered dog.”
Although the visitors enjoy Beren’s company, the two resident cats are not the “biggest fans,” Huegel said.
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Magic and Bat are both skittish cats and often run away from new visitors.
Huegel said the cats were already there when he started at the Gardens in 2022, so he is unsure of their ages or breeds.
“Beren is respectful, he looks at [the cats] and doesn’t chase them, but they just run off,” Huegel said. “The minute they saw him, one of them ran off as fast as those little legs could carry it.”
Unlike the Botanical Gardens’ cats, Huegel’s cat at home is “best friends” with Beren, swatting and chasing him in an effort to play.
Though Beren often follows Huegel at home, he loves meeting new people at the Gardens and can be found trailing behind students while they visit.
“Most people love him because he’s cute and he’s little and he’s a puppy,” Huegel said. “If a student walked through the plant shop, Beren would be gone in a heartbeat, following them around, wanting to play with them.”
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