Contact Hero:

PW: Hero! Welcome to the Woodpile! Tell us what your pup persona name is and a little about yourself.

HERO: Bawr bawwwrr! My name is Hero! I’ve been a pup for about five years now. I’m a stray, quiet pup, but I will open up more as you get to know me. I really enjoy making others laugh and getting to know new pups. I’m polyamorous and demisexual, which is something I also discovered about myself around the same time I got into pup play.

PW: What first drew you to the world of pup play?

HERO: I had known about pup play for a while before getting into it myself. I guess what drew me to it, aside from the fact that pups are cute, was the feeling of being able to get into a different mindset and switch off my brain for a while. No thoughts, only Pup! I had also been struggling with my mental health at the time, and pup play became an outlet for me to disassociate from those feelings for a couple of hours or so until I felt better. I am thrilled to say that I am much happier these days, and I still really enjoy being a pup! In some ways, it’s helped me grow and gain more confidence as a hooman, too.

PW: What kind of pup do you embody in your play? Do you have a specific role or title?

HERO: If I’ve warmed up to you enough, I like to be cuddly, playful, and silly. I also tend to be the guardian personality type. I look after and protect those close to me. As for a role or title, I gave myself a Daddy Pup moniker because I didn’t feel anything like Handler or Alpha felt like a good fit for me. I also like being called Daddy.

PW: Kinda nice, isn't it? Do you have a human or pup handler in your play sessions, or do you prefer to go solo?

HERO: No handler, and I don’t really want one. I will pup out by myself sometimes, but I enjoy cuddle sessions with Pups that I am close with. I might not look like it in some of my pictures, but Daddy really enjoys a good cuddle session!

PW: Do you belong to a pack?

HERO: No, I don’t belong to a pack or have an owner. To be honest, I don’t want to be owned. And although I enjoy the freedom of being a stray, it would be nice to belong to a pack. But I think I am just a stray pup by nature, and that’s perfectly okay with me.

PW: You clearly embody a gear/tactical edge in your persona. Tell us about what kind of adventures Hero gets up to.

HERO: I think tactical and gear Pups are really cute, so my pupsona was largely inspired by that style. There are some things in my hooman life that influence my pupsona too, but I don’t want to give too much away. A hero's gotta have his secret identity you know.

PW: Where do you call home? Has your location influenced your pup play style in any way?

HERO: I’m from Ontario, Canada, close to Toronto. There are a lot of great places to visit, and Toronto has a great kink/pup scene that I think has influenced my play style in some ways. The Toronto Pride parade was where I wore my hood out in public for the first time, and it was really liberating. You may notice on my Pupstagram that I like to take pictures outdoors in the woods. There are a lot of forested areas around, so there are lots of good photo opportunities if I have my hood with me

PW: What problems do you see for new pups breaking into the scene? Have you ever had any issues?

HERO: I think there are a few problems that new pups might run into. First is the idea that you need a pup hood or other gear to be a Pup. You do not need anything to be a pup. The second is not being able to find any other pups to be friends with. There are some great new ways to connect with others including Pup-World.com and the PupSpace app. A lot of pups on Instagram will welcome DMs too! Remember that you are part of a special and unique community that is growing and getting better and better at getting connected. And third is pups who struggle with self-confidence. This is a tricky one, as I see it a lot. I struggle with self-confidence sometimes, but I’ve learned to only surround myself with positive pups who encourage me to be better. For me, it was easier to step outside my comfort zone knowing I had pups like that in my corner to back me up.

PW: Are you single?

HERO: Nope. Dog Drez and I have been dating for about nine months now.

PW: How do you see your life in ten years?

PW: Ideally, I would be a better and wiser pup than I am now. I’ll have met new pups, made new friends, tried new things, and been to new places. I never want to stop growing and learning.

PW: What do you like to do outside of your pup persona? Hobbies? Fun distractions?

HERO: I like to game, read, and watch movies. I like to go camping but don’t get to do it often enough. I like to cook too; I’m pretty good in the kitchen. I also enjoy geeking out and going to cons like Fan Expo and Anime North. I’d really like to go to San Diego Comic-Con someday and wear my hood there.

PW: Okay, here's a good one. If they were to make a new streaming series all about you, what would it be called? What genre would it be? And who would play Hero?

HERO: Would calling it “Hero” be too easy? It would be an action/thriller with a healthy amount of comedy. And as far as who would play me? My high school drama teacher used to call me “Tom Cruise," so I’m going to say Tom Cruise.

"Be kind and welcoming to everyone in our community, including those with disabilities, our trans brothers, sisters, and nonbinary people."

All photos by Pup Hero