How a family of Huskies became local celebrity pets and a cute Fresno attraction

Howling Huskies have taken over a north Fresno neighborhood.

Not that anyone seems to be complaining about these barking dogs.

In fact, many neighbors and folks passing by have grown so fond of this quartet that the dogs have become a neighborhood attraction.

Why are people stopping on their walks or pulling over their vehicles to admire and even take photos of these dogs?

Meet Bella, Ella, Momo and Mekka.

They’re full-bred Huskies who have a tendency to stare out from an upstairs window and “sing” to anyone willing to stop and listen.

Bella, Ella and Momo are puppies. Mekka is their mother. And they come from a house whose owners have been longtime Husky enthusiasts.

“It’s the cutest thing in the world: Seeing these dogs hanging around a window,” neighbor Rebecca Van Hofwegen said. “They’re not barking. They’re more like talking and singing — to people and to each other.

“It’s so entertaining.”

Gary Jacobs, one of the dogs’ owners, said the Huskies weren’t exactly trained to talk, sing and stare at folks. At least, not by him or his wife Arlette.

They had a previous older dog, Red, who trained Mekka and indirectly showed the puppies the tricks of the trade.

Red was a Husky that the Jacobs couple got around 2011 to serve as a companion for their original Husky, Audrey.

Red went on to somehow show the Jacobs’ third Husky, Cody, how to be a good watch dog and go upstairs to a bedroom window and look out to the front yard.

Red also showed Mekka, the Jacobs’ fourth dog.

Years later after Red and Audrey passed, Cody and Mekka had two separate liters of puppies.

And the mom and dad Huskies went on to show three of their puppies the importance of greeting passerby folks from the window (the Jacobs couple had at one point as many as 15 puppies and elected to keep three of them).

Cody, too, went on to pass a few years ago.

But the tradition has carried on.

“They’re all very loving dogs,” Gary Jacobs said. “They just love looking out the window and get excited seeing people.”

With the Jacobs house located less than a 1/2 mile from Clovis North High and close to a neighborhood street exit, many folks end up passing by the home.

The Jacobs couple often leaves the upstairs front window open to allow the dogs to be heard clearly.

In turn, the regular human interactions have practically made Bella, Ella, Momo and the Mekka into local pet celebrities.

Arlette Jacobs said they’ve received little complaints but rather constant compliments about their dogs over the years.

“People get a kick out of it because sometimes, it’ll be just one dog staring at them,” Arlette said. “Then a second dog will pop her head out. Then a third. Then a fourth.

“Next thing you know, they’re all singing together.”

A close neighbor came up with a song about the dogs, altering a few lines from the popular Rihanna song “Umbrella.”

“It’s Bella and Ella, eh, eh, eh,” Hofwegen happily recited in song.

“You know, I’ve known these dogs since they were puppies,” Hofwegen said. “I say hi to them every morning. And they all seem to say hi back after they’ve run to the window.

“My boys have had friends over and they can’t get enough of seeing those dogs. They make anyone who stops by smile.”

This story was originally published December 19, 2024 at 11:08 AM.