Learn About These Purrfect Companions

Get to know student and teacher pets

by staffer Lily House

From the scaliest to the furriest critters, animals hold a special place in people’s hearts. They bring happiness into lives through their presence and companionship. Across the student and teacher body, the most common pets tended to be dogs and cats.

Junior Gracie Vieth has two cats, Luna and Dolly, and a beagle named Charlie. Her mom cares for the cats, while her dad cares for the dog. Between her cats and dog’s routine, Charlie follows a more consistent daily routine, while the cats tend to “do whatever they want whenever they want.”

Across rarer pets, a routine for one’s pet may look a little different. Junior Tristan Young is the primary caretaker of her pet chinchilla named Oscar. Since he is a nocturnal animal, Young and Oscar follow a closely related night routine, followed by treats and snuggles.

“He is my favorite animal in the family because he is mine,” Young said. “He is like my child, and I have indescribable love for him.”

Science teacher NeQuelle DeFord has various pets inside her classroom. These animals include a Siamese fighting fish, Chinese box turtle, Russian tortoise, hermit crabs, dairy cow isopods, female fancy rats, and a European polecat.

Her favorite pet, Patches, the European polecat, otherwise known as the sable mask ferret, loves to run around the classroom, play with balls and play tag.

Sugar and Spice, the female fancy rats, are her second favorite classroom pets. Sugar sits on her shoulder while she is doing work after school, and Spice is trained to come to the door when receiving a treat.

“They are part of my family and I love them,” DeFord said. “They bring me joy on their own but even more, because of the joy they bring my students.”

Some students don’t have the opportunity to own pets at their home, or simply just like to visit them before school, so having these pets allows for fellowships to be made.

“I love seeing my students’ faces brighten up when they see them,” DeFord said.

Aside from the loving bonds pets can provide, they can require numerous responsibilities. For DeFord, these responsibilities can especially be pricey and time-consuming. On average, she spends around $500 or more every year on food, bedding, and other habitat materials. Weekly, she spot cleans the cages, and once every semester, she spends five hours or more doing a thorough cleaning of all the tanks.

Despite the care and maintenance of animals, the companionship animals give is worth the effort to many people. From students to teachers, pets provide an incomparable friendship.

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#1 Senior Blake Harmon and his Boxer mix dog, Iris. photo courtesy of Harmon

#2 Devon and Sean O’Connor enjoy the sun with their dog Gussy. “He is a Dachshund/Corgi,” Devon O’Connor said. photo courtesy of Devon O’Connor #3 Science teacher Nequelle DeFord’s class pets, Sugar and Spice, cuddle after a long day. photo by Julie McPhail

#4 Junior Beyanka Lalone and her cat, Willow. photo courtesy of Lalone

#5 Senior Riley Chastain and her Beagle dog, Arya. photo courtesy of Chastain

#6 & #7 Junior Gracie Vieth’s cats, Luna and Dolly. photos courtesy of Vieth

#8 DeFord’s class pet, Patches the ferret, hangs out during class 4A. photo by Julie McPhail

#9 Junior Gracie Vieth’s dog, Charlie the beagle. photo courtesy of Vieth

#10 Junior Tristan Young and her pet, Oscar the chinchilla on Tristan’s arm. photo courtesy of Young

#11 Sophomore Nora Martin’s pet, Jiminy the dog, plays Monopoly. photo courtesy of Martin

#12 Senior Kaylee Kimmet and her dog, Pogi the German shepherd mix. photo courtesy of Kimmet

#13 Freshman Charlotte Crane and her pet, Creed the cat. photo courtesy of Crane

#14 Junior Tyler Murphy and his pet, Mocha the dog. photo courtesy of Katelynn Murphy