Veronique Nadeau  

     When you hear the word ‘pet’ what first comes to mind? Dogs? Cats? These pets are common anywhere, but the breed and the pets themselves can be unique. Some pets have a ‘unique’ personality and some are just pets. At the Harbinger’s photo shoot on Thursday, February 21, many students and staff brought their animals.

       Having pets can be fun, but they are also a responsibility. They have to be fed, cared for, and trained, though some pets aren’t as well trained as others. Some pets are more expensive than others, due to their needs, and some require more attention or care.

        In the survey handed out by the Harbinger, many people stated that they gained a love of animals when they got their pet, and they also learned ‘responsibility’ when they had to care for them. For example, pets have to be fed, given water, trained, and (in some cases) exercised.   

        Cats, hamsters, dogs, guinea pigs, and the various types of pets that people have are commonly said to be loyal to their owners, though, some don’t think so. Loyalty amongst pets is one thing that many pet owners love about their pets, and some pets even have their own personality.

        Abby Frenkil (10), has many pets, including eight cats, four horses, three dogs, and two bunnies, she stated that having pets has made her “love animals” and she has to “feed, bathe, [and] play” with them.

        What many don’t realize when they first get a pet is how much they will cost, and, like people, animals get sick and have to be taken to the vet. There are also the older pets, which are more susceptible to their breeds illness or diseases. Pets are also, depending on what they are, more prone to injury or even getting in a fight with another animal, wild or domestic. These all lead to having to take that pet to the vet, and depending on what that pet is, an cost more or less money than one would think, especially when a pet had to have surgery.

        Not all pets are bought from a breeder, adopted at the pound, or even given as gifts, some get their pets when the animal wanders to their front door or even around the neighborhood, David Fleming (9), said his cats “came to the front door and never left.” The pets that do come the front door, or someone’s yard, should be treated carefully in case they are sick or infected, and should be kept away from any pets that you do have, and should be immediately taken to a vet.    

        Ally Loverde (12) was one of the students to bring in her dog, Cosmo. “He’s very well trained, he’l] respond in a few seconds [to commands],” Ally said when asked what Cosmo was like, “he [also] gets excited around other dogs.” Ally said that he was well behaved and “since we trained him when he was a puppy [it] didn’t take long for him to get [it], about half a year.” Ally said, when asked why she got him, “I don’t want to be cliché, but when [we] were searching through the pens, I was drawn to him.”

        Emily May (12) brought two of her dogs, Elrod and Gretl. When asked about Gretl, she sad that, “[she’s like] a little person and she curls  up with us,” and that Gretl is her mom’s “little baby.”  Gretl is trained and “well behaved”. Gretl was “[our] parent’s surprise” and she was given to Emily and her sister Caroline (10) during the winter, “[Gretl’s] a year old, still a puppy.”  

        Caitlin Katchmar (10) brought Sammy, her dog, to the photoshoot. “If I had a bad day, he’ll jump on me and make me feel better,” she said, after asked what she likes about him, “he also doesn’t whine a lot.” Caitlin, when asked about how she got Sammy, said, “It’s a long story, [but] here’s the short version. [On] Christmas, my cousin’s dog had two babies, and she couldn’t afford to keep both. We took him in, since her roomate couldn’t. We didn’t want him to go to a bad family.”

        Becca McDevitt (12) was another student to bring her dog to the photo shoot. Her dog, Bunker, is “very responsive” and “knows the English language.” Bunker “thinks he’s a cat” according to Becca, and he is also well trained. When asked if there was anything else that was special about Bunker Becca said, “He was bred in Hereford!”