“[Pom Pom] looked just like a cheerleader’s pom-pom”
Woodbridge High’s Chinese teacher Joy Chao has had two dogs: Pom Pom, who sadly passed away, and Momo. She talks about how everyday moments with her pets are what are so special to her. Each dog has a different personality that makes them unique. “Pom Pom and Momo couldn’t be more different, and [I have] unique memories with both. Pom Pom was shy and preferred the safety of home, while Momo is a social butterfly who basically ‘borrows’ other families at the dog park just to get extra scratches,” Chao said. All pets have different personalities that just make their owners love them even more.
“He is… lazy and dramatic
Sophomore Ana De Sousa describes one of her most memorable moments with her dog Simba as being a rather traumatic one. It all began when her mom left for work and accidentally left the door open. “[My] dog literally left the apartment. And apparently… he went downstairs and upstairs through the elevator. But me and my dad, we only realized that after 15 to 20 minutes. So, we’re like, ‘Simba. Where the heck did he go?’ So then we went looking [for] him. I was bawling my eyes out already. I was just looking for him. And then we found somebody calling him or something… he was in an apartment, he went to somebody’s house,” De Sousa said. When a pet goes through something traumatic, it highlights just how much you truly care for this animal. An owner is all their pet has in this huge world and it truly is up to them to make their best friend feel loved.
“She’s very adventurous and silly”
Senior Seraiah Dickens has a unique pet: a ball python. Dickens’ favorite moment with her pet snake Pretzel was when they took Santa photos together at Petco. “I wore a pink shirt and I crocheted a pink scarf so that Pretzel could match me and I think she was absolutely adorable,” Dickens said. Despite being a less common pet, Pretzel surely shows her love for Dickens in her own way. “Pretzel makes me feel loved when she is around my arm and squeezes on tight so that she can hold onto me. She means so much to me and I love her like she’s my daughter,” Dickens said.
“He loves to loaf”
The special moments a person has with their pets are so wholesome that no matter what anyone might be going through, these sweet interactions with your pet can make your whole day. Senior Aahva Shah has a cat and loves him dearly. “[My favorite thing to do with my cat Nacho] is to just sit with him, especially when he sits and loafs. I also like to rage-bait him because it’s funny…Nacho means everything to me. I would genuinely say he’s my best friend. He’s always next to me and I wouldn’t trade him for the world,” Shah said. There is no better feeling in the world than knowing that your pet is your built in best friend. They are like a sibling—but they don’t talk back to you!
“Like a literal human being—if you don’t give him attention he’s bratty”
Like all things, pets have their own characteristics and their own personality that make you fall in love. Sophomore Mirabel Rodriguez talks about how her dog’s personality is like a little kid. “He’s basically a little brother to me. If he doesn’t get his win, he’ll start throwing tantrums and jumping on the couch and getting the pillows and start barking, but he loves playing. That’s all he does. 24/7, he doesn’t like cuddles, but we force him to get cuddles,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez also shared her dog’s little quirks that don’t fail to make her laugh. “Enzo runs to get his blankie and runs into the room as if he was a little kid and knew that it was sleeping time,” Rodriguez said.
