Regardless of what your pet preferences are, I think we can all agree that animals have a special place in our hearts. Humankind’s innate love for animals can often bridge the gap between culture, language barriers, and generations. This is why Franklin Learning Center’s teachers have banded together to show off their amazing pets. 

Baxter

“This is Baxter. He’s almost 15 and I adopted him from a shelter when he was 8 weeks old. He loves playing catch and running around the yard as much as he loves taking a good long nap on the couch!”

 Baxter is Ms.Fox’s dog!

Lola & Kaya

“I actually have 2 pets! My cat is named Lola and she was originally a feral cat. My wife brought her home when she was only 4 weeks old so we still had to feed her formula. She’s very shy and only really likes my wife and myself. She has grown to love cuddling and will rub against your feet all day if you let her.

My dog is named Kaya and we got her from a rescue shelter in July. She has a lot of puppy energy but really loves people and other dogs. She is currently in training and is very smart at picking up on commands.”

Lola and Kaya belong to Mr. Pijanowski!

Bucky

“My dog’s name is Bucky. He is an energetic and friendly pup who loves to look out the window for squirrels, take walks at the park, and catch frisbees. His favorite stuffed animal is a squirrel.  My wife and I adopted Bucky from Home At Last Rescue in October of 2022. He is a wonderful dog and we are glad he is a part of our family!”

This happy doggy belongs to  Mr. Socci!

Winnie & Mumbai

“I adopted our two cats, Winnipeg (aka Winnie) and Mumbai, 5 years ago with my (now) husband, Zain. Previously known as Paris and London, we renamed them for other international destinations that better suited their personalities. My seniors will know that Winnie can be found most times on my lap with her head on my chest, and was my right-hand assistant during virtual school. Innocent and loving, she craves cuddles above all creature comforts. Mumbai, on the other hand, prowls the apartment at night and spends most of the day conjuring schemes for our attention, including shredding the tissue box or my students’ homework (don’t be fooled by the adorable face). They are yin and yang, but we love them both.” (Winnie is the white one, Mumbai is the brown one).

Ms. Kern’s lovely little fur balls.

Noëlle, Goblin, and Darwin

This is Noëlle. She was my kids’ Christmas present during COVID. We got her from a friend of an FLC alum.

PS: Noelle’s middle name is ZZZZ

This is Goblin. He was living under a dumpster at our local 7-11. My husband rescued him. Two years ago, my neighbor tried to kidnap him.

This is our only SPCA cat. We went looking for a kitten. My daughter, who was a child at the time, took one look at him and refused to leave without him, even though he was not a kitten. Noëlle calls him “moms.” Nim eats schoolwork if he is not getting fed fast enough

This is Darwin. She is evil. She has thumbs.

These three felines belong to Ms. Hart.

Tamatoa

“My pet is a terrestrial hermit crab named ‘Tamatoa’ after the character from Moana. I have had him about six years. I originally got Tamatoa for a biology class when I was doing a unit on invertebrates and wanted some living examples. Tamatoa is a little more sociable than some hermit crabs and will investigate his environment once he is comfortable with not feeling threatened. He is most active at night and sometimes you can hear him knocking around in his terrarium when his shell hits the glass. Hermit crabs do not actually produce their own shells–instead finding shells from other mollusks. Large land hermit crabs, like Tamatoa, will frequently bury themselves for two to three months to molt and grow.”

Mr. Prohaska’s adorably shy hermit crab.

These adorable pets perfectly encapsulate the personality of their owners. They also allow us to see our teachers as actual people and not authoritarians. Do you have any pets? Please send pictures and info to @theflashflc on Instagram and we may feature them on our story!