We all know one. They’re the one who won’t leave the teacher’s side, and they might as well be their best friend.

I got the opportunity to talk to some of Rosary’s faculty and staff about their four (or two) legged companions.

Meet Benny and Daisy-

These four and a half year-old German shepherd siblings are proud family members of the Huerta family. Benny enjoys playing fetch and chasing squirrels, while “lazy Daisy” enjoys doing, well, nothing or exploring the backyard. The dogs are always there to greet Mrs. Huerta ‘94 at the door. They are fun to hang out with, and are great guard dogs. The duo also loves to get dressed up for Halloween whether it be the K9 police unit or witch outfits. You can see more pictures of them on their Instagram page: gsd_k9_unit.

Introducing Archie-

Archie is Ms. Barclay’s ’94 lively pug, who just turned four this week.

Ms. Barclay says he likes to, “eat, eat, eat, eat, and then eat more. He also loves to attend daycare, where he reigns supreme among the other dogs.” Ms. Barclay, like me, does not necessarily love her dog: “Archie doesn’t really brighten my day. My husband got him for me when my most beloved dog, a black pug named Mugsy died, and my husband didn’t pick well. Archie is full blown psycho cray. He runs around the house with the zoomies, nearly killing anyone in his path and he has around seven food allergies that make it hard to find him suitable dog food. If he accidentally eats any dairy product, beef, or anything with flax in it, he needs immediate treatment. He also howls whenever he hears garbage trucks or motorcycles.” Ms. Barclay even tried to get rid of Archie, “e Wonce found a local chiropractor to take Archie off our hands, but then the chiropractor met Archie and was like . . . yeah, no.” So, Archie is a handful, but I’m sure Mrs. Barclay does enjoy him… sometimes.

Sra. Kappe’s mini-farm-

Yes, you read it right. Sra. Kappe ‘03 has 20 chickens, and about five to ten roosters, as well as a dog and a fish. Sra. Kappe raises chickens for other people and her husband uses their eggs for his Home Econmics class. They have five coops with different breeds of chickens; some of them even have names like Midnight, Ramoncito, Blanca, Lupita, Buffy, John Henry and his wife, Penny. Despite having chickens, her family still manages to take care of their energetic pug, Pugsy.

He is five-years-old and totally thinks he is a human child. Sra. Kappe remarks on how much Pugsy is part of the family: “He does everything with us, camping, road trips, watching TV with my kids, reading  books with my kids and husband, and when he’s done something wrong he knows, he hides.” Sra. Kappe grew up with big dogs but always wanted a Pug because of the movie “Pocahontas,” and Pugsy is the perfect dog for her family: “ I believe pugs are made to love and be loved.” Pugsy loves Sra. Kappe’s children, and brings joy and energy to their day.

Ms. Christensen’s cats-

Meet Stormy and Phoebe.

Stormy is a six-year-old tabby cat that Ms. Christensen adopted from a rescue when he was one and not in great shape. Ms. Christensen shared, “He was rescued as a tiny kitten behind Home Depot in Brea. He was found alone, in a storm, and there was a hole in his side.” Nowadays he is a healthy, calm cat who enjoys cuddling, people-watching from the window, and running away from neighbors.

Ms. Christensen’s other feline friend is three year old Phoebe. Little Phoebe is another success story as she also came from a difficult situation. Ms. Christensen remarks, “I spent the summer of 2019 fostering kittens for the ASPCA and Phoebe was one of three tiny, five-week-old kittens without a mother. Her eye was enucleated two weeks later due to a nasty infection. I knew she felt better afterward because she yelled at me all the way home from the vet’s office. By then, I was emotionally invested and decided to adopt her.” Like her brother she enjoys cuddling, but also loves to play, and get “spicy,” which means she wants to be chased.

The infamous Corgi-

This is Georgie, Mr. O’Campo’s tri-color corgi pinscher mix. Georgie is three-years-old and is “the best addition” to the O’Campos’ lives. Mrs. O’Campo couldn’t say enough good things about her, “Georgie brightens our lives everyday. We always say that we don’t remember what life was like before we had her because she has been such a blessing in our lives. Not only does she protect our home from squirrels, but she is the most loving, caring and cuddling dog we have ever had. She has a big dog personality in a little dog body. We love her with every muscle in our hearts.” When Georgie isn’t chasing squirrels or cuddling, she likes making a little mischief too: “When she was teething as a puppy, her favorite thing to do was to chew on Mr. O’Campo’s socks. One day she decided she wanted to upgrade her unpleasant behavior and began chewing on clothes. Mr. O’Campo came home one day, changed into his favorite shorts and discovered a giant hole in one of the legs. We stood there in shock and she sat in front of us smiling as if she wanted us to be impressed with her new masterpiece.”

Presenting Daisy-

Daisy is Mrs. D’Alba’s 11 year-old dachshund.

Daisy really loves to eat; so much, in fact, that she wakes Mrs. D’Alba at 4:30 a.m. whining for food. Although she’s “a pain in the neck,” she really is a sweet girl who is always there to greet Mrs. D’Alba at the door. Daisy also keeps Mrs. D’Alba on her toes, often begging to be taken on walks.

Meet Shae-

If you have a class with Mr. Bevins, than you must know about his “big, dumb, German shepherd.” Although she is not the smartest dog, she is very sweet, and loves Rylee, Mr. Bevins daughter.

Mr. Bevins says that, “Rylee and Shae will sit on the kitchen floor and hang out for hours. Watching Rylee sit there talking to and feeding Shae is a lot of fun. Shae is not the smartest dog, but she has also been really gentle and loving towards Rylee. Sometimes Rylee will find Shae laying down and  just lay next to her for a while. Shae eats one of Rylee’s meals at least once a week and then we have to make a new one.” It seems that ten-year-old Shae is the perfect dog for the Bevins family.

Last but certainly not least-

Sweetheart is Ms. Rivera’s 12-year-old visually-challenged pug. Sweetheart lives with her abuela where she loves to sit in the backyard and use her exceptional echolocation skills to listen for things going on around her as well as smell all the smells. She also enjoys eating chicken-jerky treats, taking long walks on the beach, napping, and being with her dog-mom, Ms. Rivera.

Sweetheart is not only brightening the lives of people around her, but she is bringing awareness to animal disability. Ms. Rivera remarks on how she met her precious pup: “She impacted my life because I was never a ‘dog person’ until the day I met her and rescued her. She taught me even animals have disabilities and regardless of her disability, she just wants to be cared and loved for. My family has four dogs including her, and they are all rescues. Despite her having siblings, she likes to be alone.” Another fun fact about Sweetheart is that whenever she stands or sits, her legs form a heart. Sweetheart is a reminder that all animals deserve to be loved and cared for no matter what their disabilities or imperfections are.

Whether covered with fur or feathers Rosary’s pets are very loved and very important in the lives to our teachers and staff.