The Pets of USF

Not all of the USF community traveled to exotic locations. Some were just happy to go home and spend spring break with their beloved pets. Here of just a few of the “Pets of USF”.

Theodosia (Thea)

Naomi Peterson is a senior majoring in Mathematics and Secondary Education with a mysterious mutt of unknown age named Theodosia! She got her during her J-term of 2021 down in Nashville, Tennessee. Naomi remembers, “When I got her, she was in a sock (a little sweater) and looked like a piglet!” Since then, they have both been to Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, and South Dakota. Some of Thea’s favorite things include peanut butter and her squeaky hamburger toy, which is one of her longest-lasting toys. If you hold out a fist and say, “bop it”, she’ll bop you with her nose.

Charlie “Chungus” and Rizzo

Alexandra Day is a freshman studying Psychology and Social Work here at USF. She has two pets, one is her Bichon Poodle mix, Rizzo, who lives back home in Aberdeen with her parents. Rizzo was found by her father at a pound and was soon to be put down since she had been there so long. But Mr. Day decided his two daughters would enjoy having another dog around, so he took her home for the amazing price of $0! She is believed to be about 10 years old now!

But Alexandra also has another pet, a chunky cat that lives with her. His name is Charlie Chungus, a domestic shorthair who is 2 years old. Charlie was found by Alex’s friend one night on the side of the road. She explains his nickname as, “He was considered a runt of the litter but has now grown to weight 16 lbs.” And adds, “Charlie has a very sassy and wild personality. The most unusual thing about Charlie is that he loves refrigerators. He will try to jump into any refrigerator and hide out in!”

Mabel, the Fancy

Paloma Davalos does not attend USF herself, but her sister Apolonia
is a major in Media studies with a minor in Business here. The girls live together with Paloma’s dog, Mabel, the Fancy! She is a 7-year-old Terrier Mix who was a rescued road puppy. Mabel is the “…self-proclaimed Head Honcho of the Sioux Falls Welcoming Committee!” Since she greets everyone that she sees. But while she is friendly, attentive, and smart, she sticks true to her nature and chases squirrels any chance she gets. You can see more of Mabel @mabelthefancy on Instagram!

Gunner

Danielle Hoopaugh (oh hey, that’s me!) is a sophomore double majoring in Art and Media Studies with concentrations in Multimedia Production and Graphic Design. Her family got a now 5-month-old black lab puppy back in January. He is a rambunctious dog, who loves toys and laying on people’s feet. He has many nicknames, including Gunny, Gunny Boy, Land Shark, and Ankle Breaker (which he got from thrashing a hard toy around and smacking the Hoopaugh family all in the ankles and shins). He is still in the biting phase of puppy life, but her family is doing their best to work him through it!

Arrow, Sasha, Chile, and Bow

Andrew Taylor is a Junior double majoring in Biology and Theatre studies with a minor in Media Studies. He has 4 dogs, three of which are siblings! Arrow, Sasha, and Chile are all 2-year-old 3⁄4 German Shepard and 1⁄4 lab mixes. Bow is a few-month-old black lab puppy and the newest addition to the group! Andrew’s mom is a certified dog trainer, which means they have some well-behaved companions, and even though Bow is young, she has already learned so much. And while the dogs love their mom, they also love her rule-breaking son who lets them up on the couch when he visits.

Photos courtesy of pets’ respective owners