The Paw Print

By Olivia Sampson & Madeleine Spanbauer

Payton certainly has no shortage of pet owners and pet lovers. They’re the perfect companion for both a late-night homework session and a binge-watch of the newest Netflix hit. A cute furry friend can also help students immensely by offering much-needed emotional support during times of stress (we’re looking at you, finals week). Since they’ve proven to be so essential to students’ lives, let’s take a look at some notable pets in the Payton community!

Monkey, who belongs to senior Marian Millan, loves to hang out with her owner all the time and listen to her talk about her day. “She loves to watch nature through the window of my room,” says Millan, “She is also really good at killing any bugs who want to make their way in.” Millan believes that Monkey could break the world record for the highest jump.

Senior Jane Brunson has not just one but two adorable cats who, as shown in the photo, are best friends. Brunson notes that her cats are “super cuddly and loving,” and they love to sit directly in front of the TV to watch shows and movies.

Illiana Torres, a current senior at Payton, told us about her family’s childhood dog named Trouble. “She was with us from 2012 to 2022 and got to watch my brothers and I grow up from little kids to teenagers,” Torres explained. Despite being named Trouble, she was far from mischievous. Torres shared that she was loving, fun, and overall an amazing companion.

This fluffy rabbit belongs to sophomore Marlen Martinez and is named Angel. Just like Torres’ dog Trouble, Angel’s personality doesn’t entirely match his name. When asked about what makes Angel unique, Martinez responded, “My pet Angel can run away from people and eat more than he should eat. He can also dig holes in our yard and escape from his cage.” Although he is a bit of a delinquent, Angel is a sweetheart and is beyond adorable.

Science teacher Ms. Momchilov shocked the Paw Print with the most unique pet we’ve seen: a tarantula. “She is beautiful, intelligent, and very old,” said Momchilov when we asked her to describe her pet. She also possesses a talent for digging really cool tunnels and finds caterpillars to be very tasty (as seen in the photo).

Frank the lizard has a full-time job as a model for his owner, freshman Anna Buckley. Buckley told the Paw Print that she is Frank’s photographer and, as seen in the photo, he is very good at posing. When asked about his personality, Buckley told us that he has a “big attitude” and wants to be the center of attention at all times. “If he’s mad at you, he’ll start making a yelling sound,” says Buckley, “He likes to sit on your shoulder and wait until you aren’t paying attention to crawl onto your back where you can’t reach him.” He is currently three years old, and his birthday is on President’s Day, so mark your calendars and remember to wish him a happy fourth birthday on February 19th!

Freshman Rehan Matthew Koshy owns a three-year-old green-cheeked conure named Buddy. “He’s very intelligent,” claims Koshy, “he can say the names of my parents and I, sing, dance, ask for treats, and the list goes on.” Buddy often kisses Koshy on the cheek to cheer him up, showing that he is not only smart but also caring and compassionate.