English teacher Ellen Feigenbaum and dogs Charlie, Doby and Louie

English teacher Ellen Feigenbaum describes her German Shepherd Charlie, Cairn Terrier Doby and Toy Poodle Louie as “the three most neurotic dogs known to humankind.”

Feigenbaum got Doby as a holiday present for her children. “We got him because we wanted a dog like Toto from the Wizard of Oz,” Feigenbaum said. “It’s funny because he seems to love strangers more than his own family. He used to run away a lot, and we’d always be chasing after him.”

Louie, on the other hand, was found on Craigslist. Unlike Doby, he has stranger anxiety. “He barks at strangers, but he’s a perfect saint with the family,” she said. Feigenbaum’s other dog, Charlie, has a phobia of “going around doors, gates and the dog door.” “He always has to back up before he goes through one,” she said. “Charlie always gets on everyone’s nerves. He gets into your personal space, and Doby is always growling at him.” But according to Feigenbaum, he wouldn’t hurt a flea. “He’s the biggest of the three, but the other ones usually bully him,” she said. “But I still love them despite their neuroses.”

Biology teacher Katherine Moser and dog Kona

Even though science teacher Katherine Moser’s kids are in college, her black Labrador Retriever, Kona, still remains at home. Moser was looking for a big dog that was good with kids, and found Kona. “We got her when she was six months old, and we’ve had her for 11 years.”

On a typical day, Kona spends her time ruling the house. “She thinks she’s another child,” Moser said. “It’s ridiculous. She acts like a person.”

Though destined to be a hunting dog, Kona is now a family pet. “She’s a hunting dog reject because she has bad knees,” Moser said. “She’s had multiple ACL tears, the same type athletes get except she doesn’t have the income to pay for surgery.”

Despite this, Kona has graduated from Intermediate Dog School. “She knows how to sit, stay, heel, speak, and do other stupid pet tricks,” Moser said. “She’s very easy to train and has a good temperament.”

Math teacher Peter Herreshoff and dog Ginger

Math teacher Peter Herreshoff has a Cocker Spaniel named Ginger, who he has owned for 14 years. “I got her when we were living in Mexico, so you can say that she’s a Mexican dog,” he said.

Ginger was a gift from his wife’s student at a university. According to Herreshoff, he and his wife believed that Ginger would teach his son responsibility as well as be a good companion and addition to the family.

“Ginger’s a cute dog,” Herreshoff said. “She’s nice, gentle and pretty clever. She has a very pleasant personality.”

Unlike the stereotypical dog, Ginger is not into playing or fetching, according to Herreshoff. Instead, he takes her out for outdoor excursions, often on weekends or after school hours.

“She’s easy to live with and isn’t noisy,” Herreshoff said.

Performing Arts teacher Todd Summers and cats Zachardy, Nadia, Linus and Lucy

Performing Arts Instructional Supervisor Todd Summers is a self-proclaimed animal lover and has four cats.

He adopted Zach, the oldest, from the Humane Society and met Nadia as a newborn kitten from a friend’s cat’s litter. He adopted Lucy and Linus, who were abandoned and in poor condition.

“They’re independent,” Summers said. “Each has its own personality and quirks. I travel a lot, so I don’t have to worry about them missing me or starving when I’m gone.” He claims each cat has its own personality. Zach is very territorial and Nadia can’t bear anyone but her owner and hides in the basement when there are guests.

Summers’ only regret about cats is their over-cuddliness, despite the daily aloofness. “When they sleep, they all sleep on the bed,” he said. “So they’re all over you. It’s not just one cat, which would be cute, but it’s four.”

English teacher Tim Farrell and dog Tess

It was love at first sight for English teacher Tim Farrell and his Golden Labrador Retriever-Shar-Pei mix, Tess. “She was whimpering at me with these big brown eyes,” Farrell said. “The lady told me her name was Tess, and [my class was] reading Tess of the D’Urbervilles at the time. I immediately agreed to take her. She just won my heart over.”

Around the house, Tess acts and looks like royalty. “She looks like a Golden Lab that a safe fell on,” Farrell said. “She’s a bit squat. When I take her out on walks, people used to ask me why I was walking a pig.”

Tess’s attitude has also lent her the nickname “Queenie.” “She gets what she wants,” Farrell said. “She was spoiled when we first got her; the old owner had let her do anything.”

Though Farrell has tried to strip Tess of her “my way or the highway” attitude, his attempts have remained fruitless. “We tried to make her an outside dog, but she knocked a hole in the fence,” he said. “Then we let her come inside the house. Now she sleeps on the bed.”

Spanish teacher Carol Stroud and cats Miss Mu, Tucker and Mackie

Spanish teacher Carol Stroud finds excellent company in her three cats. Miss Mu is a three-legged calico whom she found through a homeless cat organization along with another cat named Shu. Unfortunately, the “MuShu” sisters had to part when Shu died from a disease. Fearing that Miss Mu would be lonely, Stroud adopted Tucker and Mackie. Mu only hissed at the four-week old kittens and moved to the garage where she lived for two months.

Stroud is grateful for her cats’ independence. “They’re the only type of pet that have lives of their own,” she said. All her cats work as pest control by finding rats and mice. “It’s good for the neighborhood,” Stroud said. “The only downside is when you wake up and on your way to the bathroom, you step on rat pieces. If you’re unlucky, you hear a crunch and that’s the skull.”

However, having lived on a farm when she was little, she doesn’t mind their leftovers and says she really loves her pets. “They’re heater cats,” Stroud said. “When they lie and purr on you, it’s very warm.”