Sophomore Dayna Straub embodies responsibility through her motley collection of pets.

Dayna has three cats, five chickens, and a dog. They are named Bow, Penny, Milo, Cleo, Nugget, Mable, Ruby, and Scarlet. This many pets may seem hard to take care of as each one requires work, but Dayna loves the responsibility she has learned from taking care of animals. 

“Well, it’s taught me quite a bit of responsibility,” Dayna said. “Keeping the ducks and chickens [means] you have to check on them every few days. I learned how to care for quite a few animals, and it’s nice having those little support systems there.” 

Having pets can be amazing—it’s a best friend that can’t talk back. Dayna has had two goats, six cats, and seven ducks at some point in her life. With the work entrusted in her hands, this responsibility helped shape who Dayna is today.  

And it all started with Dayna’s mom, who didn’t have many pets growing up and her dad who was raised on a farm. They want to have many animals to take care of, reminding them both of their childhoods but also of the opportunities of rescuing pets.  

Sadly the farm Dayna’s father grew up on is far away, so they can’t visit often, but it has the basic farm animals. This contributed to the want of rescued pets.

Most of Dayna’s pets are rescued, but she wanted outdoor pets, so she bought the ducks and chickens from Tractor Supply. 

Having pets can lead to many cute and funny moments, according to Dayna. 

“The chickens are an interesting group,” Dayna said. “They seem incapable of getting down from their roosts in the morning, so I’ve seen them fly into the wall a couple of times on the way down.”

Contrary to the typical assumption, the cats tend to get along with the dog and even one of Dayna’s cats adores the dog; however, the dog is not too interested in the cat. This proves that the stereotype that cats and dogs can’t get along is not true in Dayna’s case. 

Having so many pets for Dayna is like having her own support system, and she loves taking care of them. The many animals like to come and check up on Dayna just to make sure she is alright; pets, as Dayna mentions, are the best for cheering people up when they are down.  

“The brown Tabby-Milo [is my favorite],” Dayna said. “He is just an incredibly friendly cat, more than your average everyday cat.”

Sometimes pets come from unexpected places, but Dayna wouldn’t trade those sweet fur balls for anything–the memories she has made are too priceless.

“We came home from my [Grandma’s house], and my dad is carrying this brown bundle he called a rabbit and goes, ‘Here, I found a rabbit,'” Dayna said. “[Instead] out comes a little cat. The cat came up to him and just started to nuzzle him and was asking [to be pet]. Then, my dad let the dog out, and the cat ran away. We thought we would never see him again. Then, later that day, my dad was [outside], and he found a brown lump; [the cat had] stuck around.”