Class pets are easily one of the most iconic features of classrooms around the globe, whether they are hamsters, frogs, snakes, birds, or other small creatures. But have you ever paused to acknowledge the fact that the amount of class pets at our school is astonishingly low?

Eighth graders may remember that there was once a snake, swimming turtle, and anole in the library for a little bit. “We borrow animals for a limited period of time from the Education Serving Center. I do plan to borrow an animal again–I’m just not sure what kind, or when!” said Ms. Stiles, our librarian.

While there are a few other animals in the building, such as Ms. Collins and her classroom animals, being a snake named Sasha, and a cockroach named the Hisser, Ms. Sweet also has two mice named Worm and Boone. But the most famous animal at school is the one and only, Iggy the dog. Iggy was adopted Mrs. Fritch from the Bow Wow Reading program, which is part of the Austin Dog Alliance. Iggy’s purpose in her classroom is to help encourage students to read. “It’s simple–dogs make people happy and promote feelings of peace. School can feel overly rigid and institutional at times, but a friendly canine presence makes everything cozier and more home-like,” said Mrs. Fritch. “You might not feel like talking to a person, but sometimes just sitting next to Iggy can make you feel better about life.”

Will there ever be more class pets at school? Maybe in time, more teachers will adopt more animals!