The State Thespian Officers’ Pets

By: STO Lia Graham, Texas High School, Troupe 2526
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    Pets. They help us get through some tough times and entertain us constantly. This year, the STO’s had the opportunity to bring their pets to festival! From Calico cats, Bulldogs, and bunnies, the STO’s pets made appearances in workshops and gained attention from thespians all over Texas. Here are the Official Pets of the STO Board! 

STO: Bradyn 
Pet’s name: Oliver 
Breed: Shih Tzu
​Age: 14 years!
    “He's basically blind now, so he just stumbles around now and again. He'll bump into a wall or bark at a door where nobody's at, but when he gets excited, he likes to run around and play with our other pets. This was like last week, he barked up at me to let him up on my bed, and when I did, he cuddled right up next to me, which he never used to do.”

STO: Megan 
Pet’s name: Piper
Breed: Bulldog
Age: 8
    “She got stung by bees because she was trying to eat them, so her face was very puffy. When I would leave for school, she used to sit on my backpack and try to intervene by getting my backpack so I wouldn't leave.”

STO: Piper
Pets’ names: Pancho and Cisco
Breed: Airedale Terriers
Age: 5
    “They tried to eat the sprinklers. When I’m sad they guard me when I sleep. One time they both escaped from our yard and after searching for them for two hours we found them in the garage eating their dog food. Whenever I’m taking them for a walk and a stranger walks by, they start to circle me to protect me.”

STO: Annie
Pet’s name: Casper
Breed: Maltese Schnauzer 
Age: 9
    “We went on a vacation, so she angrily pooped in the foyer on the tile so it was easy to clean, but at the front door where it’s a statement. She freaks out during the rain so she comes into my room (I am her favorite) and she gets under my blankets, it’s very cute.”

STO: Brenna
Pet’s name: Allie
Breed: Mixed but mainly Catahoula
Age: 3
    “Allie is a VERY crazy dog and super fast too, like literally sprints faster than Usain Bolt. So over the beginning of quarantine, we took her on walks/runs almost three times a day sometimes. We decided to have a little inside joke that we were training her to be a sled dog lol. When we first got her, she was super shy, and one day during the summer, she literally just laid at my feet for like 3 hours. It was so cute. Now she is rambunctious and never stops running.”

STO: Lia 
Pet’s name: Noodles
Breed: Dwarf Lionhead bunny 
Age: 3
    “Noodles likes to chew things, and I was holding her one time wearing my favorite dress. Within seconds she had chewed two penny sized holes in the dress. I was not happy with her to say the least. I also have to watch her very carefully because she’s almost blind. She falls off my bed a lot, but she’s like a cat: lands on her feet every time.”

STO: Alyssa 
Pet’s name: Sky
Breed: We’re waiting to get her DNA test back because her & her brothers/sisters came from a rescue & only one of the parents are known but they’re a mix of Shepherd & Border Collie
Age: almost 4 months 
    “A funny memory is difficult because this little pup is CRAZY, but the funniest thing she does is she gets in the way ALL the time, like seriously I think she does it on purpose. She trips us up all the time and is so nosey. We got my pupper from a rescue, and the day we picked her up from the foster mama, she was so cuddly with me. The whole ride back home she clung to me & would NOT let go.”

STO: Campbell 
Pet’s name: Dixie Belle aka “Ditty”
Breed: Jack Russell Terrier
Age: 9
    “Dixie is what I would consider an icon. She does everything on her own time and sometimes it can be very comical. For instance: I have a heated blanket and when she lays on it my mom has to pick her up after because she will not move. When we were looking for a dog, we went to a shelter in Houston. We said we wanted to see her, and when they brought her into the meeting room, she jumped on all of us and uncontrollably licked us. She knew we were her family before we did. WE LOVE DIXIE!!”

STO: Cody 
Pet’s name: King (M) and Venus (F)
Breed: Pitbull
Age: 10+
    “They tore up my workout bench, but one time I fell asleep on them in my backyard. I was so comfortable, and that’s when they were small. I just felt the love from them, and I felt so safe in that moment.”

STO: Avery 
Pet’s name: Bebe
Breed: Tuxedo cat 
Age: 6
    “She always shoves her face in my face when I’m taking pictures of myself crying. She always cuddles with me when I’m sad. Bebe will perfectly fit herself into the crook of my arm and just lay there till I feel better- she’s like my unofficial therapy cat.”

STO: Victoria 
Pet’s name: Her full name is Coraline, but we mostly call her Cora.
Breed: Calico cat. 
Age: 1
    “A funny memory with her is one time she was leaping around my bathroom and eventually fell into the toilet. My favorite memory with her is how every night she comes and lays with me for a while. (It's not necessarily a singular memory, but it's still something really sweet that she does).”

STO: Jackson B. 
Pet’s name: Rookie
Breed: Poodle Schnauzer 
Age: 6
    ​“He somehow escaped the house for 2 hours. Then we heard barking at our front door, and he's just sitting on our porch waiting to get back in. He had gotten extremely sick, and we had to take him to the vet. We found out he was diabetic, and he wasn't bouncing back. We were going to sign to put him down, but the pen would not work; we decided to give it one more day. The next day he had the same amount of energy he did when he was 2 years old. It was amazing!

STO: Elisa 
No pet :(
    “I want a Corgi because they are small, cute, sassy (like me) and I love their cute little butts. I would name my Corgi Cheddar.”

STO: Jackson L. 
No pet :(
    “I would want a Dalmation because they’re super cute, and I would name him Spots.”

STO: Jarrett 
No pet :(
    “I would want a Mini Dachshund, and I would name it Ollie Purr.”

    Did you attend workshops with your pets? We want to see! Send us pictures of you and your pets through instagram. If you don’t have a pet, what would you want?
Give your pets a treat for us.

​Sincerely,
Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers