The Animals of BHS

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There are many different classes offered in BHS where you can find your own passions, hobbies, and possibly a new found interest! One of the classes,Small Animal Care/Vet Science, is given to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors who are interested in learning about animals while having sweet pets tagging along. Meet the Vet Science/Small Animal Care animals!

Ms. Gaertner, a teacher at BHS who teaches a variety of classes like Small Animal Care, Vet Science, Horticulture and Greenhouse Environment. Along with her class, you get the opportunity to meet and spend time with the animals there. From bunnies to chickens, there are a variety of animals in the classroom that may catch your eye and be your new favorite pet at BHS! There are a total of 16 animals in the classroom; nine chickens, three bunnies, one guinea pig, one chinchilla, one hamster and one bearded dragon. 

Meet Bear, he’s a charming but old hamster! His soft and silky black fur makes him look a bit chubby which is even cuter! He is a bit camera shy but who wouldn’t want to take a picture of him? He is very food motivated and a favorite of some students, including Oliver Liller (11th grade) and Ryder Harrah (9th grade). “He’s my favorite because he’s cute and soft.” Ryder comments, “They also live like 2-3 years” Bear may be an old hamster but he is still thriving to this day. 

Say hi to Bean! She’s a bearded dragon and she is a bit sassy and gives you judgmental looks so you better watch out and not get on her bad side. Whenever you want to be with her, she’s gonna stick to you like a sticker-she won't be leaving your shirt any time soon. Whenever she isn’t sticking to someone's side, she could be hanging out in the green house and just watching an eye on them. 

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In this classroom, there are 3 bunnies. 2 of them are male and one of them a female. Their names are Thomas, Shadow and Charlotte. Thomas (nicknamed Tom) is in Ms.Gaertners classroom. Long story short, he was dropped off/found at Tom's creek. He is very loved by the students and teacher - how heartwarming! Omar Al Aufi (10th grade) and Sally Prince (9th grade) both stated that their favorite animal is Tom. Sally likes bunnies but she did warn us to be careful when touching Tom, he might bite! 

Shadow is a fluffy black bunny and he's the second newest pet! He came along with Milo, who will be introduced later on. Unfortunately, he had hurt his hip and can’t be carried, but you can still check up on him and see him hanging out in his cage. He’s Hiedi Swartzwelder’s (10th grade) favorite because “He’s very sweet and calm.”

We have another black bunny, Charlotte, who is the newest member in this classroom. She was pretty much dropped off at Ms.Gaertners classroom, who happily took her in. She has black fur with white on the bottom of her chin and belly. She does jump around alot and is quite a runner. 

Next in line we have Milo who is a guinea pig, he’s very shy and belongs to a student here. He has gray fur and a couple of white spots and eyes that just makes you smile at how captivating he is. 

Waffles is our next companion, a chinchilla, and Ms. Gaertner's favorite. Waffles really likes sticks and raisins. Waffles, like Bean, has a short temperament but is still very adorable. She is also  “sassy and independent” as Ms. Gaertner says. She also mentioned how Waffles chews on many things, including an electrical cord that tripped a breaker. A little fun fact, chinchillas along with most animals here can’t take baths, but instead love dust baths. 

Last but not least are the chickens. There are 9 chickens. Few of them are black and the rest are light brown/white. They don’t have any names but still are interesting. They have a peaceful life, they just lay eggs which they hide sometimes, wander around and will walk in the shop if it’s left open. So don’t be surprised if you one day see one of the chickens walking around the hallways of BHS, they’re just looking around. Ms. Gaertner's classroom has many cute animals so don’t be afraid to join the class, seeing these endearing animals might just brighten your day and encourage you to maybe get a new pet!

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Written by Monserrat Hernandez Rivera

Photography by Sallie Frost