Reed Family Pet Hall of Fame

Our family has quite a history with pets. So much so, that if the SPCA saw this list, they would probably ban us from ever owning a pet again. But they were a big part of the lives of our children for many years. Please vote for your favorite Reed pet.

Woodsy - Golden Retriever puppy - which says it all. Purchased for dad-the-bad for our 5th anniversary. (we also had three children ages three and younger) Very much a puppy - jumped on the kids and made them cry, pulled the laundry off the line, chewed everything imaginable. Sold back to the owner two weeks later. Happy Anniversary, DTB!

Paloma - Many years later another try - this time a very large black Great Dane. More of a horse to the kids. They rode on her and jumped on her. She was great to run with - people saw us coming and moved to the other side of the road. Unfortunately, she insisted on being in the house (her whining was unbearable) and brought enough fleas with her that I looked like I had chicken pox all the time. Was given away.

Lucky - (actually not so lucky) got his name from Ryan, who picked him out from a litter of rabbits. He was the runt, and Ryan nursed him back to health. Disaster struck when one of our house guests thought Lucky needed some "space" and let him out of his cage, not knowing that our neighbors had dogs trained to hunt rabbits. They literally ripped down our fence to get to him. Sad :(

Sonja - Funny story - one Saturday when I was very pregnant with our 6th child and trying to take a nap (we had a young women slumber party the night before at our house) dad-the-bad awakened me to tell me he was taking the kids to the animal shelter and would I mind if he brought home "something." I told him I didn't care if he brought home an elephant, just please let me sleep. It wasn't an elephant, but a large German Shepherd. Sonja was at the shelter because she had attacked her owner's smaller dog, not the greatest reference for her. She was taken back to the shelter a week later when she attacked one of the neighbors and bit him. Very sad day for Ryan and DTB.

Max - We were talked into taking Max by a neighbor who didn't want him. Max was a perfect dog for the kids - playful, energetic, friendly, but he came with some boundary issues. No matter how high or deep the fence, Max could escape - which meant that every garbage day I would get bombarded with calls from angry neighbors. He was the ring-leader of the neighborhood and convinced the dog next door to accompany him on his escapades. Eventually we found a friend with a nice large ranch with no fences. (he's still chasing their chickens)

Winkie - (DTB's personal favorite) The best word to describe Winky would be "frisky." This rabbit could jump four feet into the air, turn a summersalt, spin around, and land on his feet. Winky also had some "libido issues." Once dad-the-bad was under the car changing the oil, his big gray mop of hair sticking out, and Winky mistook him for a female rabbit. I'm surprised he survived the experience (Winky, not dad-the-bad). DTB was not Winky's only victim. He was also friendly with Lindsey's stuffed "Shamu" whale, as well as other stuffed animals, and even the dog next door.

Spike - Sad to say, we never quite bonded with Spike, nor he with us. Actually, he was Brittany's iguana - her 13th year birthday present. Spike tried to whip anyone that attempted to pick him up with his long, spiked tail. Sadly, he died of anorexia nervosa before we could get him into therapy.

Chumley - was named after my brother. Chumley - a stray - was rescued by Lindsey after falling out of a tree when he was only days old. Lindsey cared for him consistently and he was growing well - until one sad morning. He loved to sleep under my truck (on the axle.) I took off early for the hospital one morning and, after several minutes heard a meowing sound. Suspecting the worst, I pulled over on the freeway and tried to find the source of the meowing. I never did, and we never saw Chumley again. I still feel guilty.

Value Time - (short for Value Time Cream Sandwich - the kids felt was a more creative name than Oreo) VT was a black and white stray cat with no tail - technically not ours, but since Lindsey fed him every day, he claimed our home as his own. He was the stud of the neighborhood, and every few months we would see a new batch of little kittens running around - always one of them black and white with no tail.

Alice - Classic case of Narcissistic personality disorder with borderline traits. This cat's favorite family member was Ryan. Every time he came home from college Alice would pee in his suitcase. (Don't ask me how she knew which one was Ryan's.) She shredded our new couch, carpet, and chair - stolidly refusing to use her scratching post, and left "remnants" in every closet in the house. Since we couldn't get her into a shelter, we finally paid Lindsey's friend $100 to "find her a home" while we were in Spain. She dumped her on a lady with so many cats she never knew she had one more.

Pedro - (actually a female cat) Product of a pregnancy/toxoplasmosis rescue mission. ( I'm a sucker for pregnant daughters.) Pedro had gender identify issues (thanks to Brandon and Clark), and suffered from bipolar disorder. She finished off the couch Alice started, and also took care of the carpet on the stairs. Pedro would come flying through the house, slip on the wood floors, crash into the wall, and then race up the stairs - for no reason at all. We paid another $100 in cat food for a sweet Mexican guy in our ward to adopt her.

Cooper - My personal favorite. Other than a few phobias and a slight case of OCD, Cooper was the best dog ever! He loved long walks, playing catch, and dad-the-bad. He was consistent as the North Star, and refused to go a different route on our walks. If we tried, he bolted and pulled us back to the usual trail. He was afraid of getting into cars/trucks, and once inside he would stick his rear end out the window instead of his head like normal dogs. He is now in "dog heaven" with a family that lets him stay in the house, sleep in their bed, and eat gourmet dog food. We miss you, Cooper!