Walking through freshman Joanne Luo’s front door, you may first notice Winter, Luo’s affectionate Rottweiler-pitbull mix, running to greet her. Or perhaps you’ll see her bearded dragon, Mochi, sunbathing lazily in his cage. Though it sounds like the beginning of a fanciful children’s book, this is everyday life for Luo, the proud owner of a dog, a cat, seven fish and a bearded dragon.
Luo has always loved animals, even the more unconventional ones. One evening, a nine-year-old Luo got out of bed to see that her dad had come home with their first-ever pet, a 3-month-old bearded dragon that she named Mochi. In addition to her current pets, she has previously owned lizards, three parrots, a rabbit and several incredibly territorial guinea pigs.
“I think that the randomness of getting pets definitely empowered my love for animals,” Luo said. “I got to learn a lot about them.”
Since Luo was in elementary school when she first got Mochi, she didn’t initially play a large role in caring for him. That changed when she was surprised with Winter. Over seven years of walking, feeding and playing with him, Winter and Luo have developed a close bond.
“He’s been there for everything that’s happened in the family,” Luo said. “He’s just always there in the corner for everything.”
As the years passed, Luo’s family gained new pets, some of whom even bonded with each other. When Luo’s sister found a lizard outside, the family placed it in the same tank as Mochi in the hopes they’d get along.
“I think they liked each other,” Luo said. “We always see the lizard sitting on top of the bearded dragon’s head.”
However, with more pets came more chaos. Though the animals generally coexisted peacefully, the family had trouble wrangling the guinea pigs. Initially overwhelmed, Luo’s family banded together to share the responsibilities of caring for them.
A few months ago, a kitten named Kirin joined the family. Though Kirin typically stays at her brother’s house, Luo takes care of him when the kitten is at her home. Kirin brought a playful change of pace compared to Winter and Mochi, who have both calmed over the years.
“Because he’s still a kitten, he causes a lot of trouble and knocks stuff over,” Luo said. “For Winter, if he’s alone, he won’t make any messes.”
Over the years, tending to animals and meeting different species has led Luo to become more cognizant of injustices toward animals across the world.
“It made me feel more empathetic towards what happens to animals, like trafficking,” Luo said. “It makes you feel even worse because you have one of those pets at your house. It makes you wonder, ‘What if that was my dog?’”
Chaotic, playful and full of love, Luo’s pets have brought not only excitement into her life, but also lessons in understanding and accountability.
“She’s had a lot of pets as she’s grown up, so that brings a lot of responsibility to try and take care of them all,” freshman and Luo’s friend Madeline Siripoke said.
