In LOVE with pets

This month, 501 LIFE is celebrating those wonderful friends who for so many of us are really a part of the family – our pets!

These special friends can come in all shapes and sizes – from dogs and cats to horses and hedgehogs.

Jay Myers

City: Conway.

Job: General manager of Crain Buick GMC and Crain Kia of Conway.

Pet: Bentley, Golden Doodle.

How did you meet: He was a gift from my cousins.

How did you come up with your pet’s name: All of ours pets have names that start with the letter B, but I’m not sure why.

What do you love most about your pet: His personality and loyalty, and he is great with kids.

Favorite memory: The first time he tried to swim in a lake (it was hilarious).

Activities you enjoy together: Going to the lake and going on walks.

More information: He is funny and clumsy. He loves our other dog, Bubba. Bentley thinks he only weighs 5 pounds, and he often forgets that he is a dog.

Morgan Miller

City: Greenbrier.

Job: Mortgage loan processor at First Service Bank.

Pet: Dr. Pepper, a 15-year-old Quarter Horse.

How did you meet: My parents bought Dr. Pepper for me back in 2007 to run barrels. It was love at first sight!

How did you come up with your pet’s name: I actually did not come up with his name. He already had the name Dr. Pepper when we bought him, and I have always heard it was bad luck to change a horse’s name, plus it’s pretty unique so we decided to keep it.

What do you love most about your pet: He has one of the biggest personalities I have ever seen in a horse. He would come inside and hang out if he could. He just loves to be around people.

Favorite memory: I don’t think I could pick just one favorite memory because he has given me quite a few great ones. He has won me buckles and quite a bit of money since 2007.

Activities you enjoy together: Barrel racing is the majority of what we do together. I have run poles on him before and given young kids riding lessons on him. He is a wonderful babysitter!

Greg Hartman, DVM

City: Conway.

Job: Owner, Hartman Animal Hospital.

Pet: Zack, an 11-year-old German Wire-Haired Pointer.

How did you meet: Zack was a patient at first while I was working at a clinic in Gravel Ridge. He was very sick when he was young. Several months later, the owner contacted me and asked if I would like to have Zack, and I immediately said yes.

How did you come up with your pet’s name: His owner had already named him and I liked the name, so we kept it.

What do you love most about your pet: Zack is a very gentle and calm pet. He has been a great companion and has accompanied me on several visits to area schools for teaching demonstrations to the younger students. He is always very good with the students.

Favorite memory: My favorite memory was the day I went to pick him up as a puppy and seeing him interact with my son, Kyle, who was 3 years old then. They developed a special bond and have kept it over the years.

Activities you enjoy together: Spending time outdoors.

Katie M. Grady

City: Conway.

Job: Teller, First Security Bank at the University Branch in Conway.

Pets: An eyelash crested gecko named Padfoot, approximately age 2 in human years. We adopted her from PetSmart in Conway. Her name is from “The Land Before Time” movies.
A leopard gecko named Gojira, age unknown, was adopted from a co-worker who moved away. Her name is based on the fictional Japanese monster, Godzilla.

What do you love most about your pets: What I love most about our geckos is their faces! They look like they are always smiling, and they have a lot more personality than people realize. The great thing about geckos is how chilled they are. We can hang out around the house with them on our shoulders. They are great if you like a fun pet with minimal upkeep. We clean cages twice a week at most and feed them crickets or mealworms about once a week. Padfoot also eats a fruit powder that gets refilled in her dish once a week or so. She is a rainforest gecko, with lots of plants, mist and a waterfall in her tank. Gojira is more solitary, but is more calm when being held. She is a mostly nocturnal reptile and likes to hide in her cave and hunt for crickets when she gets them. Her habitat is a desert habitat, so she likes it pretty warm and dry. They are both very different, but very lovable critters for sure!

Mary Beth Lagenaur

City: Pickles G
ap (Conway).

Job: Substance abuse prevention educator, Family Services Agency, North Little Rock.

Pet: Willkie, an 11-year-old domestic longhair.

How did you meet: I found him in the woods near our house when he was a kitten.

How did you come up with your pet’s name: Willkie is named after my college dormitory at Indiana University. The dorm is named after Wendell Willkie, who ran for President against Franklin Roosevelt.

What do you love most about your pet: He’s very laid back, affectionate and a good lap cat. That’s why I decided to start taking him to Salem Place Nursing and Rehab to get him registered with Pet Partners as a therapy/animal assisted activity cat. Pet Partners is a national group that registers domestic animals who visit nursing homes, hospitals, schools, etc., for pet therapy and calming interactions. Willkie is the only cat registered with Pet Partners in the greater Little Rock area.

Favorite memory: Seeing the faces of Salem Place residents light up into a smile when Willkie visits.

Activities you enjoy together: Taking naps together.

More information: Willkie is a very sweet cat and I feel lucky to be his person.


Kinley Johnston

City: Greenbrier.

Job: Student at Greenbrier High School.

Pets: Spike (hedgehog), 4 years old; Echo (mini horse), 6 years old; Pockets (mini horse), 6 years old; Commotion (mini horse), 12 years old. I also have a big horse, other mini horses, two mini donkeys and many cats.

How did you meet: I met the hedgehog when we went to an exotic breeder we found online. The first horses I had, I met when my grandpa took me to find some when I was 4 years old. Most of the others were born on our land.

How did you come up with your pets’ names: Spike — there are only certain things you can call a hedgehog! Pockets was born on April 15, tax day, so his name is Ima’s Little Empty Pockets. Echo’s dad’s name is Buck Echo, so she is named after him. Commotion came to us with that name. There are too many more to mention.

What do you love most about your pets: I love all their different personalities.

Favorite memory: A few years ago, I was staying with my grandma and I wanted to go see my minis so I went off into a pasture. Long story short, everyone thought I was missing when I just needed some time with my babies.

Activities you enjoy together: Miniature horse shows. I started horse showing when I was 5.

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