Pets/Wildlife

Karen Whitenton, of Lutz, loves to hear the Carolina wrens sing. She enjoys their happy and loud sounds. She said the wrens sometimes nest right outside her window. Whitenton said she looks forward to checking out the wildlife photo every week in The Laker/Lutz News.

Murphy, left, and Gordie are golden retrievers – brothers and littermates that moved to Florida from Massachusetts, to live out their golden years in the Sunshine State. Their hobbies have included chasing tennis balls, squirrels and lizards. Sadly, Murphy, crossed the rainbow bridge unexpectedly on March 12, just 11 days shy of the brothers’ 10th birthdays. The Glynn family – Brian, Jess, Brendan and Reese, will miss Murphy tremendously, but will always show Gordie their love, at their home in Wesley Chapel.

This stunning cardinal’s photo was snapped by Janna Rolfe, of Meadow Pointe in Wesley Chapel. Rolfe said we are ‘so fortunate to have so much pretty wildlife here in our county,’ and she enjoys seeing the pictures in the paper each week.

Eli Guy loves his human parents, Amanda and Michael Zabrocki, and his human siblings Kaitlyn and Evan, and lives with the family in Bexley, in Land O’ Lakes. He is crazy about his visits with his grandparents.

Allie is 3 years old and a crazy mix of Lab, AmStaff, Bassett Hound and Dachshund. She has a very long body and short legs – helping her earn the nickname of ‘Allie-gator.’ When she’s not playing with the garden hose or chasing a frisbee, Allie is perfecting her poker face. Adopted from Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue in Bradenton at 9 weeks old, she’s been a silly yet serious member of the Glotz household in Lutz ever since.

Charlie Croucher, of Land O’ Lakes, was in his backyard when he captured this photo of a great blue heron with a catfish in its mouth.

Shiloh is an 8-year-old lemon beagle that loves to sleep all day. Her other hobbies include eating chicken, beef and any other meat. Shiloh lives with John David, Olivia David, Naomi John, Benjamin David and Ruth John in Land O’ Lakes.

David Pagni, of Wesley Chapel, snapped photos of this wood stork that was flying around the pond at the entrance to Seven Oaks. Wood storks are hefty wading birds with football-shaped bodies perched atop long legs. They fly with their neck and legs outstretched but tend to perch with the neck drawn in, giving them a humpbacked appearance.

Loki will be 2 years old in May and loves to talk all the time. He calls his brothers, Tyler and Ryan, constantly because he loves to play peek-a-boo with them. Loki even watches the boys do their online schoolwork. Loki loves to wrestle with his daddy, and he likes to cuddle and mutter on mommy’s shoulder at bedtime. He’s like a little green puppy with wings. Loki has learned over 20 words and phrases, he’s working on potty training, and he’s even learning to sing (so far he just knows the words “happy birthday”). Loki just loves to be with the family, and bedtimes wouldn’t be right without him there for story time and tuck-ins, and kisses good night. Loki lives with the Harkness family in Wesley Chapel, and they wouldn’t know what to do without him.