Pets/Wildlife

Brody is a 1-year-old Boykin Spaniel. These spaniels were bred to hunt turkeys and wild birds in the state of South Carolina. This breed was so loved, it was named the state dog of South Carolina. Boykins love to swim and have webbed feet. Of course they love to play fetch with any object you throw! Brody lives with his proud owners, Kevin and Karen Kelly, in Lutz.

Karen Whitenton sees Great Blue Herons on a regular basis on the pond behind her house in Lutz, but this one caught her eye as it was drying its wings. The bird would shift and change position every 30 seconds or so.

When Mr. Cat sees a camera or cellphone pointed in his direction, he will stop and pose, acting as if he is the top cat in Hollywood. He lives with his proud owner, Leigh Love, in Wesley Chapel.

Randi Grainger sees a lot of wildlife on his property in Wesley Chapel, including the recent sighting of a cottonmouth. Grainger said he wanted to get a better shot of its head because when the snake opened its mouth, its head just seemed to disappear and it became ‘all mouth!’ A cottonmouth also is known as a water moccasin, as the snake is semi-aquatic.

Opal is a 10-month-old Lynx Siamese. She was 6 weeks old when she was adopted from a shelter in October 2020. She is a beautiful taupe color with darker ears and an extra-long tail. Siamese cats have a habit of being ‘Velcro’ cats, and Opal is no exception — turn around and there she is. Opal lives with her proud owner, Elsie Rehberg, in Wesley Chapel.

Amber Fly spied this softshell turtle during a walk through the Morris Bridge Wilderness Park in Thonotosassa. The diet of the softshell turtle usually consists of snails and fish, but these creatures have been known to eat waterfowl such as ducks and even small herons.

Liezel is a beautiful 8-year-old Pomeranian. She is a registered therapy dog and has won awards for her work. Liezel lives with her proud owners, James and Judith Sota, in Land O’ Lakes.

Nick Marek has lived at Eagle Island in Lake Padgett Estates East, in Land O’ Lakes, for 25 years. He loves the variety of wildlife that comes through the area.

Midnight is a 16-year-old outdoor/indoor cat that was rescued by the Carmack family when they lived in Hudson, back in 2005. She loves going outside during the day, mostly to sunbathe and work on her tan, and also to guard and protect her humans. Midnight likes to go for short walks with her owners; she doesn’t even need a leash! When she was young, Midnight used to bring presents to the family all the time, in the form of mice and lizards. She is the definition of perseverance because she will meow for food ‘until the cows come home’ when she is hungry. Midnight loves to steal Kelli Carmack’s pillow in the middle of the night, which is a battle Kelli can never win. (Kelli is the Digital Content Manager for The Laker/Lutz News.) Midnight still resides with the Carmack family but now in Grand Oaks, in Land O’ Lakes.