Do you have a favorite pet?

I don’t think I could really choose a favorite pet. The one I’ve had the longest was my dog named Blondie, and she was a cocker spaniel. I think we either had her for fourteen or fifteen years, and she was a good girl.

What made her so special for you?

I grew up with her. I think I got her when I was about eight and I just had her for so long. We just hung out together; she was my best friend!

How many pets do you have now?

I have three. I have three pets; I have two dogs- or, excuse me, two cats and a dog, ha ha.

What kind?

Actually, all three of my babies were strays. I found Mason, my cat – somebody dumped him at Wal-Mart. My other cat, I found him – I worked at a veterinary clinic, and I was
coming home from work. He was sitting there watching the cars go by so, that’s how I got him. Molly, my dog, kind of found me and I was a foster parent for her, for the
Humane Society and nobody ever claimed her, so I ended up keeping her.

How long have you had them all?

I got all of them when they were pretty young. I’ve had Mason for about two years. I’ve had Maxwell for probably about a year and a half. And then Molly I’ve had for about a
year and a half.

Do they come on tour with you at all?

No, unfortunately! My mom and my dad love them so much that they take care of them while I’m going.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your pets?

Mason, my oldest cat, is a cuddle-bug, and I think that’s kind of rare for kitties, but he’ll sleep with you at night and cuddle up to you and sleep under the covers. Maxi’s the
scaredy-cat, but he likes to cuddle sometimes, too! Molly’s a smart dog, so she’s fun to play with.

Why do you love animals so much?

I was kind of born this way. I’ve always, you know, been a lover of animals and I’d stand up for any of them and fight for them and, I don’t know, I just love them. They’re babies and they need people.

Why do you think it’s important for teens to volunteer their time to help animals?

I think people – not just teens, but everybody – could learn so much from spending a few hours at an animal shelter or volunteering at a veterinary clinic or something like that. I mean, you learn how to take care of your animals, you get a greater respect for them, but mostly, you learn how to take care of your own by seeing the way a lot of people don’t take care of theirs.

What’s the most rewarding thing that you’ve ever done to help out an animal or a pet owner?

Other than getting my animals – they were strays – off the streets, ha ha, working at the vet clinic was a great way for me, because I did have them, I was a college student and I couldn’t let them go hungry. I actually volunteered to work at the vet clinic and they just decided to hire me, so it was a way to pay my vet bills to protect them.

Last question. What would you say to someone who wants to help animals but is too young to actually work at an animal shelter?

I’d say the best way is to just take care of your own, do the best you can, you know? Make sure they always have water – especially when it’s hot outside – make sure they’re
clean, fingernails are trimmed and teeth are clean and stuff like that. Just make sure that they’re healthy and happy.