The JMF Pets

There are few things in life better than the love of a furry friend. For this week’s blog, we wanted to highlight some of the beloved pets of JMF – featuring the cute critters of our staff and Board of Directors.

JMF STAFF

Jane Seib
Curriculum Manager

“This is Harry and Bartleby. They are brothers and they’re 2!”

Erica Christie
Director of Education

“Leia is our spunky and sweet shih-poo. She loves to give kisses, snag bites of bacon and steak, and bark at the mailman. Depending on her mood, she can be sweet and cuddly or sassy and aloof. This cute spitfire definitely runs the show around here! Franklin is a fox red labrador retriever. He is truly the sweetest, most affectionate dog on the planet. He is constantly in search of human attention and likes to climb up into my lap for nightly cuddle sessions. Franklin loves peanut butter, hiking, belly rubs, and getting exceptionally muddy! Franklin and Leia are best buddies!”

Stephanie Becher
Education Manager

“We have an almost 13-year-old dog named Acklen. She’s named after the street we lived on in Nashville, TN when we got her as a rescue. She’s part Beagle, but you wouldn’t know it from her size, only from her Beagle bark. She was our first baby, and the sweetest dog. She also sings!”

Chelsea McCloskey
Education Manager

“This is Nova. Nova is going to be three years old this summer. Her nicknames are “The Nugget” or “Novie”. She is such a lover and a goober. She plays hard and then loves to lounge. She is the biggest 60 pound scaredy cat. She has recently been most terrified of jumping off of the furniture haha, something she has done her entire life. She loves to gives kisses and has one of the longest tongues. She brings so much joy to our lives.”

Aubrey Wiest
Communications Manager

Chef is our 11 year old golden retriever/lab mix. He is my best friend and the light of my life. He’s a very big baby, and attached at the hip to his humans. He loves to lay out in the sun, play with his tennis ball (the squeaky kind, of course), and chew on sticks. He’s obsessed with food – but that’s okay, because his begging face is really cute. I love him more than most anything in the whole world.

Our little kitty, Percy, is one of a kind. Percy’s biggest quality is his loud, LOUD mouth. He talks constantly, meowing at you even when you’re begging him to stop. He loves toys that feature butterflies, and will even growl at you if you try to take them from him! He can be very cuddly, and will lay across your face if you let him. I love him even when he’s scratching my bed frame at 2 AM.”

Julie Friedman
Director of Programs

“Our Pandemic Puppy Phoebe Friedman came home Labor Day weekend in 2020. Phoebe is a Mini Bernedoodle. She is an energetic puppy full of mischief! Phoebe can frequently be seen in the background during my Zoom calls…often getting into some kind of trouble. 😉 She keeps us laughing every day and has been a wonderful addition to our family.”

Vivian Maley
Co-Founder and Executive Director

Baci and Seamus

Lauren Maley
Communications Associate

“This is Gatsby Snow. He is 9 years old, and was a rescue that was given up by his first adoptive family for ‘not getting along with their cat.’ He had his ear ripped off and his side gashed by a mean bully dog in the pound where he lived before he was adopted into our family when he was almost two years old. Gatsby recently had his DNA work-up done, and while he looks half Weiner dog, half pit, he was shocked to find out he is half pit and 30% chihuahua, and the rest is mostly Weiner dog. He loves to sniff things and is afraid of almost everything but mostly the dark and fireworks. He now lives with his step siblings, who are cats, and they get along very well.

These are Niklaus Archer (Klaus for short) and Rue Agnes Maley, who are now 7 years old and were rescued after being found with their three other siblings from their litter in a plastic bag in a dumpster. Niklaus is the Alpha and Rue is the runt. Klaus is white and orange and loves to eat and loaf around and bother his dad for head scratches. Rue is white with black and brown markings and a distinctive raccoon striped tail. She is very very chatty, loves her mom and no one else, curling up in weird positions, and getting into crazy places somehow even though she knows she isn’t allowed.”

Courtney Basso
Events and Service Manager

“This is Hopper. He is 2.5 years old. During the pandemic, he has been an ardent supporter of virtual JMF staff meetings, as they allow him time to pursue his passion…napping on his favorite pillow while getting belly rubs from his human.”

Gino Maley
Communications Associate

“Unfortunately, I don’t have the room for any pets in my apartment. As much as I would love a companion (I’ve contemplated getting a snake!), I take heart in the love and companionship I get from my many, MANY house plants. I have too many to name, but suffice it to say I am a proud plant dad. Pictured here are my Aloe plant, Zuse (named after the character from TRON: Legacy), that I got as a tiny baby and has since grown into about half my size; and my Ivy plant, Alan (I named all my plants after TRON characters) in an artsy photoshoot with my bust of Aristotle.