VMCVM Pet Spotlight: Piper Wilson
What’s your name, and do you think it’s as awesome as you are?
Piper but my pawents call me Piperoni because of my love for pepperoni. :)
Who is your human and what is their role at the veterinary college?
My mom is Laney and she works in the Equine Field Service as a technician but she's the spare human. I'm 100% a daddy's girl, he's my best friend.
What kind of critter are you, and what makes your breed (or mix) totally pawsome?
I think I'm a hound mix but my pawrents introduce me as a "foster fail" and/or a "rescue" when I meet new people so maybe that's my breed?
How many candles are on your birthday cake this year—or are you keeping that a secret?
They think I'll be 12 this fall but not completely sure since I was rescued later in life. Although, some days I act like I'm a 2 year old puppy — age is just a number!
Where did you find your human, and what made you pick them?
My pawrents started fostering me from the Animal Welfare Foster Program (AWFP) in December 2022 and they officially adopted me July 2023. I'm so glad they decided to keep me because I have so much fun living on a farm getting to run around as much as I want. My mom always thanks Dr. Phoenix, because she's the reason I got put into AWFP and found my furrever home!
How would you describe yourself: a snugglebug, a wild child, or the boss of the house?
I'm a snuggle bug when I'm inside but you get me outside and I'll run my heart out. I don't consider myself the boss even though I'm the oldest to all of my siblings, but one of my cat sisters, Sasha, definitely runs the house...she can be a little scary at times.
What’s your signature move to get attention—puppy eyes, zoomies, or something else?
I like to smack mom and dad in the face when they're not giving me enough attention...I really get dad good when I get his glasses to come off.
Do you have a favorite toy that you’d fight a dragon to keep?
I'm not the most coordinated so I leave the tennis balls for my siblings ... although I do love a good stuffed animal but I think I love them too much because I destroy them rather quickly.
What’s your go-to snack, and how do you convince your human to hand it over? (Do you have a secret trick?)
I will eat anything my hoomans offer me and I'm especially good at giving them my paw when they ask for it.
What’s something you did that left your human totally speechless—good or bad?
Almost everyday I enjoy stealing dad's attention from mom whether that's laying in between them or on top of mom till she moves because he's my hooman ... then she just stares at me as I get all the belly rubs and lovins from him that my heart desires.
What’s your best “I’m too cute to handle” pose for the camera?
My pawrents really love it when my upper lip gets stuck on my teeth when I'm posing for a picture. Sometimes I forget where my lips are because they're so big.
Describe a day in your fabulous life. Do you work hard or hardly work?
Every morning I get up and run around outside before I eat my breakfast. Then I get to sleep for a little while because being 11 is exhausting. Then I get to run around outside again and sometimes I even help mom and dad with barn chores and hang out with my horse siblings or I'll play with my little sister, Sky. Then I'm usually tuckered out after that so it's back to napping before I eat dinner and then cuddle and watch movies with mom and dad till we all go to bed.
Do you have any rituals with your human, like belly rub o’clock or snack time at sundown?
Every night before bed I get tucked in with my favorite blankey and told I'm the prettiest girl in the world and get a kiss on my nose.
What’s your relationship status with other animals? BFFs, frenemies, or “it’s complicated”?
My little sister Sky, who is a heeler, is my absolute best friend in the world then I'd say Reba, one of my little sisters who's a cat, comes in second. I feel pretty indifferent towards my other dog siblings because they don't like to play with me as much. I'd like to think I raised my youngest cat siblings because they learned everything they know from me because I love my cats so much. My horse siblings scare me a little bit, but they're pretty cool. For some reason my chicken sisters always run away from me when I try to play with them.
Do you have any party tricks that wow the crowd?
If you play sirens on the TV, I like to sing along! My pawrents say I have the prettiest voice :)
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
My ears would take flight like Dumbo or my super sniffer would be used to smell out all the treats in the world...I use that now to smell out all the treats in the house.
What’s one thing your human should learn from you?
That everyday is a good day because you get to spend it with the people and animals you love. :)
What’s the best thing about being your human’s sidekick?
That I'm safe and loved very much.
Anything else you want to bark, meow, chirp, neigh, or squeak to the readers? (This is your moment!)
I have 2 younger dog brothers, 2 younger dog sisters, 3 younger cat sisters and 1 younger cat brother. I also have 7 younger chicken sisters, 1 older horse brother and 1 older horse sister ... but I get told everyday that I'm the best girl so I must be the favorite ... duh.