KWH Animals
The Animals of KWH are an important part of maintaining a thriving creative and intellectual environment. Come to the Writers House and find our furry friends discussing the merits of post-modernism and its implications for the future of art, and perhaps share some tea and snacks (Note: Human KWH visitors should not consume dog treats).
Albany
Albany (belonging to Alli Katz) is a very handsome, special, smart guy. He is also the biggest guy. Isn't he just the biggest smartest guy? Look at that handsome special smart guy. Hey big guy. Hey big guy. Spesh. Biggest guy.
Bear
Bear is an apple-enthusiast and belly-rub expert. Raised by Becca Lambright, Bear has lived a life of sleeping in other people's beds, stealing green beans off the table, and listening patiently to lots of classical music. While Bear does not like other dogs (out of a strong belief that she is human) Bear loves all people and has made it her mission to give everyone she meets a smooch on the face...or leg or arm or knee. Bear hopes to learn how to control human brains so she will never have to walk because people will just pick her up and carry her whenever she so desires. This will probably happen within the next five years; get on her good side while there is time!
Bissie
Biscuit "Bissie" Davidson (aka
Muffles, Ding Dong, Snorky, etc.) is a lovable but slightly dim-witted
Bichon Frise (though in her defense, the slight IQ deficiency might be
due to the two concussions she has weathered). She enjoys laying in the
sun, chasing squirrels, and going for car rides and has a rather unusual
fondness for cantaloupe and frozen peas. Doted on (and spoiled by) the
Davidson family, she is now almost 16 and mostly blind and deaf but is
still quite spunky and energetic, if a bit slow and scruffy. As far as
anyone can tell, she sustained no permanent trauma from the numerous
flower girl dress and gymnastic leotard outfittings forced on her by the
Davidson's fanciful daughter, Andrea. She still shies away from large
gift bows, however.
Brianne's Family
Karma, Kirby, and Chloe: In order of size, the tiny girl is Karma, a sweety just over a year old who loves tug-o-war, chasing squirrels, and wrestling with dogs ten times her size (she tried to take on a great dane last time she went to the park). Next we have Cerberus, aka Kirby. The best-trained of the three and the only boy, Kirby is a jumper who is just leaving his puppy years at nearly 3 years-old. Finally we have Chloe, the granny at the bunch somewhere around 15 or 16 years old. Her hobbies include napping and trying to get the pups to leave her be (they enjoy cuddling with her too much to ever do that though). All three are shelter mutts who have mastered the art of puppy-dog eyes.
Dexter
Dexter Tobias Dashiell Brousse-Gustafsson (Dex) was being fostered in East Falls, PA through the SPCA, when his now-parents fell in love with him via a Craigslist ad. (In his photo, he was sleeping with his paws crossed: a stance he still takes whenever he needs to feel officious.) He earned his first name on the day after his adoption after diving headfirst into a bowl of red velvet cupcake batter, growling about it, brandishing his claws, and unsettlingly reminding his mother of the television antihero. Dexter enjoys keeping his stripes neatly groomed, rehearsing to be lead soprano in an all-feline boys' choir, leaping to the highest available spot in the room, and holding out eternal hope that one day he'll catch the red dot of the laser pointer.
Jack
Jack is a very handsome boy
who loves snuggles, cuddles, eating, rolling in the dirt, and just about
everything else. Except baths. And the Penn Park bridge... which means
we have to carry him. He is not a light pupper.
Jovie
Jovie Alice Brousse (Jo) was widely considered to be the ugliest kitten of all time when she first came on the scene in the lobby of the Atlantic Animal Health Center in Galloway, NJ. But what she lacked in beauty she made up for in charm, and she was whisked away to the high life in a tiny one-bedroom apartment in West Philadelphia. (The timing of her adoption allowed her to recover from a sinus infection that afflicted all of her littermates; she had the bittersweet luck of being the only one to survive.) Here in Philadelphia, given the love and admiration she deserves, she has blossomed into the fluffy chubbalump you see before you. The hypnotic swinging of her belly flub is a technique she has perfected; she has the distinction of being the world's best mammalian cuttlefish impersonator. Among Jovie's favorite things are twist ties, mango popsicles, trying to chew the baby's breath out of any bouquet of roses her mother receives, and being the little spoon every single night.
Marble and Pebbles
Marble and Pebbles (who have chosen to live at Cindia's house) are two-of-a-kind red-earred slider turtles, a.k.a. ninja turtles. Hobbies include: going out for bike rides, basking in the sun, eating shrimp bits, hiding in dark corners, watching tv, stacking, jumping off ledges, invading people's privacy, being the topic of memes, and constantly scheming to escape their tank. Pebbles also dabbles in acting and enjoys infiltrating various Disney/Pixar films.
Niko
Niko is a world-renowned dog and poetic scholar from Boca Raton, Florida. He was raised by Amanda Silberling, the lovely (albeit clueless) KWH Web Assistant who created the most important web page in the upenn.edu web family (AKA, this page). Niko is terrified of storms, and he likes to jump on Amanda's face whenever it begins to rain. Amanda then takes selfies of this (see photos below). Niko recently received his Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Canine Studies, where he wrote his thesis on the role of dogs as symbols in American poetry. His favorite book is "Dog Years" by Mark Doty. Niko is single and ready to mingle, but he has his eyes set on Primo-- anyone got his number?
Oxford
Oxford is a grumpy (but wise) old man. Fostered in the summer of 2017 by Becca Lambright, Oxford has made the green beanbag in the Student Project Space his own. He's known for his bow-legged stance and his tendency to sleep with his tongue out. In his spare time he likes to burrow under blankets and bark at strangers since he knows he is the protector of the Writers House; having only four teeth he does very little but is still proud of himself.
Perren's Dog
This is Perren's dog.
Primo
Primo, a hound/pointer mix, was born on August 10, 2012, presumably in south central Tennessee. At some point during the first few weeks of his life, he was taken to the Fayetteville/Lincoln County Animal Shelter in Fayetteville, TN, where he was given the temporary name of Merrick. Primo was adopted by Jamie-Lee Josselyn and Aaron Marcus on October 20, 2012 via the Save An Innocent Life (SAIL) program. Since then, Primo has lived in Philadelphia, where he enjoys romping, running, peanut butter, kibble, and interacting with postal service workers, employees of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, and members of the Hill College House and Kelly Writers House communities. Named after the writer Primo Levi, Primo has completed the Puppy Primer course at Philadelphia's Opportunity Barks. He is currently working on a collection of personal essays called "Howling With the Sirens."
