Announcing: Bring your pet to school day

Rachel Cerva

BASH freshman excited to bring her dogs to Bring Your Pet to School Day

The cat’s out of the bag! Boyertown is happy to officially announce “Bring Your Pet to School Day!” The event date will be officially announced shortly, but is suspected to occur on National Pet Day. Students can choose any of their pets to bring into school and carry around with them for the day. Boyertown plans on accommodating all participants with everything they need through the course of the day. They have been fundraising for the past few months to obtain needed items such as water bowls, litter boxes, snack dishes, food, and any other animal essentials. Students would have to bring their own leashes, but if needed, they will be able to purchase one in the main office when they enter the school.

Bring Your Pet to School Day was an annual tradition that ended in 2001 due to low funding in other areas. Boyertown has been striving to bring the big event back for years, but their efforts were put on a pause due to the pandemic. Now things are practically back to normal and the funds have been saved up to accommodate all of the animals. “I am very excited for the return of this event,” a BASH teacher says. “I love meeting all of my students pets throughout the day and interacting with them. It’s really a stress-relieving day for both staff and students.”

BASH student with the cat she’s bringing for Bring Your Pet to School Day (Photo credit: Bella Brown)

Throughout the day, the pets and students will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of different activities. Some activities from previous years include finger-and-paw painting, racing the animals, pet partner yoga, scavenger hunts, and competitive games. Teachers who have participated in previous years are already planning to reuse the activities they worked with in the past. “My students always made a short film showcasing their pets,” a teacher states. “They found so much joy in the experience that I hope to pass on to this generation of kids.”

Of course, no one can forget about the main event. At the end of the day, students will have the chance to enter their pet into a schoolwide competition. The competition tests pets on their speed, agility, smarts, talent, strength, and companionship. The overall score of each animal will be judged on these factors as well as an animal’s poise, presentation, obedience, and compatibility with its owner. At the end of the day, each pet can win up to 100 points, and the three pets with the most points win the competition. The owners of the winning pets will each get to choose a gift card and king-size candy bar along with a medal commending their efforts.

The preparations for the big day are getting ready, so you and your animal should be prepared, too! All you need is your pet and its leash, and you’ll be ready for Bring Your Pet to School Day! Make sure to save the date that everyone eagerly waits for!

Happy April 1, from The Cub!