Drake

Pets brighten up your day and can care for you as much as you do them. Victoria Ryan is 14 years old. She lives with her mom Jennifer Rayner and her grandma Cindy Rayner. Victoria loves all of her pets so much she has 24 of them.

“I have reptiles and small animals,” Victoria said.

Out of all the pets she has, her favorite is Drake. Drake is a Conure bird. According to Victoria, he is smart, funny and loud.

“I like him the most because he is really entertaining,” Victoria said.

She isn’t the only one in the house that likes Drake.

“We all love Drake,” Jennifer Rayner said. “He is one of a kind. At first I was scared about taking  on another pet because at some point I realized we might have enough but Drake is like family. He is so funny. He really knows how to make you laugh.” 

Victoria wanted a bird ever since she was little. She got Drake a year ago at a breeder. Even though she was excited, it was lots of work. She learned taking care of a pet is harder than it looks. Having a pet is more than having fun, it’s also a responsibility. 

“I don’t regret getting him, but I wish I would have thought about how much care and time it takes before I got him,” Victoria said. “I have lots of other pets but having Drake was much harder than I thought it would be. With school sometimes it’s hard because my pets are my responsibility and I have to take care of them everyday.”

Even though her mom and grandma love the bird, Victoria takes care of him the vast majority of the time. 

“Victoria does a really good job at taking care of Drake and all the other animals,” Cindy Rayner said. “She looks into what they need.”

There are times though when Victoria gets a little help. 

“I sometimes take care of him so she can go out and have fun with her friends, but Victoria does most of it. She makes sure Drake and all her other pets are happy,” Cindy Rayner said.

Victoria has advice for anyone that wants a pet no matter what type of pet it is. 

“Learn how to take care of the pet,” Victoria said. “Find out how to take care of it before you get it. Pets take up time and you have to make sure you’re willing to give up your time.”