The Cats & Dogs (& other!) of Imagine Exhibitions

One of the reasons we love the traveling exhibition Cats & Dogs is that it celebrates pets! There are almost 420 million pets registered in North America, and the team at Imagine Exhibitions are active contributors to that number. We couldn’t possibly do what we do as well as we do it if we didn’t have the unconditional support of our furry (and sometimes not-so-furry!) friends.

Read on to get to know some of the Cats & Dogs (and others!) of Imagine Exhibitions, who we happen to think are particularly special:

Name: Sparky
Owner: President & CEO, Tom Zaller
“Sparky is a 4 year old Havachon which is a cross between the Bichon Frise and the Havanese. Sparky loves to travel and has been on many airplanes over the years with his family. He loves to play and go for long hikes, go camping and get very dirty and chase sticks, especially into the river (I would say “fetch” but that requires him bringing the stick back…working on that…). He is an old soul and a big dog trapped in a little body, he is kind to all and is cute enough to add to any photo shoot. I think we will keep him!”

Name: Kodyklumi
Owner: Exhibit Designer, Ana Valente
“Kody is very sweet and loving. He is two years old, is curious, and is becoming braver by the day. He is a social eater and only will eat when someone else does! We are stronger together and he is my little ray of sunshine.”

Name: Spot
Owner: Director of Sales for Europe + Middle East, Agnes Ruiz
“Spot moved with us just before lockdown. We don’t know if Spot is a ‘he’ or a ‘she’! So, we decided they can be gender fluid. S/he’s been our companion through these turmoiled times. I like talking to her/him: s/he rarely interrupts me! S/he enjoys the sun, salad, and cucumber. S/he liked going on vacation at my parents’ house this summer, where s/he definitely enjoyed seeing other tortoise buddies!”

Name: Bo
Owner: Director of Finance, Segrid Turner
“Bo is 5 years old, and he's a red nose Pitbull. Because I've always heard all the bad news about Pitbulls, I was very skeptical 4 years ago about bringing him into our home. He was being taken to PAWS animal shelter by a family friend that couldn't care for him because of his high energy level. One look in his eyes and I knew we had to rescue him, and he's been an awesome addition to our family. His look is very intimidating (which I like), but he's a gentle giant! He plays with everyone and loves to play with our almost 2-year-old granddaughter, who he's very protective of.”

Names: Leilah (Dog), Missy (Cat), and Molly (Cat)
Owner: Finance Manager, Taylor Boyd
“Leilah loves to bark at everything and anything. If she hears a car down the road, she will bark. She is a little protector of my boys. She also thinks she is a lap dog but weighs 87 lbs. She loves to sit on the top of the cushions on the couch like a cat as well. Leilah loves to try and play with the cats, but the cats want nothing to do with her.
Missy and Molly are sisters. We adopted them together when they were babies. They have a gum disease and are losing all their teeth, not to mention they have smelly breath. Missy is more outgoing and loves to be by the baby, while Molly wants nothing to do with anyone unless you have food! They both have completely different personalities but are loved equally.”

Name: Penny (short for Pennsylvania)
Owner: Project Manager, Heather Greenleaf
“Penny's a 3-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer. She's smart, cuddly, and full of energy 100% of the time. She is 80lbs, but doesn't realize it, and crashes into our laps as if she fits. She loves long walks, playing tug-of-war, and stealing dirty socks from the laundry basket.”

Name: Petey
Owner: Production Manager, Chris Anderson
“This is me and, Petey—an Europosaurus. Petey is about 70 million years old. He loves eating plants, playing fetch, and breathing through the nostrils on the top of his head. I travel a lot, so I don't get to spend as much time with Petey as I would like, but we always have fun when we’re together!”
(JUST KIDDING! If only we could have dinosaurs as pets…)

Cats & Dogs is one of our most popular STEM exhibitions because it leverages this type of emotional connection that humans have with their furry friend and uses that as an entry point into exploring scientific, sociological, and cultural subjects. Museum visitors report loving learning more about things they are already interested in. Many studies demonstrate that emotional connections are crucial to attention and learning. So, what better way to deliver a rich, rewarding educational experience than through peoples’ love of their pets?

Contact us to learn more about Cats & Dogs, created by our partners at La Cite de Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris in partnership with Musée de la civilisation in Quebec.