Ranked #3 in the region for Best Undergraduate Teaching, according to the U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings, John Carroll holds their professors to a high standard. While these faculty members keep it professional in the classroom, students often forget that professors come home to their families and furry friends much like their students do after a long day. Let’s meet some of the beloved pets that live under the same roof as five of our professors.

Dr. Thomas Pace, associate professor of English, comes home to an Old English sheepdog named Fergus. “When the kids were still crawling, he would herd them,” said Pace. He also remembers how his family’s loyal companion jumped in the van when his daughter was leaving for college. “He didn’t want her to leave without him,” added Pace.

Dr. Brent Brossmann, chair of the Tim Russert Department of Communication, admits that he and his wife Jeanette are dog people. This past July, they lost their 15-year-old shepherd boxer, Nala. Buddy, their 12-year-old American foxhound mix, still keeps the pair company. 

“Buddy is a hound in every sense. It’s wonderful to hear his soulful howls, which are usually reserved for calling the family together,” said Brossmann. 

Brossmann recalled a memory where Buddy showed he’s in tune with his hound instincts. “Years ago, he escaped our fenced yard, ran to a neighbor’s backyard and found a dead mouse caught in a trap. He proudly brought it home—mouse and trap—and dropped it at our front door to demonstrate his ‘hunting’ prowess. He was still standing there, wagging his tail with pride when we opened the front door.”

Director of Peace, Justice and Human Rights and English Professor, Dr. Philip Metres, has a 14-year-old mini poodle named Flash. In Metres’ description of his proud poodle, Flash lives up to his name: “Proud protector of his pack, very good boy, also known to jump [onto] the table if a steak is left unguarded.”

Dr. Kyle O’Dell, senior director of Student Engagement and director of Leadership Education, has a Pug named Harvey who adores cuddling almost as much as he adores his kibble. O’Dell’s favorite memory of Harvey was the first moment the pug became a part of his family, when they surprised his children with Harvey in March of 2016. “My wife got to the shelter several hours before it opened, knowing that lots of people would be interested in a pug—and it’s a good thing she did,” said O’Dell.

Dr. Mariah Webinger, a professor of Accountancy, has a full house of friends. “My furry pet is a cat named Timer,” said Webinger. “Most of our neighbors and friends don’t even know about her because she is an extreme introvert and only comes out from hiding to mingle with the family during quiet evenings.”

Webinger also enjoys spending time with her Welsummer hens Debbie, Colette, Maria and Josephina, which are her “backyard pride and joy.” She also cares for her turtle Squirt and her snake Lady Imelda. Squirt enjoys socialization, while Lady Imelda “only comes out to be seen once in a while.”

“While they might not all be furry, they all add joy and personality to our home,” said Webinger.

Now that we know the furry friends of these five professors, it’s easier to believe that our professors serve more than one title. Outside of campus, they are parents to loveable creatures. Their commitment to their professional and personal lives can help us, as students, relate to our dedicated professors that we share the classroom with everyday.