National Pet Week was this week, making people aware of the love they have for their pets.

Pets are with us almost every second of every day, and when we’re away from them we miss them dearly. Why we adore them we really don’t know. From parakeets to Great Danes, people adore their pets of all shapes and sizes for a multitude of different reasons.

Here are some pets who are extremely special to their owners.

Destiny

Destiny the chicken belongs to sophomore Leah Williams and gets all the love that Williams can give.

She is a week-and-a-half old and is one special chicken.

Destiny has a disability, which makes her extremely important to Williams. Destiny has a splayed leg and curled toes.

“She’s special to me because she’s handicapped,” Williams said.

Destiny wouldn’t be wanted by most chicken owners because of her deformity, but Williams wanted to give her a second chance.

“I wanted to rehabilitate her because she’s different,” Williams said.

Honeybear and Mozart

Honeybear and Mozart belong to Megan Millinkov, junior, and enjoy spending time with their owners.

Mozart is a 2-year-old American Tabby cat whom Millinkov rescued from the local Humane Society.

“Cats are fun and cute,” Millinkov said. “They don’t require as much work as other pets. I wanted to get a rescue because I want to help animals. Plus, I didn’t need a kitten. I didn’t want the whole kitten experience.”

Honeybear is 9 years old and is a golden retriever. Millinkov and her family got her from a golden retriever breeder.

Millinkov holds her pets close to her heart because they are well-behaved and friendly.

“They’re special because everyone says they’re the nicest animals they have ever met,” Millinkov said. “Animals reflect their owners’ behavior, so nice people have nice pets.”

Eli

Eli is a 10-week-old pit bull puppy that junior Raven Burge received from her father.

“He’s special to me because I got him from my dad,” Burge said.

Burge got Eli this week from her father, and he feels right at home with her other six dogs.

Eli also helps Burge to get through the hard times that she has to handle.

“He is really helping me with a lot of stuff that I’m going through,” Burge said.