Teacher's Pet

The teacher's pet in Donna Fortenberry's kindergarten class has shiny auburn hair and loves a nice, long nap in the afternoon.

Sassafras, known at Winnona Park Elementary School in Decatur as Sassy, is Fortenberry's miniature dachshund.

Teachers say there are many inconveniences in having classroom pets. They can smell bad, especially when their habitats get ripe, and they have to be cared for during long breaks and the summer.

But Kathy Medick, a fourth-grade teacher at Chattahoochee Elementary in Forsyth County, said her rats, Jessie and Jasmine, are worth the trouble.

"They're teaching children to take care of a living thing," she said.

The rats occupy a swanky four-story cage in the back of the classroom. Students are responsible for cleaning the cage and feeding the rats cheese cubes, carrots and sunflower seeds. Kids who want to take Jessie and Jasmine home over long breaks put their names into a hat. Their teacher draws the name of the lucky winner.

"They help us enjoy school more," said Bethany Hammond, 8. Several girls in the class describe the rats as "cute."

...who's the teachers pet then?