Great Falls Connection - The Connection Newspapers

Pets: Great Falls Familys Petting Zoo

The Drasbeks have dogs, chicken, and goat.
By Nikki Cheshire, The Connection Wednesday, July 28, 2010

In Great Falls, its not unheard of to have horses, dogs and cats, and especially more than one. But one family goes beyond having just a few dogs. With a chicken coop and a goat standing in their yard, the Drasbeks have what could be considered their own petting zoo. Four years ago, the Drasbeks border collie, Meg, had four puppies. After quickly dubbing three of them Tubby, Freckles and Lightning based on their physical characteristics and personalities the three with names were sold to people around the area. The only puppy left went on to be named Sista because she was the sister of the others and the family couldnt figure out what to call her said Mary Katherine Drasbek, the oldest sister in the family. My mom thought it was cute. In addition to their dogs, the family also had chickens. We just wanted hens, but we accidentally got a rooster, said Mary Katherine Drasbek. We called him King Kong because he was huge, fat and mean, said younger sister Caroline Drasbek. When I was like 6, I was outside and the chickens were just milling around, and King Kong started charging at me. I ran away, yelling I just want to eat him right now. Living beside the chickens was their goat, Missy. Thinking she was lonely without other goats, the Drasbeks gave her away to a family that had other goats. We got a call from the family a little while later, said Mary Katherine Drasbek. They said she seemed uncomfortable with the other goats. So we told them to put her with the chickens, and she apparently was happy, she said, with a laugh. I think she thought she was a chicken. Their younger brother, Mark, had pets of his own too. Two rats, Tar and Borat, lived in a large cage. I went to Utah for a while and told my Dad to watch them and put a weight over one of the wide slats in the cage, Mark Drasbek said. But they got out. They lived in the wall for a year before we stopped hearing them in the walls. I think they got outside.

Photo by Nikki Cheshire/The Connection Caroline, Mary Katherine and Mark Drasbek with their dog Sista, a border collie.

Photo by Nikki Cheshire/The Connection Sista, border collie